Medication Dispenser with Central Collecting Surface
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dispensing devices for medications pose challenges for elderly or physically impaired users, as they require coordination to release and collect doses, leading to potential loss and incorrect administration, and are cumbersome to load, especially with child safety systems.
Innovation Solution
A dispensing device with a central collecting surface and a rotating wheel compartment system, where doses are released onto a concave collecting surface, simplifying the retrieval process and reducing the risk of loss, and an assistance system that includes a smartphone for remote management and communication to ensure proper medication adherence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a releasing slot and mobile system are used to dispense medications, then the dosages can be delivered to the user, but the operation becomes difficult requiring coordination of multiple movements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the releasing slot and the collection surface into a single integrated structure. The releasing slot is positioned directly above the collection surface, allowing medications to be released and collected in one continuous motion without requiring separate actions for release and collection. This merging of functions simplifies the user operation while maintaining the necessary device complexity for controlled dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection surface acts as an intermediary element between the releasing slot and the user's hand. Instead of requiring the user to directly catch medications falling from the releasing slot, the collection surface provides a stable intermediate platform that captures and holds the medications, making the dispensing process easier and more reliable for users with limited dexterity.
2Reliability
If medications are released onto hand or table, then the user can receive the doses, but the medications may be lost and difficult to find
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of medications falling and being lost into a benefit by providing a collection surface that deliberately captures the falling medications. The releasing slot is designed to allow medications to fall naturally, but the collection surface positioned directly below ensures they are caught and organized, transforming what could be a loss situation into a reliable collection process.
Solution Approach 2:
The collection surface provides a self-service function by automatically capturing and organizing medications as they are released. The user does not need to actively search for or collect scattered medications; instead, the structure itself performs the collection function, improving both reliability and ease of operation.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If child safety systems are equipped on medication packages, then safety is improved, but the opening becomes difficult for elderly or physically impaired patients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-opening the child-safe packaging during the loading process. The loading device or operator opens the sealed medication packages in advance, transfers the medications to the dispensing compartments, and then seals or covers those compartments. This eliminates the need for users to open child-safe packages during the dispensing moment, maintaining safety while removing the opening difficulty.
4Reliability
If medications are released from the dispenser, then the user can take the dose, but it is difficult to detect missing taking to compensate accordingly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system monitors and records each dispensing event. When a medication is released from the compartment onto the collection surface, sensors detect this event and record it in the system memory. This feedback loop allows the device to track which doses have been dispensed and can alert the user or caregiver if a dose is missing or not taken, enabling timely compensation without significantly increasing device complexity.
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
The solution facilitates easy and safe dispensing of medications, reducing the risk of loss and improving adherence by simplifying the release and collection process, while also enabling remote monitoring and management of medication schedules.
Implementation Method 1
a rotating wheel compartment system, where doses are released
Implementation Method 2
doses are released onto a concave collecting surface
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A solution is proposed for dispensing substances to be taken by a user. A corresponding dispensing device (100) comprises means (455) for storing an indication of a taking plan of a plurality of doses of one or more substances, the taking plan comprising an indication of a taking time of each dose, a plurality of compartments (210) each one for containing one of the doses, means (135) for providing a taking notice of each dose in response to the corresponding taking time, means (130,235) for releasing the dose corresponding to each taking notice from the corresponding compartment (210) in response to a releasing command; the dispensing device comprises a plate (110) having a collecting surface (125) in a central zone thereof, the compartments (210) being arranged in a peripheral zone of the plate (110) and the means (130,235) for releasing facing towards the central zone of the plate (110) for collecting the doses released thereby onto the collecting surface (125).