Device and method to monitor, track, map and analyze usage of metered-dose inhalers in real-time

• US 10,556,070 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2016
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reciprocal Labs Corporation (ResMed Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Reciprocal Labs Corporation (ResMed Incorporated)
• Inventors: Van Sickle, John David, Tracy, Gregory F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stanis, Timothy A
• Application Number:
  US15/364,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20170072144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,169 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/00 Inhalators drug delivery in endotracheal tubes A61M16/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/008 Electronic counters
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6027 Electric-conductive bridges closing detection circuits, with or without identifying elements, e.g. resistances, zener-diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/01 Remote controllers for specific apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A system and method for accurately and reliably determining and recording the time, date and location where a medication is used, and a system and method for transmitting, collecting, and using that data to improve clinical care, disease management, and public health surveillance. The device allows information concerning drug usage, including the time, date and location of use, to be transmitted to a remote network computer system so that the data can be evaluated to determine current impairment and future risk, and to identify changes in the frequency, timing, or location of medication usage indicative of change in disease control or management, and to examine spatial, temporal or demographic patterns of medication use or absence of use among individuals and groups. In addition, the device may further be configured to transmit signals indicative of its status, condition or other results to the remote network computer system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network computer system, a plurality of usage events, each usage event reporting a dispensing of medication by a medicament dispensing device, each of the usage events comprising a timestamp and a geographical location of the dispensing of the medication;

creating a subset of usage events, the subset comprising usage events with geographical locations in a specified geographical area;

analyzing the subset of usage events to identify an event of interest based on the timestamps and geographical locations of the received usage events; and

responsive to the analyzing,

preparing a visualization of the event of interest; and

providing the visualization to a user device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data from one or more remote information sources; and

analyzing the usage events to identify an event of interest based on the data received from the one or more remote information sources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the event of interest comprises detecting a deviation from expected values for the geographical area.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an online interface comprising the visualization, wherein the online interface further comprises at least one of tabular data, graphical visualizations, and analyses of usage events.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at an online interface, additional information from a user of a medicament dispensing device, the additional information comprising at least one of event details, disease status, perceived event cause, medical record information, health care utilization, psychological information, environmental exposure, air quality data, traffic data, pollen counts, and meteorological information.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, at a network computer system, a plurality of usage events, each usage event reporting a dispensing of medication by a medicament dispensing device, each of the usage events comprising a timestamp and a geographical location of the dispensing of the medication;

create a subset of usage events, the subset comprising usage events with geographical locations in a specified geographical area;

analyze the subset of usage events to identify an event of interest based on the timestamps and geographical locations of the received usage events; and

responsive to the analyzing,

prepare a visualization of the event of interest; and

provide the visualization to a user device.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive data from one or more remote information sources; and

analyze the usage events to identify an event of interest is further based on the data received from the one or more remote information sources.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein analyzing the subset of usage events to identify the event of interest comprises:

detecting a deviation from expected values for the geographical area.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

generate an online interface comprising the visualization, wherein the online interface further comprises at least one of tabular data, graphical visualizations, and analyses of usage events.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive, at an online interface, additional information from a user of a medicament dispensing device, the additional information comprising at least one of event details, disease status, perceived event cause, medical record information, health care utilization, psychological information, environmental exposure, air quality data, traffic data, pollen counts, and meteorological information.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network computer system, a plurality of usage events, each usage event reporting a dispensing of medication by a medicament dispensing device, each of the usage events comprising a timestamp and a geographical location of the dispensing of the medication;

analyzing the usage events to identify an event of interest based on the timestamps and geographical locations of the received usage events; and

responsive to the analyzing,

preparing a visualization of the event of interest, wherein the visualization comprises a geographic visualization of the event of interest; and

providing the visualization to a user device.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

preparing an electronic notification comprising the visualization.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the visualization to the device comprises:

sending an electronic notification to the device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the electronic notification is at least one from the group consisting of an SMS message, an email, and a HTTP request.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating an online interface comprising the visualization, wherein the online interface further comprises at least one of tabular data, graphical visualizations, and analyses of usage events.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, at a network computer system, a plurality of usage events, each usage event reporting a dispensing of medication by a medicament dispensing device, each of the usage events comprising a timestamp and a geographical location of the dispensing of the medication;

analyze the usage events to identify an event of interest based on the timestamps and geographical locations of the received usage events; and

responsive to the analyzing,

prepare a visualization of the event of interest, wherein the visualization comprises a geographic visualization of the event of interest; and

provide the visualization to a user device.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

prepare an electronic notification comprising the visualization.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein providing the visualization to the device comprises:

sending an electronic notification to the device.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the electronic notification is at least one from the group consisting of an SMS message, an email, and a HTTP request.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

generate an online interface comprising the visualization, wherein the online interface further comprises at least one of tabular data, graphical visualizations, and analyses of usage events.

21. A method comprising:

receiving, at a network computer system, a plurality of usage events, each usage event reporting a dispensing of medication by a medicament dispensing device, wherein each usage event comprises a timestamp and a geographical location of the dispensing of the medication and is received from one of a plurality of devices associated with one of a plurality of users;

analyzing the usage events to identify an event of interest based on the timestamps and geographical locations of the received usage events; and

responsive to the analyzing,

preparing a visualization of the event of interest; and

providing the visualization to a user device.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving data from one or more remote information sources; and

analyzing the usage events to identify an event of interest based on the data from the one or more remote information sources.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the user associated with the user device is one of the following:

a patient that uses the medicament dispensing device;

a healthcare professional; and

an authorized user authorized by a patient that users the medicament dispensing device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the user device is associated with a user of the plurality of users.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the user device is not associated with a user of the plurality of users.

26. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive, at a network computer system, a plurality of usage events, each usage event reporting a dispensing of medication by a medicament dispensing device, wherein each usage event comprises a timestamp and a geographical location of the dispensing of the medication and is received from one of a plurality of devices associated with one of a plurality of users;

analyze the usage events to identify an event of interest based on the timestamps and geographical locations of the received usage events; and

responsive to the analyzing,

prepare a visualization of the event of interest; and

provide the visualization to a user device.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

receive data from one or more remote information sources; and

analyze the usage events to identify an event of interest based on the data from the one or more remote information sources.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the user associated with the user device is one of the following:

a patient that uses the medicament dispensing device;

a healthcare professional; and

an authorized user authorized by a patient that users the medicament dispensing device.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the user device is associated with a user of the plurality of users.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the user device is not associated with a user of the plurality of users.