Method, system and device for assisting a patient in complying with a medical regime

• US 8,757,435 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2008
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitaphone Gmbh
• Original Assignee: Vitaphone Nederland B.V.
• Inventors: Van Oort, Andreas Bernardus Petrus, Van Dullemen, Marlies, Doucet-Liem, Noor, Westerink, Annemieke, Van Der Star, Erwin Christiaan Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Najarian, Lena
• Assistant Examiner(s): PASS, NATALIE
• Application Number:
  US12/180,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20090030730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,160 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/7.3, 700/244, 700/236, 221/25, 221/3, 221/30, 221/69, 221/70, 221/71, 221/74, 221/197
• US Class Current: 221/197
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/06 Arrangements on packages concerning bar-codes
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0472 the band being wound in flat spiral, folded in accordion or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/68 in which the articles are torn or severed from strips or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

The invention relates to a method, system and dispensing device for assisting a patient in complying with a medical regimen. The system includes an electronic dispensing device to be used by the patient which comprises a device to obtain information about the regimen. A device registers operation of the dispensing device by the patient taking the medicines. A warning device reminds a patient of the regimen. A medicine packing station packs the medicine within a package in portions to be taken according to the regimen. A database stores information about the regimen. A service center is provided to assist when necessary. A communication network is provided for communication between the dispensing device and the service center and/or between the service center and the patient.

Claims

1. A system for assisting a patient in complying with a medical regimen having a plurality of medicines, comprising:

a package having a plurality of containers, each container having a portion of each of the plurality of medicines, the package comprising machine-readable information about the regimen, wherein the package comprises a strip containing the plurality of containers, and wherein the dispensing device includes a housing, a holding element within the housing to take up the strip of containers, an assisting device that engages the strip to separate one or more containers from the strip adjacent an outlet opening of the housing, and wherein the holding element is mounted to a part of the housing adjacent the outlet opening, and wherein the strip of medicine containers, the holding element and the part of the housing are exchangeable as a unit;

an electronic dispensing device to be used by the patient which stores the package and dispenses separately each of the plurality of containers within the package and comprises electronics, wherein the electronics register operation of the dispensing device by the patient to take medicine, and wherein the electronics includes a reading element that reads the information about the regimen on the package and a warning device that outputs a signal at least on the basis of the machine-readable information on the package;

a service center; and

a communicating network that is operably connected to the service center and the dispensing device and communicates information between the dispensing device and the service center, wherein the service center includes information about the regimen, and wherein the dispensing device and the service center communicate information about the regimen.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing device is provided with a telephone module and wherein the communication network is a wireless telecommunication network.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the holding element is a spindle on which the strip of containers are prewound, the spindle having a drive to wind and/or unwind the strip of containers.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the drive for the spindle is a gripping part connected to the spindle to manually rotate the spindle.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the part of the housing is a bottom of the housing, or protrudes through a bottom of the housing.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the assisting device is a clamping member adjacent the outlet opening for the containers in order to clamp the strip of containers adjacent a position where one or more containers are to be separated.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the reading element is activated by an element that is coupled to the clamping member.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the part of the housing and a remaining part of the housing are movable with respect to each other, the clamping member being coupled to one of the part of the housing or the remaining part of the housing and cooperating with the other part of the housing to clamp the strip of containers.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the clamping member is attached to an upper part of the housing and cooperates with a bottom of the housing, the bottom of the housing supporting the holding element.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the upper part of the housing is pivotable with respect to the bottom of the housing, and wherein the bottom of the housing includes a support member supporting the upper housing part in a pivotal manner.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the holding element is a spindle and the support member for the upper housing part also supports the spindle, the bottom of the housing being configured to connect to the upper housing part through a push button on one end of the spindle.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the dispensing device includes a flattening member that positions the strip adjacent the reading element.

13. The system according to claim 1 and further comprising a medicine packing station packing connected to the communicating network, the medicine packing station packing said containers within the according to the regimen.

14. The system according to claim 1 and further comprising a database connected to the communicating network storing information about the regimen.