Medication dosage calculator

• US 6,944,638 B1
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Issued: 09/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Katharine T. Putnam
• Original Assignee: Katharine T. Putnam
• Inventors: Putnam, Katharine T.
• Primary Examiner(s): MALZAHN, DAVID H
• Application Number:
  US09/992,793
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 708/132, 708/134, 708/206
• US Class Current: 708/206
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

The subject invention provides a system and method for quick and easy calculation of medication dosages to overcome problems in current methods and systems for calculating dosages. The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as a system, a device, a method, or a computer readable medium. Specifically exemplified herein are embodiments for use in the healthcare industry.

Claims

1. A medication dosage conversion device for easily and accurately determining the amount of medication to be administered to a patient based upon a prescribed dosage which is in different units from the units in which the medication is supplied;

wherein said device comprises;

a) a first means for entering a form of medication;

b) a second means for entering a unit of dosage of a medication as supplied; and

c) a third means for entering a prescribed dosage of the medication;

d) computation means for converting the input data into information regarding the amount of the medication to administer to the patient; and

e) a display screen;

wherein said device converts the input data into output information providing the amount of medication to deliver, and wherein said output information is shown on said display screen.

2. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said device is portable.

3. The device, according to claim 2, wherein said device is handheld.

4. The device, according to claim 1, which is mounted at a nurse'"'"'s station or in a patient'"'"'s room.

5. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said input means is are selected from the group consisting of touch screens, voice recognition, and keypads.

6. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said display screen comprises a liquid crystal display.

7. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said computation means computes dosage amounts for at least two dosage forms of medication.

8. The device, according to claim 7, wherein the dosage forms include solid and liquid dosage forms.

9. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said display screen displays numbers and letters corresponding to input data and output information.

10. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said means for entering input data comprises:

a) a first set of keys for entering a form of medication;

b) a second set of keys for entering a unit of dosage of a medication as supplied; and

c) a third set of keys for entering a prescribed dosage of the medication.

11. The device, according to claim 10, wherein said first set of keys comprises keys for selecting one of the following:

a) tablets or capsules;

b) orally-consumed liquids; and

c) intravenous fluids.

12. The device, according to claim 10, wherein said second set of keys comprises at least two of the group consisting of:

a) a mg/tablet or mg/capsule key;

b) a grain/tab key;

c) a grain to mg converter key;

a) an oral liquids mg key;

b) an oral liquids ml key;

c) a vial units key;

d) a vial ml key; and

e) a total volume in ml key.

13. The device, according to claim 10, wherein said third set of keys comprises at least two of the following:

a) a mg key;

b) a units key;

c) an hours to administer key; and

d) a drop factor key.

14. The device, according to claim 13, wherein said device comprises keys with an embedded function for automatically providing the number of drops to be administered for intravenous administration.

15. The device, according to claim 14, with keys corresponding to 10, 15 and 60 drops.

16. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said calculator keypad further performs numeric computations.

17. The device, according to claim 1, wherein said computation means comprises software for converting said input data to said output information.

18. A method for easily and accurately determining the amount of medication to be administered to a patient based upon a prescribed dosage which is in different units from the units in which the medication is supplied;

wherein said method comprises;

a) receiving first input data indicative of the known form of medication to be administered,

b) receiving second input data indicative of the standard pharmaceutical unit in which the dosage is to be expressed,

c) receiving third input data values of physician-prescribed variables,

d) computing the dosage for administration to the patient as expressed in the previously selected standard pharmaceutical unit, and

e) displaying the amount of medication to be administered to the patient;

wherein said input data is received in steps (a)–

(c) by;

i) a first means for entering a form of medication;

ii) a second means for entering a unit of dosage of a medication as supplied; and

iii) a third means for entering a prescribed dosage of the medication, respectively.

19. The method, according to claim 18, wherein said input data is received in steps (a)–

(c) by an input means selected from the group consisting of touch screens, voice recognition, and keypads.

20. The method, according to claim 18, wherein the step of displaying the amount of medication comprises displaying said amount on a liquid crystal display.

21. The method, according to claim 18, wherein step (d) further comprises computing dosage amounts for at least two dosage forms of medication.

22. The method, according to claim 21, wherein said step of computing dosage amounts comprises computing the dosage forms include solid and liquid dosage forms.

23. The method, according to claim 18, wherein said input data is received in steps (a)–

(c) by;

a) a first set of keys for entering a form of medication;

b) a second set of keys for entering a unit of dosage of a medication as supplied; and

c) a third set of keys for entering a prescribed dosage of the medication, respectively.

24. The method, according to claim 23, wherein said first set of keys comprises keys for selecting one of the following:

a) tablets or capsules;

b) orally-consumed liquids; and

c) intravenous fluids.

25. The method, according to claim 23, wherein said second set of keys comprises at least two of the group consisting of:

a) a mg/tablet or mg/capsule key;

b) a grain/tab key;

c) a grain to mg converter key;

f) an oral liquids mg key;

g) an oral liquids ml key;

h) a vial units key;

i) a vial ml key; and

j) a total volume in ml key.

26. The method, according to claim 18, further comprising receiving input data via keys corresponding to 10, 15 and 60 drops.

27. The method, according to claim 18, further comprising performing additional numeric computation via a calculator keypad.