[Trial of eye drops recognizer for visually disabled persons].
OBJECTIVE
The development of a device to enable the visually disabled to differentiate eye drops and their dose.


METHODS
The new instrument is composed of a voice generator and a two-dimensional bar-code reader (LS9208). We designed voice outputs for the visually disabled to state when (number of times) and where (right, left, or both) to administer eye drops. We then determined the minimum bar-code size that can be recognized. After attaching bar-codes of the appropriate size to the lateral or bottom surface of the eye drops container, the readability of the bar-codes was compared.


RESULTS
The minimum discrimination bar-code size was 6 mm high x 8.5 mm long. Bar-codes on the bottom surface could be more easily recognized than bar-codes on the side.


CONCLUSIONS
Our newly-developed device using bar-codes enables visually disabled persons to differentiate eye drops and their doses.
Okamoto
Norio
N
Department of Ophthalmology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan. norio-o@hyo-med.ac.jp
Suzuki
Katsuhiko
K
Mimura
Osamu
O
D000328:Adult; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D004349:Drug Packaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014786:Vision Disorders
D009883:Ophthalmic Solutions