A NOVEL TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE HIV MEDICATION COMPLIANCE

描述（由申请人提供）：人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）感染导致了过去二十年中最昂贵和最具破坏性的流行病之一。未经治疗，病毒会慢慢破坏免疫系统，导致严重的发病率，并在初次感染后的2至20年内几乎100%死亡。幸运的是，抗病毒治疗的最新进展已经允许在感染个体中几乎完全抑制病毒复制。不幸的是，病毒快速突变并对治疗产生抗性的能力需要使用复杂的给药方案给予多种药物，以维持病毒抑制。虽然坚持这些复杂的治疗方案是至关重要的，但即使是最警惕的人也往往难以长时间维持这些方案。该项目的目的是设计和开发一种原型装置，以便为艾滋病毒感染者储存和运输抗逆转录病毒药物。该器械还将通过在给药时间加入提醒警报和使用报告功能来辅助依从性。一旦开发出来，该设备将在临床试验中进行测试，以确定其在提高艾滋病毒感染者服药依从性方面的可用性和功能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has led to one of the most costly and devastating epidemics of the last twenty years. Untreated, the virus slowly destroys the immune system, leading to significant morbidity and virtually 100% mortality within two to twenty years after initial infection. Fortunately, recent advances in antiviral therapy have allowed for almost complete inhibition of viral replication in infected individuals. Unfortunately, the ability of the virus to rapidly mutate and become resistant to treatments necessitates the administration of multiple medications, using complex dosing schedules, in order to maintain viral suppression. Although adherence to these complicated treatment regimens is paramount, even the most vigilant persons often have difficulty maintaining these protocols for extended periods of time. The purpose of this project is to design and develop a prototype device that will allow convenient storage and transport of antiretroviral medications for persons infected with HIV. The device will further function as an aid to compliance by incorporating reminding alarms at dosing times and usage reporting functions. Once developed, the device will be tested in clinical trials in order to determine its usability and functionality in increasing medication compliance in persons infected with HIV.