Medication compliance alert device

• US 9,949,895 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nexpil, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nexpil, Inc.
• Inventors: Khalid, Syed
• Primary Examiner(s): HUNNINGS, TRAVIS R
• Application Number:
  US15/334,115
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/1412 Containers with closing means, e.g. caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/40 by shape or form, e.g. by using shape recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/50 using icons or symbolic figures, e.g. by a graphical representation symbolising the type of pathology or the organ by an image
• 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 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• 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: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0472 of the count-down type, i.e. counting down a predetermined interval after each reset
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/24 Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms

Abstract

A device can include an alert mechanism and a detection mechanism. The alert mechanism can activate an alert for a user to take a medication from a target medication receptacle. The detection mechanism can detect a tag associated with a medication receptacle. Actions may be performed based on a correlation between the detected tag and the target medication receptacle, such as deactivating the alert based at least in part on detecting the tag associated with the target medication receptacle.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a plurality of medication receptacles, each medication receptacle of the plurality having an identifier that includes a shape and/or color associated with the medication receptacle or a cap of the medication receptacle; and

a device comprising a plurality of lights, each light of the plurality of lights matching a shape and/or color of an identifier of a medication receptacle of the plurality of medication receptacles, the device configured to activate one of the lights of the plurality when a reminder is due to a patient to take a medication associated with the medication receptacle having the identifier with the shape and/or color matching the light.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is further configured to deactivate the activated light.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the device is further configured to deactivate the activated light in response to the device detecting the medication receptacle and/or cap with the identifier having the shape and/or color matching the activated light.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the device further comprises a sensor configured for respectively detecting the medication receptacles and/or caps associated with the medication receptacles.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the device is configured to deactivate the activated light in response to the medication receptacle and/or cap with the identifier having the shape and/or color matching the light being detected by the sensor of the device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the sensor is configured to detect respective medication receptacles and/or caps by detecting the respective medication receptacles and/or caps via near field communication.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the sensor is configured to detect respective medication receptacles and/or caps by detecting the respective medication receptacles and/or caps via an optical reader.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensor is configured to detect respective medication receptacles and/or caps by detecting the respective medication receptacles and/or caps via a bar code scanner.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the sensor is configured to respectively detect a medication receptacle and/or cap from among the medication receptacles and/or caps by detecting the medication receptacle and/or cap based at least in part on engagement between a plug and a socket, wherein the plug is associated with one of (i) the medication receptacle and/or cap and (ii) the sensor and the socket is associated with the other one of (i) the medication receptacle and/or cap and (ii) the sensor.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the device further comprises a response mechanism configured to determine and/or communicate information based at least in part on the device detecting the medication receptacles and/or caps.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the information includes at least one of:

an amount of time between activating the alert and detecting a medication receptacle and/or cap;

an amount of medication remaining in a specific medicine receptacle, the amount being based at least in part on a number of times the specific medication receptacle and/or cap associated with the specific medication receptacle has been detected;

or

information communicated to at least one of a user, a healthcare provider, or a computer;

an amount of time until a next alert activation;

an amount of time elapsed from a previous alert activation, a previous detection, and/or a previous alert deactivation;

or

information about a medication from a particular medication receptacle for which the particular medication receptacle and/or cap associated with the particular medication receptacle has been detected.

12. A system comprising a device comprising:

a display; and

an alert mechanism configured to;

receive or generate a first indication that a first reminder is due to a user to take a first medication associated with a first medication receptacle associated with a first indicia that comprises a first unique color, a first unique shape, or a first unique combination of shape and color;

cause the display to show the first indicia in response to the first indication being received or generated;

receive or generate a second indication that a second reminder is due to the user to take a second medication associated with a second medication receptacle associated with a second indicia that differs from the first indicia and comprises a second unique color, a second unique shape, or a second unique combination of shape and color; and

cause the display to show the second indicia in response to the second indication being received or generated.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the device comprises at least one of a watch, a bracelet, a necklace, a garment, or a device configured to be worn by the user.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the display comprises a screen configured to selectively show indicia that vary by at least one of shape or color.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the display comprises a first light matching the first indicia and a second light matching the second indicia.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising the first medication receptacle and the second medication receptacle.

17. A system comprising a device comprising:

a plurality of lights, each light of the plurality of lights matching a shape and/or color of an identifier of a plurality of identifiers, the device configured to activate one of the lights of the plurality when a reminder is due to a patient to take an action associated with an object associated with the identifier with the shape and/or color matching the light from among a plurality of objects.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein at least one object of the plurality of objects is a medication receptacle and the action associated therewith is taking a dose of medication from the medication receptacle.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising the medication receptacle.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the device is further configured to deactivate the activated light in response to the device detecting the object with the identifier having the shape and/or color matching the activated light.