Feel Better Syringe

Project Overview

Feel Better Syringe is a tactile, 10mL dosing concept designed to make liquid medication measurement fully accessible to visually impaired caregivers, parents, and pet owners. This system replaces visual markings with a complete physical interface, allowing volume to be read and tracked entirely by touch.

Instead of relying on printed lines that require sight, I adapted the concept of tactile feedback to the body of a standard syringe. The goal was to create a functional demonstration model that explores how fingertip-readable ridges and an external tracking mechanism can remove the barrier of visual measurement in routine medication dosing.

Design Focus

The project centers on a dual-component tactile system engineered to convey volume accurately without sight:

• Tactile Ridge System: The main tube features raised ridges running along its length. Full 1mL increments are continuous rings that wrap all the way around the tube, while 0.5mL increments are split into four segmented sections, allowing immediate distinction between whole and half doses by feel alone.

• External Tracking Extension: A secondary, thin arm runs parallel to the main plunger shaft on the outside of the tube, perfectly aligned with the internal plunger tip. As liquid is drawn or dispensed, resting a finger on this extension lets the user feel it cross the tube's ridges, translating internal liquid levels into a touchable readout.

• Visual & Tactile Cutaway: The outer housing includes a large side cutout, allowing users to both visually inspect and directly feel the internal mechanism moving during operation.

The Assembly System

• The Tube: The rigid tactile core. Printed in PLA, the tube holds the fingertip-readable ridge rings and segments with the dimensional precision needed for accurate 1mL and 0.5mL differentiation, while its cutaway housing stays sturdy enough to protect the moving internals.

• The Plunger: The sliding readout mechanism. Printed in PLA and TPU 95A (for the rubber tip), the plunger carries the external tracking extension along the outside of the tube, aligned with its internal tip, so its motion translates directly into a touchable readout as it crosses each ridge.

Functional Breakthrough

Translating fine volume increments into a distinct tactile language was the turning point for this project. Differentiating 1mL and 0.5mL marks using continuous versus segmented rings, paired with the external tracking extension, creates an intuitive, sight-free counting system that maintains precision without requiring visual alignment.

Reflection & Tools

• Key Lesson: Designing for accessibility requires rethinking how feedback is delivered. Shifting volume tracking from internal liquid levels to an external physical proxy solved the primary challenge of tactile measurement without sacrificing real-time progress tracking.

• CAD: Plasticity | 3D Printing: Prusa CORE One | Slicing: PrusaSlicer

Disclaimer & Safety

• Not a Medical Device: Feel Better Syringe is a concept demonstration prototype. It has NOT been evaluated, approved, tested, or endorsed by any medical or regulatory body (such as Health Canada or the FDA), and it is not capable of safely holding or administering medication. It must never be used to measure or give real medication to a child, pet, or anyone else.

• User is the Manufacturer: By downloading these files, the user acknowledges they are the manufacturer of any physical object printed from them and assumes 100% responsibility for material selection, print settings, and use of the printed object, understanding that it is not fit for real medical use under any circumstances.

• For full safety information, disclaimers, and terms of use, visit: www.tryspire3d.com/disclaimer-and-terms-of-use 

Evolution of the Design