Computational systems and methods for monitoring medication events

• US 9,424,396 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2015
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bangera, Mahalaxmi Gita, Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Leuthardt, Eric C., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Wood, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): HOFSASS, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US14/687,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20150220701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 340/573.1, 340/539.12, 340/309.16, 600/300, 368/10, 705/2, 348/77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4848 Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Computer-based systems and computer-implemented methods are described for monitoring medication events for an individual. Computer-based systems include systems for monitoring medication events relating to an individual, including: circuitry for analyzing data for an identifier of a first medication event for an individual; circuitry for analyzing the data for at least one attribute of an individual; circuitry for analyzing the data for at least one attribute relating to a medication during the first medication event; circuitry for analyzing the data for at least one feature of visual information and at least one feature of non-visual information relating to the individual during the first medication event; circuitry for analyzing the received data for a time associated with the first medication event; circuitry for determining a compliance likelihood for the first medication event based on the analyzes of the received data; and circuitry for indicating the determined compliance likelihood.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring medication events, comprising:

accepting first data from a camera unit associated with an individual;

providing a set of medication intervention parameters for the individual;

comparing the accepted first data from the camera unit associated with the individual with the provided set of medication intervention parameters for the individual;

determining if the accepted first data is within the provided set of medication intervention parameters;

activating at least one indicator in response to the first determination;

accepting second data from the camera unit associated with the individual, the second data obtained after the activation of the at least one indicator;

analyzing the accepted second data for at least one attribute relating to the medication event;

comparing the accepted second data with the provided set of medication intervention parameters for the individual;

determining if the accepted second data is within the provided set of medication intervention parameters; and

activating the at least one indicator in response to the second determination.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accepting first data from a camera unit associated with an individual comprises:

accepting visual data and accepting non-visual data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the accepting first data from a camera unit associated with an individual comprises:

accepting data including audio data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing a set of medication intervention parameters for the individual comprises:

providing a set of medication intervention parameters for the individual including audio parameters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing the accepted first data from the camera unit associated with the individual with the provided set of medication intervention parameters for the individual comprises:

comparing the accepted first data with at least one minimum sufficiency parameter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the accepting second data from the camera unit associated with the individual, the second data obtained after the activation of the at least one indicator, comprises:

accepting data including visual data, non-visual data, and at least one time value.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing the accepted second data for at least one attribute relating to a medication event comprises:

analyzing the accepted second data for at least one non-visual attribute.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising:

accepting third data from the camera unit associated with the individual, the third data obtained after the activation of the at least one indicator in response to the second determination;

analyzing the accepted third data for the at least one attribute relating to the medication event;

comparing the accepted third data with the provided set of medication intervention parameters for the individual;

determining if the accepted third data is within the provided set of medication intervention parameters; and

activating the at least one indicator in response to the third determination.

9. A method for monitoring medication events, comprising:

providing a set of attributes for an individual, the set of attributes identifiable in camera unit data;

providing a set of medication condition parameters for the individual, the set of medication condition parameters identifiable in camera unit data;

accepting first data from at least one camera unit;

comparing the accepted first data with the provided set of attributes for the individual and with the provided set of medication condition parameters for the individual;

determining, from the comparison, if the accepted first data includes attributes of the individual and meets the medication condition parameters;

initiating a first medication intervention event, dependent on the determination from the comparison;

accepting second data from the at least one camera unit;

providing a set of parameters for the first medication intervention event, the set of first medication intervention parameters identifiable in camera unit data;

comparing the accepted second data with the provided set of attributes for the individual and with the provided set of parameters for the first medication intervention event;

determining, from the comparison, if the accepted second data includes attributes of the individual and meets the parameters for the first medication intervention event; and

activating at least one indicator in response to the second determination.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing a set of attributes for an individual, the set of attributes identifiable in camera unit data, comprises:

providing visual attributes; and

providing non-visual attributes.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing a set of attributes for an individual, the set of attributes identifiable in camera unit data, comprises:

providing a set of attributes identifiable in camera unit data including video data.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing a set of attributes for an individual, the set of attributes identifiable in camera unit data, comprises:

providing a set of attributes identifiable in camera unit data including audio data.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the providing a set of medication condition parameters for the individual, the set of medication condition parameters identifiable in camera unit data, comprises:

providing a set of parameters including audio parameters.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the accepting first data from at least one camera unit comprises:

accepting audio data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the comparing the accepted first data with the provided set of attributes for the individual and with the provided set of medication condition parameters for the individual comprises:

comparing visual and non-visual components of the accepted first data with the provided set of medication condition parameters for the individual and with the provided set of medication condition parameters for the individual.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the determining, from the comparison, if the accepted first data includes attributes of the individual and meets the medication condition parameters, comprises:

determining, from the comparison, if the accepted first data meets both visual and non-visual aspects of the medication condition parameters.

17. The method of claim 9, comprising:

processing the at least one accepted first data;

processing the at least one accepted second data;

integrating the processed at least one accepted first data and the processed at least one accepted second data into a medication record; and

saving the medication record in a memory.

18. The method of claim 9, comprising:

indicating, to at least one system user, the initiating a first medication intervention event.

19. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium including executable instructions for monitoring medication events relating to an individual, the computer-readable storage medium comprising:

instructions for presenting a set of parameters for determining a first medication event for an individual, the set of parameters including at least one visual parameter and at least one non-visual parameter;

instructions for comparing received data with the set of parameters for determining the first medication event for the individual;

instructions for determining a compliance likelihood for the first medication event based on the comparison; and

instructions for indicating the determined compliance likelihood for the first medication event on a computing device.

20. A method for monitoring medication events relating to an individual, comprising:

presenting a set of parameters for determining a first medication event for an individual, the set of parameters including at least one visual parameter and at least one non-visual parameter;

comparing received data with the set of parameters for determining the first medication event for the individual;

determining a compliance likelihood for the first medication event based on the comparison; and

indicating the determined compliance likelihood for the first medication event on a computing device.

21. A system for monitoring medication events relating to an individual, comprising:

circuitry for presenting a set of parameters for determining a first medication event for an individual, the set of parameters including at least one visual parameter and at least one non-visual parameter;

circuitry for comparing received data with the set of parameters for determining the first medication event for the individual;

circuitry for determining a compliance likelihood for the first medication event based on the comparison; and

circuitry for indicating the determined compliance likelihood for the first medication event on a computing device.