Medication apparatus

Abstract

To provide a medication container which can include a frame, a drawer including slots, at least one of a first set of one or more sensors and a second set of one or more sensors, and an electronic transmitter, and in which the slots in the drawer can receive cartridges containing medication.SOLUTION: The first set of sensor(s) can detect whether the drawer has moved more than a preset distance into or out of the frame. The second set of sensor(s) can detect whether a cartridge has been removed from a corresponding slot and / or the contents of the cartridge. The electronic transmitter can transmit data characterizing at least one of whether the drawer has moved more than the preset distance into or out of the frame and whether the cartridge has been removed from the corresponding slot to a server computer via a communication network. Other medication containers and systems for generating alerts are described.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] Related Applications This disclosure claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 400,728, filed September 28, 2016, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Remote Management of Medication and Medication Packages"; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 407,656, filed October 13, 2016, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Disposable and Reusable Smart Medication Packaging Inserts"; and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 414,261, filed October 28, 2016, entitled "System and Method for Smart Medication Container Closure Detection and Activation." The contents of the above-referenced patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0002] The subject matter described herein relates to an apparatus that includes at least one of a smart medication container, one or more cartridges to fit inside the medication container, and a smart cap for closing the medication container. The present disclosure also relates to systems and computer-implemented related methods for determining and providing different interventions to patients, caregivers, and / or other parties (e.g., pharmacies), for example, to improve or maintain patient compliance with a medication regimen and / or improve medication inventory management by the patient, caregiver, and / or other parties, such as pharmacies. [Background technology]

[0003] Medication is packaged in several different types of containers. However, conventional medication containers do not secure the medication or provide easy access to the medication stored therein. Moreover, conventional medication containers do not detect if or when medication is removed from the medication container, much less accurately. Conventional medication containers also do not have communication capabilities that allow communication with a remote server computer that can use the communicated data to generate reminders and alerts for the patient. Furthermore, conventional medication containers do not allow removable customized cartridges to be placed therein, and therefore such medication containers are discarded after each use. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus including at least one of a smart medication container, one or more cartridges to be fitted inside the medication container, and a smart cap for closing the medication container. The smart medication container can advantageously accomplish one or more (e.g., all) of the following objectives: securely protect the medication; allow easy access to the medication in the medication container; detect when or if the medication has been removed from the medication container; and communicate these details over a communication network to a remote server computer that can use details of the detection by the medication container to generate reminders and alerts directed to the patient and / or an entity or facility, such as a pharmacy. A customized cartridge can be removably inserted (e.g., by the patient or pharmacy personnel) into the above-mentioned smart medication container. In some embodiments, the smart cap of the smart medication container can activate or trigger one or more actions by the smart medication container and / or signal or detect the presence or absence of a cap on the smart medication container.

[0005] In one embodiment, a drug container is described. The drug container can include a frame, a drawer, a plurality of slots in the drawer, at least one of a first set of one or more sensors and a second set of one or more sensors, and an electronic transmitter. The drawer can be configured to slide into and out of the frame. The plurality of slots in the drawer can be configured to receive a plurality of cartridges that store the drug. The first set of one or more sensors, which can be referred to as one or more drawer sensors, can be configured to detect whether the drawer has moved into or out of the frame beyond a preset distance. The second set of one or more sensors, which can be referred to as one or more cartridge sensors, can be configured to detect whether a cartridge of the plurality of cartridges has been removed from or inserted into a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots. The electronic transmitter (e.g., including a network interface) may be configured to transmit to the server computer over a communications network, for example, data characterizing at least one of whether a drawer has moved into or out of the frame over a preset distance, whether a cartridge has been removed from or inserted into a corresponding slot, and / or timing data tied to these detections, such as the time of detection by one or more sensors, the length of time the slot remained empty, the length of time the slot remained occupied by a cartridge, the length of time the drawer remained closed, and / or the length of time the drawer remained open.

[0006] In some variations, one or more of the following may be implemented individually or in any combination: The server computer may be configured to generate at least one of an alert, a reminder, and a recommendation based at least in part on the received data. All of the multiple cartridges may contain the same medication. The frame may include one or more hooks. The one or more hooks may allow the frame to be hung or stacked mateably with another frame. The multiple frames may be in series. Each slot may include one or more sensors to determine if the corresponding cartridge has been removed.

[0007] The drug container may further include a magnet attached, for example, to the drawer or, alternatively, to the frame in an area adjacent one end of the drawer. One or more sensors may be configured to detect movement of the magnet to detect whether the drawer has moved out of the frame more than a preset distance. The magnet may be made of a rare earth material.

[0008] The second set of one or more sensors may be affixed, for example, to the inside of the drawer or alternatively to the inside of the frame. The second set of one or more sensors may be one or more weight sensors, infrared sensors, touch sensors or capacitance sensors for detecting whether a cartridge is removed from and / or inserted into a corresponding slot. The second set of one or more sensors may be positioned in the frame. The second set of one or more sensors may be configured to detect an object within a preset distance, and the second set of one or more sensors detects the presence or absence of a cartridge. The second set of one or more sensors may alternatively or additionally be configured to detect the quantity of contents (e.g., the quantity of liquid medication or pills as indicated by weight, fluid ounces, number of pills or any other suitable quantification metric or combination of such metrics) inside the one or more cartridges.

[0009] In another aspect, another drug container is described. The drug container may include a frame, one or more sensors, and an electronic transmitter. The frame may include a plurality of slots configured to receive (slidably receive) a plurality of cartridges that store the drug. The plurality of cartridges are configured to slide into and out of the plurality of slots of the frame. The one or more sensors, which may be referred to as one or more cartridge sensors, may be configured to determine whether each slot of the plurality of slots encapsulates, houses, stores, or otherwise includes a corresponding cartridge. The electronic transmitter (including, for example, a network interface) may be configured to transmit data characterizing whether one or more of the slots encapsulates, houses, stores, or otherwise includes a cartridge and / or timing data associated with these detections, such as the time of detection by the one or more sensors, the length of time the slot remained empty, and / or the length of time the slot remained occupied by a cartridge, to a server computer via a communication network.

[0010] In some variations, one or more of the following can be implemented: The plurality of slots can include four slots arranged in a two-by-two configuration with two slots above the other two slots. The one or more sensors can alternatively or additionally be configured to detect a quantity of contents within the one or more cartridges (e.g., a quantity of liquid medication or pills as indicated by weight, fluid ounces, number of pills, or any other suitable quantification metric or combination of such metrics).

[0011] In yet another aspect, a device is described that may include a container and a cartridge. The container may be configured to be closed with a cap. The cartridge may be configured to be inserted into the interior of the container and may enclose, house, store, contain or otherwise include a medicament. The cartridge may be capable of allowing the container to be closed with the cap once fully inserted into the interior of the container.

[0012] In some variations, one or more of the following may be implemented individually or in any combination: The body of the cartridge may fit within a cavity within the interior of the container. A portion of the cartridge may cover the top surface of the container in an area where the container receives the cap. One or more locations on the exterior surface of the cartridge may include an adhesive that adheres to the interior surface of the container. A portion of the cartridge may extend outside the container and may be configured to serve as a grip for holding the container. A portion of the cartridge may extend outside the container and may be configured to serve as a display element. The display element may be configured to display data identifying the contents within the cartridge. The display element may include a printed label including data identifying the contents within the cartridge. The display element may have a rectangular shape. Alternatively, the display element may have a cylindrical shape. The device may be one or more sensors, which may be referred to as one or more cartridge sensors, configured to detect the presence and / or absence of a cartridge and / or the quantity of the contents within the cartridge (e.g., the quantity of liquid medicament or pills as indicated by weight, fluid ounces, number of pills, or any other suitable quantification metric or combination of such metrics). The device may include one or more processors and / or electronic transmitters (eg, including a network interface) for communicating sensor data and / or other data to a remote server computer.

[0013] The cartridge may be configured to be closed or covered with at least one of a bung or a liner. Each of the bung and the liner may be distinct and separate from the cap. The cartridge may be configured to be sealed by each of the bung and the liner to prevent contents within the cartridge from expelling. Each of the bung and the liner may be removable from the cartridge. The cartridge may include a desiccant chamber and at least one desiccant bag. The desiccant chamber may include perforations that allow moisture to migrate from the body of the cartridge into the desiccant bag and physically separate the contents of the cartridge from the desiccant bag.

[0014] In one aspect, a system (e.g., a medication dispensing device) is described that may include a container, a container sensor element, a cap, and the cap sensor element. The cap is configured and used to close the container. The cap sensor element may be affixed to the cap or to the interior of the cap. The container sensor element is in communication with the cap sensor element and may detect whether the cap is within a threshold distance from the container sensor element. In some variations, the container sensor element detects whether the cap sensor element is within the threshold distance. In other variations, the cap sensor element detects whether the container sensor element is within the threshold distance.

[0015] In some variations, one or more of the following can be implemented individually or in any combination: The system can include a pull-tab component configured to be inserted within a battery compartment of the container to prevent the container from drawing power from the battery, and to be removed to allow the container to draw power from the battery. The container sensor element and / or cap sensor element and / or different sensor(s) can be configured to detect the quantity of contents within the cartridge (e.g., the quantity of liquid medication or pills as indicated by weight, fluid ounces, number of pills, or any other suitable quantification metric or combination of such metrics).

[0016] The system can include electrical circuitry communicatively coupled to the container sensor element and / or the cap sensor element. The electrical circuitry (e.g., one or more processors and a network interface) can be configured to send data over the communications network to a server computer indicative of when the cap is opened and / or closed, one or more time points that the cap is open and / or closed (e.g., as indicated by one or more sensors on the drug container or one or more timestamps generated by the one or more processors), one or more lengths or durations that the cap remains open and / or closed, and / or a quantity of contents within the container (e.g., a quantity of contents within a cavity of the container or within a cartridge stored within a cavity of the container).

[0017] In one aspect of some embodiments, the server computer can be configured to trigger an electronic transmission of data indicating an alert (e.g., a reminder or recommendation) from the server computer, and the electrical circuitry of the medication container and / or the user computer can be configured to receive this data. The server computer can be configured to trigger an alert based at least in part on the data received from the medication container. The server can trigger an alert to the medication container and / or other computing device when the server computer determines, for example, that the quantity of contents in the medication container is below a threshold value (e.g., as determined by comparing data received from one or more sensors on the medication container to the threshold value); that there is a high probability that a patient associated with the medication container has missed a dose or refill of the medication or will miss one or more future doses or refills (e.g., as determined by the server computer based, at least in part, on one or more detections of one or more sensors on the medication container, such as one or more drawer sensors, cartridge sensors, and / or cap or container sensors, and patient dosing regimen data stored in one or more databases and accessible to the server computer); and / or that there is a high probability that the pharmacy, other entity, or facility containing the medication container has not or has not delivered or refilled the medication as expected (e.g., as determined by the server computer based, at least in part, on one or more detections of one or more sensors on the container, such as one or more drawer sensors, cartridge sensors, and / or cap or container sensors, and delivery schedule data stored in one or more databases and accessible to the server computer).

[0018] In one aspect of some embodiments, at least one communication receiver of the server computer can be configured to receive data from circuitry on one or more medication containers described herein (e.g., a medication container including one or more cartridges, drawers, and / or having cap and / or container sensors) over a first communication network. Such data can be, for example, data corresponding to one or more measurements of one or more of the sensors described herein, such as one or more sensor measurements of one or more drawer sensors, cartridge sensors, and / or cap and / or container sensors, timing data tied to the sensor data, and / or data generated by one or more processors of the medication container, for example, based on the detected sensor data. Based at least in part on such data and / or other data (e.g., historical data stored by the server computer in a database or otherwise accessible to the server computer), the server computer (e.g., including one or more processors and a network interface) can determine whether at least one criterion has been met and, based on this determination, can trigger one or more reminders and / or alerts to the patient, a caregiver, and / or other entities (e.g., a pharmacy). Such alerts, which may include, for example, text, audio, images, video, or any combination thereof, may be transmitted to the medication container itself and / or to other computing devices.

