Trapezoidal Pill Tray with Transparent Surface for Visual Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated prescription filling systems in pharmacies lead to increased prescription errors, particularly commingling of medications due to structural issues in pill trays that hinder visual verification and allow pills to become lodged or go unnoticed.
Innovation Solution
A pill tray design featuring a trapezoidal structure with a transparent surface and an open-ended spout, made from impact-resistant polymers, which minimizes pill lodging and allows full visual verification of contents, preventing errors during the prescription verification process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated prescription filling systems are implemented, then drug distribution efficiency and inventory control are improved, but prescription filling errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a specialized counting tray as an intermediary device between the automated filling system and final verification. This tray provides a controlled intermediate stage where pills can be visually verified before final dispensing, acting as a mediator that bridges automated efficiency with human verification accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The transparent sidewalls and bottom of the counting tray create a feedback mechanism that allows pharmacists to visually monitor the pill counting and transferring process in real-time. This immediate visual feedback enables early detection of errors such as commingling or incorrect quantities
2Reliability
If Full Visual Verification is performed for all automatically filled prescriptions, then medication errors are reduced, but pharmacist workload and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The tray utilizes curved or rounded bottom surfaces and smooth transitions that allow pills to flow naturally without getting lodged in corners or crevices. This geometric design eliminates blind spots and ensures complete visual verification of all pills in a single continuous view, reducing the time needed for thorough inspection
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional pill tray designs are used, then manufacturing is simple, but pill lodging in crevices occurs and visual verification is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs curved bottom surfaces and rounded corners throughout the tray design, eliminating sharp angles and crevices where pills could become lodged. This continuous curved geometry maintains manufacturing simplicity while ensuring complete pill visibility and preventing lodging issues
Solution Approach 2:
The tray incorporates contrasting color schemes between the tray body and the transparent portions, enhancing the visual contrast between the tray structure and the pills. This color differentiation improves visibility and makes it easier to spot stray or misplaced pills during verification
4Reliability
If transparent surfaces are added to the pill tray, then visual verification is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies transparency selectively to specific portions of the tray (such as sidewalls or bottom sections) rather than the entire structure. This localized application of transparent material provides the necessary visual verification capability while minimizing the overall complexity and cost of manufacturing
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a pill tray that allows a user to efficiently and reliably verify the contents of an automatically filled prescription. Design features that avoid the presence of sharp edges and allow visualization of the entire surface of the pill tray help reduce and/or eliminate the risk of commingling of pills between separate prescriptions.