Sensor equipped medicinal container

• US 9,308,151 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nant Holdings IP, LLC (NantWorks, LLC)
• Original Assignee: NantWorks, LLC
• Inventors: Chaturvedi, Rahul, Brewer, Emerico Alberto, Lee, Jin Hyup, Soon-Shiong, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Phung
• Application Number:
  US14/350,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20150027918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/539.12, 340/547, 340/309.16, 340/407.1, 340/815.4, 340/384.1, 221/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/314 Flexible bags or pouches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/10 Bag-type containers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1412 Containers with closing means, e.g. caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/18 Arrangements for indicating condition of container contents, e.g. sterile condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• 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: B65D 33/2508 using slide fasteners with interlocking members having a substantially uniform section throughout the length of the fastener; Sliders therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/255 being provided with special visual, audible or tactile indicating means, e.g. indicating proper engagement B65D33/2516 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 33/28 Strings or strip-like closures , i.e. draw closures
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Medicinal container bags are presented. Bags can include openers capable of sealing an opening of the bag. Disclosed bags further comprise electronic assemblies configured to detect opening or closing events as the openers move along the rims of the bag opening. The assemblies can compile usage data based on opener movement, and then provide the data to remote monitoring systems.

Claims

1. A sensor equipped bag comprising:

a main body having an opening and a cavity defined by one or more flexible walls;

a flexible seal assembly comprising non-rigid rims attached to an opening in the main body and configured to seal the cavity by joining the non-rigid rims;

an opener coupled with the seal assembly and capable of opening or closing the seal assembly by coupling or decoupling the non-rigid rim respectively; and

an electronic assembly comprising an opener sensor circuit configured to detect partial opening of the bag, including estimating an opening size, based on resistance measurements between a closed position of the opener and a current position of the opener.

2. The bag of claim 1, wherein the electronic assembly is disposed within the bag.

3. The bag of claim 1, wherein the electronic assembly is disposed within the opener.

4. The bag of claim 1, wherein the opener sensor circuit detects relative proximity of the opener to a closed position.

5. The bag of claim 4, wherein the opener sensor circuit detects proximity of a magnet disposed within the opener.

6. The bag of claim 5, wherein the sensor circuit comprises a Hall Effect sensor.

7. The bag of claim 1, further comprising an opener lock that locks the opener in a closed position.

8. The bag of claim 7, wherein the electronic assembly comprises a lock circuit that operates the opener lock.

9. The bag of claim 1, wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a transceiver capable of communicating with an external computer.

10. The bag of claim 9, wherein the electronic assembly is further configured to exchange sensed bag related data with the external computer.

11. The bag of claim 1, further comprising electronic indicators coupled with the electronic assembly.

12. The bag of claim 11, wherein the indicator comprises a visual display.

13. The bag of claim 12, wherein the visual display comprises at least one of the following:

an e-ink display, a liquid crystal display, and a light emitting diode display.

14. The bag of claim 11, wherein the indicator comprises a speaker.

15. The bag of claim 11, wherein the indicator comprises a tactile display.

16. The bag of claim 1, wherein the non-rigid rims comprise a mechanical seal.

17. The bag of claim 16, wherein the mechanical seal comprises at least one of the following:

zipper, zip-lock, and draw string.

18. The bag of claim 1, wherein the non-rigid rims comprises magnetic seal.

19. The bag of claim 1, wherein the non-rigid rims attach to an edge portion of the opening.

20. The bag of claim 1, wherein the electronic assembly further comprises a communication activation trigger.

21. The bag of claim 20, wherein the communication activation triggers comprises a button.

22. The bag of claim 20, wherein the electronic assembly is configured to transmit a message to a remote computing device upon actuation of the communication activation trigger.

23. The bag of claim 1, wherein the electronic assembly is configured to be user detachable.