Medication Support Apparatus with Partitioned Distribution Tray
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Solution Overview
Problem
In care facilities with multiple medicine recipients, existing medication support apparatuses require multiple units to manage and distribute medications efficiently, leading to increased complexity and potential errors in medication delivery.
Innovation Solution
A medication support apparatus featuring a container for storing one-dose packages, a medicine distribution tray with partitions for separate allocation, a take-out device for retrieving specific packs, and a transfer device to accurately position packs within the tray, ensuring each recipient receives the correct medication at the right time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple medication support apparatuses are prepared for multiple medicine recipients, then each recipient can receive regular medicine delivery, but the device complexity and operational burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The medicine distribution tray is divided into multiple partitions, with each partition designated for a specific medicine recipient. The take-out device is equipped with a selection mechanism that can identify and retrieve packs from specific partitions based on recipient identification, enabling a single apparatus to handle multiple recipients independently
Solution Approach 2:
A single medication support apparatus is designed to perform multiple functions by serving multiple medicine recipients through the partitioned tray system. The apparatus can selectively deliver medicines to different recipients by identifying the target recipient and retrieving packs from the corresponding partition, eliminating the need for multiple separate apparatuses
2Reliability
If multiple medication support apparatuses are used for multiple recipients, then each recipient receives dedicated medicine delivery, but the operational workload for caregivers increases
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus automatically identifies the target recipient through input devices (barcode scanners, RFID readers, or manual input) and autonomously retrieves the correct medicine packs from the appropriate partitions using the take-out device, eliminating the need for caregivers to manually select and retrieve medicines for each recipient
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates input devices that provide feedback about the target recipient's identity and medicine requirements, allowing the control mechanism to adjust the take-out device's actions accordingly. This feedback loop ensures accurate medicine retrieval while reducing caregiver intervention
3Device complexity
If a single apparatus serves multiple recipients through partitioned trays, then device complexity is reduced, but the precision of medicine allocation to specific recipients must be maintained
Solution Approach 1:
The medicine distribution tray is divided into multiple partitions, with each partition designated for a specific medicine recipient. This physical segmentation ensures that medicines for different recipients are spatially separated and cannot be confused, maintaining allocation accuracy while using a single apparatus
Solution Approach 2:
Medicine packs are pre-arranged in specific partitions before distribution, with each partition clearly associated with a particular recipient. This preliminary organization of medicines by recipient eliminates the need for complex real-time sorting operations, maintaining precision while simplifying the distribution process
Data Source
AI summary
A medication support apparatus includes a container, a medicine distribution member, a port, a take-out device, and a transfer device. The container is configured to store one-dose packages of medicines. The medicine distribution member includes a plurality of partitions configured to separately include the one-dose packages of medicines. The medicine distribution member is configured to enter and exit the medication support apparatus through the port. The take-out device is configured to take out a specific one of the one-dose packages of medicines from the container. The transfer device is configured to transfer the specific one of the one-dose packages of medicines taken out from the container. The one-dose packages of medicines are configured to be placed at predetermined positions partitioned by the plurality of partitions in the medicine distribution member.