Method and Apparatus for Medication Storage and Delivery

• US 20160015602A1
• Filed: 06/30/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hugo Tetreault, Philippe Panzini
• Original Assignee: Hugo Tetreault, Philippe Panzini
• Inventors: Panzini, Philippe, Tetreault, Hugo
• Granted Patent: US 9,808,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 17/00 Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property determining weight by measuring volume G01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/42 for counting by weighing G01G19/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

An intelligent pill box device comprising: a base and a display panel. The base includes a plurality of cylindrical shaped receptacles for storing medication bottles wherein each receptacle includes a radio frequency identification reader, a faraday cage, and a load cell at the bottom of the receptacle to measure the weight of the contents of the receptacle.

Claims

1. An intelligent pill box device, comprising:

a base and a display panel;

said base including a plurality of cylindrical shaped receptacles for storing medication bottles, each receptacle including a radio frequency identification reader, and each receptacle surrounded by a faraday cage, and each receptacle containing a load cell at the bottom of the receptacle to measure the weight of the contents of the receptacle; and

said base including a processing device and a memory, said processing device executing at least;

instructions relating to weighing medication in a receptacle, and instructions relating to using said reader to extract information from the label on a medication bottle within a receptacle, and instructions relating to using at least said weight and said extracted information to determine a schedule for taking said medication and notifying a user when it is time to take said medication, and monitoring compliance with said schedule;

said display panel attached to the base with a hinge, and said display panel including a flat screen display to display information to a user.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein each receptacle includes at least one light, the light controlled by the processing device and used to direct users to a specific receptacle.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said display panel is detachable from the base.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each cylindrical shaped receptacle is about 2 inches in diameter and about 2 inches deep.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said device includes a wireless device for connecting to a wireless network.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said device includes a wireless device for communicating wirelessly with another intelligent pill box device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said device includes a mobile telecommunications technology device for connecting to a mobile phone network.

8. A medication assistance method, comprising:

using a radio frequency identification reader to read information from a radio frequency identification tag on a bottle containing pills placed in a receptacle; and

using said information to determine a schedule for taking the pills within said bottle; and

using a weight measuring means to weigh said bottle and said pills; and

using a calibration process and said measuring means to determine the average weight of individual pills within said bottle; and

alerting a user to take one or more of said pills according to said schedule; and

monitoring the weight of said bottle with said weight measuring means; and

determining whether said user took said pills according to said schedule.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said weight measuring means comprises a load cell at the base of the receptacle.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said schedule comprises at least:

a list of times for taking said pills; and

the number of pills to take at each time on said list.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein said intelligent pill box records all interactions of a user with said device and transmits said information over a network to a third party.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said third party analyzes said interactions and rewards the user if criteria are met.