Removable Partition Pill Dispenser for Patient Compliance
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pill dispensers allow patients to select and reject medications, leading to non-adherence and potential harmful consequences, and do not facilitate mixing medications with food for easier ingestion, especially for patients with neurodegenerative pathologies.
Innovation Solution
A device with removable, bottomless partitions in each storage cell that separates medications within a cuvette, allowing secure storage and distribution without requiring transfer to an external container, and enabling mixing with food for easier consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If medications are stored in separate compartments within a pill dispenser, then drug interactions are prevented during storage, but patients can select and reject medications leading to non-adherence
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the medication storage into multiple compartments within a single capsule, allowing different medications to be physically separated yet contained together. This segmentation prevents drug interactions while maintaining the integrity of the prescribed regimen, as patients must take all medications in the capsule rather than selecting individually.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a nested structure where multiple smaller compartments are contained within a single outer capsule. Each compartment holds a different medication, and the entire assembly is taken together as one unit. This nested design prevents medication selection/rejection while avoiding the need for separate storage containers.
2Reliability
If medications are stored in a pill dispenser with walls separating compartments, then drugs are kept separated, but transferring drugs to an external container is required for ingestion
Solution Approach 1:
The invention nests multiple medication compartments within a single ingestible capsule, eliminating the need for external transfer containers. The nested structure allows drugs to remain separated during storage while being contained within a single unit that can be directly ingested or mixed with food.
Solution Approach 2:
The capsule shell acts as an intermediary container that holds multiple separated compartments. This intermediary structure provides the necessary separation during storage while allowing the entire assembly to be treated as a single unit for dispensing and ingestion, eliminating the need for additional transfer steps.
3Reliability
If medications are stored in a pill dispenser, then secure storage is achieved, but mixing with food for easier ingestion is not facilitated
Solution Approach 1:
The nested compartment structure within the capsule allows medications to be securely stored in separate sections while the entire capsule can be opened and its contents mixed with food. This design provides both secure storage during transport and flexibility for alternative ingestion methods when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a static sealed capsule to a dynamic state where the capsule can be opened and medications released for mixing with food. This dynamic capability allows the same structure to provide secure storage during transport while enabling flexible ingestion options when required by patient needs.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a device (1) for packaging at least one unit dose of medicaments in a divided solid pharmaceutical form forming at least one cell for storing and dispensing such a unit dose, each cell comprising: - a dish (11) delimiting a storage volume (15) for such a unit dose; - a cover (12) designed to close the storage volume; - partitioning (13) designed to be able to extend through the storage volume of the dish and delimit a plurality of compartments (20) therein for keeping the medicaments of the unit dose separate from one another; characterized in that the partitioning (13) extending through the dish (11) is removable from the dish (11). The invention also relates to a packaging method, a device for storing and dispensing such medicaments, and a method for dispensing such medicaments to a patient.