Light Guide Illumination for Drug Delivery Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current drug delivery devices lack effective monitoring and tracking capabilities, particularly for self-administered insulin injections, which can lead to errors in dosage and usage tracking.
Innovation Solution
A sensor device is designed to be attached to drug delivery devices, featuring a light guide for even illumination, an optical sensor for image capture, and a processor for optical character recognition, enabling the device to accurately read and display dosages, and communicate with other systems for improved tracking and guidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a light source is placed close to the drug delivery device surface for illumination, then illumination intensity is improved, but reflections and bright spots increase that hamper image capture
Solution Approach 1:
A light guide is introduced as an intermediary component between the light source and the drug delivery device surface. The light guide conducts light from a distance away from the surface to the illumination point, allowing intense illumination without the light source being close to the surface, thereby avoiding reflections and bright spots that would interfere with optical sensor imaging.
2Measurement precision
If the light source is placed far from the drug delivery device to avoid reflections, then image capture quality is improved, but illumination intensity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide acts as a mediator that transmits light energy over a distance from the light source to the target surface. This allows the light source to be positioned far from the drug delivery device to avoid creating reflections, while still delivering sufficient illumination intensity to the surface through the light guide's light-conducting properties.
3Measurement precision
If multiple components are added to the sensor device for illumination and imaging, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light guide serves multiple functions simultaneously: it conducts light from the light source to illuminate the drug delivery device surface, it positions the light source away from the surface to avoid reflections, and it structures the light output to provide even illumination without bright spots. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while still improving measurement precision.
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
The sensor device enhances the accuracy of dosage tracking, reduces user errors, and facilitates automatic data transfer to blood glucose monitoring systems, providing improved patient management and convenience.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide having a first surface, a second surface opposed to the first surface, at least one side surface extending between the first and second surfaces and a light out-coupling structure configured to cause diffuse light to be emitted from the first surface when light is input into the light guide
Implementation Method 2
a light out-coupling structure configured to cause diffuse light to be emitted from the first surface when light is input into the light guide
Implementation Method 3
an optical sensor arranged to receive light reflected from a surface of the drug delivery device
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor device configured to be attached to a drug delivery device and configured to illuminate the drug delivery device when attached, the sensor device comprising: a light guide having a first surface, a second surface opposed to the first surface, at least one side surface extending between the first and second surfaces and a light out-coupling structure configured to cause diffuse light to be emitted from the first surface when light is input into the light guide; at least one light source configured to in-couple light into the light guide; and an optical sensor arranged to receive light reflected from a surface of the drug delivery device.