Optical Dosage Confirmation Apparatus for Liquid Volume Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining the characteristics and volume of liquids in containers, such as syringes, are cumbersome and prone to errors, leading to potential medical adverse events like incorrect medication administration or dosages, especially in hospital settings where efficiency and accuracy are critical.
Innovation Solution
A digital apparatus equipped with a camera and processor that uses computer vision to analyze the refraction behavior of light through liquids and air, allowing for accurate identification of containers, measurement of liquid volumes, detection of air pockets, and verification of correct dosages, thereby reducing the need for a second practitioner to verify preparation processes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods are used to determine liquid characteristics and volume in containers, then the process can be performed with simple equipment, but the methods are cumbersome and prone to errors leading to incorrect medication administration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement methods with an automated optical measurement system. A camera captures images of the container, and image processing algorithms automatically determine liquid volume and characteristics, eliminating manual measurement errors while maintaining operational simplicity through software-based solutions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy (image) of the physical container and its contents. By capturing an image of the container with liquid and processing this digital representation, the system extracts volume and characteristic information without requiring direct physical measurement, thereby improving precision while keeping the physical apparatus relatively simple.
2Reliability
If automated verification systems are implemented to reduce medical adverse events, then patient safety is improved, but the device complexity and initial resource requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-verification by automatically analyzing container images and comparing them against prescription data. The apparatus performs its own verification function without requiring a second practitioner, achieving reliable safety checks through automated image processing and data comparison algorithms that identify mismatches between ordered and prepared medications.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by automatically comparing the imaged container characteristics against the prescription database and providing verification results. This closed-loop feedback mechanism confirms correct medication preparation or alerts to errors, improving reliability through automated safety checks while managing complexity through systematic data comparison protocols.
3Measurement precision
If digital imaging and processing are used to analyze container characteristics, then measurement accuracy and consistency are improved, but the use of energy and computational resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by processing only the essential features extracted from container images rather than analyzing every pixel in full detail. Image processing algorithms identify key characteristics (liquid level, container type, labeling) and ignore redundant information, achieving sufficient measurement precision while reducing computational energy consumption through selective feature analysis.
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
This solution enhances safety by reducing adverse medical events, improves efficiency by automating the verification process, and ensures accurate medication administration, while also allowing for data recording to analyze patient-specific treatment effects.
Implementation Method 1
determining the presence of any air pockets in a volume of a liquid in a container by analyzing a pattern of refraction of first and second colors of light projected through the container and viewed by the camera
Implementation Method 2
a light assembly for projecting first and second colors of light through the container, wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the container is filled entirely with the liquid by analyzing a pattern of the first and second colors emitted from the container and viewed by the camera
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for determining the volume of a liquid in a container. A digital camera is provided to view the container. A processor can optically detect certain characteristics of the container as viewed by the camera and accesses a computer memory having stored characteristics of a plurality of known containers, and the compare the detected certain characteristics with the stored characteristics to identify the container from the plurality of known containers. The processor can calculate the volume of the container as a function of the distance between the first and second ends of the container as viewed by the camera. The processor can receive at least one image from the camera and determine whether the liquid in the container contains any air pockets based on the at least one image. Methods are provided, including a method for use by an apparatus having a camera and a processor electrically coupled to the camera to confirm the dosage of a medicament in a container.