A medication box for tracking medication intake and usage

Abstract

The invention is related to a medication box capable of tracking the medication intake and usage of Alzheimer's and dementia patients in particular, and informing individuals by giving alerts when necessary.

Description

[0001] A MEDICATION BOX FOR TRACKING MEDICATION INTAKE AND USAGE

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The invention is related to a medication box capable of tracking the medication intake and usage of Alzheimer's and dementia patients in particular, and informing individuals by giving alerts when necessary.

[0004] PRIOR ART

[0005] Daily medication intake dosage tracking is crucial for patients to continue their treatment processes regularly and effectively. Taking medication in the right amounts and at the specified times optimizes treatment outcomes, helping to control the disease and improve overall health. Dosage tracking not only increases the success of treatment, but also ensures patient safety by reducing the risks of misuse.

[0006] Failure to take the right dose of medications can lead to serious consequences in case of both underdose and overdose. Underdosing can reduce the effectiveness of treatment and cause disease progression, while overdose can result in toxic effects. This is especially important in patients with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia, as these patients often tend to forget their medication intake, confuse doses, or take them at the wrong times. Such errors can make it difficult to control the disease and prevent compliance with treatment.

[0007] One of the most common solutions in the present art is devices that use simple audible and visual alerts to remind the time of medication intake. These devices usually include an alarm mechanism and audibly or visually inform the user that they need to take medication. However, such devices are not useful for individuals with visual or hearing impairments. In addition, they do not have any mechanism to ensure that the amount of medication is accurately tracked, which can lead to serious dosage errors, especially in sensitive treatment processes.

[0008] Devices developed specifically for visually and hearing impaired individuals usually use a single sensory stimulation system. For example, light indicators are useless forvisually impaired individuals, while audible alerts are insufficient for hearing-impaired individuals. These shortcomings do not fully meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in the medication intake process.

[0009] Another major shortcoming of the systems in the present art is their inability to track the dosage or remaining amount of medication. These devices, which do not provide the user with information regarding the amount of medication to be taken, are insufficient, especially in cases where the treatment process requires precision. It is also difficult to provide accurate sequencing and dosage management for individuals using multiple medications.

[0010] In addition, existing solutions are often designed with fixed configurations and do not offer the flexibility to adapt to users' individual treatment plans. This prevents the devices from being user-friendly.

[0011] In conclusion, current techniques have significant shortcomings in terms of user-friendly design, dosage, and medication tracking. These shortcomings increase the need for innovative and more comprehensive solutions to optimize the drug intake process, especially for Alzheimer's and dementia patients. All the above-mentioned problems have made it imperative to make an innovation in the relevant technical field.

[0012] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] As is known in the art, it is crucial to ensure that medications are taken in the right dosage and on time, especially for individuals with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's and dementia. In the current systems, there are inefficiencies in terms of dosage tracking, non-mixing of medications and accessibility, which negatively affects the treatment process. In order to eliminate these inefficiencies, the inventors of the present invention aim to develop a user-friendly, environmentally friendly and accessible medication box that operates based on weight measurement.

[0014] The object of the invention is to provide a medication box ensuring that the medications are taken in the correct dosage by precisely measuring the weight thereof, and reminding the time of medication intake.The object of the invention is to introduce a medication box configured with light or audible alert systems in order to meet the needs of visually and hearing impaired individuals. With these features, it is ensured that the medication box is suitable for a wide range of users.

[0015] The object of the invention is to introduce a medication box with a configuration that makes it portable for patients.

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] In this detailed description, the subject of the invention relates to a medication box that allows patients to take their medications at the right time and dosage. The description provides non-limiting examples to better explain the intended use and functions of the invention.

[0018] In the invention, medication boxes are designed to facilitate medication tracking, especially for individuals suffering from cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's, dementia, and the elderly. The main object of these medication boxes is to increase compliance with the treatment process by ensuring that the medications are taken at the right dose and time, and to provide users with a safe and practical solution. The present invention aims to eliminate the shortcomings of existing techniques by providing a user-friendly, accessible solution.

[0019] The medication box of the invention mainly comprises; at least one medication compartment in which the medications are stored, at least one slide mechanism positioned in the front part of said medication compartment, a weight meter positioned at the bottom of the medication box and enabling the weight measurement of the medication, an electronic control unit controlling the components in the medication box and processing the data, an alert system notifying the time and dosage of medication intake, at least one power supply.

[0020] The medication box of the invention comprises one or more medication compartments in which medications are placed. The medication compartment is designed such that users can easily place, remove, and refill their medication when necessary. The medication compartments are designed to be placed in and removed from theirpositions, ensuring easy access for patients to their medications. In a preferred embodiment, medication compartments can be designed with different colors or marking methods such as numbering to provide convenience for users. This feature makes it easier for individuals taking multiple medications to get the right medication and makes their treatment process more organized.

[0021] The medication box of the invention comprises multiple slide mechanisms positioned in the front part of the medication compartments. There is at least one slide mechanism for each medication compartment positioned on the front face of the medication compartments to allow said medication compartment to be closed and opened at specified times. For individuals taking more than one medication, it makes it possible to take different groups of medications in the correct order. There is a separate compartment and slide mechanism for each medication group. In this way, the mixing of medication is prevented and users are guided in accordance with their treatment plans. In a preferred embodiment, the slide mechanism is opened manually. In the most preferred embodiment, the slide mechanism is opened automatically. The patient determines the time and dosage of medication intake via the manual adjustment panel, and this information is transmitted to the control unit. When the specified time arrives, the control unit sends an opening command to the slide mechanism. This command is operated by means of a motorized system in the slide mechanism or an electronic triggering mechanism to open the lid of the relevant medication compartment. This process ensures that medications are taken at the right time and in the right order, and provides an automated medication management without requiring user intervention.

