Abstract: A plunger head for a fluid injection device includes a transducer disposed in the plunger head to measure a compressive force when applied to the plunger head. The plunger head also includes a power source and a microcontroller disposed in the plunger head. The microcontroller is coupled to the power source and the transducer, and the microcontroller is coupled to enter a high-power mode in response to sensing application of the compressive force to the plunger head.

Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods of collecting, processing, and analyzing breath exhaled from a subject. Specifically, described herein are systems and methods for minimizing the amount of breath needed for analysis. Further disclosed herein are systems and methods to analyze compounds contained in a subject's breath that are indicative of certain ailments and/or present in a low concentration in the subject's breath. The systems can include a reaction chamber, a breath inlet, a reactant inlet, a fluid atomizer, and a receiving substrate for analyzing the process subject's breath. The methods can include reacting a subject's breath with a reactant to analyze the contents of the subject's breath.

Abstract: An insect separating apparatus may include a sensor positioned to detect one or more insects when present within a test chamber. For example, the sensor may emit signals into the test chamber and receive reflected signals indicative of Doppler shifts caused by movement of the one or more insects. Based on information from the sensor, a computing device may determine a characteristic of the one or more insects in the chamber, such as a wing beat frequency, sex, or other characteristic. The computing device may instruct different responses based on the characteristic determined, such as activating an air mover to divert detected mosquitos out of the test chamber in response to the determined characteristics matching those of female mosquitos, or deactivating or maintaining the air mover in an inactive condition in response to the determined characteristics matching those of male mosquitos, for example, to allow passage through the chamber into a collection receptacle.

Abstract: An insect separating apparatus may include a sensor positioned to detect one or more insects when present within a test chamber. For example, the sensor may emit signals into the test chamber and receive reflected signals indicative of Doppler shifts caused by movement of the one or more insects. Based on information from the sensor, a computing device may determine a characteristic of the one or more insects in the chamber, such as a wing beat frequency, sex, or other characteristic. The computing device may instruct different responses based on the characteristic determined, such as activating an air mover to divert detected mosquitos out of the test chamber in response to the determined characteristics matching those of female mosquitos, or deactivating or maintaining the air mover in an inactive condition in response to the determined characteristics matching those of male mosquitos, for example, to allow passage through the chamber into a collection receptacle.

Abstract: Devices are provided to automatically access blood from beneath or within skin. These devices include a plurality of injectors configured to drive needles into the skin and draw samples of blood into the device. These devices additionally include a plurality of sensors which can detect a target analyte in the blood samples received by the device. These devices further include a user interface, which may prompt the user to self-administer a dose of a substance, or accept a user input which could affect or otherwise influence the activation of the device (i.e., the firing of needles to draw blood samples into the device and detect an analyte). These devices can be wearable and configured to automatically access blood from skin, for example, to access blood from the skin at one or more points in time after the user has self-administered a dose of a substance.

Abstract: A rotary encoder includes an electret unit, an electrostatic field sensor, and a controller. The electret unit generates an electrostatic field. The electrostatic field sensor is disposed proximate to the electret unit to sense a modulation of the electrostatic field that varies with rotation of one or more rotary components of the rotary encoder about a rotation axis of the rotary encoder. The controller is electrically coupled to the electrostatic field sensor to track activations of the electrostatic field sensor as the one or more rotary components rotate. The controller is configured to digitally encode a rotational position of the one or more rotary components based upon the activations.

Abstract: An apparatus for tracking an amount of dispensed fluid, a system for fluid injection including the apparatus, and related methods of use are described. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a dosage meter shaped to couple with a leadscrew and a cartridge containing a fluid for injection, and configured to track fluid injection. In an embodiment, the dosage meter includes an index wheel including a plurality of teeth, wherein the index wheel is shaped to position coaxially with a major axis of the leadscrew and to receive rotational motion from the leadscrew; and a cantilevered protrusion positioned to deflect due to contact with the plurality of teeth as the index wheel rotates coaxially with the leadscrew inducing a strain in the cantilevered protrusion, wherein the dosage meter outputs a signal indicative of the strain.

Abstract: A plunger head for a fluid injection device includes a transducer disposed in the plunger head to measure a compressive force when applied to the plunger head. The plunger head also includes a power source and a microcontroller disposed in the plunger head. The microcontroller is coupled to the power source and the transducer, and the microcontroller is coupled to enter a high-power mode in response to sensing application of the compressive force to the plunger head.

Abstract: An apparatus for tracking an amount of dispensed fluid, a system for fluid injection including the apparatus, and related methods of use are described. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a dosage meter shaped to couple with a leadscrew and a cartridge containing a fluid for injection, and configured to track fluid injection. In an embodiment, the dosage meter includes an index wheel including a plurality of teeth, wherein the index wheel is shaped to position coaxially with a major axis of the leadscrew and to receive rotational motion from the leadscrew; and a cantilevered protrusion positioned to deflect due to contact with the plurality of teeth as the index wheel rotates coaxially with the leadscrew inducing a strain in the cantilevered protrusion, wherein the dosage meter outputs a signal indicative of the strain.

Abstract: A plunger head for a medication injection device includes a first ultrasonic transducer coupled to emit ultrasonic signals, where the first ultrasonic transducer is oriented within the plunger head to send the ultrasonic signals along a length of a barrel of the medication injection device when the plunger head is disposed in the barrel. A second ultrasonic transducer is disposed within the plunger head and oriented to receive reflections of the ultrasonic signals. A controller is disposed in the plunger head and coupled to the first ultrasonic transducer and the second ultrasonic transducer. The controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the controller to perform operations including instructing the first ultrasonic transducer to emit the ultrasonic signals.

