Method and Apparatus for Patient-Controlled Medical Therapeutics

• US 20110021983A1
• Filed: 10/05/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Phillip A. Jurson
• Original Assignee: Phillip A. Jurson
• Inventors: Jurson, Phillip A.
• Application Number:
  US12/898,405
• Publication Number:
  US 20110021983A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/93.01
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1405 Patient controlled analgesia [PCA]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/609 Biometric patient identification means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/172 electrical or electronic A61M5/16804, A61M5/16831 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and associated methods are provided to authenticate a patient based on a biometric identifier of the patient before a prescribed dose of medical therapeutic, such as analgesics or other medication, are dispensed to the patient. Authentication takes places by pressing a button and scanning the patient'"'"'s fingerprint and recording data corresponding to the fingerprint into memory. To receive the medical therapeutic, the patient can have his or her fingerprint read and compared to the stored fingerprint. If there is a match and the programmed limitations are met (e.g., a time interval has elapsed since the last dose), then the medical therapeutic is automatically dispensed to the patient. The system may be integrated with a new patient-controlled medical therapeutic device or the system may be added to an already existing device. Other features and advantages of the example embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A patient-controlled system for dispensing medication to a patient at times determined by the patient in an in-patient setting, comprising:

a fingerprint sensor for reading at least a portion of a fingerprint of the patient'"'"'s finger when the finger is positioned on the fingerprint sensor;

a patient activated actuation device operatively associated with the fingerprint sensor;

an encasement connected to the fingerprint sensor and the patient activated actuation device for impeding the ability for a person other than the patient to use the patient'"'"'s finger to activate the patient activated actuation device;

a microprocessor for receiving data from the fingerprint sensor, the data representing the portion of the fingerprint, and analyzing the data by comparing the fingerprint to a previously stored fingerprint to verify the patient; and

a delivery device connected directly to the patient for administering a prescribed amount of the medication to the patient based on the activation of the patient activated actuation device by the patient and verification of the patient.