[0019] In some embodiments, at least one communication receiver of the server computer can receive data from the medication container over the communication network indicating, for example, that the patient has missed or there is a high probability that a dose of medication has been missed (e.g., if the medication container is possessed by or configured for use by the patient or caregiver), that medication has or has not been removed from the medication container or has been delivered or has not been delivered (e.g., if the medication is possessed by or configured for use by a pharmacy, other entity or facility), and / or that the medication container or one or more cartridges of the medication container have not been refilled or require refilling. For example, the medication container can provide data from one or more drawer sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., cartridge sensors) and / or other data to the server computer each time the drawer is moved (e.g., moved at least a threshold distance as determined by one or more drawer sensors) or at any other suitable time or interval. The server computer can interpret that data, alone or in combination with other data (e.g., timing data and / or historical data), as indicative of when medication was removed from or added to the container, and the server computer can determine, based at least in part on such data, that there is a high probability that the patient missed a dose, whether a pharmacy or other entity or facility did not deliver the medication as expected, and / or whether the medication container or cartridge therein needs refilling or has not been refilled. Based on this determination, the server computer can send one or more alerts to the medication container and / or to one or more other computing devices.

[0020] Alternatively or additionally, each time a cartridge is removed from and / or inserted into the medication container (e.g., as determined by one or more cartridge sensors), or at other suitable times or intervals, the medication container can provide data from one or more cartridge sensors and / or other sensors (e.g., one or more drawer sensors) and / or other data to the server computer. The server computer can interpret that data, alone or in combination with other data (e.g., timing data and / or historical data), as an indication of when medication was removed from or added to the container, and the server computer can determine, based at least in part on such data, that there is a high probability that the patient missed a dose, whether a pharmacy or other entity or facility did not deliver the medication as expected, and / or whether the medication container or a cartridge therein requires or has not been refilled. Based on this determination, the server computer can send one or more alerts to the medication container and / or to one or more other computing devices.

[0021] Alternatively or additionally to the embodiments disclosed above, each time a cap is removed from and / or placed on the medication container (e.g., as determined by one or more cap sensors and / or container sensors), or at other suitable times or intervals, the medication container can provide data from one or more sensors (e.g., one or more cartridge sensors and / or one or more caps and / or caps to container sensors) and / or other data to the server computer. The server computer can interpret that data, alone or in combination with other data (e.g., timing data and / or historical data), as an indication of when medication was removed from or added to the container (e.g., based on when the cartridge was inserted into or removed from the container), and the server computer can determine, based at least in part on such data, that there is a high probability that the patient missed a dose, whether a pharmacy or other entity or facility did not deliver the medication as expected, and / or whether the medication container or a cartridge therein requires or has not been refilled. Based on this determination, the server computer can send one or more alerts to the medication container and / or to one or more other computing devices.

[0022] In some embodiments, the server computer can receive data over the communication network, for example, alone or in combination with other data, indicating that a preset amount of contents within one or more cartridges or containers was not withdrawn within a preset time and / or was withdrawn after a preset time; that a cartridge or cavity of the drug container was refilled after a preset time; and / or that one or more cartridges of the drug container were not refilled and / or removed within a preset time. Such data can be, for example, data corresponding to one or more measurements (e.g., detection events) of one or more sensors of the drug container sensors described herein received by the server computer from the drug container (e.g., one or more cartridge sensors, one or more drawer sensors, and / or one or more container and / or cap sensors of the drug container). At least one database can be communicatively coupled to at least one communication receiver. The at least one database can be configured to store at least the data received from the drug container and / or other data (e.g., a dosing regimen for a patient, an expected delivery schedule for a pharmacy or other entity or facility, and / or an expected refill schedule for the drug container or cartridges stored therein). The at least one processor may be communicatively coupled to at least one of the at least one communication receiver and the at least one database. The at least one processor may be programmed or otherwise configured or adapted to determine, upon or following receipt of the data, whether at least one criterion is met, and the at least one processor generates an alert (e.g., a reminder) if the at least one criterion is met. The at least one communication transmitter may be communicatively coupled to the at least one processor. The at least one communication transmitter may be configured to transmit an alert to the medication container and / or one or more other computing devices via a second communication network.

[0023] In some variations, one or more of the following may be implemented individually or in any combination: The server computer is configured to determine that the patient has not adhered to the medication regimen, that the pharmacy or other entity or facility has not adhered to an expected medication delivery schedule, and / or that the medication container or a cartridge inside the medication container has not been refilled according to an expected schedule based at least in part on the server computer not receiving a communication from the medication container within a preset time period. For example, the server computer may trigger an alert (e.g., a reminder) to the medication container and / or another one or more computing devices based at least in part on the server computer identifying that one or more drawer sensors, one or more cartridge sensors, and / or one or more container and / or medication container cap sensors have not been activated within a time period that exceeds a preset time period. The preset time may be set or identified by the server computer based at least in part on data stored in a database and accessible to the server computer indicative of a medication regimen for the patient identifying an expected frequency at which the patient will take a dose; an expected delivery schedule for the pharmacy or other entity or facility identifying a frequency at which the medication will be delivered; and / or an expected refill schedule for the medication container or cartridge stored within the medication container. The server computer may compare this data to data indicative of when the server computer last received a communication, for example, from one or more sensors on the medication container, to determine whether the preset time has elapsed without the server computer receiving one or more further communications from one or more sensors on the medication container. Based at least in part on this determination (e.g., solely on this determination), the server computer may trigger one or more alerts on the medication container and / or another one or more computing devices. The computing device may be one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a phablet computer, and a mobile phone.In one embodiment, the computing device may be configured to be operated by a patient using the medication container. In another embodiment, the computing device may be configured to be operated by at least one of a caregiver (e.g., a hospital, a clinician, a doctor, a nurse, a technician, a clinical staff, and / or any other caregiver) using the medication container to treat the patient, a licensed pharmacy providing medication to the patient, and a licensed healthcare company obtaining healthcare data of the patient. In one embodiment, the first communication network may be the same as or substantially the same as the second communication network (e.g., the Internet). In one variant embodiment, the first communication network may be different from the second communication network and separate from the second communication network. The first communication network may be a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth network, an infrared network, any other network, and any combination thereof. The second communication network may be a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth network, an infrared network, any other network, and any combination thereof.

[0024] In one embodiment, satisfying at least one criterion may be the server computer determining whether the user's risk level exceeds a threshold or otherwise meets or does not meet one or more criteria. The at least one programmable processor of the server computer may calculate the risk level based at least in part on historical data stored in the database. The historical data analyzed by the server computer to make a determination may include data regarding the opening and / or closing of a cap on a medication container (e.g., provided by a container and / or cap sensor on the medication container); data regarding the sliding of a medication container into and / or out of a drawer (e.g., provided by one or more drawer sensors on the medication container); data regarding the insertion of one or more cartridges into a medication container (e.g., a slot on the medication container) and / or the removal of one or more cartridges from the medication container (e.g., provided by one or more cartridge sensors on the medication container); and an adherence score characterizing the likelihood of a patient's adherence to a medication regimen based at least in part on the patient's past adherence to the same or a different medication regimen (e.g., a calculated value or score reflecting a patient's past adherence to a medication regimen, such as the fraction or percentage of days on which the patient consumed or was likely to have consumed the medication relative to the number of days on which the patient was assumed to consume the medication according to the medication regimen).wherein in some variations, the server computer that calculates this value and score may specifically exclude or alternatively process differently in the calculation of the score days of the dosing regimen on which the patient was not supposed to consume the medication, and wherein the server may compare the calculated value or score to a threshold or threshold score to identify whether the patient is at high risk for non-adherence and directly trigger one or more alerts or may be considered by the server computer in conjunction with one or more additional criteria to determine whether one or more alerts should be triggered; the pattern of withdrawal of medication from the medication container; the complexity of such medication withdrawal patterns (e.g., based on data regarding the performance of user withdrawals of medication and the expected patient or other entity status stored in a database accessible to the server computer); the complexity of the refill pattern of the drug container or cartridge within the drug container; inaccuracies in such refill pattern of the drug container or cartridge within the drug container (e.g., inaccuracies determined by the server computer by comparing actual data regarding one or more refills or failures to obtain one or more refills with an expected refill schedule stored in a database accessible to the server computer); the type of drug in the drug container; the dosage requirements for consuming the drug; the timing of one or more prior communications between the circuitry of the drug container and the at least one communication receiver; data exchanged during the one or more prior communications between the circuitry of the drug container and the at least one communication receiver; and one or more errors noted with respect to the one or more prior communications.

[0025] In some variations, the server computer can trigger an alert based on (e.g., based only on) a determination that a medication dose was missed or that a medication was not delivered as expected (e.g., by a pharmacy). In another embodiment, the server computer can trigger an alert based on (e.g., based only on) a determination that a medication container (e.g., a bottle) was not refilled according to an expected schedule. In another embodiment, the server computer can trigger an alert based on (e.g., based only on) receiving a message from a user (e.g., a patient, a caregiver, or a pharmacist) associated with the medication container indicating that additional care is required. In another embodiment, the server computer can trigger an alert based on (e.g., based only on) receiving any other message (e.g., any message, regardless of its content) from a user (e.g., a patient, a caregiver, or a pharmacist) associated with the medication container. The server computer can provide different specialized alerts to the medication container and / or one or more other computers under different circumstances.

[0026] In some variations, the server computer can trigger an alert based at least in part on both the determination that a medication dose was missed and the evaluation of one or more additional data. In one embodiment, the additional criteria can be a determination by the server computer that the user of the bottle (e.g., the patient) is at high risk, as determined by the server computer based at least in part on one or more data points from the previous analysis and / or data stored by the server computer (e.g., an overall adherence score for the patient, e.g., sensor data from one or more sensors on the medication container and / or a complex dosage pattern indicated by the medication regimen for the patient; an inaccurate dosing or refill pattern indicated by the sensor data from one or more sensors on the medication container and / or a medication regimen for the patient; medication information; previous messaging to the system; and / or other factors). In another embodiment, the additional criterion may be a determination by the server computer that one or more recent doses have also been missed (e.g., a determination by the server computer that one or more recent doses have been missed based at least in part on data stored in the database indicating a lack of access to the medication container or cartridge within the medication container within at least one other prior preset time period as indicated by prior sensor data received from the medication container and / or a lack of prior sensor data received from the medication container; and / or data stored in the database indicating a lack of withdrawal of a preset amount or quantity of contents from the medication container or cartridge within the medication container within at least one other prior preset time period as indicated by prior sensor data received from the medication container).In another embodiment, the additional criteria may be a determination by the server computer that the user or entity has delayed initiating or resuming a scheduled dosing and / or refill cycle (e.g., a determination by the server computer that the user or entity has delayed based at least in part on data stored in a database indicating access to the drug container or drug container cartridge after a current time as indicated by sensor data received from the drug container; and / or data stored in a database indicating withdrawal of a pre-set amount or quantity of contents from the drug container or drug container cartridge after a current time as indicated by sensor data received from the drug container). In various embodiments, the server computer triggers an alert to the drug container or other computing device only if the server computer determines both that a drug dose has been missed and that at least one additional criterion has been met. The server computer may provide different specialized alerts to the drug container and / or one or more other computing devices under different circumstances.

[0027] An alert as described herein can be data that activates an alarm, which can be audio, visual (e.g., text, image and / or video), or both. In various embodiments, the alert can be one or more of a text message, a voice message, a video message, a social media message, an email, a web pop-up, a pager message, any other message, and any combination thereof. The alert can be a reminder in some embodiments. The alert can be provided to the medication container and / or one or more other computing devices.

[0028] The details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the description, drawings, and frames. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates several embodiments of smart drug containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Diagram 2] 1 illustrates several embodiments of smart drug containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Diagram 3] 1 illustrates several embodiments of smart drug containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 4] 1 illustrates several embodiments of smart drug containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Diagram 5] 1 illustrates several embodiments of smart drug containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 6A-B] 1 illustrates several embodiments of smart drug containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 6C] An illustrative server computer is provided that can communicate with the circuitry on the medication container for the purpose of generating minders and / or alerts directed to the patient, caregiver, pharmacy, any other individual or entity, and / or any combination thereof. [Figure 7] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 8] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 10] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 11] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 12] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 13] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 14] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 15] 1 illustrates several embodiments of a removable cartridge within a medication container according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 16] 1 illustrates several embodiments of smart caps for medication containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 17] 1 illustrates several embodiments of smart caps for medication containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. [Figure 18] An illustrative server computer is provided that can communicate with the circuitry on the medication container for the purpose of generating reminders and / or alerts to the patient, caregiver, pharmacy, any other individual or entity, and / or any combination thereof.

[0030] Like reference numbers in the various drawings indicate like elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, 6A and 6B illustrate several embodiments of smart drug containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter.

