Safety Syringe Dosage Verification Using Flat Scale Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical syringes, particularly low-dose ones, have difficulty in printing and reading volumetric indicia due to small radius of curvature, leading to inaccurate dosage determination, especially with clear and colorless fluids, and pose risks of accidental needlestick injuries.
Innovation Solution
A medical syringe with a flat, outwardly facing volumetric scale and a portable imaging device, such as a cellular phone or digital tablet, captures and records digital images of the syringe to verify the dosage accurately, while incorporating needle safety features to prevent injuries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional syringes with curved cylindrical barrels are used, then manufacturing is easier, but volumetric indicia cannot be clearly printed and read due to small radius of curvature
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe barrel is segmented into two distinct surfaces: a curved cylindrical surface for structural integrity and ease of manufacture, and a flat indicia display surface for precise volumetric scale printing. The flat surface is created by removing a portion of the curved surface, allowing high-precision indicia to be printed without the constraints of curvature.
Solution Approach 2:
The volumetric scale is transferred from the curved cylindrical surface to a flat planar surface by removing a segment of the barrel wall. This dimensional change from curved to flat surface allows for accurate printing of volumetric indicia while maintaining the overall cylindrical structure of the syringe barrel.
2Reliability
If clear and colorless fluids are used, then the fluid is more suitable for medical injection, but dosage verification becomes difficult due to poor visibility
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes optical contrast by positioning the clear fluid against a dark background created by the removed barrel segment. The flat indicia display surface provides a high-contrast backdrop that makes the meniscus and volumetric scale clearly visible, enabling accurate dosage verification of colorless fluids.
Solution Approach 2:
The flat indicia display surface acts as an intermediary between the clear fluid and the observer. By providing a contrasting background and clear volumetric markings, it mediates the visibility issue, allowing accurate dosage determination without altering the fluid itself.
3Ease of operation
If handheld syringes are used for flexibility, then ease of operation improves, but accurate dosage determination becomes difficult due to hand tremors and positioning issues
Solution Approach 1:
The syringe is designed with a pre-formed flat indicia display surface that is optimally positioned for imaging before use. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the syringe is held, the volumetric scale is already in the correct orientation and position for accurate capture by the imaging device, compensating for hand positioning variability.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of relying on direct visual reading that is susceptible to hand tremors and positioning errors, the system creates a digital copy of the volumetric scale through imaging. This digital copy can be analyzed independently of the syringe's physical position, eliminating the impact of hand instability on measurement accuracy.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If needle safety features are added, then protection against needlestick injuries improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The needle safety mechanism is implemented as a separate, removable component that can be taken out or detached from the syringe barrel. This extraction approach allows the safety feature to be added without permanently increasing the core syringe structure's complexity, as the safety component can be independently manufactured and attached.
Data Source
AI summary
A dosage verification system for use prior to administering an injection of a medicinal fluid drawn into the fluid chamber of a medical syringe, the system comprising a medical syringe having a barrel with an outwardly facing, flat indicia display surface, a plunger having a plunger seal disposed inside and slidably engaging an inwardly facing wall of the barrel and a plunger handle projecting rearwardly from the barrel, and a hypodermic needle projecting forwardly from the barrel, all in combination with an imaging device configured to view and selectively capture, store or transmit a digital image of the plunger position relative to the barrel when a dose of the medicinal fluid is drawn into the fluid chamber of the barrel prior to an injection to verify and provide a record of the dosage drawn, and to alert a user prior to injection when an incorrect dosage is drawn into the fluid chamber of the syringe.