# US 10,946,143 B2 · Detection and communication of plunger position using induction > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,946,143 B2 - Document ID: US10946143B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/615,948 - Filed: 2018-05-25 - Published: 2020-12-31 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2017-05-25 - Assignees: West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. - Applicants: West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. - Inventors: Stacy Faught; Jorge Santos; Doug Owen Crow - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10946143B2 ## CPC - A61M 5/315: Pistons; Piston-rods; Guiding, blocking or restricting the movement of the rod {or piston}; Appliances on the rod for facilitating dosing {; Dosing mechanisms} - A61M 5/31511: {Piston or piston-rod constructions, e.g. connection of piston with piston-rod (A61M5/5066 takes precedence)} - A61M 5/3129: {Syringe barrels (A61M5/3205, A61M5/50 take precedence)} - A61M 5/31525: {Dosing (burettes, pipettes B01L3/02)} - G09F 3/208: {Electronic labels, Labels integrating electronic displays} - A61M 2205/18: with alarm - A61M 2205/33: Controlling, regulating or measuring - A61M 2205/3317: Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means - A61M 2205/3368: Temperature - A61M 2205/35: Communication - A61M 2205/3561: local, e.g. within room or hospital - A61M 2205/50: with microprocessors or computers - A61M 2205/8206: battery-operated - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - G09F: DISPLAYING; ADVERTISING; SIGNS; LABELS OR NAME-PLATES; SEALS ## Abstract A syringe system, including a plunger, a microcontroller, a battery, and a coil. The syringe barrel having a proximal end, a distal end, and a cylindrical sidewall defining a longitudinal axis, the cylindrical sidewall extending longitudinally between the proximal and distal ends, the sidewall having an exterior surface and defining an internal volume, the plunger being positioned between the proximal and distal ends of the syringe barrel and being movable within the internal volume with respect to the syringe barrel in the longitudinal direction. The syringe barrel further includes a label disposed on the sidewall and having at least two conductive strips extending in a non-parallel direction with respect to the longitudinal axis and having unique lengths. The microcontroller is configured to determine a position of the plunger with respect to the syringe barrel by measuring a current induced in the coil by the at least two conductive strips. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A syringe system, comprising: a plunger including: a microcontroller, a battery, and a coil connected to the microcontroller and the battery by two or more electrical leads; and a syringe barrel having a proximal end, a distal end, and a cylindrical sidewall defining a longitudinal axis, the cylindrical sidewall extending longitudinally between the proximal and distal ends, the sidewall having an exterior surface and defining an internal volume, the plunger being positioned between the proximal and distal ends of the syringe barrel and being movable within the internal volume with respect to the syringe barrel in the longitudinal direction, the syringe barrel further including: a label disposed on the sidewall having at least two conductive strips extending in a non-parallel direction with respect to the longitudinal axis having unique lengths; wherein the microcontroller is configured to determine a position of the plunger with respect to the syringe barrel by measuring a current induced in the coil by the at least two conductive strips. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the plunger includes a head section, at least a portion of which extends outside of the syringe barrel, and the battery and the microcontroller are disposed in the head section. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including a temperature sensor configured to output a signal representative of a temperature of the syringe system to the microcontroller. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further including a wireless communication interface, the microcontroller being configured to transmit the temperature data received from the temperature sensor to a smart device via the wireless communication interface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, further including a wireless communication interface, the microcontroller being configured to transmit plunger position data to an external device via the wireless communication interface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the external device is configured to provide an alert to a user if the plunger position is determined by the microcontroller to have moved in excess of a predetermined distance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to periodically cause the battery to supply current to the coil at predetermined intervals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least two conductive strips are transparent. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least two of the conductive strips are arranged on the sidewall of the barrel so as to be spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction, and are arranged in order according to circumferential length. ### Claim 10 A method of using a syringe system including a plunger having a microcontroller, a battery, and a coil connected to the microcontroller and battery by two or more electrical leads, a syringe barrel defining a longitudinal axis and receiving the plunger, and a label disposed on a sidewall of the syringe barrel and having at least two conductive strips extending in a non-parallel direction with respect to the longitudinal axis and having unique lengths, the method comprising: generating, by the microcontroller, an eddy current in the coil by causing the battery to supply a current to the coil via the two or more electrical leads, whereby an amplitude of the generated eddy current depends on a relative position of the coil with respect to the at least two conductive strips of the label along a longitudinal direction of the syringe barrel; measuring, by the microcontroller, the generated eddy current in the coil via the two or more electrical leads; and determining, by the microcontroller based on the measured eddy current, a position of the plunger with respect to the syringe barrel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: transmitting, by the microcontroller via a wireless communication interface, data regarding the determined plunger position to an external device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: generating, by the external device, one or more alerts based on data regarding the plunger position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: generating, by a temperature sensor, temperature data based on a measured temperature of the syringe system; and transmitting, by the microcontroller via a wireless communication interface, the temperature data to an external device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: generating, by the external device, one or more alerts based on the temperature data.