Drug dispenser/container display

• US 8,138,939 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Manning Ventures, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Manning Ventures, Inc.
• Inventors: Manning, William, Green, Albert, Khan, Asad, Doane, J. William, Kwon, Sarah, Domino, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): NWUGO, OJIAKO K
• Application Number:
  US12/178,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20090051560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,336 Days
• Field of Search: 340/815.4, 340/815.16, 368/1, 368/10, 368/108, 368/244
• US Class Current: 340/815.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection

Abstract

A display for use on medical dispensing equipment, and the resulting medical device and its method of display. In particular, provided are a number of specific embodiments of such a display on a medical device, including a film display for use on pill bottles and pill dispensers that utilize colored images as a dosage reminder for the user, a conformable bistable reflective display for use on drug delivery devices, and a conformable bistable reflective display for use on blood glucose meters.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing device comprising:

a container for holding a medication; and

a reflective color display mounted on said container, wherein said display is adapted for providing an indication of a first status of said medication by displaying a first color, such that the color displayed by said display changes to displaying a second color to represent a change in the status of said medication to another status.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said display is a bistable color display provided with a thin, flexible substrate.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said display conforms to a curve in said container.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said container includes a cylindrical component, and wherein said display is wrapped around a substantial portion of said cylindrical component.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said display acts as a label for said device, and wherein said display is attached to said cylindrical component using an adhesive.

6. The device of claim 2, wherein said container includes a removable cap, and wherein said display is provided on said removable cap.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said display further provides an indication of the status of said medication by also using alphanumeric or numeric text.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein said color of a status of said medication is reflecting in the color of said text.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first color of said display is one of yellow, green, blue or red to reflect the first status of said medication, and wherein the color of said display is a different one of yellow, green, blue, or red to reflect a second status of said medication.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein said display utilizes reflected light for viewing said indication without any active backlight such that said color is maintained on said display absent a change in status without consuming power.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said display is a bistable cholesteric color display.

24. The device of claim 1, wherein said change in status comprises at least one of the following:

that another dose of the medication is due to be taken;

the arrival or near arrival of an expiration date of the medication;

that a dose of the medication has recently been taken;

that a dose of the medication is just past due being taken;

that a dose of the medication is long past due being taken; and

/or

an indication that a container holding the medication is empty or is nearly empty.

12. A color display adapted for being placed on a medication dispensing device, said display comprising:

a thin, flexible substrate;

an adhesive on said substrate for attaching said display to said medication dispensing device;

a power supply;

detection component for detecting any of a plurality of states of said medication dispensing device;

at least one layer of electronics provided on said substrate including electronic components for driving said display; and

a plurality of layers provided on said substrate, each one of said layers for displaying a different color, wherein each one of said layers is comprised of a bistable cholesteric material, such that an image is initially generated for display on said display by using a threshold voltage utilizing said power supply, and wherein said image is subsequently maintained on said display without drawing any substantial current from said power supply, and wherein said display associates a different one of said colors for display according to different ones of said states of said medication dispensing device that are detected by said detection component, wherein said display utilizes reflected light reflected off said substrate for viewing said image without any active backlight.

13. The color display of claim 12, wherein said display is adapted for installation on a removable cap of said medication dispensing device or container.

14. The color display of claim 12, where said display is adapted for installation on a curved surface of said medication dispensing device or container, such that said display conforms to said curved surface.

15. The display of claim 12, wherein the color of said display is one of yellow, green, blue or red to reflect a first status of medication, and wherein the color of said display is a different one of yellow, green, blue, or red to reflect a second status of the medication.

25. The device of claim 12, wherein said display is adapted for providing an indication of a status of said medication utilizing color, such that the color of said display changes to represent a change in the status of said medication.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein said change in status comprises at least one of the following:

that another dose of the medication is due to be taken;

the arrival or near arrival of an expiration date of the medication;

that a dose of the medication has recently been taken;

that a dose of the medication is just past due being taken;

that a dose of the medication is long past due being taken; and

/or

an indication that a container holding the medication is empty or is nearly empty.

16. A method of displaying a current status of a medication, comprising the steps of:

providing a container for holding said medication;

providing a flexible color display mounted on said container;

determining a first status of said medication;

indicating said first status of said medication using a first color, wherein said first status is viewable utilizing reflected background light without the use of a backlight and wherein said first status is maintained on said display without the consumption of power;

detecting a change in the status of said medication to a second status; and

indicating said second status of said medication using a second color, wherein said second status is also viewable utilizing reflected background light without the use of a backlight and wherein said second status is maintained on said display without the consumption of power.

17. The display of claim 16, wherein said first color is one of yellow, green, blue or red to reflect a first status of medication, and wherein the color of said display is a different one of yellow, green, blue, or red to reflect a second status of the medication.

