Prescription drug compliance monitoring system

• US 7,295,890 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratamed Labs Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratamed Labs Incorporated
• Inventors: Jean-Pierre, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/670,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244
• US Class Current: 700/244
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The drug compliance monitoring system provides a patient with a portable medication dispenser programmed with medication-taking data. The dispenser alerts the patient to take a dose of medication and gathers compliance data relating to the medication-taking data. The compliance data is accessible to a physician, or other care givers, etc., via a network database.

Claims

1. A medication compliance device comprising:

a base station having a local wireless communication link, user interface and a memory;

a portable cap assembly for association with a container of medication, the portable cap assembly comprising;

a local wireless communication link;

a memory;

an indicator;

a sensor;

a cap;

a collar between the can and an opening of the container for attaching the cap to the container, the collar including the memory of the cap assembly and a movable base movable relative to the container while the collar is attached to the container from a first position in which the opening is substantially covered to a second position in which the opening is exposed for dispensing medication from the container; and

a controller for directing the communication link to receive and transmit medication-taking data for directing the memory to store the medication-taking data, for directing the indicator to activate according to the medication-taking data, for directing the sensor to gather and the memory to store compliance data that indicates whether the sensor sensed that a user has taken a plurality of doses of the medication in compliance with the medication-taking data, and for directing the local wireless communication link to transmit the compliance data to the base station,

wherein the base station receives the compliance data from the cap assembly via the local wireless communication link, stores the compliance data in the memory of the base station, and presents the compliance data via the user interface.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the medication-taking data further comprises a medication-taking regimen.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the portable cap assembly further comprises:

a transparent top with a child-proof lock mechanism.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the communication link comprises infrared light emitting diode.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the base station transmits the compliance data to a remote location through a data network.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the indicator comprises at least one of a visual indicator, an audible indicator, or a tactile indicator.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the data network is coupled to a data server for storing data far the device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the base station receives compliance data for a plurality of users.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the base stations receives compliance data for a plurality of medications.

10. A medication compliance system comprising:

a portable cap assembly for attaching to a container, the cap assembly having

memory for storing medication-taking data and compliance data,

local wireless communication for transmitting the medication-taking data and compliance data, a first indicator for indicating when a user should take a dose of medication stored in the container based on the medication-taking data,

a sensor for sensing that the user has taken the dose of medication,

a collar connected adjacent an opening of the container and including the memory of the portable cap assembly, wherein the collar is positioned between the cars and the opening,

a cap removably attached to the collar, and

a movable base that moves relative to a stationary base of the collar from a first position in which the opening is substantially covered to a second position in which the opening is exposed for dispensing the medication from the container,

wherein the sensor senses cap movement due to movement of the movable base, which is stored as compliance data, and

wherein the compliance data stored in the memory indicates whether the sensor sensed that the user has taken a plurality of doses of medication in compliance with the medication-taking data; and

a base station that supports local wireless communication for receiving the medication-taking data and the compliance data from the portable cap assembly, base station memory for storing the medication-taking data and the compliance data, a user-interface for presenting the compliance data, and wired communication for transmitting the compliance data to a remote location.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the base station is programmed with medication-taking data from a remote location.

12. The system of claim 10 and further comprising:

a computer terminal electrically coupled to the programming station for programming the portable cap assembly with the medication-taking data.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the base station further comprises:

a second indicator for Indicating when the user should take the dose of medication based on the medication-taking data received from the cap; and

wherein the second indicator is activated when the cap is within a range for local wireless communication with the base station.

14. A medication compliance device comprising:

a collar for attaching adjacent an opening of a medication container, the collar having a first communication link, a memory for storing medication-taking data and compliance data, a stationary base adjacent the opening of the container, and a movable base coupled to the stationary base, wherein the movable base moves relative to the stationary base while attached to the stationary base from a first position in which the opening is substantially covered to a second position in which the opening is exposed to dispense medication from the container; and

a cap attached to the collar such that the collar is between the cap and the opening, the cap further comprising;

a first communication link;

an indicator for inducing compliance with the medication-taking data;

a sensor for sensing compliance with the medication-taking data;

a microcontroller for engaging communication with the collar through the communication link, activating the indicator according to the medication-taking data, gathering the compliance data regarding a plurality of sensed compliance events from the sensor, and storing the compliance data in the memory of the collar via the first communication link,

wherein the movable base is coupled to the stationary base between the opening and the cap, and the sensor senses movement of the movable base.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the cap further comprises:

a second communication link for transmitting the medication-taking data and compliance data such that the data is accessible through a data network.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein the collar further comprises:

a second communication link for receiving the medication-taking data.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the indicator is a visual indicator.

18. The device of claim 14 wherein the indicator is an audio indicator.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the movable base comprises a pivoting base that pivots relative to the stationary base.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the data is accessible through the data network through use of proprietary software for programming a remote terminal, tracking the medication-taking data and compliance data, displaying the medication-taking data and compliance data, and generating custom reports.