# US 11,305,066 B2 · Harvesting energy from operation of a syringe

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- Number: US 11,305,066 B2
- Document ID: US11305066B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/621,726
- Filed: 2018-06-06
- Published: 2020-04-30
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-15
- Assignees: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Applicants: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
- Inventors: Kiran Hamilton J. Dellimore; Arthur Bouwman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305066B2

## CPC

- A61M 5/1452: {pressurised by means of pistons}
- A61M 5/31: Details
- A61M 5/1424: {Manually operated pumps}
- A61M 5/1456: {with a replaceable reservoir comprising a piston rod to be moved into the reservoir, e.g. the piston rod is part of the removable reservoir}
- A61M 5/20: Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically (A61M5/142 takes precedence)
- H02K 7/1869: {Linear generators; sectional generators}
- A61M 2005/3125: {Display means, e.g. to indicate dose setting}
- A61M 2205/3317: Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
- A61M 2205/3389: Continuous level detection (A61M2205/3393 takes precedence)
- A61M 2205/3584: using modem, internet or Bluetooth®
- A61M 2205/52: with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
- A61M 2205/82: Internal energy supply devices
- A61M 2205/825: using mechanical generation of electricity, e.g. hand cranked generators
- 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)}
- H02K: DYNAMO-ELECTRIC MACHINES (dynamo-electric relays H01H53/00; conversion of DC or AC input power into surge output power {H03K3/53})

## Abstract

Various methods and apparatus disclosed herein relate to apparatus and techniques for harvesting energy from operation of a syringe, and utilizing that energy for various purposes. In various embodiments, a method (400) for harvesting and using electrical energy during operation of a syringe (100, 300) may include: operating (402) the syringe, wherein operating includes displacing a plunger (112) of the syringe to draw fluid into a reservoir (114) of the syringe or expel fluid from the reservoir of the syringe; converting (404), by an electrical generator (120, 122) that is integral with the syringe, motion associated with displacing the plunger into electrical energy; and using (406) at least some of the electrical energy to at least temporarily store, in a memory component (136) integral with the syringe, one or more data points associated with operation of the syringe.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for harvesting and using electrical energy during operation of a syringe, comprising:
operating the syringe, wherein operating includes displacing a plunger of the syringe to draw fluid into a reservoir of the syringe or expel fluid from the reservoir of the syringe;
converting, by an electrical generator that is integral with the syringe, motion associated with displacing the plunger into electrical energy and wherein the operating includes displacing the plunger of the syringe to draw fluid into the reservoir, and the method further comprises measuring a fill level of the reservoir; and
using at least some of the electrical energy to at least temporarily store, in a memory component integral with the syringe, one or more data points associated with operation of the syringe.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more data points include the fill level.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the fill level of the reservoir includes detecting a capacitance of a capacitor contained within the reservoir.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the operating includes displacing the plunger of the syringe to expel fluid from the reservoir, and the method further comprises utilizing at least some of the electrical energy to wirelessly transmit, from a low power wireless transceiver integral with the syringe to a remote computing device, one or more of the data points.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the low power wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth low energy transceiver or a ZigBee transceiver.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising utilizing at least some of the electrical energy to render, on a low power display integral with the syringe, one or more of the data points.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises utilizing at least some of the electrical energy to wirelessly receive, at a low power wireless transceiver integral with the syringe from a remote computing device, a timestamp.

### Claim 8

An energy harvesting syringe, comprising:
a housing;
a plunger that is displaceable relative to the housing to draw fluid into a reservoir or to expel fluid from the reservoir;
an electrical generator integral with the syringe, wherein the electrical generator converts motion associated with displacement of the plunger into electrical energy and wherein the displacement includes displacement of the plunger to draw fluid into the reservoir, and the one or more data points include a fill level of the reservoir that is detected using at least some of the electrical energy; and
a memory component integral with the syringe, wherein the memory component is powered by at least some of the electrical energy to store one or more data points associated with operation of the syringe.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The energy-harvesting syringe of claim 8, further comprising two or more capacitive electrodes within the reservoir, wherein the fill level of the reservoir is measured by detecting a capacitance of the two or more capacitive electrodes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The energy-harvesting syringe of claim 8, further comprising a low power wireless transceiver integral with the syringe, wherein the displacement includes displacement of the plunger to expel fluid from the reservoir, and at least some of the electrical energy is used to wirelessly transmit, from the low power wireless transceiver to a remote computing device, one or more of the data points.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The energy-harvesting syringe of claim 10, wherein the low power wireless transceiver is a Bluetooth low energy transceiver, a ZigBee transceiver, or an EnOcean transceiver.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The energy-harvesting syringe of claim 8, further comprising a low power display integral with the syringe, wherein at least some of the electrical energy is utilized to render, on the display, one or more of the data points.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The energy-harvesting syringe of claim 8, further comprising a low power wireless transceiver integral with the syringe, wherein at least some of the electrical energy is utilized to wirelessly receive, at the low power wireless transceiver from a remote computing device, a timestamp.