Medicine dispensing system

• US 9,928,348 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2015
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kreiner, Barrett M., Reeves, Jonathan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US14/977,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20170177830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1437 Locking means requiring key or combination to open the container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/18 Arrangements for indicating condition of container contents, e.g. sterile condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2003 Accessories used in combination with means for transfer or mixing of fluids, e.g. for activating fluid flow, separating fluids, filtering fluid or venting
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2093 Containers having several compartments for products to be mixed
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/00 Medicinal preparations containing organic active ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/215 of carboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

Devices, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for storing and neutralizing a medicine. For example, a device may include a chamber for storing a medicine, a neutralizing component coupled to the chamber, a transceiver for receiving an instruction to neutralize the medicine, and a control unit that includes a processor and that is coupled to the transceiver, where the control unit is for neutralizing the medicine by activating the neutralizing component when the instruction is received via the transceiver. In another example, a device may include a medicine chamber for storing a medicine, an intermediate chamber for storing a neutralizing agent to neutralize the medicine, where a first wall between the medicine chamber and the intermediate chamber comprises a fluid-soluble material, and an outer chamber for storing a fluid, where the intermediate chamber and the outer chamber share a second wall.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising:

a chamber configured to store a medicine;

a neutralizing component coupled to the chamber, wherein the neutralizing component comprises an ultraviolet light emitting diode;

a transceiver configured to receive an instruction to neutralize the medicine; and

a control unit comprising a processor, wherein the control unit is coupled to the transceiver, wherein the control unit is configured to neutralize the medicine by activating the neutralizing component when the instruction is received via the transceiver, and wherein the control unit is also configured to neutralize the medicine by activating the neutralizing component when a time has expired according to a medicine administering plan stored by the control unit.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to transmit usage information associated with the medicine via the transceiver.

3. The storage device of claim 1, further comprising:

a tamper detection unit configured to detect a tampering of the storage device, wherein the control unit is for neutralizing the medicine when the tampering of the storage device is detected by the tamper detection unit.

4. The storage device of claim 3, wherein the tamper detection unit comprises an electronic mesh.

5. A device for storing a medicine, the device comprising:

a medicine chamber configured to store the medicine;

an intermediate chamber configured to store a neutralizing agent to neutralize the medicine, wherein a first wall between the medicine chamber and the intermediate chamber comprises a fluid-soluble material; and

an outer chamber configured to store a fluid, wherein the intermediate chamber and the outer chamber share a second wall.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein when the second wall is breached, the fluid is permitted to enter the intermediate chamber and dissolve the fluid-soluble material of the first wall.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the neutralizing agent comprises a dry neutralizing agent.

8. The device of claim 5, further comprising:

a control unit, wherein the control unit comprises a processor.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the control unit includes a dispensing channel coupled to the medicine chamber.

10. The device of claim 8, further comprising:

an opening unit controlled by the control unit, the opening unit for providing an opening in the second wall for the fluid to enter the intermediate chamber and to contact the first wall comprising the fluid-soluble material.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the control unit is for opening the opening unit when a remote instruction is received.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the control unit is for opening the opening unit when a time has expired according to a medicine administering plan stored by the control unit.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the control unit is for opening the opening unit when a tampering of the device is detected via a tampering detection unit.

14. A method comprising:

detecting, by a processor of a storage device storing a medicine, a condition associated with the medicine;

transmitting, by the processor, a notification of the condition associated with the medicine to a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device is external to the storage device;

receiving, by the processor, an instruction to neutralize the medicine from the monitoring device; and

neutralizing, by the processor, the medicine in response to receiving the instruction, wherein the processor is configured to neutralize the medicine when a time has expired according to a medicine administering plan stored by the control unit, wherein the neutralizing the medicine comprises irradiating the medicine via an ultraviolet light emitting diode.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the condition comprises a detection of a tampering of the storage device storing the medicine.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the condition comprises a detection of a treatment milestone in an administration of the medicine to a patient associated with the storage device.