Capacitive sensing for drug delivery
AssigneeAnalog Devices, Inc.
InventorAlan DUGAS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Processes for using a capacitive sensor to control drug delivery are described. The capacitive sensor measures a capacitance across a pair of electrodes arranged along either side of a container. The container includes an air chamber, a fluid chamber, and a stopper separating the air chamber from the fluid chamber. A volume of drug in the fluid chamber may be determined based on the measured capacitance. The volume is compared to a target volume, and if the volume in the fluid chamber is greater than the target volume, a stopper actuator expels a portion of the drug from the fluid chamber.
Claims33
A method for monitoring delivery of a drug, the method comprising:
- measuring a capacitance across a pair of electrodes, the pair of electrodes arranged along either side of a container, the container comprising an air chamber, a fluid chamber, and a stopper separating the air chamber from the fluid chamber;
- determining, based on the measured capacitance, a volume of a drug in the fluid chamber;
- comparing the volume of the drug in the fluid chamber to a target volume;
- and
- in response to the volume of the drug in the fluid chamber being greater than the target volume, instructing a stopper actuator to expel at least a portion of the drug from the fluid chamber.
A method for delivering a drug comprising:
- determining a target capacitance for a drug dose;
- measuring a capacitance across a pair of electrodes, the pair of electrodes arranged along either side of a container, the container comprising an air chamber, a fluid chamber, and a stopper separating the air chamber from the fluid chamber;
- comparing the measured capacitance to the target capacitance;
- and
- in response to the measured capacitance being greater than the target capacitance, instructing a stopper actuator to expel at least a portion of the drug from the fluid chamber.
A method for characterizing a drug comprising:
- measuring a capacitance across a pair of electrodes, the pair of electrodes arranged along either side of a container, the container containing a drug;
- determining an expected capacitance across the pair of electrodes, the expected capacitance based on an expected volume of the drug in the container and an expected relative permittivity of the drug;
- comparing the measured capacitance to the expected capacitance;
- and
- in response to the measured capacitance being outside a tolerance threshold of the expected capacitance, outputting an alert.
A drug delivery system comprising:
- a syringe holder to hold a syringe containing a drug for delivery to a patient, the syringe comprising an air chamber, a fluid chamber, and a stopper separating the air chamber from the fluid chamber;
- a stopper actuator couplable to the stopper;
- a measurement circuit to measure a capacitance across a pair of electrodes arranged along either side of the container;
- and
- a processor to:
- receive a measured capacitance from the measurement circuit;
- determine, based on the measured capacitance, a volume of the drug in the fluid chamber;
- compare the volume of the drug in the fluid chamber to a target volume;
- and
- in response to the volume of the drug in the fluid chamber being greater than the target volume, instruct the stopper actuator to expel at least a portion of the drug from the fluid chamber.
A drug delivery system comprising:
- a syringe holder to hold a syringe containing a drug for delivery to a patient, the syringe comprising an air chamber, a fluid chamber, and a stopper separating the air chamber from the fluid chamber;
- a stopper actuator couplable to the stopper;
- a measurement circuit to measure a capacitance across a pair of electrodes arranged along either side of the container;
- and
- a processor to:
- determine a target capacitance for a drug dose;
- receive a measured capacitance from the measurement circuit;
- compare the measured capacitance to the target capacitance;
- and
- in response to the measured capacitance being greater than the target capacitance, instruct the stopper actuator to expel at least a portion of the drug from the fluid chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.