Drug delivery management system

• US 6,839,304 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2002
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DDMS Holdings, LLC (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DDMS Holdings, LLC (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Niemiec, Mark A., Golub, Daniel H., Heidelberger, Louis M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US10/144,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20030007421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/11, 368107-109, 343/094, 345/681, 206531-534, 221/2, 221/3, 221/15
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/72 for temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0293 Individual printed conductors which are adapted for modification, e.g. fusable or breakable conductors, printed switches

Abstract

A system for managing delivery of pharmaceutical drugs is formed of a blister package that includes a plurality of cells arranged in a grid. Each of the cells is sealed by a breakable wall and holds a unit-dose of medication. A user gains access to the medication in a given cell by puncturing the breakable wall associated with the given cell. A severable conductor is positioned proximate to each breakable wall. The severable conductor associated with a given cell ruptures upon puncturing of the breakable wall associated with the given cell. A computer chip is electrically connected to the severable conductors. The computer chip senses the puncturing of each cell in the grid by monitoring the rupturing of each of the severable conductors. An RF transmitter is coupled to the computer chip. The RF transmitter sends information corresponding to usage of each of medications stored in the blister package to a remote information transceiver.

Claims

1. A system for managing delivery of medications, comprising:

a portable instrumented medication package, said instrumented medication package comprising a means for containing medication in a plurality of sub-containments, a means for detecting a time at which access to a sub-containment occurred, a means for storing access times, said access times being times at which an access was detected, a means for transmitting stored times at which an access was detected, an a receiver means for detecting a request from a remote transceiver means to transmit stored times, said means for transmitting stored times transmitting said stored times only in response a request to transmit stored times; and

a remote transceiver means, said remote transceiver means comprising a means for transmitting a request to transmit stored times and a mean for receiving transmitted stored times, said remote transceiver means further comprising means for storing received transmitted stored times at which an access was detected.

2. A system for managing delivery of medications according to claim 1, wherein said instrumented medication package further comprises a means for storing expiration information, said expiration information corresponding to an expiration data of medications stored in the instrumented medication package, and an expiration signaling means for signaling when stored expiration information indicates that medication stored in the instrumented medication package has expired.

3. A system for managing delivery of medications according to claim 2, wherein said expiration signaling means comprises a means for signaling a patient when stored expiration information indicates that medication stored in the instrumented medication package has expired.

4. A system for managing delivery of medications according to claim 2, wherein said expiration signaling means comprises a means for transmitting a signal to the remote transceiver means when stored expiration information indicates that medication stored in the instrumented medication package has expired.

5. A system for managing delivery of medications according to claim 1, wherein the instrumented medication package further comprises a means for storing prescribed time values, said prescribed time values corresponding to times at which medications contained in the instrumented medication package are to be taken by patient, and a signaling means for signaling when a prescribed time at which a medication is to be taken passes without said means for detecting access detecting access to a sub containment.

6. A system for managing delivery of medications according to claim 5, further wherein said means for signaling comprises a mean for signaling a patient when a prescribed time at which a medication is to be taken passes without said means for detecting access detecting access to a sub-containment.

7. A system for managing delivery of medications according to claim 5, further wherein said means for signaling comprises a means for transmitting a signal to the remote transceiver means when a prescribed time at which a medication is to be taken passes without said means for detecting access detecting access to a subcontainment.

8. A portable instrumented medication package, said medication package comprising:

(a) a blister package, said blister package comprising a plurality of cells, each of said cells having an opening sealed by a membrane;

(b) a severable conductor positioned proximal to each membrane, wherein the severable conductor associated with a given cell is severed upon rupture of the membrane sealing a given cell;

(c) a processor affixed to the blister package and electrically connected to the severable conductors, the processor further monitoring the severable conductors to determine when a severable conductor is severed;

(d) memory associated with said processor, said memory for storing information associated with events monitored by the processor;

(e) an RF transmitter affixed to the blister package and coupled to the processor said RF transmitter transmitting information associated with events monitored by the processor only in response to a received signal from a remote transceiver; and

(e) an RF receiver, said RF receiver affixed to the blister package and coupled to the processor, said RF receiver capable of receiving a trigger signal from a remote transceiver.

9. An instrumented medication package according to claim 8, further comprising at least one environmental sensor, said environmental sensor selected from a list of sensors consisting of light sensors, temperature sensors, an humidity sensors.

10. An instrumented medication package according to claim 8, wherein said memory further comprises information stored in said identifying times at which medication contained in the medication package is to be accessed, and herein the processor further comprises circuitry for determining whether a time at which medication contained in the medication package is to be accessed has passed without medication contained in the medication package being accessed.

11. An instrumented medication package according to claim 10, further comprising a signaling device, said signaling device coupled to the processor and generating a signal to indicate that a time at which medication contained in the medication package is to be accessed has passed without medication contained in the medication package being accessed.

12. An instrumented medication package according to claim 11, wherein the signaling device generates an audible signal.

13. An instrumented medication package according to claim 11, wherein the signaling device generates a visible signal.

14. An instrumented medication package according to claim 10, wherein the processor further comprises circuitry for generating an RF transmission signaling that a time at which medication contained in the medication package is to be accessed has passed without medication contained in the medication package being accessed.

15. An instrumented medication package according to claim 8, wherein said memory further comprises information identifying times at which medication contained in the medication package is to be accessed and processor instructions, said processor instructions instructing the processor to monitor severing of connectors to determine whether has conductors have been severed in accordance with times at which medication contained in the medication package was to be accessed.

16. An instrumented medication package according to claim 15, further comprising a signaling device, said signaling device coupled to the processor and generating a signal to indicate that a time at which medication contained in medication package is to be accessed has passed without medication contained in the medication package being accessed.

17. An instrumented medication package according to claim 16, wherein the signaling device generates an audible signal.

18. An instrumented medication package according to claim 16, wherein the signaling device generates a visible signal.

19. An instrumented medication package according to claim 16, wherein said memory further comprises alarm generating processor instructions, said alarm generating processor instructions instructing the processor to monitor severing of connectors to determine whether conductors have been severed in accordance with times at which medication contained in the medication package was to be accessed.

20. An instrumented medication package according to claim 8, wherein said memory further comprises expiration information, and wherein said instrumented medication package further comprises an expiration signal coupled to said processor.