Smart containers, sensors, and methods for medication management

1 . An apparatus for medication management, comprising:

a housing for a packet of medication, wherein the packet of medication includes a plurality of projections positioned on a backing and arranged in a grid format of multiple rows and columns, each of the plurality of projections houses a respective portion of the medication;

a sensor coupled to the housing for sensing whether the packet of medication has been removed or is likely to have been removed from the housing, the sensing being based on a state of a top of the housing relative to a base of the housing during a particular duration; and

a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting, to a remote computer, data regarding a reading of the sensor, the data representative of whether the packet of medication has been removed or likely to have been removed from the housing.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing includes a first housing and a second housing;

the sensor includes a first sensor coupled to the first housing;

the sensor includes a second sensor coupled to the second housing;

the first sensor is proximate to the second sensor in a first state of the first housing and

the second housing disposed in a closed position; and

the first sensor is positioned a spaced distance apart from the second sensor in a second state of the first housing and the second housing disposed in an open position.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the first housing is a base;

the second housing is a top;

the top is coupled via a hinge to the base along a long edge of each of the base and the top; and

the first sensor and the second sensor are provided opposite the hinge.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the first housing is a base;

the second housing is a cap;

the cap is coupled via a hinge to the base along a short edge of each of the base and the cap; and

the first sensor and the second sensor are provided proximate to the short edge.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the first housing is a base;

the second housing is a top;

the top is coupled via a hinge to the base along a short edge of each of the base and the top; and

the first sensor and the second sensor are provided opposite the short edge.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

the first housing is a base having an open end;

the second housing is a tray configured to slide into and out of the base via the open end of the base; and

the first sensor and the second sensor are provided proximate to a short edge in the first state of the base and the tray disposed in a closed position.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing includes a base having an open end;

the sensor includes a first sensor coupled to a first interior surface of the base;

the sensor includes a second sensor coupled to a second interior surface of the base opposite the first interior surface; and

the first sensor and the second sensor are positioned at or proximate to the open end.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the housing includes a base having a surface configured to be coupled to and decoupled from the packet of medication;

the sensor includes a first sensor coupled to the base;

the sensor includes a second sensor coupled to the packet of medication;

the first sensor is proximate to the second sensor in a first state of the base coupled to the packet of medication; and

the first sensor is positioned a spaced distance apart from the second sensor in a second state of the base decoupled from the packet of medication.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a magnet switch, a reed switch, a magnet sensor, a hall effect sensor, an optical sensor, a pressure sensor, a capacitance sensor, a capacitive touch sensor, an inductive touch sensor, a proximity sensor, or an electrical contact.

10 . A system for medication management, the system configured to communicate with an apparatus for medication management, the apparatus comprising:

a housing for a packet of medication, wherein the housing includes a base and a top;

a sensor coupled to the housing for sensing whether the packet of medication has been removed or is likely to have been removed from the housing, wherein:

the sensing being based on a state of a top of the housing relative to a base of the housing during a particular duration, and

the packet of medication includes a plurality of projections arranged in a grid format of multiple rows and columns; and

a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting data regarding a reading of the sensor to a remote computer, the data representative of whether the packet of medication has been removed or likely to have been removed from the housing.

11 . A system comprising:

a housing for medication, the housing having an open end and a closed end opposite the open end;

a sensor coupled to the housing for sensing a quantity of medication within the housing;

wherein:

the sensor comprises a plurality of conductive electrodes arranged in an interleaved pattern for sensing the quantity of medication within the housing;

the sensor is provided proximate to the closed end; and

the sensor is provided in the housing in a substantially horizontal position in a state of the housing in an upright position.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of conductive electrodes arranged in the interleaved pattern comprise regularly-spaced conductive electrodes.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of conductive electrodes arranged in the interleaved comprise rectangularly shaped or generally rectangularly shaped conductive electrodes.

14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein:

a gap is disposed between at least two of the plurality of conductive electrodes arranged in the interleaved pattern; and

a length of the gap is about 1 mm.

15 . The system of claim 11 , comprising:

one or more processors configured to trigger a reading of the sensor;

a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting data regarding the reading of the sensor to a remote computer; and

a wireless receiver configured to receive an activation command from or otherwise initiated by the remote computer;

wherein the one or more processors is configured to activate an alert based at least in part on the receipt of the activation command by the wireless receiver.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more processors includes one from a variable oscillating circuit, a resonant circuit, a Wein bridge oscillator, or a switched capacitor circuit.