US 10,650,661 B2 · Apparatus and method for improved drug dosing-regimen compliance

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring adherence to a dosing-regimen for a medication is presented. Systems in accordance with the present invention automatically monitor the medicine content of a blister card based on the state of its lidding film and compare it to the prescribed dosing regimen for the medicine. In some embodiments, the lidding film is imaged using a tomographic imaging technique, such as electrical resistance tomography or electrical impedance tomography. Alternative sensing approaches are based on optical, acoustic, and tactile sensors that interrogate either the dispensing region at each tablet location or the tablets themselves to determine whether tablets have been dispensed. Automatic monitoring of the blister card enables the user to be: (1) alerted to non-compliance, (2) alerted to a risk of future non-compliance, and/or (3) to be provided remediation instructions when non-compliance is determined.

Claims35

Dependent claims

A method for monitoring compliance of a user to a dosing regimen for a prescription that includes a plurality of tablets included in a blister card that includes a forming film and a lidding film that is unpatterned, the forming film and a monitoring region of the lidding film collectively defining a plurality of reservoirs for holding the plurality of tablets, wherein each tablet has a corresponding dosing window that starts at a dosing-window start time and ends at a dosing-window end time, the method comprising:

providing a package that includes a detection module and a receiver for locating the blister card such that it is operatively coupled with the detection module;
operatively coupling the detection module and the blister card, the detection module being configured to monitor the state of the monitoring region;
monitoring the state of the monitoring region;
performing a first comparison of a first state of the monitoring region at a first time and an expected state of the monitoring region at the first time, the expected state being based on the dosing regimen;
and
generating a first output signal based on the first comparison, wherein the first output signal has a first characteristic when the first comparison indicates compliance with the dosing regimen and a second characteristic when the first comparison indicates non-compliance with the dosing regimen.

3 more elements

for each of a plurality of first times, t(i), where i is equal to 1 through N and N is the number of tablets in the blister card:
(i) determining a first state of the monitoring region by forming image(i) of the lidding film via a tomographic technique selected from the group consisting of electrical resistance tomography and electrical impedance tomography;
(ii) performing a first comparison of the first state at t(i) and an expected state of the monitoring region at t(i), wherein the expected state is based on the dosing regimen;
and
(iii) generating a first output signal based on the first comparison, wherein the first output signal has a first characteristic when the first comparison indicates compliance with the dosing regimen and a second characteristic when the first comparison indicates non-compliance with the dosing regimen.

2 more elements

A system for monitoring the compliance of a user to a dosing regimen for a prescription that includes a plurality of tablets included in a blister card that includes a forming film and a lidding film that is unpatterned, the forming film and a monitoring region of the lidding film collectively defining a plurality of reservoirs for holding the plurality of tablets, wherein each tablet has a corresponding dosing window that starts at a dosing-window start time and ends at a dosing-window end time, the system comprising:

a detection module that is configured to monitor the state of the monitoring region when the blister card is in a first position;
a receiver for securing the blister card in the first position;
and
an electronics module that is configured to:
(1) perform a first comparison between a first state of the monitoring region at a first time and an expected state of the monitoring region at the first time, the expected state being based on the dosing regimen;
and
(2) generate a first output signal based on the first comparison, wherein the first output signal has a first characteristic when the first comparison indicates compliance with the dosing regimen and a second characteristic when the first comparison indicates non-compliance with the dosing regimen.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for improved drug dosing-regimen compliance

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for improved drug dosing-regimen compliance

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims35