IP Library Granted Patent US 12,191,019
Granted Patent B2
US 12,191,019 · App. 17/429,612 · Granted Jan 7, 2025

Systems and methods for improving respiratory medicament device usage

Inventors: Rahul Bhailal Gondalia (San Francisco, CA); Leanne Kaye (Redwood City, CA); David Stempel (Clyde Hill, WA); Robert Baddeley (Madison, WI); Amber Michelle Markey (Madison, WI); Meredith A. Barrett (Redwood City, CA); Melissa Williams (Sellersburg, IN)
Assignee: RECIPROCAL LABS CORPORATION
G16H20/30G16H20/13G16H40/63G16H80/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,191,019
App. No.
17/429,612
Granted
Jan 7, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods to determine and ensure proper usage technique of a respiratory medicament device for a respiratory ailment. Medication data relating to a medication plan for a patient is collected and used to determine the respiratory medicament device type in use. For respiratory medicament device types requiring multiple consecutive uses, use data is collected and used to determine proper or improper use technique based on the timing between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device. Notifications of proper or improper usage technique are provided based on the determined usage technique. Real-time monitoring of the use data is used to provide directions on the required timing of consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device and thus ensure proper usage technique.

Claims (68)

1. A method of ensuring proper usage technique of a respiratory medicament device for a respiratory ailment, the method comprising:

collecting, by at least one processor associated with the respiratory medicament device, medication data relating to a medication plan for a patient, the medication data including at least one of a type of the respiratory medicament device and a prescribed number of doses of a respiratory medicament associated with the respiratory medicament device;

based on the medication data, determining whether the respiratory medicament device requires a plurality of consecutive uses;

based on determining the respiratory medicament device requires a plurality of consecutive uses, determining a timing between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device;

based on determining a spacer is used with the respiratory medicament device, determining a modification to the timing between the consecutive uses;

detecting, by a medicament sensor associated with the respiratory medicament device, a first set of use data of the respiratory medicament device, the first set of use data including at least a first inhalation event associated with the patient;

identifying, from the first set of use data, a usage characteristic associated with the patient, the usage characteristic including an audio signal associated with an inhalation of the patient;

applying an adjustment to the medicament sensor in response to identifying the usage characteristic, the adjustment causing the medicament sensor to eliminate false positives in response to detecting a second set of use data, the second set of use data including at least a second inhalation event associated with the patient;

detecting, by the medicament sensor, the second set of use data;

identifying, from the second set of use data, the second inhalation event; and

based on identifying the second inhalation event, providing a guidance by way of an instruction component to direct a subsequent inhalation event according to the modification to the timing between the consecutive uses.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medication data includes information regarding a type of the respiratory medicament.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the medication data includes information on a period of time required between consecutive doses of a plurality of medicament types or medicament device types.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined modification to the timing between the consecutive uses directs the subsequent inhalation event after more than 30 seconds following the second inhalation event.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

based on the modification to the timing between the consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device, classifying the consecutive uses as the proper usage technique or an improper usage technique to generate a usage technique record; and

based on the usage technique record, providing at least one notification of the proper usage technique or the improper usage technique to ensure the proper usage technique.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of consecutive uses is at least two consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device, the at least two uses being separated in time by less than or equal to 120 seconds.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the proper usage technique comprises a time period of more than 30 seconds between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device; and

the improper usage technique comprises a time period of less than or equal to 30 seconds between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one notification comprises an identification of the improper usage technique with the guidance on an appropriate usage technique for the respiratory medicament device, the guidance comprising:

a timer configured to indicate a period of time required between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device; and

an audio or a visual content displaying a required sequence of steps for ensuring the proper usage technique of the respiratory medicament device.

9. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations including:

collecting, by at least one processor associated with a respiratory medicament device, medication data relating to a medication plan for a patient, the medication data including at least one of a type of the respiratory medicament device and a prescribed number of doses of a respiratory medicament associated with the respiratory medicament device;

based on the medication data, determining whether the respiratory medicament device requires a plurality of consecutive uses;

based on determining the respiratory medicament device requires a plurality of consecutive uses, determining a timing between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device;

based on determining a spacer is used with the respiratory medicament device, determining a modification to the timing between the consecutive uses;

detecting, by a medicament sensor associated with the respiratory medicament device, a first set of use data of the respiratory medicament device, the first set of use data including at least a first inhalation event associated with the patient;

identifying, from the first set of use data, a usage characteristic associated with the patient, the usage characteristic including an audio signal associated with an inhalation of the patient;

