Summary:
Researchers in the UCLA Stein Eye Institute have developed a medication assistive device to aid in distinguishing medication bottles and administering medications on the correct schedules for patients, especially those with visual impairment.
Background:
Many ophthalmic conditions are treated with eye drop medications. These treatments have the potential to reverse or slow down the progression of the disease and/or restore vision. While treatment regimens can vary widely based on condition and severity, they typically consist of 1 to 4 eye drop medications with different schedules of administration. Despite the high efficacy and wide prevalence of such treatments, medication nonadherence remains an issue that may lead to poor visual outcome, a decreased quality of life, and premature termination of medication usage leading to a medication switch. Barriers to adherence include difficulty in both identifying medication bottles and administering treatment on the prescribed schedule. These issues are particularly relevant for patients with impaired vision or those using multiple eye drops. There is an unmet need for a universal technique to ensure adherence to treatment plans, particularly in individuals with severe impairments or needing multiple medications. Initial clinical studies demonstrate that almost 80% of patients surveyed would use these devices with their current eye drop medications and use of these devices led to 100% accuracy in recalling the correct medication administration schedule.
Innovation:
UCLA researchers in the Stein Eye Institute have developed an assistive clip-on device that aids in the identification of medication and its schedule of administration based on visual and tactile guides. The researchers employed unique shapes on the clip to distinguish the devices from each other, which can be used to distinguish different medication bottles. Additionally, each clip is equipped with a unique number of repeating shapes that corresponds to the number of times the medication should be administered. Lastly, the clips are printed using colored materials, making visual identification of each bottle easier. By varying the shapes and colors, there is an unlimited library of design options that can be used to aid in administering complex treatment plans and match a growing production line of medications. Importantly, the devices are designed for universal fit across different size and volumes of eye drop bottles, which allow for streamlined incorporation to existing bottle designs in distribution. These clips can be removed and interchanged to accommodate different treatment plans and changes in regimens. The device is constructed from polylactic acid, rendering it to be biocompatible, biodegradable, and safe for use in food and medical applications.
Potential Applications:
- Medication administration
- Bottle sorting and counting
- Inventory management
Advantages:
- Leverages tactile and visual cues
- Removable and reusable devices for repeated use
- Interchangeable devices for dynamic treatment regimens
- Universal size allows for use in identifying various bottles
- Uses biodegradable and biocompatible materials
- Prominent patterns and shapes are resistant to wear over time
Development-To-Date: The invention is undergoing prototyping.
Related Papers:
Costa, A. L. F. de A., Martins, T. G. dos S., dos Santos, V. R., & Schor, P. (2022). In search of disambiguation: development of eye drop bottle sleeves to aid in identification and survey among possible users. A cross-sectional study. Sao Paulo Medical Journal, 140(1), 5–11. https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-3180.2020.0687.R1.27042021
Reference: UCLA Case No. 2022-213
Lead Inventor: Edmund Tsui