[0032] FIG. 1A illustrates a first embodiment of a drug container 5a. The drug container 5a can include a number (e.g., four) of cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a, a drawer 50a, and a frame 60a. The four cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can be removably, or alternatively permanently, inserted or lifted (e.g., completely or partially) into or out of the drawer 50a, which can slide inside the frame 60a. The drug container 5a can determine when the drawer 50a is being slid into or out of the frame 60a. In some embodiments, the drug container 5a can determine whether any of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a are being removed and / or inserted. The frame 60a can include guides and rails on the inside that can guide the drawer 50a to allow for straight or linear movement of the drawer 50a. In some embodiments, each of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can be or include a bottle (e.g., pill bottle), a vial, a liquid drug container, a tube, a sachet, a box, a packet, a blister pack, a spray container, and / or an inhaler. In some embodiments, each of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can be or include one or more syringes. In some embodiments, each of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can be a cardboard and / or plastic box having a generally parallelepiped shape (e.g., parallel or nearly parallel sides) that houses one or more drug containers and / or syringes as described above.

[0033] In various exemplary embodiments, each of the four cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a may be made of one or more of cardboard, plastic, glass, and metal. The drawer 50a may be made of one or more of plastic and metal. Making the drawer out of plastic and / or metal advantageously minimizes friction during opening and closing of the drawer 50a, thus maximizing the durability of the drawer 50a as well. The frame 60a may be made of one or more of plastic and metal (e.g., the same or different material as used for the drawer 50a).

[0034] In various exemplary embodiments, the drug container 5a can have the following dimensions or ranges of dimensions: The frame 60a can have a generally parallelepiped body (e.g., parallel or nearly parallel sides), which can have rounded corners. The frame 60a can have one generally open side (e.g., an open or nearly open side) for receiving a drawer 50a that stores one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a. In some embodiments, the remaining sides of the frame 60a can be completely or substantially closed. In some embodiments, the frame 60a can have a width of about 8-10 inches, a length (depth) of about 10-14 inches, and a height of about 2-4 inches in a direction perpendicular or generally perpendicular (e.g., at or near 90 degrees, e.g., between 80 degrees and 100 degrees) to the direction of movement of the drawer 50a into and out of the frame 60a.

[0035] In some embodiments, the drawer 50a can have a shape configured to fit just through the open face of the frame 60a and reside within the open cavity of the frame 60a. As described above, the drawer 50a can include one or more rails or recesses (e.g., on the bottom and / or side surfaces of the drawer 50a) for mating coupling to one or more recesses or rails of the frame 60a, respectively. The drawer 50a can have a generally (e.g., completely or substantially completely) open top surface for receiving one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a. The drawer 50a can have a partially open front surface. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, this can include a drawer lip or ridge that allows retention of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a and prevents them from unintentionally popping out of the drug container 5a. This simultaneously allows an observer to visually identify the presence or absence of one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a within the medication container 5a, and optionally to read information printed or otherwise indicated on the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a, for example. In some embodiments, the drawer 50a may be about 8-10 inches wide, about 10-14 inches long (depth), and about 2-4 inches high in a direction perpendicular or generally perpendicular (e.g., at or near 90 degrees, e.g., between 80 degrees and 100 degrees) to the direction of movement of the drawer 50a into and out of the frame 60a. For example, in some embodiments, the length, width, and height of the drawer 50a may be selected to be only slightly smaller than those of the frame 60a to prevent the entire device from taking up unnecessary space, allowing for a snug friction fit of the drawer 50a within the frame 60a.

[0036] In some embodiments, each of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can have a shape configured to fit within an open area of ​​the drawer 50a. In other words, the drawer 50a can be configured such that its open area is sized and configured to receive the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a (e.g., mating accommodation to establish a friction fit). In some embodiments, when multiple cartridges are inserted into the interior of the drawer 50a and the drawer 50a is inserted into the interior of the frame 60a, the cartridges can collectively occupy all or substantially all of the open space within the interior of the frame 60a, except for one or more walls or ridges that separate the different cartridges of the drawer 50a. Such physical separators are shown, for example, in FIG. 3. In some embodiments, each of cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a and 40a can be about 1-4 inches (e.g., 1-3 inches) wide, about 6-14 inches (e.g., 6-10 inches) or less in length (depth), and about 1-4 inches (e.g., 1-3 inches) or less in height.

[0037] FIG. 1B illustrates a second embodiment of a drug container 65a according to some embodiments of the current subject matter. The drug container 65a can include multiple (e.g., four) cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a and a frame 70a. The four cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can be removably, or alternatively, permanently, inserted into the frame 70a. Each of the four cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can be individually slid into and out of the frame 70a. The drug container 65a can determine when the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a are being slid into or out of the frame 70a. The frame 70a can optionally include guides and rails on the inside, which guide each cartridge 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a in a corresponding straight and linear motion. For example, each cartridge may include one or more rails or recesses (e.g., on the bottom and / or side surfaces of the cartridge) for mating coupling to one or more recesses or rails of the frame 70a, respectively. In other embodiments, only the frame 70a, and not the cartridges, may include guides or rails. Each of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a may be removed by individually sliding the cartridge out of the corresponding slot. The front face of the container 65a may include one or more ridges or tabs on one or more (e.g., all) of the generally open faces in front of the slots to prevent the corresponding cartridge or cartridges from popping out of the slots. The cartridges may be lifted onto the tabs or ridges before sliding back into the slots, and then held in the slots by the tabs or ridges once the rear end of the cartridge has cleared the tabs or ridges.

[0038] In various exemplary embodiments, the drug container 65a can have the following form factors and dimensions or ranges of dimensions: The frame 70a can have a parallelepiped or generally parallelepiped body (e.g., a body with parallel or nearly parallel sides) that can have rounded corners. The frame 70a can have faces that define multiple (e.g., four) open areas or cavities for receiving one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a. In some embodiments, the remaining faces of the frame 70a can be completely or substantially closed. In some embodiments, the frame 70a can be about 5-8 inches wide, about 10-14 inches long, and about 5-8 inches high in a direction perpendicular or generally perpendicular (e.g., 90 degrees, or nearly 90 degrees, e.g., between 80 degrees and 100 degrees) to the direction of movement of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a into and out of the frame 70a.

[0039] In some embodiments, each of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can have a shape configured to fit within an open area of ​​the frame 70a. In other words, the frame 70a can be configured such that it has multiple open areas or cavities, such areas sized and configured to receive the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a (e.g., mating accommodation to establish a friction fit). In some embodiments, when multiple cartridges are inserted within the interior of the frame 70a, the cartridges can collectively occupy all or substantially all of the open space within the interior of the frame 70a. In some embodiments, each of cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a and 40a can be about 1-4 inches (e.g., 1-3 inches) wide, about 6-14 inches (e.g., 6-10 inches) long, and about 1-4 inches (e.g., 1-3 inches) high in a direction perpendicular or generally perpendicular (e.g., 90 degrees, or nearly 90 degrees, e.g., between 80 degrees and 100 degrees) to the direction of movement of the cartridge into and out of frame 70a.

[0040] The drug containers 5a and 5b may be configured to rest flat on a surface (e.g., a shelf) that can support the bottom surfaces of the drug containers. For drug container 5a, a surface of frame 60a adjacent the bottom surface of drawer 50a may be configured to rest on the shelf. Such a configuration may provide stability to drug containers 5a and 65a.

[0041] FIG. 2A illustrates a drug container 75a within which a drawer 50a can slide in and out of a frame 80a and includes hooks 90a that (1) allow the drug container 75a to be hung (e.g., from a shelf in a refrigerator) and / or (2) allow the drug container 75a to be stacked with another drug container 75a. Two drug containers 75a can be stacked for physical storage purposes to minimize storage space. Such stacking can, in some embodiments, involve mating coupling of hooks 90a on a top or bottom surface of one drug container 75a to a corresponding feature (e.g., a loop or recess) on a bottom or top surface of another drug container (e.g., another container 75a). The container 75a can be the same or similar to the container 5a (FIG. 1A) in all other respects.

[0042] FIG. 2B illustrates a drug container 95a that includes hooks 110a that (1) allow the drug container 95a to be hung (e.g., from a shelf in a refrigerator) and / or (2) allow the drug container 95a to be stacked with another drug container 95a, within which the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a can be individually slid into and out of the frame 100a. Two drug containers 95a can be stacked for the purpose of physically storing the drug containers 95a to minimize storage space. Such stacking can, in some embodiments, involve mating coupling of hooks 110a on a top or bottom surface of one drug container 95a to a corresponding feature (e.g., a loop or recess) in a bottom or top surface of another drug container (e.g., another container 95a). The container 95a can be the same or similar to the container 65a (FIG. 1B) in all other respects.

[0043] Figure 3 illustrates an exploded view showing various components of the drug container 5a of Figure 1A. In addition to the components mentioned above, the drug container 5a can include a wireless circuit board having embedded therein various components such as a magnet 120a, a sensor 140a (e.g., a switch, such as a reed switch, for detecting whether the magnet 120a has moved), a wireless antenna 150a, a battery 160a, a backplate 130a, and four fasteners 170a.

[0044] The magnet 120a may be attached to or located adjacent to the drawer 50a. When the magnet 120a movably translates within the frame 60a, the sensor 140a may detect whether the magnet 120a has moved, thereby indicating whether the drawer 50a has slid into or out of the frame 60a. In addition to the sensor 140a, the wireless circuit board may, in some embodiments, include other electronic components such as a microprocessor, a wireless module, a radio frequency (RE) circuit, a power circuit, and one or more integrated sensors. The microprocessor may transmit data indicating whether the drawer 50a has slid into or out of the frame 60a and / or other data (other data generated by other sensors described in accordance with the present invention, such as one or more cartridge sensors described below in connection with FIGS. 5, 6A, and 6B) to a server computer via the wireless antenna 150a and over a communication network. The communication network can be one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth network, an infrared network, any other network, and any combination thereof. A battery 160a can provide power for the entire drug container 5a. The battery can be integrally installed within the frame 60a. The backplate 130a can secure all electronic components with four fasteners 170a. Systems and methods for enabling devices to communicate information, including sensor data, over a communication network to a server are described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,754,769, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0045] Magnet 120a may be made of a rare earth material, such as neodymium. Although neodymium is described, in alternative embodiments, magnet 120 may be made of one or more of other rare earth materials, such as samarium cobalt, neodymium, any alloy of rare earth elements (e.g., elements in the lanthanide series plus scandium and yttrium), other rare earth materials, and any combination thereof. Using rare earth materials for magnet 120a makes the magnet a strong permanent magnet, thus allowing the magnet to have and maintain a strong magnetic field for a long period of time (e.g., many years), and thus advantageously the magnet does not require its own power source, at least during this period.

[0046] FIG. 4A illustrates the electronic components of the drug container 5a when the drawer 50a is in an extended (fully or partially extended) configuration. The electronic components may include a wireless circuit board embedded in or affixed to or adjacent to various components such as the magnet 120a, the backplate 130a, and a sensor 140a for detecting movement of the device 50a by determining whether the magnet 120a has moved. In the extended configuration, the distance 180a between the magnet 120a and the backplate 130a is a distance that may be, for example, a maximum possible distance or alternatively less than the maximum possible distance at which the sensor 140a detects and records a change in state of movement of the drawer 50a. In some embodiments, the sensor 140a may not record movement of the drawer 50a unless the magnet 120a moves a distance less than the distance 180a. In some embodiments, the distance 180a may be, for example, 0.25 inches, or within a range of 0.125 inches to 5 inches. In an alternative embodiment, the sensor 140a may be configured to detect whether the magnet 120a has moved as long as the magnet 120a is within a preset distance from another magnet 120a, which may be less than the distance 180a. In another alternative embodiment, this preset distance may be greater than or equal to the distance 180a.

[0047] Figure 4B illustrates some electronic components of the drug container 5a when the drawer 50a is in a fully retracted configuration. The drawer can be expanded to achieve the expanded configuration of Figure 4A.

[0048] FIG. 5 illustrates another embodiment of a sensor 190a within a drug container 5a. The sensor 190a can be a cartridge sensor that detects the presence or absence of a cartridge within the drug container 5a. In some embodiments, the drug container 5a can include a separate sensor 190a for each cartridge 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a, where each sensor 190a can detect the presence or absence of each corresponding cartridge. In some embodiments, alternatively or in addition to the sensor 190a detecting the presence or absence of a cartridge within the drug container 5a, the sensor 190a can detect the amount of contents (e.g., weight, number of pills, or quantity of liquid drug) within the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the sensor 190a can include multiple (e.g., two or more) electrodes (e.g., metal electrodes) in an interleaved interdigital pattern. The electrodes of the sensor 190a can be generally planar (e.g., flat or nearly flat) and generally housed in a two-dimensional plane. The electrodes can span the entire or substantially the entire compartment within which the corresponding cartridge is to be housed. In other embodiments, the electrodes can span only a portion (e.g., approximately three-quarters, approximately half or less) of the compartment within which the corresponding cartridge is to be housed. In some embodiments, one or more sensors the same as or similar to sensor 190a can be included in one or more (e.g., all) of the slots of drug container 65a (FIG. 1B), such as on or within a bottom (floor) portion of the slot, to determine the presence or absence of one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a and / or the amount of drug content in one or more of cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a.

