Low-cost, low-power, clockwork syringe pump.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Commercial syringe pumps are often expensive and have limited battery life, hindering portability and accessibility.
• Existing designs typically rely on motor-driven mechanisms, which can be power-intensive.
• There is a need for cost-effective, low-power, and portable syringe pump solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, low-cost, low-power, portable, and programmable syringe pump design.
• To offer an alternative to high-cost commercial syringe pumps with limited battery life.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using a clockwork escapement mechanism for precise fluid delivery.

Main Methods:

• The design utilizes a compression spring and a clockwork escapement mechanism to advance the syringe plunger.
• Programmable, low-power electronics actuate the clockwork escapement for controlled flow rates and bolus deliveries.
• The modular design allows for reconfiguration to alter the minimum dose size.

Main Results:

• The clockwork syringe pump achieved average errors of 8.0%, 4.0%, and 1.9% for 0.001 ml, 0.002 ml, and 0.01 ml volumes, respectively.
• A mean error of 1.0% was recorded at a flow rate of 0.01 ml/h.
• Compared to a commercial insulin pump, the clockwork pump showed reduced variability but higher average error due to over-delivery.

Conclusions:

• The developed clockwork syringe pump is a low-cost, low-power, and portable alternative to commercial devices.
• The design demonstrates potential for precise fluid delivery, with errors comparable to commercial pumps at specific flow rates.
• Further development could lead to a clockwork syringe pump with performance matching commercial standards.