Smart Plunger Head Timestamping via Remote Counter Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices, such as insulin injection syringes, face challenges in accurately tracking and recording the time of medication administration due to the impracticality of incorporating components needed to generate accurate timestamps, which are often too large or power-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A smart plunger head with integrated electronics, including a transducer, microcontroller, and wireless communication capabilities, allows for the measurement and remote determination of medication administration times by sending measured values and counter values to a remote apparatus, enabling accurate calculation of elapsed times and administration times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If components needed to generate accurate timestamps are incorporated into the injection device, then measurement precision is improved, but device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the timestamp generation function from the injection device by using a separate counter unit that operates independently. The counter unit generates counter values based on a reference clock, and these counter values are transmitted along with measurement data to a remote device that performs the actual timestamp calculation. This separation allows the injection device to remain compact while still achieving accurate timestamping through the remote computation of measurement times based on transmitted counter values.
2Measurement precision
If components needed to generate accurate timestamps are incorporated into the injection device, then measurement precision is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the computationally intensive timestamp calculation from the power-constrained injection device and relocates it to a remote device with sufficient processing power. The injection device only needs to transmit counter values and measurement data, which consumes minimal power. The remote device performs the elapsed time calculation and timestamp generation, thereby achieving accurate timestamping without burdening the injection device's limited power supply.
3Device complexity
If a counter unit is used instead of a full timestamp component, then device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary calculation process where the counter unit provides intermediate counter values that are transmitted to a remote device. The remote device acts as a mediator that combines these counter values with reference time information to compute the final accurate timestamp. This intermediary approach allows the simple counter unit to suffice for the injection device while the remote device handles the complex timestamp synthesis, thereby maintaining both low device complexity and high measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a low-power measuring device. In one implementation, the low-power measuring device includes a first sensor for measuring a first value, the first value being a measurement of a variable, and a counter unit for generating a first counter value indicative of a first elapsed time since the first value is measured by the first sensor. The low-power measuring device further includes at least one processor configured to send the first value to a remote apparatus, send the first counter value to the remote apparatus, cause the remote apparatus to determine the first elapsed time based on the first value and the first counter value, and cause the remote apparatus to determine a first obtained time at which the first value is measured by the first sensor based on the determined first elapsed time and a reference time of the remote apparatus.