With an additional modest increase in cost the compliance record could be displayed in the form of a calendar to show the specific days the medication was not taken with an LED dot matrix module consisting of a matrix of 35 LEDs arranged in a 5 by 7 pattern.  Such a module, which is 1.8 x 1.3 centimeters in size, is readily available for as low as $1.05 in lots of 1,000 (e.g. Jameco part number 218843CH, Manufacture's reference CSM57041T-11).

By using constantly illuminated LEDs (shown here as solid disks), flashing LEDs (indicated here by a starburst symbols), and non-illuminated LEDs (shown here as open circles), this module can display the compliance record as illustrated in the following example:

This type of LED dot matrix module could be used to show clinical data such as the HIV status, WHO classification, and Sputa status by illuminating a pattern of LEDs that create the appropriate letters and numbers.

A LED dot matrix display could also show the days when medication was removed in advance and the number of doses removed on each of these days. To do so the display would show a constantly illuminated LED for five seconds the day when advanced removal occurred, followed by a number of intermittent illuminations that are one or two seconds in length to designate the number of excess doses removed that day. These intermittent illuminations would occur at a different rate than the flashing illuminations for the days when the patient failed to take medication.

While a calendar display and the two-digit display have certain advantages they are probably more difficult to understand than the red/green display. If the information on the HIV status, sputum status, and WHO classification and more details about the compliance record is found to be needed, a second display could be built into the monitor to show this data. The detailed data could also be downloaded into a computer or PDA.

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DISPLAYS INCORPORATED INTO COMPLIANCE MONITORS

The patient was given the monitor on Wednesday of the first week. Since the monitor was not in service for the first three days in the first week, the LEDs for Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are not illuminated. The next five constantly illuminated LEDs show that the patient removed medication each day for the next five days. The flashing LEDs shown with starburst symbols for Monday and Tuesday of the second week show that medication was not taken on those days. The remaining constantly illuminated LEDs show that the patient took doses on all subsequent days through Thursday of the last week when he returned to the clinic. The LEDs for Friday and Saturday of the last week are not illuminated, since the monitor doesn't record what will happen in the future.