Smart modular dispenser for medication administration

• Autor(a) principal: Sousa, Ana Rita
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Gaspar, Pedro Dinis
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/7517
• topic: Pill dispenser; Modular; Smart; Medication; Alarm; Pharmacological Plan

Over the years, average life expectancy tends to increase, which directly translates into an increase of the aging population. Consequences of this process are the decline or loss of cognitive and motor capacities, reflecting directly on the quality of life and the autonomy of the people, compromising the fulfillment of a pharmacological plan. It is known that, inevitably, medicines are increasingly introduced as part of human life in order to improve the quality of life. However, especially in the elderly and people with dementia, the difficulties in strictly complying with their medicine intake are increasingly evident. In order to counteract this situation, this article presents a device that assists them in this challenge, overcoming situations of overdose, drug interactions and even forgetfulness, due to the lack of recall of instructions, doses and schedules. Although there are different types of pills dispensers on the market, the disclosure herein includes a number of novel features. It is a small and portable pill dispenser so that it is easy to carry. It is able to adapt to the pharmacological needs of the individual since it is modular. It presents audible and luminous alerts in order to facilitate their use and interpretation. This device is mostly used for pills of various shapes and sizes, but is also intended to be capable of holding drops or powdered medication.