Compliance and patient status monitoring system and method
First Claim
1. A method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s medicine compliance, which comprises:
- (a) weighing a container of medicine to determine a starting weight on a scale which is connected to a computer with a display unit;
(b) storing the starting weight in said computer;
(c) reweighing the container of medicine after a prescribed dosage is consumed to determine a second weight;
(d) having said computer determine the difference between said starting weight and said second weight to store a dosage unit weight;
(e) having the computer programmed to calculate compliance required weights of the container for each dosage administration for the prescription period of the medicine;
(f) reweighing the container of medicine from time to time on said scale to compare actual weight with compliance required weight to determine compliance; and
(g) visually displaying the compliance results on said display unit to permit compliance monitoring.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s medicine compliance. It involves weighing a container of medicine to determine a starting weight on a scale which is connected to a computer with a display unit and storing the starting weight in the computer followed by reweighing the container of medicine after a prescribed dosage is consumed to determine a second weight. The computer then determines the difference between the starting weight and said second weight to store a dosage unit weight. The computer is programmed to calculate compliance required weights of the container for each dosage administration for the prescription period of the medicine. The container of medicine is reweight from time to time on the scale to compare actual weight with compliance required weight to determine compliance and the computer visually displays the compliance results on the display unit to permit compliance monitoring. Optionally, other patient characteristics are also monitored and feedback is provided. The present invention includes both the method and the system of interconnected devices to practice the method. Feedback may be to the patient for self-monitoring or to a professional, and a single medicine or a plurality of medicines may be monitored.
419 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s medicine compliance, which comprises:
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(a) weighing a container of medicine to determine a starting weight on a scale which is connected to a computer with a display unit; (b) storing the starting weight in said computer; (c) reweighing the container of medicine after a prescribed dosage is consumed to determine a second weight; (d) having said computer determine the difference between said starting weight and said second weight to store a dosage unit weight; (e) having the computer programmed to calculate compliance required weights of the container for each dosage administration for the prescription period of the medicine; (f) reweighing the container of medicine from time to time on said scale to compare actual weight with compliance required weight to determine compliance; and (g) visually displaying the compliance results on said display unit to permit compliance monitoring. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for patient medicine compliance and patient status monitoring, which comprises:
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(a) a scale for weighing one or more containers of medicine and having sufficient accuracy to measure weight to establish changes by dosage consumption. (b) a computer connected to said scale which is capable of receiving a first weight of a container of medicine, a second weight thereof after first dosage consumption, determining the difference between the two weights to establish a dosage unit weight, and storing same, and further capable of calculating container of medicine required compliance weight for each dosage to be taken over the period of prescription, and further capable of displaying compliance information upon a display unit; and (c) a display unit connected to said computer. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification