Taper Wheel Device for Post-Operative Medication Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing post-operative pain in children are suboptimal due to biases, difficulty in pain assessment, and lack of effective education for caregivers, leading to undertreatment and increased risk of complications, especially when patients are transitioned from hospital to home care.
Innovation Solution
A taper wheel device with concentrically placed wheels and a writeable base is used to assist in timing and dosing of pain medications, allowing for gradual tapering and reduction of medication usage, addressing the need for a simple tool to manage pain effectively and safely at home.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If parents manage pain medications at home after discharge, then hospital stays are reduced and patient autonomy is improved, but medication management safety and effectiveness deteriorate due to lack of professional training
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a medication management system comprising a medication container with integrated dosing mechanism and instruction interface that acts as an intermediary between the medication and the patient. This system provides professional-grade medication control and education at home, bridging the gap between hospital-based professional care and home-based patient autonomy.
2Reliability
If complex multimodal pain management techniques are used in hospital, then pain control effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen when transferred to home care
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the complex medication management process into discrete, manageable components: a medication container for storage, a dosing mechanism for precise administration, and an instruction interface for education. This segmentation simplifies the overall system while maintaining effectiveness, allowing parents to manage medications at home without being overwhelmed by complexity.
3Reliability
If pain medications are administered frequently to ensure adequate pain management, then pain relief is improved, but risk of side effects and withdrawal symptoms worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates a feedback mechanism where the medication management system tracks administration timing and provides instructions based on elapsed time since previous doses. This ensures medications are given at appropriate intervals - frequent enough to maintain pain relief but spaced sufficiently to minimize side effects and withdrawal symptoms, creating a self-regulating dosing system.
Data Source
AI summary
A device and method of tapering medication in a post-operative patient is provided. The system includes a stationary base having indicia thereon representative of a defined period of time; a first circular wheel concentrically positioned on the stationary base, the first circular wheel representative of a first medication being taken by a patient; and a pin coupling the substantially circular wheel to said stationary base to permit the wheel to rotate 360 degrees about said base. The method of tapering medication includes gradually increasing the time intervals that medication is administered to a post-operative patient.