Apparatus and method for monitoring medication adherence

• US 10,506,971 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2018
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AI Cure Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: AI Cure Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Hanina, Adam, Kessler, Gordon, Guan, Lei
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Hung Q
• Application Number:
  US16/206,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20190192070A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/004 adapted for image acquisition of a particular organ or body part A61B5/0082 takes precedence; arrangements for optical scanning A61B5/0062
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1128 using image analysis A61B5/1127 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4205 Evaluating swallowing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2201/188 Multiple filtering elements having filtering areas of different size
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/064 The fibres being mixed
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/065 More than one layer present in the filtering material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2239/1233 Fibre diameter
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/0093 Making filtering elements not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 29/56 in series connection
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/06 Inorganic material, e.g. asbestos fibres, glass beads or fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/1623 of synthetic origin
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 39/2017 the material being filamentary or fibrous
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/70 Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras camera calibration G06T7/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/28 : Recognition of hand or arm movements, e.g. recognition of deaf sign language static hand signs G06V40/113
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/67 : by interactive indications to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 : delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 : based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 : where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 : Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249964 : Fibers of defined composition
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249969 : Of silicon-containing material [e.g., glass, etc.]

Abstract

A system and method for positioning a pill to be ingested by a user in a field of view of an image acquisition camera. The method includes the steps of determining a desired location of the mouth of a user in a field of view of an image acquisition camera, determining a current position of a pill to be ingested by the user in the field of view of the image acquisition apparatus, and indicating on a display a movement to be made by the user to move the pill towards mouth of the user.

Claims

1. A method for positioning a user in a field of view of an image acquisition camera by providing automatic guidance to the user on how to position the user, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying on a display an image of a user within a field of view of an image acquisition camera;

determining a desired location of a user in a field of view of an image acquisition camera;

determining a current position of the user in the field of view of the image acquisition apparatus;

presenting a location target on the display indicating the desired location of the user in the field of view of the image acquisition camera;

acquiring an image of the user within the field of view of the image acquisition camera by the image acquisition camera;

following movement of the user in the field of view of the image acquisition camera by relative movement of the user image on the display; and

confirming interaction between the user and the location target when they are determined to be coextensive on the display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the current position of the user is too far from the image acquisition camera, an image of the user is displayed on the display in a small size.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising the step of providing a head tracing indicating a proper size that the image of the user should be.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein an indicator is provided when the user is properly positioned, and the image of the user is coincident with the head tracing.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of indicating comprises a change in color.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired location of the user is adjusted in accordance with one or more environmental factors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display further displays an indication if the user moves out of the field of view of the image acquisition camera and is therefore no longer displayed on the display.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a head tracing indicating a desired proper location of the image of the user.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein an indicator directs the user to move in the direction of the head tracing.

10. A system for tracking positioning of a user by providing automatic guidance to the user on how to position the user, comprising:

a display for displaying an image of a user within a field of view of an image acquisition camera;

an image acquisition apparatus for acquiring an image of a user;

a processor for determining a desired location of a body part of a user in a field of view of the image acquisition apparatus, and determining a current position of the body part of the user in the field of view of the image acquisition apparatus; and

a display for displaying the acquired image of the user, for presenting a location target to move the body part of the user to a desired location within the field of view of the image acquisition camera;

the processor further following movement of the user in the field of view of the image acquisition camera by relative movement of the user image on the display, and confirming interaction between the user and the location target when they are determined to be coextensive on the display.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the display further displays an indicator of the current position of body part of the user within the field of view of the image acquisition camera.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising an indicator on the display indicating movement of the indicator towards the location target within the field of view of the image acquisition camera.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein provision of the indicated movement improves the ability of the user to properly position their body part within the field of view of the image acquisition camera.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein positioning of the body part of the user is confirmed when the indicator and the location target are determined to be coextensive in one or more of the plurality of images.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the display further displays an indication if the body part moves out of the field of view of the image acquisition camera.