Systematic distillation of status data relating to regimen compliance

• US 20130046153A1
• Filed: 08/16/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Hyde, Roderick A., Jung, Edward K.Y., Kare, Jordin T., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US13/199,042
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046153A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/302
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/08 Sensors provided with means for identification, e.g. barcodes or memory chips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment

Abstract

Configuration technologies for cost-effectively monitoring indicia of regimen compliance or noncompliance in response to one or more indications of symptoms or actions or other data on data-bearing media or in wireless transmissions, such as implementing techniques for providing or preventing access or otherwise acting on or communicating incremental or definitive indicia of compliance or noncompliance.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

circuitry for obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject; and

circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject comprises:

circuitry for conditioning an output upon receiving radio-frequency energy from the vessel, the output being the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the output configured to invoke circuitry for generating the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject comprises:

circuitry for detecting whether data from one or more sensors indicate an actuation of a portion of a dispensing device, the dispensing device large enough to contain the vessel, the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject including an indication of whether the data from the one or more sensors indicate an actuation of the portion of the dispensing device.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject comprises:

circuitry for retrieving event data relating to an individual, the individual being the subject, the event data relating to the individual including the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for conditioning an output upon a presence of or an absence of an indication of contraband, the vessel configured to include a first drug, the contraband being a bioactive material having an adverse drug interaction with the first drug, the output including a compliance-negative indication if the indication of contraband is present, the output including a compliance-positive indication if the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component corroborates that the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for obtaining a test result of a sample extracted from an individual, the individual being the subject, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject depending upon the test result of the sample extracted from the individual.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving a wireless signal via a device in external contact with a portion of an individual from within the portion of the individual, the vessel being operable to transmit the wireless signal from within the portion of the individual, the individual being the subject, the portion of the individual including a head of or a neck of or a torso of the individual.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for determining whether an event occurred within a normal interval of time, the event being a movement of the vessel.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for determining whether an event occurred within a normal interval of time as the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the vessel being ingested by the subject being the event.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a sample tester containing a portion of the subject, the portion of the subject being a fluid sample obtained from the subject after a therapeutic material has been administered to the subject.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for signaling an identifier of a capsule in a wireless transmission, the vessel being the capsule.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a container large enough to contain several capsules, a first one of the capsules being the vessel.

24. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

the vessel, containing a therapeutic material suitable for administration through a digestive tract of the subject.

30. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for causing a door to become locked or unlocked by transmitting a control signal to a lock of the door, the lock of the door being the mechanical component, the control signal manifesting the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

31. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for deciding whether a status of an individual has apparently changed, the individual being the subject, the status of the individual being determined by comparing a measurement relating to the individual with a threshold.

36. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for distilling historical data indicative of or contraindicative of a health status transition apparently relating to an infection in an individual, the individual being the subject, the historical data including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component indicative of or contraindicative of a health status transition apparently relating to infection in the individual.

37. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for distilling historical data indicative of or contraindicative of a health status transition apparently relating to cardiovascular disease in an individual, the individual being the subject, the historical data including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component contraindicating that the vessel has been ingested by the subject selectively in response to detecting the health status transition apparently relating to cardiovascular disease in the individual, the health status transition being a deterioration.

44. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for distilling historical data indicative of or contraindicative of a health status transition apparently relating to cardiovascular disease in an individual, the individual being the subject, the historical data including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component contraindicative of a health status transition in the individual.

45. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for transmitting a regimen compliance determination as an actuation signal to the mechanical component, the regimen compliance determination being the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component signaling that the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

46. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for causing wireless signal transmission circuitry in situ to initiate a wireless transmission in response to an indication of ingestion, the indication of ingestion being the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject being distilled from the wireless transmission.

47. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for obtaining an indication of whether an individual remains enrolled in a program requiring a therapeutic regimen, the individual being the subject, the vessel being a component of the therapeutic regimen, the indication of whether the individual remains enrolled in the program requiring the therapeutic regimen including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

49. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for signaling a regimen compliance data distillation by transmitting the regimen compliance data distillation, the regimen compliance data distillation including one or more of a compliance-positive indication in response to data indicating that the vessel has been ingested by the subject or a compliance-negative indication in response to data contraindicating that the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

54. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for determining whether an individual is apparently compliant with a regimen targeting a portion of the individual, the vessel being a component of the regimen, the individual being the subject.

55. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for determining whether a therapy is apparently having a specific effect upon the subject as a component of the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the vessel being a component of the therapy, the specific effect being associated with the therapy being successful and with a compliance-positive indication.

56. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for applying a provider-specified criterion to device-detectable health-indicative data as a component of distilling from the device-detectable health-indicative data the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject being the device-detectable health-indicative data.

189. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject comprises:

circuitry for conditioning an output upon receiving radio-frequency energy from the vessel, the output being the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the output configured to invoke circuitry for generating the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject;

circuitry for transmitting an identifier of a particular capsule as the indication whether the vessel has been ingested, the particular capsule including the vessel;

circuitry for detecting whether data from one or more sensors indicate an actuation of a portion of a dispensing device, the dispensing device large enough to contain the vessel, the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject including an indication of whether the data from the one or more sensors indicate an actuation of the portion of the dispensing device; and

circuitry for retrieving event data relating to an individual, the individual being the subject, the event data relating to the individual including the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

190. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for conditioning a regimen compliance determination upon a first compliance-positive indication and upon a second compliance-positive indication, the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject being the first compliance-positive indication and indicating that the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the regimen compliance determination including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component if the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component corroborates that the vessel has been ingested by the subject;

circuitry for causing a door to become locked or unlocked by transmitting a control signal to a lock of the door, the lock of the door being the mechanical component, the control signal manifesting the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject;

circuitry for deciding whether a status of an individual has apparently changed, the individual being the subject, the status of the individual being determined by comparing a measurement relating to the individual with a threshold; and

circuitry for distilling historical data indicative of or contraindicative of a health status transition apparently relating to an infection in an individual, the individual being the subject, the historical data including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component indicative of or contraindicative of a health status transition apparently relating to infection in the individual.

191. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for causing wireless signal transmission circuitry in situ to initiate a wireless transmission in response to an indication of ingestion, the indication of ingestion being the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject being distilled from the wireless transmission;

circuitry for obtaining an indication of whether an individual remains enrolled in a program requiring a therapeutic regimen, the individual being the subject, the vessel being a component of the therapeutic regimen, the indication of whether the individual remains enrolled in the program requiring the therapeutic regimen including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject; and

circuitry for signaling a regimen compliance data distillation by identifying a data distillation protocol and by causing the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject to be generated by an application of the data distillation protocol in response to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the regimen compliance data distillation including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

192. The system of claim 1 in which the circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

circuitry for determining whether an individual is apparently compliant with a regimen targeting a portion of the individual, the vessel being a component of the regimen, the individual being the subject;

circuitry for determining whether a therapy is apparently having a specific effect upon the subject as a component of the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the vessel being a component of the therapy, the specific effect being associated with the therapy being successful and with a compliance-positive indication; and

circuitry for applying a provider-specified criterion to device-detectable health-indicative data as a component of distilling from the device-detectable health-indicative data the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject being the device-detectable health-indicative data.

193. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for conditioning an output upon a presence of or an absence of an indication of contraband, the vessel configured to include a first drug, the contraband being a bioactive material having an adverse drug interaction with the first drug, the output including a compliance-negative indication if the indication of contraband is present, the output including a compliance-positive indication if the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component corroborates that the vessel has been ingested by the subject;

circuitry for obtaining a test result of a sample extracted from an individual, the individual being the subject, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject depending upon the test result of the sample extracted from the individual; and

circuitry for determining whether an event occurred within a normal interval of time, the event being a movement of the vessel.

194. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry for receiving a wireless signal via a device in external contact with a portion of an individual from within the portion of the individual, the vessel being operable to transmit the wireless signal from within the portion of the individual, the individual being the subject, the portion of the individual including a head of or a neck of or a torso of the individual;

circuitry for determining whether an event occurred within a normal interval of time as the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the vessel being ingested by the subject being the event; and

a container large enough to contain several capsules, a first one of the capsules being the vessel.

3. (canceled)

6-8. -8. (canceled)

12-15. -15. (canceled)

17-18. -18. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

25-29. -29. (canceled)

32-35. -35. (canceled)

38-43. -43. (canceled)

48. (canceled)

50-53. -53. (canceled)

57. A method comprising:

obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject; and

invoking circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

70. The method of claim 57, further comprising:

determining whether an event occurred within a normal interval of time as the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the vessel being ingested by the subject being the event.

80. The method of claim 57 in which the invoking circuitry for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

invoking circuitry for transmitting a regimen compliance determination as an actuation signal to the mechanical component, the regimen compliance determination being the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component signaling that the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

58-69. -69. (canceled)

71-79. -79. (canceled)

81-89. -89. (canceled)

90. A system comprising:

means for obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject; and

means for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

97. The system of claim 90, further comprising:

means for detecting a device associated with an individual, the individual being the subject, the device associated with the individual being or not being the vessel, the device associated with the individual supporting the obtaining the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

104. The system of claim 90, further comprising:

means for signaling an identifier of a capsule, the vessel being the capsule.

119. The system of claim 90 in which the means for signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject comprises:

means for obtaining a regimen compliance data distillation by causing an application of one or more sensor measurement thresholds, the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject resulting from the application of the one or more sensor measurement thresholds to a sensor measurement, the regimen compliance data distillation including the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

91-96. -96. (canceled)

98-103. -103. (canceled)

105-118. -118. (canceled)

120-122. -122. (canceled)

123. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media configured to bear a device-detectable implementation of a method including at least

obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject; and

signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

131. The article of manufacture of claim 123 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or more instructions for conditioning an output upon a presence of or an absence of an indication of contraband, the vessel configured to include a first drug, the contraband being a bioactive material having an adverse drug interaction with the first drug.

155. The article of manufacture of claim 123 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more signal-bearing media configured to transmit one or more instructions for applying a provider-specified criterion to device-detectable health-indicative data as a component of distilling from the device-detectable health-indicative data the decision whether to actuate the mechanical component responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject, the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject being the device-detectable health-indicative data.

124-130. -130. (canceled)

132-154. -154. (canceled)

156. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of

obtaining an indication whether a vessel has been ingested by a subject; and

signaling a decision whether to actuate a mechanical component outside the subject responsive to the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

160. The article of manufacture of claim 156 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of retrieving event data relating to an individual, the individual being the subject, the event data relating to the individual including the indication whether the vessel has been ingested by the subject.

162. The article of manufacture of claim 156 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of signaling a passive wireless transponder in a capsule, the capsule being the vessel.

164. The article of manufacture of claim 156 in which a portion of the one or more physical media comprises:

one or more physical media bearing a device-detectable output indicating an occurrence of conditioning an output upon a presence of or an absence of an indication of contraband, the vessel configured to include a first drug, the contraband being a bioactive material having an adverse drug interaction with the first drug.

157-159. -159. (canceled)

161. (canceled)

163. (canceled)

165-188. -188. (canceled)