Technology to access medication label information for severely visually impaired

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.