Medication delivery system

• US 20040104271A1
• Filed: 11/24/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Baxter International Inc.
• Inventors: Bui, Tuan, Pierce, Richard, Martucci, James, DiGianfilippo, Aleandro, Hitchcock, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,668,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3576 with non implanted data transmission devices, e.g. using external transmitter or receiver
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A medication delivery system (20) having features of the present invention comprises a medical container (26) holding a prescribed medication (27) to be delivered to a patient, a tag 24 adapted to be worn by the patient, a handheld computing device (22), and an electronic medication delivery device (30). Data on the medication (27) is contained in a first label (28) on the medication container (27). The first label (28) also contains the instruction on how the medication is delivered to the patient, including the appropriate settings for an electronic medication delivery device for delivering the medication to the patient. Patient data is contained in a second label (29) on the tag (24) worn by the patient. The medication data, medication delivery instruction, and patient data are provided in machine readable formats. The handheld computing device (22) reads the medication data and the medication delivery instruction on the medication container (26) and the patient data on the patient tag (24). The handheld computing device (22) stores the information obtained and performs a matching check to confirm that the medication data matches with the patient data. Upon a confirmed match, it transmits the medication delivery instruction to the electronic medication delivery device (30), which downloads the instruction, programs the delivery device 30, and prompts an operator to begin delivering the medication (27) to the patient according to the downloaded instruction.

Claims

1. A method for medication delivery comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a medication container containing a prescribed medication and a first label containing data on the prescribed medication and instruction of delivering of the medication, the prescribed medication data and the instruction of delivering the medication being provided in machine readable format;

(b) providing a tag adapted to be worn by a patient, the tag having a second label containing data of the patient, the patient data being provided in machine readable format;

(c) providing a handheld computing device with;

means for reading the prescribed medication data and medication delivery instruction from the first label and patient data from the second label;

means for storing the data and instruction; and

means for communicating data and instruction to other electronic devices; and

(d) the handheld computing device reading the prescribed medication data and medication delivery instruction from the first label;

(e) the handheld computing device reading the patient data from the second label; and

(f) the handheld computing device performing a matching check and confirming the match between the prescribed medication data and the patient data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of the handheld computing device communicating and downloading the medication delivery instruction to a medication delivery device to deliver the medication to the patient.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of the medication delivery device performing periodic checks of the operating parameters of the medication delivery device against the medication delivery instruction downloaded from the handheld computing device to ensure the operating parameters are within the ranges set by the medication delivery instruction after starting the delivery of the medication.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the first label is encoded with the prescribed medication data and the instruction of delivering the medication derived from a print stream generated from a pharmacy information system.

5. A method for medication delivery comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a medication container containing a prescribed medication and a first label containing data on the prescribed medication and instruction of delivering of the medication, the prescribed medication data and the instruction of delivering the medication being provided in machine readable format;

(b) providing a tag adapted to be worn by a patient, the tag having a second label containing data of the patient, the patient data being provided in machine readable format;

(c) providing a handheld computing device with;

means for reading the prescribed medication data and medication delivery instruction from the first label and patient data from the second label;

means for storing the data and instruction; and

means for communicating data and instruction to other electronic devices; and

(d) the handheld computing device reading the prescribed medication data and medication delivery instruction from the first label;

(e) the handheld computing device reading the patient data from the second label;

(f) the handheld computing device performing a matching check and confirming the match between the prescribed medication data and the patient data; and

(g) the handheld computing device communicating and downloading the medication delivery instruction to a medication delivery device to deliver the medication to the patient.

6. A method for medication delivery comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying medication data contained in a first label on a medication container containing a prescribed medication, the first label containing data on the prescribed medication and instruction of delivering of the medication, the prescribed medication data and the instruction of delivering the medication being provided in machine readable format;

(b) identifying patient data contained in a second label on a tag adapted to be worn by a patient, the second label containing data of the patient, the patient data being provided in machine readable format;

(c) performing a matching check between the medication data and the patient data by a handheld computing device wherein the handheld computing device having;

means for reading the prescribed medication data and medication delivery instruction from the first label and patient data from the second label;

means for storing the data and instruction; and

means for communicating data and instruction to other electronic devices;

(d) the handheld computing device confirming the data and downloading the instruction of delivering the medication to a medication delivery device.