Apparatus, method, device and computer program product for audibly communicating medicine identity, dosage and intake instruction

• US 8,648,716 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 02/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Barcoding, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Barcoding, Inc.
• Inventors: Steinmetz, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fan, Hongmin
• Application Number:
  US13/331,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20120183941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.12, 340/573.1, 340/691.6, 340/825.19
• US Class Current: 340/539.12
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/40 for devices for accepting orders, advertisements, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A system for identifying medication in the form of pills, capsules or tablets, and communicating medicine dosage and intake instructions to a user, utilizing Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) and optical recognition technology. The RFID is performed by labeling a medicine container with a tag containing a unique identifier, associating the unique identifier with an audio file comprising instructions related to medicine usage, and delivering the audio file to an electromagnetic wave-enabled device. A wireless device, such as a mobile telephone or PDA, via a service, plays an audio and/or vibrational file associated with the unique identifier when the RFID tag is read by the device. The mobile device has a camera therein and is operable to capture an image of the pill, capsule or tablet and, via execution of optical recognition software, identify the pill, tablet or capsule, and verify the identity thereof.

Claims

1. A system for identifying medicine, and communicating dosage and intake instructions thereof to a patient via an RFID-enabled mobile device, said system comprising:

(a) one or more RFID tags having a unique identifier associated therewith, the one or more RFID tags being adjacent to medicine and/or a medicine container, said medicine being in the form of pills and/or capsules;

(b) an RFID-enabled mobile device comprising a computer processor, a wireless communications means, an RFID reader, a camera, and a non-transitory computer readable medium, all of which are in communication with one or more of each other; and

(c) a subsystem operable to identify pills and capsules via optical recognition methods based on one or more of color, shape and size, associate one or more users with one or more pills and capsules, and transmit an audio file in the form of one or more of a ringtone, text message, one or more vibrations and/or a voice message associated with the unique identifier embodied on an RFID tag comprising identity of medicine and instructions related to medicine usage via a network to a RFID-enabled mobile device, said subsystem comprising computer application program code embodied on the non-transitory computer readable medium executable by the processor, said system for identifying medicine, and communicating dosage and intake instructions thereof to a patient via an RFID-enabled mobile device, said system comprising computer program code operable to;

(i) generate, store and transmit a date stamp corresponding to the unique identifier when an RFID tag containing the unique identifier is read, and compare the date stamp to medicine dosage and intake instructions corresponding to the patient, so as to determine compliance therewith;

(ii) receive an image of a sample pill or capsule from the camera and/or processor, generate a data set of optical characteristics of the pill or capsule based on the image, and compare the data set of optical characteristics of the sample pill or capsule to a database of known optical characteristics of known pills and capsules so as to determine identity of the sample pill or capsule;

(iii) compare the identified sample pill or capsule, medicine dosage and intake instructions to patient medicine identity, dosage and intake requirements, so as to determine compliance therewith;

(iv) cause a service to generate and play an audible and/or vibrational alarm so as to inform the user of the need to take the one or more medicines associated with the user, and record acknowledgement of the audible and/or vibrational alarm by the user, so as to determine compliance with medicine dosage and intake instructions; and

(v) cause a service to play an audio and/or vibrational file on the RFID-enabled mobile device, said audio and/or vibrational file comprising identity of the sample pill or capsule, and instructions related to dosage and intake thereof.

2. The system for identifying medicine, and communicating dosage and intake instructions thereof to a patient via an RFID-enabled mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor in communication with the computer processor,

computer program code operable to receive temperature data from the temperature sensor, and compare recommended storage temperatures for the sample pills or capsules to the received temperature data so as to determine compliance therewith; and

computer program code operable to cause a service to play an audio and/or vibrational file on the RFID-enabled mobile device, said audio file comprising notification of the compliance or non-compliance with recommended storage temperatures for the sample pills or capsules, and optionally time range out of recommended storage temperatures that damages or renders pills or capsules ineffective or dangerous for consumption.

