Technology to access medication label information for severely visually impaired

为严重视障人士获取药物标签信息的技术

• 批准号: 7072984
• 负责人: Marc Cohen
• 金额: $ 9.4万
• 依托单位: SIXTYSEVEN KILOHERTZ, INC.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-04-01 至 2007-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7072984
• 关键词: gait; health; health care service; information systems; reading; role; speech

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to develop technology that uses the camera function of a cellular phone to read a special graphical code on the label of a prescription medication container. This code would trigger the retrieval of label information, saved on a remote server, which after being run through a text-to-speech engine, would be read aloud to the user through the phone. We call this technology: System for Identification of Medication and Prescription Label Information (SIMPLI). We theorize that this assistive technology would help people with severe visual impairment to better manage their health, and support their independent access to health care services. The overall objective of the proposed Phase 1 SBIR project is to test the feasibility of this technology. The specific aims of this project are to: Implement audible screen reader and optical recognition software on the Nokia 6620 cellular phone; Develop remote database server system containing prescription medication information and; Outline pharmacy role in SIMPLI. The labels on prescription medication containers, and inserts included with the containers, provide critical information to the patient. The important written information distributed with prescription medication is not easily accessible to people with severe visual impairment. The number of people with severe visual impairment (those who cannot see at all or almost not at all, generally referred to as legally blind) is estimated at between 1.5 - 2 million in the United States and is expected to grow substantially as the population ages. The methods available to people with severe visual impairment, for accessing written information distributed with prescription medication, are inadequate and a new technology is needed. This study is significant because it proposes to develop an economical and effective assistive technology for making written prescription medication information available to people with severe visual impairments; a technology which currently is not available and which is a national health priority. We propose a research plan that will implement special software on a representative cellular phone that decodes data from a camera phone picture of a special sticker on the prescription container. We will also develop a remote server that processes this data and calls the user back with the prescription information.

描述（由申请人提供）：我们建议开发一种技术，利用手机的摄像功能来读取处方药容器标签上的特殊图形代码。该代码将触发对保存在远程服务器上的标签信息的检索，该信息在通过文本转语音引擎运行后，将通过电话大声朗读给用户。我们将此技术称为：药物和处方标签信息识别系统 (SIMPLI)。我们认为，这种辅助技术将帮助患有严重视力障碍的人更好地管理他们的健康，并支持他们独立获得医疗保健服务。拟议第一阶段 SBIR 项目的总体目标是测试该技术的可行性。该项目的具体目标是： 在诺基亚 6620 手机上实现声音屏幕阅读器和光学识别软件；开发包含处方药信息的远程数据库服务器系统；概述药房在 SIMPLI 中的作用。处方药容器上的标签以及容器附带的插页为患者提供了重要信息。对于患有严重视力障碍的人来说，随处方药分发的重要书面信息不容易获得。在美国，患有严重视力障碍（完全看不见或几乎完全看不见，通常称为法定盲人）的人数估计在 1.5 - 200 万人之间，并且随着人口老龄化，预计该人数将大幅增加。严重视力障碍人士获取随处方药分发的书面信息的方法还不够充分，需要新技术。这项研究意义重大，因为它提出开发一种经济有效的辅助技术，为患有严重视力障碍的人提供书面处方药物信息；目前尚不可用的技术，并且是国家卫生优先事项。我们提出了一项研究计划，该计划将在代表性手机上实施特殊软件，该软件可以解码处方容器上特殊贴纸的照相手机照片中的数据。我们还将开发一个远程服务器来处理这些数据并向用户回电提供处方信息。