Medication support device

Abstract

To provide a medication support device that can prevent a user from forgetting to take a medicine by making the user acquire the awareness of the date and the day of the week.SOLUTION: A medication support device comprises eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h and a terminal 2. The eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h are formed in one piece. Seven (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g) of the eight small boxes are medicine boxes for housing medicines for each day of the week, and lids 4 each have an indication 5 of the day of the week and an indicator lamp 6. The terminal 2 includes a display unit 3 for displaying the date and the day of the week and controls the indicator lamps 6 on the lids 4 of the small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g to urge medication from the medicine box for the day of the week.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medication support device that can prevent forgetting to take medicine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in order to prevent forgetting to take medicine, there has been a device that has pockets for storing medicine for each date on a calendar (see, for example, Patent Document 1). There are many elderly people who have lost track of what date it is or what day of the week it is, so for such people, the calendar with a pocket for medicine as described above is not useful. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3117811 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention has an object to provide a medication support device that allows a user to acquire a sense of dates and days of the week and prevents the user from forgetting to take medicine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the medication support device of the invention described in claim 1 comprises eight small boxes and a terminal, the eight small boxes are grouped together, and seven of the eight small boxes are medicine boxes for storing medication for each day of the week, with the lids displaying the day of the week and displaying indicator lights, and the terminal has a display unit that displays the date and day of the week, and controls the indicator lights on the lids of the small boxes to encourage the user to take medication from the medicine box for each day of the week.

[0006] The medication support device according to the invention recited in claim 2 has the same configuration as the invention recited in claim 1, and is characterized in that the eight small boxes are combineable and separable.

[0007] The medication support device according to the invention described in claim 3 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1 or 2, the terminal has a function of storing whether or not medication has been taken for a specified period of time.

[0008] The medication support device according to the invention described in claim 4 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1, 2 or 3, the terminal is provided in one of the eight small boxes (other than the medicine box for each day of the week).

[0009] The medication support device according to the invention described in claim 5 is characterized in that, in addition to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, it is provided with a stand for storing eight small boxes grouped together. Effect of the Invention

[0010] The medication support device according to the invention described in claim 1 comprises eight small boxes and a terminal, the eight small boxes are grouped together, seven of the eight small boxes are medicine boxes for storing medicine for each day of the week, and have a day of the week display and indicator light on the lid, and the terminal has a display unit that displays the date and day of the week, and controls the indicator light on the lid of the small boxes to encourage the user to take medicine from the medicine box for each day of the week, allowing the user to get a sense of the date and day of the week and preventing forgetting to take medicine. Grouping the small boxes into eight makes the system more compact and makes it easier to manufacture the small boxes.

[0011] The medication support device according to the invention described in claim 2 has eight small boxes that can be combined and separated, making it easy to carry when combined, and easy to take medicine in and out when separated, improving usability.

[0012] In the medication support device according to the invention described in claim 3, the terminal has a function of storing whether or not medication has been taken for a specified period of time, so that the information can be used for the user's health management and for treatment and diagnosis by a doctor.

[0013] The medication support device according to the invention described in claim 4 becomes more rational by providing a terminal in one of the eight small boxes (other than the medicine box for each day of the week).

[0014] The medication support device according to the invention described in claim 5 is provided with a stand for storing eight small boxes together, making it easy to store the eight small boxes together and further improving usability. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of a medication support device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a small box of the medication support device, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing a connection structure between the small boxes. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the medication support device of the present invention. [Figure 4] 2 is a perspective view of a small box of the medication support device. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a third embodiment of the medication support device of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a medication support device of the present invention. This medication support device comprises a medicine case 8 and a stand 8 for housing the medicine case 8. The medicine case 8 is composed of eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h arranged in four rows and two columns and joined together.

