Patient controlled timed medication dispenser

• US 20050258066A1
• Filed: 05/09/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avancen MOD Corp.
• Original Assignee: Avancen MOD Corp.
• Inventors: Conley, N. Sharon
• Granted Patent: US 7,743,923 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/538
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0445 for preventing drug dispensing during a predetermined time period
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0472 of the count-down type, i.e. counting down a predetermined interval after each reset
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

The medication delivery device provides patient access to medications prescribed to be available on an as-needed basis, but with a minimum time intervals between doses. The device permits access to a single dose of the medication after each minimum time interval has elapsed. When the drug dose is removed from the device, the medication tray locks until the next minimum dosage time interval has elapsed.

Claims

1. A medication dispenser for permitting administration of a medication dose to a patient only after a predetermined minimum-dosing interval has elapsed, the medication dispenser comprising:

a medication tray comprising a plurality of compartments, wherein certain ones of the plurality of compartments contain a medication dose;

a housing enclosing the medication tray, wherein the housing includes an opening; and

a controller for controlling the medication tray to align one of the plurality of compartments containing a medication dose with the opening after the minimum dosing interval has elapsed, thereby permitting the patient to access the medication dose through the opening.

2. The medication dispenser of claim 1 wherein the medication tray comprises a circularly shaped medication tray having the plurality of compartments disposed around an outer circumference thereof.

3. The medication dispenser of claim 2 wherein the medication tray is rotatable relative to the housing, and wherein a medication carrying compartment is rotated into alignment with the opening by action of a motor controlled by the controller.

4. The medication dispenser of claim 1 wherein the certain ones of the plurality of compartments containing a medication dose comprise alternating compartments of the plurality of compartments, and wherein the controller controls the medication tray to align one of the plurality of compartments containing a medication dose with the opening and a predetermined period thereafter controls the medication tray to align a next consecutive one of the plurality of compartments with the opening.

5. The medication dispenser of claim 4 wherein the predetermined period is about 25 seconds.

6. The medication dispenser of claim 1 wherein the controller causes one of the plurality of compartments containing a medication dose to align with the opening in response to the minimum dosing interval and identification of the patient as the person for whom the medication is intended.

7. The medication dispenser of claim 6 wherein patient identification information is stored within the medication dispenser, and wherein the patient is identified by comparing stored patient identification information with identification indicia provided by the patient.

8. The medication dispenser of claim 7 further comprising at least one of a keypad, a bat code reader, an RFID tag reader, a fingerprint reader, a voice print reader or a smart card reader, wherein the identification indicia provided by the patient comprises at least one of a corresponding keypad entries, a bar code, an RFID tag, a fingerprint, a voice print and a smart card.

9. The medication dispenser of claim 8 wherein the bar code is disposed on a wristband worn by the patient.

10. The medication dispenser of claim 8 wherein the RFID tag is disposed on a wristband worn by the patient.

11. The medication device of claim 1 wherein the controller determines when the patient has accessed a medication dose through the passage.

12. The medication dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a clock controllable by the controller for displaying the time remaining until the minimum dosing interval has elapsed.

13. The medication dispenser of claim 1 further comprising an input device for receiving information representing the inimum dosing interval, wherein the controller is responsive to the information for controlling the medication tray.

14. The medication dispenser of claim 13 wherein the input device is responsive to an input command provided to the controller to control the medication tray to cause one of the plurality of compartments containing a medication dose to align with the opening prior to elapsing of the minimum dosing interval, thereby permitting the patient to access the medication dose through the opening.

15. The medication dispenser of claim 1 responsive to a remote computing device via a wired or a wireless network for providing dosing information to the medication dispenser.

16. The medication dispenser of claim 15 wherein the remote computing device is associated with one or more of a central pharmacy, a medication cart and a nurse'"'"'s station.

17. The medication dispenser of claim 15 wherein the remote computing device queries the medication dispenser to determine patient dose administration information.

18. The medication dispenser of claim 1 further comprising one or more of a visual or an aural indicator for indicating that the minimum dosing interval has elapsed.

19. The medication dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a data input tray having a data input component and slidably engaged with the housing to an open or a closed configuration, wherein manipulation of the data input component provides information related to the minimum dosing interval.

20. The medication dispenser of claim 19 further comprising patient identification information for use in determining whether entered identification indicia identifies the patient, wherein manipulation of the data input component provides the patient identification information.

21. The medication dispenser of claim 19 wherein the data input component comprises a display manipulated by a stylus in contact with the display.

22. The medication dispenser of claim 19 wherein the data input component comprises a keypad.

23. The medication dispenser of claim 1 wherein the controller controls the medication tray to rotate, the medication dispenser further comprising a medication tray indexing component for determining rotation of the medication tray.

24. The medication dispenser of claim 23 wherein the medication tray indexing component comprises a indexing switch having an open and a closed configuration, wherein a configuration of the indexing switch changes in response to rotation of the medication tray.

25. The medication dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a medication tray lock for engaging the tray between minimum dosing intervals, wherein the lock is controlled to a released position when the controller controls the medication tray to rotate.

26. The medication dispenser of claim 25 wherein the medication tray lock comprises a solenoid having a plunger for engaging the tray between minimum dosing intervals.

27. The medication dispenser of claim 1 further comprising an accesses controller responsive to identification indicia provided by a person for determining whether the person is a patient authorized to access the medication dose supplied by the medication dispenser.

28. The medication dispenser of claim 1 further comprising a motor controlled by the controller to align one of the plurality of compartments containing a medication dose with the opening after the minimum dosing interval has elapsed.

29. A medication dispenser for supplying a medication dose to a patient, the medication dispenser comprising:

a medication tray having a substantially circular shape and comprising a plurality of compartments disposed about a circumference thereof, wherein alternating ones of the plurality of compartments contain a medication dose;

an enclosure for supporting the medication tray, wherein the enclosure includes an opening, and wherein the medication doses are not available except through the opening;

a controller for controlling the medication tray to rotate to align one of the plurality of compartments containing a medication dose with the opening after the minimum dosing interval has elapsed and after a person has been identified as an authorized patient, thereby permitting the authorized patient to access the medication dose through the opening; and

wherein after a predetermined period from rotation of the medication tray to align one of the plurality of compartments containing a medication dose with the opening the controller controls the medication tray to align a next consecutive one of the plurality of compartments with the opening, and wherein the next consecutive one of the plurality of compartments does not contain a medication dose.

30. The medication dispenser of claim 29 wherein the predetermined period is about 25 seconds.

31. The medication dispenser of claim 29 wherein authorized patient identification information is stored by the medication dispenser, and wherein a person is identified as the authorized patient by comparing the authorized patient identification information with identification indicia provided by the person.

32. The medication dispenser of claim 31 further comprising at least one of a keypad, a bar code reader, an RFID tag reader, a fingerprint reader, a voice print reader or a smart card reader, for receiving the identification indicia provided by the person, wherein the identification indicia comprises at least one of a corresponding keypad entries, a bar code, an RFID tag, a fingerprint, a voice print and a smart card.

33. The medication dispenser of claim 32 wherein the bar code is disposed on a wristband worn by the patient.

34. The medication dispenser of claim 32 wherein the RFID tag is disposed on a wristband worn by the patient.

35. The medication dispenser of claim 29 further comprising an input device for receiving the minimum dosing interval and authorized patient indicia.

36. The medication dispenser of claim 29 receiving the minimum dosing interval and authorized patient indicia from a remote computing device over at least one of a wired network, a wireless network or an infrared device, and wherein the remote computing device queries the medication dispenser to determine patient dose administration information.

37. The medication dispenser of claim 29 further comprising one or more of a visual or an aural indicator for indicating that the minimum dosing interval has elapsed.

38. The medication dispenser of claim 29 further comprising a data input tray having a data input component and slidably engaged with the housing to an open or a closed configuration, wherein manipulation of the data input component provides information related to one or both of the minimum dosing interval and authorized patient identification information for use in determining whether a person is the authorized patient.

39. The medication dispenser of claim 38 wherein the data input component comprises a display manipulated by a stylus in contact with the display.

40. The medication dispenser of claim 38 wherein the data input component comprises a keypad.

41. A method for dispensing a medication dose from a medication dispenser to an authorized patient on an as-needed basis, comprising:

(a) determining that a first predetermined time interval has elapsed since a previous medication dose was made available to the authorized patient;

(b) activating an indicator when the predetermined time interval has elapsed;

(c) determining that a person is the authorized patient;

(d) causing a medication-containing compartment of the medication dispenser to align with an opening in the medication dispenser, wherein the authorized patient can access the medication dose through the opening; and

(e) after a second predetermined time interval from step (d), causing a compartment that does not contain a medication dose to align with the opening.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein the step (c) further comprises in response to identification information supplied by the person, determining that the person is the authorized patient.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the identification information comprises at least one of a code entered on a keypad of the medication dispenser, a bar code, an RFID tag code, a fingerprint, a voice print or information supplied by a smart card.

44. The method of claim 41 wherein the first predetermined time interval comprises a minimum interval between as-needed doses.