Methods and systems for monitoring medication compliance

Systems and methods are provided for monitoring medication compliance to allow a doctor or medical care provider to determine whether a subject is ingesting a prescribed medication at the proper times. This can include the capability of remote access to remotely monitor compliance. A medication container includes at least one medication-containing cell, with a cover overlaying the cell. An electronic device including a capacitive touchscreen is electrically coupled to the medication container and programmed to detect whether the cell has been accessed through the cover. The base of the cell may be in capacitive contact with the capacitive touchscreen or there may be an insulator therebetween. An adaptor may be provided to electrically couple the medication container and the electronic device.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Disclosure

The present subject matter relates to monitoring the medication intake of a subject. More particularly, the present subject matter relates to monitoring the medication intake of a subject using the combination of a medication container and an electronic device with a capacitive touchscreen.

Description of Related Art

Frequently, a doctor or medical care provider will issue instructions to a subject to periodically ingest one or more doses of medication in the form of a pill or tablet or capsule or the like as part of a treatment regimen. Unless the subject is within a facility under the control of the doctor or medical care provider (e.g., a hospital or nursing home), it can be difficult for the doctor or medical care provider to know whether the subject is ingesting the prescribed medication at the proper times. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide systems and methods that allow a doctor or medical care provider to monitor the medication compliance of a subject.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a system for remotely monitoring medication compliance includes a medication container and an electronic device including a capacitive touchscreen electrically coupled to the medication container. The medication container includes at least one medication-containing cell, with a cover overlaying the cell, and the electronic device is programmed to detect whether the cell has been accessed through the cover.

In another aspect, an adaptor is provided for electrically coupling a medication container and an electronic device having a capacitive touchscreen. The adaptor includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is configured to receive at least a portion of a medication container of the type including at least one medication-containing cell. The second portion is configured to be placed adjacent to a capacitive touchscreen of an electronic device. A conductor extends between the first and second portions of the adaptor and is configured to electrically couple the cell of the medication container and the capacitive touchscreen for detecting whether medication has been removed from the cell.

In yet another aspect, a method of monitoring medication compliance includes providing a medication container including at least one medication-containing cell, with a cover overlaying the cell. An electronic device including a capacitive touchscreen is also provided, and the capacitive touchscreen is electrically associated with the medication container. The capacitive touchscreen is then used to detect whether the cell has been accessed through the cover.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a doctor or medical care provider may remotely monitor medication compliance through the use of a system10which combines a medication container12and an electronic device14.FIG. 1illustrates an exemplary circuit16by which the status of a medication-containing cell18of a medication container12may be monitored using an electronic device14that is electronically coupled to the medication container.FIGS. 2-6illustrate one embodiment of such a system10, whileFIGS. 7 and 8illustrate two alternative embodiments of such a system.

In the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-6, a medication container12includes at least one cell18in which a medication20is contained. Preferably, the medication container12includes a plurality of identical cells18, but it is also within the scope of the present disclosure for a medication container to include differently configured cells or only one cell.

Each cell18may be formed of any suitable material but, in one embodiment, each cell is formed of a plastic material or another material that is substantially non-conductive. It may be advantageous for the cells18to be formed of a material that is generally rigid, but sufficiently deformable that a human may deform the individual cells using a finger or digital force and manipulation. In a preferred embodiment, the body of the medical container12takes the general form of a blister pack, with a thin plastic sheet22(FIGS. 2 and 3) being provided with a plurality of vacuum-formed depressions or formations that each defines a cell18for receiving a dose of medication20. While it may be preferred for a medication container having a plurality of cells to be provided with a single plastic sheet that is formed to define all of the cells, it is also within the scope of the present disclosure for the cells of a single medication container to be separately or non-integrally formed.

Each cell18is closed or overlaid by a cover24through which medication20within the cell18may be accessed. In one embodiment, the cover24is a thin sheet of material, such as a metallic foil or an at least partially light-transmissive (e.g., transparent or translucent) sheet, which may be broken to allow a medication20to pass out of the cell18. In such an embodiment, a base26of the cell18may be pressed toward the frangible cover24by a user until the force on the cover24exceeds the strength of the cover24, at which point the cover24breaks and the medication20may be removed from the cell18. Alternatively, the cell18may remain untouched, while the cover24is directly engaged and broken to remove medication20from the cell18. If the medication container12is provided with a plurality of cells18, it may be preferred for a single cover24to overlay all of the cells18, but it is also within the scope of the present disclosure for two or more cells of the same medication container to be provided with separate covers. For example, in one embodiment, different cells are each overlaid by separate, non-frangible (e.g., hinged) covers.

