Medication Dispenser

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for providing medication according to a preset schedule, the method comprising: providing a disposable medication dispenser containing medication to a user; connecting one dispenser monitor to said medication dispenser; monitoring a state of said medication with said monitor; providing, via said monitor, signals with respect to said state of said medication to a health monitoring station; and monitoring the state of dispenser at the health monitoring station.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority of IL176712, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to the field of medication and health monitoring systems wirelessly connected to central data banks. More specifically, the present invention provides autonomous and automatic medication dispensing systems.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONA Shift in Medication Focus[0003]During the 20th century, the leading causes of death in the United States shifted from infectious to chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Each chronic disease is associated with many new drugs; drugs that affect the lives of 90 million U.S. residents, at a cost of 70% of total medical care expenditures.Non-Compliance in the Aging[0004]The shift, from treating acute to chronic conditions is reflected in increased life expectancy and the accompanying need for a medication consumer, ad...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention provides an autonomous and automatic personal medication dispensing system that addresses shortcomings of previous medication dispensing systems. The system includes a base, a box, and at least two sensors that provide state-indicating signals that indicate the status of the medication compartments. The system also includes a wireless transponder, an audiovisual output, and a power supply. The system can be used at home or while on the go, and includes a hatch that can be opened and closed. The system can also be connected to a remote health monitoring station that can wirelessly transmit medication consumption data to the system. The technical effects of the invention include improved patient compliance with medication regimes, reduced noncompliance, and improved monitoring of medication consumption."

Problems solved by technology

Yet the failure to adhere to proper mediation schedules was implicated in up to 40% of nursing home admissions in 2004.

Drug regimens for chronic diseases are often complex, long-term, and may require considerable behavior modification; for example restricting intake of wine, aged cheese or organ meats in the case of Mono-Amine Inhibitors.

Nonadherence to medication consumption schedules in 2004 resulted in approximately 125,000 deaths, about twice the deaths from automobile accidents.

Everett Koop, M.D.—former Surgeon General of the United States summarized the problem: “Drugs don't work in patients who don't take them”.

Many medical doctors find that their patients forget one or more of these regimens and, as a result, do not receive the benefit that is available to them.

Hypertension is a chronic condition that may result in stroke and heart failure.

Noncompliance is a major factor in the increasing number of deaths related to cardiovascular disease.

It is this particularly complex medication consumption regiment that results in high rates of noncompliance in diabetics.

AIDS, a worldwide epidemic effecting millions of people, is another disease with an extremely complex medical regimen.

In addition to the problems posed by noncompliance with medication schedules, there are health related issues in conjunction with medication dispensation that must be addressed.

In a situation of fainting, the medication consumer state may not be detected until it is too late to provide even basic resuscitation action.

Each medicine container is connected to a separate device, so that medication consumption is stymied by the consumer who has inadvertently separated the devices and cannot remember the location of one or more containers.

The user is required to rotate the dispensing chamber in response to an alarm, presenting difficulty to a frail, geriatric consumer.

Each dispenser, however, requires multiple user interactions with a relatively small number of buttons that limit the amount of medication dispensation information output.

Additionally, the user is not provided information, for example, pertaining to, time interval, drug name, or directions, for example “take with meals.” Furthermore, effective activation of pill dispensing alarms and / or reminders present significant barriers to setup, for example in a debilitated or geriatric user.

If the fainting occurs following a medication dispensation prior to bed, the “missed” dosage will first be registered six to ten hours later, with the delay in monitoring the consumer health possibly becoming a contributing factor to consumer death.

The problems associated with medical emergencies in conjunction with medication dispensing systems cannot be taken for granted and, in addition to endangering consumer health, could engender a medical tort lawsuit.

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