Optical Dose Measurement System for Drug Delivery Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with chronic diseases face challenges in accurately recording and managing their medication doses, leading to incomplete dosage records, poor adherence to treatment schedules, and increased healthcare costs.
Innovation Solution
A dose measurement system that includes light sources and sensors to measure the liquid volume in drug delivery devices, converting detected electromagnetic radiation signatures into dose information, and communicating this data to external devices for monitoring and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual logging of dose information is used, then patients can record medication data, but the process is tedious and error-prone leading to incomplete records
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical logging with an optical measurement system. Light sources and sensors automatically measure the volume of medication remaining in the delivery device, converting physical measurements into digital data without requiring manual patient intervention. This eliminates transcription errors and tedious recording processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by allowing the medication delivery device to automatically track and report its own usage status. The device measures remaining volume and transmits data autonomously, freeing patients from the burden of manual tracking while ensuring accurate records are maintained.
2Reliability
If patients manually track dose information, then some data can be recorded, but adherence to treatment schedules deteriorates due to forgetfulness and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback by automatically measuring medication volume, tracking delivery history, and transmitting data to healthcare providers. This closed-loop feedback ensures patients receive timely reminders and providers can monitor adherence patterns, improving reliability without requiring patients to manually track complex schedules.
Solution Approach 2:
The measurement system serves multiple functions: it measures remaining volume, tracks delivery history, stores patient data, and communicates with external devices. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate tracking tools into a single integrated system, reducing overall complexity while improving adherence.
3Loss of information
If no automated measurement system is used, then device complexity remains low, but loss of dose information increases due to incomplete records
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously measuring and storing dose information throughout the medication delivery process. Data is captured in real-time and preserved in memory before any potential loss can occur, ensuring complete records are maintained even if the device is later discarded or malfunction occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication layer that bridges the medication device and external monitoring systems. Data is transmitted via wireless communication to smartphones, tablets, or cloud servers, creating redundant copies that prevent information loss while keeping the device itself relatively simple.
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 enhances patient adherence to medication schedules by providing accurate dose tracking, reducing hospital visits, and informing caregivers and health providers about patient health management.
Implementation Method 1
A plurality of light sources are disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the container. A plurality of sensors are optically coupleable to the plurality of light sources and are disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least a portion of the light sources.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein generally relate to devices, systems and methods for measuring the dose remaining in a drug delivery device that is used for delivering a dose to a patient. In some embodiments, a dose measurement system for measuring the liquid volume in a container includes a plurality of light sources which are disposed and configured to emit electromagnetic radiation toward the container. A plurality of sensors are located in the apparatus that are optically coupleable to the plurality of light sources and are disposed and configured to detect the electromagnetic radiation emitted by at least a portion of the light sources. The apparatus also includes a processing unit configured to receive data representing the portion of the detected electromagnetic radiation from each of the plurality of sensors. The processing unit is further operable to convert the received data into a signature representative of the electromagnetic radiation detected by the plurality of sensors.