Medication Container with Integrated Processor and Sensor
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients often struggle to remember to take their medication as prescribed, especially when it requires refrigerated storage, leading to potential adverse consequences, particularly in treatment regimens involving multiple drugs.
Innovation Solution
A medication reminder system integrated into the medication container, which uses a processor to generate alerts via visual, auditory, or vibratory signals based on pre-programmed time intervals, and can be activated by healthcare professionals, including sensors to detect environmental conditions like light or movement, ensuring timely medication administration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If medication is stored in refrigerated containers, then medication stability is improved, but patient visibility and accessibility of the medication deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary alert system (visual, auditory, or vibratory reminders) that mediates between the refrigerated storage condition and patient accessibility. The processor monitors time intervals and triggers alerts to notify patients when to retrieve and take medication, bridging the gap between stable storage and timely administration without requiring patients to constantly check the refrigerator.
2Device complexity
If patients rely on memory to take medication, then device complexity is minimized, but treatment reliability deteriorates due to missed doses
Solution Approach 1:
The medication container system performs self-service by automatically tracking time intervals and generating alerts without requiring patient intervention or complex external devices. The processor internally manages the reminder function, and the container itself serves as both storage and notification device, keeping the system simple while ensuring reliable medication timing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple medication containers are used for different drugs, then treatment versatility is improved, but patient compliance monitoring becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing a standardized medication container system with integrated processors that can be used for any medication type or regimen. Each container independently tracks its own time intervals and generates alerts, providing a universal solution that handles multiple drugs without requiring complex centralized monitoring systems. The alert mechanism and time-tracking functionality remain consistent across different medication containers.
Data Source
AI summary
A device comprising a substrate including a processor, and the substrate is configured to couple to a container. A sensor is coupled to the processor and configured detect a change in a parameter of an environment including the container, and to generate a sensor signal in response to the detected change. An application running on the processor is configured to receive an input comprising a time interval corresponding to content of the container, track elapsed time of the time interval, and generate an alert signal upon detecting expiration of the time interval and the sensor signal. An indicator is coupled to the processor and configured to activate in response to receiving the alert signal. The activated indicator is configured as an alert to administer at least a portion of the content.