Patent Application
20220059199
The present invention relates to a medication dispenser system, and more particularly, to a medication dispenser system and use thereof for providing exact personal dosing for a patient.
The optimal dose of a medication that is administered to a patient depends on many factors that are specific to the patient characteristics. For example, levothyroxine is a replacement for a hormone normally produced by the thyroid gland. The dose of levothyroxine that a doctor prescribes depends on a variety of factors including the patient's age and body weight. The levothyroxine pill is available at doses of 25, 50, 75, 88, 100, 112, 125, 150, 175, 200 and 300 milligrams (mg). If a patient's optimal dose falls between two existing doses, the patient will be either under or over dosed. In yet another example, amoxicillin (a very common antibiotic) is only available in pills of 250, 500, and 875 mg. It would be desired for the patient to take the optimal dose for his/her condition. However, since the available pill dosages are limited to several pre-manufactured dosages most patients are either under or over dosed.
Yet another problem with medications is the chance of handling errors when multiple medications are prescribed for a condition. For instance, patients must track which medications to take, and when, and can inadvertently miss a dose by mistake. Thus, it would be desirable if a patient could take just one pill that combines all the prescribed medications. Indeed, some combinations of medications in a single pill have been introduced, but these are very limited in their active ingredient compositions and, like most other medications, are offered in fixed doses.
Further, patients who use over-the-counter (OTC) medications are even more likely to be under or over dosed since these medications in most cases are available in one strength, and lack the oversight of a prescription that is filled by a pharmacist. Dietary supplements (for example, vitamin pills) exhibit similar issues. Patients who may have a deficiency in one vitamin or mineral are usually forced to take a pill that contains the deficient vitamin but also a plethora of other vitamins and minerals.
Therefore, a means for providing patients with a correct, exact dosage of medication would be desirable.
The present invention provides a medication dispenser system and use thereof for providing exact personal dosing for a patient. In one aspect of the invention, a method for dispensing medications is provided. The method includes the steps of: obtaining patient information and a list of the medications for the patient; calculating a personal dose of each of the medications for the patient using the patient information; and preparing treatments each containing the personal dose of each of the medications in a single treatment.
In another aspect of the invention, a system for dispensing medications is provided. The system includes: a patient information component for obtaining patient information and a list of the medications for the patient; a dosage calculator component for calculating a personal dose of each of the medications for the patient using the patient information; and a medication dispenser component for preparing treatments each containing the personal dose of each of the medications in a single treatment.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, as well as further features and advantages of the present invention, will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description and drawings.
As provided above, conventional treatments involving medications have the potential for a variety of errors such as under or over dosing based on factors such as, commercially-available medications are only available in fixed doses, error at the dispensary level (e.g., errors made by pharmacists when dispensing the medication) and/or at the patient level (e.g., patient mistakenly fails to take the correct dosage at the correct time), a lack of personalized guidance on taking over-the-counter (OTC) medications (i.e., since a prescription is not needed), etc. Advantageously, provided herein is a system and techniques for use thereof for dispensing personalized doses of medication for a patient such that, e.g., the patient simply has to take a single treatment (e.g., a single pill) to receive the correct dosage of one or more medications the patient is taking.
The term “medication” as used herein generally refers to any substance used by an individual by internalizing it for the purpose of improving or maintaining health, or curing or alleviating a disease or a symptom. By way of example only, this includes prescription or OTC products, supplements, natural extracts (e.g., that one might add to a drink or shake), ingestible/injectable treatments, etc. Prescription products require a doctor's prescription to be obtained, whereas OTC products, supplements, etc. do not require a doctor's prescription. When a prescription is needed, the patient may take the prescription to a pharmacy where a pharmacist provides the prescribed medication(s). The term “patient” as used herein generally refers to any person receiving the “medication” and applies to both to individuals who has a medical conditions, as well as healthy people who are interested in maintaining their wellness.
As will be described in detail below, the present medication dispenser system generally has the following beneficial features: 1. it enables the packaging of a precise dose of a medication in capsules, tablets, caplets, powder or liquid formulation (enteral or parenteral) for optimal treatment; 2. it allows for the combination of several medications into one capsule, tablet, caplet, powder or liquid formulation; 3. it calculates the optimal dose for a patient based on his/her medical records if available, and/or based on the patient's age, weight, gender, proteomic/microbiomic profiling, and other medications that he/she may be taking; 4. it enables tailoring treatment of variable doses and medication combinations for each day by packaging the medications into capsule marked with “day 1,” “day 2,” etc.; 5. it can be used to produce liquid meals with integrated medications at the dose required by a particular patient; 6. it encapsulates medication/nutrition in desired type of packaging appropriate to storage conditions as well as desired release mechanism (e.g., fast vs. slow release and/or enteric formulation resistant to gastric acidity).
