US 5,752,235 AGranted

Electronic medication monitoring and dispensing method

AssigneeInforMedix, Inc.

InventorsBruce A. Kehr, David Lerner, Richard D. Demenus, Michael J. Edl

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Abstract

A device for monitoring medication of a patient and for prompting the patient into certain medication taking schedule and/or certain programming steps and routines. The device has a plurality of compartments, each of which may store medication, and an electrical signaling system to emit medication alert signals from time-to-time, each of which said signals indicates (a) that medication should be taken, (b) from which compartment the medication should be taken, (c) and the quantity of medication to be taken. If a designated compartment is not opened and closed within a predetermined period of time, the electrical signaling system will display an alarm and the event will be recorded as a missed medication event, unless the patient then opens the designated compartment. If each designated compartment is opened and closed, the take-medication signal and the alarm (if operating) are turned off and the event is recorded for later review. The device may be constructed in one piece with hinged doors for each pill compartment, or each pill compartment may be a separate "drawer" sliding into a main unit.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A device for alerting a person when it is time to take medication, comprising,

(a) a casing having at least one face,
(b) a display on said face,
(c) a memory,
(d) timing means,
(e) a plurality of medication compartments that open and close, associated with said casing,
(f) control means for providing a plurality of bits of information relating to the taking of medication, said control means including the timing means, said information including information as to the quantity of medication to be taken and also including other information,
(g) selecting means for selecting at least one of said bits and at least one time of day, for each compartment,
(h) means for entering the selected bits and said selected time or times in said memory,
(i) said control means including means responsive to both said selected time or times and said selected bits stored in said memory, for, a particular one of said compartments, (a) giving a take-medication signal at each of said time or times that was selected for that compartment, and (b) displaying on said display the information that was based on the bit or bits selected for that compartment,
(j) said display having first and second portions the first of which is closer to said compartments than the second portion, said control means including means for displaying said information as to the quantity of medication to be taken on said first portion and said other information on said second portion, and
(k) means operable following a take-medication signal to store a missed medication signal in said memory, if a compartment is not opened or closed,
said control means including means for displaying, on said display, the missed medication signal.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/556,626Filed 23 Jul 1990 · continuation in part
Priority: 17 Jan 1990
Granted: 12 May 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

A61J 7/0481
With timers: working on a schedule basis
A61J 7/0084
Medicament distribution means: for multiple medicaments
A61J 7/0418
With timers: with electronic history memory
A61J 7/0436
With direct interaction with a dispensing or delivery system: resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container