System and method for collecting injection information
Inventors
Diaz, Stephen H. • Shluzas, Alan E. • Shanley, John F. • Tillack, Jeff • Merhige, John • Litvack, Frank • Thayer, Dan
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-11806515-B2
Publication Date
2023-11-07
Expiration Date
Abstract
A system for measuring injection of a liquid medicine includes a syringe body having proximal and distal ends, a syringe interior, and a syringe flange at the proximal end thereof. The system also includes a stopper member disposed in the syringe interior. The system further includes a plunger member coupled to the stopper member and configured to be manipulated to insert the stopper member distally in the syringe interior relative to the syringe body. Moreover, the system includes a needle coupled to the syringe body at the distal end thereof. In addition, the system includes a sensor flange removably coupled to a syringe body. The sensor flange includes a sensor to measure an injection characteristic and a processor to analyze the injection characteristic to determine an occurrence of an injection event.
Core Innovation
A method of measuring injection of a liquid medicine is provided using a sensor in a sensor flange removably coupled to a syringe body. The sensor measures an injection characteristic during an injection of the liquid medicine from the syringe body, and the sensor flange includes a processor for analyzing the injection characteristic to determine an occurrence of an injection event.
The sensor flange includes a mounting sensor that detects when the sensor flange is removably coupled to the syringe body. After the injection of the liquid medicine has been completed, the sensor flange delivers an alarm to prevent the sensor flange from being disposed of prematurely, and the processor silences the alarm once the mounting sensor detects that the sensor flange has been removed from the syringe body.
The injection event can include completion of injection, including detection using an injection characteristic such as a force-time or plunger motion characteristic, with embodiments involving comparisons to a reference force-time product. Sensor modalities described include force/backpressure sensing and motion sensing, including plunger position, velocity, or acceleration, as well as optional acoustic sensors, optical/IR sensors, temperature and orientation sensors.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim coverage centers on one method that combines removable sensor-flange mounting detection with injection-characteristic analysis to determine injection events and provide an alarm that is silenced after flange removal. Dependent limitations refine how the injection event is detected and which sensor modalities and characteristics are used, including comparison of a measured force-time product to a reference force-time product and sensor-specific definitions such as acoustic determination of plunger kinematics and optical sensing with an IR sensor.
Removably coupled sensor flange measuring injection characteristic
A sensor in a sensor flange removably coupled to a syringe body measures an injection characteristic during injection of a liquid medicine from the syringe body.
Processor analyzing injection characteristic to determine injection event
A processor in the sensor flange analyzes the injection characteristic to determine an occurrence of an injection event.
Mounting sensor detecting sensor flange coupling and removal
A mounting sensor in the sensor flange detects when the sensor flange is removably coupled to the syringe body.
Alarm delivered on injection completion to prevent premature disposal
The sensor flange delivers an alarm once the injection of the liquid medicine has been completed to prevent the sensor flange from being disposed of prematurely.
Processor silencing alarm after flange removal
The processor silences the alarm once the mounting sensor detects the sensor flange has been removed from the syringe body.
Comparing measured force-time product to reference
The processor compares a measured force-time product with a reference force-time product to determine whether an injection event occurs.
Reference force-time product predetermined from viscosity and needle size
The reference force time product is predetermined using the viscosity of the liquid medicine to be injected and the needle size.
Acoustic sensor determining plunger kinematics injection characteristic
An acoustic sensor determines an injection characteristic defined by the plunger member's position, velocity, or acceleration in the syringe body.
Acoustic reflection measuring distance to proximal end pad
The acoustic sensor is an acoustic reflection sensor that measures the distance from the sensor to a proximal end pad on the plunger member.
IR sensor as optical sensor
The optical sensor used is an IR sensor.
Overall, the claim coverage centers on a removable sensor flange that measures an injection characteristic, uses a processor to determine an injection event, and manages an alarm lifecycle using a mounting sensor. Dependent features further define injection-event detection via measured versus reference force-time product and specify sensor modality implementations, including acoustic sensing of plunger position, velocity, or acceleration, acoustic reflection distance to a proximal end pad, and optical sensing using an IR sensor.
Stated Advantages
Prevents the sensor flange from being disposed of prematurely.
Silences the alarm after the sensor flange has been removed from the syringe body.
Documented Applications
Measuring injection of a liquid medicine using a removable sensor flange to monitor injection events and provide an alarm that is silenced after flange removal.
Interested in licensing this patent?