An overview of the present medication dispenser system 100 is now described in detail by way of reference to
As shown in
Alternatively, the patient might authorize system 100 to retrieve the patient's medical records. Most medical records are kept in a digital form and can be retrieved by system 100, e.g., via the Internet. Authorization procedures to retrieve patients' medical records are well established in the medical field. Again, it is preferable for encryption techniques to be implemented to ensure that the patient's privacy is maintained. If system 100 has access to the patient's medical records, then the patient may not need to provide any further data (since the parameters such as height, weight, gender, other medications the patient is taking, etc.) are likely already present in the medical records).
If the medication in question is a prescription, then system 100 may also obtain patient information from the prescription itself. For instance, the doctor writing the prescription, can upload its information to system 100 (e.g., via web-based or mobile device-based app). The prescription will contain the particular medication(s) and/or a prescribed dosage. When no prescription is needed (such as in the case of OTC medications, supplements, etc.) the information provided by the patient and/or through the patient's medical records will be used by system 100.
The patient information from component 102 is then used by a second component 104 of system 100 (labeled “Dosage Calculator”) to determine the exact dosage for the patient. This calculation can be based on a variety of different factors. For instance, given the scenario above where the patient has provided his/her own patient data (such as height, weight, gender, age, etc.), the dosage calculator will calculate the proper dosage for the given medication(s) based on that data. Similarly, when the patient's medical records are available this data can be used (alone or in conjunction with the data provided by the patient herself) to determine the proper dosage. It is notable that the Dosage Calculator can leverage available dosage data for the given medications. For instance, the manufacturer of a medication might publish dosage specifications for their products and the dosage calculator simply has to apply the patient's data (height, weight, etc.) to determine the proper dosage. In the same manner, the manufacturer might specify potential medication interactions that affect usage, dose, etc. This information can also be taken into account via the Dosage Calculator.
The Dosage Calculator then provides the dosage(s) of the medication(s) to a third component 106 of system 100 (labeled “Medication Dispenser”). The Medication Dispenser is configured to dispense the medications in the proper dosages. The details of the Medication Dispenser component of system 100 will be provided in detail below. In general however, the Medication Dispenser includes a controller for each medication being dispensed, such that an exact controlled amount of each medication can be dispensed—the amount being based specifically on the dosage determined by the Dosage Calculator. As will be described in detail below, the present techniques can be utilized to place the specific dosage of each of the (multiple) medications into a single delivery unit (e.g., tablet, capsule, syringe vial, etc.) such that the patient need only take one administration to receive the proper dosage of each of the (multiple) medications.
It is notable that while the various components of system 100 may be all present at a single location, this is not a requirement, and embodiments are anticipated herein involving a distributed system 100. For example, the Patient Information and Dosage Calculator may be present at one location (such as an intake center) to process incoming orders (submitted, e.g., via a web-based or mobile device-based app). The orders can be processed, including a determination of the correct dosage for each medication. That information (medication(s), dosage, etc.) can then be sent to another location that fills the order via the Medication Dispenser component. For example, the orders may be filled at a distribution center, a pharmacy, etc. Alternatively, system 100 may be embodied in its entirety at a given location, e.g., where the patient places an order, his/her information is obtained/retrieved (as described above), and the proper dosage is dispensed.
The particular medications are represented generically in the figure as Medication A, Medication B, etc. The use of two medications in the example is merely meant to illustrate the present techniques, and embodiments are anticipated herein wherein the Medication Dispenser component of system 100 includes more containers/medications. Further, the medications in the containers can be in a variety of different forms. For instance, when in solid form the medication in each container is finely granulated (e.g., into a powder) so that a precise amount of the medication can be dispensed. One or more of the containers may contain medications in a liquid form. Precise amounts of a liquid can be easily dispensed. It is possible that medications in different forms (e.g., powders and liquids) might be mixed into a single treatment. For example, some type of medications comes in a suspension form which is basically a liquid with particulates.
A controller 204 receives the dosage data for each of the medications from the Dosage Calculator. The controller 204 is in turn connected to a set of valves 206a, 206b, etc. that each controls the amount of medication that is dispensed from each of the containers. It is noted that there are likely more medications/containers present in the Medication Dispenser component of system 100 than are needed to prepare the treatment. It is through the action of the controller 204 and valves 206, that the particular medications (and their respective amounts) are selected. The use of multiple containers with varying doses can also be implemented herein to further accelerate the dispensing process. By way of example only, in order to dispense a Medication A with a dose of 428 mg, there can be three containers of the same medication. The first container will have granulates each containing 100 mg of Medication A, the second container will hold granulates each containing 10 mg of Medication A, and the third container will hold granulates each containing 1 mg of Medication A. This way four granulates can be dispensed from the first container, two granulates from the second container and eight granulates from the third container. This is likely to be faster and less prone to measurement error if just the third container was used to dispense 428 granulates of 1 mg. The same principle can be applied to liquids.
