Medication recording device

• US 8,448,846 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2007
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Care Innovations LLC
• Original Assignee: Intel-GE Care Innovations, LLC (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Needhan, Bradford H., Rhodes, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US11/941,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20090127339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,018 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/454, 235/462.14, 235/462.45, 235/462.49, 23547201-47203, 235/487, 705/2, 705/3
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisious for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS

Abstract

A device and method records and identifies a medication that is to be introduced into a body by generating an image of the medication. The image of the medication is converted to image data of the medication that comprises a format for comparison with medication identification data stored in a database. Time-stamp data is generated and associated with the image data of the medication. The image data of the medication and associated time-stamp data are stored. The medication is identified by comparing one or more medication-identification parameters stored in the database with the image data of the medication.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an imaging device configured to capture an image of a medication to be introduced into a body and a hand holding the medication;

a time-stamp unit coupled to the imaging device and configured to generate time-stamp data in response to the imaging device capturing the image of the medication and the hand;

a hand recognition unit coupled to the imaging device and configured to determine identification of a person whose hand appears in the image of the medication and the hand;

a processor coupled to the imaging device, the time-stamp unit, and the hand recognition unit, the processor configured to associate image data of the image of the medication with the time-stamp data and the identified person; and

a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor, the non-volatile memory storing the image data of the image of the medication, the time-stamp data, and the identified person,

wherein the processor is further configured to identify the medication based on a comparison of the image data of the image of the medication with a first data set that comprises one or more medication identification parameters, the medication identification parameters comprising a color of a medication, and to determine whether the identified person is the person to receive the identified medication,

wherein, upon determining that the identified person is the person to receive the identified medication, the processor is further configured to obtain one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters and/or one or more parameters for determining a medication contraindication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a second database coupled to the processor, the second database comprising at least one second data set comprising the one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters, the processor configured to determine whether introducing the medication into the body conforms with the one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters based at least in part on comparing the second data set with the image data of the medication and the time-stamp.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to communicate on a user interface a message related to whether introducing the medication into the body conforms with the one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a transmitter coupled to the processor for communicating a message related to whether introducing the medication into the body conforms with the one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a third database coupled to the processor, the third database comprising at least one third data set comprising the one or more parameters for determining a medication contraindication, wherein the processor is configured to determine medication contraindications based at least in part on comparing the third data set with the image data of the identified medication and the time-stamp data.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to communicate on a user interface a message related to whether introducing the medication into the body is contraindicated.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a transmitter coupled to the processor for communicating a message related to whether introducing the medication into the body is contraindicated.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a user interface, wherein the user interface is configured to generate a tactile representation of the identified medication.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the tactile representation comprises braille.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the person is a patient, a caregiver, and/or medical personnel.

11. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

capturing an image of a medication to be introduced into a body and a hand holding the medication;

determining identification of a person whose hand appears in the image of the medication and the hand;

converting the image of the medication to image data of the medication, the image data in a format for comparison with medication-identification data for identifying the medication;

generating time-stamp data in response to the capturing of the image of the medication and the hand;

associating the image data with the time-stamp data and the identified person;

storing the image data, the time-stamp data, and the identified person;

accessing a first database comprising at least one first data set, the at least one first data set comprising one or more medication-identification parameters, the medication identification parameters comprising a color of a medication;

comparing the at least one first data set with the image data of the medication;

identifying the medication based on the comparison of the at least one first data set with the image data of the medication;

determining whether the identified person is the person to receive the identified medication; and

obtaining one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters and/or one or more medication-contraindication parameters upon determining that the identified person is the person to receive the identified medication.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a first message based at least in part on said identifying the medication.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating medication data based at least in part on said identifying the medication;

accessing a second database comprising at least one second data set comprising the one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters;

comparing the medication data with the at least one second data set;

comparing the time-stamp data with the at least one second data set; and

determining whether introducing the medication into the body conforms with the one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters based at least in part on said comparing the time-stamp data with the at least one second data set.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

accessing a third database comprising at least one third data set comprising the one or more medication-contraindication parameters;

comparing the medication data with the least one third data set;

comparing the time-stamp data with the least one third data set; and

determining whether introducing the medication into the body is contraindicated based at least in part on said comparing the medication data with the least one third data set or said comparing the time-stamp data with the least one third data set, or combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a second message based at least in part on determining whether introducing the medication into the body conforms with the one or more recommended-medication-regimen parameters.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating, on a user interface, a tactile representation of the identified medication.

17. An apparatus, comprising:

an imaging device configured to capture an image of a medication to be introduced into a body and a hand holding the medication;

a time-stamping unit coupled to the imaging device and configured to generate time-stamp data in response to the imaging device capturing the image of the medication and the hand;

a hand recognition unit coupled to the imaging device and configured to determine identification of a person whose hand appears in the image of the medication and the hand;

a processor coupled to the imaging device, the time-stamp unit, and the hand recognition unit, the processor configured to associate image data of the image of the medication with the time-stamp data and the identified person;

a non-volatile memory coupled to the processor, the non-volatile memory storing the image data of the image of the medication, the time-stamp data, and the identified person; and

a diagnostic instrument communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to output a measurement to the processor, the diagnostic instrument comprising a blood sugar gauge, a blood pressure monitor, a heart rate monitor, a breath analyzer, or any combination thereof,

wherein the processor is further configured to identify the medication based on the image of the medication, and

wherein the processor is further configured to determine whether the identified medication is contraindicated based on the measurement outputted from the diagnostic instrument, wherein the measurement is associated with the identified person.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to receive from a user at the user interface an input indicating whether the user will perform and/or has performed an activity, wherein the processor is configured to identify whether the identified medication is contraindicated further based on comparing the received input with a second data set comprising behavioral parameters for determining a medication contraindication, and wherein the behavioral parameters of the second data set comprise parameters related to activities including physical activities and/or eating activities, the processor being configured to determine whether the identified medication is contraindicated based on whether the received input comprises one or more of the activities.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the behavioral parameters of the second data set comprise the parameters related to the physical activities comprise an exercise activity, a vehicle operation activity, a machinery operation activity, or any combination thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a user interface coupled to the processor, wherein the user interface is adapted to output a tactile representation of the identified medication.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is a cell phone, and the processor is further configured to cause the cell phone to vibrate in response to determining that the identified medication is contraindicated.