SBIR-STTR Award

Patient compliance and the resulting effectiveness of treatment are major concerns in new drug studies and clinical trials and with problem patients on medication.We will establish the feasibility of an inexpensive pill dispensing, recording and reminding device. This device ultimately will be a miniature recording, reminding module with a display and an alarm and a disposable pill dispenser cartridge with sensing circuitry.The electronic recording device will record the date and time for each dispensed pill to be later recalled by coupling to a microcomputer interpreter. A prescription regimen may be loaded into the device to remind the patient the next time it is to be used and which pill to take. The recording device is detachable from the dispenser cartridges for refills. The entire device with small pills will be the size of a credit card calculator.The cartridges will be manufactured similarly to commercially packaged medications plastically encapsulated with foil backing. Circuitry within will sense the destruction of the backing as the pill is pushed through.The market for t his device in ides drug companies, research institutions, clinics, hospitals and, eventually, physicians and patients.National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Patient compliance and the resulting effectiveness of treatment are major concerns in new drug studies and clinical trials, and with problem patients.Phase I proved the technology needed to develop an inexpensive pill dispensing, recording, reminding, and usage analysis system. The system will contain a miniature recording-reminding module with a display and an alarm, a disposable pill cartridge with sensing circuitry, and an interpreter for analyzing results.The electronic recording device will record date and time dispensed for each pill. This data can later be recalled by coupling to a microcomputer. A prescription regimen can be loaded into the device for reminding the patient of the last time of use, the next time to be used, and the pill to take. The recording device is detachable from the dispenser cartridges for refills. The entire device will be the size of a credit card calculator and will handle pills of any size.The cartridges will be manufactured like commerciahy packaged medications plastically encapsulated with foil backing. Circuitry within the package senses the destruction of the backing when the pills are pushed through.The market for this device includes drug companies, research institutions, clinics, hospitals, physicians, and patients.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)