System and method for tracking content in a medicine container

• US 10,687,032 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2018
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northwestern University
• Original Assignee: Northwestern University
• Inventors: Mehrotra, Sanjay, Memik, Fatma Seda, Mikhelson, Ilya
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Frank F
• Application Number:
  US16/117,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20180376112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1418 Threaded type
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

A medicine container includes a controller and a scale connected with the controller. The scale is configured to measure a weight of a content contained in the medicine container. An inertial measurement unit connects with the controller. The inertial measurement unit is configured to detect a position of the medicine container. The controller is configured to process the position information to ensure that the container is located in an upright position before the weight measurement is considered.

Claims

1. A medicine container, comprising:

a controller;

a scale connected with the controller, the scale configured to measure a weight of a content contained in the medicine container; and

an inertial measurement unit connected with the controller, the inertial measurement unit configured to detect a position of the medicine container, the controller configured to process the position information to ensure that the container is located in an upright position before the weight measurement is considered.

2. The medicine container of claim 1, further comprising an image sensor connected with the controller, the controller configured to control the image sensor to take an image of a content of the medicine container to detect usage of the content.

3. The medicine container of claim 2, further comprising a memory connected with the image sensor, the memory configured to store the image, where the memory comprises at least one of a volatile memory configured to temporarily store the image and a non-volatile memory configured to store the image until communication becomes available.

4. The medicine container of claim 3, further including a printed circuit board, where the controller, the image sensor and the memory are located on the printed circuit board.

5. The medicine container of claim 4, further including a bottle cap, where the printed circuit board is sized to fit in the bottle cap.

6. The medicine container of claim 4, where the printed circuit board includes separate layers electrically connected together.

7. The medicine container of claim 3, further including a dataflow manager connected with the controller, the dataflow manager configured to control a flow of the image from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory.

8. The medicine container of claim 1, further including a communication element connected with the controller, the communication element configured to send at least one of image data, weight information and a timestamp to at least one of a communication device and a server.

9. The medicine container of claim 8, where the communication device comprises at least one of a smartphone, a tablet, a computer, an access point and a router.

10. The medicine container of claim 1, where the controller includes a power controller, the power controller configured to put a circuit component in sleep or low power state when not in use.

11. The medicine container of claim 10, where the power controller is further configured to turn on the circuit component when the medicine container is opened or closed.

12. The medicine container of claim 1, where the content comprises a liquid.

13. A system, comprising:

a medicine container configured to contain a content;

a controller located with the medicine container, the controller connected with a scale to measure a weight of the content; and

an inertial measurement unit connected with the controller, the inertial measurement unit configured to detect a position of the medicine container, the controller configured to process the position information to ensure that the container is located in an upright position before the weight measurement is considered.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a communication element connected with the controller, the communication element configured to send at least one of image data, weight information and a timestamp to at least one of a communication device and a server.

15. The system of claim 14, where the communication device includes an application configured to analyze at least one of the image data and the weight information.

16. The system of claim 15, where at least one of the controller and the communication device are configured to provide an alarm based on the analysis.

17. The system of claim 13, where the medicine container further includes a bottle and a cap.

18. The system of claim 17, where the controller enters a sleep mode based on the cap being closed to the bottle.

19. The system of claim 13, further including an image sensor connected with the controller, where the image sensor captures an image of a content in the medicine container.

20. The system of claim 13, where the content comprises a liquid.