Motorized Eye Drop Dispenser with Wearable Headset Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
The delivery of ophthalmological medications via eye drops is often inconsistent due to patient blinking during administration, and there is a risk of contamination and irritation from direct contact with the delivery tip, as well as potential bacterial, fungal, or viral contamination.
Innovation Solution
A motorized dispensing device with a lead screw and movable mount system that automatically dispenses a predetermined dosage of eye drops without direct contact, using a wearable headset to align the drops with the eyes and a control system to ensure proper alignment and minimize contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a patient manually delivers eye drops by touching the delivery tip to the eye, then the medication can be administered, but it causes irritation or injury to the patient and may contaminate the ophthalmological solution with bacteria, fungi, or viruses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated dispensing device as an intermediary between the eye drop bottle and the patient's eye. The device uses a controlled dispensing mechanism with a dispensing tip that can be precisely positioned near the eye without requiring direct manual contact, thereby eliminating contamination risks while maintaining ease of administration
Solution Approach 2:
The automated dispensing device performs the medication delivery function autonomously without requiring the patient to manually handle the delivery tip. The system self-regulates the dispensing process, positioning and releasing the eye drops automatically, which eliminates the need for direct patient contact with the delivery mechanism
2Reliability
If a patient blinks during eye drop delivery, then the natural reflex is protected, but the dosage becomes inconsistent or ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The automated dispensing device detects when the patient's eye is open and ready to receive drops, then initiates the dispensing action at the optimal moment. This preliminary detection and timing mechanism ensures that drops are delivered when the eye is positioned correctly, preventing loss due to blinking while maintaining natural eye protection reflexes
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors that detect eye position and blink status, providing real-time feedback to the control mechanism. Based on this feedback, the device adjusts the timing of drop delivery to coincide with moments when the eye is open and ready, ensuring consistent and effective dosing while respecting natural blink reflexes
3Reliability
If a automated dispensing device is used to avoid direct contact, then contamination risk is reduced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex automated dispensing mechanism from the simple eye drop bottle, placing it in a separate wearable device housing. This separation allows the bottle to remain simple while the automation functions are contained in a dedicated module, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining contamination prevention benefits
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 system ensures consistent and accurate delivery of eye drops, reducing the risk of contamination and irritation by avoiding direct contact and using a controlled dispensing mechanism that aligns with the eyes, thus improving the effectiveness and safety of ophthalmological medication administration.
Implementation Method 1
a motor connected to a lead screw, a movable mount... The motor can be configured to rotate the lead screw in either a first rotational direction or a second rotational direction. The moveable mount can be configured to translate on the lead screw in a first direction, when the lead screw is rotating in a first rotational direction
Implementation Method 2
The bottle can have a deformable side and can have an opening. The bottle can be positioned at a distance from the shaft of the yoke such that in response to movement of the movable mount, the shaft of the yoke is configured to move in a curved path and press the deformable side of the bottle to dispense the fluid
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for an apparatus for installation of eye drops, an automatic dispensing device, and a method to dispense eye drops. The apparatus including a dispensing device, a control system, and a housing. The dispensing device configured to dispense a dosage of a fluid medication from an eye drop bottle, the eye drop bottle having an opening. The control system operatively connected to the dispensing device. The housing comprising a main wearable headset and a cover. The housing configured to contain the dispensing device and the control system, and configured to allow passage of the dosage of the fluid medication through an aperture in the main wearable headset of the housing. Also, disclosed is an automatic dispensing device comprising a motor and detection system to dispense a fluid from a bottle.