[0017] Seven of the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g) are medicine boxes with lids for storing medicine for each day of the week, and the lids 4 have a day of the week display 5 and an indicator light 6 using an LED. Each indicator light 6 is wirelessly connected to a terminal 2, which will be described later, and is controlled by commands from the terminal 2. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the inside of the small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g are divided into three sections by partitions, and three doses of medicine can be stored in each section: morning, afternoon, and evening. Male and female connectors 9 are provided on the outer surfaces of the small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h, and as shown in Figure 2(b), the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h can be combined or separated by engaging the male and female connectors 9, 9.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, the remaining one (1h) of the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h incorporates a terminal 2 having a display unit 3 that displays the date and the day of the week. The terminal 2 is configured by installing a dedicated app on a smart watch, and has the functions of controlling the indicator lights 6 of the medicine boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g for each day of the week described above to prompt the user to take medicine, storing the presence or absence of taking medicine for a specified period, and transmitting information regarding the presence or absence of taking medicine for the specified period to the personal computer of the family doctor, etc., via the Internet.

[0019] 1, the stand 7 can store a medicine case 8 that combines eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h into one. A horizontal external box 11a capable of displaying a three-month calendar 10, or a vertical external box 11b capable of displaying a two-month calendar 10 can be connected to the stand 7. The calendar 10 on the external boxes 11a and 11b prominently displays the next appointment date (usually set every three months).

[0020] Next, how to use this medication support device will be explained. On Sundays, the user removes the medicine case 8 from the stand 7 and places a day's worth of medicine into the medicine boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g for each day of the week. The work of putting medicine into the boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g can be done by separating the small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g, or it can be done while they are combined. When the medicine case 8 containing the medicine is set on the stand 7, the indicator lights 6 on the lids 4 of the medicine boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g for each day of the week light up to inform the user that medicine is being stored. Also, the indicator lights 6 of the medicine boxes 1a, 1b, ... corresponding to that day of the week flash, such as the indicator light 6 of the Sunday medicine box 1a flashing on Sunday and the indicator light 6 of the Monday medicine box 1b flashing on Monday, to prompt the user to take the medicine from the corresponding medicine box 1a, 1b, ... and take it. When the user takes the medicine, the user presses the terminal 2 or a medicine taking confirmation button (not shown) provided separately from the terminal 2. Then, the indicator light 6 of the medicine box 1a, 1b, ... goes out, and the terminal 2 stores that the medicine was taken on that day. Information on whether the user took the medicine or not is sent via the Internet to the computer or smartphone of the user's family doctor or pharmacist. On the following Sunday, the medicine case 8 will be empty of medicine and all of the indicator lights 6 will be off, so the medicine case 8 will be filled with medicine in the same way and set on the stand 7.

[0021] In this way, this medication support device displays the date and day of the week on the terminal 2, and the indicator lights 6 of the medicine boxes 1a, 1b, ... flash for each day of the week to remind the user to take their medicine, so the user can get a sense of the date and day of the week and prevent forgetting to take their medicine. In other words, by linking the analog act of taking medicine with a digital device (smart watch), the user can prevent forgetting to take their medicine and doctors can easily grasp and manage the status of taking the medicine. It is said that over 50 billion yen worth of medicine is wasted each year due to leftover or forgotten doses, but this medication support device can reduce that waste.In addition, this medication support device is connected to the Internet, and experienced pharmacists are available to provide full-time, continuous support, allowing doctors to understand each patient's health management and the effectiveness of the doctor's prescription. If there were seven small boxes, for example, if they were lined up in two vertical rows, they would be divided into four and three, which would be very untidy. However, this medication support device is made up of eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h, which means they are arranged in a rectangle of 2 x 4, which is more neat.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the medication support device of the present invention. In this medication support device, the medicine case 8 is configured to be shaped like a flower by radially combining eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h, which are roughly fan-shaped. Seven of the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g) are medicine boxes for storing medicines for each day of the week, and the remaining small box 1h is an empty box. The lids 4 of the small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h are designed to be opened from the outer periphery as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This medication support device has a terminal 2 with a display unit 3 that displays the date and day of the week incorporated in the center of a medicine case 8, which is made up of eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h arranged radially.

