Wireless Feedback Coordination for Multiple Fluid Delivery Devices
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid delivery devices, such as autoinjectors and on-body injectors, struggle to provide coordinated feedback when multiple devices are used sequentially or concurrently, leading to potential user confusion and errors in administration, especially for larger volumes or longer dosing intervals.
Innovation Solution
A system of modules with processors, wireless communication, and sensors is introduced to coordinate feedback across multiple fluid delivery devices, ensuring synchronized user feedback based on the state of each device, including start-of-dose, in-process, and end-of-dose indicators, using an ad-hoc mesh network to manage device activation and feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple fluid delivery devices are used sequentially or concurrently, then larger volumes and longer dosing intervals can be delivered, but user confusion and errors in administration occur due to lack of coordinated feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback system where each fluid delivery device communicates its operational status (start-of-dose, in-process, end-of-dose) to a central coordinator via wireless communication. The coordinator synthesizes feedback from multiple devices and provides unified, coordinated feedback to the user, ensuring that completion indicators are only displayed when all devices have finished their procedures. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining administration accuracy through coordinated feedback while enabling delivery of larger fluid volumes using multiple devices.
2Device complexity
If multiple fluid delivery devices operate independently, then device complexity is reduced, but coordinated feedback and synchronized user guidance become difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a feedback coordinator as an intermediary component that receives status information from multiple independent fluid delivery devices via wireless communication and provides unified feedback to the user. This intermediary approach allows individual devices to remain relatively simple while achieving coordinated feedback through the centralizing role of the coordinator, which manages the complexity of synchronizing multiple devices without requiring complex modifications to each individual device.
3Reliability
If discrete injection instructions are provided, then error avoidance is achieved for short injection times, but user guidance is insufficient for longer dosing intervals and larger volumes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a real-time feedback system that provides continuous status updates (start-of-dose, in-process, end-of-dose) to the user throughout the fluid delivery procedure. Unlike discrete instructions, this feedback system maintains ongoing communication with the user, providing guidance and confirmation at each stage of the procedure. This ensures error avoidance through continuous user awareness while accommodating longer dosing intervals and larger volumes by keeping the user informed throughout the extended procedure duration.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for fluid delivery using multiple fluid delivery devices may include a plurality of modules associated with a plurality of fluid delivery devices. Each module of the plurality of modules may include: at least one processor, a wireless communication device configured to establish a wireless communication network with at least one other wireless communication device of at least one other module of the plurality of modules, at least one sensor configured to sense a state of a fluid delivery device associated with that module, and/or a user feedback device configured to provide feedback associated with one or more states of one or more fluid delivery devices of the plurality of fluid delivery devices.