Mobile Device Medicament Dispensing Training System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Patients often fail to adhere to proper medicament usage due to lack of feedback and immediate indication of correct or incorrect dispensing techniques, leading to ineffective medication delivery, especially in chronic conditions and slow-acting treatments.

Innovation Solution

A system and method utilizing a mobile device with sensors and connectivity to simulate and monitor medicament dispensers, providing feedback and training through a user interface, allowing users to practice correct techniques with instant rewards and scoring, and connecting data for improved adherence and health outcomes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If patients use medicament dispensers without feedback mechanisms, then the device complexity is reduced, but patient adherence to proper usage decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient adherenceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies feedback by providing immediate visual, auditory, or haptic signals to patients when they perform correct or incorrect dispensing actions. The system monitors user interactions with the medicament dispenser and delivers real-time feedback through a user interface, enabling patients to learn and correct their techniques while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by allowing patients to independently practice and master proper dispensing techniques through repeated attempts with immediate feedback. The training mode empowers users to self-correct without requiring constant professional intervention, improving adherence while keeping the system simple.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If a medicament dispenser provides immediate feedback on dispensing technique, then patient adherence improves, but the ease of operation decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient adherenceVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms that provide real-time guidance to patients on proper dispensing technique. The system monitors actions such as inhalation timing, device positioning, and actuation sequence, then delivers corrective feedback through the user interface, improving adherence while maintaining operational simplicity through automated monitoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies preliminary action by providing instructional content and guidance before the patient attempts dispensing. The training mode prepares users with proper technique information in advance, making the actual dispensing operation easier while still providing feedback for continuous improvement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If a simulated medicament dispenser is used for training, then patient adherence improves, but the loss of time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepatient adherenceVSAvoidtraining time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The simulated dispenser applies preliminary action by allowing patients to practice and master correct dispensing techniques in a risk-free training environment before using the actual medicament dispenser. This pre-training reduces mistakes and improves adherence, making the overall treatment process more efficient despite the initial time investment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The training system enables self-service by allowing patients to independently practice and learn proper techniques at their own pace. The automated feedback mechanism eliminates the need for repeated professional demonstrations, reducing the total time required for effective training while improving adherence.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP3487158B1Training in dispensing a medicament
Publication Date: 2021.04.14 TEVA UK
  • EP3487158B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3487158B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP3487158B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

A medicament-free device (e.g., a smartphone device) for simulating a medicament dispenser may include a sensing device and a processor. The sensing device may sense a user action performed upon the medicament-free device and may output sense data. The processor may receive the sense data, compare the sense data with predefined data, and provide feedback based on how the sense data compares to the predefined data. The predefined data may be indicative of a model user action associated with the medicament dispenser.