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

• US 20140333780A1
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• 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 8,942,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• 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.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an imager comprising;

an image sensor for capturing images of (i) a symbol comprising encoded patient information and (ii) an attribute of a medication package, the image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels;

a lens for focusing images on the image sensor; and

a digital link for transmitting data comprising patient information and an attribute of a medication package;

a computer connected to the digital link for receiving the data from the imager'"'"'s digital link; and

a database coupled to the computer for correlating the data to a patient record and a medication package attribute library;

wherein the attribute comprises a pattern of symbols and/or a grid pattern;

wherein the attribute has a predetermined size characteristic; and

wherein the system processes a captured image using the predetermined size characteristic to determine a size of a medication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the medication package comprises a medication.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises the shape of the medication.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises the size of the medication.

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

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the pigmentation is ultraviolet.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the medication package comprises a medication; and

the attribute of the medication package comprises pigmentation mixed with the medication.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the medication package comprises a medication; and

the attribute of the medication package comprises pigmentation comprising a dye applied to a coating of the medication.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the imager comprises an illumination source assembly; and

the system comprises an optical filter positioned between the medication package and the image sensor, the optical filter having a pass band for passing light of a wavelength emitted by the illumination source assembly.

10. A method, comprising:

reading, with an optical reader, a symbol comprising encoded patient information;

capturing, with an optical reader, an image of an attribute of a medication package, wherein;

the attribute is a pattern of symbols and/or a grid pattern; and

the attribute has a predetermined size characteristic;

processing the captured image to identify the attribute of the medication package;

processing the captured image using the predetermined size characteristic to determine a size of a medication;

correlating, within an attribute library, the attribute of the medication package to stored attributes of candidate medications, wherein the attribute library comprises candidate medications that have been prescribed to a patient, each candidate medication having an associated package attribute; and

reporting information comprising whether the attribute of the medication package correlates to a candidate medication that has been prescribed to the patient.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising:

encoding patient information in a symbol, the patient information correlating to a patient record in a database, the patient record comprising prescribed medication;

correlating the symbol to the patient record; and

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

12. The method of claim 10, comprising outputting user perceptible data via an output device on the optical imager.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein capturing the image of the attribute of the medication package comprises illuminating the medication package with a specific wavelength of light.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the optical imager comprises an optical filter adapted to pass the specific wavelength of light and block all other wavelengths of light.

15. A system, comprising:

an imager comprising;

an image sensor for capturing images of (i) a symbol comprising encoded patient information and (ii) an attribute of a medication package, the image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels;

a lens for focusing images on the image sensor; and

a digital link for transmitting data comprising patient information and an attribute of a medication package;

a computer connected to the digital link for receiving the data from the imager'"'"'s digital link; and

a database coupled to the computer for correlating the data to a patient record and a medication package attribute library, the patient record comprising a prescribed medication having a medication package having an attribute;

wherein each attribute comprises a pattern of symbols and/or a grid pattern;

wherein each attribute has a predetermined size characteristic; and

wherein the system processes a captured image using the predetermined size characteristic to determine a size of a medication.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein each medication package comprises a medication.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein each attribute of each medication package comprises the shape of the medication.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein each attribute of each medication package is printed on the medication package.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein each printed attribute comprises a grid pattern.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each attribute comprises a symbol printed on the grid pattern.