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  Drug delivery management systemUSPTO Application #: 20080103827Title: Drug delivery management system Abstract: The present invention relates to assisting patients in the taking of medication, and to assisting third parties in accumulating information regarding patient medication intake. The invention may be embodied a system including a portable medication monitor used in association with an instrumented medication package to provide intake data acquisition and patient support functions. The system may further be connected to a computer or computer network allowing information distribution between the medication monitor and third parties, such as physicians or pharmacists. (end of abstract)
Agent: Gibbons P.C. - Newark, NJ, US Inventors: Mark A. Niemiec, Louis M. Heidelberger USPTO Applicaton #: 20080103827 - Class: 705002000 (USPTO) Related Patent Categories: Data Processing: Financial, Business Practice, Management, Or Cost/price Determination, Automated Electrical Financial Or Business Practice Or Management Arrangement, Health Care Management (e.g., Record Management, Icda Billing) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080103827. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/931,863, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/187,727, which is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No. 6,961,285, filed Sep. 3, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,166, filed Jul. 9, 2001, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Pat. No. 6,411,567, filed Jul. 7, 2000. The entire disclosures of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/931,863, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/187,727 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,961,285 are incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in their entireties. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention pertains to the accumulation and dissemination of information associated with the talking of medications, and more particularly to the acquisition, dissemination, and utilization of information obtained through implementation of an instrumented medication package. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The explosive developments in medical treatment relating to drugs have created a costly and high risk drug management environment. A 1995 study published in the "Archives of Internal Medicine" estimates that $76 billion is spent each year in the U.S. on extra doctor visits and hospitalization because people do not take their medication properly. In addition, a 1999 study by the National Academy of Science, Institute of Medicine, describes errors made in the hospitals which threaten patient's health. The study estimated that 98,000 patients die each year because of medical mistakes. Prescription drug errors are one of the major areas where mistakes are made. [0004] Unit-dose blister type packaging for prescription drugs is one of the fastest growing package formats and is projected to be at 40% penetration in the U.S. market by 2003. Blister packages are already the dominant prescription drug package format in Europe with 85% penetration. Some of the reasons behind this growing use of blister packaging are: (i) product integrity being maintained throughout out the drug life cycle, (ii) better product protection to insure quality and efficacy of the drug, (iii) better tamper evidencing and child resistance, and (iv) improved patient compliance in that unit-dose blister packaging gives patents a clearly marked individual dosage. [0005] The ability to obtain data regarding the usage of medications through a blister pack containing devices for monitoring the accessing of individual containments within the packaging is described in several references, including Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/611,582. These references teach monitoring the accessing of individual containments to determine whether and when a medication was taken, in order to accumulate information regarding the medication intake. [0006] The taking of medications has become a central aspect of life. Individuals may take over the counter or prescription medications for a wide range of ailments. The effectiveness of the medications may be dependant on a patient's punctuality of application or ingestion (hereinafter referred to generically as "medication intake") of the medication at issue. [0007] The punctuality with which a patient takes medication may affect every entity in the health care chain. The patient taking the medication on time increases the likelihood that the medication will be effective, thus reducing disadvantages associated with the medical condition for which the medication is being taken. These disadvantages may include work time lost due to the condition as well as patient discomfort associated with the condition. The improved effectiveness associated with timely medication also benefits physicians, by reducing the likelihood that the medication will be unsuccessful in resolving the condition, thus reducing the likelihood that additional visits are required to resolve the condition. Increased effectiveness associated with timely medication may also reduce the total amount of medication needed to be taken by a patient, thus reducing the cost of resolving the medical condition, such that expenses to health care insurers are reduced. [0008] In order to assess the compliance of a patient taking medication according to an intake schedule, instrumented medication packages have been developed. These packages incorporate a method of identifying the dispensation of medication from the package. The inclusion of a clock allows the information to be correlated to time. Early efforts used some form of memory associated with the package to store dispensation time information for later downloading, such as when the package was returned to a pharmacy or other download-capable site. The necessity of returning the package to a specific location had several drawbacks, including the lack of incentive