Optical imager and method for correlating a medication package with a patient

• US 8,798,367 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2011
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Metrologic Instruments Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Ellis, Duane
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahmjoo, Mike
• Application Number:
  US13/018,078
• Publication Number:
  US 20120195479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 382/181, 382/117, 700/213, 700/216, 700/231, 700/242, 700/240, 700/236, 700/304, 700/219, 700/220
• US Class Current: 382/181
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10722 Photodetector array or CCD scanning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A system is provided to correlate a medication package with a prescribed medication for a patient. The medication package accommodates an intended patient medication. The system includes an optical imager adapted to read an encoded symbol character comprising encoded patient information and further adapted to image an attribute of the medication package. The optical imager comprises a two-dimensional image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array. The two-dimensional image sensor array has a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels. The optical imager further includes a digital link to transmit a segment of data. The segment of data includes the patient information encoded in the encoded symbol character and the attribute of the medication package. The system further includes a host computer connected to the digital link to receive the segment of data from the optical imager, and a database coupled to the host computer via a digital connection. The database correlates the segment of data to (a) a patient record, and (b) a medication package attribute library.

Claims

1. A system to correlate a medication package with a prescribed medication, the medication package accommodating medication for a patient, the system comprising:

an optical imager that uses a two-dimensional image sensor array to read an encoded symbol comprising encoded patient information and further to image an attribute of the medication package, the optical imager comprising an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array, the two-dimensional image sensor array having a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, the optical imager having a digital link to transmit a segment of data comprising the patient information encoded in the encoded symbol and the attribute of the medication package;

a host computer connected to the digital link to receive the segment of data from the optical imager; and

a database coupled to the host computer via a digital connection, the database to correlate the segment of data to (a) a patient record, and (b) a medication package attribute library;

wherein the optical imager captures an image of a feature associated with the medication package, the feature selected from the group consisting of a pattern of symbols and a grid pattern, the feature having a predetermined size characteristic, and wherein the system processes the image using the predetermined size characteristic to determine a size of the medication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the patient record includes prescribed medication, and the attribute of the medication package correlates to the prescribed medication in the patient record.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the medication package comprises the medication itself.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises the shape of the medication.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises the size of the medication.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the medication package is printed on the package.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the printed attribute is a grid pattern.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the attribute further comprises a symbol printed on the grid pattern.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises a pigmentation.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising an optical filter positioned between the medication package and the two-dimensional image sensor array within the optical imager, the optical filter having a pass band for passing light of a wavelength emitted by an illumination source assembly in the optical imager.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the pigmentation is ultraviolet.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises pigmentation mixed with the medication.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the medication package comprises pigmentation comprising a dye applied to a coating of the medication.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of attributes for the medication package, the plurality of attributes encoded in hierarchical order.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

providing an optical imager comprising a two-dimensional image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array, the two-dimensional image sensor array having a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels;

providing a medication, the medication being accommodated by a medication package, the package having an attribute;

providing one or more database comprising patient identifiers associated to medications and an attribute library, the attribute library comprising a plurality of candidate medications that have been prescribed to a patient, each candidate medication having an associated package attribute;

reading with an optical reader an encoded symbol comprising encoded patient information for the patient;

capturing an image of the medication package with the optical imager wherein the optical imager captures an image of a feature associated with the medication package, the feature selected from the group consisting of a pattern of symbols and a grid pattern, the feature having a predetermined size characteristic;

processing the image to identify an attribute of the medication package, wherein the method processes the image using the predetermined size characteristic to determine a size of the medication;

accessing the attribute library and correlating the attribute of the medication package to the stored attributes of the candidate medications; and

reporting, by the optical imager, information of medications of the patient and a match between the imaged attribute of the medication package and one of the candidate medications.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

providing patient information in encoded symbol character format, the patient information correlating to a patient record in the database, the patient record comprising prescribed medication;

decoding and correlating the encoded symbol character to the patient record; and

correlating, by the optical imager, the prescribed medication in the patient record with the medication for the patient.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of outputting user perceptible data via an output device on the optical imager.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of capturing the image of the medication package comprises illuminating the package with a specific wavelength of light.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the optical imager comprises an optical filter adapted to pass the specific wavelength of light and block all other wavelengths of light.

20. A system comprising:

a medical package having a pouch to hold a medication; and

an optical imager comprising a two-dimensional image sensor array and an imaging lens for focusing an image on the two-dimensional image sensor array, the two-dimensional image sensor array having a plurality of pixels formed in a plurality of rows and columns of pixels, wherein the optical imager captures an image of a feature associated with the medication package, the feature selected from the group consisting of a pattern of symbols and a grid pattern, the feature having a predetermined size characteristic, and wherein the system processes the image using the predetermined size characteristic to determine a size of the medication.