A Pill Dispenser for Research Studies
Dose schedules live in the app, which records every scheduled dose and keeps the history for five years. No subscription and no monthly fee, whether you order one Starter Set or a full cohort.
What is a pill dispenser for research studies?
A pill dispenser for research studies lets participants take pills at home on a schedule your protocol sets. The LiviPod dispenser is modular and app-guided: each pod holds one pill type, glows at dose time, and the participant dispenses from the free app. It never dispenses on its own, and the app keeps a shareable, exportable adherence history.
The app records due, late, missed, and dispensed status for each scheduled dose and keeps the history for five years. Research teams can also access the data through an API.
Built for the people who run studies
Principal investigators
Plan a protocol around a dispenser with a known cost, a shareable adherence history, and a setup participants run at home.
Research coordinators
Set dose windows to match your protocol, monitor multiple participants with each one's approval, and pull study data into your own tools through an API.
Decentralized and home-based study teams
Participants run it at home on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. No cellular plan, and no weekly pill organizer to sort.
Nutrition and supplement researchers
Soft gels and gel caps are supported, along with whole tablets, capsules, and caplets, and several products can dispense at the same scheduled time.
Academic and health-system programs
Start with one Starter Set to test the fit, then order for the full cohort. No subscription or monthly fee to renew when the grant period ends.
Why the LiviPod dispenser fits research studies
A record of every scheduled dose
The LiviPod app records due, late, missed, and dispensed status for each scheduled dose and keeps the history for five years. Share or export it, or pull it into your own reporting and analysis tools through an API.
A short routine for participants
Pills are poured in loose, with no weekly sorting. Each pod is sized once with the Fit Kit (about 5 to 10 minutes), and schedules take under 15 seconds to set or change.
No recurring device costs
No subscription, no monthly fee, no cellular plan. The app is free, and the hardware carries a 1 Year Limited Hardware Warranty.
Start small, scale to your cohort
Each participant's setup runs up to 10 pods, one pill type per pod, from one power adapter. Add pods or Starter Sets as enrollment grows.
Ready for supplement and nutrition studies
Soft gels and gel caps are supported, from 4 mm up to 14 mm round tablets and 28 mm caplets. Multiple pods can dispense at the same scheduled time for multi-product protocols.
Oversight with participant consent
Coordinators are added by email or phone number, and the participant approves each connection before any access. One coordinator can monitor multiple participants in the app.
Built for home use
Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, no cellular plan. Alerts come from the participant's phone, with Custom Alert Tones, and the pod glows at dose time. The pods themselves stay silent.
How a study deployment works
Scope your study with us.
Tell us your participant count, pill types, and timeline. We will help size the order.
Order and receive your units.
Order the Starter Set (3 pods) and additional pods for each participant's pill types. Units can ship to your site or directly to each participant's home.
Size each pod with the Fit Kit.
A one-time step of about 5 to 10 minutes matches each pod to its pill. Pills are then poured in loose, one pill type per pod.
Set schedules in the app.
Each schedule takes under 15 seconds to set. Dose windows run from 30 minutes to 6 hours either side of the scheduled time, so you can match your protocol.
The participant dispenses at dose time.
The pod glows when a dose is ready, and the participant dispenses from the app. The pod never dispenses on its own.
Monitor and analyze, with consent.
Coordinators monitor participants in the app, with each participant's approval. Study data is also available through an API for your own reporting and analysis tools.
What pill types and quantities does it hold?
Each pod holds one pill type, about 150 ml or roughly 90 to 150 average-size pills. Whole tablets, capsules, caplets, soft gels, and gel caps fit, from 4 mm up to 14 mm round tablets and 28 mm caplets.
| Capacity per pod | About 150 ml, roughly 90 to 150 average-size pills (fewer for large capsules) |
|---|---|
| Pill forms | Whole tablets, capsules, caplets, soft gels, gel caps |
| Size range | Minimum 4 mm. Round tablets up to 14 mm across. Caplets up to 28 mm long |
| Pills per pod | One pill type per pod |
| Pods per power adapter | Up to 10 |
| Simultaneous dispensing | Multiple pods can dispense at the same scheduled time |
| Participant device | Smartphone (iOS or Android) with the free LiviPod app |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. No cellular plan |
| Alerts | From the participant's phone (Custom Alert Tones). The pod glows at dose time and stays silent |
| Dose window | 30 minutes to 6 hours either side of the scheduled time |
| Recurring cost | None. No subscription, no monthly fee |
| Adherence history | Five years. Shareable and exportable |
| Data access | In the app for approved coordinators, by share or export, and through an API |
| Data storage | Google Cloud Firestore, encrypted at rest and in transit |
| Warranty | 1 Year Limited Hardware Warranty |
| Price (list) | Starter Set of 3 pods: $293. Each additional pod: $89. Institutional and volume pricing available |
What we'll confirm with you before you order
A few answers up front keep your order simple. Bring what you know, and we will work through the rest together.
