Blister Pack Station with Authentication Chip
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients face challenges in remembering medication timings and identifying authentic medicines due to the complexity of multiple medications and the prevalence of counterfeit drugs.
Innovation Solution
A blister pack station equipped with a chip that communicates with a third party to receive and store instructions, authenticate medicines, and provide reminders through audio/visual means, ensuring correct medication timing and authenticity verification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If patients take multiple medications daily, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but it becomes difficult to remember timings and instructions
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by automatically tracking medication intake through the blister pack mechanism, eliminating the need for patients to manually remember timings. The chip embedded in the blister pack automatically communicates with the base station to record when medications are taken, providing automated reminders and tracking without requiring patient cognitive effort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by providing real-time reminders to patients about upcoming medication times and confirming when medications have been taken. The base station receives status information from the chip and sends back feedback messages, creating a closed-loop system that guides patient behavior without requiring them to remember instructions.
2Ease of operation
If medicines are made widely available, then accessibility is improved, but counterfeiting becomes more prevalent
Solution Approach 1:
The chip embedded in the blister pack serves as an intermediary that provides authentication information. This intermediary element enables verification of medicine authenticity by communicating unique identifiers and security data to verification systems, allowing patients and healthcare providers to confirm genuine medications without compromising accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates visual indicators (such as LED lights or color-changing elements) that change state to indicate authentication status. When the chip is verified as authentic, the system displays visual confirmation; if counterfeit, it shows warning signals, providing immediate visual feedback about medicine authenticity.
3Reliability
If authentication systems are implemented, then medicine authenticity is verified, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication functionality is extracted into a separate, standardized chip component embedded in the blister pack. This extraction allows the authentication system to be modular and independent, simplifying the overall system architecture. The chip contains all necessary authentication data and communication protocols, separating complexity from the main dispensing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The chip serves multiple functions: it stores medication information, provides authentication data, enables communication with the base station, and triggers reminders. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby simplifying the overall system while maintaining robust authentication capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a blister pack station for use with a blister pack. The blister pack station includes at least one slot for receiving at least one blister pack containing one or more tablets. The blister pack station further includes an input module to receive a plurality of instructions from a third party including at least one of an authorized person, a server, a blister pack, and another blister pack station. The blister pack station also includes a chip configured to communicate the plurality of instructions to at least one of a central server, a device based in a cloud network, the blister pack, and the another blister pack station.