Method, system and apparatus for controlling patient access to medicaments

• US 8,666,539 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MedicaSafe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: MedicaSafe, Inc.
• Inventors: Ervin, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/895,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20110133948A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,251 Days
• Field of Search: 700/237, 700/240, 700/236, 700/241
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for controlling and tracking patient access to medicaments. A patient is provided with medication in locked pill containers that must be unlocked with an access code before the patient can access a limited quantity of medication in each container. Thus the patient is forced to go through an interactive session periodically with a master system, via a communicative intermediary, in order to obtain a valid passcode for each batch of medications and follow a treatment regimen. The patient may be assessed during each interaction with the master system. That assessment can include various questions, including questions about status codes that may optionally be displayed on each medication container. These status codes may optionally encode detail about the patient'"'"'s pattern of accessing medication. The general rate of medication usage can also be deduced by the rate at which the patient contacts the master system. After patient assessment, the master system may elect to not provide the patient with an access code, typically if the patient meets certain criteria that indicate overuse of the medication. Conversely, the master system can elect to proactively contact the patient if the patient fails to make contact with the master system at an expected time, as this lack of contact suggests that the patient is underusing the medication and requires a reminder.

Claims

1. A device comprising

a cap;

a pill bottle adapted to be securely covered by the cap;

a display unit for displaying a status code; and

a processing unit configured to interface with the cap and the display unit, and generates a status code based on device data indicating a status of the device,

wherein the processing unit is configured to determines when the cap is removed from the pill bottle,

and wherein the cap is coupled with the pill bottle by a locking unit, the locking unit being capable of being unlocked using a valid access code obtained from a master system based on identifying data of a user, the identifying data including the status code.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to identify when the cap was removed from the pill bottle and modify a memory log to indicate that the cap was removed from the pill bottle.

3. The device of claim 1 further comprising:

a conductive circuit provided in the outer shell of the cap and connected to the processing unit; and

a spring adapted to contact the conductive circuit,

wherein the spring creates a gap in the conductive circuit when the cap is removed from the pill bottle.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the cap includes a pair of holes adapted to fit a pin engaging an external lock for locking the cap to the pill bottle.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the status code represents an encoded summary of a usage pattern of the device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the status code comprises a number having one or more digits.

5. A medicament dispensing device comprising:

a dispensing unit having a locking unit, such that the dispensing unit can be locked or unlocked and capable of dispensing medicaments only when unlocked,

the dispensing unit also including an input evaluation unit capable of accepting input data from a user, and providing information which is used in unlocking the locking unit when the input data is determined to be valid, the input data including an access code received from a master system based on user identifying data transmitted to the master system;

whereby the device can be selectively unlocked and medicaments accessed only when the user provides valid input data, the medicaments being provided up to a certain limit of use associated with said input data,

the dispensing unit further comprising

a cap;

a pill bottle adapted to be securely covered by the cap;

a display unit for displaying a status code; and

a processing unit configured to interface with the cap and the display unit and generates a status code based on device data indicating a status of the device,

wherein the processing unit determines when the cap is removed from the pill bottle,

wherein the cap is coupled with the pill bottle by the locking unit, and

wherein the status code constitutes at least a part of the user identifying data transmitted to the master system.