uBox, a Smart Pillbox for TB Treatment
About the uBox
(Now developed by Abiogenix, Inc. Initial design by Abiogenix, in collaboration with IIH, and the Prajnopaya Foundation.)
The uBox is unique among uNotify devices because it enables patients to take medication themselves. The uBox addresses a major barrier to access: the need for patients to travel to providers. It is not meant to replace providers, who help and motivate patients. Rather, it enables patients who are able to adhere to their regimen to do so, allowing providers to aid patients facing the steepest challenges.
How It Works
The uBox is a palm-sized, intelligent pill dispenser, which reminds a patient when it is time to take medication, and records when a patient does so. It also tracks visits by program personnel via electronic keys with unique IDs which are inserted into the box. The box requires refilling once a month.
Progress
User studies of the uBox with health care workers have been successfully completed in three districts in Bihar, India – Patna, Samastipur and Bihar Sharif, in collaboration with the Prajnopaya Foundation. Over 50 workers have been trained, and the prototype is being revised in preparation for a controlled trial. The prototype will undergo another design iteration before commencement of the trial. The uBox has won several awards, including the Yunus Challenge to Alleviate Poverty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an Advanced Entrepreneurship grant from NCIIA/Lemelson Foundation, and the RGK Winner’s Cup at the University of Austin. It has also been featured in the Boston Globe, CNET, and the New Scientist, among others.