In the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-6, a circuit16is incorporated into the medication container12. The circuit16ofFIG. 1includes a tab or conductor28that provides a virtual ground, as will be described in greater detail herein. A conductor30associated with the cover24extends from the tab28to cross over the cell18. If the medication container12is provided with a plurality of cells18, as in the illustrated embodiment, a single conductor30may be configured to cross over each of the cells18, but it is also within the scope of the present disclosure for separate cells to have separate conductors associated therewith. In a particular embodiment, the conductor30may be printed onto the cover24or otherwise integrated into the cover24, but it also within the scope of the present disclosure for the conductor to be separately provided from the cover.

The illustrated circuit16further includes a capacitor32that is electrically coupled to the tab28by the conductor30, with the portion of the conductor30passing over the cell18positioned between the tab28and the capacitor32. In the illustrated embodiment, the tab28is associated with the same surface of the medication container12as the cover24, which is opposite the surface of the medication container12where the bases26of the cells18are located. In the orientation ofFIG. 2, the upper surface of the medication container12is shown as being associated with the cover24, while the cells18extend downwardly from the lower surface of the medication container12. In the illustrated embodiment, the conductor30is wrapped around the edge of the medication container12to place the capacitor32on the lower surface, preferably directly below the cell18. As best shown inFIG. 2, so positioning the capacitor32at the base26of the cell18places it into contact with the capacitive touchscreen34of an associated electronic device14, thereby creating a virtual touch point, when the medication container12is mounted onto the electronic device14, as will be described in greater detail herein.

The electronic device14of the system10may be variously configured, provided that it includes a capacitive touchscreen34. For example, the electronic device14may be a mobile phone or a tablet computer or a controller of an electronic gaming device or the like. Preferably, the capacitive touchscreen34is of the type that may detect multiple touch points simultaneously in order to accommodate a medication container12with a plurality of cells18, as in the illustrated embodiment.

In use, a medication container12having a circuit16of the type shown inFIG. 1is provided, as inFIGS. 5 and 6. The medication container12is connected to the electronic device14so as to place the base26of the cell or cells18against the capacitive touchscreen34(FIG. 2) of the electronic device14, thereby bringing the capacitor or capacitors32of the circuit16into contact with the capacitive touchscreen34, creating one or more virtual touch points. The tab28of the circuit16may be at least partially wrapped around the edge of the electronic device14to contact an insulated portion thereof (FIG. 2), creating a virtual ground for the circuit16. Additional means may also be provided for securing the medication container12to the electronic device14, as need be. Alternatively, in one embodiment, the tab28may be the sole means by which the medication container12is connected to the electronic device14, with the tab28being sufficiently flexible to define a hinge that allows the medication container12to be temporarily swung or pivoted away from the capacitive touchscreen34for accessing the medication20, before swinging or pivoting the medication container12back into position against the capacitive touchscreen34.

With the circuit16of the medication container12creating at least one touch point on the capacitive touchscreen34, the electronic device14is effectively electrically coupled to the medication container12. As such, the electronic device14is able to detect the presence of the cell18and register it as containing a medication20, with the cover24intact over the cell18. In one embodiment, the electronic device14may be programmed to continuously monitor the status of the cell or cells18. In another embodiment, the electronic device14may include an accelerometer36and may be programmed to monitor the status of the cell or cells18only when the accelerometer36detects movement of the electronic device14(e.g., when a subject picks up the system10to remove medication20from a cell18).

Accessing a cell18through the cover24to remove the medication20disrupts the circuit16at the location of the cell18, for example by severing or breaking the conductor30at the cell18. By so changing the structure of the circuit16, the signal being received by the electronic device14from the cell18via the capacitive touchscreen34will change. The electronic device14may be programmed to register such a change in (or absence of) the signal being received by the capacitive screen34at the touch point corresponding to the location of the cell18as an indication that the medication20has been removed from the cell18. If the medication container12includes a plurality of cells18, the electronic device14may separately monitor the status of each cell18and distinguish them based on their different locations with respect to the capacitive touchscreen34. This may be especially advantageous if the various cells contain different medications that are to be ingested by the subject at particular times.

