# US 11,443,840 B1 · Medication adherence apparatus

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- Number: US 11,443,840 B1
- Document ID: US11443840B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/231,765
- Filed: 2021-04-15
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-03
- Assignees: Guardianmedtech, LLC
- Applicants: GuardianMedTech, LLC
- Inventors: Anna Noel Hendrix
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443840B1

## CPC

- G16H 20/10: relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
- A61J 1/03: for pills or tablets (containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04)
- A61J 7/04: Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
- G06K 7/1417: {2D bar codes}
- G06K 19/06037: {multi-dimensional coding}
- G16H 40/67: for remote operation
- G16H 80/00: ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
- A61J 2200/30: Compliance analysis for taking medication
- A61J 2205/10: Bar codes
- A61J 2205/30: Printed labels
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- 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
- G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS

## Abstract

A medication container for validating self-administration of prescription medication by a patient wherein the prescription medication is administered over a series of timed dosages. A machine-readable optical code label such as a QR Code is affixed to an interior surface of a medication container containing the medication such as the interior of the bottle cap. The container must be open to electronically read the optical code label. The label contains data associated with the medication and is read by a software application installed on a smartphone. The software receives the label-embedded data and a timestamp to validate the patient is self-administering the medication consistent with the series of timed dosages.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A medication container for electronically tracking medication consumption over a series of timed dosages, the container comprising:
a body forming the sides of the container, the container having a closed bottom and an open top, a cap is removably affixed to the open top of the body to secure the medication inside the container, the cap has an exterior surface facing away from the body and an interior surface facing the interior of the body; and
a machine-readable optical code label on the interior surface of the cap, the machine-readable optical code encoding data to schedule a series of timed dosages of the medication, the machine-readable optical code data retrievable by a smartphone software application installed on a smartphone, wherein the optical code label is only electronically readable by the smartphone when the cap is removed from the container.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1 wherein the body is semi-opaque.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1 wherein the optical code label encodes data for medication prescribed to a patient.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1 wherein the optical code is imprinted onto the interior surface of the cap.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1 wherein the optical code is printed onto an adhesive label and adhered to the interior surface of the cap.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1 wherein the optical code format is selected from the group consisting of AZTEC CODE, DATA MATRIX, DOTCODE, MAXICODE and QR CODE.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1 wherein the optical code format is QR CODE and its data density matrix is between 33×33 and 57×57.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The container of claim 7 wherein the QR CODE is checked for errors by a Reed-Solomon algorithm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The container of claim 1 further comprising a second optical code on the interior surface of the closed bottom whereby medicine inside the container occludes the second optical code from electronic reading by the smartphone until substantially all the medication in the container is gone.

### Claim 10

A medication container for electronically tracking medication consumption over a series of timed dosages, the container comprising:
a body forming the sides of the container, the container having a closed bottom and an open top, a cap is removably affixed to the open top of the body to secure the medication inside the container, the cap has an exterior surface facing away from the body and an interior surface facing the interior of the body, the body has internal sidewalls on the inside of the container; and
a machine-readable optical code label on the interior sidewalls of the body, the machine-readable optical code encoding data to schedule a series of timed dosages of the medication, the machine-readable optical code data retrievable by a smartphone software application installed on a smartphone, wherein the optical code label is only electronically readable by the smartphone when the cap is removed from the container.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The container of claim 10 wherein the body is semi-opaque.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The container of claim 10 wherein the optical code label encodes data for medication prescribed to a patient.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The container of claim 10 wherein the optical code is imprinted onto the interior surface of the sidewall.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The container of claim 10 wherein the optical code is printed onto an adhesive label and adhered to the interior surface of the sidewall.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The container of claim 10 wherein the optical code format is selected from the group consisting of AZTEC CODE, DATA MATRIX, DOTCODE, MAXICODE and QR CODE.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The container of claim 10 wherein the optical code format is QR CODE and its data density matrix is between 33×33 and 57×57.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The container of claim 16 wherein the QR CODE is checked for errors by a Reed-Solomon algorithm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The container of claim 10 further comprising a second optical code on the interior surface of the closed bottom whereby medicine inside the container occludes the second optical code from electronic reading by the smartphone until substantially all the medication in the container is gone.

### Claim 19

A medication container for electronically tracking medication consumption over a series of timed dosages, the container comprising:
a semi-opaque body forming the sides of the container, the container having a closed bottom and an open top, a cap is removably affixed to the open top of the body to secure the medication inside the container, the cap has an exterior surface facing away from the body and an interior surface facing the interior of the body;
a machine-readable first optical code label on the interior surface of the cap, the optical code format is QR CODE and its data density matrix is between 33×33 and 57×57, the machine-readable first optical code encoding data to schedule a series of timed dosages of the medication, the machine-readable optical code data retrievable by a smartphone software application installed on a smartphone, wherein the first optical code label is only electronically readable by the smartphone when the cap is removed from the container; and
a second optical code on the interior surface of the closed bottom whereby medicine inside the container occludes the second optical code from electronic reading by the smartphone until substantially all the medication in the container is gone wherein scanning of the second optical code by the smartphone is indicative of completion of all medication inside the container.