Project Definition

Introduction

This document presents a definition of the Accessible Syringe Dosing project. The following sections are included in this document:

• Background
• Project Objective Statement
• Major Deliverables - Target Dates
• Project Team Roster
• Key Framework Processes

Background

Problem

In the United States alone, there are over 18.2 million people afflicted with diabetes. Of those diagnosed, approximately 32% require daily injections of insulin. Diabetics dealing with the aftereffects of strokes may require daily injections of heparin as a precautionary measure to treat and prevent blood clot formations. Both insulin and heparin are injected into the body using standard 1cc syringes (¼" diameter). Unfortunately, many of the symptoms associated with diabetes can make it difficult to accurately and safely use these syringes. For example, diabetes can result in blindness, neuropathy, and amputations. The team was presented with the hypothetical clients listed below:

• Lloyd - A retired pharmacist born in 1926. He was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 1989 and has poor eyesight.

• Sophia - Born in 1920, Sophia emigrated to the US in 1937 from Poland. She is in relatively good health, but suffered her first stroke in 2002. She had several small strokes in 2003 and now takes heparin as a precautionary measure. As a result of the strokes, she has limited right arm function and walks with a cane.

• Arnold - A janitor in a large manufacturing company born in 1952. He has diabetes and Parkinson's disease, and experiences slight to moderate tremors.

• Dave - Retired from the Navy in 1989 after a serious heart attack, Dave was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2000. He has limited use of his right leg due to an injury sustained while in military service.

• Wanda - Born in 1994, Wanda is deaf and has diabetes, and she weighs only 80 lbs. She is being encouraged to start administering insulin to herself, as her mother recently passed away, and her father is blind.

Project

Currently, the majority of diabetics who use syringes choose to do so manually. There are other options available, but they are not conducive to those with disabilities or those with a limited budget. One example is the insulin pen, which is a disposable, mechanized injection system, but requires visual acuity for dose adjustment. Another example is the insulin pump, which is effective, yet expensive. It is the goal of this project team to design a reliable, low-cost, easy-to-use mechanism for enabling automated dosing of medication. The dosing should be accurate to the nearest 0.01cc using standard 1cc, ¼" diameter syringes, which are common for delivery of insulin and heparin. The device also needs to be able to gently mix the insulin or heparin before dosing.

Project Objective Statement

Design and implement a reliable, low-cost, easy to use mechanism for enabling automated dosing of medications by May 2005 with a budget of $2,000.

The effects of long-term diabetes make the self-administration of insulin difficult. A universally-accessible syringe doser of insulin and heparin for disabled and non-disabled diabetics and people being treated with heparin would greatly ease their daily injection cycle. With accurate dosing to the 0.01cc, a simple interface for debilitated users, and a target low-cost, the syringe doser will be vastly more efficient than the conventional dosing most diabetics currently employ.

A $2,000 budget from the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Accessible Medical Instrumentation will be allocated to components, the device prototype, and any other expenses required for design completion.

Major Deliverables - Target Dates

The following are the target dates of all major deliverables.

Project Team Roster

Key Framework Processes

Project File

The project file will be maintained by Michael Tomkowiak. All documents contained in the project file will be backed up on a weekly basis.

Issues/Action Item/Change Tracking

The standard issue/action item/change log shall be maintained within the project notebook. All items contained therein will be addressed at weekly meetings.

Meetings

Meetings will be held Monday evenings at 7 P.M. to work on upcoming deliverables and project status. Additional meetings will be held at 11:30 A.M. on Thursday mornings to consult with project sponsor(s).