for a patient to return the package unless another prescription was to be picked up. Additionally, the dispensation information would not be available to anyone in the chain of entities involved in the treatment of the patient (the chain may include, but is not limited to, a doctor, pharmacist, insurer, medication manufacturer, the patient him or herself, other caregivers, or anyone else involved in the treatment of the patient) until after the package had been returned, and any data downloaded. [0009] Applicant's earlier patent application disclosed the use of a network of receivers for receiving information from instrumented medication packages. One embodiment included the use of receivers located in hospital rooms to allow in-hospital monitoring of medication intake. Another embodiment utilized receivers located at diverse locations, including pharmacies and patient residences, to provide broader coverage for acquiring information from instrumented medication packages. Additional embodiments included capabilities for monitoring additional conditions associated with the taking of medication, including the conditions of storage of the instrumented medication package itself. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] The present invention is a system and process for assisting patients with medication compliance. The system combines an instrumented medication package with a portable medication monitor to provide support to the patient in taking medication as directed. The system and process may additionally be communicably connected to a third party computer or computer network to allow third parties to access information on the medication monitor or to provide information to the patient via the medication monitor. Additionally, the medication monitor, when connected to a third party computer or computer network may be used to collect data regarding medication compliance for use in determining the efficacy of medications being taken by the patient. [0011] In one form, the present invention may be embodied in a medication monitoring system which includes an instrumented medication package. The instrumented medication may have a plurality of medication containments, each medication containments having an closure incorporating a severable connector. The instrumented medication package may also include an instrumented medication package receiver and an instrumented medication package transmitter. The instrumented medication package receiver may be used for receiving trigger signals, and the instrumented medication package transmitter may be used for transmitting information identifying the condition of the severable connectors. The system may also include a medication monitor. The medication monitor may have a medication monitor transmitter and a medication monitor receiver. The medication monitor transmitter may be used for transmitting a trigger signal, while the medication monitor receiver may be used for receiving information transmitted by an instrumented medication package transmitter. [0012] In another form, the present invention may be embodied in an instrumented medication package having a plurality of medication containments. The medication containments each may have a closure having a severable connector. The instrumented medication package may further have an instrumented medication package transponder. The instrumented medication package transponder may be used for receiving trigger signals, and transmitting a response signal in response to the trigger signals. The instrumented medication transponder may further include passive radio frequency identification circuitry. The passive radio frequency identification circuitry may comprise circuitry which modifies a response signal generated by the passive radio frequency identification circuitry, said response signal utilizing the energy of the trigger signal. [0013] In a still further form, the present invention may be embodied in a portable medication monitor having a general purpose computing circuitry, and an instrumented medication package transceiver. The instrumented medication package transceiver may include a transmitter and a receiver for transmitting to and receiving signals from an instrumented medication package. The portable medication monitor may further have a network connection for communicably connecting the portable medication monitor to at least one remote computer. The portable medication monitor may also include software for monitoring instrumented medication packages which may be associated with the portable medication monitor. [0014] In a still further form, the present invention may be embodied in a method for monitoring medication intake. The method may include providing an instrumented medication package and a medication monitor. A trigger signal may be emitted from the medication monitor and received by the instrumented medication package. When the trigger signal is received, the instrumented medication package may transmit information identifying the condition of severable connectors. The transmitted information may be received at the portable medication monitor, which may then forward the information to a remote computer via a network connection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES [0015] FIG. 1 illustrates an instrumented medication package associated with a medication monitor. [0016] FIG. 2 illustrates an instrumented medication package associated with a medication monitor implemented within a health care network according to the present invention. [0017] FIG. 3 shows a process flowchart illustrating a process of using a medication monitor in association with an instrumented medication package according to the present invention. [0018] FIG. 4 shows a hybrid passive and active circuitry instrumented medication package associated with monitoring capabilities according to the present invention. [0019] FIG. 5 shows a hybrid passive and active circuitry instrumented medication package implemented in a pharmacy environment. Continue reading... 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