Systems and methods for determining container contents, locations, and surroundings

• US 10,071,023 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2016
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adheretech Inc., Digital Medical Technologies, LLC, Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama (University of Alabama System)
• Original Assignee: Adheretech Inc., Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama (University of Alabama System)
• Inventors: Stein, Joshua, Langhauser, John, Morena, Michael, Jovanov, Emil
• Primary Examiner(s): Syed, Nabil
• Application Number:
  US15/157,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20160256357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/76 for fluid level
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/0421 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/42 for counting by weighing G01G19/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining whether and/or when a patient is taking his or her medication and, when appropriate, providing reminders and/or alerts to the patient to improve adherence to a medication regimen. In some embodiments, a medication container is provided that includes a capacitance sensor for sensing the contents of the medication container (e.g., pill count or quantity of liquid medication). The capacitance sensor may include interleaved or interdigitated electrodes oriented vertically, horizontally, or angularly (e.g., diagonally) relative to an axis of the medication container. Reminders and/or alerts to the patient may be triggered based at least in part on the contents of the medication container, when a cap of the container was last opened and/or closed, the location of the medication container, and/or the container'"'"'s surroundings.

Claims

1. A medication container, comprising:

a housing for medication;

a cap removably coupled to the housing;

a cap sensor configured to sense opening and/or closing of the cap;

a weight sensor coupled to the housing for sensing a quantity of medication within the housing, the weight sensor comprising a scale configured to move from a first, retracted position in which the scale does not bear a weight of the medication to a second, protracted position in which the scale bears the weight of the medication and can read the weight; and

one or more processors configured to trigger a reading of the weight sensor based at least in part on a status of the cap sensor;

wherein based at least in part on the status of the cap sensor the weight sensor is configured to move from the first retracted position to the second protracted position, to read the weight of the medication within the housing.

2. The medication container of claim 1, further comprising a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting data regarding the reading of the weight sensor to a remote computer.

3. The medication container of claim 2, further comprising:

a wireless receiver configured to receive an activation command from or otherwise initiated by the remote computer;

and

an alert,

wherein the one or more processors is configured to activate the alert based at least in part on receipt of the activation command by the wireless receiver.

4. The medication container of claim 3, wherein the alert comprises at least one of a light source, a graphical display, a text display, and a speaker.