It is further noted that the dosages required for a particular patient might vary from one treatment to another. For instance, certain treatment regimes require varying the dose of a medication(s) given to a patient over time—such as some antidepressants, medications affecting the adrenergic system, corticosteroids, etc. which require tapering the dosage over time and the patient is given specific treatments to be taken at specific times during the treatment period. Thus the depiction of the individual treatments being dispensed into a common vial (labeled “personalized medication”) is merely an example, and embodiments are anticipated herein where the treatments are delineated for the patient such as markings on the treatment (e.g., the capsules may be labeled with “day 1,” “day 2,” etc.) and/or are arranged in series, such as in a labeled conventional blister packaging. Alternatively (or additionally), capsules may have different colors. They may have different shades for different strength, for example. A user can choose her favorite color from a menu. The system may automatically use different colors or shapes for capsules or tablets containing different medications. The package containing the medication may also have different shapes, colors or textures. Packages may also include Braille script or custom engravings. Capsules may further be packed according to a specific order in a sealed (e.g., with plastic or aluminum foil) tray, where the second dose is located adjunct to the first dose, etc.
The controller 204 sets each of the valves 206 to dispense the requested dose of the medication from each container 202 into a treatment vessel 208. In the example depicted in the figures, the treatment vessel 208 is a capsule. However, the present techniques are more broadly applicable to preparing any types of treatments for which specific dosing is beneficial. Other applications include, but are not limited to, preparing medications given parenterally (e.g., intravenously or intramuscularly), medications applied topically (e.g., in the form of drops, creams, or ointments, etc. Further, the particular vessel can vary depending on the medication/application. For instance, some medications might be ingested and the release of the medications (e.g., in the stomach, intestines, etc.) may be regulated based on the particular capsule the medication is contained in. The details of time-release techniques for medications are generally known in the art. Thus, depending on the information received from the Patient Information component 102, the Medication Dispenser component 106 might select a particular type of capsule for the medications being dispensed.
In the example shown in
A capping module 210 is then used to cap the treatment vessels (e.g., capsules) containing the proper dose(s) of the one or more medications A, B, . . . , N from the containers 202. By way of example only, when the treatments are contained in capsules, the capping module 210 might take a cap from a reservoir of caps (not shown) and place a cap on each of the capsules. Each treatment (e.g., capsule) will now contain all of the medications, in the proper dosages for a patient. Thus, at the prescribed times (e.g., once a day, twice a day, etc. as based on a doctors' prescription, administration instructions for OTC medications and supplements, etc.) the patient can take a single treatment (e.g., a single capsule) to receive the proper dosage of each of the medications. This eliminates the potential for dosage errors and/or for the patient inadvertently forgetting to take a particular medication (especially in the case of multiple medications).
As provided above, the dosage of the medication/medications might vary depending on when they are taken by the patient. For instance, an antibiotic regime might start off with a high dose that tapers off over the treatment period. In that case, it is important for the patient to be able to know which treatment vessel (e.g., capsule) to take at what time. Thus, the capping module 210 may be able to place select caps on select capsules. For example, the caps may be pre-labeled with text such as “Day 1,” “Day 2,” etc. The capping module 210 may be coordinated with the controller 204 to know which capsule is being filled in the sequence and select the labeled caps in the series accordingly.
The capping module 210 is not specific for capsules, and other treatment vessels can be processed in the same manner described. For instance, vials for containing (e.g., ingestible, injectable, etc.) liquids, containers for creams, ointments, etc. can all be capped via the capping module 210.
Once capped, the personalized medications can then be placed in a vial 212 or other suitable container for the patient. See
Using the same medication quantity measurement technology, medications can be formulated into a liquid product such as a syrup or an emulsion of variable concentration, such that a fixed, convenient volume unit (e.g., a teaspoon) contains the right amount of medication(s) for the particular patient. Alternatively, the present system may dispense pre-filled syringes or infusion bags with either a fixed volume of liquid formulation or with varying volumes of a fixed concentration liquid formulation that contains one or more doses. In yet another embodiment, a dry form of the medication(s) (e.g., a powder or fine granules) can be packed in a bottle, to which a predetermined amount of liquid (e.g., water) can be added before use to form a syrup or an emulsion. Additionally, the medications can be formulated into infusible liquids, tablets, capsules, caplets, edible forms, gels, creams, ointments, skin patches, drops, syrup, suspensions, or any other suitable forms of delivery.
