Portable programmable medication alarm device and method and apparatus for programming and using the same
First Claim
1. A portable medication alarm device for use in the administration of an eye medication prescribed to a patient which comprises:
- a casing of physically thin dimensions;
data storage means, disposed in said casing, for storing data representative of at least one prescribed eye medication dosage schedule specifying a prescribed administration time, a prescribed dosage amount and a prescribed administration route for each eye medication dosage to be administered to said patient;
data programming means, disposed in said casings, for programming in said data storage means, data representative of said prescribed eye medication dosage schedule;
timing means, disposed in said casing, for timing the occurrence of each said prescribed administration time specified in said prescribed eye medication dosage schedule;
alarm signal generating means, disposed in said casing, for generating a dosage alarm signal in response to the timed occurrence of each said prescribed administration time;
display means, disposed in said casing, for visually displaying in response to the timed occurrence of each said administration time, a graphical representation of the prescribed dosage amount and the administration route for said medication dosage specified in said prescribed eye medication dosage schedule; and
an eye medication dispenser bottle holder having a base portion,an upper portion with a substantially circular opening,a side wall portion connecting said base portion and said upper portion,an inner cavity accessible through said substantially circular opening, and adapted for slidable receipt of an eye medication dispenser bottle having flexible side walls and containing a quantity of said eye medication,at least one side wall cut-out portion formed in said side wall portion, for permitting said patient to squeeze and deform the flexible side walls of said eye medication dispenser bottle so as to manually express from said eye medication dispenser bottle, a number of drops of eye medication in accordance with the prescribed dosage amount displayed on said display means, and to administer said drops into the eyes of said patient in accordance with the prescribed administration route visually displayed on said display means, andsaid casing being mounted to either said base portion, said upper portion or said side wall portion of said eye medication dispenser bottle holder.
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Abstract
Portable programmable medication alarm device for aiding in the administration of medication or pharmaceuticals in accordance with a prescribed medication dosage schedule. In a first illustrative embodiment, the programmable medication alarm device is manually programmed with data representative of a prescribed medication dosage schedule specifying a prescribed administration time, dosage amount, administration route, and medication instructions for each medication dosage to be administered to the patient. In response to the timed occurrence of each programmed administration time, an audible dosage alarm signal is generated and graphical representations of the prescribed administration time, dosage amount, administration route and medication instructions are visually displayed in predefined visual display fields. In a second illustrative embodiment, the portable medication alarm device is programmed by loading the prescribed dosage schedule data from a computer system, into the memory of the medication alarm device, using an automated data communication process. Also disclosed is a medication container holder which attaches the programmed medication alarm device to a conventional medication container, such as a eye-drop dispenser bottle, nasal-spray canister or pill bottle, without interfering with the operation thereof.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A portable medication alarm device for use in the administration of an eye medication prescribed to a patient which comprises:
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a casing of physically thin dimensions; data storage means, disposed in said casing, for storing data representative of at least one prescribed eye medication dosage schedule specifying a prescribed administration time, a prescribed dosage amount and a prescribed administration route for each eye medication dosage to be administered to said patient; data programming means, disposed in said casings, for programming in said data storage means, data representative of said prescribed eye medication dosage schedule; timing means, disposed in said casing, for timing the occurrence of each said prescribed administration time specified in said prescribed eye medication dosage schedule; alarm signal generating means, disposed in said casing, for generating a dosage alarm signal in response to the timed occurrence of each said prescribed administration time; display means, disposed in said casing, for visually displaying in response to the timed occurrence of each said administration time, a graphical representation of the prescribed dosage amount and the administration route for said medication dosage specified in said prescribed eye medication dosage schedule; and an eye medication dispenser bottle holder having a base portion, an upper portion with a substantially circular opening, a side wall portion connecting said base portion and said upper portion, an inner cavity accessible through said substantially circular opening, and adapted for slidable receipt of an eye medication dispenser bottle having flexible side walls and containing a quantity of said eye medication, at least one side wall cut-out portion formed in said side wall portion, for permitting said patient to squeeze and deform the flexible side walls of said eye medication dispenser bottle so as to manually express from said eye medication dispenser bottle, a number of drops of eye medication in accordance with the prescribed dosage amount displayed on said display means, and to administer said drops into the eyes of said patient in accordance with the prescribed administration route visually displayed on said display means, and said casing being mounted to either said base portion, said upper portion or said side wall portion of said eye medication dispenser bottle holder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A portable medication alarm device for use in the administration of an eye medication prescribed to a patient, which comprises:
