MEDICATION DISPENSER RESPECTING THE PHYSIOLOGICAL CLOCK OF PATIENTS

• US 20090050645A1
• Filed: 08/22/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Burg, Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 8,068,015 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/049 automatically changing in response to a schedule deviation by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A medication dispensing system for use with a medication dispenser, includes a physiological module and an ingestion module. The physiological module receives information regarding time-based medication intake, information regarding event-based medication prescription, and sensory input indicating occurrences of events indicative of a patient'"'"'s physiological condition and/or the patient'"'"'s physiological clock. The physiological module then determines physiological event-based medication intake based on the information regarding the event-based medication prescription and physiological rules regarding the patient'"'"'s physiological condition and/or the patient'"'"'s physiological clock. The ingestion module merges event-based medication intake and time-based medication intake by delaying or accelerating dispensing of a time-based medication. The delay or acceleration can be applied to ensure that the time-based medication is dispensed at the same time as an event-based medication, and/or in order to increase a time difference between ingestion of the time-based medication and the event-based medication.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing system for use with a medication dispenser, the system comprising:

a physiological module receiving information regarding time-based medication intake, information regarding event-based medication prescription, and sensory input indicating occurrences of events indicative of at least one of;

(a) a patient'"'"'s physiological condition;

or (b) the patient'"'"'s physiological clock, wherein said physiological module determines physiological event-based medication intake based on the information regarding the event-based medication prescription and at least one of;

(a) physiological rules regarding the patient'"'"'s physiological condition;

or (b) the patient'"'"'s physiological clock;

an ingestion module merging event-based medication intake and time-based medication intake by at least one of delaying or accelerating dispensing of a time-based medication so that the time-based medication is dispensed at least one of;

(a) at the same time as an event-based medication;

or (b) in order to increase a time difference between ingestion of the time-based medication and the event-based medication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said ingestion module employs a predetermined temporal window for dispensing the time-based medication to determine whether to at least one of delay or accelerate dispensing the time-based medication.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said physiological module maintains a dynamically adjusted calendar for dispensing event-based medication by recording the occurrences of events and making a determination of the time ranges in which the events occur, thereby generating a dynamically determined temporal window for dispensing the event-based medication.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said ingestion module delays dispensing of the time-based medication when overlap occurs of the predetermined temporal window and the dynamically determined temporal window.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said ingestion module delays dispensing of the time-based medication until either:

(a) the event-based medication is dispensed in response to occurrence of an event, or (b) an end of the predetermined temporal window is reached, whichever comes first.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said system downloads an e-prescription from an HMO+, and the e-prescription specifies both the information regarding the time-based medication intake, and the information regarding the event-based medication prescription.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the information regarding the time-based medication intake includes instructions for dispensing medication according to a fixed time distribution schedule, and the event-based medication prescription includes instructions for dispensing medication in response to events including at least one of:

blood pressure level;

heart attack;

going to sleep;

waking;

or taking a meal.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said ingestion module recognizes that the time-based medication and the event-based medication have a possibility of producing a side effect when consumed concurrently, and decides to at least one of delay or accelerate dispensing of the time-based medication in order to increase a time difference between ingestion of the time-based medication and ingestion of the event-based medication.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the side effect is an allergic reaction.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said system connects to an HMO+ and uploads notifications of medication intake in order to update status of the patient.

11. A medication dispensing method for use with a medication dispenser, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding time-based medication intake, information regarding event-based medication prescription, and sensory input indicating occurrences of events indicative of at least one of;

(a) a patient'"'"'s physiological condition;

or (b) the patient'"'"'s physiological clock;

determining physiological event-based medication intake based on the information regarding the event-based medication prescription and at least one of;

(a) physiological rules regarding the patient'"'"'s physiological condition;

or (b) the patient'"'"'s physiological clock; and

merging event-based medication intake and time-based medication intake by at least one of delaying or accelerating dispensing of a time-based medication so that the time-based medication is dispensed at least one of;

(a) at the same time as an event-based medication;

or (b) in order to increase a time difference between ingestion of the time-based medication and the event-based medication.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising employing a predetermined temporal window for dispensing the time-based medication to determine whether to at least one of delay or accelerate dispensing the time-based medication.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising maintaining a dynamically adjusted calendar for dispensing event-based medication by recording the occurrences of events and making a determination of the time ranges in which the events occur, thereby generating a dynamically determined temporal window for dispensing the event-based medication.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising delaying dispensing of the time-based medication when overlap occurs of the predetermined temporal window and the dynamically determined temporal window.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising delaying dispensing of the time-based medication until either:

(a) the event-based medication is dispensed in response to occurrence of an event, or (b) an end of the predetermined temporal window is reached, whichever comes first.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising downloading an e-prescription from an HMO+, wherein the e-prescription specifies both the information regarding the time-based medication intake, and the information regarding the event-based medication prescription.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information regarding the time-based medication intake includes instructions for dispensing medication according to a fixed time distribution schedule, and the event-based medication prescription includes instructions for dispensing medication in response to events including at least one of:

blood pressure level;

heart attack;

going to sleep;

waking;

or taking a meal.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

recognizing that the time-based medication and the event-based medication have a possibility of producing a side effect when consumed concurrently; and

deciding to at least one of delay or accelerate dispensing of the time-based medication in order to increase a time difference between ingestion of the time-based medication and ingestion of the event-based medication.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the side effect is an allergic reaction.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

connecting to an HMO+; and

uploading notifications of medication intake in order to update status of the patient.