Medication delivery system and method

• US 9,807,174 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mylan Incorporated (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mylan Incorporated (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Starr, Eric W., Updyke, Dustin D., Korczynski, Sherry M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eskandarnia, Arvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Gil H.
• Application Number:
  US15/600,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20170257436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 165 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/18 with alarm
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3306 Optical measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3368 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3584 using modem, internet or bluetooth
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/581 by audible feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6054 Magnetic identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/002 Packages specially adapted therefor, e.g. for syringes or needles, kits for diabetics needle protection, e.g. caps, A61M5/3202; for sharps A61B50/3001
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/20 Automatic syringes, e.g. with automatically actuated piston rod, with automatic needle injection, filling automatically A61M5/142 , A61M5/46 take precedence; hypodermic projectiles F42B12/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/5086 for indicating if defective, used, tampered with or unsterile
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment

Abstract

A medication delivery system includes a medical server configured to send and receive and process data, a medication device configured to administer a preselected medication, a sensor circuit configured to detect selected parameters relating to medication delivery and transmit information, a transmission hub configured to communicate with the medical server and the sensor circuit. The transmission hub is configured to receive a signal from the sensor circuit and exchange the information. An application is configured to facilitate exchange of information between the sensor circuit and the medical server. The application has a preselected set of protocols. The application monitors usage of the medication device and location of the medication device by connecting to the medication device via the transmission hub.

Claims

1. A medication delivery system, comprising:

a medication device configured to administer a preselected medication;

a sensor circuit associated with the medication device and configured to detect selected parameters relating to medication delivery with the medication device; and

a transmission hub configured to;

communicate with the sensor circuit and receive a first signal from the sensor circuit;

cause the sensor circuit to emit a first type of alert based on a signal strength value of the first signal between the transmission hub and the sensor circuit being greater than a first preselected value indicative of a first distance between the transmission hub and the sensor circuit, wherein the first type of alert comprises at least a first audible sound;

cause the sensor circuit to emit a second type of alert based on the signal strength value of the first signal between the transmission hub and the sensor circuit being greater than a second preselected value indicative of a second distance between the transmission hub and the sensor circuit, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance, and wherein the second type of alert comprises at least a second audible sound varying at least one characteristic of the first audible sound; and

transmit a second signal if the signal strength value is less than the first preselected value.

2. The medication delivery system of claim 1, further including at least one biometric device in communication with the transmission hub to transmit patient-specific biometric information to the transmission hub.

3. The medication delivery system of claim 1, wherein the transmission hub is a mobile device configured to exchange information with the sensor circuit using Bluetooth technology.

4. The medication delivery system of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit is provided on a medication carrier.

5. The medication delivery system of claim 1, wherein the sensor circuit is attached to the medication device.

6. The medication delivery system of claim 5, wherein the sensor circuit includes a temperature sensor configured to detect the temperature of an environment surrounding the medication device such that the sensor circuit transmits the detected temperature to the transmission hub.

7. The medication delivery system of claim 5, wherein the sensor circuit includes a location detector configured to provide information regarding the location of the medication device and attached sensor circuit.

8. The medication delivery system of claim 5, wherein the sensor circuit includes a contact element provided on the medication device to facilitate detection of administration of medication from the medication device.

9. The medication delivery system of claim 1, wherein the transmission hub is a tablet.

10. The medication delivery system of claim 1, further comprising:

a medical server in communication with the sensor circuit and configured to send, receive, and process data; and

an application configured to facilitate exchange of information between the sensor circuit and the medical server, the application having a preselected set of protocols.

11. A method for remotely monitoring medication delivery at a medication device, comprising:

detecting contact at the medication device using an element provided on the medication device, in communication with a sensor circuit;

transmitting, by the sensor circuit, a contact signal from the sensor circuit to an application indicating that contact has occurred at the medication device;

receiving the contact signal from the sensor circuit at a transmission hub;

determining, by the application, that the contact signal contains contact element information;

sending, by the transmission hub, an access signal from the transmission hub to a connected medical server, the access signal indicating that the medication has been accessed;

accessing, by the application, administration information and delivering the administration information in a pre-selected order to at least one of the transmission hub or a mobile device associated with the medication device; and

detecting, by the transmission hub, a location of the medication device by;

detecting a signal strength of the contact signal between the sensor circuit and the transmission hub and comparing the signal strength value to a first preselected value;

causing, by the transmission hub, the sensor circuit to emit a first type of alert comprising a first audible sound based on the signal strength value of the contact signal between the transmission hub and the sensor circuit being greater than the first preselected value indicative of a first distance between the transmission hub and the sensor circuit; and

causing, by the transmission hub, the sensor circuit to emit a second type of alert comprising a second audible sound varying at least one characteristic of the first audible sound based on the signal strength value of the contact signal between the transmission hub and the sensor circuit being greater than a second preselected value indicative of a second distance between the transmission hub and the sensor circuit, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting, by the sensor circuit, a prompting signal from the sensor circuit to the application responsive to the application determining that the contact signal contains contact element information;

receiving the prompting signal at the application;

prompting, by the application, a user for an emergency provider in response to receiving the prompting signal; and

contacting the emergency provider by at least one of the transmission hub or the medical server.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting the location of the medication device includes using a global positioning system application to determine where the transmission hub is located.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmission hub is a mobile device configured to exchange information with the sensor circuit using Bluetooth technology.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein detecting contact at the medication device further includes using at least one of a contact element provided on the medication device, a magnetic field sensor, or a force pressure element provided on the medication device.