[0022] The medication box of the invention comprises a weight meter. The weight meter is located at the bottom of the medication box and in the lower vicinity of the medication compartments. When a patient takes medication from a medication compartment, the weight meter automatically detects and measures the amount of medication remaining. These measurements are transmitted to an electronic control unit, allowing the device to continuously track the amount of medication. If the amount of medication falls below 1 gram, the weight meter detects this situation and ensures that the patient is informed with the alert systems within the medication box. This critical element ensures that medications are taken in full and in the correct amount, and contributes to the regular continuation of the treatment process by preventing incomplete medication intake.The medication box of the invention comprises an electronic control unit processing the data obtained from all components and providing control of this data. Said control unit works integrated with the medication compartments and manages the order, time, and amount of medication intake. Medication intake times and dosage information determined manually by the patient are recorded in the control unit. The control unit tracks each of the medication compartments and opens the relevant slide mechanism at the specified time, enabling medication intake. At the same time, it controls the amount of remaining medication by processing the data from the weight meter and activates the alert system upon detecting that the amount of medication is decreasing.

[0023] The medication box of the invention comprises at least one alert system allowing the patient to be notified of the medication intake times with the data received from the electronic control unit.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment, in the case that the patients are hearing impaired, the alert system may comprise elements that enable light alerts to be generated. In a preferred embodiment, at least one LED light is used as said element. This LED light is located on each slide mechanism located on the front face of the medication box.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, in the case that the patients are visually impaired, the alert system may comprise elements that enable audible alerts to be generated. In a preferred embodiment, at least one speaker is used as said element. This speaker is located on each slide mechanism located on the front face of the medication box.

[0026] In the most preferred embodiment, the alert system including both sound and light alerts for patients can be located in the medication box.

[0027] The medication box of the invention comprises a power source for each of its elements to fulfill their functions. The medication box of the invention is expected to be portable and have low energy consumption. In order to achieve this, the medication box of the invention comprises at least one battery as a power source.

[0028] The medication box of the invention comprises a manual adjustment panel that allows the adjustment of the intake times and dosage adjustment for the medication compartments. The user can define a specific time and amount for each medicationcompartment via the adjustment panel. This information is transmitted to the electronic control unit and recorded. Based on this data received from the adjustment panel, the control unit opens the relevant medication compartment at the right time and activates the slide mechanism. Thus, medications can be taken in the specified order and in the right dose. The manual adjustment panel provides flexibility to the user, allowing the creation of a medication intake pattern suitable for individual treatment plans.

[0029] The medication box of the invention comprises an alarm system operating in integration with the medication compartments and weight meter to detect that the amount of medication is about to run out, and informing the user visually or audibly. The amount of medication placed in the medication compartments is constantly monitored by the weight meter and this data is transmitted to the electronic control unit. If the amount of medication in a medication compartment falls below 1 gram, the control unit detects this situation and activates the alarm system. The alarm system informs the user that the amount of medication is decreasing through light and audible alerts. This allows the user to refill the compartment to avoid missing medication intake and ensures that the treatment process continues in an orderly manner.

[0030] The working principle of the medication box of the invention is as follows: the user places the medications in the medication compartments of the device and manually adjusts the medication intake time. The medication box informs the user with light and audible alerts at the specified time. The user can easily take the medications in the medication compartment thanks to the slide mechanism. The weight meter monitors the amount of the medication taken and the device continuously tracks the amount of remaining medication and the device prevents incomplete medication intake by informing the user with an alert in case of medication amounts falling below 1 gram.

[0031] The medication box of the invention offers a user-friendly medication management system. With precise measurement of medication dosage and alert systems, the device facilitates the medication tracking of users and contributes to the treatment process.

[0032] In conclusion, this invention offers an important innovation in medication management. Thanks to the prevention of dosage errors and user-specific adjustable features, it facilitates the medication intake processes of patients and increases their quality of life.The scope of protection of the invention is specified in the appended claims and cannot be limited to what is described for illustrative purposes in this detailed description. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can produce similar embodiments in the light of what is explained above, without deviating from the main theme of the invention.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A medication box used to regulate and control the medication intake of Alzheimer's or dementia patients; characterized in that it comprises,- at least one medication compartment configured as removable and openable, in which medications are placed,- at least one slide mechanism for each medication compartment positioned on the front face of the medication compartments to allow said medication compartment to be closed and opened at specified times,- at least one weight meter positioned at the bottom of the medication box, measuring the weight of the medication placed in the medication compartments, and making it possible to detect the remaining amount,- an electronic control unit controlling the components in the medication box and processing the data,- an alert system allowing the patient to be notified of the medication intake times with the data received from the electronic control unit,- at least one power source ensuring the execution of the necessary functions of each of the elements.

2. A medication box according to claim 1, characterized in that the medication compartments are configured to be marked with at least one of different colors or numbering methods for the convenience of users.

3. A medication box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said slide mechanisms perform the function of opening a separate medication compartment for each medication group, either manually or automatically in connection with an electronic control unit.

4. A medication box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said alert system comprises at least one LED light providing light alerts, in particular for hearing impaired users.

5. A medication box according to claim 4, characterized in that said LED light is located in each slide mechanism.

6. A medication box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the alert system comprises at least one speaker providing audible alerts, in particular for visually impaired users.

7. A medication box according to claim 6, characterized in that said speaker is located in each slide mechanism.

8. A medication box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a manual control panel for the patient to set the times and dosages of medication intake.

9. A medication box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an alarm system that detects when the quantity of medication is about to run out and informs the user.

10. A medication box according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the power source is at least one battery.