Medication Notification System
idbruce
Posts: 6,197
Hello Everyone
Many years ago, while my grandmother was still alive and in her upper seventies, she failed to properly medicate herself, and this lead to some serious health problems. My mother is now currently in her eighties, and I don't want to see the same thing happen to her, because she fails to properly track her medications.
The weekly pill container system is just not cutting the mustard. I don't know what is available on the market, but I believe a much better system can be designed with the Propeller chip as the base and I believe many forum users could also benefit from a new system, so I am starting an "open" design for discussion.
Instead of a dispenser based on daily medication routines, with pills seperated by the weekdays, I believe it should be a regiment as intended, with the prescriptions seperate, to be taken at a designated time. For the sake of discussion and simplicity, let's assume that the pill dispensers are the actual medication containers. I think a proper notification system would only require the following:
Bruce
Many years ago, while my grandmother was still alive and in her upper seventies, she failed to properly medicate herself, and this lead to some serious health problems. My mother is now currently in her eighties, and I don't want to see the same thing happen to her, because she fails to properly track her medications.
The weekly pill container system is just not cutting the mustard. I don't know what is available on the market, but I believe a much better system can be designed with the Propeller chip as the base and I believe many forum users could also benefit from a new system, so I am starting an "open" design for discussion.
Instead of a dispenser based on daily medication routines, with pills seperated by the weekdays, I believe it should be a regiment as intended, with the prescriptions seperate, to be taken at a designated time. For the sake of discussion and simplicity, let's assume that the pill dispensers are the actual medication containers. I think a proper notification system would only require the following:
- Real Time Clock - To track time
- SD Card File System - To allow changes in the medication schedule
- LCD Display - To display current medication name
- LED Light - Provides a visual indication that a prescription must be taken
- Piezo Siren - Provides an audible indication that a prescription must be taken
- Power Supply - AC/DC power adapter with battery backup
- Pushbutton - Allows cancellation of the notification (pressed immediately when the medication is swallowed)
- Prescription schedule is stored on an SD card and loaded into the Propeller at run time
- When a medication time occurs, the Propeller displays the medication name on the LCD, flashes the LED, and beeps the siren, until the cancel button is pressed. However, if more medication is to be taken at the same time, pressing the cancel button will only cause a five second delay, until the next medication to be taken is displayed and notification begins, until the last medication is taken.
Bruce
Comments
I think the project has merit. Should it not include an actual dispenser that dispenses the correct dosage before it sounds the alarm. I would also suggest a short delay between visible alarm and audible so you don't scare mom to death. Also include a reorder reminder when nearing that time.
Jim
I was thinking more along the lines of a simple notification system, as compared to a dispensing system. My mom is pretty sharp witted for her age, but sometimes she forgets things, like we all do. Additionally, she is quite capable of dealing with correct dosages. However, the reorder idea is great, because sometimes she forgets to reorder when the prescriptions get low, and then it is always a rush thing for old Brucey boy
Yea, that is also a good idea. I would have to keep the audible indications to a minimum, because we all know how aggravating they can be, especially in the morning.
Thanks again for the response.
Bruce
Bruce
EDIT: Another idea is to just display the date and time when a notification isn't necessary. Perhaps instead of a SD card, make it programmable, and add a keyring, and a bright LED for finding the lockset on entry doors.
www.clevercap.org
@tonyp12 - Pretty cool.
How much real estate is available on your display? I would think is might be nice to have a "time until next dose" would be handy.
If you have enough space, I would want the list of meds, and the time till next and the time since last, when I'm feverish I sometimes can't keep track; but I tend to get carried away. I do remember after surgery when I had several meds with different schedules, I wrote it all out on a sheet, and it got all jumbled after a half a day.
The bit about cell phone might not be a bad idea either. While the prop and the key chain (with LED nite light) is certainly one component, I would think it should be simple enough to have a PC component linked to a calendar app, and automagically send notification to the phone etc. However, I am thinking in terms of propforth and GO-channels, and already have the link between the prop and the PC using the $6.44 bluetooth cable replacement modules. Depending on how the requirements come along these parts might not be too hard further on down the road.
Very useful project.
At this point in time, I am thinking of keeping it as simple as possible. The only reason I was thinking of displaying the time and date regularly, as well as the pushbutton light, is because my mother likes having a keylight and a watch with her when she leaves the house. In addition to medication notification, this project could resolve both of those issues. As for the LCD, I was thinking of just a simple 2 X 16 or 2 X 20.
However, I believe that in addition to medication notications, perhaps other notifications might be a nice feature, such as notifications of appointments, birthdays, etc...
Bruce
Having had a heart transplant 17 years ago, I've taken (and still take) a lot of medications. I can't tell you how many times I've had an alarm go off to remind me to take meds which I promptly turned off and continued on with the task at hand thinking I'd take my meds in a minute; only to find (much later in the day) I hadn't taken them at all.
There also needs to be a way to tell if todays dose has been taken or not. I use those seven compartment dispencers (three big ones) that I fill each week. There have been many times when I don't know if I've taken my meds until I look at todays compartment to see if it's empty or not.
