Medication Dispenser with OCR Data Import

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Solution Overview

Problem

The rise in chronic disease among adults leads to complex medication management challenges, including adverse drug reactions due to improper use, confusion between similar medications, and inefficient manual data entry for prescription medication, as well as reliance on unreliable patient reports during medication reconciliation.

Innovation Solution

A medication management system utilizing a mobile device application and compact medication dispenser that tracks and records medication usage, employs OCR technology for automatic data import, provides alerts and warnings, and allows for remote assistance, enabling safer and more efficient medication regimens with reduced risk of missed doses and simplified prescription management.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If manual entry of medication information is used, then data accuracy can be verified, but the process is time-consuming and inefficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprescription processing efficiencyVSAvoidtime for data entry

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical data entry with optical character recognition (OCR) technology that automatically captures and imports medication, provider, patient, and pharmacy information from images of prescriptions and medication bottles, dramatically improving processing efficiency while reducing time consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates digital copies of prescription and medication information by scanning and importing data from physical documents and labels, eliminating the need for manual transcription while preserving data accuracy through automated recognition

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If doctors rely on patient reports for medication reconciliation, then the process is simple, but the information may be unreliable or inaccurate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication information accuracyVSAvoidinformation verification system

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements automated feedback loops where medication information is continuously captured from multiple sources (prescriptions, bottles, dispensing records), verified against each other, and updated in real-time, ensuring high reliability without requiring complex manual verification procedures

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-verification of medication information by automatically cross-checking data from prescriptions, medication bottles, and dispensing records, eliminating the need for doctors to manually verify patient reports while maintaining simple operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If multiple medications are taken daily, then comprehensive treatment is achieved, but the risk of adverse drug reactions increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedication safetyVSAvoidadverse drug reactions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously monitors medication usage and provides real-time feedback on potential adverse reactions, drug interactions, and dosage issues, allowing for immediate correction of unsafe medication practices while enabling comprehensive multi-medication treatment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

4Weight of moving object

If a compact medication dispenser is used, then portability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedispenser portabilityVSAvoiddispensing mechanism

Core Design Contradiction:

Weight of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The compact dispenser employs a nested design where multiple medication compartments and dispensing mechanisms are integrated within a small portable housing, allowing complex functionality to be contained in a lightweight, transportable device that users can carry anywhere

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentUS10896750B2Systems and methods for medication management

Publication Date: 2021.01.19 ARRIX INC

AI summary

A medication management system, having a pill dispensing system having: a funnel having an open bottom end; a tube holder; a tube having: a hollow interior; means for securing the tube to the tube holder, such that a rotational movement of the tube holder causes a same rotational movement of the tube; a pill receiving hole facing upwards when the pill dispensing system is not actuated, and providing access to the hollow interior; wherein the open bottom end is aligned with the pill receiving hole when the pill dispensing system is not actuated, such that the pill receiving hole is configured to receive a pill, the pill dropping from the funnel into and housed within the hollow interior; and means for causing the rotational movement, such that the pill receiving hole faces downwards and thus dispenses the pill housed within the hollow interior out of the pill dispensing system.