# US 10,503,875 B2 · Medication administration apparatus

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- Number: US 10,503,875 B2
- Document ID: US10503875B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/079,907
- Filed: 2016-03-24
- Published: 2016-11-10
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2015-05-06
- Assignees: AceAge Inc.
- Applicants: Aceage Inc.
- Inventors: Donald Craig Waugh; Donald Spencer Waugh; Evan David Cook; Nicholas James Reeves; Nikita Mouline; Trevor Uittenbosch
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10503875B2

## CPC

- A61J 7/0084: {for multiple medicaments}
- A61J 7/0418: {with electronic history memory}
- A61J 7/0481: {working on a schedule basis}
- G16H 20/13: delivered from dispensers
- G16H 40/60: for the operation of medical equipment or devices
- G16H 40/63: for local operation
- A61J 7/0454: {for dispensing of multiple drugs}
- A61J 2200/10: Coring prevention means, e.g. for plug or septum piecing members
- A61J 2200/30: Compliance analysis for taking medication
- A61J 2205/10: Bar codes
- A61J: CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a medication adherence administration and monitoring system. An apparatus for managing medication adherence by a patient is provided, the apparatus comprising: a dispensing device configured for communication with a medication administration system, the dispensing device designed for dispensing medication stored within the dispensing device to the patient; a control system for controlling the dispensing device based, at least in part, on command instructions provided by the medication administration system, and issuing commands to dispense medication based on the satisfaction of one or more pre-determined conditions provided by the medication administration system; and an alert system configured for alerting the patient when medication should be dispensed and configured to receive an indication from the patient verifying the consumption of medication, the alert system communicating to the control system that the medication has been dispensed and consumed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus for managing adherence to medication by a patient, the apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory storing a predefined first medication schedule; an alert system configured to notify the patient to take medication, wherein the alert system is activated based on the predefined first medication schedule stored in the memory; a dispensing unit configured to dispense a pouch containing one or more medications, the pouch having displayed thereon machine-readable indicia representing a part of a second medication schedule; and an input configured to receive from a user an instruction to dispense the pouch, wherein the instruction to dispense deactivates the alert system and causes a scanning device to scan the indicia on the pouch to be dispensed, wherein the processor is configured to extract the part of the second medication schedule represented by the scanned indicia and compare the part of the second medication schedule to the predefined first medication schedule, and wherein the pouch is dispensed by the dispensing unit if the part of the second medication schedule is determined from the comparing to have a match with the predefined first medication schedule.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said input is further configured to receive a confirmation command indicating that the medication has been taken by the patient.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein data relating to dispensing of the medication is automatically stored in the memory.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an output configured to prompt the user for data relating to the patient.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input is further configured to receive data relating to the patient.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the data relating to the patient comprises at least one of a) the date and time of a dose of the medication, b) patient reported outcomes, and c) compliance data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the data relating to the patient is stored in a database as the patient data is collected.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of the alert system, the input, and the scanning device is embodied on a mobile communication device that is communicatively coupled to the apparatus.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein an identity of the user is authenticated using a camera, wherein the authenticating comprises obtaining an image of a face of the user and using the processor to compare the image of the face of the user to an image of at least one of the patient and authorized users through facial recognition.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pouch is stored in a removable cartridge, wherein the dispensing unit is configured to receive the cartridge.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cartridge comprises an enclosure and a spool, wherein the pouch is one of a plurality of pouches wound around the spool into a roll and the pouch being dispensed is pulled from the roll.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dispensing unit comprises a roller assembly having at least two sensors and a motor, wherein a position of the pouch being dispensed is controlled by the motor based on outputs of the at least two sensors, and wherein the roller assembly further comprises two rollers, wherein the two rollers are configured to engage a laminated edge of the pouch being dispensed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the enclosure comprises a plurality of recesses adapted to enter into frictional engagement with a plurality of protrusions on the dispensing unit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit the data relating to the patient to one or more recipients.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the transceiver is embodied on a mobile communication device that is communicatively coupled to the apparatus.

### Claim 16 (depends on 5)

The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the data relating to the patient is stored on a mobile communication device that is communicatively coupled to the apparatus.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predefined medication schedule stored in the memory is received from a pharmacy management system.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the data relating to the patient is encrypted prior to transmission.

### Claim 19

A method of managing adherence to medication by a patient, the method comprising: receiving a predefined first medication schedule; storing the predefined first medication schedule on a memory of a dispensing device; activating an alert system based on the predefined first medication schedule; receiving an instruction from a user to dispense, from the dispensing device, a pouch containing a medication, the pouch having displayed thereon a machine-readable indicia representing a part of a second medication schedule; responsive to receiving the instruction to dispense, deactivating the alert system; scanning the indicia on the pouch to be dispensed; extracting the part of the second medication schedule represented by the scanned indicia; comparing the part of the second medication schedule to the predefined first medication schedule; and dispensing the pouch from the dispensing unit if the part of the second medication schedule is determined from the comparing to have a match with the predefined first medication schedule.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the predefined first medication schedule comprises receiving the predefined first medication schedule on a mobile device from a pharmacy management system.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising authenticating an identity of the user by obtaining, using a camera, an image of a face of the user, and using facial recognition to determine that the face of the user matches a face of the patient or a face of an authorized user.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving confirmation that the medication was taken by the patient.

### Claim 23 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising: rolling the pouch into a roll with a plurality of other pouches in a cartridge; and loading the cartridge into a dispensing unit, wherein the dispensing comprises pulling, using the dispensing unit, the pouch from the roll.

### Claim 24 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising prompting the user for data relating to the patient.

### Claim 25 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising receiving data relating to the patient after the medication has been taken by the patient.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, further comprising storing the received data relating to the patient on a mobile communication device.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, further comprising transmitting the received data relating to the patient to one or more recipients.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The method of claim 27, further comprising encrypting the received data relating to the patient prior to the transmitting.

### Claim 29 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein receiving the instruction to dispense the pouch comprises receiving the instruction on a mobile device that is communicatively coupled to the dispensing unit.

### Claim 30 (depends on 19)

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 19.

### Claim 31 (depends on 4)

The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the output is embodied on a mobile communication device that is communicatively coupled to the apparatus.