What it does
The MediMate Pill Dispenser is designed to solve challenges faced with traditional high tech pill dispensers in price, useability, and reliability. It is an assistive technology that helps people live independently, and can be loaded by a caretaker if needed.
Your inspiration
The inspiration for the MediMate Dispenser came primarily from taking care of my grandmother, who couldn't afford the standard of care from a living facility, and relied on existing medicine dispensers to remain living independently, but struggled with their unreliability. I knew that my family wasn’t alone with this issue and sought out the reasons that existing solutions offered lackluster performance for their obtuse price point. After additional research, I discovered that the prevalent problems weren’t overly difficult to solve, and the design could be produced fairly cheaply. Thus, the MediMate Dispenser was born.
How it works
The MediMate Dispenser contains a circular drum, designed to contain all of a user's pills. Based on a timer system, an alert will sound and the drum will increment to the next container, causing a magnet to pull down a latch and releasing the pills into a containment area that’s easy to interact with. The timer is programmable either by a caregiver or the user themselves, although the target audience is users that struggle to load and administer their medications themselves. The pill containers can fit up to nine standardized pills, measuring seven by seven by seventeen millimeters. Featured in the drum are eighteen container units, and more drums can be loaded according to the preference and the needs of the user.
Design process
The design of the MediMate is based primarily off of successful iterations of automatic pill dispensers that have a lot of room to grow in order to provide an optimal user experience. We designed with improvement in mind, intentionally satisfying the prevalent issues in each of the current models we researched. We added expandable storage, passive pill retrieval actuation, a removable cup, and improved container design, handles for easier removal of the acrylic and a better outer shell. With a functioning prototype, we performed testing at a senior living facility and further refined our design based on the input and reflections of the residents living there. After this prototype was tested, we used our user feedback to redesign the aesthetics of the prototype and further hone the functionality of our device, creating a second prototype designed to match a home or kitchen countertop appliance. This prototype incorporated Bluetooth compatibility to allow users (caretakers and patients) to set alarms remotely. Additional testing received positive user feedback, and the validation necessary to launch our open-source platform. That is the current stage this project is in, as we are making our final refinements before our third prototype, and our first public versions are released.
How it is different
One of our first tasks in the project was to analyze current products attempting to fill this niche, and evaluate them in regards to both customer requirements and functional requirements. When we did this, we were surprised at the numerous downsides many current products have, including very excessive costs, sometimes limited capacity, sometimes lacking reliability, and lacking alert systems/configurability. With the MediMate Dispenser, we have aimed to surpass several of these benchmarks for dispensers, while ensuring we meet the others. For example, the stackable design of the dispenser allows a much greater capacity for containers, meaning (users or caregivers) do not have to refill the unit as often. Furthermore, the programmability of the systems removes the need for hard presets on the time of day each container can be dispensed at.
Future plans
The future holds a comprehensive re-engineered design, with better materials, tighter tolerances, a wall power-cord and backup power supply, and a redesigned interface. The open-source release of this design is pending changes that are coming in our next prototype, but will feature completely free 3D files that people can print themselves, and kits with pre-soldered electronics and 3D printed components sold at cost. When possible, we also hope to provide free shipping, paid for with donations or from my own pocket. The accessibility of this device is a priority for myself, and the small team that I have gathered to help in the future.
Awards
Finalist - Kline Innovation Award - Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
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