An innovative automated eye drop dispenser aid for the self-administration of eye drops to increase independence in the ageing population, improve eye health outcomes and reduce NHS/social care costs

眼科药物是独一无二的，因为它通常作为眼药水自我给药。然而，滴眼液的应用是一个重大挑战，特别是对年长的患者。研究表明，超过50%的患者实际上错过了他们的眼睛，20%的人无法施加足够的力来挤压瓶子，需要其他人为他们滴眼药水。由于瓶子设计和治疗方案的多样性，到目前为止，除了地区护士的投入或偶尔住院之外，还没有找到其他解决方案。对于那些负担得起的人，偶尔会聘请私人护理员。如果没有社会护理的投入，这些患者中的许多人会错过至关重要的药物，这可能会导致渐进性失明，以及相关的健康和经济负担。失明对人们的生活有严重的负面影响，影响他们的工作、社交生活和身心健康。不适当的滴眼应用给NHS和社会护理预算带来了巨大的成本。当这与相关的次优临床护理相结合时，包括增加的医院就诊和治疗的升级，以及视力障碍，成本要高得多。英国人口老龄化的长期人口趋势意味着，在未来20年，预计白内障手术将增加50%，青光眼病例将增加44%，将有更多的患者需要地区护士的投入。为了迎接这一挑战，我们开发了一种新的设备来帮助滴眼液自我给药。我们设计了世界上第一台全自动滴眼液分配器。这种手持设备将使即使是最虚弱的患者也能安全而准确地自我给药。我们的设备将是此类设备中的第一款，旨在克服与滴眼液自我给药相关的主要挑战。研究表明，自我管理的障碍既有身体上的，也有认知上的，我们的设备是第一个解决这些患者所面临的每一个问题的设备。这种设备将降低失明风险，使老年患者能够继续过上充实的独立生活，为社会做出贡献，并在不依赖他人的情况下控制自己的眼睛健康。让所有人都更容易获得Drop应用程序，有助于减少有能力使用自己的药物或为私人护理人员付费的人与没有能力的人之间的眼睛健康不平等。

Eye medication is unique as it is usually self-administered as eye drops. Eye drop application, however, presents a major challenge, particularly for older patients. Studies show that over 50% of patients actually miss their eye and 20% of people cannot apply sufficient force to squeeze the bottle, requiring someone else to apply the drops for them. Due to the variety of bottle designs and treatment regimes, so far no solution has been found other than district nurse input, or occasionally hospital admission. For those who can afford it, private carers are occasionally employed.Without social care input, many of these patients would miss vital medication, which could result in progressive sight loss and the associated health and economic burden. Sight loss has a severe negative impact on a person's life, affecting their work, social life, physical and mental health.Improper drop application presents a huge cost to the NHS and social care budgets. When this is combined with associated sub-optimal clinical care, including increased hospital visits and escalation of treatment, as well as visual impairment, the cost is far higher.The long-term demographic trend of an ageing UK population means that over the next 20 years, a 50% increase in cataract surgery and 44% rise in glaucoma cases are forecasted and many more patients will be requiring district nurse input. To meet this challenge, we have developed a novel device to aid the self-administration of eye drops.We have designed the world's first fully automated eye drop dispenser. This handheld device will enable even the frailest of patients to safely and accurately self-administer their own eye drops. Our device will be the first of its kind and has been designed to overcome the major challenges associated with the self-administration of eye drops. Research has shown barriers to self-administration to be both physical and cognitive and our device is the first to address every issue that these patients have.This device will reduce the risk of sight loss, allowing elderly patients to continue to live fulfilled independent lives, contribute to society, and take control of their own eye health without relying on others. Making drop application more accessible to all helps to reduce inequalities in eye health between those that have the ability to apply their own medication or pay for private carers, and those that cannot.