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.