Medication Cup with Internal Camera for Adherence Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medication adherence monitoring technologies face challenges in accurately tracking medication intake and ensuring security, particularly for expensive or narcotic medications, as they often rely on manual supervision and are prone to non-adherence due to forgetfulness or intentional non-compliance.
Innovation Solution
A medication adherence and security device featuring a medicine dispensing cup with an internal camera and sensor system that captures images of medication consumption, providing real-time adherence data and tamper-evident security features to prevent unauthorized access, allowing for remote monitoring and improved adherence tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual supervision is used to monitor medication intake, then security for expensive or narcotic medications can be maintained, but labor costs increase and continuous monitoring is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-monitoring through automated cameras and sensors that detect medication removal, consumption, and container status without requiring human supervision. The device autonomously tracks adherence and alerts authorities, eliminating the need for continuous manual oversight while maintaining security.
2Loss of information
If covert monitoring is used to track medication adherence, then patient privacy is preserved, but detection accuracy decreases due to potential deception
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potential harm of patient deception into benefit by using overt monitoring that discourages non-compliance. The visible camera and sensor presence act as deterrents, while the system maintains professional data collection standards. This approach leverages the monitoring visibility to promote honest adherence behavior rather than allowing deception to occur.
3Reliability
If continuous supervised monitoring is implemented to ensure medication adherence, then adherence rates improve, but patient autonomy and convenience decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system is segmented into discrete functional components: medication storage container, camera module, sensor array, and communication interface. This segmentation allows the system to provide automated monitoring without requiring continuous human presence, thereby maintaining patient autonomy while ensuring adherence through distributed intelligent monitoring capabilities.
4Measurement precision
If automated monitoring systems with cameras are deployed, then adherence tracking accuracy improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple functions into a single integrated device: the medication container, camera, sensors, processing unit, and communication module are combined into one unified system. This consolidation reduces overall system complexity compared to using separate monitoring devices, while maintaining high measurement precision through coordinated multi-sensor detection of medication adherence events.
Data Source
AI summary
A medication adherence system and device are disclosed including a medicine dispensing cup with a cover, and having a sensor portion including a processor, memory, power supply, network adaptor therein, and a camera, secured to the bottom of the medicine dispensing cup. The camera directed upwardly for viewing and/or capturing video or images of medicine in the cup and environment beyond the cup. The cover may be tamper evident and sealed to the cup. The cover may have means associated with it to activate the sensor portion, including the camera, when the cover is tampered with or removed, and when the medicine therein is consumed, as it is consumed. Data received from or derived from the sensor portion, including the camera, may be provided to EMR systems.