Drug delivery device state recognition

• US 10,643,744 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2017
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: West Pharmaceutical Services Incorporated
• Inventors: Hopper, Kevin, Faught, Stacy, Evans, Christopher, Costello, Brian, Protasiewicz, Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Franklin, Jamara A
• Application Number:
  US15/999,805
• Publication Number:
  US 20190341136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,168 Days
• Field of Search: 235375, 23546201, 604189
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/3267 Biased sleeves where the needle is uncovered by insertion of the needle into a patient's body
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6036 characterised by physical shape, e.g. array of activating switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6081 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/00 Ancillary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2209/01 Remote controllers for specific apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/31 Details
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3204 Needle cap remover, i.e. devices to dislodge protection cover from needle or needle hub, e.g. deshielding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/326 Fully automatic sleeve extension, i.e. in which triggering of the sleeve does not require a deliberate action by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/10 Terrestrial scenes scenes under surveillance with static cameras G06V20/52; scenes perceived from the exterior of a vehicle G06V20/56; scenes perceived from the interior of a vehicle G06V20/59
• 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 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A method of detecting and/or tracking use of a drug delivery device is disclosed. The drug delivery device includes a machine readable code and a visual indicator, and has pre-use and used states, such that use of the drug delivery device triggers a transition from the pre-use to the used state. The visual indicator has a first state when the drug delivery device is in the pre-use state and a different second state when the drug delivery device is in the used state. The method includes enabling a user device having an image sensor to capture an image of the drug delivery device, determining, by the user device processor from the captured image, whether the visual indicator of the drug delivery device is in the second state, and obtaining, by the processor, information from the machine readable code when the visual indicator is determined to be in the second state.

Claims

1. A method of detecting or tracking use of a drug delivery device, the drug delivery device including a machine readable code and a visual indicator, the drug delivery device having a pre-use state and a used state, such that use of the drug delivery device triggers a transition from the pre-use state to the used state, wherein the visual indicator is a color or image provided on at least one component of the drug delivery device and has a first state when the drug delivery device is in the pre-use state and a different second state when the drug delivery device is in the used state, the method comprising:

enabling a user device having an image sensor to capture one or more images of the drug delivery device;

determining, by a processor of the user device from at least one of the one or more captured images, whether the visual indicator of the drug delivery device is in the second state by determining whether the color or image is present in the at least one of the one or more captured images; and

obtaining, by the processor of the user device, information from the machine readable code in response to the determination that the visual indicator is in the second state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the color or image is in the second state, the color or image is hidden by one or more additional components of the drug delivery device, and wherein the step of obtaining information from the machine readable code occurs only when the color or image is hidden in the at least one of the one or more captured images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the color or image is in the first state, the color or image is hidden by one or more additional components of the drug delivery device, and wherein the step of obtaining information from the machine readable code occurs only when the color or image is visible in the at least one of the one or more captured images.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code is a bar code disposed on an exterior surface of the drug delivery device, and wherein the step of obtaining the information includes reading, by the processor of the user device, the bar code from at least one of the one or more captured images.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the machine readable code is a bar code disposed on an exterior surface of the drug delivery device, and wherein the step of obtaining the information includes capturing at least one second image of the drug delivery device and reading the bar code from at least one second image.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, by the processor of the user device, an alert to the user that the information from the machine readable code cannot be obtained when the visual indicator is determined by the processor of the user device to be in the first state.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, by a processor of the user device on a display of the user device, a visual device outline corresponding to a shape of the drug delivery device in the used state, the visual device outline configured to aid the user in capturing the one or more images of the drug delivery device.

8. A method of detecting or tracking use of a drug delivery device, the drug delivery device including a machine readable code, the drug delivery device having a first shape in a pre-use state and a different second shape in a used state, such that use of the drug delivery device triggers a transition from the pre-use state to the used state, the method comprising:

enabling a user device having an image sensor to capture one or more images of the drug delivery device;

determining, by a processor of the user device from at least one of the one or more captured images, whether the drug delivery device has the second shape; and

obtaining, by the processor of the user device, information from the machine readable code in response to the determination that the drug delivery device has the second shape.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the machine readable code is a bar code disposed on an exterior surface of the drug delivery device, and wherein the step of obtaining the information includes reading, by the processor of the user device, the bar code from at least one of the one or more captured images.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the machine readable code is a bar code disposed on an exterior surface of the drug delivery device, and wherein the step of obtaining the information includes capturing at least one second image of the drug delivery device and reading the bar code from at least one second image.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting, by the processor of the user device, an alert to the user that the information from the machine readable code cannot be obtained when the drug delivery device is determined by the processor of the user device to have the first shape.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing, by a processor of the user device on a display of the user device, a visual device outline corresponding to the second shape of the drug delivery device, the visual device outline configured to aid the user in capturing the one or more images of the drug delivery device.