18. The display of claim 16, wherein power is consumed by said display when initially generating said indication of the first status and when initially generating said indication of the second status.

19. The display of claim 16, wherein said display is mounted on a cap of said container using an adhesive.

20. The display of claim 16, wherein said display is mounted a curved surface of said container using an adhesive, such that said display conforms to said curved surface.

27. The device of claim 16, wherein said first status includes that a dose of the medication was properly taken, that the medication is not expired, or that a sufficient amount of medication is available in a container holding the medication, and wherein the second status comprises at least one of the following:

that the next dose of the medication is due to be taken;

the arrival or near arrival of an expiration date of the medication;

that a dose of the medication is just past due being taken;

that a dose of the medication is long past due being taken; and

/or

an indication that a container holding the medication is empty or is nearly empty.

21. A medication dispensing device comprising:

a container for holding a medication;

a sensor or a user input device for obtaining information about a status of the medication; and

a reflective color display mounted on said container, said display including;

a thin, flexible substrate;

an adhesive on said substrate for attaching said display to said medication dispensing device or container;

a power supply;

at least one layer of electronics provided on said substrate including electronic components for driving said display, wherein said electronics is connected to said sensor or said user input device; and

a plurality of layers provided on said substrate, each one of said layers for displaying a different color, wherein each one of said layers is comprised of a bistable cholesteric material, such that an image is initially generated for display on said display by using a threshold voltage utilizing said power supply, and wherein said image is subsequently maintained on said display without drawing any substantial current from said power supply, and wherein the color of said display is one of yellow, green, blue, red or a combination thereof to reflect a first status of medication, and wherein the color of said display is changed to a different one of yellow, green, blue, or red, or a different combination thereof to reflect a second status of the medication based on said information obtained by said sensor or said user input device.

28. The device of claim 21, wherein said first status is that a dose of the medication was properly taken, that the medication is not expired, or that a sufficient amount of medication is available in a container holding the medication, and wherein the second status comprises at least one of the following:

that the next dose of the medication is due to be taken;

the arrival or near arrival of an expiration date of the medication;

that a dose of the medication is just past due being taken;

that a dose of the medication is long past due being taken; and

/or

an indication that a container holding the medication is empty or is nearly empty.

22. A medication dispensing device comprising:

a container for holding a medication; and

a bistable color display mounted on said container for displaying a plurality of colors using reflected light, wherein

said display is a cholesteric display and is adapted for providing an indication of a first status of said medication utilizing a first one of said colors displayed by said display, and wherein

said display is adapted for providing an indication of a second status of said medication utilizing a second one of said colors displayed by said display.

29. The device of claim 22, wherein said first status is that a dose of the medication was properly taken, that the medication is not expired, or that a sufficient amount of medication is available in a container holding the medication, and wherein the second status comprises at least one of the following:

that the next dose of the medication is due to be taken;

the arrival or near arrival of an expiration date of the medication;

that a dose of the medication is just past due being taken;

that a dose of the medication is long past due being taken; and

/or

an indication that a container holding the medication is empty or is nearly empty.

23. A method of displaying a current status of a medication, comprising the steps of:

providing a container for holding said medication;

mounting a color cholesteric liquid crystal display on said container, said display including stacked liquid crystal layers or regions in a single liquid crystal layer, each of said layers and said regions being adapted to reflect light of a different color than another of said layers or said regions, respectively;

determining a first status corresponding to;

a first time, or a first amount of medication in said container;

indicating said first status by displaying a first color on said display,

detecting a change in status of said medication to a second status corresponding to;

a second time resulting from a passing of time since said first time, or a second amount of medication in said container that is less than said first amount; and

indicating said second status by displaying a second color on said display,

wherein said first color and said second color are displayed with light reflected from said liquid crystal using at least one of planar, focal conic and grayscale textures, all of said textures being stable in an absence of an electric field.

30. A medication dispensing device comprising:

a container for holding a medication; and

a reflective color display mounted on said container, wherein said display is adapted for providing an indication of a plurality of statuses of said medication utilizing different colors, such that the color of said display changes to represent a change in the status of said medication, and wherein said status indicated by said display includes indicating that a dose of medication is due to be taken or is past time to be taken.

31. A medication dispensing device comprising:

a container for holding a medication; and

a reflective color display mounted on said container, wherein said display is adapted for providing an indication of a status of said medication utilizing color, such that the color of said display changes to represent a change in the status of said medication, and wherein said status indicated by said display includes indicating that a container holding the medication is empty or is nearly empty.

32. A medication dispensing device comprising:

a container for holding a medication;

a device for detecting at least one state of said container; and

a reflective color display mounted on said container, wherein said display is adapted for providing an indication of a first status of said medication by continuously displaying a first color, and wherein

upon detection of said at least one state, said display is further adapted for providing an indication of a second status of said medication by continuously displaying a second color different than said first color.