Abstract: A plunger head for a fluid injection device includes a transducer disposed in the plunger head to measure a compressive force when applied to the plunger head. The plunger head also includes a power source and a microcontroller disposed in the plunger head. The microcontroller is coupled to the power source and the transducer, and the microcontroller is coupled to enter a high-power mode in response to sensing application of the compressive force to the plunger head.

Abstract: An intragastric balloon device including a deformable material is in an ingestible form for delivery to a stomach of a patient, expands in response to stimuli in the stomach, and degrades within a limited duration (such as 16 hours or some other value between 2 hours and 72 hours) to diminish to passable form in which remains of the intragastric balloon device are passable from the stomach. In an illustrative example, the deformable material is composed of silicone coated with parylene and encloses perfluoropentane fluid that transitions from liquid to gas due to stomach temperature to inflate the balloon in the stomach and occupy space in the stomach until a fuse of methacrylate erodes to unblock a vent conduit to permit escape of the perfluoropentane for deflating the balloon to diminish to passable form.

Abstract: A drug cartridge to dispense an injectable fluid includes a drug cartridge body with an interior cavity, a neck region, and a bottom region. The neck region is opposite the bottom region and the interior cavity of the drug cartridge narrows in the neck region and is wider than most of the neck region in the bottom region. A transducer is coupled to emit sonic waves into the interior cavity towards the neck region, and the neck region is geometrically oriented to reflect the sonic waves back from the neck region towards the bottom region to be received by the transducer.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for low-power, data transmission using ultrasound signals. In one implementation, a data transmission system includes an ultrasound transducer configured to generate ultrasound signals in response to power supplied from a power source, and a mechanical ultrasound amplifier coupled to the ultrasound transducer, the ultrasound amplifier having a substrate adapted to function as a soundboard to amplify the ultrasound signals. The range of the data transmission system may be increased with a relay system. The relay system may include one or more detectors and one or more repeaters.

Abstract: Introduced here are low-cost, disposable inhaler devices that detect proper usage. More specifically, an inhaler device can include one or more electrodes that are disposed along a mouthpiece. Some embodiments of the inhaler device include a single electrode or multiple electrodes arranged along a single side of the mouthpiece, while other embodiments of the inhaler device include multiple electrodes arranged along at least two sides of the mouthpiece. When an individual places her lips on the mouthpiece, the electrode(s) can detect that the inhaler device is properly positioned against the lips. The inhaler device may only allow medication to be administered upon receiving an indication that a contact event has been recorded by some or all of the electrode(s).

Abstract: A rotary encoder includes an electret unit, an electrostatic field sensor, and a controller. The electret unit generates an electrostatic field. The electrostatic field sensor is disposed proximate to the electret unit to sense a modulation of the electrostatic field that varies with rotation of one or more rotary components of the rotary encoder about a rotation axis of the rotary encoder. The controller is electrically coupled to the electrostatic field sensor to track activations of the electrostatic field sensor as the one or more rotary components rotate. The controller is configured to digitally encode a rotational position of the one or more rotary components based upon the activations.

Abstract: Introduced here are low-cost, disposable inhaler devices that monitor airflow. More specifically, an inhaler device can include a robust airflow sensor and a flow control value that allows the inhaler device to provide feedback regarding inhalation effort during the administration of medication. The airflow sensor can be disposed within a primary flow channel through which medication travels or a secondary flow channel through which only air travels. Feedback can be transmitted to a computing device (e.g., a mobile phone) in real time. Alternatively, feedback can be recorded to a local memory and then subsequently transmitted to the computing device. Some embodiments of the inhaler device also support a lung capacity check functionality (also referred to as a “spirometry functionality”). These features enable respiratory diseases to be treated more effectively at lower cost.

Abstract: An apparatus for tracking an amount of dispensed fluid, a system for fluid injection including the apparatus, and related methods of use are described. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes a dosage meter shaped to couple with a leadscrew and a cartridge containing a fluid for injection, and configured to track fluid injection. In an embodiment, the dosage meter includes an index wheel including a plurality of teeth, wherein the index wheel is shaped to position coaxially with a major axis of the leadscrew and to receive rotational motion from the leadscrew; and a cantilevered protrusion positioned to deflect due to contact with the plurality of teeth as the index wheel rotates coaxially with the leadscrew inducing a strain in the cantilevered protrusion, wherein the dosage meter outputs a signal indicative of the strain.

Abstract: A plunger head for a medication injection device includes a first ultrasonic transducer coupled to emit ultrasonic signals, where the first ultrasonic transducer is oriented within the plunger head to send the ultrasonic signals along a length of a barrel of the medication injection device when the plunger head is disposed in the barrel. A second ultrasonic transducer is disposed within the plunger head and oriented to receive reflections of the ultrasonic signals. A controller is disposed in the plunger head and coupled to the first ultrasonic transducer and the second ultrasonic transducer. The controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the controller to perform operations including instructing the first ultrasonic transducer to emit the ultrasonic signals.

Abstract: A camera attachment apparatus for attaching to a mobile computing device having an integrated camera includes a house, a slide plate, an aperture, and an illumination system. The housing has a shape to mount on the mobile computing device. The slide plate is disposed within the housing and has a stowed position and a deployed position. The aperture is disposed in the slide plate. The illumination system is disposed on the slide plate. The slide plate is configured to align the aperture over the integrated camera when moved to the deployed position and does not obstruct the integrated camera in the stowed position.