Capacitance Sensor Medication Container
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medication adherence rates are below 50% due to forgetfulness, leading to untreated chronic illnesses, despite the availability of prescribed medications.
Innovation Solution
A medication container equipped with a capacitance sensor, cap sensor, and processor that tracks medication quantity and usage, triggering reminders and alerts via wireless communication to improve adherence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a medication container is equipped with sensors and wireless communication capabilities to track medication usage, then patient adherence monitoring is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The medication container automatically monitors its own contents through the capacitance sensor without requiring user intervention. The system self-tracks medication quantity, detects when medication is taken, and autonomously sends reminders to patients, eliminating the need for manual tracking by the patient while maintaining simple device operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical tracking methods with an automated capacitance sensing system. Instead of requiring patients to physically count or track their medication, the system uses electrical field-based capacitance measurement to detect medication presence and quantity, substituting mechanical tracking with an automated sensing mechanism.
2Measurement precision
If a capacitance sensor with multiple electrodes is used to accurately measure medication quantity, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures medication quantity by detecting changes in capacitance parameters. By monitoring the electrical field properties (capacitance) between the electrodes and medication, the system can accurately determine medication presence and quantity without complex mechanical or optical measurement systems, simplifying the overall device while maintaining precision.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances patient adherence to medication regimens by providing timely reminders and alerts, ensuring consistent medication intake and improved health outcomes.
Implementation Method 1
a capacitance sensor coupled to the housing for sensing a capacitance corresponding to a quantity of the medication within the housing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2C
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A medication container is provided that includes a measurement sensor for sensing the contents of the medication container (e.g., pill count or quantity of liquid medication). The measurement sensor may be a capacitance sensor which may include interleaved or interdigitated electrodes oriented vertically, horizontally, or angularly (e.g., diagonally) relative to an axis of the medication container. Reminders and/or alerts to the patient are triggered based at least in part on the contents of the medication container, when a cap of the container was last opened and/or closed.