OPTICAL IMAGER AND METHOD FOR CORRELATING A MEDICATION PACKAGE WITH A PATIENT

• US 20120195479A1
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Duane
• Granted Patent: US 8,798,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A system is provided to correlate a medication package with a prescribed medication for a patient. The medication package accommodates an intended patient medication. The system includes an optical imager adapted to read an encoded symbol character comprising encoded patient information and further adapted to image an attribute of the medication package. The optical imager comprises a two-dimensional image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array. The two-dimensional image sensor array has a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels. The optical imager further includes a digital link to transmit a segment of data. The segment of data includes the patient information encoded in the encoded symbol character and the attribute of the medication package. The system further includes a host computer connected to the digital link to receive the segment of data from the optical imager, and a database coupled to the host computer via a digital connection. The database correlates the segment of data to (a) a patient record, and (b) a medication package attribute library.

Claims

1. A system to correlate a medication package with a prescribed medication for a patient, the medication package accommodating an intended patient medication, the system comprising:

an optical imager adapted to read an encoded symbol character comprising encoded patient information and further adapted to image an attribute of the medication package, the optical imager comprising a two-dimensional image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array, the two-dimensional image sensor array having a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, the optical imager having a digital link to transmit a segment of data comprising the patient information encoded in the encoded symbol character and the attribute of the medication package;

a host computer connected to the digital link to receive the segment of data from the optical imager; and

a database coupled to the host computer via a digital connection, the database to correlate the segment of data to (a) a patient record, and (b) a medication package attribute library.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient record includes prescribed medication, and the attribute of the medication package correlates to the prescribed medication in the patient record.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the medication package comprises the medication itself.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises the shape of the medication.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises the size of the medication.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the medication package is printed on the package.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the printed attribute is a grid pattern.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the attribute further comprises a symbol printed on the grid pattern.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises a pigmentation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the pigmentation is mixed with the medication.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the pigmentation comprises a dye applied to a coating of the medication.

12. The system of claim 9, further comprising an optical filter positioned between the medication package and an image sensor within the optical imager, the optical filter having a pass band adapted to pass light of a wavelength emitted by an illumination source assembly in the optical imager.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the pigmentation is ultraviolet.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of attributes for the medication package, the plurality encoded in hierarchical order.

15. A method for correlating a medication package with a patient, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an optical imager comprising a two-dimensional image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array, the two-dimensional image sensor array having a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels;

providing a medication intended for a patient, the medication being accommodated by a medication package, the package having an attribute readable by the optical imager;

providing a database comprising an attribute library, the attribute library comprising a plurality of candidate medications, each candidate medication having an associated package attribute;

capturing an image of the medication and package with the optical imager;

processing the image to identify the attributes of the medication package;

accessing the attribute library and correlating the imaged attributes of the medication package to the stored attributes of the candidate medications; and

reporting, by the optical imager, a match between the imaged attribute of the medication package and one of the candidate medications.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

providing patient information in encoded symbol character format, the patient information correlating to a patient record in the database, the patient record comprising prescribed medication;

decoding and correlating the encoded symbol character to the patient record; and

correlating, by the optical imager, the prescribed medication in the patient record with the medication intended for the patient.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of outputting user perceptible data via an output device on the optical imager.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of capturing the image of the medication package comprises illuminating the package with a specific wavelength of light.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the optical imager comprises an optical filter adapted to pass the specific wavelength of light and block all other wavelengths of light.

20. A medication package comprising:

a pouch adapted to hold a medication; and

an attribute readable by an optical imager comprising a two-dimensional image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array, the two-dimensional image sensor array having a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, the attribute associated with the medication package, the attribute selected from the group consisting of a geometric symbol, an icon, a color of the geometric symbol, a color of the icon, and a grid pattern.