Abacus Medication Dispenser with Dosage Sequence Grid
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients, especially those with multiple prescriptions and memory issues, face challenges in organizing and adhering to medication dosages due to the complexity of managing multiple medications over varying time periods, leading to potential errors and non-adherence.
Innovation Solution
A portable medication dispenser and storage system featuring a tray with cavities arranged in a dosage sequence pattern, along with markings for easy identification of medication types and dosages, and a mechanism for secure storage and transportation, including a lock and optional alarm for reminders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If patients manually organize multiple medications and dosages, then flexibility in medication storage is maintained, but organization accuracy and adherence reliability deteriorate due to complexity and memory issues
Solution Approach 1:
The device divides medication storage into multiple cavities arranged in a grid pattern, with each cavity representing a specific dosage event. This segmentation allows patients to visually track and organize each medication dose separately, transforming a complex scheduling task into simple visual placement and retrieval actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavities are pre-arranged in a specific pattern that corresponds to the dosage schedule before the patient begins use. This preliminary organization eliminates the need for patients to mentally track complex schedules, as the structure itself encodes the medication timing and sequence.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If patients transport multiple medications to remote locations, then treatment continuity is maintained, but organization accuracy deteriorates due to displacement and re-organization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The device serves multiple functions: it stores medications, displays the dosage schedule through its cavity pattern, provides visual confirmation of dose completion, and maintains organization during transport. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate scheduling tools, reducing organizational errors during displacement.
Solution Approach 2:
The visual pattern of cavities provides immediate feedback to the patient about which doses have been taken and which remain. As medications are removed from cavities, the changing pattern serves as a clear visual record of adherence, preventing errors during travel and re-organization.
3Ease of operation
If simplified medication storage is used, then ease of operation improves, but dosage sequence tracking capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses visual differentiation through color-coded cavities or markings to encode dosage sequence information. This allows patients to quickly identify the correct cavity for each dose without complex mental processing, maintaining both simplicity and information retention.
Solution Approach 2:
The dosage schedule is represented in a two-dimensional grid pattern rather than a linear list, adding spatial dimension to the organization. This dimensional transformation makes the sequence information more visually accessible and easier to track at a glance.
Data Source
AI summary
A device including a portable frame, comprising a tray and a lid that closes upon the tray, and multiple cavities formed in the tray and configured to receive a container is provided. The cavities are arranged in a pattern according to a dosage dispense sequence for a medication from the container, and to a type of a medication to be dispensed from the container; and a marking along a side of the pattern, the marking indicative of the dosage dispense sequence corresponding to one or more cavities aligned with the marking in the pattern. A method for using the above device to dispense medication to a patient is also provided.