Medication Apparatus Sensor Data Recording for Adherence
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current medication managing apparatuses lack the capability to record and detail medication conditions at times other than medication notice times, making it difficult to determine if missed doses, double doses, or changes in patient condition are due to medication adherence or other factors.
Innovation Solution
A medication managing apparatus with a medicine package storage portion, sensors to detect the presence/absence of medicine packages, and processing means to record and output instructions at both medication times and other times, including alerts for excessive or missing doses, and changes in medicine package quantities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If medication data is only stored at medication notice time, then the apparatus structure remains simple, but the completeness of medication condition data is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by storing not only medication notice time data but also medication condition data (such as medicine package presence/absence) in advance at multiple time points. This allows comprehensive medication condition recording without requiring complex real-time monitoring, as the data is captured proactively at relevant moments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary storage mechanism (storage unit) that mediates between the simple notification function and comprehensive data recording. This storage unit acts as a buffer, collecting various medication condition data from different sources and making it available for later analysis without requiring the entire system to be complex.
2Measurement precision
If only medication notice time is recorded, then the recording process is simple, but the ability to determine cause of symptom changes is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where medication condition data (such as whether medicine packages are present or absent) is continuously fed back to the storage unit. This feedback loop enables precise measurement of medication adherence by comparing actual medication conditions against prescribed schedules, allowing doctors to determine causes of symptom changes with higher precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous useful action by recording medication condition data not just at notice times but also at other relevant times (such as when medicine packages are added or removed). This continuous data collection ensures that the system captures all relevant medication adherence information without interruption, enabling comprehensive analysis of medication patterns.
3Reliability
If detailed medication condition recording is implemented, then doctor's ability to determine symptom causes improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential medication condition data elements needed for reliable analysis, such as medicine package presence/absence status and timing information. By taking out only the critical data points rather than attempting to record all possible parameters, the system achieves high data reliability while keeping the recording mechanism relatively simple and manageable.
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
Enables detailed medication management and data collection, allowing for precise determination of adherence issues and patient condition changes, thereby improving medication adherence and patient care.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of light sources and a plurality of light sensors respectively corresponding to the blocks
Data Source
AI summary
When the present time of a clock circuit is a medication time recorded in advance in a SD card, a notice that the medication time has come is given by a voice output portion or the like. Presence/absence of a medicine package in each block of a medicine package case is sensed by a medicine package sensor. The time point and the presence/absence of the medicine package are recorded in the SD card. A notice corresponding to the presence/absence is output. At a time except for the medication time, taking-out of the case, opening/closing of the cover, taking-out and return of the medicine package are recorded in the SD card based on detection signals from the medicine package sensor, medicine package case sensor, and case cover opening/closing sensor. A notice corresponding to the sensed situation is output.