Wearable HUD Smart Glasses for Sterile Pharmacy Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Pharmacy technicians face inefficiencies and contamination risks due to frequent hand decontamination when interacting with non-sterile touchscreens during medication preparation, leading to potential errors and time wastage.
Innovation Solution
A wearable heads-up display (HUD) system using smart-glasses with integrated cameras, microphones, and displays allows hands-free interaction and communication, enabling voice and gesture-based data entry within the sterile compounding area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If technicians interact with non-sterile touchscreens during medication preparation, then they can access preparation instructions and enter verification data, but they risk contamination and must perform frequent hand decontamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the display and input functions from the non-sterile touchscreen environment and relocates them to the sterile compounding area through wearable smart glasses. The preparation instructions are displayed in the technician's field of view, and voice commands enable data entry without physical contact with non-sterile surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces voice recognition technology as an intermediary between the technician and the preparation system. Instead of directly touching the non-sterile touchscreen, the technician speaks commands that are captured by the microphone and processed to update the preparation record, eliminating the need for hand decontamination.
2Reliability
If technicians frequently decontaminate hands when touching the touchscreen, then contamination risk is reduced, but preparation time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the requirement for physical interaction with the touchscreen from the compounding process. By displaying instructions through smart glasses and accepting voice commands, the system extracts the essential functions from the non-sterile environment, eliminating the need for repeated decontamination steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables continuous work flow by allowing technicians to access preparation instructions and enter verification data without interrupting the compounding process for decontamination. The wearable display and voice recognition system maintain continuous operation within the sterile field.
3Ease of operation
If technicians leave the sterile area to interact with the computer, then they can access the preparation system, but they risk contamination and lose productive time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the interaction interface from an external computer screen in a separate location to a wearable display in the technician's visual field. This dimensional change brings the preparation system into the sterile compounding area, allowing technicians to access instructions and enter data without leaving their workstation.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable system provides self-service capabilities directly at the compounding station. The technician can independently access preparation instructions, scan barcodes, and enter verification data using voice commands without needing to interact with external computers or receive assistance.
4Manufacturing precision
If technicians focus on drug preparation without distractions, then preparation accuracy improves, but they need constant access to instructions and verification steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent delivers preparation instructions locally to the technician's field of view through the smart glasses display. The information is presented in context at the point of need, allowing technicians to reference instructions without breaking concentration or reaching for external materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable system consolidates multiple functions into a single device: displaying preparation instructions, capturing barcode data, recording verification information, and providing step-by-step guidance all occur through the smart glasses interface, reducing the need for multiple separate tools and references.
Data Source
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AI summary
A wearable heads-up display ("HUD") for a pharmacy workflow management system is disclosed herein. An example HUD includes smart-glasses that are communicatively coupled to a client device. The smart-glasses include at least one camera and/or barcode scanner to record information needed for the verification of a medication dose during medication formulation preparation. The smart-glasses include at least one microphone to record voice commands. Further, the smart-glasses include at least one embedded display screen that shows sequential steps of a preparation protocol for guiding a pharmacy technician to prepare a medication dose. An application on the client device and/or the smart-glasses is configured to recognize and use voice commands to provide navigation for the embedded display screen. The voice commands may also be used to provide data entry for medication dose preparation verification. Gestures may be detected by the camera and translated by the application into navigation or data entry commands.