Interactive medicine organizer

• US 8,670,865 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2011
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: One World Design & Manufacturing Group Ltd.
• Original Assignee: One World DMG Limited
• Inventors: Coe, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/238,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20120006847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 902 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/236, 700242-243, 700/240, 700/244
• US Class Current: 700/243
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0445 for preventing drug dispensing during a predetermined time period
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Interactive medicine organizers and methods comprising integrated software and hardware elements and multifunctional interactive wireless devices to provide assistance to individuals who need to organize or monitor the administration of one or more medications are provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a dispenser body having a housing;

(b) a commandable lockable slidable door, said door being slidably connected to said housing to allow a user access to items stored within said housing;

(c) a commandable rotating tray, said tray having one or more chambers, said tray being mounted within said housing and forming an integral component of said housing;

(d) a docking station, said docking station being connected to said housing; and

(e) a multifunctional interactive wireless device, said device being capable of i) docking with said docking station, ii) commanding said tray to a plurality of positions, iii) commanding said door to slide between a plurality of locked or unlocked positions, wherein said device executes a software application for determining said plurality of positions of said tray, and said door based on a data set input by a user, and said commanding is performed by physical docking of said multifunctional interactive wireless device with said docking station or wirelessly without physical docking of said multifunctional interactive wireless device with said docking station.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tray is substantially circular.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said tray comprises nine chambers.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of said nine chambers is configured to accept a medicine vial.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multifunctional interactive wireless device is a smart phone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multifunctional interactive wireless device is a smart tablet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data set comprises:

(a) a name of a medicine;

(b) a strength of said medicine; and

(c) a time schedule for dispensing said medicine.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said multifunctional interactive wireless device communicates a signal to a remote database, said signal indicating a dispensing history.

9. A method comprising:

(a) entering a data set into a software application, said application being executed on a multifunctional interactive wireless device;

(b) docking said multifunctional interactive wireless device with a docking station;

(c) using said multifunctional interactive wireless device to command a lockable slidable dispensing door to slide from a closed locked position to an open loading position to allow a user access to items stored within said housing;

(d) loading one or more medicine containers into a commandable rotating tray, said tray having one or more chambers, said tray being mounted within said housing and forming an integral component of said housing;

(e) using said multifunctional interactive wireless device to command said dispensing door to slide from an open unlocked position to a closed locked position to prevent access to items stored within said housing;

(f) receiving an alert from said multifunctional interactive wireless device at a predetermined time indicating to the user that it is time to take the appropriate medication;

(g) docking said multifunctional interactive wireless device with said docking station;

(h) using said multifunctional interactive wireless device to command said dispensing door to slide from a closed locked position to an open loading position to allow a user access to items stored within said housing;

(i) unloading said one or more medicine containers from said commandable rotating tray.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said data set comprises:

(a) a name of one of more medicines;

(b) a strength of said one or more medicines; and

(c) a time that said one or more medicines is to be dispensed.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of transmitting a signal from said multifunctional interactive wireless device to a remote database, said signal indicating either a confirmation of dispensing said one or more medicines or a failure to dispense said one or more medicines.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of transmitting one or more alarms from said multifunctional interactive wireless device when said one or more medicines are not dispensed within a predetermined time of a scheduled dispense time.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein said multifunctional interactive wireless device is a smart device.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(i) sending a signal to said remote database when a user attempts to dispense said one or more medicines before a predetermined time.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(j) sending a signal to said remote database when a user attempts to dispense said one or more medicines more than a predetermined number of times.

16. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

(k) locking said dispensing door when a user attempts to dispense said one or more pills before a predetermined time.

17. A method comprising:

(a) loading a pre-loaded medicine container containing medication into a commandable rotating tray, said tray being enclosed in a housing having a slidable lockable door, said tray having one or more chambers and forming an integral component of said housing;

(b) using a multifunctional interactive wireless device to command said slidable lockable door to slide from a closed locked position to an open loading position to allow a user access to items stored within said housing;

(c) receiving an alert from said multifunctional interactive wireless device at a predetermined time indicating to the user that it is time to take the appropriate medication;

(d) using said multifunctional interactive wireless device to command said slidable lockable door to slide from a closed locked position to an open loading position to allow a user access to items stored within said housing;

(e) unloading said medicine container from said tray, wherein a user can access said medication and reload said container into said tray.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said commanding is performed using a wireless signal originating from said multifunctional interactive wireless device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said multifunctional interactive wireless device is a phone.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein said multifunctional interactive wireless device is a smart device.