DEVICE AND METHOD FOR RECORDING AND TRANSMITTING INTERVAL DATA FROM A CONTAINER CAP

• US 20140266760A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Timer Cap Company, LLC
• Original Assignee: Timer Cap Company, LLC
• Inventors: Burke, Richard Million Jr., Goldberg, Howard David, Tomasi, Philip John, Twersky, Lawrence M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,361,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/687
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

The present invention is a container cap sensors, chips, transmitters, and receiver, to record, transmit, and receive data regarding the time intervals between when the container cap was last placed on or taken off of a container. The container cap is for use with pharmaceutical and other health care related vials, bottles and containers. The data transmission is used to monitor a patient'"'"'s drug administration times and intervals, and allows the patient and/or the patient'"'"'s caregiver to review the administration data. The container cap of the present invention is streamlined, easy to use, reliable, and inexpensive.

Claims

1. A container cap that records and transmits data comprising:

a container cap;

wherein said container cap is comprised of;

one or more sensors;

one or more microcontrollers;

one or more transmitters;

one or more power sources; and

a housing portion;

wherein said one or more sensors are configured to automatically detect when said container cap is removed from a container and wherein said one or more sensors are configured to automatically detect when said container cap is placed on said container;

wherein said one or more microcontrollers record when said container cap is opened by removing said container cap from said container and wherein said one or more microcontrollers record when said container cap is closed by placing said container cap on said container, such that a plurality of opening and closing interval data is created and stored in at least one memory; and

wherein said one or more transmitters transmits said plurality of opening and closing data to one or more external electronic data processing units.

2. The container cap of claim 1, wherein said container cap further comprises a timer and a timer display;

wherein said timer is activated when said container cap is closed and wherein said timer is reset when said container cap is opened; and

wherein said timer display displays an information regarding when said container cap was last closed.

3. The container cap of claim 2, wherein a plurality of interval time duration data between a closing event and a next subsequent opening event and between an opening event and a next subsequent closing event, is computed by said one or more microcontrollers each time said container cap is opened and each time said container cap is closed and wherein said plurality of interval time duration data is stored in said at least one memory.

4. The container cap of claim 3, wherein said plurality of interval time duration data is transmitted by said one or more transmitters to said one or more external electronic data processing units.

5. The container cap of claim 3, wherein said container cap is further comprised of:

one or more receivers;

wherein said one or more receivers are configured to receive a plurality of transmissions from said one or more external electronic data processing units.

6. The container cap of claim 3, wherein said one or more transmitters and said one or more receivers are one or more transceivers.

7. The container cap of claim 3, wherein at least one of said one or more sensors is an accelerometer;

wherein said accelerometer senses when said container cap is moved.

8. The container cap of claim 4, wherein said one or more microcontrollers send an identification data to said one or more electronic data processing units.

9. The container cap of claim 3, wherein at least one of said one or more sensors is a thermometer;

wherein said one or more microcontrollers records a plurality of temperature data from said thermometer.

10. The container cap of claim 9, wherein said plurality of temperature data is transmitted by said one or more transmitters to said one or more external electronic data processing units.

11. The container cap of claim 3, wherein said container cap is further comprised of one or more alert devices.

12. The container cap of claim 11, wherein said one or more alert devices are alert devices selected from the group of alert devices consisting of:

one or more light sources;

a speaker; and

a vibration device.

13. The container cap of claim 11, wherein said one or more alert devices alert a user regarding one or more reminders.

14. The container cap of claim 11, wherein said one or more alert devices alerts a user regarding one or more conditions regarding said container cap.

15. The container cap of claim 3, wherein said plurality of interval time duration data and said plurality of opening and closing data that are transmitted to said one or more external electronic data processing units are encrypted.

16. The container cap of claim 3, wherein said one or more microcontrollers are comprised of said at least one memory.

17. The container cap of claim 2, wherein said timer display further displays the information selected from the information consisting of:

a name of a product contained within said container;

a patient name;

a frequency of which a medication should be taken;

a number of times said container cap was opened over a set duration;

a next scheduled time to take said medication;

an advertisement;

a warning;

a most recent interval; and

a reorder information.

18. A container cap that records and transmits data comprising:

a container cap;

wherein said container cap is comprised of;

one or more sensors;

one or more microcontrollers;

one or more transceivers;

one or more power sources;

a timer;

a timer display; and

a housing portion;

wherein said one or more sensors are configured to automatically detect when said container cap is removed from a container and wherein said one or more sensors are configured to automatically detect when said container cap is placed on said container;

wherein said one or more microcontrollers record when said container cap is opened by removing said container cap from said container and wherein said one or more microcontrollers record when said container cap is closed by placing said container cap on said container, such that a plurality of opening and closing data is created and stored in at least one memory;

wherein said timer is activated when said container cap is closed and wherein said timer is reset when said container cap is opened;

wherein said timer display displays an information regarding when said container cap was last placed on said container;

wherein a plurality of interval time duration data wherein a plurality of interval time duration data between a closing event and a next subsequent opening event and between an opening event and a next subsequent closing event, is computed by said one or more microcontrollers each time said container cap is opened and each time said container cap is closed and wherein said plurality of interval time duration data is stored in said at least one memory; and

wherein said one or more transceivers transmits said plurality of opening and closing data and said plurality of interval time duration data to one or more external electronic data processing units.

19. The container cap of claim 18, wherein said one or more transceivers are configured to receive a plurality of transmissions from said one or more external electronic data processing units.

20. The container cap of claim 19, wherein at least one of said one or more sensors is an accelerometer;

wherein said accelerometer senses when said container cap is moved.