# US 11,076,986 B2 · Electronic drop dispensing device and method of operation thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,076,986 B2 - Document ID: US11076986B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/811,670 - Filed: 2016-05-12 - Published: 2018-07-12 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-12 - Applicants: Ikem C Ajaelo - Inventors: Ikem C Ajaelo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11076986B2 ## CPC - A61F 9/0026: {Ophthalmic product dispenser attachments to facilitate positioning near the eye} - A61F 9/0008: {Introducing ophthalmic products into the ocular cavity or retaining products therein (putting in contact lenses A61F9/0061; introducing or retaining media in cavities of the body in general A61M31/00)} - A61M 5/1689: {Drip counters} - G16H 20/13: delivered from dispensers - A61M 2205/8206: battery-operated - A61M 2210/0612: Eyes - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - 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)} - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract Disclosed is a portable automatic electronic drop administration device and method of operation thereof. The device comprises a microcontroller communicatively coupled to at least an accelerometer and an electromechanical assembly to administer one or more drops of a liquid, semi-liquid or gaseous substance from any flexible container held within. The device detects whether it is in a suitable orientation before automatically self actuating the electromechanical assembly to administer one or more drops. It can be used in a variety of settings including self administration of eye drops, dispensing condiments or precise metering of liquid medications. Additionally, the device may contain sensors and wireless components to track usage and event data that may be communicated to a physician or other healthcare provider remotely. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for automatically administering drops comprising: a microcontroller communicatively coupled to an accelerometer; a housing with a contiguous curved rim, suitable for accommodating the microcontroller, the accelerometer, and optionally, a drop-dispenser container with a nozzle configured to be directed at an eye; the housing having a central opening through which the nozzle of the drop-dispenser container is inserted; the curved rim contiguous with the housing structurally shaped to adapt and follow the bony rim of an eye socket to provide a fixed position for operation; and an electromechanical compressing assembly disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the microcontroller such that operation of the electromechanical compressing assembly causes the electromechanical compressing assembly to gradually push against an external wall of the drop-dispenser container, whereupon detection of a predetermined orientation of the apparatus through the accelerometer, the microcontroller is configured to self-actuate the electromechanical compressing assembly to compress the drop-dispenser container to a calculated degree such that said compression of the drop-dispenser container causes the drop-dispenser container to administer one or more drops of liquid or non-liquid substances contained within the drop-dispenser container. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a wireless interface communicatively coupled to the microcontroller and configured to communicate event data generated by the micro controller to a network-enabled data processing device directly or over a network, wherein the event data comprises at least one of: a type of medication contained within the drop-dispenser container, dosage information, occurrence of blink events, remaining dosage, number attempts to administer a dose, time of administration of dosage, and time to administer dosage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a color sensor communicatively coupled to the microcontroller configured to detect a color of a portion of the drop-dispenser container, said color being associated with a type of substance contained within the drop-dispenser container. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: one or more color sensors communicatively coupled to the microcontroller, the one or more color sensors to detect a color, wherein operation of the microcontroller additionally depends on an approximate match between the color and a predetermined range of colors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising: one or more passageways of a curved rim for improving consistency in detection of the color, wherein the one or more passageways are optionally fitted with a lens for focusing light to the one or more color sensors. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a display screen communicatively coupled to the microcontroller for displaying patient-related information, including physician-recommended dosage, and drop administration reminders. ### Claim 7 A method of automatically administering drops through an electronic drop-dispensing device, comprising: detecting, through a microcontroller communicatively coupled to an accelerometer, a predetermined orientation of the electronic drop-dispensing device; guiding a curved rim end portion contiguous with the housing of the electronic drop-dispensing device structurally shaped to adapt and follow the bony rim of an eye socket into a predetermined orientation position over an eye; based upon detecting the predetermined orientation, self-actuating, through the microcontroller, an electromechanical compressing assembly communicatively coupled to the microcontroller such that operation of the electromechanical compressing assembly causes the electromechanical compressing assembly to automatically compress a drop-dispenser container such that said compression causes the drop-dispenser container to administer one or more drops of liquid or nonliquid substances contained within the drop-dispenser container through the housing configured to have a central opening through which the nozzle of the drop-dispenser container is inserted. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: communicating, through a wireless interface communicatively coupled to the microcontroller, an event data to a network-enabled data processing device directly or over a network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: generating event data through the micro controller, such event data comprising at least one of: a type of medication contained within the drop-dispenser container, dosage information, occurrence of blink events, remaining dosage, number attempts to administer a dose, time of administration of dosage, and time to administer dosage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: wherein operating the electromechanical compressing assembly is additionally based upon detecting an approximate match between a color detected by one or more color sensors communicatively coupled to the microcontroller and a predetermined range of colors. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10 further comprising: immediately after operating the electromechanical compressing assembly, detecting a blink event based on determining whether the color and another color detected by the one or more color sensors remained mismatched during the operation of the electromechanical compressing assembly. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising: displaying, through a display screen communicatively coupled to the microcontroller, patient-related information, including physician-recommended dosage, and drop administration reminders. ### Claim 13 A drug-device combination apparatus for automatically administering drops comprising: a microcontroller communicatively coupled to an accelerometer; a housing with a contiguous curved rim, suitable for accommodating the microcontroller, the accelerometer, and an ophthalmic medication container with a nozzle configured to be directed to an eye; the housing having a central opening through which the nozzle of the ophthalmic medication container is inserted; the curved rim contiguous with the housing structurally shaped to adapt and follow the bony rim of an eye socket to provide a fixed position for operation; and an electromechanical compressing assembly disposed within the housing and communicatively coupled to the microcontroller such that operation of the electromechanical compressing assembly causes the electromechanical compressing assembly to gradually push against the external wall of the ophthalmic medication container, whereupon detection of a predetermined orientation of the apparatus through the accelerometer, the microcontroller is configured to self actuate the electromechanical compressing assembly to compress the ophthalmic medication container to a calculated degree such that said compression of the ophthalmic medication container causes the ophthalmic medication container to administer one or more drops of liquid or non-liquid substances contained within the ophthalmic medication container. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a wireless interface communicatively coupled to the microcontroller and configured to communicate event data generated by the micro controller to a network-enabled data processing device directly or over a network, wherein the event data comprises at least one of: a type of medication contained within the drop-dispenser container, dosage information, occurrence of blink events, remaining dosage, number attempts to administer a dose, time of administration of dosage, and time to administer dosage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: one or more color sensors communicatively coupled to the microcontroller, the one or more color sensors to detect a color, wherein operation of the microcontroller additionally depends on an approximate match between the color and a predetermined range of colors. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: one or more passageways of a curved rim for improving consistency in detection of the color, wherein one or more passageways are optionally fitted with a lens for focusing light to the one or more color sensors. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a display screen communicatively coupled to the microcontroller for displaying patient-related information, including physician-recommended dosage, and drop administration reminders.