Polypharmacy Co-Packaged Medication Dosing Unit Including Communication System Therefor

• US 20120024889A1
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Proteus Digital Health, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Proteus Digital Health, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Robertson, Timothy, Costello, Benedict, Zdeblick, Mark, Hafezi, Hooman, Moon, Gregory
• Application Number:
  US13/180,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20120024889A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/23
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0412 Low-profile patch shaped housings
• 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 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/007 Marking tablets or the like apparatus for printing on tablets or the like B41F17/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A custom medication dosing unit is disclosed. The custom medication dosing unit includes a housing having a shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating a medication. A first closure element provided with a circumferential edge is placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner. A medication is disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element. A circuit module is associated within the first closure element. A system includes the custom medication dosing unit operative to communicate with a local node. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the custom medication dosing unit.

Claims

1. A custom medication dosing unit, comprising:

a housing comprising at least one shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication;

a first closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner;

at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element; and

a circuit module associated within the first closure element.

2. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1, wherein the circuit module comprises a circuit element and an antenna coupled to the circuit element, wherein the circuit element comprises a radio operative to wirelessly communicate information associated with the at least one medication with a local node.

3. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1, wherein the circuit module comprises a power storage unit to receive power from an external source and store the power in the power storage unit.

4. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 2, wherein the circuit module comprises a memory with information associated with the at least one medication contained within the housing stored therein.

5. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 3, wherein the memory comprises information associated with the consumer of the at least one medication.

6. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1, comprising a sensor to detect when the first closure element is removed from the shell element and to activate the circuit module when the first closure element is removed.

7. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises multiple compartments, each defining a shell element provided with a bottom surface and an upright circumferential edge extending upwardly from the planar bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication.

8. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1, further comprising a storage compartment for accommodating therein an ingestible device and a second closure element for sealing the ingestible in the storage compartment.

9. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 8, wherein the ingestible device comprises any one of an ingestible event marker, and ingestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an ingestible coil, and an ingestible magnet.

10. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1, comprising a marking on an exterior portion of the closure element identifying the at least one medication contained within the housing.

11. A system for communicating a dosing event from a custom medication dosing unit, the system comprising:

a first custom medication dosing unit, the first custom medication dosing unit comprising;

a housing comprising at least one shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication;

a first closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner;

at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element; and

a circuit module associated within the first closure element, wherein the circuit module comprises a circuit element operative to wirelessly communicate information associated with the at least one medication with a local node.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the local node comprises a local wireless access point and the circuit module is operative to communicate with the local wireless access point.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the local node comprises a mobile device and the circuit module is operative to communicate with the mobile device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the local node comprises a patch and the circuit module is operative to communicate with the patch.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one medication comprises an ingestible device, and wherein the patch is operative to communicate with the first custom medication dosing unit when a consumer ingests the ingestible device.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the local node comprises a second custom medication dosing unit, the second custom medication dosing unit comprising:

a housing comprising at least one shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication;

a first closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner;

at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element; and

a circuit module associated within the first closure element; and

wherein the first custom medication dosing unit is operative to communicate with the second custom medication dosing unit.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the local node is operative to communicate with a remote node.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the remote node comprises a processing system communicatively coupled to a database.

19. A method of manufacturing a custom medication dosing unit, the method comprising:

receiving an order for a custom medication dosing unit comprising at least one medication from a server.

dispensing the at least one medication into a housing comprising at least one shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending from the bottom surface and a central portion defining an opening for accommodating the at least one medication; and

applying a closure element provided with a circumferential edge on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner, the closure element comprising a circuit module associated therewith.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising applying a marking on an exterior surface of the closure element by a printer device, wherein the marking is to identify the at least one medication.

21. The method of claim 19, comprising programming the circuit module with information associated with the at least one medication, wherein the information is to be transmitted upon opening the closure element.

22. The method of claim 19, comprising dispensing at least one ingestible device into the housing.

23. A custom medication dosing unit, comprising:

a housing;

a first compartment comprising;

at least a first shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication;

a first closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner; and

at least one ingestible device disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element.

24. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, further comprising at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element.

25. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, further comprising:

a second compartment comprising;

at least a second shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication; and

a second closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner for sealing the medication in the second storage compartment; and

at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the second shell element and the second closure element.

26. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, wherein the ingestible device comprises any one of an ingestible event marker, and ingestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an ingestible coil, and an ingestible magnet.

27. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 25, wherein the housing comprises multiple first and second compartments, each defining a shell element provided with a bottom surface and an upright circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication and at least one ingestible device.

28. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 24, comprising a marking on an exterior portion of the closure element identifying the at least one medication contained within the housing.

29. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 25, comprising a sensor to detect when either the first or second closure element is removed from the respective first or second shell element.

30. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, wherein the first closure element is pivotally coupled to the first shell element and the first closure element can be pivotally opened and closed.

31. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 25, wherein the second closure element comprises a peelable membrane for sealing the ingestible device within the second compartment.

32. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, wherein the first closure element comprises a blister membrane for sealing the ingestible device within the first compartment.

33. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, wherein the housing comprises information associated with any one of a name of a patient, a packaging date, a dosing event, and contents of either the first or second compartment.

34. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, wherein the housing comprises information that identifies the at least one medication contained inside the first compartment.

35. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, wherein the housing comprises information that identifies the at least one ingestible device contained inside the second compartment.

36. The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23, wherein the housing comprises markings indicating a day of the week on which either a medication or the ingestible device should be consumed.