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Medication adherence is a very important concern to the medical community. Currently, 237 billion dollars are projected to be spent on prescription drugs in the US this year alone. An important consideration clinicians face is if the patient is taking medications correctly. Often patients are prescribed more than one medication (average at the VA is about 7 medications), leading to a more complicated drug regimen. Currently there is a device which can monitor what date/time an individual medication pill bottle is opened (MEMS). However, no device has been developed to monitor adherence in complicated drug regimens. As medication regimens become more complex, an assistant device known as a "medication box" is often used. The theory behind the use is that the patient fills up a weeks worth of medications at a time, instead of opening each individual bottle once, twice or three times per day, leading to easier use. Medication boxes have four slots representing morning, noon, evening and bedtime for each day of the week. The whole medication box consists of 28 smaller lids to pop open on the top of the box which measures 9"x11"x1".
Our team will focus on designing a prototype that allows for the recording of the time/date of each slot opening.
This would provide valuable information to clinicians in deciding if additional medication is to be used, or education or some other approach to the patient regarding better adherence.
In addition, we would be interested in developing a type of programmed cue (lights/sounds/vibration) which would indicate a time to take medication. This could either be located either on the medication box, or a small wristwatch that the patient would wear.
Our team:
Sujan & Nipun & Farshad & Cara
Currently, we are looking for a way to embed the switches into each compartment hoping that the door closing on the lever will activate the switch and report to the micro.
We are now finalizing the circuit, shown below and getting ready for goals for next semester, including an alarm and a sleeping function to the C code.
Current difficulties include proper positioning of the switches in order to ensure a ’recognize’ by the micro everytime.
Final Layout using our 7x4 box:
| Week | Reporting Period Beginning | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | Introductions, team roles, contacted client |
| 2 | September 15 | Client Meeting, recieved many resources about current alternatives |
| 3 | September 22 | Talked with previous teams that had a similar project, seems as though a microprocessor would be ideal. |
| 4 | September 29 | Microprocessor resources and circuitry information are key ideas we are investigating. |
| 5 | October 6 | Discuss possible innovations to current solutions |
| 6 | October 13 | Ordering Materials |
| 7 | October 20 | Materials Research |
| 8 | October 27 | Mid-Semester Presentation |
| 9 | November 3 | Prototype Construction |
| 10 | November 10 | Prototype Construction |
| 11 | November 17 | Prototype Construction |
| 12 | December 1 | Prototype Construction |
| 13 | December 8 | Prototype Construction |
| 14 | December 15 | Meet with Professor Murphy to discuss future plans. |
| 15 | December 22 |
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Mid-Semester Presentation (Oct 27 2006, 2796 kb) |
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Final Poster (Dec 11 2006, 213 kb) |
|
Product Design Specifications (Dec 13 2006, 21 kb) |
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Final Report (Dec 13 2006, 253 kb) |