[0049] In various embodiments, each sensor 190a can determine the presence or absence of one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a within the drawer 50a and / or the contents (e.g., weight, pill count, or quantity of liquid medication) of the medication container 5a or any cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a by touch, capacitance, weight, light, visual cue, or any other method. For example, each sensor 190a can be a capacitance sensor or a touch sensor. The sensor 190a can be embedded or otherwise affixed on the drawer 50a. Each sensor 190a can be connected (via a wired connection) to a wireless circuit board or can otherwise be in communication with the wireless circuit board (e.g., via a wireless connection) and provide data to the wireless circuit board about the presence, absence, and / or contents of the cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and / or 40a. In some embodiments, the connection between the one or more sensors 190a and the circuit board can be through a flexible cable (e.g., ribbon wire). In some embodiments, the connection between one or more sensors 190a and the circuit board may be through metal contacts (e.g., rails or strips) that are electrically connected to the sensors 190a and partially exposed on an exterior portion of the drawer 50a and that make electrical contact with corresponding metal contacts that are electrically connected to the circuit board and exposed on a portion of the frame 60a when the drawer 50a is inserted into the frame 60a.

[0050] In one example, each sensor 190a may be configured to detect the presence and / or absence of a single cartridge 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a in a corresponding slot for that cartridge. It may be a binary capacitance touch sensor. In this example, contact between the cartridge 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a and the sensor 190a produces a change in the capacitance of the sensor 190a, which the sensor 190a can translate into a binary detection of the cartridge being placed in or removed from the drug container 5a. The wireless circuit board that includes or otherwise communicates with the sensor 190a may further include a capacitance-to-digital converter integrated circuit that can measure and indicate capacitance and, in some embodiments, compare it to a threshold value to determine whether the measured capacitance is indicative of the presence or absence of a cartridge. The drug container 5a may include an array of sensors 190a that can detect the placement or removal of the array of cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a and 40a.

[0051] The wireless circuit board can communicate details of the detection by the one or more sensors and / or processing thereof by one or more processors of the circuit board of the medication container via a communication network to a remote server computer, which can use these details to generate one or more reminders and alerts for the patient, the caregiver, and / or other parties (e.g., a pharmacy), for example, as shown in FIG. 6C. The communication network can be one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth® network, an infrared network, any other network, and any combination thereof. In various embodiments, the wireless circuit board can be affixed to or housed by the frame of the medication container (e.g., frame 60a or 70a). In various embodiments, the wireless circuit board can be affixed to or housed by a drawer (e.g., drawer 50a).

[0052] FIG. 6A illustrates a plurality of infrared distance sensors 200a each configured to detect the presence or absence of a cartridge 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a in a slot corresponding to that cartridge.

[0053] FIG. 6B illustrates components of the sensor 200a. The sensor 200a may be embedded on, affixed to, or at least partially integrated with or housed by the frame 60a. The sensor 200a may include a transmitter 210a and a receiver 220a. The sensor 200a may be an infrared sensor capable of detecting interference between the transmitter 210a and the receiver 220a. Such detection may indicate whether the corresponding cartridge 10a, 20a, 30a, or 40a is placed or removed within a threshold distance 230a. The threshold distance 230a may represent a distance range within which the presence of the cartridge 10a, 20a, 30a, or 40a may be detected. That is, the cartridge 10a, 20a, 30a, or 40a is detected when it is within the threshold distance 230a. The sensor may transmit or electronically provide data characterizing the detection to a circuit board of the drug container 5a. The sensors can be in communication with the circuit board via a wired or wireless connection.An array of sensors 200a can be used to detect an array of cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a.

[0054] The wireless circuit board can communicate details of the detection by the one or more sensors 200a and / or processing thereof by one or more processors of the medication container circuit board via a communication network to a server computer, which can use these details to generate one or more reminders and alerts for the patient, the caregiver, and / or other practitioners (e.g., a pharmacy), such as shown in FIG. 6C. The server computer can be remote from the wireless circuit board, such as in a different room within the same building, in a different building, in a different city, a different state, a different country, or at any remote distance. The communication network can be one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth network, an infrared network, any other network, and any combination thereof.

[0055] 6C illustrates a server computer 240a that can communicate with circuitry on a medication container (e.g., medication container 5a, 65a, 75a, or 95a) to generate one or more reminders and / or alerts directed to a patient, a caregiver, a pharmacy, any other individual or entity, and / or any combination thereof. The server computer 240a can include at least one communication receiver 250a, at least one database 260a, at least one programmable processor 270a, and at least one communication transmitter 280a. The at least one programmable processor 270a can be a processor, microprocessor, controller, microcontroller, data processor, programmable data processor, etc., in different embodiments. In various embodiments, the server computer 240a can be in bidirectional communication with the medication container and / or one or more other computers (e.g., one or more computers 310a).

[0056] In various embodiments, at least one communication receiver 250a of the server computer 240a may be configured to receive data over the first communication network 290a on one or more medicament containers described herein (e.g., medicament containers 5a, 65a, 75a, or 95a storing one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a). Such data may include, for example, data corresponding to one or more measurements (e.g., binary detection) of a sensor described herein, such as one or more sensor measurements indicating the opening and / or closing of a drawer of the medicament container (e.g., sliding in or out of drawer 50a) and / or timing data (e.g., via a timestamp) indicating the time of the opening and / or closing as identified by one or more sensors or one or more processors of the medicament container; one or more sensor measurements indicating the presence or absence of one or more cartridges (e.g., 10a, 20a, 30a, and 40a) within one or more slots of the medicament container (e.g., whether a cartridge has been inserted into the medicament container); and / or one or more measurements indicating whether the drug has been inserted or removed from the drug container) and / or timing data (e.g. via a timestamp) indicating the time of insertion and / or removal of the cartridge as identified by one or more sensors or one or more processors of the drug container; and / or one or more sensor measurements indicating the quantity of drug inside the drug container or one or more cartridges (e.g. cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a and 40a of the drug container) and / or timing data (e.g. via a timestamp) indicating the time of the measurement as identified by one or more sensors or one or more processors of the drug container.Based at least in part on receipt of such and / or other data (e.g., historical data stored by or accessible to the server computer in database 260a, e.g., data indicating one or more prior measurements received by one or more sensors and / or timing data relating to the timing of such measurements), the server computer including one or more processors 270a can determine whether at least one criterion has been met and, based on this determination, can trigger one or more reminders and / or alerts to the patient, the caregiver, and / or other entities (e.g., the pharmacy). For example, such alerts, which may include text, audio, images, video, or any combination thereof, may be transmitted to the medication container itself (e.g., medication container 5a, 65a, 75a, or 95a) and / or to other computing devices (e.g., computing device 310a).

[0057] In some embodiments, the communications network can receive data from a medication container (e.g., medication container 5a, 65a, 75a, and / or 95a) indicating that one or more of medication containers 5a, 65a, 75a, and / or 95a require refilling of medication (e.g., if medication container 5a, 65a, 75a, and / or 95a is used to deliver medication at a pharmacy or other facility). In some embodiments, the communications network can receive data from a medication container (e.g., medication container 5a or 65a) indicating that a patient has missed or has a high probability of missing a dose of medication (e.g., if medication container 5a, 65a, 75a, and / or 95a is utilized for a particular patient).

[0058] In one embodiment, the at least one communication receiver 250a may be configured to receive data from circuitry on the medication container 5a, 65a, 75a, or 95a via the first communication network 290a indicating that a preset amount of contents within one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, or 40a has not been withdrawn within a preset time. For example, the data may indicate that the cartridge itself is either present and / or removed (e.g., binary detection), for example, as determined by one or more sensors configured to detect the presence or absence of one or more of the cartridges. Alternatively or additionally, the data may identify a particular amount or quantity of contents (e.g., weight or quantity of liquid medication or pills) for one or more cartridges, for example, as determined by one or more sensors configured to determine the weight or quantity within one or more cartridges. The at least one database 260a may be communicatively coupled to the at least one communication receiver 250a. The at least one database 260a may be configured to store at least the received data. The at least one programmable processor 270a may be communicatively coupled to at least one (e.g., both) of the at least one communication receiver 250a and the at least one database 260a. The at least one programmable processor 270a may determine, upon receipt of the data or thereafter, whether at least one criterion is met, and if at least one criterion is met, the at least one programmable processor 270a generates an alert. The at least one communication transmitter 280a may be communicatively coupled to the at least one programmable processor 270a. The at least one communication transmitter 280a may be configured to transmit one or more alerts to a computing device 310a (e.g., a pharmacy computer) and / or a medication container (e.g., medication container 5a, 65a, 75a, or 95a) via the second communication network 300a.

[0059] The indication that the preset amount of contents within one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a has not been withdrawn may indicate that a dose of medication stored within medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a was forgotten or was not otherwise removed or delivered within a preset time. Each computing device 310a may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a phablet computer, and a mobile phone. In one embodiment, computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by a patient using medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a. In another embodiment, computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by at least one of a caregiver (e.g., a hospital, clinician, doctor, nurse, technician, clinical staff, and / or any other caregiver) treating a patient using medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a, a licensed pharmacy providing medication to one or more patients, and a licensed healthcare company obtaining healthcare data of one or more patients. In one embodiment, the first communication network 290a may be the same as or substantially the same as the second communication network 300a (e.g., the Internet). In an alternative embodiment, the first communication network 290a may be different and separate from the second communication network 300a. The first communication network 290a may be one of a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth network, an infrared network, any other network, and any combination thereof. The second communication network 300a may be a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth network, an infrared network, any other network, and any combination thereof.

[0060] In one embodiment, meeting at least one criterion may be a risk level of a user, e.g., a patient or other entity (e.g., a pharmacy) that exceeds a threshold. For example, the at least one processor 270a may determine an estimated risk of a user (e.g., a patient) or entity (e.g., a pharmacy) and determine that the estimated risk exceeds a predefined risk level that the patient will not adhere to a medication regimen or that the pharmacy or other entity will not deliver medication as expected. The at least one programmable processor 270a may calculate the risk level based at least in part on historical data stored in the database 260a. For example, the historical data used by the at least one processor 270a to calculate the risk level may include at least one of: an adherence score characterizing the likelihood of a patient's adherence to a medication regimen; a pattern of withdrawal of medication from the medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a; a pattern of refilling the medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a (e.g., with one or more cartridges detected by one or more cartridge sensors); the type of medication in the medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a; data indicative of expected removal of the medication by a user, pharmacy or other entity; one or more dosage requirements for consuming the medication; the timing of one or more prior communications between the medication container circuitry and the at least one communication receiver 250a; data exchanged during the one or more prior communications between the medication container circuitry and the at least one communication receiver 250a; and one or more errors noted with respect to the one or more prior communications.

