Medication tracking

• US 9,171,280 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bluesight, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Kit Check, Inc.
• Inventors: Gitchell, Jennifer Ashley, Kress-Spatz, Timothy James Leo, MacDonald, Kevin William, Petersen, Nicholas Bastien, Meloni, Julie Christina, Doyle, Christian Lee, Waud, Michael David, Pedra, David Mario, Stocchero, Nicholas Ward, Wimpee, Michael Christopher, Shyu, Steven, Murali, Mahesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US14/563,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20150161558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/385, 235/492, 705/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/001 Trolleys for transport of medicaments, food, linen, nursing supplies carts specially adapted for surgery or diagnosis A61B50/13; hand carts B62B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/18 Arrangements for indicating condition of container contents, e.g. sterile condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10366 the interrogation device being adapted for miscellaneous applications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A system and method is described for printing a label with an RFID tag. The system includes an RFID reader that queries a first RFID tag coupled to a first medicinal container that includes a medication. In response, the system receives a first unique identifier and uses the first unique identifier to determine a status of the medication, associate the first medicinal container with a medical provider and print a second label that includes a second RFID tag for a second medicinal container.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an RFID reader coupled to a pharmaceutical item storage unit and configured to query a first RFID tag of a first label coupled to a first medicinal container including a medication and receive a first unique identifier from the first RFID tag, wherein the first unique identifier uniquely identifies the first medicinal container from all other medicinal containers;

a computing device coupled to the RFID reader and configured to;

receive the first unique identifier,

query a remotely located database for medication data of the medication using the first unique identifier,

verify a recall status of the medication using the medication data,

verify a first expiration of the medication using the medication data,

generate a second expiration of the medication, and

associate the first medicinal container with a medical provider; and

a printer configured to;

print at least a portion of the medication data and the second expiration on a second label for a second medicinal container, the second label comprising a second RFID tag,

wherein the second label comprises a transparent portion comprising an adhesive, a first opaque portion that includes the second RFID tag and does not include an adhesive, a second opaque portion comprising an adhesive and a third opaque portion comprising an adhesive, wherein a length of the transparent portion extends along a length of the first opaque portion and the at least a portion of the medication data is printed onto the first opaque portion, and a name of the medication is printed on the second opaque portion and the third opaque portion, and wherein the second opaque portion and the third opaque portion are detachably coupled to the first opaque portion, wherein

the RFID reader is further configured to query the second RFID tag and receive a second unique identifier from the second RFID tag of the second label coupled to the second medicinal container, the second medicinal container comprising a portion of the medication from the first medicinal container, and wherein

the computing device is further configured to;

receive the second unique identifier,

associate the medication data and the second expiration with the second unique identifier,

associate the second medicinal container with the medical provider,

determine whether the pharmaceutical item storage unit stores a first threshold quantity of the medication in one or more medicinal containers, and

based at least upon a determination that the pharmaceutical item storage unit does not store the first threshold quantity of the medication, determine whether the pharmaceutical item storage unit stores a second threshold quantity of a substitute medication in the one or more medicinal containers, and

based at least upon a determination that the pharmaceutical item storage unit does not store the second threshold quantity of the substitute medication, generate a notification that the pharmaceutical item storage unit does not store the first threshold quantity of the medication.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to cause a display to display one or more medications associated with the medical provider.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the substitute medication comprises a medication with a different chemical makeup than the medication.

4. A system comprising:

an RFD reader coupled to a pharmaceutical item storage unit and configured to query a first RFID tag of a first label coupled to a first medicinal container including a medication, and receive a first unique identifier from the first RFID tag, wherein the first unique identifier uniquely identifies the first medicinal container from other medicinal containers in the pharmaceutical item storage unit;

a computing device coupled to the RFID reader and configured to;

receive the first unique identifier,

verify a status of the medication in the first medicinal container using the first unique identifier, and

associate the first medicinal container with a medical provider; and

a printer configured to print medication data on a second label for a second medicinal container comprising at least a portion of the medication from the first medicinal container, the second label comprising a second RFID tag, wherein

the RFID reader is further configured to query the second RFID tag and receive a second unique identifier from the second RFID tag of the second label coupled to the second medicinal container, the second medicinal container comprising at least a portion of the medication from the first medicinal container, and wherein

the computing device is further configured to;

receive the second unique identifier,

associate the medication data with the second unique identifier, and

associate the second medicinal container with the medical provider.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein to verify the status of the medication in the first medicinal container, the computing device is configured to:

determine that the first medicinal container is not subject to a recall,

determine that the medication in the first medicinal container is not expired, and

