Sensor-Enabled Drug Delivery for Automated Compliance Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients face challenges in using drug delivery devices due to uncertainty about the medication, expiration, injection timing, and adherence to treatment regimens, while healthcare providers and insurers lack information on device condition and compliance, leading to potential therapy failures.
Innovation Solution
A drug delivery system with integrated sensors and controllers determines operational and condition states, communicates these states to networked devices, and controls device operation, ensuring proper use and adherence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If drug delivery devices are used to automate injection, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of information occurs because patients cannot track compliance and device status
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through sensors that detect operational states (needle insertion, drug delivery completion) and transmit this information wirelessly to external devices. This allows patients and healthcare providers to receive real-time feedback on compliance, resolving the information loss problem while maintaining automated operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication system consisting of sensors, transmitters, and external computing devices. This intermediary layer bridges the gap between the automated drug delivery device and the patient/healthcare provider, enabling information transfer without compromising the automation of the injection process.
2Reliability
If sensors and controllers are added to monitor device states, then reliability of compliance monitoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs sensors and controllers that serve multiple functions: detecting operational states, transmitting compliance information, and providing feedback to patients and providers. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while maintaining reliable compliance monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The device performs self-monitoring through integrated sensors that automatically detect operational states without requiring patient intervention. The system self-transmits compliance data and provides automated feedback, reducing the burden on patients while ensuring reliable monitoring, thus balancing reliability improvement with controlled complexity increase.
3Loss of information
If real-time communication of device status is implemented, then loss of information is reduced, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic or event-triggered communication rather than continuous transmission. Sensors transmit device status information at key moments (e.g., upon needle insertion, upon delivery completion) or at scheduled intervals, reducing energy consumption while still providing timely information to prevent loss of compliance data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transmits only the necessary minimum information required for compliance tracking (operational states, timestamps) rather than continuously streaming all possible device data. This partial action approach reduces energy usage for communication while maintaining sufficient information flow to reduce loss of critical compliance information.
Data Source
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AI summary
A drug delivery system is disclosed that includes a drug delivery device having a reservoir and a delivery cannula having a proximal end in fluid communication with the reservoir and a distal end to be received within a patient. The drug delivery system may further include one or more sensors coupled to the drug delivery device, a wireless transmitter, and a controller coupled to the one or more sensors and the wireless transmitter. The controller may be configured to use the one or more sensors to determine a condition or an operational state of the drug delivery device, and control the wireless transmitter to wirelessly transmit one or more reports representative of the condition or the operational state of the drug delivery device. A method for use with a drug delivery device is also disclosed.