Author: mdemango

The most significant risks that could jeopardize the project are the performance of the servo motors turning with the pill dispensing disks on it. Given the torque the motors operate at and the weight of the pill dispensing disks, we believe that it should work. However, in case this doesn’t work, we have been adjusting our pill dispensing disks to be a lighter weight.

A change we had made to our design was choosing a different load cell. This had cost us an additional $10 and fits into our budget. We had ordered a new cell because we had mistakenly purchased a 780g cell, thinking it was a 780mg cell. After completing the design tradeoff section of the design report, we realized this design mistake, and we bought a 100g load cell instead. This did not impact our schedule as the delivery was through Amazon. 

For the week 4 specific status report, part A was written by Aneesha, part B was written by MM, and part C was written by Taylor.

Part A: Our product seeks to improve the problems associated with the medication taking process globally. The device provides automated medication management, which is crucial for people with limited hand mobility, elderly individuals, and people with cognitive impairments who may forget to take their medications in a timely manner. By ensuring accurate dosing and reducing the risk of medication errors that can impact anyone across the world. Additionally, by integrating an app with our machine, our product aligns with global trends in digital health and telemedicine, where digital services are increasingly being used for medication management in both developed and developing countries.

Part B: Our product addresses several cultural aspects. For example, family members who have taken on a caregiver role to care for a loved one can find this product beneficial to either: (1) give the loved one more independence by receiving reminders via the app not via the caregiver (2) take some weight off of the caregivers shoulders of remembering which pills their loved ones need to take at a specific time. By giving loved ones some more independence, it can allow them to stay in their homes longer before moving into assisted living or prevent them from hiring in-home care. This is great for individuals who might have financial concerns. 

Part C: While this project does not focus on environmental impact it was designed with environmental factors. The project was designed so in the long run consumers could potentially reduce the waste of pill bottles used. Additionally the project this week was designed this week to be smaller then the original design so it would take less energy to power. Additionally the project is designed to be safe for organisms to consume medication out of being non toxic. Additionally the product is designed using sustainable 3D printing materials.

Similar to last week, the most significant risks that could jeopardize the success of the project is the 3D printing and integrating the entire system, as our team does not have collegiate technical training in robotics or 3D printing. To manage these risks, we are working on the CAD model and will print as soon as possible, giving us ample time to adjust if necessary. Additionally, we have been working with TAs to make sure our circuitry and power supply will suffice. There were design changes that we had made, namely adding a servo driver, speaker, load cell, and power supplies to our design. This was necessary as we explored our proposal more and incorporated feedback from our presentation, professor, and TAs. This did increase our final cost, as shown in the linked spreadsheet. However, we are still within the constraints of the $600.00 budget.

Part A was written by MM, Part B was written by Aneesha, and Part C was written by Taylor:

Part A: In terms of public health, safety, and welfare, our product allows users to make sure they are taking their correct medication at the correct time, whether they are prone to forgetting if they took their medication, taking too much medication, etc. It is important that our product dispenses the correct dose, however, or else it can pose potential medical risks to the client. Additionally, our product will be safe by using medical-grade cleaning. While we will not have this for DemoDay, as it is a prototype, our final product will be sterile by using ethylene oxide gas sterilization and UV-C light sterilization. We have chosen ethylene oxide sterilization to sterilize the plastic body of our dispenser since our product, made of plastic, would be sensitive to other sterilization methods evolving heat. We have chosen UV-C light sterilization to sterilize our electronics, since the gas and heat sterilization can damage our electronic components, such as the speaker and RaspberryPi 5.

Part B: Our automated pill dispenser is designed with key social factors in mind, particularly accessibility, healthcare disparities, caregiving, economic considerations, and digital inclusion. By ensuring timely medication intake through automated dispensing and scheduled notifications, the device supports individuals who struggle with medication adherence, such as elderly patients, disabled individuals, and those in underserved communities. It also alleviates the burden on caregivers by enabling remote monitoring, reducing stress, and allowing family members or healthcare providers to track adherence in real-time. We are also prioritizing accessibility in our web app design as it is user-friendly, adjustable to different screen sizes, and designed for individuals with limited technology experience. We are also ensuring privacy and security of patient health information by encrypting data. By addressing healthcare accessibility, caregiver support, and digital inclusion, the dispenser enhances independent medication management and overall quality of life.

Part C: Our pill dispensing device helps with economic factors by making sure people take their medication correctly, which can save money on healthcare costs. When people forget to take their medicine or take too much, it can lead to serious health problems that require expensive hospital visits or treatments. By reducing the amount of hospital visits, our product can reduce a user’s overall medical costs. We keep production costs low by using affordable medical-grade plastic. Also, we choose cost-effective, widely-available, and energy-efficient electronic components, such as the RaspberryPi 5 and servo motors. For sterilization, we use ethylene oxide gas and UV-C light, which are cheaper and safer for our materials compared to heat-based methods that could damage the plastic parts. Since our device is lightweight and compact, it’s easier and cheaper to ship, making it more accessible to our target users.

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1A78EFYzDSM-yG8J1KksYfQ9CtJF7ld6q7F0CRFXgZSU/edit?usp=sharing

Final Design

Initial Design-compressed