Feature Benefit chart

Here are our designs and gozinto diagram

Introducing Amelior - an patient controlled oral-analgesia from Solaece Technologies Inc

We have at last finalized everything for this BE design project.

The name of our product was based on the word ameliorate - Amelior - which basically focuses on the point that this oral analgesia relieves pain.

The same concept was used for the company name - Solaece Technologies Inc (solace).

Below are the final specifications for our product, design drawings, operation descriptions, feature/benefit chart, and other...

Specifications:

Operation Descriptions:

1. The inhaler is inserted into the docking station, which will automatically reload the inhaler’s single-dose capacity chamber and lock the inhaler in place.
2. After a doctor-prescribed amount of time, the inhaler will be unlocked and ready for use.
3. The patient undocks the inhaler and slides the lever down to open the chamber for inhalation.
4. After the patient inhales the medication through the mouthpiece, the inhaler is placed back in the docking station which records the time of docking and undocking for the doctor’s records.

The two detail design options that we chose were the fact the device was composed of a docking station and an inhaler and the fact that the device uses a dry-powder inhalant

Inhaler + Docking Device:

Amelior^® differs from most inhalers in that it features a two-piece system, an inhaler and a docking station.

These two pieces are separate primarily to reduce the risk of overdosage or addiction. The inhaler only holds one dose at a time and won’t reload if that dose is not taken at the prescribed time. Having separate pieces also allows the docking station to record a timestamp for docking and undocking.

A separate inhaler also provides the patient with a more familiar and comfortable experience. Patients and onlookers have become accustomed to the look and operation of a conventional inhaler, and this device will replicate that familiarity.

Dry-Powder Inhalant:

Dry-powder inhalers offer several advantages over conventional gas or liquid inhalers. They are easier to use as they utilize the patient’s inhalation to deliver the medicine, as opposed to inhalers that “push” medicine into the patient’s mouth. Oftentimes aerosol inhalers are difficult to use properly which can induce coughing and expel medication.

Dry-powder is also more comfortable to inhale because unlike aerosol inhalants, it is tasteless and virtually unnoticeable.

Finally, dry-powder is less risky to carry in a portable electronic device that might be prone to physical shock, where liquids or gases could cause permanent damage.

GOZINTO Diagram

Here's a first draft of our GOZINTO diagram that summarizes the main components and functions of our PCOA device

Design Specs

User specs: (the ones we don't already have)

• Intended Users: just kids! silly rabbit
• Cost: $400
• Weight
• Docking Station: 2 pounds
• Inhaler: 5-8oz
• Size
• Docking Station: 7.3 x 3.5 x 1 inches (graphing calculator)
• Inhaler: 4 x 1 x 1
• Battery life: four weeks, rechargaeble and replaceable lithium ion battery
• Reliability: emergency dosage feature, waterproof
• Failsafe: each inhaler will hold one dose to prevent overdosage. Inhalers are refilled with the next dose by docking.
• Operating conditions: very shock absorbant because kids are more careless, rubber casing
• Maintenance: user replaced battery, clinicians inspect the rest of the device every 6 months (indicator light will let the user know when to take it in)
• Dose Capacity: 200 doses per cartridge, approx. 2-4mg per dose (0.1 to 0.2 mg per kg child weight), no more than 15mg per dose (source). Each cartridge has 1600 pre-filled compartments (40x40) with 0.5mg morphine sulfate plus additives per compartment. If a child is prescribed more than 0.5mg, more than one compartment will empty in the the DPI.
• Appearance/style: geared towards kids, bright colors, cartoon characters? themed
• Dry powder, large bendy straw, flavored powder

Company Specs/requirements
Competition: There aren't any targeted specifically at children
Business strategy: income by product sales
Regulations: Child safety regulations

Silly rabbit

We decided we will be targeting kids only, and will style and measure doses accordingly. There are many devices targeting adults, but none are very kid friendly. Kids hurt too.
http://www.stjude.org/patientsandparents

Advantages of Dry Powder Inhalers (DPI) over Liquid/Gas Inhalers (LGI): aka why we decided on dry powder inhalers!

• Hard to get the last dose out:
• LGIs are hard to to get the last dose out because they rely on the inhaler to push the medicine. If the inhaler only has one dose it will be hard to use. If it has multiple doses it's not safe for kids because it might malfunction.
• DPIs are easy to get the dose out because they are designed to only release one compartment of medication.
• Ease of use:
• LGIs are difficult to use for many people because it is hard to time the press of the button and inhale at the same time. Also if a deep enough breath is not taken, the medicine will end up in the mouth.
• DPIs eliminate this problem because they use patient's lung power to inhale the medicine. It is not pushed in the mouth.
• Comfortablity
• LGIs are often bad tasting and uncomfortable. Additionally, the medince being forced by aerosol pressure can induce coughing.
• DPIs are tasteless and the patient cannot even feel the medicine being delivered. DPIs are so unobtrusive, some patients complain they cannot tell if it worked. This should not be a problem for kids because if a normal to deep breath is taken, all the medication will be delivered.Hard to get the last dose out:LGIs are hard to to get the last dose out because they rely on the inhaler to push the medicine. If the inhaler only has one dose it will be hard to use. If it has multiple doses it's not safe for kids because it might malfunction.DPIs are easy to get the dose out because they are designed to only release one compartment of medication.Ease of use:LGIs are difficult to use for many people because it is hard to time the press of the button and inhale at the same time. Also if a deep enough breath is not taken, the medicine will end up in the mouth.DPIs eliminate this problem because they use patient's lung power to inhale the medicine. It is not pushed in the mouth.ComfortablityLGIs are often bad tasting and uncomfortable. Additionally, the medince being forced by aerosol pressure can induce coughing.DPIs are tasteless and the patient cannot even feel the medicine being delivered. DPIs are so unobtrusive, some patients complain they cannot tell if it worked. This should not be a problem for kids because if a normal to deep breath is taken, all the medication will be delivered.">
  

Initial Thoughts...

Here are some of the initial ideas we came up with after our first meeting:


I. Aerosol Inhaler that contains the time lock-out device
II. Inhaler holds only one dose with a Docking Device
III. Dry Powdered Inhaler
Possible Components of PCOA

• a time lock-out function
• usb chip that can record how time/amount of dosage, which can be examined on a computer
• key-in password/thumbprint for security
• breathlizer like function for measuring O2 and prostaglandins levels in the breath
• inhaler connected to a docking device for measuring amount/time taken
• a reservoir compartment and button for emergency pain relief
• wireless connection between docking station and inhaler device
• breath activated metered dose inhaler
• use something like an insulin pump as a base station for the inhaler, possibly to load the dose if the inhaler has a single-dose capacity
  

We also did multiple patent searches (it turns out PCOAs do exist! in pill form. At least the patent for one exists.) Basically we verified that everything we were doing was possible, but nothing exactly like our possible conceptual designs exists...yet. Our final result will probably be a combination of different pieces we've found throughout our research.