Apparatus and Method for Improved Drug Regimen Compliance

• US 20170294105A1
• Filed: 07/29/2016
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philips Healthcare Informatics Incorporated (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Quantaed, Llc
• Inventors: Mehregany, Mehran, Roham, Masoud
• Granted Patent: US 10,083,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring drug-regimen compliance is disclosed. Systems in accordance with the present invention enable automatic monitoring of the state of medicine content of a blister card. Each tablet location on the blister card is operatively coupled with a different sensor that detects whether the tablet location is occupied and/or a dispensing event at a tablet location. In some embodiments, capacitive sensing is employed, where the capacitance of each sensor is based on the physical state of a dispensing region of the lidding film of the blister pack, which is located at the tablet location being monitored. Alternative sensing approaches are based on optical, acoustic, and tactile sensors that interrogate either the dispensing region at each tablet location or the tablets themselves to determine whether tablets have been dispensed. The sensors interface with a mobile app that provides the user instructions to help improve drug-regimen compliance.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring the state of at least one blister card that includes a forming film, a lidding film, and a first tablet contained in a first reservoir defined by the forming film and the lidding film, wherein the system comprises:

a housing that is operative for locating the blister card in a first position;

a first detection module comprising a first sensor, wherein the first sensor is operative for providing a first electrical signal that is based on at least one of (a) the presence of the first tablet in the first reservoir and (b) the physical state of a first dispensing region of the lidding film; and

an electronics module that is operative for providing a first output signal based on the first electrical signal.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor includes a first capacitor having a first capacitance that is based on the physical state of the first dispensing region, and wherein the first electrical signal is based on the first capacitance.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first electrode and the first dispensing region collectively defining the first capacitor, and wherein the first capacitance has a first magnitude when the first dispensing region is intact and a second magnitude when the first dispensing region is broken, and wherein the first electrical signal is based on the first capacitance.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the first sensor includes a first electrode and a second electrode, the first and second electrodes collectively defining the first capacitor, and wherein the capacitance of the first capacitor is based on a fringing field between the dispensing region and the first electrode.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the first sensor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, the second and third electrodes collectively defining the first capacitor, and the first and second electrodes collectively defining a second capacitor having a second capacitance that is based on a fringing field between the dispensing region and the first electrode, and wherein the first capacitance is based on the second capacitance.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the second electrode is between the first electrode and third electrode, and wherein the first electrode and third electrode collectively define an electrical shield for the second electrode.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a shielding line that substantially surrounds the second electrode in a first plane, wherein the first electrode, third electrode, and shielding line collectively define an electrical shield for the second electrode.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the electronics module is operative for providing the first output signal as a wireless signal.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor includes:

an acoustic transmitter that transmits a first acoustic signal; and

an acoustic receiver operative for providing the first electrical signal based on the magnitude of a second acoustic signal;

wherein the acoustic transmitter and acoustic receiver are arranged such that the acoustic transmitter transmits the first acoustic signal toward the first reservoir and the acoustic receiver receives the second acoustic signal as a reflection of the first acoustic signal from the first reservoir; and

wherein the second acoustic signal has a first magnitude when first reservoir contains the first tablet and a second magnitude when the first reservoir does not contain the first tablet.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor is operative for detecting a force applied to the first reservoir.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first sensor includes a photodetector that is dimensioned and arranged to provide the first electrical signal based on a first light signal received from the first reservoir.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first light signal comprises ambient light.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the first sensor further includes a light source that is operative for transmitting a second light signal toward the first reservoir, and wherein the first light signal is based on the second light signal.

14. A system that is operative for monitoring the state of a first blister card, the first blister card including a first forming film, a first lidding film, and a first plurality of tablets that are arranged in a first arrangement, wherein the system comprises:

a first detection module comprising a first plurality of sensors arranged in the first arrangement, wherein each sensor of the first plurality thereof is operative for providing an electrical signal of a first plurality thereof such that each electrical signal of the first plurality thereof is based on the physical state of a different dispensing region of the first lidding film; and

an electronics module operative for providing a first output signal based on the first plurality of electrical signals.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is further operative for monitoring the state of a second blister card, the second blister card including a second forming film, a second lidding film, and a second plurality of tablets that are arranged in a second arrangement, wherein the system further comprises:

a second detection module comprising a second plurality of sensors arranged in the second arrangement, wherein each sensor of the second plurality thereof is operative for providing an electrical signal of a second plurality thereof such that each electrical signal of the second plurality thereof is based on the physical state of a different dispensing region of the second lidding film;

wherein the electronics module is further operative for providing a second output signal based on the second plurality of electrical signals.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein at least one sensor of the first plurality thereof is operative for interrogating its respective dispensing region optically.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising a tactile sensor that is operative for detecting a force applied to the blister card.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the at least one sensor of the first plurality thereof is operative for detecting a force applied to a first tablet of the plurality thereof.

19. The system of claim 14 wherein a first sensor of the first plurality thereof includes a first capacitor having a first capacitance that is based on the physical state of the first sensor'"'"'s respective dispensing region, and wherein a first electrical signal of the plurality thereof is based on the first capacitance.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the first sensor includes a first electrode that is capacitively coupled with the first sensor'"'"'s respective dispensing region to define the first capacitor.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the first sensor includes a first electrode and a second electrode that collectively define the first capacitor, and wherein the first capacitance is based on a fringing field between the first sensor'"'"'s respective dispensing region and the first electrode.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the first electrode is operative as an electrical shield for the second electrode.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein the first sensor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode, the first electrode and second electrode collectively defining a second capacitor, and the second electrode and the third electrode collectively defining the first capacitor, and wherein the first capacitance is based on a fringing field between the first sensor'"'"'s respective dispensing region and the first electrode.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the second electrode is between the first electrode and third electrode, and wherein the first electrode and third electrode are operative as an electrical shield for the second electrode.

25. The system of claim 24 further comprising a shielding line that substantially surrounds the second electrode in a first plane, wherein the first electrode, third electrode, and shielding line collectively define an electrical shield for the second electrode.

26. The system of claim 14 wherein the electronic module is operative for providing the first output signal as a wireless signal.

27. A method for monitoring the state of a blister card that includes a forming film, a lidding film, and a plurality of tablets that are arranged in a first arrangement, wherein the method comprises:

providing a detection module comprising a plurality of sensors that is arranged in the first arrangement;

operatively coupling the plurality of sensors and the blister card such that each sensor of the plurality thereof is operative for providing an electrical signal based on the presence of a different tablet of the plurality thereof in the blister card;

determining a physical state of the blister card based on the plurality of electrical signals;

comparing the physical state of the blister card with an expected state of the blister card, wherein the expected state is based on a predetermined prescription regimen for the plurality of tablets; and

providing an output signal based on the physical state of the blister card relative to the expected state.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the output signal is provided as a wireless signal.

29. The method of claim 27 further comprising monitoring the time and date, wherein the expected state is based on the monitored time and date.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising initiating an error signal if the physical state and expected state are different.