IP Library Granted Patent US 11,363,986
Granted Patent B2
US 11,363,986 · App. 16/886,329 · Granted Jun 21, 2022

Automated detection of a physical behavior event and corresponding adjustment of a medication dispensing system

Inventor: Katelijn Vleugels (San Carlos, CA)
Assignee: MEDTRONIC MINIMED, INC.
A61B5/4839A61B5/1123A61B5/4866A61B5/7282A61J7/0076G06F3/017G06N5/04G16H20/13G16H40/67G16H50/20A61J2200/70G16H20/60
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,363,986
App. No.
16/886,329
Granted
Jun 21, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An automated medication dosing and dispensing system includes sensors to detect physical movement of a user; storage media with program instructions; and a processor. The program instructions cause the processor to: detect, based on analysis of sensor readings obtained from the sensors, occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events; store historical event information corresponding to the detected occurrences; process the stored historical event information to predict a future occurrence of a physical behavior event of interest; and adjust medication dosage and/or medication dispensing parameters in response to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest.

Claims (51)

1. An automated medication dosing and dispensing system comprising:

sensors to detect physical movement of a user of the automated medication dosing and dispensing system;

computer-readable storage media comprising program code instructions; and

at least one processor, wherein the program code instructions are configurable to cause the at least one processor to perform a method comprising the steps of:

detecting, based on analysis of sensor readings obtained from the sensors, occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events;

storing historical event information corresponding to the detected occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events;

processing the stored historical event information to predict a future occurrence of a physical behavior event of interest and to provide predictive information related to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest, the predictive information comprising a predicted start time and a predicted duration of the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest;

calculating a confidence level that the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest will occur within a specified time period; and

adjusting medication dosage, medication dispensing parameters, or both medication dosage and medication dispensing parameters of the automated medication dosing and dispensing system in response to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest, the predictive information, and the confidence level.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing step comprises processing the stored historical event information and at least one ancillary input received from a detection system that is distinct from the sensors.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing step comprises processing the stored historical event information and current sensor readings obtained from the sensors in real-time, including comparing the current sensor readings to the stored historical event information.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the sensor readings measures a movement of a specific body part of the user.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the method performed by the at least one processor further comprises the step of sending a message to the user, wherein the message relates to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the detected occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events correspond to food intake events; and

the adjusting is performed in response to a predicted food intake event.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the medication managed by the system is insulin; and

the adjusting step calculates a dosage of insulin to be administered.

8. A method of operating an automated medication dosing and dispensing system having sensors that detect movement of a user, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining sensor readings from the sensors;

detecting, based on analysis of the obtained sensor readings, occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events;

storing historical event information corresponding to the detected occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events;

processing, with at least one processor of the automated medication dosing and dispensing system, the stored historical event information to predict a future occurrence of a physical behavior event of interest and to provide predictive information related to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest, the predictive information comprising a predicted start time and a predicted duration of the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest;

calculating a confidence level that the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest will occur within a specified time period; and

adjusting medication dosage, medication dispensing parameters, or both medication dosage and medication dispensing parameters of the automated medication dosing and dispensing system in response to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest, the predictive information, and the confidence level.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the processing step comprises processing the stored historical event information and at least one ancillary input received from a detection system that is distinct from the sensors.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein:

the detected occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events correspond to food intake events; and

the at least one ancillary input comprises information that is not directly related to food intake events.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the sensor readings measures a movement of a specific body part of the user.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of sending a message to the user, wherein the message relates to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the detected occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events correspond to food intake events; and

the adjusting is performed in response to a predicted food intake event.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

the medication managed by the system is insulin; and

the adjusting step calculates a dosage of insulin to be administered.

15. A method of operating an automated medication dosing and dispensing system having sensors that detect movement, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining sensor readings from the sensors, the sensor readings indicating movement of at least one body part of the user;

detecting, based on analysis of the obtained sensor readings, occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events;

storing historical event information corresponding to the detected occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events;

receiving at least one ancillary input from a detection system that is distinct from the sensors;

processing, with at least one processor of the automated medication dosing and dispensing system, the stored historical event information and the at least one ancillary input to predict a future occurrence of a physical behavior event of interest and to provide predictive information related to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest, the predictive information comprising a predicted start time and a predicted duration of the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest;

calculating a confidence level that the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest will occur within a specified time period; and

adjusting medication dosage, medication dispensing parameters, or both medication dosage and medication dispensing parameters of the automated medication dosing and dispensing system in response to the predicted future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest, the predictive information, and the confidence level.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the detected occurrences of gesture-based physical behavior events correspond to food intake events;

the at least one ancillary input comprises information that is not directly related to food intake events; and

the adjusting is performed in response to a predicted food intake event.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the processing step predicts the future occurrence of the physical behavior event of interest based on characteristics of a currently detected gesture-based physical behavior event.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2026
From: MEDTRONIC MINIMED, INC.; COMPANION MEDICAL, INC.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 074394/0237 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 25, 2021
From: VLEUGELS, KATELIJN
To: MEDTRONIC MINIMED, INC.
Reel/Frame 055398/0599 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation In Part 16667650 · Oct 29, 2019
Continuation In Part 16667641 · Oct 29, 2019
Provisional Application 62932370 · Nov 7, 2019
Provisional Application 62753819 · Oct 31, 2018
Related Publication 20200289055A1 · Sep 17, 2020
Cited By (4)
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