[0061] At least one processor 270a of the server computer according to various embodiments can determine an adherence score that characterizes the likelihood of the patient's adherence to the medication regimen. For example, the adherence score can be based at least in part on the patient's past adherence to the same or a different medication regimen. The adherence score can be a calculated value or score that reflects the patient's past adherence to the medication regimen, such as a fraction or percentage of the number of days on which the patient consumed or was likely to consume the medication relative to the number of days on which the patient was assumed to consume the medication according to the patient's medication regimen ("on" days), where in some variations, the server computer that calculates this value or score can specifically exclude or alternatively treat differently in the calculation of the score the days on the medication regimen on which the patient was not assumed to consume the medication ("off" days). For example, for some drugs, the dosing regimen requires the patient to take the drug for a preset number of "on" days (e.g., 21 days), followed by a preset number of "off" days during which the patient is not assumed to consume the drug (e.g., 7 days). At least one database 260a can store data regarding such a dosing regimen for the patient, or any other dosing regimen including any other pattern or instruction regarding "on" and / or "off" days, and at least one processor 270a of the server computer can exclude or differently consider such "off" days when calculating an adherence score for the patient. For example, if at least one processor 270a of the server computer in the above example accesses data indicating that the patient consumed the drug on 18 of the 21 "on" days and did not consume it on any of the 7 "off" days, the adherence score for the patient can be 18 / 21 or 0.857 (i.e., the off days can be ignored). If the high-risk patient threshold is less than or equal to 0.90, the at least one processor 270a of the server computer may identify the patient as a high-risk patient by determining that the patient's statistic of 0.857 is less than 0.90.As another example, if the server computer at least one processor 270a accesses data indicating that a patient consumed medication on 21 of 21 "on" days (i.e., the patient took the medication on all days it was supposed to be taken) but also consumed medication on 6 of 7 "off" days (i.e., non-adherence for 6 of the 7 off days), the patient's adherence score may be 22 / 28, or 0.785 (i.e., taking medication on the "off" days counts as a negative for the patient). If the high-risk patient threshold is less than or equal to 0.90, the server computer at least one processor 270a may identify the patient as a high-risk patient by determining that 0.785 is less than 0.90. In yet another example, if the at least one processor 270a of the server computer accesses data indicating that the patient consumed medication on 21 of 21 "on" days (i.e., the patient took the medication on all days it was supposed to be taken) but also consumed medication on 3 of 7 "off" days (i.e., non-adherence for 3 of the 7 off days), the patient's adherence score may be 26.5 / 28, or 0.946 (i.e., reflecting that the system discounts non-adherence on the "off" days by 50%, i.e., 3 days of non-adherence is equivalent to 1.5 missed days when calculating the patient's score). If the high-risk patient threshold is less than or equal to 0.90, the at least one processor 270a of the server computer may identify the patient as a low-risk patient by determining that 0.946 is greater than 0.90. In the above example, without the discount for "off" days, the patient's adherence score would alternatively be 25 / 28 or 0.892, and at least one processor 270a of the server computer could identify the patient as a high-risk patient by determining that 0.892 is less than 0.90.The at least one processor 270a of the server computer can compare the calculated value or score for the patient to a threshold or threshold score to identify whether the patient is at high risk for non-adherence and directly trigger one or more alerts to the medication container and / or another computer or computers. In some variations, the at least one processor 270a of the server computer can consider the patient's value or score and the threshold or threshold score together with one or more additional criteria to determine whether to trigger one or more alerts to the medication container and / or another computer or computers. In some variations, the at least one processor 270a of the server computer can determine an adherence score for the pharmacy or other entity in a manner similar to that described above by comparing data regarding a predicted medication delivery schedule for the pharmacy or other entity with actual data regarding the delivery of medication by the pharmacy or other entity.

[0062] In another embodiment, satisfaction of at least one criterion may be determined by data indicative of a lack of withdrawal of a preset amount of contents within one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a within another preset time (e.g., a preceding time period that may indicate a pattern of missed doses or failed drug delivery). In some embodiments, this data may be historical data used alone or in combination with other historical data identified above to determine a risk level for users, e.g., patients, and other entities, e.g., pharmacies. The lack of withdrawal of a preset amount within another preset time may indicate that a dose or other removal of a drug stored within drug container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a was missed within this other preset time. Data indicative of a lack of withdrawal of a preset amount within another preset time may be stored in database 260a. The at least one programmable processor 270a can determine the lack of a predetermined amount of withdrawals within another predetermined time by receiving data from the database 260a indicating the lack of a predetermined amount of withdrawals within another predetermined time.

[0063] In yet another embodiment, the satisfaction of the at least one criterion may be the withdrawal of a preset amount of contents within one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a after a preset time has elapsed. The withdrawal of a preset amount of contents within one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a after a preset time may indicate that a patient has taken a medication late or that a medication has been delivered late by a pharmacy or other entity. The at least one programmable processor 270a may be configured to receive data from circuitry on the medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a indicating the withdrawal of a preset amount of contents within one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a. The at least one programmable processor 270a can identify the time of receipt of data indicating withdrawal (e.g., as indicated by timing data received from a medication container or generated locally by the at least one processor 270a or other circuitry of the server computer) to determine whether withdrawal has occurred after a preset time has elapsed.

[0064] In another embodiment, satisfying the at least one criterion may be refilling at least one of the one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a, or 40a after a preset time. Refilling at least one cartridge after a preset time may indicate that refilling of the at least one cartridge is delayed. The at least one programmable processor 270a may be configured to receive data from circuitry on the drug container 5a, 65a, 75a, or 95a indicating refilling of the at least one cartridge (e.g., data generated by one or more cartridge sensors on the drug container). The at least one programmable processor 270a may identify or determine a time point for refilling the at least one cartridge to determine if the refilling is delayed.

[0065] An alert as described herein may be data that activates an alarm, which may be audio, visual, or both. In various embodiments, an alert may be one or more of a text message, a voice message, a video message, a social media message, an email, a web pop-up, a pager message, any other message, and any combination thereof. An alert may be a reminder in some embodiments.

[0066] In another embodiment, the at least one communication receiver 250a may be configured to receive data from circuitry on the medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a via the first communication network 290a indicating that one or more cartridges 10a, 20a, 30a or 40a of the medication container 5a, 65a, 75a or 95a have not been refilled within a preset time period. The at least one programmable processor 270a may be configured to generate an alert upon receipt of the data. The at least one communication transmitter 280a may be configured to transmit an alert to the computing device 310a and / or the medication container itself via the second communication network 300a.

[0067] In some embodiments, the at least one processor 270a is configured to determine that the medication container or a cartridge therein has not been refilled according to an expected schedule based at least in part on the at least one processor 270a not receiving communication from the medication container within a preset time. For example, the at least one processor 270a can trigger an alert (e.g., a reminder) to the medication container and / or another one or more computing devices 310a based at least in part on the at least one processor 270a identifying that one or more drawer sensors and / or one or more cartridge sensors of the medication container have not been activated within a time period that exceeds a preset time. The preset time may be set or identified by the at least one processor 270a based at least in part on data stored in the database 260a and accessible to the at least one processor 270a indicating one or more of: a medication regimen for a patient identifying an expected frequency at which the patient will take a dose; an expected delivery schedule of a pharmacy or other entity or facility identifying how often the medication will be delivered; and / or an expected refill schedule for the medication container or a cartridge stored therein. The at least one processor 270a may compare this data, such as with data indicating when the at least one processor 270a last received a communication from one or more sensors on the medication container, to determine whether a preset time has elapsed without the at least one processor 270a receiving one or more additional communications from the one or more sensors on the medication container. Based at least in part (e.g., based solely on) this determination, the at least one processor 270a may trigger one or more alerts to the medication container and / or another one or more computing devices 310a.

[0068] In one embodiment, the computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by a patient, in another embodiment, the computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by at least one of a caregiver treating the patient, a licensed pharmacy providing medication to the patient, and a licensed healthcare company obtaining healthcare data of the patient.

[0069] In another embodiment, the at least one communication receiver 250a may be configured to receive a message (e.g., a text message or a response to a graphic prompt on the medication container itself or on a web page) from the first computing device 310a and / or the medication container itself via the first communications network 290a. The at least one programmable processor 270a may generate an alert upon receipt of the message. The at least one communication transmitter 280a may be configured to transmit the alert to the second computing device 310a via the second communications network 300a.

[0070] The first computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by the patient. The second computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by at least one of a caregiver treating the patient, a licensed pharmacy providing medication to the patient, and a licensed healthcare company obtaining healthcare data of the patient. In one embodiment, the message may include a request for additional care.

[0071] Figures 7A-7C, 8A, 8B, 9A-9C, 10A, 10B, 11A-11C, 12A-12C, 13A-13C, 14A, 14B and 15-15C illustrate several embodiments of removable cartridges within a drug container (e.g., a bottle) according to some embodiments of the current subject matter.

[0072] FIG. 7A illustrates a removable cartridge 10b configured to be inserted into a smart medication container 20b. The cartridge 10b may be installed vertically within the medication container 20b. In some embodiments, the cartridge 10b may fit tightly inside the medication container 20b while still allowing the original cap of the medication container 20b to be used without any modification. The cartridge 10b is configured to be easily installed and removed by a user, such as a patient. The cartridge 10b may be configured to store any type of medication, such as one or more of tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids. In some embodiments, the cartridge 10b may have a height equal to or approximately equal to the height of the medication container 20b. In some embodiments, the cartridge 10b may have a height less than the height of the medication container 20b but greater than half the height of the medication container 20b. In some embodiments, the length and width of cartridge 10b (in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the height of cartridge 10b) can be less than the length and width of drug container 20b within the body portion of drug container 20b, but greater than half the length and width of drug container 20b. In one embodiment, cartridge 10b can have dimensions of 1.75 inches by 3 inches by 1.75 inches, while in other embodiments, the cartridge can be in the range of about 1-3 inches wide, about 2-7 inches high, and about 1-3 inches long.

[0073] 7B illustrates that the exterior shape of the cartridge 10b can match the interior shape of the drug container 20b. In some embodiments, the cartridge 10b can be made of plastics such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), other plastics, any other material, and / or any combination thereof. The cartridge 10b can be made by injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, and / or any other method. In some embodiments, the cartridge 10b can include adhesive at one or more specific locations on the exterior surface of the cartridge 10b for permanent installation of the cartridge 10b inside the drug container 20b.

[0074] The cartridge 10b, in some embodiments, can advantageously serve as a wall thickener for the smart drug container 20b, thereby increasing chemical resistance, water resistance, oxygen permeability, and structural rigidity. In some embodiments, the cartridge 10b can have a portion that extends outwardly from the body of the drug container 20b to serve as a handle or grip, allowing a user to insert and remove the drug container 20b as needed.

[0075] Figure 7C illustrates a position where the cartridge 10b is fully inserted into the drug container 20b. Figure 7C illustrates a position where the cartridge 10b is partially removed from the drug container 20b. Figure 7A illustrates a position where the cartridge 10b is fully removed from the drug container 20b.

[0076] In some embodiments, the drug container 20b can be a bottle. The drug container 20b can have a generally cylindrical (e.g., cylindrical or nearly cylindrical) or jar-like shape. The drug container 20b can include a body portion and a top portion for receiving a cap. The drug container 20b can have a width and length of approximately 2.37 inches within its body portion. The height along both body portions of the drug container 20b is approximately 3.4 inches, and the height of the top portion (the portion with the threads that allows the drug container 20b to be closed with a cap) is approximately 0.6 inches. As shown, the top portion can have threads or at least one ridge for receiving a correspondingly threaded or configured cap (e.g., a twist-stop or snap-fit ​​cap). In other embodiments, the drug container can have a width of approximately 1-4 inches within the body portion, a length of approximately 1-4 inches within the body portion, and a height of approximately 3-6 inches.

[0077] FIG. 8A illustrates a first embodiment of another cartridge 30b configured to be removably inserted into the smart medication container 20b (i.e., removable after insertion). A single flat wing 35b may be part of the cartridge 30b. The flat wing 35b may display information about the medication stored inside the medication container 20b and / or may also function as a handle. The flat wing 35b may be rectangular or square. The flat wing 35b may have a width and length equal to or less than the width and length of the medication container 20b. The cartridge 30b may fit tightly inside the medication container 20b while still allowing the original cap of the medication container 20b to be used without any modification. As shown, the flat wing 35b may be connected by a thin, flat tab to the portion of the cartridge 30b intended to reside inside the interior cavity of the medication container 20b. The thin tab may include a first elbow fitting at or near the top of the cartridge 30b and another elbow fitting at or near where a top portion of the drug container 20b configured to receive a cap meets a body portion of the drug container 20b. The cartridge 30b may be configured to be easily installed and removed by a user, such as a patient. The cartridge 30b may be configured to store any type of drug, such as one or more of a tablet, capsule, powder, and liquid.

[0078] The cartridge 30b can be made of plastics such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), other plastics, any other material, and / or any combination thereof. The cartridge 30b can be made by injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, and / or any other method. In some embodiments, the cartridge 30b can include adhesive at one or more specific locations on the exterior surface of the cartridge 30b for permanent installation of the cartridge 30b inside the drug container 20b. The cartridge 30b can be made by thermoforming, stamping, extrusion, and any other method, or any combination thereof.

[0079] The pharmaceutical information may be applied onto the flat wings 35b via direct screen printing, heat transfer, labeling, any other method, or any combination thereof.

