Systems and methods for reminding a patient to consume a medication

• US 9,125,798 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2014
• Issued: 09/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Medical Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Adheretech Inc., Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama (University of Alabama System)
• Inventors: Stein, Joshua, Langhauser, John, Morena, Michael, Jovanov, Emil
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tai T
• Application Number:
  US14/273,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347175A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 340/309.7, 340/309.16, 340/540, 340/541, 340/687, 340/5.2, 340/5.82, 700/231, 700/232, 700/236, 700/242
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/76 for fluid level
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• 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: F04C 2270/0421 Controlled or regulated
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/42 for counting by weighing G01G19/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining whether and/or when a patient is taking his or her medication and, when appropriate, providing reminders and/or alerts to the patient to improve adherence to a medication regimen. In some embodiments, a medication container is provided that includes a capacitance sensor for sensing the contents of the medication container (e.g., pill count or quantity of liquid medication). The capacitance sensor may include interleaved or interdigitated electrodes oriented vertically, horizontally, or angularly (e.g., diagonally) relative to an axis of the medication container. Reminders and/or alerts to the patient may be triggered based at least in part on the contents of the medication container, when a cap of the container was last opened and/or closed, the location of the medication container, and/or the container'"'"'s surroundings.

Claims

1. A system for reminding a patient to consume a medication, comprising:

computer memory configured to store data indicative of a medication regimen associated with a patient; and

one or more computers configured to receive communications from a medication container associated with the patient, the one or more computers configured to;

receive a communication from the medication container comprising data indicative of a quantity of medication within the medication container at a given time;

compare the data indicative of the quantity of the medication within the container and data indicative of when a communication was last received by the one or more computers from the medication container to the data indicative of the medication regimen associated with the patient; and

based at least in part on the comparison, trigger a reminder to the patient to consume the medication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computers are configured to communicate a signal to the medication container that activates an alert by the container.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computers are configured to initiate a digital message to a user computer associated with the patient.

4. A method for reminding a patient to consume a medication, comprising:

storing in computer memory data indicative of a medication regimen associated with a patient;

receiving with one or more computers one or more electronic communications from a medication container associated with the patient, the one or more electronic communications comprising data indicative of a quantity of medication within the medication container at a given time;

comparing with the one or more computers the data indicative of the quantity of the medication within the medication container and data indicative of when a communication was last received by the one or more computers from the medication container to the data indicative of the medication regimen associated with the patient; and

based at least in part on the comparison, triggering with the one or more computers a reminder to the patient to consume the medication.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said triggering comprises communicating by the one or more computers a signal to the medication container that activates an alert by the container.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said triggering comprises communicating by the one or more computers a digital message to a user computer associated with the patient.