Reusable 1K Material Dispenser With Sensor-Guided Dosing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental and medical applicators for dispensing 1K materials face issues such as single-use disposability leading to plastic waste, lack of dose control, and difficulty in use, especially for hard-to-reach areas in the mouth, with no clear indication of material remaining.
Innovation Solution
A reusable dispenser with replaceable nozzles, sensor assemblies, and a control unit for precise dosing and activation, allowing one-handed use and providing feedback on material state, featuring a housing with reservoirs, nozzles, and material driving assemblies, and optional RFID or magnetic coding for easy activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If disposable applicators are used, then hygiene and simplicity are improved, but plastic waste increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator is divided into two segments: a reusable main body (housing, material driving assembly, sensor) and a disposable nozzle. The nozzle can be replaced when contaminated or worn, while the main body is sterilized and reused, reducing plastic waste while maintaining hygiene
Solution Approach 2:
Only the nozzle portion that comes into contact with material and requires sterilization is discarded, while the main body is recovered, sterilized, and reused. This selective discarding approach minimizes waste while ensuring hygiene requirements are met
2Loss of substance
If reusable dispensers are used, then plastic waste is reduced, but cleaning and disinfection complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the nozzle from the main body, the cleaning process is simplified. The nozzle can be quickly removed and disposed of, while the main body has smooth surfaces and fewer crevices that require cleaning, reducing overall cleaning complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The problematic-to-clean nozzle portion is extracted as a separate replaceable component. This allows the main body to be designed with easier-to-clean surfaces while the nozzle is simply replaced rather than thoroughly disassembled and sterilized
3Manufacturing precision
If precise dosing is implemented, then material control is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A sensor assembly detects the position of the plunger or piston in the material driving assembly, providing feedback to a control unit. The control unit monitors and controls the amount of material dispensed, enabling precise dosing through electronic control rather than purely mechanical means
Solution Approach 2:
Traditional mechanical dosing mechanisms are replaced with an electronically controlled material driving assembly. The system uses an actuator (such as a motor or piezoelectric element) controlled by a microprocessor to precisely control material flow, replacing complex mechanical dosing mechanisms with simpler electronic control
4Ease of operation
If one-handed operation is enabled, then ease of use is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor assembly automatically detects when an applicator is inserted and activates the material driving assembly without requiring the user to press buttons or manipulate complex controls. The system serves itself by automatically initiating dispensing, loading, or other operations based on sensor input, enabling one-handed operation
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a dispenser for dispensing 1K materials, the dispenser comprising a housing, one or more nozzles for dispensing a 1K material and attached to the housing, one or more reservoirs for storing a respective 1K material arranged within a housing of the dispenser, one or more material driving assemblies configured to act on a respective one of the one or more reservoirs to drive the respective 1K Material out of respective one of the one or more nozzles, with the one or more material driving assemblies at least partly being arranged within the housing.