[0080] FIG. 8B illustrates another embodiment of a cartridge 40b configured to be removably inserted into the smart medication container 20b (i.e., removable after insertion). A round or generally round continuous wing 45b may be part of the cartridge 40b. The wing 45b may surround the entire medication container 20b from all sides in some embodiments. In one variation of some embodiments, the round wing 45b may partially cover the medication container 20b. The round wing 45b may display information about the medication stored inside the medication container 20b. The cartridge 40b may fit tightly inside the medication container 40b while still allowing the original cap of the medication container 20b to be used without any modification. The cartridge 40b may be configured to be easily installed and removed by a user, such as a patient. The cartridge 40b may be configured to store any type of medication, such as one or more of tablets, capsules, powders, and liquids. In some embodiments, other elements of cartridge 40b as shown may be similar to elements of cartridge 30b described above.

[0081] The cartridge 40b can be made of plastics such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), other plastics, any other material, and / or any combination thereof. The cartridge 40b can be made by injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, and / or any other method. In some embodiments, the cartridge 40b can include adhesive at specific locations on the exterior surface of the cartridge 40b for permanent installation of the cartridge 40b inside the drug container 20b. The cartridge 40b can be made by thermoforming, stamping, extrusion, and any other method, or any combination thereof.

[0082] The pharmaceutical information may be applied onto the rounded wings 45b via direct screen printing, heat transfer, labeling, any other method, or any combination thereof.

[0083] FIG. 9A illustrates a bung 50b that can be inserted onto the cartridge 10b to seal or close the cartridge 10b. Sealing or closing the cartridge 10b can prevent the contents inside the cartridge 10b from spilling out. The bung 50b can include features such as a flap or tab that allow a user to remove the bung 50b from the cartridge 10b. The bung 50b may need to be removed for the purpose of refilling the contents of the cartridge 10b. The bung 50b can thus allow the cartridge 10b to act as a stand-alone container for medication. The bung 50b can also provide a space for placing a label that identifies the contents inside the cartridge 10b. The bung 50b can be made of the same or similar material that forms the cartridge 10b. In some embodiments, the same or similar bung 50b can be provided on the cartridges 30b and 40b.

[0084] FIG. 9B illustrates cartridge 10b closed or sealed with plug 50b.

[0085] FIG. 9C illustrates a vertical cross section of cartridge 10b closed or sealed with bung 50b.

[0086] FIG. 10A illustrates a liner 60b that may be attached to the top surface of the cartridge via an induction sealing mechanism. The liner 60b may also be referred to as an induction liner. Although an induction sealing mechanism is described for attaching the liner 60b to the top surface of the cartridge 10b, in alternative embodiments, other attachment mechanisms may be used, such as one or more of glueing, nailing, stitching, or any other attachment mechanism or combination thereof. The sealing or closure of the cartridge 10b may prevent the contents inside the cartridge 10b from spilling out. The liner 60b may include features, such as flaps or tabs, that may allow a user to remove the liner 60b from the cartridge 10b. The liner 60b may need to be removed for the purpose of refilling the contents of the cartridge 110b. The liner 60b may thus enable the cartridge 110b to operate as a stand-alone container for medication. The liner 60b may also provide a space for placing a label that identifies the contents inside the cartridge 10b. In some embodiments, the liner 60b can be made of the same or similar materials that form the cartridge 110b. In some embodiments, the liner 60b can be made of one or more of foam, paper, aluminum, or any other material or combination thereof. In some embodiments, the liner 60b can have a thickness of about 0.035 inches. In other embodiments, the liner 60b can have a thickness of about 0.02 inches to about 0.05 inches, or about 0.01 inches to about 0.2 inches. In some embodiments, the same or similar liner 60b can be provided on the cartridges 30b and 40b.

[0087] FIG. 10B illustrates cartridge 10b closed or sealed with liner 60b.

[0088] 11A illustrates a snap-fit ​​feature 80b on the exterior of cartridge 70b to allow for a rigid attachment with a drug container. The snap-fit ​​feature 80b can be a raised ridge extending around the periphery of cartridge 70b. Cartridge 70b can be the same as or similar to cartridge 10b. In some embodiments, the same or similar snap-fit ​​feature 80b can be provided on cartridges 30b and 40b.

[0089] FIG. 11B illustrates the cartridge 70b with the snap-fit ​​feature 80b inserted within the smart medication container 20b.

[0090] 11C illustrates the mechanism of the snap-fit ​​feature 80b that allows for a snap-fit ​​between the cartridge 70b and the drug container 20b. During vertical installation of the cartridge 70b into the drug container 20b, the snap-fit ​​feature 80b may elastically deform and then snap into a corresponding geometry inside the drug container 20b. The snap-fit ​​feature 80b may hold the cartridge 70b inside the smart drug container 20b and prevent the cartridge 70b from popping out or loosening. To vertically remove the insert 70b out of the drug container 20b, a force must be applied manually or mechanically to elastically deform the snap-fit ​​feature 80b.

[0091] FIG. 12A illustrates a cap 90b having a geometry that allows the cap 90b to elastically deform and snap onto the outside of the cartridge 10b for sealing or closing the cartridge 10b. Sealing or closing the cartridge 10b can prevent the contents inside the cartridge 10b from spilling out. The cap 90b can include features such as flaps or tabs that can assist a user in removing the cap 90b from the cartridge 10b. The cap 90b may need to be removed for refilling the contents of the cartridge 110b. The cap 90b can thus allow the cartridge 10b to act as a stand-alone container for medication. The cap 90b can also provide a space for placing a label that identifies the contents inside the cartridge 10b. The cap 90b can be made of the same or similar materials that form the cartridge 10b. For example, the cap 90b can be made of plastics such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP), other plastics, any other materials, and / or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the cap 90b may include child-resistant features. In some embodiments, the same or similar caps 90b may be provided for closing the cartridges 30b and 40b.

[0092] FIG. 12B illustrates cartridge 10b sealed or closed with cap 90b.

[0093] FIG. 12C illustrates a vertical cross section of cartridge 10b sealed or closed with cap 90b.

[0094] FIG. 13A illustrates one or more sensors 100b (e.g., a sensor array) inside the smart medication container 20b. The sensor array 100b can detect, for example, the presence and / or absence of a cartridge 10b in the medication container 20b and, in some embodiments, can identify a unique serial number for the cartridge 10b. The sensor array 100b can be a radio frequency identifier (RFID) sensor. The RFID sensor can include an RFID label on the cartridge 10b and a near-field reader in the medication container 20b. The RFID sensor can advantageously be small, inexpensive, and disposable. Although an RFID sensor is described, in alternative embodiments, other sensors can be used, such as one or more of capacitive sensors, ultrasonic sensors, infrared sensors, strain gauges, magnetic sensors, one-dimensional (ID) and two-dimensional (2D) barcode scanning, near-field communication (NFC), other sensors, RFID sensors, and / or combinations thereof.

[0095] FIG. 13B illustrates the cartridge 10b during removal or installation within a drug container 20b containing a sensor array 100b.

[0096] FIG. 13C illustrates a unique serial number 110b for cartridge 10b, which may be displayed on a surface and visible (e.g., for reading by a barcode reader) or, in some embodiments, embedded within a readable device (e.g., an RFID tag) for reading by a corresponding sensor.

[0097] FIG. 14A illustrates a piercing feature 130b that is part of the cartridge 120b. The piercing feature 130b can allow for easy removal of the cartridge 120b from the smart drug container 20b. After the piercing feature 130b is cut or otherwise completely removed, the cartridge 120b can bend and reduce in size for easy removal. The piercing feature 130b can extend along the length of the cartridge 120b, for example, a portion of the length or alternatively the entire length. The piercing feature can include an array of holes or slots oriented in the direction of the cartridge 120b. In some embodiments, the piercing feature 130b can penetrate the wall of the cartridge 120b. In some embodiments, the same or similar piercing feature 130b can be provided on the cartridges 30b and 40b.

[0098] FIG. 14B illustrates a vertical cross section of cartridge 120b with piercing feature 130b.

[0099] FIG. 15A illustrates a cartridge 140b with a desiccant chamber 150b and one or more desiccant bags 160b stored therein. The desiccant chamber 150b can be part of the cartridge 140b. In one embodiment, the desiccant chamber 150b can include a desiccant bag 160b. In another embodiment, the desiccant chamber 150b can be separate from the desiccant bag 160b. The desiccant bag 150b can include perforations that allow moisture to migrate from the drug container 20b and / or the interior of the cartridge 140b into the desiccant bag 160b while physically isolating the contents of the cartridge 140b (e.g., a drug stored inside the cartridge 140b) from the desiccant bag 160b. In some embodiments, the interior of the cartridges 30b and 40b can include the same or similar desiccant chamber 150b and / or desiccant bag.

[0100] FIG. 15B illustrates a perspective view of a vertical cross section of cartridge 140b with desiccant chamber 150b and desiccant bag 160b stored therein.

[0101] FIG. 15C illustrates a top view of a horizontal cross section of cartridge 140b showing desiccant chamber 150b physically above desiccant bag 160b.

[0102] 16A-16E and 17A-17E illustrate several embodiments of smart caps for medication containers according to some embodiments of the current subject matter.

[0103] 16A illustrates a drug container 10c and its cap 20c. In some embodiments, the drug container 10c can be the same as or similar to the drug container 20b.

[0104] 16B illustrates a vertical cross section of a drug container 10c with a cap 20c thereon, further showing a cap sensor 30c and a container sensor 40c. In some embodiments, the container sensor 40c can detect whether the cap sensor 30c is within a threshold distance (e.g., a threshold distance from the container sensor 40c at a point at or near the top surface of the drug container 10c). For example, this threshold distance is approximately 0.125 inches, but can be greater or less in other embodiments. The cap sensor 30c can be a magnet inside the cap and can be detected by the container sensor 40c.

[0105] The cap sensor 30c may be inserted and positioned in a cavity below the exterior surface 50c of the cap 20c. An interior element 60c of the cap 20c is then inserted below the cap sensor 30c such that the cap sensor 30c is covered from above and below, as described below with respect to FIG.

[0106] The cap sensor 30c, alone or in combination with the container sensor 40c, can implement one or more of electrostatic sensing, magnet and reed switch technology, ultrasonic distance sensing, strain gauge deflection sensing, any other sensing technology, and any combination thereof. The container sensor 40c, alone or in combination with the cap sensor 30c, can implement one or more of electrostatic sensing, magnet and reed switch technology, ultrasonic distance sensing, strain gauge deflection sensing, any other sensing technology, and any combination thereof. In one embodiment, the cap sensor element 30c and the container sensor element 40c can implement the same and similar sensing technology to work together to detect events such as the opening and / or closing of the cap and / or the time the cap remains in the open and / or closed state. The cap sensor 30c and the container sensor 40c work in unison, so they do not have to implement different sensing technologies to avoid redundancy. In some embodiments, the container sensor 40c can also detect the amount of drug remaining in the container 10c.

[0107] In some embodiments, the cap 20c may be referred to as a smart cap. In such embodiments, the cap 20c may include circuitry including a network interface, at least one programmable processor, a database, an electronic transmitter and / or any other circuitry for communicating with a server computer 240a via a communication network 290a or 300a, as described in more detail below in connection with FIG. 18. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, some or all of the circuitry for communicating with a remote server may be included within the body of the medication container 10c rather than the cap 20c.

[0108] FIG. 16C illustrates a vertical cross section of drug container 10c with a cap 20c that is separate from drug container 10c.

[0109] FIG. 16D illustrates that the cap sensor 30c can be inserted and positioned in a cavity below the exterior surface 50c of the cap 20c, with the internal element 60c of the cap 20c then being inserted below the cap sensor 30c, covering the cap sensor 30c from above and below.

[0110] FIG. 16E illustrates a close-up of the container sensor 40c, showing that in some embodiments, the container sensor 40c can be positioned within an area of ​​the drug container adjacent one or more features (e.g., threads or ridges) for receiving the cap 20c.

[0111] 17A illustrates a pull tab component 70c configured to mate with a drug container 10c. The pull tab component 70c can include one or more features (e.g., tabs or tails) for insertion into a battery compartment of the drug container 10c. When inserted into the drug container 10c, the pull tab component 70c can function to prevent the drug container 10c from drawing power from a battery inside the drug container 10c. For example, one or more tabs inserted inside the container 10c can physically separate the battery from one or more battery terminals of the drug container 10c.

[0112] FIG. 17B illustrates a pull tab component 70c coupled with a medication container 10c.

[0113] 17C illustrates another view of the pull tab component 70c coupled with the drug container 10c. The pull tab component 70c can be configured to deactivate or activate the drug container 10c through insertion and removal, respectively, of its tab or tail (as shown in FIG. 17C) into a slot 80c on the drug container 10c.

[0114] 17D illustrates yet another view of the pull tab component 70c coupled with the medication container 10c. The smart medication container 10c can have a bottom cover 10 that can include a device that receives the tail 90c of the pull tab 70c. The pull tab component 70c can be configured to display information including instructions for using the medication container 10c and / or the pull tab component 70c and / or information identifying the contents of the medication container 10c, and / or any other information.

[0115] The pull tab component 70c may be made of one or more of plastic, paper, any other material, and any combination thereof. In one embodiment, information may be printed on all surfaces of the pull tab component 70c. In an alternative embodiment, information may be printed on only select surfaces of the pull tab component 70c, such as only the exterior surface.

[0116] 17E illustrates an alternative pull tab component 110c that may be configured to mate with a medication container 10c. The pull tab component 110c may include one or more features, such as a pocket 120c on the pull tab component 110c that may enable the medication container 10c to hold additional information. The pocket 120c may be a section or folded-over section that is part of the pull tab component 110c, or an additional piece that is attached to the original pull tab component 110c. A number of materials, such as physical documents, documentation, information packs, other hardware, etc., may be inserted into the pocket 120c.

[0117] FIG. 18 illustrates a server computer that can communicate with circuitry on a medication container (e.g., one or more medication containers as shown and described in connection with FIGS. 7A-17E, e.g., the medication containers shown in FIGS. 7A, 8A, 13A, and 16A, each of which may include one or more processors, one or more sensors, and one or more electronic transmitters including at least a network interface) to generate reminders and / or alerts for a patient, a caregiver, a pharmacy, any other individual or entity, and / or any combination thereof. The server computer 240a may be remote to the medication container (e.g., medication container 20b or 10c), such as in a different room within the same building, in a different building, in a different city, in a different state, in a different country, or any remote distance. The communication network 290a or 300a may be one or more of a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth® network, an infrared network, any other network, and any combination thereof. In various embodiments, the server computer 240a can be in bidirectional communication with the medication container and / or one or more other computers (eg, one or more computers 310a).

[0118] In various embodiments, at least one communication receiver 250a of the server computer 240a may be configured to receive data over the first communication network 290a from circuitry on one or more of the medicament containers described herein (e.g., medicament containers 10c and 20b). Such data may be, for example, data corresponding to one or more measurements of one or more of the sensors described herein, such as one or more sensor measurements indicating the opening or closing of a cap medicament container, one or more sensor measurements indicating the presence or absence of one or more cartridges (e.g., cartridge 10b) within one medicament container (e.g., measurements indicating whether a cartridge has been inserted and / or removed from the medicament container), one or more sensor measurements indicating a quantity of medicament within a cavity of the medicament container or one or more cartridges (e.g., cartridge 10b) of the medicament container, and / or timing data identifying the timing of such detection by one or more sensors. Based at least in part on receipt of such and / or other data (e.g., historical data stored by the server computer in database 260a or otherwise accessible to the server computer, e.g., data indicating one or more prior measurements received by one or more sensors and / or timing data associated therewith), the server computer, including one or more processors 270a, may determine whether at least one criterion has been met and, based on that determination, may trigger one or more reminders and / or alerts to the patient, the caregiver, and / or other entities (e.g., the pharmacy). For example, such alerts, which may include text, audio, images, video, or any combination thereof, may be transmitted to the medication containers themselves (e.g., medication containers 10c and 20b) and / or to other computing devices (e.g., computing device 310a).

[0119] In some embodiments, the communication network can receive data from the medication containers (e.g., medication containers 10c and 20b) indicating that one or more of medication containers 10c and / or 20b require a refill of medication. In some embodiments, the communication network can receive data from the medication containers (e.g., medication containers 10c and 20b) indicating that a patient has missed or is likely to have missed a dose of medication.

[0120] In one embodiment, the at least one communication receiver 250a may be configured to receive data from a cap (e.g., cap 2c) and / or circuitry within the body of the drug container (e.g., drug containers 10c and 20b) via the first communication network 290a indicating that a preset amount of contents within the drug container 10c has not been withdrawn within a preset time. The at least one database 260a may be configured to store at least the data. The at least one programmable processor 270a may determine, upon receipt of the data, whether at least one criterion has been met, and if at least one criterion has been met, the at least one programmable processor 270a generates an alert. The at least one communication transmitter 280a may be communicatively coupled to the at least one programmable processor 270a. The at least one communication transmitter 280a may be configured to transmit an alert to the computing device 310a and / or the drug container itself via the second communication network 300a.

[0121] An indication that a preset amount of contents within the medication container (e.g., medication containers 10c and 20b) has not been withdrawn can indicate that the patient has missed a dose of medication stored within the medication container within a preset time period. The computing device 310a is one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a phablet computer, and a mobile phone. In one embodiment, the computing device 310a can be configured to be operated by a patient using the medication container. In another embodiment, the computing device 310a can be configured to be operated by at least one of a caregiver (e.g., a hospital, clinician, doctor, nurse, technician, clinical staff, and / or any other caregiver) treating the patient using the medication container 10c, a licensed pharmacy providing medication to the patient, and a licensed healthcare company obtaining healthcare data of the patient.

[0122] In one embodiment, meeting the at least one criterion may be a risk level of the user that exceeds a threshold. The at least one programmable processor 270a may calculate the risk level based at least in part on historical data stored in the database 260a in a manner similar or the same as that described above in connection with FIG. 6C. For example, the historical data used by the at least one processor 270a to determine the risk level may include one or more of the following: data indicative of previous measurements of one or more sensors of the drug container (e.g., drug containers 10c and 20b), a pattern of withdrawal of the drug from the drug container, a pattern of refilling the drug container, a type of drug in the drug container, a dosage requirement for consuming the drug, timing of one or more prior communications between the circuitry of the drug container and the at least one communication receiver 250a, data exchanged during one or more prior communications between the circuitry of the drug container and the at least one communication receiver 250a, and one or more errors noted with respect to one or more prior communications.

[0123] In another embodiment, satisfying the at least one criterion may be a lack of withdrawal of a preset amount of contents within a medication container (e.g., medication containers 10c and 20b) within another preset time. A lack of withdrawal of a preset amount within another preset time may indicate that a dose of medication stored within the medication container has been missed within another preset time. Data indicative of a lack of withdrawal of a preset amount within another preset time may be stored within database 260a. At least one programmable processor 270a may determine a lack of withdrawal of a preset amount within another preset time by receiving data indicative of a lack of withdrawal of a preset amount within another preset time from database 260a.

[0124] In yet another embodiment, satisfying the at least one criterion may be the withdrawal of a preset amount of contents within the medication container (e.g., medication containers 10c and 20b) after a preset time. The withdrawal of a preset amount of contents within the medication container after a preset time indicates that the patient has taken the medication late. The at least one programmable processor 270a may be configured to receive data from a circuit on the medication container indicating the withdrawal of a preset amount of contents within the medication container 10c. The at least one programmable processor 270a may identify the time of receipt of the data indicating the withdrawal to determine whether the withdrawal is after the preset time.

[0125] In another embodiment, satisfying the at least one criterion may be a refill of the drug container (e.g., drug containers 10c and 20b) after a preset time. Refilling of the drug container 10c after the preset time may indicate that the refilling of the drug container 10c is delayed. The at least one programmable processor 270a may be configured to receive data from circuitry on the drug container indicating the refilling of the drug container. The at least one programmable processor 270a may identify or determine the time of the refilling of the drug container to determine whether the refilling is delayed.

[0126] An alert as described herein may be data that activates an alarm, which may be audio, visual, or both. In various embodiments, an alert may be one or more of a text message, a voice message, a video message, a social media message, an email, a web pop-up, a pager message, any other message, and any combination thereof. An alert may be a reminder in some embodiments.

[0127] In another embodiment, the at least one communication receiver 250a may be configured to receive data from circuitry on a medication container (e.g., medication containers 10c and 20b) via a first communication network 290a indicating that the medication container has not been refilled within a preset time. The at least one programmable processor 270a may be configured to generate an alert upon receipt of the data. The at least one communication transmitter 280a may be configured to transmit the alert to the computing device 310a and / or the medication container itself via a second communication network 300a.

[0128] In one embodiment, the computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by a patient, in another embodiment, the computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by at least one of a caregiver treating the patient, a licensed pharmacy providing medication to the patient, and a licensed healthcare company obtaining healthcare data of the patient.

[0129] In another embodiment, the at least one communication receiver 250a may be configured to receive a message from the first computing device 310a via the first communication network 290a. The at least one programmable processor 270a may generate an alert upon receipt of the message. The at least one communication transmitter 280a may be configured to transmit the alert to the second computing device 310a via the second communication network 300a.

[0130] The first computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by the patient. The second computing device 310a may be configured to be operated by at least one of a caregiver treating the patient, a licensed pharmacy providing medication to the patient, and a licensed healthcare company obtaining healthcare data of the patient. In one embodiment, the message may include a request for additional care.

[0131] In some embodiments, the at least one processor 270a is configured to determine that a medication container (e.g., medication container 10c and / or 20b) or a cartridge therein has not been refilled according to an expected schedule based at least in part on the patient not complying with a medication regimen and / or the at least one processor 270a not receiving communication from the medication container within a preset time period. For example, the at least one processor 270a can trigger an alert (e.g., a reminder) to the medication container (e.g., medication container 10c and / or 20b) and / or another one or more computing devices based at least in part on the at least one processor 270a identifying that one or more cartridge sensors and / or one or more cap sensors of the medication container have not been activated within a time period that exceeds a preset time period. The pre-set time may be set or identified by the at least one processor 270a based at least in part on data stored in database 260a and accessible to at least one processor 270a indicating a medication regimen for the patient identifying an expected frequency at which the patient will take a dose; and / or an expected refill schedule for the medication container or cartridges stored therein. At least one processor 270a may compare this data, such as with data indicating when at least one processor 270a last received a communication from one or more sensors on the medication container, to determine whether the pre-set time has elapsed without at least one processor 270a receiving one or more further communications from one or more sensors on the medication container. Based at least in part on this determination (e.g., based solely on this determination), at least one processor 270a may trigger one or more alerts to the medication container (e.g., medication containers 10c and / or 20b) and / or another one or more computing devices 310a.

[0132] Table 1 below identifies various embodiments of one or more criteria that may be utilized by the at least one processor 270a of the server computer shown in FIG. 6C and / or FIG. 18 to trigger an alert (e.g., a reminder) to the medication container and / or one or more other computing devices 310a. In these various embodiments where only one trigger criterion is identified (labeled as "A"), the at least one processor 270a need only determine that this trigger criterion is met in order to generate or cause the corresponding identified event. Where two items are identified as trigger criteria (labeled as "A" and "B"), in some embodiments, the at least one processor 270a generates or causes the corresponding identified event only after the at least one processor 270a determines that both trigger criteria are met. Other variations are possible. In some embodiments, the at least one processor 270a evaluates one or more criteria in addition to the criteria identified below.

[0133] [Table 1]

[0134] Any one or more of the embodiments, aspects, and variations described herein may be combined where practicable. The terms "substantially," "almost," or "generally," as used herein, may mean "most" in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the terms "substantially," "nearly," or "generally" may mean 80 percent or more of an entire or regular value / measure / form. In some embodiments, the terms "substantially," "nearly," or "generally" may mean 95 percent or more of an entire or regular value / measure / form. In some embodiments, the terms "substantially," "nearly," or "generally" may mean 95 percent or more of an entire or regular value / measure / form. As used herein, "matingly connected" and other similar terms may mean a physical connection between two elements. In some embodiments, such connection may be made possible by mating a male part of a first of the two elements with a female part of a second of the two elements.

[0135] Although several variations have been described above, other modifications are possible as well. For example, the logic flow described in the patent application does not require the particular order or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. Additionally, although preferred materials for the structural elements are described herein, the device is not limited by these materials. Plastics, rubber, foams, metal alloys, wood, and / or other materials can be used to manufacture some or all of the elements of the device.

[0136] Related devices, systems, techniques and articles are also described. A computer program product is described that includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium that includes instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor of one or more computer systems, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform the operations described herein. Similarly, a computer system is also described that can include one or more programmable processors and a memory coupled to the one or more programmable processors. The memory can temporarily or permanently store instructions that cause the at least one programmable processor to perform one or more of the operations described herein. Additionally, the methods can be implemented by one or more programmable processors within a single computer system or distributed among two or more computer systems.

[0137] The terms used herein are intended to describe particular embodiments and are not intended to be limiting in scope. As used herein, "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the described items. The use of terms such as "comprises" and / or "comprising" specifies the inclusion and presence of stated features, attributes and components, but does not exclude the inclusion or addition of one or more other features, attributes and components.

