Communications: electrical – Systems – Timer control
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-25
2001-03-06
Hofsass, Jeffery A. (Department: 2736)
Communications: electrical
Systems
Timer control
C221S002000, C221S003000, C221S015000, C368S010000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06198383
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus which aids patients in complying with instructions given by a physician for taking prescription medication, and more particularly, to a device which is programmable in accordance with the physician's instructions or desired regimen.
2. Discussion of the Background Art
A variety of devices have been proposed for recording intervals at which patients, especially those under the care of an attendant, take medication at periodic intervals prescribed by a physician. If the patient or his medical care provider ignores the proper instructions and repeats the dose too frequently or fails to administer or take medication at the proper time, the concentration of medication in the patient's body may become too high or too low. In order to ensure that medications are taken at the proper time, a variety of devices, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,408, have been devised to generate audible and/or visible prompting or alarm signals that remind a patient or his caretaker to administer the correct dosages at the correct time. Such devices have been complex and costly, inconvenient to program, and have not been flexible enough in establishing varying time intervals at which the medication needs to be administered.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a low cost, easy to use prescription compliance device that has the flexibility of operating in accordance with various different medication-taking intervals.
Another object of this invention is to provide a prescription compliance device which is easily programmable either by activating a programmer on the device itself or by remotely programming the device via a wireless link. Multiple programming regimens which correspond to different medication-taking intervals and medication-types may also be programmed into the device.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a prescription compliance device which records the event of taking a dose of medication and displays the time at which the next dose of medication is to be taken.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a prescription compliance device having a timer which measures the time that has elapsed since the patient last took a dose of the medication and an alarm which is activated at times when the patient is to take the next dose of medication.
A further object of this invention is to provide a prescription compliance device that maintains a count of the number of doses remaining in a patient's prescription and displays the count so that a patient will know when to have the prescription refilled.
Another object of this invention is to provide a prescription compliance device that alerts a patient when the patient has missed a scheduled dose of medication or has taken a dose of medication at a non-scheduled time.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a prescription compliance device which records the times at which a patient takes each dose of medication in a format that can be easily accessed via a wireless interface.
These and other objects are accomplished by a prescription compliance device which includes a microcontroller, a program memory which stores data representing a plurality of pre-programmed medication-taking regimens for single and multiple medications, an oscillator which controls timing functions of the device, a selector selecting one of the regimens and programming the device in accordance with the selected regimen, a display which alternately displays the current time, the time at which a next dose of medication is to be taken in accordance with the regimen selected by the selector, and the number of doses remaining in a prescription, and an alarm which alerts the patient at times when the patient is scheduled to take a dose of medication. The device may also include a memory which records the times at which a patient takes each dose of medication in a format that can be easily accessed via a wireless interface.
The selector includes an event switch which is activated by the patient after taking a dose of medication to record the taking of the medication, the event switch causing the microcontroller to effect the display of the next time at which a dose of the medication is scheduled to be taken, in accordance with the regimen selected by the selector.
The event switch and a function button are provided for programming the regimens by which the medication is to be taken, the day o the week on which the first dose is to be taken, the time at which the first dose is to be taken or the designation of meals during which the first dose is to be taken, and the number of doses in a patient's prescription.
Programming may be done either directly by using the function button and the event switch or remotely via a wireless link. To program from a remote location, the device is provided with a wireless transmitter/receiver and an external wireless transmitter/receiver configured to be connected to an input device. The external wireless transmitter/receiver communicates with the wireless transmitter/receiver via a wireless link to select one of the regimens and to program the device in accordance with the selected regimen.
The display includes a first display area which displays a number of the regimen selected by the selector, a second display area which may alternately display the current day of the week and a day of the week on which a next dose of medication is to be taken, a third display area which alternately displays the current time, the time or meal at which the next dose of medication is to be taken and the number of doses remaining in a prescription, a fourth display area which alternately displays AM or PM designations for the current time and the time at which a next dose of medication is to be taken, and a fifth display area which displays an icon indicating the nature of the information currently displayed in the first through fourth display areas.
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Sekura Carol M.
Sekura Ronald D.
Hofsass Jeffery A.
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
Tweel , Jr. John
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