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lunatic59

lunatic59

Moderati ergo sum
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Bearsyzf said:
Okay, I'm curious now :thinking:
Click to expand...

From a question in the Post your Last Purchase thread ....

Earlier in that thread you might have seen a post that showed a purchase of insulin for animals. We found out our oldest dog is diabetic and requires shots of insulin twice a day. While this isn't much of a problem for me, my wife has issues with her hands (which I won't go into here) and has difficulty pulling back the insulin syringe to fill it. Holding the vial and pulling the plunger on such a small thing is just beyond her capability.

So I got the idea to make a device to do it for her.

syringeclaw.jpg


Put the syringe in the cradle (light gray) as shown and apply pressure to the lever arm and it provides enough pull to get the syringe started. The blue rods are there for spring tension. This was 3D printed and originally the "spring" was just a couple of pieces of PLA filament, but it has too much memory and after a few pulls it no longer functions as a spring. So, I thought I'd get some tempered spring steel wire and see what I could devise. I figure to bend the wire into a more manageable shape, more like a "P" so it rides in the tracks.

Here's the second prototype.

IMG_20200304_123406.jpg


See how the "springs" no longer sit in the tracks. I also am tweaking the design so it will sit flat on a table and possibly provide support for the insulin vial as well.
 
Wow!!!! Great job! I am not an inventor, but my sister has dabbled. About 10 or so years ago, when all phones had earphone jacks she came with this. She was in major stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, etc.

The gadget is still on sale but is on the way out. She's too busy with the family business to continue. This is her site.
 
MoodyBlues said:
Very clever, lunatic59, and it should come in quite handy.

I, on the other hand, would've taken the lazy way out: pre-fill X syringes at a time so she could just grab one and go! :D
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Problem is, we don't know what the final dose is going to be or if we will need to adjust it down the road.
 
I invent things in my sleep. I've done it most my adult life. At least two or three times a month I dream up a useful tool of some sort. In my sleep it all comes together and I'm left thinking the idea is so scathingly brilliant I can't believe someone hasn't devised the item before. Cheap to manufacture and its use saves time and eases labor.... why doesn't this already exist? I awaken after such a dream feeling smug and satisfied but I never remember what the heck I invented. :)
 
olbriar said:
I invent things in my sleep. I've done it most my adult life. At least two or three times a month I dream up a useful tool of some sort. In my sleep it all comes together and I'm left thinking the idea is so scathingly brilliant I can't believe someone hasn't devised the item before. Cheap to manufacture and its use saves time and eases labor.... why doesn't this already exist? I awaken after such a dream feeling smug and satisfied but I never remember what the heck I invented. :)
Click to expand...

Do you keep a pad by your bedside?
 
I've been back to the drawing board, as it were.

I saw this rather interesting concept for a winder for automatic watches, but all the models shared online were mechanically sound, but shall we say aesthetically deficient?

 
I was pleasantly surprised how inexpensive these are to build, too. A tradition watch winder can be anywhere from $75 to well over $200 and that's usually just a box with a rotating mount. Other than the 3D printed parts, which I guess are maybe $5.00 worth of materials, the thing is driven by a 5V stepper motor ($2.80) and controlled by an Arduino Nano ($4.00). I also used 9mm x 4mm bearings (9 x $0.25) so it would run smooth and quietly. Ironically, the most expensive part was the switch for $7.50, but I liked the LED indicator.

Total cost, ~$22.00. Watching my wife roll her eyes every time I talk about this stuff, priceless. :D
 
There is a high level of satisfaction to create something. I'm already missing that in my carpenter work. To create something useful and eye appealing is just way cool in my books. Talk the Mrs. into being your marketing agent. :) She will quit rolling her eyes when the proceeds add up. It looks like you have lots of room for profit. You definitely have an attractive functional unit to offer.
 
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