Weisshaar, C.L., Wentland, A.L. Eye Dropper Device DeLorme, J.J., Hanson, E.E., Weisshaar, C.L., Wentland, A.L. Dept. of Biomedical Engineering University of Wisconsin – Madison Client: Lynn Buhmann Advisor: Willis Tompkins
Overview of Presentation Motivation/Background Current eye dropper devices Problem statement Design alternatives Decision matrix Future plans Questions?
Motivation/Background Common eye diseases: Glaucoma Macular degeneration Cataracts Patients need several different eye drop medications daily
Motivation/Background Difficulty delivering eye drops due to Tremors General loss of dexterity Because of these etiologies Medication is wasted Wasted medication increases patient cost
Current products Owen Mumford Autodrop/Autosqueeze Devices Assists the patient with administering the drop Fails to control the amount administered
Problem Statement To develop an eye drop device that can Administer one drop of medication Assist the user in placing the eye drop into the eye Accommodate different types of medications (different bottle sizes) Conserve medication to reduce cost
Design 1 Advantages Disadvantages Simple design Low cost Prevents streaming Disadvantages Numerous unknown parameters Sensitive system Contamination possibilities exist
Design 2
Design 2 Advantages Disadvantages Simple design Low cost Easy to operate Disadvantages Medication could become contaminated Surface adhesion may pose a problem
Design 3
Design 3 Advantages Disadvantages Simple design Low cost Can administer a single drop Highly controllable Disadvantages Multiple drops still possible if incorrectly set up Difficulty cleaning device Must be calibrated (or set up) for different bottles
Design Matrix #1 #2 #3 Simplicity 1 2 Ease of use Cost 3 Safety Sterility Accuracy Total 11 9 1 = good 2 = medium 3 = poor
Future plans Finalize eye dropper design Construct a prototype Test the device on different bottle sizes Test accuracy (1 drop) and consistency Evaluate the difficulty in calibrating to different bottle sizes
Questions??