E) Multi-compartment Monitor
Yet another monitor design incorporates an array of compartments with each compartment holding a day's dose of medication. As shown in Figure 1, access to successive compartments can be controlled by a moveable cover which uncovers successive compartments, one at a time. In Figure 1, this moveable cover consists of a belt of cover material which has a series of spaced holes and is wound onto a supply reel. The cover is moved by unwinding it incrementally from the supply reel and onto a take up reel. With each incremental movement, a dispensing opening moves over successive compartments in one row of the array. When the dispensing hole has completely traversed the row of compartments, a second hole begins traversing the second row of compartments, and so on until medication has been dispensed from all compartments.
Figure 1 shows several other components of the Multi- compartment Monitor: a cover grate which prevents the cover material from being lifted off of the array of compartments, a sprocket for moving the cover in the required increments, and a case. A gravity lock could also be incorporated into the mechanism so that after the cover had been moved one position, it could not be moved again until the monitor was inverted to assure that the medication had been removed.
Since this device does not protect the medication against moisture it probably can not be used with hygroscopic medications or preparations that include hygroscopic medications like ethambutol.
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POTENTIAL AND EXISTING MEDICATION MONITOR DESIGNS
I. Cover and Cap Opening Monitors
II. Dose Removal Monitors
POTENTIAL AND EXISTING MEDICATION MONITOR DESIGNS
I. Cover and Cap Opening Monitors
II. Dose Removal Monitors
