Systems for tracking medications

• US 10,163,311 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Above The Fold, LLC
• Original Assignee: Above The Fold, LLC
• Inventors: Herschkowitz, Samuel, Herzig, Abby, Kornberg, Joshua, Fein, Seymour, Adler, Deborah, Freitag, Eric, Pascazio, Robert R., Chin, Matthew, Brown, Gareth, Kaes, Stephen, Yoshimoto, Troy, Dholakia, Ritik, Klodginski, Mike, Uong, Khoi, Woo, Erin, Gelardi, Pepin, Ullrich, Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): Casillashernandez, Omar
• Application Number:
  US15/435,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20170236390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6824 Arm or wrist
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/505 Touch-screens; Virtual keyboard or keypads; Virtual buttons; Soft keys; Mouse touches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/587 Lighting arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/086 Docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0272 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect exact location of child or item using triangulation other than GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0277 : Communication between units on a local network, e.g. Bluetooth, piconet, zigbee, Wireless Personal Area Networks [WPAN]
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0288 : Attachment of child unit to child/article
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 : Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 : Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/016 : Personal emergency signalling and security systems emergency non-personal manually actuated alarm activators G08B25/12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 : using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 : relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 : delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/70 : for mining of medical data, e.g. analysing previous cases of other patients
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 : Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 : Access point devices

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to integrated systems, methods and apparatuses for assisting individuals in managing acute life-threatening conditions. A system in accordance with the current disclosure may comprise an electronic circuit configured to be attached to a container of a medication and one or more devices in communication with the electronic circuit in a private network. In an aspect, the one or more devices may work in concert to determine the safety level of an individual based on predetermined usage settings. In some aspects, the system may be configured to determine whether a medication would expire before its manufactured expiry date. In another aspect, the system may assist an individual in locating a medication. In a further aspect, the system may determine whether an individual is having an anaphylactic reaction. In some aspects, the system may detect a known allergen and alert the individual.

Claims

1. A system for aiding an individual to manage the use of a medication, the system comprising

a first device configured to adhere to a container of the medication;

a second device configured to communicate wirelessly with the first device, the second device comprising one or more processors and one or more computer-readable storage media electronically coupled to at least one of the processors in the second device and encoded with instructions that cause the second device at least to attempt to form a wireless connection with the first device, the instructions further comprising both

instructions that detect success of the attempt to establish a wireless connection with the first device and as a consequence of this detection cause the second device to provide output that indicates that the second device is connected to the first device, and

instructions that detect failure of the attempt to establish a wireless connection with the first device and as a consequence of this detection cause the second device to emit an alert; and

a third device configured to communicate wirelessly with the second device, the third device comprising one or more processors, one or more network interfaces operatively coupled to at least of the processors in the third device, and one or more computer-readable storage media operatively coupled to at least one of the processors in the third device and encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one of the processors in the third device, cause the third device at least to

establish a connection via a network with a support infrastructure that comprises one or more computer systems,

determine based on communication with the support infrastructure that a safe zone is defined with reference to the third device, and

attempt to establish a short-range wireless connection directly with the second device;

wherein the second device is deemed to be in the safe zone consequent to the determination that a safe zone is defined with reference to the third device and also consequent to successful establishment of the short-range wireless connection; and

wherein the second device is configured to suppress the alert when the second device is in the safe zone.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the container is a medical device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the container is an autoinjector.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the autoinjector comprises epinephrine.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the second device comprises a locate button; and

the locate button, when pressed, causes the second device to transmit a signal to the first device, the signal comprising a command to the first device to emit sound, light, or sound and light.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a temperature sensor.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first device comprises:

one or more processors;

one or more memories operatively coupled to at least one of the processors; and

one or more computer-readable storage media operatively coupled to at least one of the processors and encoded with instructions that, when executed by at least one of the processors comprised by the first device, cause the first device at least to

store in at least one of the memories a temperature reading obtained from the temperature sensor, and

based on the temperature reading, emit a signal from the group that consists of a temperature warning signal and temperature damage signal.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first device is configured to emit the temperature warning signal when the temperature sensor detects a temperature about 5% outside of a predetermined temperature range.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first device is configured to emit the temperature damage signal when the temperature sensor detects a temperature about 10% outside of a predetermined temperature range.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device is a wearable.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wearable comprises a vibration module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the alarm signal activates the vibration module.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the wearable comprises an audible alarm.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the alarm signal activates the audible alarm.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions encoded on the one or more computer-readable storage media comprised by the third device comprise instructions that, when executed by at least one of the processors comprised by the third device, cause the third device at least to:

try to establish a connection with the second device;

determine the last visible location of the first device if the connection cannot be established;

record the current location of the first device if the connection is established; and

transmit via the network the last visible location or the current location to one or more of the servers comprised by the support infrastructure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the third device is a mobile phone.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the safe zone is defined by a geographical location.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the safe zone is defined by a geographical location and a time schedule, the time schedule defining a first one or more time intervals in which the geographical location is a safe zone and a second one or more time intervals in which the geographical location is not a safe zone.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the third device is a mobile phone.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the time schedule defines the first one or more time intervals and the second one or more time intervals with reference to days of the week, and the time schedule repeats weekly.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the third device is a base station.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the third device is configured to indicate to one or more of the servers comprised by the support infrastructure, via the network, the result of the determination whether the second device is in the safe zone.