determine that the medical provider has appropriate rights to use the medication in the first medicinal container.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the computing device is further configured to cause a display to display one or more suggested medications for combination with the medication in the first medicinal container.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the medication data comprises a medication name, concentration, and total amount of the medication in the second medicinal container.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein to associate the first medicinal container with the medical provider, the computing device is configured to associate the first unique identifier with the medical provider.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein to associate the second medicinal container with the medical provider, the computing device is configured to associate the second unique identifier with the medical provider.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the second label comprises a transparent portion including an adhesive, an RFID portion that includes the second RFID tag and does not include an adhesive, a first opaque portion comprising an adhesive and a second opaque portion comprising an adhesive, wherein a length of the transparent portion extends along a length of the RFID portion and the at least a portion of the medication data is printed onto the RFID portion, and a name of the medication is printed on the first opaque portion and the second opaque portion, and wherein the first opaque portion and the second opaque portion are detachably coupled to the RFID portion.

11. The system of claim 4, wherein the computing device is configured to generate a notification that the pharmaceutical item storage unit does not store a first threshold quantity of the medication based at least upon a determination that the pharmaceutical item storage unit does not store a first threshold quantity of the medication and a second threshold quantity of a substitute medication.

12. The system of claim 4, wherein the second medicinal container is the same as the first medicinal container.

13. The system of claim 4, wherein

the medication is a first medication,

the RFID reader is further configured to query a third RFID tag of a third label coupled to a third medicinal container including a second medication, and receive a third unique identifier from the third RFID tag, wherein the third unique identifier uniquely identifies the third medicinal container from the other medicinal containers in the pharmaceutical item storage unit,

the computing device is further configured to receive the third unique identifier, and verify a status of the second medication in the third medicinal container using the third unique identifier,

the second medicinal container further comprises at least a portion of the second medication from the third medicinal container, and

the medication data printed on the second label includes information regarding the second medication.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing device is further configured to calculate an expiration date for content of the second medicinal container based at least in part an expiration date of the first medication in the first medicinal container and an expiration date of the second medication in the third medicinal container.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing device is further configured to calculate an expiration date for the content of the second medicinal container based at least in part one or more rules associated with the first medication and one or more rules associated with the second medication.

16. A method for printing a label for a medicinal container, the method comprising:

querying a first RFID tag of a first label coupled to a first medicinal container, the first medicinal container including a medication;

receiving a first unique identifier from the first RFID tag, wherein the first unique identifier uniquely identifies the first medicinal container from other medicinal containers in a pharmaceutical item storage unit;

receiving a verification of a status of the medication in the first medicinal container, wherein the verification is based at least in part on data associated with the first unique identifier;

receiving an indication of an association of the first medicinal container with a medical provider;

causing a printer to print medication data on a second label for a second medicinal container comprising at least a portion of the medication from the first medicinal container, the second label comprising a second RFID tag;

querying the second RFID tag;

receiving a second unique identifier from the second RFID tag of the second label coupled to the second medicinal container, the second medicinal container comprising at least a portion of the medication from the first medicinal container;

receiving an indication that the medication data has been associated with the second unique identifier; and

receiving an indication that the second medicinal container has been associated with the medical provider.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second label comprises a transparent portion including an adhesive, an RFID portion that includes the second RFID tag and does not include an adhesive, a first opaque portion comprising an adhesive and a second opaque portion comprising an adhesive, wherein a length of the transparent portion extends along a length of the RFID portion and the at least a portion of the medication data is printed onto the RFID portion, and a name of the medication is printed on the first opaque portion and the second opaque portion, and wherein the first opaque portion and the second opaque portion are detachably coupled to the RFID portion.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving an indication of a notification that the pharmaceutical item storage unit does not store a first threshold quantity of the medication based at least upon a determination that the pharmaceutical item storage unit does not store a first threshold quantity of the medication and a second threshold quantity of a substitute medication.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the second medicinal container is the same as the first medicinal container.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the medication is a first medication, the method further comprising:

querying a third RFID tag of a third label coupled to a third medicinal container including a second medication;

receiving a third unique identifier from the third RFID tag, wherein the third unique identifier uniquely identifies the third medicinal container from the other medicinal containers in the pharmaceutical item storage unit; and

receiving an indication of a verification of a status of the second medication, wherein the verification of the status of the second medication is based at least in part on data associated with the third unique identifier, wherein

the second medicinal container further comprises at least a portion of the second medication from the third medicinal container, and

the medication data printed on the second label includes information regarding the second medication.