3. The system for identifying medicine, and communicating dosage and intake instructions thereof to a patient via an RFID-enabled mobile device of claim 1, wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device is operable to communicate with an authorized mobile phone.

4. The system for identifying medicine, and communicating dosage and intake instructions thereof to a patient via an RFID-enabled mobile device of claim 1, wherein the RFID-enable mobile device is a mobile phone.

5. The system for identifying medicine, and communicating dosage and intake instructions thereof to a patient via an RFID-enabled mobile device of claim 1, further comprising:

a gyroscopic detection device in communication with the computer processor, said gyroscopic detection device operable to detect the three dimensional orientation of the mobile device;

computer program code operable to compare the detected three dimensional orientation of the mobile device to a predetermined proper orientation for the mobile device; and

computer program code operable to cause a service to play an audio and/or vibrational file on the RFID-enabled mobile device, said audio and/or vibrational file comprising instructions concerning reorientation of the mobile device needed to correspond the detected orientation thereof to the predetermined proper orientation.

6. A system comprising:

at least one RFID tag associated with a corresponding medicine and with at least one corresponding identifier, the at least one RFID tag placed adjacent to one of the medicine or a container containing the medicine;

an RFID-enabled mobile device configured to;

receive data representative of the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag when a reader of the RFID-enabled mobile device reads the at least one RFID tag,

determine medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag, and

generate user output corresponding to the determined medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag and

a gyroscopic detection device to detect a three dimensional orientation of the RFID-enabled mobile device;

wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device is further configured to;

compare the detected three dimensional orientation of the mobile device to a predetermined proper orientation for the mobile device, and

in response to a determination that the detected orientation of the mobile device does not match the predetermined proper orientation of the mobile device, generate orientation-related user output including instructions to cause re-orientation of the mobile device so that a subsequent detected orientation matches the predetermined proper orientation.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device configured to determine medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag is configured to:

identify from stored data records a data record corresponding to the at least one identifier, the identified data record including medicine dosage and intake instructions corresponding to a patient associated with the RFID-enabled mobile device and to the medicine associated with the at least one RFID tag.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device configured to generate the user output corresponding to the determined medication information is configured to generate one or more of:

a ringtone, a text message, voice message, or vibration output.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device configured to generate user output corresponding to the determined medication information is configured to:

obtain customized one or more audio files relating to one or more of identity, dosage information, or intake instructions corresponding to a patient associated with the RFID-enabled mobile device and to the medicine associated with the at least one RFID tag.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a temperature sensor to measure temperature associated with one of the medicine or the container containing the medicine;

wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device is further configured to;

determine whether the measured temperature is in compliance with a recommended storage temperature for the medicine, and

generate temperature-related user output to notify one of compliance or non-compliance of the measured temperature with the recommended storage temperature for the medicine.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

an image capture unit; and

an optical recognition subsystem configured to receive an image of the medicine captured by the image capture unit and to determine based on the captured image identity of the medicine.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the identity of the medicine determined based on the captured image is compared to medicine identification data determined based on the at least one identifier to verify accuracy of the medicine identification data.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the optical recognition subsystem configured to determine based on the captured image the identity of the medicine is configured to:

determine the identity of the medicine based on optical characteristics of the medicine determined from the captured image, the optical characteristics comprising one or more of;

color of the medicine, shape of the medicine, or size of the medicine.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device comprises an RFID-enabled mobile phone.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one RFID tag includes an RFID tag printed with a medicine label, or an attachable RFID tag attached to the container or a cap of the container.

