Project Overview

The product design exercise aimed at developing a discreet and stylized case for convinient storage, transportation and tracking the use of medication for adult patients.
Non-adherence to medication leads to >130,000 preventable deaths in the US every yeay and a detailed market analysis highlighted the need for a product in this category.
We were a team of 6 graduate students, 3 engineering majors, 2 business majors and 1 design major. Below are some of the highlights from the group project executed in 2017. I took the lead on concept generation, LCA (Life Cycle Assessments), and user-centeric product testing.

Competitive Market Landscape

Market analysis was conducted to understand the key challenges related to prescribed medication for different patient groups and stakeholders in the healthcare industry, which led to identification of unmet needs that could be addressed with our product.
The healthcare industry is a complex network in which numerous stakeholders work together to help patients manage a variety of diseases and disorders. To navigate this complex industry, we divided the segments that are impacted by prescription medication as “end-users” (i.e. patients and caregivers) and “other stakeholders” (i.e. medical and pharmaceutical industries).

There are a myriad of products on the market intended to help people manage their medications, from simple plastic weekly medicine planners available at any pharmacy for about $5 to sophisticated tabletop appliance that can automatically sort and dispense medication at the proper time for $1000.
Thus the competitive landscape can be divided into seven general categories: 1) Current pharmacy pill bottles, 2) Traditional sorters and cases, 3) Medicine bottle cap timers/trackers, 4) Smart medication dispensers and trackers, 5) Smart sorters, dispensers, and trackers, 6) Smart mobile containers, and 7) Pharmacy sorting services.

Concept Generation

The first step towards finalizing a design concept was to generate as many concepts as possible. Over 50 concepts were generated which were then narrowed down to the top 5 concepts for further investigation, including building basic models and/or rendering.
Based on qualitative team discussion about various selection criteria, lessons learned from sketch models, the feedback from the design review, feedback from the teaching staff, and voting, the team decided to pursue the smart case.

Prototype Development

Hard case vs. Soft case: The prototypes of each variation were developed and tested with adult patients between the ages of 25 - 65. Most agreed that a softer case will be more convenient to carry both for daily use and potentially for longer term storage while travelling. While the initial prototype was constructed from felt, the final product is planned to be made of synthetic leather because it retains the benefits of the luxurious feel and flexibility of a soft case that many people preferred, yet stiff enough to provide structure to the internal components.
Large case vs. Small case: User interviews indicated that there is a clear need for two different sizes: one week or bi monthly case that can be used to store or transport pills, particularly when travelling and a 1 - 3 day case that can be used on a daily basis. The smaller sized case was pursued for further development, yet a larger case can be product variation offered in the future.
Based on qualitative team discussion about various selection criteria, lessons learned from sketch models, the feedback from the design review, feedback from the teaching staff, and voting, the team decided to pursue the smart case.

Integration of Electronics and Smart-phone App

One of the primary concerns for tracking adherence was whether to include sensors in the case to provide automatic tracking or to force the user to provide some input to confirm that their dosage was taken. Both methods were pursued initially, using a combination of buttons and magnetic reed switches. While both methods are feasible, using only sensor to detect whether the case was open or closed is unreliable because a user may open/close the case for other reasons beside just taking their medication.
The microprocessor has a BLE chip which transmits data wirelessly to an app on a smartphone, which is then sent via WiFi to an online web portal. A smaller red LED was used to minimize size of the electronics, while still providing a bright enough light for alarm notification. A 500 mAh lithium ion battery was selected for power because it had a thin profile and could provide enough power for an estimated 10 days of operation before recharging.

Life Cycle Assessments

Life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to evaluate the ecological and human health impact of the product over its entire life cycle. Data for materials use (in grams), manufacturing methods, end-of-life scenarios and transportation data were entered as inputs for the three products.
We estimated about 90% improvement from the first version of our product based on reducing the amount of energy intensive materials and replacing them with sustainable materials; more emphasis was given toward recycling strategies and ‘closing the loop’ on materials life cycle.