I often have a distinct memory of taking my pills, I'm just not sure if the memory was from today or not.
This would definitely be a device that required discipline. Simply do not push the button until you have taken the medication. As mentioned earlier, the audible alerts could be kept to a minimum to be less intrusive and annoying. If the notifications were not annoying, there would be no need to cancel them.
Bruce
Bruce
I definitely agree that the pills should all remain in the original pill containers, but I was thinking of a little medicine chest.
However, you idea sounds like the least intrusive method, which I am sure would be good enough for many people.
No problem at all.
I can see an advantage to keeping the medicine in the original bottle but in cases where someone takes lots of pills (like me), it's just too time consuming to open each pill bottle needed each time a pill is needed.
I'd suggest (and don't worry about not using any of my suggestions) having two buttons that can be pressed when a reminder goes off. One large button (to be pressed when first hearing the alarm) would silence the alarm (kind of like a "snooze" button) and then a second button for once the med had been taken. This second button would turn off the alert LED. If the second button isn't pressed within a set amount of time, the audio alarm would go off again (preferably with gently increasing volume).
I'm amazed at how good I am at turning off reminders (alarms) without actually performing the task I'm being reminded about.
Perhaps a system where you can simply monitor what goes on would be better.
exactly
Enjoy!
Mike
My mother is 81 and has the early signs of "memory loss". While she uses a computer everyday doing share trading, she has memory lapses and clicks the wrong buttons in windows/program even though nothing has changed in 10 years on the computer.
So, anything computerised is the first things to be forgotten! KISS is very important.
I would think part of the system would need at least 7 leds for the days of the week, which could be on a pcb that the pill box mounts on. (maybe there are pill boxes for morning, noon, and night???). Just thinking that a light on each dispenser location would be good. It has to be simpe for the user.
The car reversing camera displays are cheap and provide TV (composite video) for a screen, but remember, these are likely to become more complex for her as she gets older. (they forget the modern era and that means computers)
You may not need an RTC if you have battery backup for the prop to keep running as the prop can do this.
Kind of a tangent, but: My mom had this but was too afraid to see a doctor. We all thought is was regular "just gittin' old". When she finally went, they gave her a spinal check and it turned out to be called "normal pressure hydrocephalus" a diagnosis which they tell me is relatively new (I never heard of it). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_pressure_hydrocephalus. They put a tube in her skull to drain extra fluid and now she's back to normal. Didn't think it was possible!
Very good points. I might be making one of these.
Just today, my mother had a "Senior Moment", and none of the Saturday meds where taken.
This looks to be a very good project.
I'll help work on it.
Jim
I'm beginning to like the compartments and color coding. I'm also getting into logging to SD, its always nice to have some data to check as to when the meds are taken or not.
If logging is pursued, what the simplest way to generate reports? Granny (or the doctor) is not going to like looking art the raw SD blocks as I would do. Do you guys use text file format, or something like tab delimited and Crystal Reports, etc?
If you thought the patent process was a PITA, just wait until you meet the FDA. Then you get to know a whole 'nuther language with terms and acronyms like adulterated, 510K premarket notification, good manufacturing practices, and lots and lots of testing and scrutiny. As a timer that can be used to remind of meds, cool; my timex, playbook or android phone can do that and not be considered a "medical device", would not count on that being the case if the device actually dispenses medications.
'course if this is just a one-off for mom, disregard all after the first sentence. Then again, many cell service providers and independent companies provide reminder services. I would bet there is one of these that could go as far as to not only remind the person to take a medication, but will also have a process of confirming it was actually done.
FF
This looks to be a long term, evolving project. At some point you may wish to provide an actual dispensing system when visual acuity is lessened or mental facility starts failing, so the system grows as she ages.
I am sure that you will receive lots of additional great input as this project developes.
Jim
Bruce
EDIT: Additionally, I have changed my mind about the previously mentioned AC adapter. Keeping it very simple, an SD card and batteries should be the only requirements.
EDIT: However, I believe a LCD display would eat up batteries very quickly.
This is the FDA realm that folks are warning against, that is having the machine is actually dispensing the meds. This is risky. When something goes wrong, and when it goes wrong it will go VERY wrong, the risk is that the machine will dispense an incorrect dose that is harmful. No dose, overdose, incorrect combination, wrong timing, anything that could be a problem WILL be a problem, at the worst possible time.
The FDA regulations controlling medical devices very detailed and complex, and govern what can and can't be done, and how everything must be tested and documented. A timer and reminder is great, but a "meds dispenser" is getting risky. You could be claim responsibility for something you can't reasonably ensure with the proper degree of safety.
Do what you need to do, but the ultimate risk is an error might kill Gramma. This is the degree of concern you must bear in mind while designing. Don't let your machine take the place of something a human MUST do.
Epaper! Once written, they consume zero power! I just saw programmable price labels for store displays at the sensor expo. Maybe I can find the link....
http://www.pervasivedisplays.com/try-buy/home
http://www.eink.com/display_products_pearl.html
http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/29/lg-flexible-e-paper-display-launch/
http://www.sparkfun.com/products/10150
Bean