Micro Drop Adapter for Eye Drop Bottles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current eye drop bottles dispense 50 microliters per drop, which is twice the volume the eye can hold, leading to inefficiency and discomfort, and existing solutions to convert them to micro drop dispensers are not compatible with modern, non-removable tip bottles.
Innovation Solution
A micro drop adapter that attaches to existing eye drop bottles, featuring a coupler, an internal sheath to seal with the original tip, and a removable cap to protect the micro drop forming tip, allowing for the conversion of standard dropper bottles into micro drop dispensing units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a standard dropper bottle dispenses 50 microliters per drop, then the bottle structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the drop volume is twice what the eye can hold, leading to inefficiency and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter contains an inner tube nested within the adapter body, creating a multi-layered structure. The inner tube is surrounded by the adapter's outer wall, forming a nested configuration that allows the adapter to attach to the bottle tip while maintaining a compact form factor.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter serves as an intermediary device between the standard dropper bottle and the user's eye. It includes an inner tube that interfaces with the bottle's original tip and an adapter tip that delivers micro-drops, mediating the flow control to reduce drop volume from 50 microliters to approximately 16 microliters.
2Ease of operation
If an adapter is added to convert standard bottles to micro drop dispensers, then micro drop dispensing is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter is designed with universal compatibility to attach to various standard dropper bottle configurations. The coupler portion can engage with different bottle thread types and tip configurations, allowing a single adapter design to work across multiple bottle styles without requiring custom adaptations for each bottle type.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter contains an inner tube nested within the adapter body, creating a multi-layered structure. The inner tube is surrounded by the adapter's outer wall, forming a nested configuration that allows the adapter to attach to the bottle tip while maintaining a compact form factor.
3Reliability
If the original tip is sealed with an inner tube, then contamination is prevented, but the seal between inner tube and original tip may compromise bottle integrity
Solution Approach 1:
The inner tube is made of a flexible material that can deform to conform to the original tip's surface irregularities. This flexibility allows the inner tube to create an effective seal without requiring precise dimensional matching or rigid contact, thereby maintaining bottle integrity while preventing contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The inner tube serves as an intermediary sealing element between the adapter and the bottle's original tip. It mediates the connection by providing a compliant sealing surface that adapts to the tip's geometry, preventing liquid leakage and contamination while preserving the original bottle structure.
Data Source
AI summary
A micro drop adapter that is adapted to engage with dropper bottles. The micro drop adapter engages with and surrounds the original tip of the bottle. The micro drop adapter comprises at least one inner tube that is urged against the original tip of the bottle forming a seal and a channel in fluid connection with the bottle. The micro drop adapter comprises an adapter tip that dispenses micro drops, which are drops having a volume of less than approximately 50 microliters. The micro drop adapter further comprises a cap.