Dipso is a medication dispenser that is designed specifically for people living with Parkinson’s Disease. It dispenses a dissolvable wafer that is taken orally, providing a pain-free, non-intrusive medication alternative to traditional medication methods.
Dispo Ecosystem
The Dispo ecosystem is comprised of 5 products, with each component being necessary to create a seamless user experience. The products have been categorised into subsections for the relevant users.
People Living with Parkinson’s Disease and Caregivers
Dispo and Charging Base
Dispo is a handheld medication dispenser that is designed to improve the dosing experience for those living with Parkinson’s Disease. Utilising a wafer form medication a dose can by administered by the patient, others or both as required into the patient’s mouth, and the wafer will dissolve into the saliva. This removes the difficulty of swallowing standard pill form medications. By having preprogramed dosing times and dosages, the risk of under and overdosing is reduced to a matter of minutes. Also, due to the manner of having a controlled system, assistant nurses will be able to dose patients, reducing the stress on the head nurse and reducing under and overdosing in aged care facilities.
The charging base provides a seamless charging experience, where the user can place the device on its base beside their bed, so it is ready to use every morning without interrupting the dosage cycle. By using inductive charging coils, the user does not have to fumble with cables, but can instead simply place the device and wait for the charging light (red LED) to glow. The device can also be charged and updated at the pharmacy by using the USB Type-C port that is hidden on the back of the device.
Dispo Capsule
The Dispo Capsule is a partner product for the Dispo unit, storing extra dose spools, totalling in approximately a months’ worth of spools. This reduces the users need of returning to the pharmacy and ensures that the user can travel and not have to worry about getting a new prescription whilst away. The capsule uses an o-ring that creates an airtight seal, which maintains the rolls’ freshness and controls moisture and dust from reaching them.
Pharmacist
Prescription2Wafer Program
The Prescription2Wafer program takes existing prescriptions for Parkinson’s medications such as Levadopa and modifies them to suit the Dispo system. This includes considering user sleep, work and leisure hours. All data is input ted into the program, with the resulting output being an optimised dosing plan that works around the user’s life and is ever so slightly constantly changing to avoid long term medication illness.
Perforate&Roll Machine
This device is used in partnership with the Prescription2Wafer program to take bulk spools of different strength medications and to perforate and roll customised rolls for users.
Model Photos
Scenario
Signing up
To sign up for the Dispo system, a user will take their existing prescription to a participating pharmacy, where a pharmacist will check the user’s compatibility with the system. If suitable, the user’s information, prescription and daily hours are inputted into the Prescription2Wafer program. The program will then output information to a Dispo unit and to the Perforate&Roll machine which will perforate and roll 3 spools to match the output dosing schedule. The new user will then pay for their prescription and their new Dispo unit.
Daily Dosing
To start the day, the user will wake up, and pick up their Dispo unit from its charging base beside their bed, taking their first dose when the device indicates the next does is ready. This is shown through a green LED and vibration motor. To take the dose, the user will remove the cap, and press the button momentarily, activating the rollers and presenting the dose. This can then be torn off using the built-in tweezers and placed into the users’ mouth. The user will then replace the cap and wait until their next dose is ready. This is signified using a flashing green LED and a vibration motor. At the end of the day the user can place the Dispo unit back onto the charging base so that it is fully charged again for next day. In the case that the user forgets to charge the device overnight, the residual battery will last for 3 days. If the user cannot recharge during this time period using the charging base, then a USB C cable can be used to charge on the go.
Refilling
To refill their Dispo device, the user would simply remove the Dispo’s cap, and hold the button for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds the device will vibrate for 1 seconds, signifying that the electromagnetic locks have been deactivated, and the device can now be opened. The user will then remove the empty spool and replace it with their next spool from their Dispo Capsule. The empty spool can be placed in the Dispo Capsule, and the device can be closed again, with the electromagnetic locks snapping back together.
Updating & Renewing Prescriptions
To update and renew a prescription, the user will visit their participating pharmacy and either collect a repeat or ask to update their prescription. To get a repeat, the pharmacist will ask for ID, which will be used to search the database for the user’s profile, which will have all previous prescriptions stored on it. The repeating prescription can be selected, and the rolls will be produced.
To edit a prescription, the user will provide their new prescription, and it will be entered alongside daily hours to calculate their new prescription, like the initial signup. This new prescription will then be produced and kept on record for repeats.
Project Documentation
Thesis Document
Dispo Thesis Document by Connor Quinn
A1 Poster
Presentation Slides
Dispo Presentation Slides by Connor Quinn