Method and system for monitoring consumable item usage and providing replenishment thereof

• US 20060247985A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Abbott Diabetes Care Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Therasense Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huffman, Lawrence W., Liamos, Charles T.
• Application Number:
  US11/118,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20060247985A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• 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

Method and system for providing a subscription based replenishment transaction of consumable items such as glucose test strips including a data network, a user terminal operatively coupled to the data network, the user terminal configured to receive and transmit data over the data network, and a server terminal operatively coupled to the data network, the server terminal configured to receive from the user terminal a request for establishing an account associated with a consumable item, receive from the user terminal one or more predetermined parameters associated with the account, and generate the account based on the one or more predetermined parameters, where the one or more predetermined parameters include a user specified consumable replenishment level received from the user terminal is disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of providing a subscription based transaction, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for establishing an account associated with a consumable item;

receiving one or more predetermined parameters associated with the account; and

generating the account based on the one or more predetermined parameters;

wherein the one or more predetermined parameters include a user specified consumable replenishment level.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of storing data associated with the account.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the stored data includes the one or more predetermined parameters associated with the account.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step:

generating a signal associated with the account; and

transmitting the signal over a data network.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the data network includes one of a local area network, a wide area network, a personal area network, and the internet.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the consumable item includes a glucose test strip.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the step of receiving data associated with the consumption level of the consumable item.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of:

comparing the consumption level of the consumable item with the user specified consumable replenishment level;

determining a replenishment amount based on the comparing step; and

determining a cost associated with the replenishment amount.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein further including the step of transmitting the determined cost to the user terminal.

10. The method of claim 8 further including the step of performing a financial transaction associated the cost associated with the replenishment amount.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of:

retrieving a shipping information associated with the account; and

associating the shipment of the replenishment amount with the retrieved shipping information.

12. The method of claim 8 further including the step of providing the cost to a user.

13. The method of claim 11 further including the step of receiving a signal from the user associated with the cost associated with the replenishment amount.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the signal includes one of an acceptance and a rejection notification from the user for the purchase of the replenishment amount at the determined cost.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the consumable item is associated with an expiration date.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the expiration date associated with the consumable item is based on one or more of a consumable item lot number, a shipping date of the consumable item, and a data of manufacture of the consumable item.

18. A system for providing a subscription based transaction, comprising:

a data network;

a user terminal operatively coupled to the data network, the user terminal configured to receive and transmit data over the data network; and

a server terminal operatively coupled to the data network, the server terminal configured to;

receive from the user terminal a request for establishing an account associated with a consumable item;

receive from the user terminal one or more predetermined parameters associated with the account; and

generate the account based on the one or more predetermined parameters;

wherein the one or more predetermined parameters include a user specified consumable replenishment level received from the user terminal.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the server terminal includes a storage unit, the server terminal configured to store data associated with the account in the storage unit.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the server terminal is further configured to generate a signal associated with the account, and to transmit the signal over to the user terminal.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the consumable item includes a glucose test strip.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the server terminal is further configured to store in the storage unit an expiration date associated with the consumable item.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the expiration date associated with the consumable item is determined by one or more of a lot number associated with the consumable item, the data of shipment of the consumable item, and the date of manufacture of the consumable item.

24. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for providing a subscription based transaction, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for establishing an account associated with a consumable item;

receiving one or more predetermined parameters associated with the account; and

generating the account based on the one or more predetermined parameters;

wherein the one or more predetermined parameters include a user specified consumable replenishment level.