Medication dispensing and timing system utilizing patient communicator with internal clock
First Claim
1. A medication dispensing system comprising:
- monitoring means at a central location including memory means containing a predetermined medication dispensing schedule associated with a particular patient;
a communicator at a location remote from said monitoring means and in proximity to said patient, said communicator having memory means containing said medication dispensing schedule, day and time indicative clock means, and means responsive to said memory means and said clock means for prompting said patient to take medication in accordance with the schedule;
said communicator including transmitter means responsive to an external control effect for generating a reply signal acknowledging receipt of said prompt;
a wireless communication network for conveying said reply signal to said central monitoring means; and
said central monitoring means including alarm generating means responsive to said reply signal for initiating a predetermined follow-up procedure in the absence of said reply signal following the lapse of a predetermined time period following said prompt signal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medication dispensing and timing system includes a central monitoring facility and a plurality of patient communicators, each containing sufficient memory for storing the medication schedule of a respective patient, and a clock circuit providing time and date information utilized in conjunction with the stored schedule to provide visual and aural prompts to the patient as medication is to be taken. Upon receiving a prompt the patient actuates a switch which causes transmitter means within the communicator to send a reply signal back to a computer at the monitoring facility, which includes a memory containing the same medication schedule and a clock circuit providing date and time information, whereby a follow-up procedure is initiated, including a follow-up message sent to the communicator, in the event a reply message is not received within a predetermined time following a scheduled medication event. The communicator may be equipped to electrically communicate with medication dispensing apparatus whereby the apparatus dispenses medication in response to a received prompting message. The dispensing apparatus may include a modem for communicating with the central monitoring computer to confirm actual dispensing when using, for example, a one-way paging system, and to provide a control path whereby the dispensing apparatus can be controlled from the monitoring computer in the event of a radio link failure.
156 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A medication dispensing system comprising:
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monitoring means at a central location including memory means containing a predetermined medication dispensing schedule associated with a particular patient; a communicator at a location remote from said monitoring means and in proximity to said patient, said communicator having memory means containing said medication dispensing schedule, day and time indicative clock means, and means responsive to said memory means and said clock means for prompting said patient to take medication in accordance with the schedule; said communicator including transmitter means responsive to an external control effect for generating a reply signal acknowledging receipt of said prompt; a wireless communication network for conveying said reply signal to said central monitoring means; and said central monitoring means including alarm generating means responsive to said reply signal for initiating a predetermined follow-up procedure in the absence of said reply signal following the lapse of a predetermined time period following said prompt signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A medication dispensing system comprising:
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monitoring means at a central location including memory means containing a predetermined medication dispensing schedule associated with a particular patient; a communicator at a location remote from said monitoring means and in proximity to said patient, said communicator having memory means containing said medication dispensing schedule, day and time indicative clock means, and means responsive to said memory means and said clock means for prompting said patient to take medication in accordance with the schedule; said communicator including transmitter means responsive to an external control effect for generating a reply signal acknowledging receipt of said prompt; a wireless communication network for conveying said reply signal to said central monitoring means; said central monitoring means including alarm generating means responsive to said reply signal for initiating a predetermined follow-up procedure in the absence of said reply signal following the lapse of a predetermined time period following said prompt signal; said communicator including uniquely-addressed receiver means for receiving a message from said monitoring means and for providing a prompt to said patient in response thereto; said follow-up procedure including a prompt message addressed to said receiver; and an additional wireless network for conveying prompt messages from said central monitoring means to said uniquely addressed receiver. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification