Radio frequency identification based system to track consumption of medication

• US 20050285732A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 12/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Sengupta, Uttam K., Deshpande, Nikhil M.
• Application Number:
  US10/877,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20050285732A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/02 Alarms for ensuring the safety of persons
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A radio frequency identification (RFID) based system to track consumption of medicine is disclosed. An RFID reader monitors a signal pattern of an RFID tag contained within medication. The signal pattern includes a medication identifier and a signal level over time. The signal pattern is compared to known ingestion profiles to distinguish between consumed and non-consumed medication.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring a signal pattern of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag contained within medication; and

uploading the signal pattern to a client device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring the signal pattern comprises recording an RFID identifying the medication and changes in a signal strength over time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising storing the signal pattern.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring comprises:

comparing the signal pattern to an ingestion profile to distinguish between consumption of the medication and non-consumption of the medication.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the uploading is via a wireless communication link.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the wireless communication link is an ultra-wideband link.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the wireless communication link is a Bluetooth link.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

upon detecting the signal pattern having a signal strength above a threshold strength, beginning the monitoring.

9. A method comprising:

receiving a monitored signal pattern of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag contained within medication;

comparing the signal pattern to an ingestion profile to distinguish between consumption of the medication and non-consumption of the medication.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the ingestion profile is designated for a particular medication and comprises a signal strength signature that fluctuates and then decreases over time.

11. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the ingestion profile is designated for a particular patient orientation.

12. The method as recite din claim 11, wherein the particular patient orientation is upright.

13. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the signal pattern comprises an RFID identifying the medication and changes in a signal strength over time.

14. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the receiving the signal pattern is via a wireless communication link.

15. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

generating an alert if the comparing the signal pattern to an ingestion profile indicates an invalid consumption of medication.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising sending the alert to a physician.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader to monitor a signal pattern of an RFID tag contained within medication; and

an antenna coupled to the RFID reader to upload the signal pattern to a client device.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the RFID reader is further to record an RFID identifying the medication and changes in a signal strength of the signal pattern over time.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising storage for the signal pattern.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a processing unit to compare the signal pattern to an ingestion profile to distinguish between consumption of the medication and non-consumption of the medication.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 20, wherein the processing unit is further to generate an alert if the comparison of the signal pattern to an ingestion profile indicates an invalid consumption of medication.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein the RFID reader and the antenna are integrated into an article worn by a patient.

23. An article comprising a storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computing platform, operate to:

receive a monitored signal pattern of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag contained within medication;

compare the signal pattern to an ingestion profile to distinguish between consumption of the medication and non-consumption of the medication.

24. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein the ingestion profile is designated for a particular medication and comprises a signal strength signature that fluctuates and then decreases over time.

25. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein the ingestion profile is designated for a particular patient orientation.

26. The article as recited in claim 25, wherein the particular patient orientation is prone.

27. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein the signal pattern comprises an RFID identifying the medication and changes in a signal strength over time.

28. The article as recited in claim 23, wherein the instructions further operate to:

generate an alert if the comparing the signal pattern to an ingestion profile indicates an invalid consumption of medication.

29. The article as recited in claim 25, wherein the alert is sent to a physician.

30. A system comprising:

a recording device to monitor a signal pattern of a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag contained within medication; and

a client device in wireless communication with the recording device to receive the signal pattern from the recording device.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the recording device is further to record an RFID identifying the medication and changes in a signal strength of the signal pattern over time.

32. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the client device is further to compare the signal pattern to an ingestion profile to distinguish between consumption of the medication and non-consumption of the medication.

33. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the client device is further to generate an alert if the comparison of the signal pattern to an ingestion profile indicates an invalid consumption of medication.

34. The system as recited in claim 32, wherein the ingestion profile is designated for a particular medication and comprises a signal strength signature that fluctuates and then decreases over time.

35. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the client device is further to send the signal pattern to a service provider for comparison to an ingestion profile to distinguish between consumption of the medication and non-consumption of the medication.

36. The system as recited in claim 35, wherein the services provider is further to generate an alert if the comparison of the signal pattern to an ingestion profile indicates an invalid consumption of medication.