MIE.27 – Steady Drop
Team Members Heading link
- Leanna Chackoria
- Frederick Davis
- Jaime Huichapa
- Jeff Wiedoff
- Joseph Wiseman
Project Description Heading link
Administrating eye drops are a very controlled action and requires stability and precision. For people who suffer from hand tremors, such a simple task can be very daunting. The goal of this project is to create an eye drop dispenser with a built-in stabilization system for people with hand tremors. The movement caused by the tremors is recorded by the electrical components within the device and it is used to bring back the tip of the device to the desired horizontal position.
Three main design alternatives were proposed; 1) The first design involved encasing every component of the system in one body, using a battery to power every component. 2) The second design again involved encasing every component of the system in one body, however, it will be powered by an AC adapter. 3) The third design involved splitting the electrical components and mechanical components into two groups and having two separate bodies for each, in which all components are powered by a battery.
The design was accomplished by splitting the members into 2 teams – the design team and the coding team. The coding team focuses on all the electrical components needed to run the device such as the Arduino, battery, switch, etc.. They are also responsible for creating the code for the device. The code works towards correcting the displacement caused by the tremor using servo motors and is responsible for pushing out only one drop from a peristaltic pump. The design team created the design for the unit and how all components would fit together. By utilizing hand drawings and SolidWorks, the team 3D printed the final physical model for Steady drop.
The design is composed of two different systems, the pumping, and the stabilizing systems. The parts involved in the pumping system are the pump, the bottle, the hose (tubing), and the tip. The purpose of this system is to safely deliver the desired amount of medication through the hose. The stabilizing system is composed of the Arduino nano and the two servo motors and its purpose is to work against the tremors and therefore stabilize the tip of the design. Both systems are powered and moderated by a battery and a power distribution unit. The correct functioning of both systems creates a functional device.
When holding the steady drop system with excessive hand movement, one is able to safely deliver an eye drop accurately to their eye. This allows people with hand tremors to use the steady drop system to apply eye drops.