Radio frequency identification based system to track consumption of medication

• US 20050285746A1
• Filed: 10/25/2004
• 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:
  US10/973,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20050285746A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• 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 device monitors for a signal pattern indicative of an RFID tag contained within medication and determines a status based on a presence or absence of the signal pattern. The signal pattern includes a medication identifier and a signal level over time. A detected signal pattern is compared to stored ingestion profiles to distinguish between consumed and non-consumed medication.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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

determining a status based on a presence or an absence of the signal pattern.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining the status comprises identifying an RFID of the medication and an expected change in a signal strength over time.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining the status comprises determining the absence of the signal pattern when a particular signal pattern is expected.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining the status comprises determining the presence of the signal pattern when the signal pattern is not expected.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the determining the status comprises comparing a detected signal pattern to a stored ingestion profile to identify a consumed medication.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the stored ingestion profile includes an expected RFID.

7. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the consumed medication is compared to a patient medication profile to identify a deviation from expected medicating.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising initiating an alert if the status indicates an incorrect medicating.

9. An apparatus comprising:

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

a processor to determine a status based on a detection or an absence of the signal pattern.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, the processor further to identify an RFID of the medication and an expected change in a signal strength over time.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein to determine the status, the processor is further to determine the absence of the signal pattern when a particular signal pattern is expected.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein to determine the status, the processor is further to determine the presence of the signal pattern when the signal pattern is not expected.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, the processor further to compare a detected signal pattern to a stored ingestion profile to identify a consumed medication.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the stored ingestion profile includes an expected RFID.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the consumed medication is compared to a patient medication profile to identify a deviation from expected medicating.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, the processor further to initiate an alert if the status indicates an incorrect medicating.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the RFID reader is further to record changes in a signal strength of the signal pattern over time.

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

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

determine a status based on a presence or an absence of the signal pattern.

19. The article as recited in claim 18, wherein instructions to determine the status comprise instructions to identify an RFID of the medication and an expected change in a signal strength over time.

20. The article as recited in claim 18, wherein instructions to determine the status comprise instructions to determine the absence of the signal pattern when a particular signal pattern is expected.

21. The article as recited in claim 18, wherein instructions to determine the status comprise instructions to determine the presence of the signal pattern when the signal pattern is not expected.

22. The article as recited in claim 18, wherein the instructions to determine the status comprise instructions to compare a detected signal pattern to a stored ingestion profile to identify a consumed medication.

23. The article as recited in claim 22, wherein the stored ingestion profile includes an expected RFID.

24. The article as recited in claim 22, wherein the consumed medication is compared to a patient medication profile to identify a deviation from expected medicating.

25. The article as recited in claim 22, the instructions further comprising instructions to initiate an alert if the status indicates an incorrect medicating.

26. A system comprising:

a radio frequency identification (RFID) device to monitor for a signal pattern indicative of an RFID tag contained within a medication and initiate an alert if an improper medicating is detected.

27. The system as recited in claim 26, the RFID device to identify an RFID of the medication and an expected change in a signal strength over time.

28. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein to detect the improper medicating the RFID device further to determine the absence of the signal pattern when a particular signal pattern is expected.

29. The system as recited in claim 26, wherein to detect the improper medicating the RFID device further to determine the presence of the signal pattern when the signal pattern is not expected.

30. The system as recited in claim 26, the RFID device further to compare a detected signal pattern to a stored ingestion profile to identify a consumed medication.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the stored ingestion profile includes an expected RFID.

32. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein the consumed medication is compared to a patient medication profile to identify a deviation from expected medicating.