Insulin Pump Holster Environmental Sensor Data Acquisition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current insulin pumps lack detailed data on operating conditions during day-to-day activities, leading to inadequate design and increased failures due to speculative post-failure analysis, resulting in over- or under-design based on assumed rather than actual conditions.
Innovation Solution
An insulin pump data acquisition device and system that includes a holster with environmental sensors, memory, and a controller to collect and store data on conditions such as acceleration, temperature, pressure, and humidity, allowing for real-world data analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If post-failure analysis of defective insulin pumps is performed, then some data can be obtained, but the data is highly speculative and does not provide detailed information on actual operating conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by equipping insulin pumps with environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, acceleration, pressure) that continuously collect and store operating condition data before failures occur. This allows real-world data to be captured during actual usage, eliminating the need for speculative post-failure analysis and providing accurate information about actual operating conditions.
2Ease of manufacture
If insulin pump design is based on assumed conditions, then design can proceed without real-world data, but the design may be over- or under-designed leading to additional expenses and failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback by collecting real-world operating data from insulin pumps through environmental sensors and using this data to inform future design improvements. The system continuously gathers information about actual usage conditions (temperature, humidity, acceleration, pressure) and feeds this back to designers, enabling evidence-based design decisions that avoid both over-design and under-design.
3Loss of information
If environmental sensors are integrated into the insulin pump, then detailed real-world data can be collected, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies merging by integrating multiple environmental sensors (temperature, humidity, acceleration, pressure) into a single data acquisition system within the insulin pump. The sensors are combined with memory and processing capabilities to collect, store, and analyze operating conditions simultaneously, reducing overall system complexity compared to separate monitoring systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides detailed, real-world data on insulin pump usage, enabling more accurate design improvements and reducing failures by understanding actual operating conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The environmental sensor is selected from the group consisting of a single axis accelerometer, a multi-axis accelerometer, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure sensor, an ultraviolet sensor, and an electromagnetic sensor.
Data Source
AI summary
An insulin pump data acquisition device & system including: an insulin pump data acquisition device for use with an insulin pump, the data acquisition device including a holster having a wall defining an interior volume and an exterior volume, the exterior volume being sized to removably secure the insulin pump; an environmental sensor operable to generate environmental data in response to environmental conditions; memory operably connected to the environmental sensor, the memory being operable to store the environmental data; a controller operably connected to the environmental sensor and the memory, the controller being operable to control reading of the environmental data from the environmental sensor and writing of the environmental data to the memory; and a battery operably connected to power the environmental sensor, the memory, and the controller. The environmental sensor, the memory, the controller, and the battery are disposed within the interior volume.