[0023] In the second embodiment of the medication support device, small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h are roughly fan-shaped and lid 4 opens from the outer periphery, making it easy to take medicine in and out even when small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h are combined together. If there were seven small boxes, each would have to be made at an angle equal to 7 parts of 360° (51.42...°), which would be difficult to manufacture. However, this medication support device is made up of eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h, so each box can be made at an angle equal to 8 parts of 360° (45°), making it easy to manufacture.

[0024] 5 shows a third embodiment of the medication support device of the present invention. This medication support device includes a stand 12 for placing a smartphone (not shown), a medicine case 8 formed into an octagon by combining eight roughly sector-shaped small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h, and a stand 7 for supporting the medicine case 8 so as to be rotatable around its center.

[0025] The smartphone replaces the smartwatch of the embodiment described above, and displays the date and day of the week on its display, and controls the indicator lights 6 of the medicine boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, and 1g for each day of the week. When the smartphone is placed on the stand 12, the smartphone is charged.

[0026] The stand 7 on which the medicine case 8 is placed has a drawer 13 in which a three-month supply of medicine to be received at the doctor's appointment every three months can be stored.

[0027] The medication support device of this embodiment is more user-friendly because it has a rotatable medicine case 8 and a drawer 13 that can hold a three-month supply of medication. Because the device can use the user's own smartphone, costs can be kept down and users can easily introduce the medication support device.

[0028] As described above, this medication support device (first, second and third embodiments) comprises eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g and 1h and a terminal 2. The eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g and 1h are grouped together, and seven of the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g and 1h (1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f and 1g) serve as medicine boxes for storing medicine for each day of the week, and have a day of the week display 5 and an indicator light 6 on the lid 4. The terminal 2 has a display unit 3 that displays the date and day of the week, and controls the indicator lights 6 on the lids 4 of the small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f and 1g to encourage the user to take medicine from the medicine box for that day of the week, thereby allowing the user to get a sense of the date and day of the week and preventing forgetting to take medicine. By grouping the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h into one unit, the unitary structure is improved and the production of the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h is facilitated. In this medication support device (first, second and third embodiments), the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g and 1h can be combined or separated, making them easy to carry when combined, and easy to take the medicine in and out when separated, improving usability. In the present medication support device (first, second and third embodiments), the terminal 2 has a function of storing whether or not medication has been taken for a specified period of time, so that this information can be used for the user's health management and for treatment and diagnosis by a doctor. This medication support device (first embodiment) is made more rational by providing terminal 2 in one small box 1h (other than the medicine boxes for each day of the week) out of eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h. This medication support device (first and second embodiments) is equipped with a stand 7 that stores the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h in a bundled state, making it easy to bundle the eight small boxes 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g, and 1h together, further improving usability.

[0029] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The shape, material, and combination method of the small box can be changed as appropriate. The terminal may be a smart watch or a smartphone, or may be a device designed and manufactured specifically for the terminal. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] 1a,1b,1c,1d,1e,1f,1g,1h Small box 2. Terminal 3 Display section 4 Lid 5. Day of the week display 6 indicator light 7 units

Claims

1. This medication support device comprises eight small boxes and a terminal, the eight small boxes being grouped together, seven of which are medicine boxes for storing medicine for each day of the week, with the lids having indications for the days of the week and indicator lights, and the terminal has a display unit that displays the date and the day of the week, and controls the indicator lights on the lids of the small boxes to encourage the user to take medicine from the medicine box for each day of the week.

2. 2. The medication support device according to claim 1, wherein the eight small boxes are detachable and assembleable.

3. 3. The medication support device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal has a function of storing whether or not a medication has been taken for a predetermined period of time.

4. 4. A medication support device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the terminal is provided in one of the eight small boxes (other than the medicine boxes for each day of the week).

5. 5. The medication support device according to claim 1, further comprising a stand for storing eight small boxes grouped together.

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