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a casing of physically thin dimensions; data storage means, disposed in said casing, for storing data representative of a prescribed eye medication dosage schedule specifying a prescribed administration time, a prescribed dosage amount and a prescribed administration route for each eye medication dosage to be administered to said patient; data programming means, disposed in said casing, for programming in said data storage means, data representative of said prescribed dosage schedule; timing means, disposed in said casing, for timing the occurrence of each said prescribed administration time specified by said prescribed eye medication dosage schedule; control means, disposed in said casing, for generating a control signal response to the timed occurrence of each said prescribed administration time specified in said prescribed medication dosage schedule; alarm signal generating means, disposed in said casing, for generating an alarm signal in response to the each said generated control signal; display means, disposed in said casing, for displaying in response to each said generated control signal, a graphical representation of the prescribed dosage amount and the prescribed administration route for said medication dosage specified in said prescribed medication dosage schedule; and an eye medication dispenser bottle holder having a base portion, an upper portion with a substantially circular opening, a side wall portion connecting said base portion and said upper portion, an inner cavity accessible through said substantially circular opening, and adapted for slidable receipt of any eye medication dispenser bottle having flexible side walls and containing a quantity of said eye medication, at least one side wall cut-out portion formed in said side wall portion, for permitting said patient to squeeze and deform the flexible side walls of said eye medication dispenser bottle so as to manually express from said eye medication dispenser bottle, a number of drops of eye medication in accordance with the prescribed dosage amount displayed on said display means, and to administer said drops into the eyes of said patient in accordance with the prescribed administration route visually displayed on said display means, and said casing being mounted to either said base portion, said upper portion or said side wall portion of said eye medication dispenser bottle holder. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Apparatus for facilitating medication prescription compliance comprising:
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(A) a data storage and processing system for programming a portable medication alarm device with graphical data representative of a prescribed medication dosage schedule specifying a prescribed administration time and a prescribed dosage amount for each medication dosage to be administered to said patient, said data storage and processing system including (1) first data storage means for storing data representative of said prescribed medication dosage schedule; (2) data accessing means for accessing said data from said first data storage means and generating a data stream including the data representative of said prescribed medication dosage schedule; (3) a first data communication port operably associated with said data accessing means; and (4) data transmitting means operably associated with said data accessing means, for transmitting said data stream through said first data communication port; and (B) at least one said portable medication alarm device for use in the administration of eye medication prescribed to a patient in accordance with said prescribed medication dosage schedule, said portable medication device including a casing of physically thin dimensions, and (1) a second data communication port, disposed in said casing, operably interfaceable with said first data communication port so as to permit transfer of said data stream across said first and second data communication ports; (2) data receiving means, disposed in said casing, for receiving as input, said data stream from said second data communication port; (3) second data storage means, disposed in said casing, for storing data representative of said prescribed medication dosage schedule; (4) programming means, disposed in said casing, for automatically programming in said second data storage means, at least a portion of said data representative of said prescribed medication dosage schedule; (5) timing means, disposed in said casing, for timing the occurrence of each said prescribed administration time specified in said prescribed medication dosage schedule; (6) alarm signal generating means, disposed in said casing, for generating a dosage alarm signal in response to the timed occurrence of each said prescribed administration time; (7) display means, disposed in said casing, for displaying in response to the timed occurrence of each said administration time, a graphical representation of the prescribed dosage amount for said medication dosage specified in said prescribed medication dosage schedule; and at least one side wall cut-out portion formed in said side wall portion, for permitting said patient to squeeze and deform the flexible side walls of said eye medication dispenser bottle so as to manually express from said eye medication dispenser bottle, a number of drops of eye medication in accordance with the prescribed dosage amount displayed on said display means, and to administer said drops into the eyes of said patient in accordance with the prescribed administration route visually displayed on said display means, and said casing being mounted to either said base portion, said upper portion or said side wall portion of said eye medication dispenser bottle holder. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification