Multi-serving cartridge for dispensing nutritional supplements
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional dietary supplements in pill or capsule form are difficult to swallow, digest, and often contain fillers and binding agents that reduce active ingredient absorption, leading to issues with dosing accuracy and effectiveness, especially for vulnerable populations like the elderly and pets.
Innovation Solution
A multi-serving cartridge system that mixes powder-form dietary supplements with water, using a fracturable membrane to release measured doses and marker zones to track usage, reducing the need for fillers and binding agents and enhancing absorption and dosing accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If dietary supplements are manufactured in pill or capsule form, then they are easier to store and distribute, but they become difficult to swallow and digest, and require fillers and binding agents that reduce active ingredient absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the dietary supplement from solid pill/capsule form to liquid powder form. This parameter change eliminates the need for fillers and binding agents required in solid formulations, while improving swallowability and digestion. The liquid powder can be easily mixed with water or other liquids, providing a convenient alternative to swallowing pills.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fillers and binding agents are used to produce solid tablets, then the tablets have acceptable shelf life and structural integrity, but the amount of active ingredient content is limited and absorption is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates fillers and binding agents from the dietary supplement formulation by transitioning to a liquid powder form. This extraction allows the product to maintain stability and integrity without requiring these additive substances, thereby increasing the proportion of active ingredients and improving absorption since the liquid powder dissolves completely without leaving residual filler material.
3Quantity of substance
If large pills are used to increase active ingredient content, then more nutrients are provided per dose, but they become more difficult to swallow especially for elderly and children
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical form from solid pill to liquid powder, allowing high doses of active ingredients to be delivered in a form that is easy to consume. The liquid powder can be mixed with water to create a small volume suspension that is much easier to swallow than a large pill, while still delivering the required nutrient quantity.
4Measurement precision
If pill boxes and organizational systems are used to improve dosing accuracy, then dosing can be organized, but they require a high degree of discipline to use regularly and do not prevent over-dosing or under-dosing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dietary supplement into individual single-serving packets, each containing a precise dose. This segmentation eliminates the need for pill boxes and organizational systems because each packet is pre-measured and ready to use. The segmentation also prevents over-dosing and under-dosing by ensuring each serving contains the exact required amount, and the disposable nature removes the need for discipline-based organization systems.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A granulated nutritional supplement dispensing machine extracts single- serving doses from a multi-serving supplements cartridge for delivery as a drinkable solution. A lead serving chamber is pierced so that its powered contents drain into a mixing cup together with a metered quantity of water from an integrated water tank. A vibrator unit assists drainage of the granulated materials from the lead serving chamber. The mixing cup is rotated at high speed to blend the water and supplements into a slurry. The supplements cartridge is indexed after (or before) use so that an unopened serving chamber is presented each time for extracting its supplements. This enables partially-used supplements cartridges to be used in the machine, as is conducive in multiple-user households. The supplements cartridge is configured with read-write data capability to indicate whether or not the contents of each serving chamber have been emptied.