Team Guide - Dr. Daniel Phillips

Project Sponsor - Dr. Michel Berg

Team MembersAlan Strandburg Chris AbramoNtongho Amin Gordon Yeung Nick Columbare Albert Lam

Automatic Home Medication Dispenser

Project # P07009

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– Increases chance of dosage error

Solution: A real-time adaptive system needs to

be developed.

Fundamental Concept

• Using a computer, the doctor programs the daily dosages for the patient.

• This schedule is sent through the internet and connects to the automatic pill dispenser.

• At a designated time, the unit will sound an alarm, reminding the patient to take his/her medication.

• User pushes a button and the correct combination of pills are dispensed.

• Patient brings device to the pharmacist to be refilled.

Objective/Scope

• Create a prototype Warfarin dispensing device

• Unit used for demonstration of concept

• Must reliably dispense medication in accurate doses

• Communicates with physician via a computer interface

• Equipped with operating checks and alerts

• Easily refillable by the pharmacist

• Easy to use and simple user interface

• Spill-proof design

• Minimize future manufacturing cost

Final Pill Dispenser Design

Working Demo

Display Demo

Innovative Components

Friction Hinges / Vented Assembly

• Friction hinges– Supports weight of lid– Cover can be rotated and

held open at various positions

– Prevents the lid from violently dropping closed

• Outer housing – Easily removed for

maintenance and cleaning– Four screws fasten the

outer housing to the unit– The case mounted

electronics are harnessed to facilitate removal

– Venting the housing offers ample convective cooling for the electronics.

Slotted Tubes• Tube Configuration

– Consistent orientation – Minimized jamming / damage

to the pills• Slotted feature

– Directs pill following mechanism

• Material requirements – Rigid– Corrosion resistant– Machinable – Manufactured in seamless

tubing – 9mm inner diameter

• Stainless steel tubes were determined to satisfy these requirements.– Original material – polycarbonate

Stainless Steel Plates

• Machined from stainless steel• Material selection

– Durability – Reduction of sliding friction

Micro-Servos• Original design used larger

servo-motors – Design deficiencies

• Separate mounting platform

• Clearance and alignment liabilities

• Required more operating space

• Final Design used micro servo-motors– More compact and efficient– Pushing motion – Eliminated the need for a

separate mounting platform

– Reduced the size, complexity, machining time, and cost of the unit

Power- Battery powered by 7.2V Lithium Ion.

- Also accepts wall power.

- Voltage is regulated to 5Vdc.

- Battery recharged using a MAX745 smart Lithium Ion recharging chip.

- The chip supplies a regulated charging current of 4A to the battery.

Speaker Amplifier

R410

0

R510k

Speaker8

C10242ufC11

.05uf

3

25

6

14 87

+

-

U1

LM386

C12

4.7uf

R610

VCC

GPIO Pin 29

Headphone Jack

GPIO pin 35

Functional Block Diagram

WallPower

LCD Screen

CONNECTOR GPIO

A B

Thermistor

C

I

G

D

Flat Ribbon Cable

EF

Amplifier

HMessage Button

Dispense Button

J

J

L

L

Battery

CupDetectSwitch

Audio Outlet

Power Jack

50 pins LCD interface

CONNECTOR A CONNECTOR B

K

M

Serial Port

N

Motor 1 Motor 2 Motor 3

Message LED

Motor 4

Dispense LED

Motor 5 Motor 6

Speaker

SV203Controllerboard

O

P

Motor Control

U 9 A

7 4 L S 0 4

12

Motor 1 Motor 2 Motor 4Motor 3 Motor 5 Motor 6

C O N S 2 P in 1C O N S 1 P in 1 C O N S 4 P in 4C O N S 3 P in 3 C O N S 6 P in 6C O N S 5 P in 5

C O N B 2 P in 1 2C O N B 2 P in 1 1 C O N B 2 P in 1 0C O N B 2 P in 9 C O N B 2 P in 8C O N B 2 P in 7

BlkBlk BlkBlk W BlkBlk W W W W W

RedRedRed RedRedRed

C O N B 2 P in 1 6C O N B 2 P in 1 3 C O N B 2 P in 1 8C O N B 2 P in 1 5C O N B 2 P in 1 4 C O N B 2 P in 1 7

V C C

0

S e ria l P o rt P in 7

C O N J 3 P in 9

SV203 PONTECHCONTROLL BOARD

C O N J 1 P in 5

Pill Slide

Consists of two angles:– Primary slide angle

• angle at which all the pills would slide at– Secondary slide angle

• allows pills from the outermost tubes to be moved towards the center of the unit and into the cup

• Angles were researched and tested to ensure that the pills would not become stuck after they are ejected from the pill plates

Pill Slide Angle Test

Pills Slide Demo

Pill Follower Assembly

• Meets the customer requirement of being spill proof• Spring

– provides sufficient force to keep pills from disorienting when unit is inverted

• Self contained one-piece unit

Pill Follower Demo

Pill Loading Device• Loading Device

– Relatively quick loading with short initial learning curve

– Pills poured into the funnel and are stacked within the polycarbonate tube

– Release pin stops pills at end of tube

– Using slot as guide, mechanism is lowered over SS tubes

– Pin is released and pills fall into tube

– Maintains consistent and reliable pill orientation

Pill Loading Device Demo

Handle with Sensor Switch

• Modeled in vision of customer provided example• Presence of handle is detected through micro-

switch• Secured through locking grab catch• Stability in unit

General Operation

Accomplished Design Requirements

ME Requirements:• Enable one pill to be moved from a bulk

compartment to delivery compartment at a time.• Contain one month supply of Warfarin. • Enclosed and latched with tamper evident

indicator.• Deliver correct dose without error.• Rapid delivery of dose after dose button push.• Quickly demonstrable.• Loading of device done easily and quickly.• Spill-proof.• Large / easily visible buttons for dose retrieval

and information.• Reasonably quiet. • Easy to use latching cup handle.

Accomplished Design Requirements

EE Requirements:• Backlit color screen with large characters for

messages.• Rapid delivery of dose after dose button push.• Quickly demonstrable.• Alert for service when pill supply is low.• Delivery compartment with removable dose cup

needs to be in place prior to dispensing. • Audio/visual alarm to alert patient that it is time

to take medication.

Accomplished Design Requirements

CE Requirements:• Remote dose programming through interactive

software interface.• Programmable messages from programmer to

dispenser.• Rapid delivery of dose after dose button push.• Update dosing information by physician.• Quickly demonstrable.• Alert for service when pill supply low.• Audio/visual alarm to alert patient that it is time

to take medication.

Questions? (Positive Comments Only)