applying an adjustment to the medicament sensor in response to identifying the usage characteristic, the adjustment causing the medicament sensor to eliminate false positives in response to detecting a second set of use data, the second set of use data including at least a second inhalation event associated with the patient;

detecting, by the medicament sensor, the second set of use data;

identifying, from the second set of use data, the second inhalation event; and

based on identifying the second inhalation event, providing a guidance by way of an instruction component to direct a subsequent inhalation event according to the modification to the timing between the consecutive uses.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the medication data includes information regarding a type of the respiratory medicament.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the medication data includes information on a period of time required between consecutive doses of a plurality of medicament types or medicament device types.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the modification to the timing between the consecutive uses directs the subsequent inhalation event after more than 30 seconds following the second inhalation event.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the operations further include:

based on the modification to the timing between the consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device, classifying the consecutive uses as a proper usage technique or an improper usage technique to generate a usage technique record; and

based on the usage technique record, providing at least one notification of the proper usage technique or the improper usage technique to ensure the proper usage technique.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of consecutive uses is at least two consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device, the at least two uses being separated in time by less than or equal to 120 seconds.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein:

the proper usage technique comprises a time period of more than 30 seconds between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device; and

the improper usage technique comprises a time period of less than or equal to 30 seconds between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one notification comprises an identification of the improper usage technique with the guidance on an appropriate usage technique for the respiratory medicament device, the guidance comprising:

a timer configured to indicate a period of time required between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device; and

an audio or a visual content displaying a required sequence of steps for ensuring the proper usage technique of the respiratory medicament device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions encoded thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

collecting, by at least one processor associated with a respiratory medicament device, medication data relating to a medication plan for a patient, the medication data including at least one of a type of the respiratory medicament device and a prescribed number of doses of a respiratory medicament associated with the respiratory medicament device;

based on the medication data, determining whether the respiratory medicament device requires a plurality of consecutive uses;

based on determining the respiratory medicament device requires a plurality of consecutive uses, determining a timing between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device;

based on determining a spacer is used with the respiratory medicament device, determining a modification to the timing between the consecutive uses;

detecting, by a medicament sensor associated with the respiratory medicament device, a first set of use data of the respiratory medicament device, the first set of use data including at least a first inhalation event associated with the patient;

identifying, from the first set of use data, a usage characteristic associated with the patient, the usage characteristic including an audio signal associated with an inhalation of the patient;

applying an adjustment to the medicament sensor in response to identifying the usage characteristic, the adjustment causing the medicament sensor to eliminate false positives in response to detecting a second set of use data, the second set of use data including at least a second inhalation event associated with the patient;

detecting, by the medicament sensor, the second set of use data;

identifying, from the second set of use data, the second inhalation event; and

based on identifying the second inhalation event, providing a guidance by way of an instruction component to direct a subsequent inhalation event according to the modification to the timing between the consecutive uses.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further include:

based on the modification to the timing between the consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device, classifying the consecutive uses as a proper usage technique or an improper usage technique to generate a usage technique record, wherein the proper usage technique comprises a time period of more than 30 seconds between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device, and wherein the improper usage technique comprises a time period of less than or equal to 30 seconds between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device; and

based on the usage technique record, providing at least one notification of the proper usage technique or the improper usage technique to ensure the proper usage technique.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of consecutive uses is at least two consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device, the at least two uses being separated in time by less than or equal to 120 seconds.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the at least one notification comprises an identification of the improper usage technique with the guidance on an appropriate usage technique for the respiratory medicament device, the guidance comprising:

a timer configured to indicate a period of time required between consecutive uses of the respiratory medicament device; and

an audio or a visual content displaying a required sequence of steps for ensuring the proper usage technique of the respiratory medicament device.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 16, 2025
From: RECIPROCAL LABS CORPORATION
To: RESMED INC.
Reel/Frame 072887/0709 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 24, 2021
From: GONDALIA, RAHUL BHAILAL; KAYE, LEANNE; STEMPEL, DAVID; BADDELEY, ROBERT; MARKEY, AMBER MICHELLE; BARRETT, MEREDITH A.; WILLIAMS, MELISSA; VAN SICKLE, DAVID
To: RECIPROCAL LABS CORPORATION (D/B/A PROPELLER HEALTH)
Reel/Frame 057274/0164 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62805934 · Feb 14, 2019
Related Publication 20220115107A1 · Apr 14, 2022
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