blister-buster

An OpenSCAD script to bust open a (parameterized) blister of pills.

What Is This?

This repository contains an OpenSCAD script.

The script generates a three-parts contraption: a base onto which to lay a blister of pills, a grid to align it, and a "buster plate" that, once pressed onto the other two, pops open the whole blister of pills at once.

The script contains parameters for the number of pills present in the blister, and whether there is a "center" pill (descriptions are partly documented in the script itself) so that it can be used with many different types of blisters.

In addition to the printed components, you'll need two alignment pins. I use 4x30mm steel pins, but there's parameters to change this in the script itself.

How To...

Change Parameters

You'll need to configure a few parameters in the blister-buster.scad file to fit your particular blister. You'll need to know:

• the flat dimension of the blister ("length" and "width");
• the diameter of a pill on the blister (not the pill itself, but rather the pill's "pod");
• the number of pills lengthwise (rows) and widthwise (columns);
• only if both rows and columns are odd, whether there is a pill in the center of the blister;
• the total extension of the pills vertically and horizontally as shown in the diagram above.

3D Print

I have printed all of my busters with an FDM printer, in PLA, 15% gyroid infill, 0.24mm layer.

The script generates a single STL files with three components, you should split them in different objects with your slicer.

The alignment grid (the object in the middle) is intentionally very thin, so that it can be printed first to make sure the parameters are correct, before wasting material on incorrect builds. Do note that you may need to wait for your print to cool down before taking it off the plate.

Use

1. Fit the alignment pins on the base.
2. Put the blister you want to pop on top of the base's grid, pills up.
3. Fit the alignment plate on top, using the alignment pin holes as guide (this should ensure that the pills in the blister are aligned with the holes in the base's grid).
4. Put the buster plate on top, with the domes matching the pills, use the alignment pins to guide you.
5. Press the buster plate onto the blister to pop all the pills in short order.

Why Is This?

I have diabetes, and for that I take Metformin. In the countries I lived in, Metformin is provided in blisters, rather than bottles. While I'm sure there are motivations behind it, these blisters are annoying to deal with.

Besides issues with their disposal (they are not usually recycled), I have more than once cut myself on particularly strong blister film, which, having diabetes, takes a bit more time than average to heal.

So instead I generally break open a couple of boxes, bust the blisters, and keep the pills in dark glass bottles on the table for easier consumption (as well as in store-bought pill boxes when traveling.)

My first few designs were done in Fusion 360, but as the brand of pills changes depending on who holds the contract with my pharmacy time by time, it got annoying to tweak it for a new size of blisters. Thus, the fully parameterized script.