Medicament storage, dispensing, and administration system and method

• US 9,566,395 B2
• Filed: 05/18/2015
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mylan Incorporated (Pfizer Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mylan Incorporated (Pfizer Inc.)
• Inventors: Denny, John W., Ostrander, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Afrifa-Kyei, Anthony D
• Application Number:
  US14/715,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20150251839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.13, 340/539.12, 340/686.6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/3001 for sharps
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• 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 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• 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 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• 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: B65D 83/02 for dispensing rod-shaped articles, e.g. needles packages for cigarettes provided with dispensing means B65D85/1009; dispensers for drinking straws A47G21/184
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 1/08 : using electric transmission ; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 : Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 3/10 : using electric transmission; using electromagnetic transmission
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 5/36 : using visible light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 : stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 : relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 : delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 : delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5116 : for emergency applications

Abstract

Various exemplary embodiments relate to an electronic device for dispensing a medicament. The electronic device may include a medicament storage case or an electronic medicament device. The medicament storage case includes: a door moveable between an open position and a closed position; a lock moveable between a locked position where the lock maintains the door in the closed position and an unlocked position where the lock allows the door to move to the open position; a medicament dispensing device containing medication; an input device located on an external surface of the storage case activatable by a user; a communication unit configured to initiate a two-way communication between the user and a remote access control center upon activation of the input device and configured to receive an access signal from the remote access control center; and an actuator responsive to the access signal to move the lock to the open position upon receipt of the communication from the remote access control center. The electronic medicament device includes a reservoir configured to store an amount of medication, an administration component for administering the medication to a patient, and a processor communicatively connected to a memory.

Claims

1. A medicament device configured to receive an epinephrine auto-injector and communicate with a mobile device associated with a designated user who requires use of the epinephrine auto-injector, the medicament device comprising:

an electronic tag including a wireless transmitter for wireless communication, wherein the tag is configured to wirelessly communicate, with the mobile device, first information associated with the medicament device that allows for determining whether the medicament device is within close proximity to the mobile device;

a receiver configured to wirelessly receive, from the mobile device, an identifier associated with the designated user who requires use of the epinephrine auto-injector;

a sensor configured to detect a movement associated with a physical component of the medicament device that indicates activation of the medicament device, wherein second information associated with the activation of the medicament device is wirelessly communicated to the mobile device (i) in response to detecting the movement indicating the activation of the medicament device and (ii) subsequent to the receiver receiving the identifier associated with the designated user;

a display on the medicament device configured to illuminate; and

a sound source on the medicament device configured to play a sound,

wherein the electronic tag is further configured to poll or be polled by the mobile device to determine whether the medicament device is within close proximity to the mobile device from which the identifier associated with the designated user was received, and

wherein, in response to the medicament device not being within close proximity to the mobile device from which the identifier associated with the designated user of the epinephrine auto-injector was received, at least one of (i) the display illuminates and (ii) the sound source plays the sound.

2. The medicament device of claim 1, further comprising a processor connected to the electronic tag and the sensor.

3. The medicament device of claim 1, further comprising a global positioning system receiver, wherein the global positioning system receiver is configured to generate third information associated with a location of the medicament device, and wherein the electronic tag is further configured to wirelessly communicate the third information to the mobile device.

4. The medicament device of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a memory configured to store at least information received from the mobile device.

5. The medicament device of claim 1, wherein the electronic tag comprises a Bluetooth wireless transmitter.

6. The medicament device of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a frangible element that completes or breaks when the medicament device is being used.

7. The medicament device of claim 1, further comprising a door coupled with the medicament device and configured to move between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position the epinephrine auto-injector can be loaded into the medicament device and removed therefrom, and wherein in the closed position the epinephrine auto-injector cannot be loaded into the medicament device or removed therefrom.

8. The medicament device of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a flashing display.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by at least one processor of a mobile device perform a process for monitoring a medicament device, the process comprising:

identifying a user who is associated with the mobile device and who requires use of an epinephrine auto-injector;

wirelessly communicating with the medicament device based on the medicament device containing the epinephrine auto-injector required by the user associated with the mobile device, wherein wirelessly communicating with the medicament device comprises the mobile device communicating, to the medicament device, an identifier associated with the user who requires use of the epinephrine auto-injector;

based at least on the wireless communication and identifying the user who requires the use of the epinephrine auto-injector, determining whether the medicament device is within close proximity to the mobile device and generating an alert on the mobile device in response to determining that the medicament device is not within close proximity to the mobile device;

based at least on the wireless communication, determining whether a movement associated with a physical component of the medicament device has occurred that indicates that the medicament device is being used or has been used; and

notifying emergency contacts through the mobile device in response to determining that the movement has occurred that indicates that the medicament device is being used or has been used.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining whether the medicament device is within close proximity to the mobile device comprises transmitting from the mobile device a first communication associated with a location of the mobile device, wherein the first communication is intended to be received by the medicament device.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining whether the medicament device is within close proximity to the mobile device further comprises:

determining whether a second communication was received from the medicament device, wherein the second communication is associated with the location of the medicament device; and

generating the alert in response to determining that the second communication was not received from the medicament device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein determining whether the medicament device is being used or has been used comprises receiving a communication from the medicament device indicating that the medicament device is being used or has been used.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the process further comprises generating an additional alert with the mobile device if the medicament device is being used or has been used.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the process further comprises generating an additional alert with the mobile device if the epinephrine auto-injector has expired.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the process further comprises determining a location of the medicament device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the process further comprises displaying a map indicating the location of the medicament device.

15. A system for monitoring a medicament device with a mobile device associated with a designated user of an epinephrine auto-injector, the system comprising:

the medicament device for receiving the epinephrine auto-injector, the medicament device comprising;

a sensor configured to detect an event associated with the medicament device, the event comprising a movement associated with a physical component of the medicament device; and

a communication interface configured to receive, from the mobile device, an identifier associated with the designated user and to wirelessly communicate, with the mobile device, information associated with the medicament device subsequent to receiving the identifier; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by at least one processor of the mobile device perform a process comprising;

identifying the user who is associated with the mobile device and who requires use of the epinephrine auto-injector;

wirelessly communicating with the medicament device based on an identification of the user who requires use of the epinephrine auto-injector;

based at least on the wireless communication, determining whether the medicament device is within close proximity to the mobile device;

based at least on the wireless communication, determining whether the event associated with the medicament device has occurred; and

generating one or more alerts on the mobile device if the medicament device is determined not to be within close proximity to the mobile device or if the event associated with the medicament device has occurred.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the sensor is configured to detect whether the medicament device is being used or has been used, and the process comprises generating an alert on the mobile device based on receiving information via the communication interface that the medicament device is being used or has been used.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the process further comprises notifying emergency contacts through the mobile device if it has been determined that the medicament device is being used or has been used.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein determining whether the medicament device is within close proximity to the mobile device is based on information transmitted via the communication interface from the medicament device to the mobile device.