Automatic Home Medication Dispenser Project # P07009 Team Guide - Dr. Daniel Phillips Project Sponsor - Dr. Michel Berg Team Members Alan StrandburgChris AbramoNtongho Amin Gordon Yeung Nick ColumbareAlbert Lam

Project Background Warfarin is an anticoagulant used for blood clotting medical conditions. Dosages of warfarin need to be frequently adjusted to maintain effectiveness. For the first few months of the regimen, adjustments are made based on weekly or bi- weekly blood test results. This requires frequent coordination with the physician, patient and pharmacist.

Problem Statement Frequent coordination between the physician, patient, and pharmacist is time consuming, inconvenient, and poses a risk to the patient’s health by increasing the chances of error or a missed dose. A real-time adaptive system needs to be developed.

Objective / Scope To create a prototype home medication dispensing device that will administer a one month course of warfarin. The device must reliably dispense the medication in correct dosages with a success rate as close as possible to 100%. Device must be able to communicate with the physician via a computer interface and relay patient’s usage information. Device must be equipped with operating checks and alerts. Device must be easily refilled by the pharmacist and tamper evident. Easy to use and simple user interface. It was decided that tubes/trays with consistent pill orientation would be used to increase dispensing accuracy. A 6 stack design would be used to minimize size and accommodate varying dosages. A modular design will minimize manufacturing cost.

Primary Subsystem Focus Dispensing Mechanism –Reliable Must be jam-proof and not cause damage to pills. –Robust Must be able to tolerate driving vibrations and be able to operate after being inverted. Minimal use of sensitive parts that require frequent calibration. –Accurate Must accurately dispense the medication in correct dosages with a success rate as close as possible to 100%. –Efficient Minimal use of moving parts. Ideally, have the most direct path to solving the problem. –Cost effective Uses the least number of motors. Minimize the misallocation of expensive components to perform minor tasks.

QFD

Existing Technologies / Research –Gumball machine –Vending machine –Coin sorter –Paintball gun hopper –Production bulk bin sorter –Vacuum –Cement truck –Pez dispenser

Existing Pill Dispensers / Benchmarks

Concept Selection Process Each team member developed concepts individually to meet dispensing design requirements. Concepts were shared; team members gave feedback and were evaluated in a screening matrix. The selection criteria were based off of QFD analysis. Concepts were refined and optimized to produce a few hybrid designs. These designs were evaluated in the Pugh matrix for our concept selection process. Our final two designs are pending further refinement and component selection.

Round 1

Concept A - Pusher

Concept B –Tray Feed

Concept C – Rotating Slotted Disc

Concept D – Actuating Arm

Concept E – Spring Actuated Sliding Plate Pusher

Concept F – Cam Actuated Sliding Plate Pusher

Concept G – Compartmented Ring

Concept H – Helical Dispenser

Concept Screening Matrix

Round 2

Concept A1.0 – Pusher

Concept A1.1 – Puller

Concept B – Tray Feed

Concept CD – Rotary Design

Concept AD – Six Pack

Pugh Matrix

Final Two Ranked # 1Ranked # 2

Puller Concerns Violent solenoid actuation may cause shearing of pills Additional time and cost to design custom solenoid Additional cost of Soft Shift ® solenoids over conventional solenoids and servo-motors.

Six Pack Design Justification Smoother pill dispensing Accurate Cost effective Simplified balance of design Minimal force requirement and in a single plane

Alternate Driving Option

Additional Design Consideration

Pill Follower Helps to maintain pill orientation within tube Spring Ratcheting mechanism Weighted follower

Alternatives to a Color Screen LCD with electro-luminescence backlight LED indicators Vacuum fluorescent display

Pill Detection Systems Infrared Optical Detection Gravimetric Sensor Mechanical Switch Laser

Questions ? Suggestions?