16. A method comprising:

receiving at an RFID-enabled mobile device data representative of at least one identifier corresponding to at least one RFID tag associated with a corresponding medicine, the at least one RFID tag placed adjacent to one of the medicine or a container containing the medicine;

determining based on the received data medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag;

generating user output corresponding to the determined medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag;

detecting with a gyroscopic detection device a three dimensional orientation of the RFID-enabled mobile device;

comparing the detected three dimensional orientation of the mobile device to a predetermined proper orientation for the mobile device; and

in response to a determination that the detected orientation of the mobile device does not match the predetermined proper orientation of the mobile device, generating orientation-related user output including instructions to cause re-orientation of the mobile device so that a subsequent detected orientation matches the predetermined proper orientation.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag comprises:

identifying from stored data records a data record corresponding to the at least one identifier, the identified data record including medicine dosage and intake instructions corresponding to a patient associated with the RFID-enabled mobile device and to the medicine associated with the at least one RFID tag.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein generating the user output corresponding to the determined medication information comprises:

generating one or more of;

a ringtone, a text message, voice message, or vibration output.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving an image of the medicine;

determining based on the image identity of the medicine; and

comparing the identity of the medicine determined based on the image to medicine identification data determined based on the at least one identifier to verify accuracy of the medicine identification data.

20. A system comprising:

at least one RFID tag associated with a corresponding medicine and with at least one corresponding identifier, the at least one RFID tag placed adjacent to one of the medicine or a container containing the medicine;

an RFID-enabled mobile device configured to;

receive data representative of the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag when a reader of the RFID-enabled mobile device reads the at least one RFID tag,

determine medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag, and

generate user output corresponding to the determined medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag;

an image capture unit; and

an optical recognition subsystem configured to receive an image of the medicine captured by the image capture unit and to determine identity of the medicine based on optical characteristics of the medicine determined from the captured image, the optical characteristics comprising one or more of;

color of the medicine, shape of the medicine, or size of the medicine.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the identity of the medicine determined based on the optical characteristics of the medicine determined from the captured image is compared to medicine identification data determined based on the at least one identifier to verify accuracy of the medicine identification data.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device configured to determine medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag is configured to:

identify from stored data records a data record corresponding to the at least one identifier, the identified data record including medicine dosage and intake instructions corresponding to a patient associated with the RFID-enabled mobile device and to the medicine associated with the at least one RFID tag.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device configured to generate user output corresponding to the determined medication information is configured to:

obtain customized one or more audio files relating to one or more of identity, dosage information, or intake instructions corresponding to a patient associated with the RFID-enabled mobile device and to the medicine associated with the at least one RFID tag.

24. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a temperature sensor to measure temperature associated with one of the medicine or the container containing the medicine;

wherein the RFID-enabled mobile device is further configured to;

determine whether the measured temperature is in compliance with a recommended storage temperature for the medicine, and

generate temperature-related user output to notify one of compliance or non-compliance of the measured temperature with the recommended storage temperature for the medicine.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the at least one RFID tag includes an RFID tag printed with a medicine label, or an attachable RFID tag attached to the container or a cap of the container.

26. A method comprising:

receiving data representative of at least one identifier corresponding to at least one RFID tag associated with a corresponding medicine, the at least one RFID tag placed adjacent to one of the medicine or a container containing the medicine;

determining based on the received data medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag;

generating user output corresponding to the determined medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag;

receiving an image of the medicine; and

determining identity of the medicine based on optical characteristics of the medicine determined from the received image of the medicine, the optical characteristics comprising one or more of;

color of the medicine, shape of the medicine, or size of the medicine.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

comparing the identity of the medicine determined based on the image to medicine identification data determined based on the at least one identifier to verify accuracy of the medicine identification data.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein determining medication information associated with the at least one identifier corresponding to the at least one RFID tag comprises:

identifying from stored data records a data record corresponding to the at least one identifier, the identified data record including medicine dosage and intake instructions corresponding to a patient associated with the RFID-enabled mobile device and to the medicine associated with the at least one RFID tag.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein generating the user output corresponding to the determined medication information comprises:

generating one or more of;

a ringtone, a text message, voice message, or vibration output.