Background
Porticos engineers combined technical expertise with practical specifications to develop Livi™, the advanced precision medication-dispensing device. It delivers prescription-specific dosages of multiple medications for advanced patient home care. Caregivers can load Livi™ with up to three months of medications to ensure precisely controlled dispensing.
Livi™ dispenses medicines as scheduled. Internet-enabled remote oversight and comprehensive medication-adherence reports improve coordination of care and ensure that patients receive medications exactly as prescribed.
Challenges
The Porticos engineering team focused on creating detailed volume-manufacturing specifications that maintained the precise design intent of the device, including
- Design of Livi™’s adaptable pill-delivery system, which accommodates all dosage configurations (including size, shape, type, and combination of pills). The system can be configured to feed pills that measure less than 5mm and up 30mm in size. A single machine accommodates up to 15 different types of pills at once. Reliable pill feeding and counting mechanisms were developed with many rapid iterations of 3D printed prototypes.
- Creation of 3D models of complex exterior surfaces and development of the models into detailed part designs for injection molding. 3D printed prototype mechanism designs were evolved into detailed designs for high-volume injection molding. The internal structure was designed to utilize sheet metal parts for volume production and low tooling cost.
- Support during user trials and FDA Certification by procuring materials for a 30-unit build and establishing the supply chain and coordinating the materials in the build process.
The team created and maintained a bill of materials and assisted in supplier selection. Our engineers fully assembled and functionally tested all prototype machines. - Preparation of the units for internal pre-scans and IEC 60601-1, -1-2, and -1-11 testing.
The design was performed upfront to meet medical device requirements. Our team also incorporated rapid design changes in response to early testing results.
The design was refined based on feedback from the user trials. User experience feedback was considered in several areas including:
- Caregiver/maintainer experience including cover and access panel operation, configuration for individual medications, cleaning, and refilling.
- Patient experience including industrial design, interface button size and feel, clarity of display, and accessibility of dispensed medications.
- Robustness and reliability.
- Information on the size, shape, and other properties of medications used.
Outcomes
The Livi medication dispenser entered volume production in 2017 and is available for purchase or rental. For more information visit: www.liviathome.com.
