Apparatus, system, and method for accurate dispensing of prescription medications

• US 9,189,601 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jireh Health LLC
• Original Assignee: Jireh Health LLC
• Inventors: Simmons, George T., Sprague, Sara
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US13/601,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• Field of Search: 700/237, 700/240, 700/241, 700/244
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• 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 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

An apparatus for the recording and dispensing of medication has an electronic device having a screen and a base electronic unit with a space designed to allow insertion of a cassette housing medication to be dispensed. A first input device is coupled to the electronic device to send data to the electronic device to verify a particular user of the electronic device. A dispensing device is coupled to the electronic device for dispensing medication to the particular user once the electronic device has verified the particular user.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing of medication comprising:

a remote server comprising a database, the database comprising patient information for a plurality of patients; and

a dispensing apparatus in operative association with the remote server, the dispensing apparatus including a dispensing device in operative association with the dispensing apparatus for dispensing medication, a first input device for receiving an identification input from a patient, and at least one processor to

receive identification input from the first input device to verify that the patient of the plurality of patients is authorized to access the medication stored in the dispensing device;

in response to the verification,

obtain a first prescribed schedule from a plurality of prescribed schedules stored in the database, the first prescribed schedule corresponding to the patient, the first prescribed schedule defining personalized instructions for dispensing the medication to the patient and wherein the personalized instructions includes at least one instruction defining how frequently the patient should consume the medications;

provide access to the medication and to the dispensing device when the patient is verified based in part on the at least one instruction; and

analyze bio feedback results of the patient having taken the medication as received from a second input device including reading biomedical information via a biometric chip implanted in the patient;

wherein the first input device is capable of reading the biometric chip for verifying whether the patient of the plurality of patients is authorized to access the medication stored in the dispensing device,

wherein the dispensing device comprises a modular cassette comprising a plurality of locked compartments for storing prescribed medication of the patient; and

wherein the dispensing apparatus includes a screen portion and a housing portion extending orthogonally with respect to the screen portion and the dispensing device is disposed within a top side of the housing portion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the patient information corresponding to the plurality of patients via a remote server database that records and tracks medication compliance.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the patient information comprises a plurality of biometric profiles, each biometric profile corresponding to a particular patient of the plurality of patients.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the input device is a biometric security device and the identification input is a fingerprint or other biometric identifier and wherein to verify that the particular patient is authorized to access the dispensing device comprises comparing the fingerprint or the other biometric identifier to the plurality of biometric profiles to determine a match.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein to provide access to the dispensing device comprises dispensing medication according to the prescribed schedule corresponding to the patient.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a dispensing transaction based on the dispensed medication; and

when the medication is not dispensed as scheduled, record an entry in the remote server database to track patient medication compliance.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor provides access to the dispensing device by unlocking at least one of the plurality of locked compartments for dispensing medication when the patient is verified.

8. A method for dispensing medication comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor, identification input from an input device to verify that a patient of a plurality of patients is authorized to access a dispensing device of a portable dispensing apparatus;

in response to the verification,

obtain a first prescribed schedule from a plurality of prescribed schedules stored in a database, the first prescribed schedule corresponding to the patient, the first prescribed schedule defining personalized instructions for dispensing the medication to the patient and wherein the personalized instructions includes at least one instruction defining how frequently the patient should consume the medication;

providing, via the at least one processor, access to the dispensing device when the patient is verified based at least in part on the at least one instruction;

generating, via the at least one processor, a dispensing transaction when the medication is dispensed from the dispensing device; and

analyzing bio feedback results of the patient having taken the medication as received from the input device by reading a biometric chip implanted in the patient.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive patient information corresponding to the plurality of patients.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the patient information comprises a plurality of biometric profiles, each biometric profile corresponding to a particular patient of the plurality of patients.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the input device is a biometric security device and the identification input is a fingerprint, and wherein to verify the particular patient is authorized to access the dispensing device comprises comparing the fingerprint to the plurality of biometric profiles to determine a match.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the patient information comprises a plurality of prescribed schedules, each prescribed schedule corresponding to a particular patient of the plurality of patients and wherein to provide access to the dispensing device comprises dispensing medication to the patient according to the prescribed schedule corresponding to the patient.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the dispensing device comprises a modular cassette comprising a plurality of locked compartments for storing prescribed medication of the patient, and wherein the at least one processor provides access to the dispensing device by unlocking at least one of the plurality of locked compartments for dispensing medication when the patient is verified.

14. A system for dispensing of medication comprising:

a remote server comprising a database, the database comprising patient information for a plurality of patients; and

a dispensing apparatus in operative communication with the remote server, the dispensing apparatus including a dispensing device in operative communication with the dispensing apparatus for dispensing a medication, a biometric input device for receiving an identification input from a patient, and at least one processor to;

receive identification input from the biometric input device to verify that the patient of a plurality of patients is authorized to access the dispensing device;

in response to the verification;

obtain a first prescribed schedule from a plurality of prescribed schedules stored in the database, the first prescribed schedule corresponding to the patient, the first prescribed schedule defining personalized instructions for dispensing the medication to the patient and wherein the personalized instructions includes at least one instruction defining how frequently the patient should consume the medications;

provide access to the dispensing device when the patient is verified to be authorized access to the medication;

dispense medication from the dispensing device to the patient according to the at least one instruction; and

generate a dispensing transaction when medication is dispensed from the dispensing device; and

analyze bio feedback results of the patient having taken the medication as received from the input device by reading a biometric chip implanted in the patient.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to receive the patient information corresponding to the plurality of patients.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the patient information comprises a plurality of biometric profiles, each biometric profile corresponding to a particular patient of the plurality of patients.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the identification input is a fingerprint and wherein to verify the particular patient is authorized to access the dispensing device comprises comparing the fingerprint to the plurality of biometric profiles to determine a match.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein to provide access to the dispensing device comprises dispensing medication to the patient according to the prescribed schedule corresponding to the patient.

19. The system of claim 14, the at least one processor provides access to the dispensing device by unlocking at least one of a plurality of locked compartments of the modular dispensing cassette for dispensing medication when the patient is verified.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the dispensing device comprises a plurality of bubbles disposed on the top side of the dispensing device for storing prescribed medication of the patient and wherein the at least one processor provides access to the dispensing device by unlocking at least one of the plurality of bubbles for dispensing medication when the patient is verified.