# Reducing the Risk and Economic burden of Recurrent stroke by improving medication adherence using a Novel SMART Pill CONTAINER, Cap, and Health Literacy Technologies

> **NIH NIH R43** · SANO HEALTHCARE CONSULTANTS, LLC · 2023 · $298,544

## Abstract

Stroke is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide with the strongest disparity in 
strokes seen in Black middle-aged persons. Black persons have incidence rates of ischemic 
stroke that are 2- to 3-fold higher than Whites. Additionally, over 80% of stroke survivors will 
have immediate and persistent weakness of their upper limb, leaving half of the persons with a 
chronic disability and inability to complete simple and basic manual dexterity activities, 
including taking medications as prescribed (Medication adherence). The greatest areas where 
stroke survivors need help all of the time was in taking medicines out of a box, packet or bottle, 
with remaining support needed in managing prescriptions, receiving alerts of medication dosing 
times, swallowing medicines, and (d) remembering if a medication was taken. Current 
competitors have significant design barriers that limit access to disabled persons, medication 
safety, and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). Accurate adherence monitoring requires 
determining whether morbidity and mortality are a result of full or partial compliance or 
persistent use of medication. Multiple sensors should be attached to the pill bottle to detect and 
monitor medication adherence to improve accuracy of detecting partial compliance, persistent 
use, and determining correlates of stroke-risk reduction outcomes. SANO’s novel Pharmacy 
Environmental Interactive Device (EID) prototype is designed to eliminate health disparities by 
preventing cardiovascular complications in stroke survivors by overcoming many of these 
barriers to medication adherence. SANO’s novel and patentable EID is designed for (a) singlehand use in stroke survivors (disability solution); (b) dual in-home dosing alert and adherence 
monitoring system by measuring pill weight and SMART Container manipulation (medication 
safety/adherence); (c) use of a cardiovascular taxonomy classification system designed for
culturally sensitive and preferred health literacy language (health literacy); (d) a reusable 
SMART container and cap for use with low-cost cardiovascular medications (social 
determinants of health). SANO’s additional engineering innovation will also test two types of 
strain gauge sensors (metal alloy and graphene nanosheets synthesized using a water- assisted 
liquid phase exfoliation), thereby expanding the commercial load cell family of materials to 
include strain gauges as a value-based in-home prescription scale. Future health innovations 
and interventions must target the population at risk, the number of persons truly at risk relative 
to the size of the target group, be cost-effective in prevention and treatment, and be culturally 
sensitive to improve intervention use in the targeted population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10601743
- **Project number:** 1R43AG080852-01
- **Recipient organization:** SANO HEALTHCARE CONSULTANTS, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Edwin Kendrick
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $298,544
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-02-15 → 2024-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10601743

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10601743, Reducing the Risk and Economic burden of Recurrent stroke by improving medication adherence using a Novel SMART Pill CONTAINER, Cap, and Health Literacy Technologies (1R43AG080852-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10601743. Licensed CC0.

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