Electronic medication monitoring and dispensing method

• US 5,752,235 A
• Filed: 07/23/1990
• Issued: 05/12/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adducci V. James II, Bruce Kehr, Bruce S. Morra, Harris Kaplan, Informedix, Inc. (Informedix Holdings, Inc.), Kenny Orr, Madrigal Health, LLC, Mr Van Den Toorn, Rick, Ms. Friedman, Rhonda Beth, Philip J. Gross, Steven Mitchell Sack
• Original Assignee: Informedix, Inc. (Informedix Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lerner, David, Demenus, Richard D., Edl, Michael J., Kehr, Bruce A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhardt, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): OH, JUNGHOON
• Application Number:
  US07/556,626
• Time in Patent Office: 2,850 Days
• Field of Search: 364/400, 364/401, 364/413.01, 364/413.02, 364/479, 368/10, 368/41, 221/2, 221/15
• US Class Current: 702/177
• 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 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0445 for preventing drug dispensing during a predetermined time period
• 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: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A device for monitoring medication of a patient and for prompting the patient into certain medication taking schedule and/or certain programming steps and routines. The device has a plurality of compartments, each of which may store medication, and an electrical signaling system to emit medication alert signals from time-to-time, each of which said signals indicates (a) that medication should be taken, (b) from which compartment the medication should be taken, (c) and the quantity of medication to be taken. If a designated compartment is not opened and closed within a predetermined period of time, the electrical signaling system will display an alarm and the event will be recorded as a missed medication event, unless the patient then opens the designated compartment. If each designated compartment is opened and closed, the take-medication signal and the alarm (if operating) are turned off and the event is recorded for later review. The device may be constructed in one piece with hinged doors for each pill compartment, or each pill compartment may be a separate "drawer" sliding into a main unit.

Claims

1. A device for alerting a person when it is time to take medication, comprising,

(a) a casing having at least one face,

(b) a display on said face,

(c) a memory,

(d) timing means,

(e) a plurality of medication compartments that open and close, associated with said casing,

(f) control means for providing a plurality of bits of information relating to the taking of medication, said control means including the timing means, said information including information as to the quantity of medication to be taken and also including other information,

(g) selecting means for selecting at least one of said bits and at least one time of day, for each compartment,

(h) means for entering the selected bits and said selected time or times in said memory,

(i) said control means including means responsive to both said selected time or times and said selected bits stored in said memory, for, a particular one of said compartments, (a) giving a take-medication signal at each of said time or times that was selected for that compartment, and (b) displaying on said display the information that was based on the bit or bits selected for that compartment,

(j) said display having first and second portions the first of which is closer to said compartments than the second portion, said control means including means for displaying said information as to the quantity of medication to be taken on said first portion and said other information on said second portion, and

(k) means operable following a take-medication signal to store a missed medication signal in said memory, if a compartment is not opened or closed,

said control means including means for displaying, on said display, the missed medication signal.

2. A device according to claim 1 in which said control means includes means for displaying a plurality of past times that medication was to be taken from a given compartment together with any missed medication signal applicable to such compartment.

3. A device according to claim 2 in which the time at which the missed medication was scheduled to be taken is displayed on said display along with the missed medication signal.

4. A device for alerting a person when it is time to take medication, comprising,

(a) a casing having at least one face,

(b) a display on said face,

(c) a memory,

(d) timing means,

(e) a plurality of medication compartments that open and close, associated with said casing,

(f) control means for providing a plurality of bits of information relating to the taking of medication, said control means including the timing means, said information including information as to the quantity of medication to be taken and also including other information,

(g) selecting means for selecting at least one of said bits and at least one time of day, for each compartment,

(h) means for entering the selected bits and said selected time or times in said memory,

(i) said control means including means responsive to both said selected time or times and said selected bits stored in said memory, for, a particular one of said compartments, (a) giving a take-medication signal at each of said time or times that was selected for that compartment, and (b) displaying on said display the information that was based on the bit or bits selected for that compartment,

(j) said display having first and second portions the first of which is closer to said compartments than the second portion, said control means including means for displaying said information as to the quantity of medication to be taken on said first portion and said other information on said second portion,

(k) wherein if one of said compartments is opened at an unscheduled time, said device gives a signal and the display displays a query as to whether the patient wishes to take medication from such one compartment.

5. A device as defined in claim 4, having manually operable means for answering said query.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 wherein the answer to said query is stored in said memory available for display by said display at a later time.