Systems and methods for monitoring patient compliance with medication regimens

• US 6,380,858 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Original Assignee: Becton, Dickinson & Co
• Inventors: Vonk, Glenn Philander, DiPisa, Joseph, Fletcher, Richard, Yarin, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US09/929,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20020027507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/10.1, 340/505, 340/5.92, 128/903, 128/899, 600/302
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• 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 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3561 local, e.g. within room or hospital
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 : Radio telemetry

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating effective self-management of medication treatment by patients. A Smart Tray monitors and reports to third parties a patient'"'"'s compliance with various medication treatment regimens. Medication containers are provided with electromagnetic tags that provide various information about medicament contained within a respective container. A Smart Tray is equipped with a processor and reader that interrogates each respective electromagnetic tag to identify medicament(s) contained within each container. Using the retrieved information, a Smart Tray provides visual and/or audio signals to a patient to remind the patient when and how much of various medicaments to take. A Smart Tray also monitors, via the reader, when a medication container is removed. A Smart Tray can communicate with one or more third parties, such as healthcare providers, pharmacies, and other suppliers of healthcare products and services via a computer network. In addition, a Smart Tray can communicate with various appliances and can modify medication regimens for particular medicaments in response to data received from various appliances.

Claims

1. A comestible medicament comprising a non-toxic electromagnetic tag, wherein the electromagnetic tag contains information about the medicament including an identification of the medicament.

2. The comestible medicament according to claim 1 wherein the electromagnetic tag is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.