The present techniques can also be used to dispense liquid or powdered food such as infant formula or supplemental liquid nutrition wherein the generic formula is personalized for a particular patient based on their specific nutritional requirements by adding the required ingredients at the required amount to the generic formula. This applies both to added food supplements (e.g., dietary fiber), minerals, vitamins. It also applies to OTC and prescription medications that can be integrated with a liquid meal. For instance, a personalized nutrition formula may use only specific kinds of amino acids or proteins, fatty acids or triglycerides, or enrich foods with any of these components. For example, a personalized formula may be gluten and lactose free and include only medium-chain triglycerides.
The present techniques can further be used to prepare herbal and homeopathic products, which typically are prescribed in an individualized form and are prepared individually in a pharmacy. Preparations with one or more ingredients can be prepared in custom size or quantity by a manufacturing facility based on prescriptions sent to that facility and distributed (e.g., mailed) to customers.
The present system can further arrange for the delivery of the ordered OTC or nutritional supplement via mail or a pick-up location such as a pharmacy. For some common OTC medication or supplements the Medication Dispenser component may be located at the pharmacy or even at the patient's home. This may allow further flexibility and ad hoc service for customized medication.
Further features anticipated for the present system include, for example, means for printing an individualized code (for example a barcode or a mini/micro matrix barcode quick response (QR) code) on the capsule that can be scanned by a mobile device such as a smart phone. This allows the patient to keep a record of his/her intake of medications, and further reduce the chance of an error, for example taking a medication at the wrong time, or prevent overdosing (if medication was already taken earlier). Reading the bar code can further provide specific instruction such as “take the medication with food,” or “avoid driving after taking this medication.” Additionally, the capsule size may be too small to print instructions that are readable by eye. The bar code reading by the mobile device may allow large font instruction or a figure on the mobile device display, and more space for detailed instructions. The present system may also permit customized grouping of combined medications—i.e., the system will allow the user to customize how to group medications, for instance, those that need to be taken before eating and those after, those that need to be taken on daily basis vs. those needs to be taken on for a short instance (e.g., antibiotics).
An exemplary configuration of the controller 204 is now described by way of reference to
As provided above, exact personal dosing of prescription medications is only one exemplary implementation of the present techniques. System 100 can be used for dispensing OTC medications, supplements, cosmetics such as creams or perfumes, etc. based on the information collected by the Patient Information component.
In step 404, a personal dose of each of the medications for the patient is calculated using the patient information. This can be performed by the Dosage Calculator component of system 100. For instance, as provided above, the Dosage Calculator can take the patient information from step 402 and determine the proper dosage for each of the medications. This may involve the age, height, weight, etc. information, medical records data, and/or prescription information, as well as known cross-medication interactions that may affect dosage.
In step 406, individual treatments are prepared, each treatment containing the personal dose of each of the medications in a single treatment. That way the patient need only take a single treatment (at the prescribed time(s)) to receive the proper dosage of each medication contained in the treatment. The treatments might be packaged in a pill/capsule form, in a vial, in an ingestible/injectable liquid, etc. As provided above, when the dosage of the treatments vary (for example based on when they are to be taken—such as with a tapered course of antibiotics) then each treatment might be individually labeled and/or packaged to indicate the proper series of treatments (e.g., labeling the treatments “Day 1,” “Day 2,” etc.).
Turning now to
Apparatus 500 includes a computer system 510 and removable media 550. Computer system 510 includes a processor device 520, a network interface 525, a memory 530, a media interface 535, a live-help interface 555, and an optional display 540. Network interface 525 allows computer system 510 to connect to a network, while media interface 535 allows computer system 510 to interact with media, such as a hard drive or removable media 550, and live-help interface 555 allows computer system 510 to interact with a Live Person 560 (e.g., a nurse, doctor, dietician, or other practitioner on a help line). This live help interface could be implemented using a messenger application over the network or a phone line.
Processor device 520 can be configured to implement the methods, steps, and functions disclosed herein. The memory 530 could be distributed or local and the processor device 520 could be distributed or singular. The memory 530 could be implemented as an electrical, magnetic or optical memory, or any combination of these or other types of storage devices. Moreover, the term “memory” should be construed broadly enough to encompass any information able to be read from, or written to, an address in the addressable space accessed by processor device 520. With this definition, information on a network, accessible through network interface 525, is still within memory 530 because the processor device 520 can retrieve the information from the network. It should be noted that each distributed processor that makes up processor device 520 generally contains its own addressable memory space. It should also be noted that some or all of computer system 510 can be incorporated into an application-specific or general-use integrated circuit.
Optional display 540 is any type of display suitable for interacting with a human user of apparatus 500. Generally, display 540 is a computer monitor or other similar display.
Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those precise embodiments, and that various other changes and modifications may be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 14979333 | Dec 2015 | US |
| Child | 17516362 | US |
