ORAL DRUG COMPLIANCE MONITORING USING MAGNETIC-FIELD SENSORS

• US 20100322859A1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.), North Carolina State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies, Inc. (Dow, Inc.), North Carolina State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Inventors: Jones, Christopher M., White, Douglas P., Warren, Malcolm W. II, Ghovanloo, Maysam, Mercure, Peter K.
• Application Number:
  US12/297,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20100322859A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 424/9.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4205 Evaluating swallowing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6822 Neck
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/007 Marking tablets or the like apparatus for printing on tablets or the like B41F17/36

Abstract

A method to measure compliance with a pharmaceutical regimen, by the steps of: (a) ingesting a dose of a medication (10) into the gastrointestinal tract of a person, the dose of medication (10) comprising a drug formulation (13) and a permanent magnet (14); (b) as a result of the ingestion of step (a), detecting passage of the permanent magnet (14) past at least two magnetic field sensors (20) positioned apart from each other and adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract; and (c) measuring compliance with the pharmaceutical regimen by way of the detection of step (b). And, apparatus useful to measure compliance with a pharmaceutical regimen by detecting ingestion of a dose of medication (10) comprising a drug formulation (13) and a permanent magnet (14), the apparatus including at least two magnetic field sensors (20) positioned apart from each other on a necklace (22), each magnetic field sensor (20) being in electronic communication with a microprocessor for receiving signals from the magnetic field sensors (20) to determine the passage of a permanent magnet (14) between the magnetic field sensors (20).

Claims

1. A method to measure compliance with a pharmaceutical regimen, comprising the steps of:

(a) ingesting a dose of a medication into the gastrointestinal tract of a person, the dose of medication comprising a drug formulation and a permanent magnet;

(b) as a result of the ingestion of step (a), detecting passage of the permanent magnet past at least two magnetic field sensors positioned apart from each other and adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract; and

(c) measuring compliance with the pharmaceutical regimen by way of the detection of step (b).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence of the permanent magnet inside the gastrointestinal tract is detected using magneto-inductive sensors.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein three magneto-inductive sensors are positioned apart from each other on a necklace worn around the neck of the person.

2. The method of step 1, wherein step (b) comprises the generation of a time and date stamped data point is stored for use in step (c).

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the presence of the permanent magnet inside the gastrointestinal tract is detected using magneto-inductive sensors.

3. The method of step 2, wherein the time and date stamped data point is stored in digital form.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the presence of the permanent magnet inside the gastrointestinal tract is detected using magneto-inductive sensors.

4. The method of step 3, wherein the data point is stored in a personal data assistant device or a personal computer.

13. The method of claim 4, wherein the presence of the permanent magnet inside the gastrointestinal tract is detected using magneto-inductive sensors.

7. Apparatus useful to measure compliance with a pharmaceutical regimen by detecting ingestion of a dose of medication comprising a drug formulation and a permanent magnet, comprising:

at least two magnetic field sensors positioned apart from each other on a necklace, each magnetic field sensor being in electronic communication with a microprocessor for receiving signals from the magnetic field sensors to determine the passage of a permanent magnet between the magnetic field sensors.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein three magnetic field sensors positioned apart from each other are incorporated into the necklace.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the three magnetic field sensors are positioned about equidistant from each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a digital personal data assistant configured to receive a time and date stamped data point transmitted by a radio frequency transmitter in electrical communication with the microprocessor.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a digital personal data assistant configured to receive a time and date stamped data point transmitted by a radio frequency transmitter in electrical communication with the microprocessor.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a digital personal data assistant configured to receive a time and date stamped data point transmitted by a radio frequency transmitter in electrical communication with the microprocessor.