- Participants and pill types. How many participants, and how many pill types each one takes (one pod per pill type).
- Pill fit. Forms and sizes of your study products, checked against the size limits (4 mm minimum, round tablets up to 14 mm, caplets up to 28 mm).
- Schedule rules. Dose times and the window your protocol allows.
- Data you need. What adherence data you need, and whether you will use the app, exports, or the API.
- Where units ship. To your site or directly to each participant's home. Tell us which.
- Pricing for your order size. Institutional and volume pricing is available.
- Your IRB and data-management requirements. Tell us what your team needs and we will confirm what we can provide.
Questions from principal investigators and study coordinators
What does the LiviPod dispenser record for each participant?
The LiviPod app records each participant's medications, dose schedules, and due, late, missed, and dispensed status. Research teams can access this data through an API connected to Google Cloud Firestore. Caregivers and project coordinators can also view information directly in the app, depending on their oversight needs and the participant's approval. These records track dispensing, not confirmation that a participant swallowed a dose.
How long is adherence history kept?
The LiviPod app keeps each participant's adherence history for five years. The history can be shared and exported, and research teams can also access it through an API.
Can one coordinator oversee several participants?
Yes. The LiviPod app includes built-in caregiver oversight, allowing a coordinator to monitor multiple participants with each participant's approval. For studies requiring deeper analytics, we can provide API access to study data stored in Google Cloud Firestore for use in your research team's own reporting and analysis tools.
How much work does it ask of participants?
Pills are poured in loose, with no weekly sorting. Each pod is sized once with the Fit Kit, about 5 to 10 minutes per pod. At dose time the pod glows and the participant dispenses from the app, which sends the alerts. Schedules take under 15 seconds to set or change.
Which pill types and how many pills does a pod hold?
Each pod holds one pill type, about 150 ml or roughly 90 to 150 average-size pills. Whole tablets, capsules, caplets, soft gels, and gel caps work, from 4 mm up to 14 mm round tablets and 28 mm caplets. Split pills, chewables, gummies, powders, and liquids do not fit. A study with several products uses one pod per product, up to 10 pods on one power adapter.
Can it be used in supplement and nutrition studies?
Yes, for the supported pill forms. Soft gels and gel caps are supported, along with whole tablets, capsules, and caplets, and the pods hold supplements as well as medications. Several products can dispense at the same scheduled time, one pod per product.
Can we set dose windows and as-needed dosing to fit a protocol?
Yes. Each scheduled dose has a window you set, from 30 minutes to 6 hours either side of the scheduled time. The app also supports as-needed (PRN) dosing, a one-hour snooze for a late dose, and skipping a dose, plus low and empty inventory alerts.
What do participants need at home?
Participants need a smartphone (iOS or Android) with the free LiviPod app, a power outlet, and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. There is no subscription, no monthly fee, and no cellular plan. Alerts come from the participant's phone, with Custom Alert Tones, while the pod itself glows at dose time.
What does it cost across a grant period?
List prices are $293 for a Starter Set of 3 pods and $89 for each additional pod. There is no subscription, monthly fee, or cellular plan, the app is free, and the hardware carries a 1 Year Limited Hardware Warranty. Institutional and volume pricing is available for larger orders.
How do we raise data handling, HIPAA, and IRB requirements for our protocol?
No coordinator or caregiver can connect to a participant's routine without the participant's approval. LiviPods uses Google Cloud Firestore to store application data, with encryption at rest and in transit. For studies involving protected health information, we will work with your research team to confirm the required agreements, security controls, and data-handling requirements before study data collection begins. Tell us what your protocol and IRB submission require, and we will confirm what information and documentation we can provide.
Planning a study?Tell us your participant count and pill types.
We will talk through fit and pricing with your team.
Scope Your Study