Spray Ejector Mechanisms for Charge Isolation and Low Dosage Ophthalmic Administration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current eye drop administration methods face challenges in delivering consistent and accurate doses, particularly for children, animals, and individuals with dexterity issues, as they often result in medication overflow and inefficient medication retention due to variable droplet size and temperature sensitivity.
Innovation Solution
A spray ejector device that generates droplets with controlled charge, size, and velocity, allowing for reproducible delivery of low dosage volumes directly to the eye, minimizing overflow and improving medication retention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional eyedropper administration is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but manufacturing precision of droplet volume and deposition accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical gravity-based droplet formation of traditional eyedroppers with an electrophysical spray system. Piezoelectric actuators generate ultrasonic vibrations that atomize the medication into fine droplets, while electric fields control droplet charge and deposition. This substitution of mechanical systems with electrophysical ones enables precise control over droplet volume, charge, and placement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs piezoelectric materials that change their physical state in response to electrical signals, allowing dynamic control of droplet generation parameters. By varying the electrical input to the piezoelectric actuators, the system can precisely control droplet size, velocity, and charge without mechanical adjustment, achieving manufacturing precision through parameter changes rather than mechanical complexity.
2Quantity of substance
If larger droplet sizes are used to ensure adequate dosage, then quantity of substance is improved, but loss of substance increases due to overflow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the medication into numerous fine droplets rather than delivering large individual droplets. The ultrasonic spray system atomizes the medication into a mist of small droplets that can be precisely deposited on the eye surface. This segmentation allows the total dosage to be delivered in controlled portions, preventing overflow while ensuring adequate medication quantity through cumulative effect of multiple small droplets.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces electric fields as an intermediary between the medication source and the eye surface. The electric fields control droplet charge and interaction with the eye surface, enabling precise deposition control. This intermediary mechanism allows fine control over droplet placement, ensuring medication reaches the target area without overflowing, while maintaining adequate dosage through controlled delivery of multiple charged droplets.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple droplets are administered to achieve adequate dosage, then quantity of substance is improved, but loss of time increases due to repeated administration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables continuous spray delivery of medication in the form of a sustained mist or aerosol. Rather than discrete droplet administration requiring repeated manual drops, the spray system delivers medication continuously or in rapid succession, maintaining useful action throughout the administration period. This continuous delivery mode allows adequate dosage to be administered more efficiently, reducing the time loss associated with repeated separate droplet administrations.
4Measurement precision
If droplet velocity is increased to improve delivery accuracy, then measurement precision of deposition is improved, but harmful factors increase due to temperature sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs periodic ultrasonic vibrations at specific frequencies to generate droplets. The piezoelectric actuators operate at controlled oscillation frequencies that create regular, periodic droplet ejection patterns. This periodic action allows precise control over droplet generation timing and velocity, improving deposition accuracy while the controlled frequency ensures temperature effects are minimized through consistent, repeatable delivery cycles that accommodate temperature sensitivity.
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 device ensures high deposition efficiency of medication on the eye surface, achieving equivalent therapeutic effects with significantly reduced dosage volumes compared to traditional eyedroppers, while minimizing side effects and improving user compliance.
Implementation Method 1
A piezoelectric actuator may be used to directly or indirectly oscillate the ejector surface at a frequency to form droplets
Implementation Method 2
Ejector surfaces that are oscillating or otherwise moving past a grounded surface or other surface at a defined potential may be used to impart charge to the droplets
Implementation Method 3
The ejected stream of droplets may be provided via a spray ejector device configured to controllably charge ejected droplets to thereby improve delivery of the ejected droplets to a desired surface
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to ejector mechanisms and devices for generating a directed stream of droplets, as well as improved methods for delivering an ejected stream of droplets to a target. The device and methods may be useful for the delivery of fluid for ophthalmic, topical, oral, nasal, or pulmonary use, more particularly, for use in the delivery of ophthalmic fluid to the eye. Certain aspects of the disclosure relate to devices and methods for the delivery of a therapeutically effective low dosage volume medicament composition to a target, e.g., by controlling charge, droplet size and/or droplet deposit parameters of the medicament composition.