https://www.figma.com/embed?embed_host=notion&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.figma.com%2Ffile%2F2ByaiHleeCAJWH9obk9MD7%2FUntitled%3Fnode-id%3D35%253A351
We love the simplicity of pill-packs and how they can effectively communicate to users that rely on them. But despite their simple design, we couldn't find a simple enough way to make them. Over the past few weeks, we made some awesome progress on tools that will make packing pills super easy! 🎉
Previously, we sent out a newsletter detailing our solution to counting and pushing pills using a modified 3d printer. We were excited because it meant that pills could be separated and ready for packaging really fast⚡.
However, we left off at a crucial point - packaging. Pharmacy packaging is very wasteful and expensive. Typical pill bottles don't offer much in convenience and personalization. Pill-packaging, while convenient, is usually made on larger machines that process orders in batches. They work more like automation lines that take some effort to start and stop. We think that we could do better to make machines that are more flexible.
https://giphy.com/gifs/H7NtU57RmzBOuGjqOO
We designed a much simpler solution that uses an end-effector capable of heat sealing material. Our prototype is currently capable of sealing thin film PET plastic that is commonly used in pill packaging. And it fits on the same 3d printer base we used before.
https://giphy.com/gifs/dBOSWBWyz9kAeQ2WTT
Using 3d printers gives us way better precision. It makes it super simple to make complicated geometries. It more importantly will, in addition to some of our prior work on detecting pills, allow for quick packaging optimizations that will reduce the amount of waste. ♻️
Our prototype is undergoing a lot of changes and we'll keep you updated. We'd love to hear about what you think and would love to talk sometime. 👋
.jpg)