Medication Support Device with Automated Pack Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medication support devices in day-care centers and nursing homes face challenges in efficiently and accurately dispensing medications due to the complexity of managing multiple medicine packs and preventing medication errors, particularly in ensuring the correct medication is dispensed at the right time.
Innovation Solution
A medication support device that includes a container for storing medicine packs, a medicine dispenser, a picking-up conveyor, a pack data reader, and processing circuitry to compare medication-related information, ensuring the correct pack is conveyed to the dispenser based on pre-stored and read data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual medication dispensing is used, then operation simplicity is maintained, but medication error risk increases and dispensing accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-verification by automatically comparing the medication pack information read from the container with the pre-stored correct information in the memory. The conveyor automatically positions and conveys the correct pack without requiring manual verification, enabling the system to serve itself in ensuring dispensing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The pack data reader provides feedback by reading the medication information from the container and comparing it with the stored correct information. This feedback mechanism allows the system to verify whether the correct medication pack has been selected and conveyed, thereby improving reliability through automated verification.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple medicine packs are stored in container, then medication variety is improved, but identification complexity and error risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manual identification and selection process is replaced with an automated optical reading system. The pack data reader uses optical fields to scan and read medication information from the container, eliminating the need for manual inspection and reducing identification complexity while maintaining the ability to handle multiple medication types.
Solution Approach 2:
The pack data reader acts as an intermediary between the container holding multiple medicine packs and the dispensing system. It reads the medication information from the container and provides this information to the processing circuitry, which then compares it with stored correct information to verify the correct pack is being dispensed.
3Productivity
If automated picking-up conveyor is introduced, then dispensing speed is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The picking-up conveyor integrates multiple functions into a single mechanism: it automatically picks up the medication pack from the container, conveys it to the dispensing position, and works coordination with the pack data reader and processing circuitry. This merging of functions improves dispensing speed while the integrated design keeps the added complexity manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
A medication support device including a container to store medicine packs, a medicine dispenser in which a specific one of the medicine packs is disposed to a prescribed position, a picking-up conveyor to pick up the specific one of the medicine packs from the container and convey the specific one of the medicine packs to a prescribed position of the medicine dispenser, a pack data reader attached to the picking-up conveyor and reading first medication-related information added to at least one of the container, the medicine packs, or the medicine dispenser, a pack data memory that stores second medication-related information set in advance to at least one of the container, the medicine packs, or the medicine dispenser, and processing circuitry. In the medication support device, the processing circuitry compares the first medication-related information read by the pack data reader with the second medication-related information stored in the pack data memory.