[0138] As used herein, the phrases "at least one of" or "one or more of" may appear before a list of elements or features. The term "and / or" may similarly appear in a list of more than one element or feature. Such phrases are intended to refer to any of the listed elements or features individually or to any of the listed elements or features in combination with any of the other listed elements or features, unless otherwise implicitly or explicitly contradicted by the context in which they are used. For example, the phrases "at least one of A and B," "one or more of A and B," and "A and / or B" are each intended to mean "A alone, B alone, or A and B together." Additionally, use of the term "based on" above and within this frame is intended to mean "based at least in part on," thus allowing for unrecited features or elements as well. Additionally, as used herein, the singular terms "a," "an," and "the" can include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0139] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. The meaning of the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art.

[0140] The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the claimed embodiments and is not intended to limit these embodiments to the specific embodiments illustrated in the figures.

[0141] Various embodiments of the subject matter described herein may be realized / implemented in digital electronic circuitry, integrated circuits, specially designed application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various embodiments may be implemented in one or more computer programs. These computer programs may be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system. The programmable system may include at least one programmable processor, which may have a special purpose or a general purpose. The at least one programmable processor may be coupled to a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device. The at least one programmable processor may receive data and instructions from and transmit data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.

[0142] These computer programs (also known as programs, software, software applications or codes) may include machine instructions for a programmable processor and may be implemented in a high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming language and / or in an assembly / machine language. The term "machine-readable medium" as used herein may refer to any computer program product, apparatus and / or device (e.g., magnetic disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium capable of receiving machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" may refer to any signal used to provide machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.

[0143] To provide for user interaction, the subject matter described herein can be implemented on a computer capable of displaying data to one or more users on a display device (e.g., a display device on a drug container or cap), such as, for example, a cathode ray tube (CRT) device, a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, a light emitting diode (LED) monitor, or any other display device. The computer can receive data from one or more users via a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a joystick, or any other input device. To provide for user interaction, other devices can also be provided, such as devices that operate based on sensory feedback, which can include, for example, visual feedback, auditory feedback, tactile feedback, and any other feedback. Input from the user can be received in any form, such as acoustic input, voice input, tactile input, or any other input.

[0144] The subject matter described herein can be implemented in a computer system that may include at least one of a back-end component, a middleware component, a front-end component, or one or more combinations thereof. The back-end component may be a data server. The middleware component may be an application server. The front-end component may be a client computer (e.g., a drug container) having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an embodiment of the subject matter described herein. The components of the system may be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication, such as a communication network. Examples of communication networks may include a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, an intranet, a Bluetooth network, an infrared network, or other networks.

[0145] The computer system may include clients and servers. The clients and servers may generally be remote from each other and may interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server may arise by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

[0146] Although some variations have been detailed above, other modifications are possible. For example, the logic flow depicted in the attached figures and described herein does not require the specific order or sequential order shown to achieve the desired results. That is, other sequential orders are possible. The above description of each figure corresponds to a respective set of embodiments, but as one skilled in the art will appreciate, other embodiments may require some modifications. These modifications fall within the scope of this patent application. For the separate embodiments described herein, in other embodiments of the disclosure, components of any embodiment can be incorporated into other embodiments as appropriate. Such other embodiments fall within the scope of the frame.

Claims

1. In the drug container, A frame; a drawer configured to slide into and out of the frame; a plurality of slots in the drawer configured to receive a plurality of cartridges containing medication; a first set of one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of the drawer moving into or out of the frame beyond a preset distance; and a second set of one or more sensors configured to detect at least one of a cartridge being removed from or inserted into a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots; and at least one set of; an electronic transmitter configured to transmit data characterizing at least one of whether the drawer has moved into or out of the frame beyond the preset distance and whether the cartridge has been removed from or inserted into the corresponding slot to a server computer over a communications network; A drug container comprising:

2. The container of claim 1 , wherein the server computer is configured to generate at least one of an alert and a recommendation based on the data.

3. The container of claim 1 , wherein all of the cartridges in the plurality contain the same medicament.

4. 10. The container of claim 1, wherein the frame includes one or more hooks that allow for at least one of hanging the frame or stacking the frame in an interlocking manner with another frame.

5. The container of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of frames are in series.

6. 10. The container of claim 1, further comprising a magnet attached to the drawer, the one or more sensors configured to detect movement of the magnet to detect whether the drawer has moved out of the frame beyond the preset distance.

7. 7. The container of claim 6, wherein the magnet is made of a rare earth material.

8. 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more sensors is affixed to an interior of the drawer, the second set of one or more sensors being one or more touch sensors and one or more capacitance sensors for detecting whether the cartridge has been removed from the corresponding slot.

9. 2. The container of claim 1, wherein the second set of one or more sensors is positioned within the frame, the second set of one or more sensors configured to detect objects within a preset distance, and the second set of one or more sensors detects the presence or absence of the cartridge.

10. In the drug container, a frame including a plurality of slots configured to slidably receive a plurality of cartridges containing medicaments, the cartridges being configured to slide into and out of the plurality of slots of the frame; one or more sensors configured to determine whether each slot of the plurality of slots contains a corresponding cartridge; an electronic transmitter configured to transmit data characterizing whether one or more of the slots contains a cartridge to a server computer over a communications network; A drug container comprising:

11. 11. The container of claim 10, wherein the plurality of slots includes four slots arranged in a two-by-two configuration with two slots above the other two slots.

12. A container configured to be closed with a cap; a medicament containing cartridge configured to be inserted into the container, such that the container can be closed with the cap when fully inserted into the container; An apparatus comprising:

13. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the body of the cartridge fits within an interior cavity of the container, and a portion of the cartridge covers a top surface of the container in an area where the container receives the cap.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein one or more locations on an exterior surface of the cartridge include an adhesive that adheres to an interior surface of the container.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein a portion of the cartridge extends outside of the container and is configured to serve as a grip for holding the container.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein a portion of the cartridge extends outside of the container and is configured to serve as a display element.

17. 17. The device of claim 16, wherein the display element is configured to display data identifying contents within the cartridge.

18. 20. The device of claim 17, wherein the display element comprises a printed label containing the data identifying the contents within the cartridge.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein the display element is rectangular in shape.

20. 20. The device of claim 17, wherein the display element is cylindrical in shape.

21. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the cartridge is configured to be closed with at least one of a bung or a liner, each of the bung and the liner being distinct and separate from the cap.

22. 22. The device of claim 21, wherein the cartridge is configured to be sealed by each of the bung and the liner to prevent contents within the cartridge from spilling, and each of the bung and the liner are removable from the cartridge.

23. 13. The device of claim 12, wherein the cartridge includes a desiccant chamber and at least one desiccant bag, the desiccant chamber including perforations that allow moisture to migrate from a body of the cartridge into the desiccant bag and physically separate the contents of the cartridge from the desiccant bag.

24. A container; A cap for closing the container; a cap sensor element affixed to or within the cap; a container sensor element in communication with the cap sensor element; wherein the cap sensor element and the receptacle sensor element are configured to operate together to detect whether the cap is within a threshold distance from the receptacle sensor element.

25. 25. The system of claim 24, further comprising a pull tab component configured to be inserted within a battery compartment of the container to prevent the container from drawing power from the battery and to be removed to allow the container to draw power from the battery.

26. 25. The system of claim 24, wherein the container sensor is further configured to detect a quantity of contents within the container.

27. 27. The system of claim 26, further comprising an electrical circuit communicatively coupled to the container sensor and configured to send data indicative of the quantity of the contents within the container to a server computer over a communications network, the electrical circuit configured to receive data from the server computer indicating an alert if the quantity of the contents is below a threshold value.

28. at least one communications receiver configured to receive, via a first communications network, data from circuitry on a medication container including one or more cartridges indicating that the one or more cartridges or a preset amount of contents within the one or more cartridges have not been withdrawn within a preset time period; at least one database communicatively coupled to the at least one communications receiver, the at least one database configured to store at least the data indicative of that the one or more cartridges or the preset amount of contents within the one or more cartridges have not been withdrawn within the preset time period; at least one programmable processor communicatively coupled to at least one of the at least one communications receiver and the at least one database, the at least one programmable processor configured to determine, subsequent to and based at least in part on the receipt of the data, whether at least one criterion is met, and to generate an alert if the at least one criterion is met; at least one communication transmitter communicatively coupled to the at least one programmable processor and configured to transmit the alert to the medication container or another computing device via a second communication network; A system including:

29. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the indication that the preset amount of contents within the one or more cartridges has not been withdrawn indicates that a patient has missed a dose of medication stored within the medication container within a preset time period.

30. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the computing device is one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a phablet computer, and a mobile phone.

31. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the computing device is configured to be operated by at least one of a caregiver who uses the medication container to treat a patient, a licensed pharmacy that provides medication to the patient, and a licensed healthcare company that obtains healthcare data for the patient.

32. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the first communications network is the same as the second communications network.

33. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the first communications network is different and separate from the second communications network.

34. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein the satisfaction of the at least one criterion is a risk level of a user or entity associated with the medication container exceeding a threshold, and the at least one programmable processor is configured to determine the risk level of a user or entity associated with the medication container and compare it to the threshold.

35. the at least one programmable processor calculates the risk level based, at least in part, on historical data stored in the database; the historical data includes at least one of: data regarding the opening and / or closing of a cap of a medication container; data regarding the sliding of a medication container into and / or out of a drawer; data regarding the insertion and / or removal of one or more cartridges into and / or from a medication container; an adherence score characterizing the likelihood of a patient's adherence to a medication regimen; a pattern of withdrawal of medication from the medication container; the complexity of such pattern of withdrawal of medication; a pattern of refilling a medication container or a cartridge within a medication container; inaccuracies in such pattern of refilling a medication container or a cartridge within a medication container; a type of medication in the medication container; a dosage requirement for consuming the medication; timing of one or more prior communications between the circuitry of the medication container and the at least one communication receiver; data exchanged between the circuitry of the medication container and the at least one communication receiver during the one or more prior communications; and one or more errors noted with respect to the one or more prior communications.

35. The system of claim 34.

36. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein satisfying the at least one criterion is a lack of withdrawal of the preset amount of contents within the one or more cartridges within another preset time period, the lack of withdrawal of the preset amount of contents within the one or more cartridges within another preset time period indicating that a dose of medication stored within the medication container has been forgotten within the other preset time period.

37. the data indicative of a lack of withdrawals of the preset amount within the other preset time period is stored in the database; the at least one programmable processor determines the absence of the predetermined amount of withdrawals within the other predetermined time by receiving from the database the data indicative of the absence of the predetermined amount of withdrawals within the other predetermined time.

37. The system of claim 36.

38. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein satisfying the at least one criterion is withdrawal of the preset amount of contents within the one or more cartridges after a preset time, the withdrawal of the preset amount of contents within the one or more cartridges after the preset time indicating that a patient has taken the medication late.

39. 39. The system of claim 38, wherein the at least one programmable processor is configured to receive data from the circuitry on the drug container indicating withdrawal of the preset amount of contents within the one or more cartridges, and the at least one programmable processor identifies a time point of receipt of the data indicating the withdrawal to determine whether the withdrawal is after the preset time.

40. 30. The system of claim 28, wherein satisfying the at least one criterion is a refill of at least one cartridge of the one or more cartridges after a preset time, the refill of the at least one cartridge after the preset time indicating that the refill of the at least one cartridge has been delayed.

41. 41. The system of claim 40, wherein the at least one programmable processor is configured to receive data from the circuitry on the drug container indicating the refilling of the at least one cartridge, and the at least one programmable processor identifies a time of the refilling of the at least one cartridge and determines whether the refilling is delayed.

42. at least one communications receiver configured to receive, via the first communications network, data from circuitry on the medication container indicating that one or more cartridges of the medication container have not been refilled within a preset time period; at least one programmable processor communicatively coupled to at least one of the at least one communication receivers, the at least one programmable processor configured to generate an alert based at least in part on the reception of the data; at least one communication transmitter communicatively coupled to the at least one programmable processor and configured to transmit the alert to the medication container or another computing device via a second communication network; A system including:

43. at least one communications receiver configured to receive messages from the first computing device via the first communications network; at least one programmable processor communicatively coupled to at least one of the at least one communication receivers, the at least one programmable processor configured to generate an alert upon the receipt of the message; at least one communication transmitter communicatively coupled to the at least one programmable processor and configured to transmit the alert to a second computing device over a second communication network; A system including:

44. 44. The system of claim 43, wherein the message includes a request for additional care.

Images