The electronic device14may be programmed to respond to the change at the touch point in any of a number of ways. For example, it may send a signal to the doctor or medical care provider to indicate that a particular medication was taken by the subject at a particular date and time. In another embodiment, the electronic device14may store information about the event in an internal database or in an external storage location, which may be later accessed by the doctor or medical care provider.

In addition to responding to a change at a virtual touch point, the electronic device14may be programmed to execute any of a number of other operations in connection with medication monitoring. For example, if the medication container12is at least partially light-transmissive, then the electronic device14may be programmed to display one or more visual indications38(FIG. 4) adjacent to a cell18to alert the subject that it is time to access the cell18and ingest the medication20contained therein or to perform some other action. Alternatively, if the medication container12and/or cover24are formed of a substantially opaque material, the medication container12and/or cover24may include voids or apertures through which the underlying capacitive touchscreen34may be seen in order to allow the electronic device14to visually alert the subject. Additionally, or alternatively, the electronic device14may be programmed to emit an alarm or other audible signal (such as recorded speech) and/or vibrate to alert the subject that it is time to take a dose of medication. The electronic device14may also be programmed to provide the subject with a direct voice link to the doctor or medical care provider (either initiated by the doctor/medical care provider to offer guidance or by the subject to request assistance) when accessing the medication20.

In an alternative embodiment, which is shown inFIG. 7, a different mechanism is used to ascertain whether a cell18has been accessed through the cover24of the medication container12to remove the medication20. In particular, the dielectric constant “k” of the medication20differs from that of the cover24(particularly, the circuit incorporated into the cover24), such that there is a localized difference in capacitance at the location of a cell18containing a dose of medication20. For example, in one embodiment, calcium carbonate has a dielectric constant of 9.1, which causes a localized increase in the capacitance at the location of the associated cell18. When the cell18is accessed through the cover24and the medication20is removed, the capacitance at the cell18will change (decrease in the case of calcium carbonate), which changes the signal received by the electronic device14. The electronic device14may be programmed to recognize a change in the localized capacitance as an indication that the medication20has been removed from the cell18positioned at the location of the changed capacitance. As in the embodiment, ofFIGS. 2-6, the system40ofFIG. 7may be configured to accommodate several cells18, with the electronic device14being programmed to monitor the status of all of the cells18and pinpoint which particular cell has been accessed through the cover24by a subject.

For some subjects, a system in which the cells of the medication container are positioned at a location that is offset from the capacitive touchscreen may be preferred to a system in which the cells are positioned in contact with the capacitive touchscreen and accessed with the cells in that position or after temporarily moving the medication container out of contact with the capacitive touchscreen. Subjects may also prefer a system in which a standard medication container, rather than a medication container of the type described herein with an incorporated circuit, is used in combination with an electronic device. To that end, another embodiment of a system42according to the present disclosure may include an adaptor or case44that electrically couples a standard medication container to an electronic device14having a capacitive touchscreen14(FIG. 8).

In the illustrated embodiment, the adaptor44has a first portion46that is positioned laterally or otherwise offset from a second portion48of the adaptor44. The first portion46is configured to receive at least a portion of a medication container having one or more medication-containing cells, while the second portion48is configured to be placed adjacent to the capacitive touchscreen34of an electronic device14. The adaptor44includes a circuit50with one or more conductors52extending between the first portion46and the second portion48. For each cell of the medication container, the first portion46of the adaptor44may include a corresponding cell connection point54, with a conductor50extending between the cell connection point54and a corresponding touchscreen connection point56at the second portion48of the adaptor44.

When the second portion48of the adaptor44is secured or connected to the electronic device14, each touchscreen connection point56engages the capacitive touchscreen34of the electronic device. When a medication container is associated with the first portion46of the adaptor44, such as by sliding the medication container into a slot58defined in the first portion46, each cell will be positioned at a corresponding cell connection point54. On account of the conductor52extending between each cell connection point54and the corresponding touchscreen connection point56, connecting both the medication container and the electronic device14to the adaptor44electrically couples each cell of the medication container to a corresponding location of capacitive touchscreen34, creating one or more virtual touch points on the capacitive touchscreen34. With both the medication container and the electronic device14connected to the adaptor44, the system42may be used to detect whether a cell of the medication container has been accessed through the cover of the medication container according to the principles described above with respect to the embodiments ofFIGS. 1-6 and 7.