System and method for sensing usage of a controlled medical therapy device
Assignee10xBeta
InventorsMarcel Botha, Frederick Zacharias Kruger, Johannes Michiel Bredenkamp
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A nasal spray device can include housing having a sensor and a nozzle having a housing interface with a graphical image thereon. The sensor can be configured to sense movement of the graphical image when the nozzle moves relative to the housing, for instance during administration of medicine from the nasal spray device. The sensor can include an infrared proximity sensor that senses infrared reflectivity from the graphical image. The infrared proximity sensor can also be used to measure distance to a surface of a vial within the housing to thereby detect insertion of the vial into the housing.
Claims19
A nasal spray device comprising:
- a nozzle comprising a conical nozzle portion extending along a longitudinal axis, a housing interface configured to attach to a vial, and a graphical image positioned on an exterior surface of the housing interface;
- and
- a housing comprising a chamber sized to receive the vial, an opening in communication with the chamber, and a sensor directed toward the graphical image, wherein a line of sight from the sensor to the graphical image is approximately tangential to the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the housing interface is positioned within the opening and configured to slide through the opening upon movement of the nozzle in relation to the housing, and
- wherein the sensor is configured to detect movement of the graphical image and determine a distance of depression of the nozzle upon movement of the nozzle along the longitudinal axis in relation to the housing.
A nasal spray device comprising:
- a nozzle comprising a conical nozzle portion extending along a longitudinal axis and a housing interface configured to attach to a vial, the housing interface comprising a graphical image positioned on an exterior surface, the exterior surface being substantially cylindrical and concentric with the longitudinal axis;
- and
- a housing comprising a chamber sized to receive the vial, an opening in communication with the chamber, and a sensor directed toward the graphical image and the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the housing interface is positioned within the opening and configured to slide through the opening upon movement of the nozzle along the longitudinal axis in relation to the housing,
- wherein the sensor is configured to detect movement of the graphical image positioned upon the exterior surface of the housing interface and determine a distance of depression of the nozzle upon movement of the nozzle along the longitudinal axis in relation to the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.