Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Modular and Portable Pill Box |
Justin Couvignou Phillip Zhou Sayan Sur |
Kristina Miller | design_document3.pdf final_paper1.pdf presentation1.pptx proposal1.docx |
|
| #Problem Currently, pill and medication management may be difficult for the elderly and/or those with physical disabilities to manage. Many contemporary solutions address this issue for at home use, however these systems fail at allowing patients to be flexible with their dosages as they are typically bulky systems which remain in the home. Our system is a portable and modular automatic pill dispensing system to enable patients to travel for hours or days out side of the house without missing their medications. #Solution overview One key issue is the inability for contemporary systems to be expandable or flexible to a patient’s changing prescription. Additionally, these systems are typically bulky and expensive systems used for home dispensing of medication and do not address portability. Our design aims to save the patient money while offering the full functionality and ease of use that more expensive medication dispensers offer. Currently, the existing solutions cost hundreds of dollars or require a monthly subscription fee (e.g., Phillips Lifeline Medication Dispenser, $59.95 per month). In addition to dispensing functionality, our pillbox will have date/timing functionality for dispensing the proper medication at the proper time, without the need for a phone line, as other proprietary solutions offer. #Solution Components The system comprises of a portable pill box base and a base station configured to dispense pills into the portable pill box. The pill box base may be coupled to one or more modules, each module may house one or more pills therein. ##Actuator Subsystem A single motor housed in the pill box base configured to provide actuation means to rotate or move pills through each module to be dispensed in FIFO order. ##Sensor Subsystem A photoreciptive sensor of the base station configured to detect when a pill is dispensed into the pillbox. A button of the pill box base receive user input to dispense a pill. ##Processing Subsystem A processor and memory of the base station which receives dosage information, order in which pills should be dispensed, medication rules (e.g., take with food), and the like. A processor of the pill box base which communicates with the base station to receive dosage information of pills being loaded into modules. ##Power Subsystem Pillbox base will be powered using AA or AAA Battery for portability. Modules will be passive devices to save cost to users. Base station may use battery or wall plug power. ##Communications Subsystem Passive NF-RFID tags of pill box base communicate to the base station that pills are ready to be received. Base station may communicate to pill box base medication information (e.g., dosages, times, etc.). Bluetooth-LE or wireless communication (e.g., Civilian band) between pill box and a small vibration motor which may be embodied within an armband to alert the patient when medication is to be taken. ##User Interface LCD display of pill box base to communicate to patient medication information. #Criterion for Success A machine that dispenses the right amount of the right pill at the right time. In order for this to work, the following criterion must be met: Pillbox must not jam when loaded, and in all instances, all pills loaded into the machine must be dispensed from the machine during the course of a normal day. Pillbox must notify the user when their medication must be taken in some way, whether it be a simple vibration message or a phone-delivered message. The proper pills must be dispensed at the proper time and in response to user input-- there is no room for error when it comes to people’s medications. The user should gain value from using the machine; it should make their lives simpler. They should enjoy using the machine. Modularity: depending on the number of medications taken, pill carriages can be stacked atop each other, and continue running normally. A dynamic amplifier will be used to adjust power to an actuator configured to move pills within the system based on a number of attached modules. If a dosage is missed, the patient should be notified. The medication can be taken on their own recognizance later, if programmed to. #Teammates Justin Couvignou couvign2 Phillip Zhou pz3 Sayan Sur spsur2 |
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