Web enabled audiovisual medication dispensing with enhanced compliance verification
A web enabled audiovisual medication dispenser has a locked, tamper resistant housing; timers and alarms; a receptacle for aggregated medication pouches; and a cutter that separates the aggregated medication pouches from a strip. The cutter is also configured to notch a pouch to facilitate opening by a patient, and further configured to form a part of the tamper resistance. A medication pouch receptacle receives the one or more aggregated medication pouches cut from the strip. A first imaging apparatus displays the medication pouch receptacle and communicates the image at least to a remote apparatus for compliance. A second imaging apparatus displays from at least adjacent to the medication pouch receptacle to the patient, and captures an image of the patient handling and taking the medication from the pouch. The images may be analyzed automatically or by a remote caregiver, and are stored in an electronic medical record for compliance validation.
1. A web enabled audiovisual medication system with enhanced compliance verification, comprising in combination a web enabled audiovisual medication dispenser and a remote caregiver apparatus, said remote caregiver apparatus having:
a microphone configured to capture audio input and transmit the audio input to said web enabled audiovisual medication dispenser;
a speaker configured to receive an audio signal originating at said web enabled audiovisual medication dispenser and reproduce an audible output;
a camera configured to capture images of a caregiver and transmit said images to said web enabled audiovisual medication dispenser; and
a display screen configured to receive a video signal originating at said web enabled audiovisual medication dispenser and produce a visual display;
said web enabled audiovisual medication dispenser having:
a housing;
web link circuitry configured to establish audiovisual communication with said remote caregiver device;
a microphone electrically coupled to the web link circuitry and configured to capture audio input and transmit the audio input to the web link circuitry, and the web link circuitry configured to receive the audio input and transmit the audio input to a caregiver;
a speaker electrically coupled to the web link circuitry and configured to receive an audio signal originating at said remote caregiver apparatus from said web link circuitry and reproduce an audible output;
a display screen electrically coupled to the web link circuitry and configured to receive a video signal originating at said remote caregiver apparatus from said web link circuitry and produce a visual display;
a medication pouch chamber enclosed within said housing;
a plurality of medication pouches stored within said medication pouch chamber that each contain at least one medication;
a medication pouch receptacle partially enclosed within said housing and configured to receive and hold at least one of said plurality of medication pouches;
a dispenser configured to transfer said at least one of said plurality of medication pouches stored within said medication pouch chamber from said medication pouch chamber to said medication pouch receptacle;
a first imaging apparatus generating an image of said medication pouch receptacle and configured to capture a medication pouch receptacle image of said medication pouch within said medication pouch receptacle and communicate said medication pouch receptacle image through said web link circuitry to said remote caregiver apparatus and further configured to capture a medication pouch removal image of at least a portion of a patient's hand during said patient's removal of said medication pouch from said medication pouch receptacle; and
a second imaging apparatus having a functional field of view including at least a patient's hand, arm, and face and further including a medication handling region extending substantially between said patient's face to at least adjacent to said medication pouch receptacle, said second imaging apparatus configured to capture a first medication handling region image of said patient, and a second medication handling region image of said patient removing at least one medication from said at least one of said plurality of aggregated medication pouches, and a third medication handling region image of said patient consuming said at least one medication removed from said at least one of said plurality of aggregated medication pouches.
2. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , wherein individual ones of said plurality of medication pouches each further comprise a pouch interior and a plurality of medications aggregated and sealed within said pouch interior.
3. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , wherein said medication pouch receptacle comprises a basin, and said image of said medication pouch receptacle displays an entire interior of said medication pouch receptacle when said medication pouch receptacle is empty.
4. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , further comprising a medication receptacle, said medication pouch receptacle and said medication receptacle each located within a functional field of view of said first imaging apparatus.
5. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 4 , wherein said medication receptacle comprises a basin, and said image of said medication pouch receptacle displays an entire interior of said medication receptacle when said medication receptacle is empty.
6. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 5 , wherein said image of said medication pouch receptacle is configured to enable identification of said at least one medication at said remote caregiver apparatus when said at least one medication is held within said medication receptacle.
7. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 4 , wherein said first imaging apparatus further comprises a functional field of view substantially consumed by said medication pouch receptacle and said medication receptacle.
8. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , wherein said web link circuitry is configured to communicate said medication pouch removal image to said remote caregiver apparatus.
9. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 8 , wherein said web link circuitry is configured to communicate said first medication handling region image to said remote caregiver apparatus.
10. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 9 , wherein said medication pouch removal image and said first medication handling region image are displayed simultaneously and synchronized in time upon said remote caregiver apparatus display screen.
11. The audiovisual medication dispenser with enhanced compliance verification of claim 9 , wherein said medication pouch receptacle is hand accessible from only a single direction.
12. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , wherein said medication pouch receptacle is hand accessible from only a single direction.
13. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said medication pouch receptacle image, said medication pouch removal image, and said first medication handling region image further comprises a plurality of sequential images.
14. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , wherein said second imaging apparatus has a field of view including at least a portion of said patient's hand, wrist, and forearm when said first imaging apparatus has a field of view including at least a portion of said patient's fingers within said medication pouch basin.
15. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , wherein said first imaging apparatus and said second imaging apparatus comprise overlapping fields of view.
16. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , wherein said first imaging apparatus and said second imaging apparatus are linked so as to validate said patient removing medication pouch from medication pouch receptacle.
17. The web enabled audiovisual medication system of claim 1 , further comprising electronic medical records storage, said medication pouch receptacle image, said medication pouch removal image, and said first medication handling region image stored in said electronic medical records storage.
18. An audiovisual medication dispenser with enhanced compliance verification, comprising:
a housing;
a medication chamber enclosed within said housing;
a plurality of medications stored within said medication chamber;
a medication receptacle partially enclosed within said housing and configured to receive and hold at least one of said plurality of medications;
a dispenser configured to transfer said at least one of said plurality of medications stored within said medication chamber from said medication chamber to said medication receptacle;
a first imaging apparatus generating an image of said medication receptacle and configured to capture a medication receptacle image of said medication within said medication receptacle and further configured to capture a medication removal image of at least a portion of a patient's hand during said patient's removal of said medication from said medication receptacle; and
a second imaging apparatus having a functional field of view including at least a patient's hand, arm, and face and further including a medication handling region extending substantially between said patient's face to at least adjacent to said medication receptacle, said second imaging apparatus configured to capture a first medication handling region image of said patient, and a second medication handling region image of said patient consuming said at least one medication removed from said medication receptacle.
19. A method of validating and documenting that a patient has received medications prescribed to said patient within a prescribed time window, comprising the steps of:
inserting at least one medication into at least one aggregated medication pouch;
securely storing said at least one aggregated medication pouch within a medication pouch chamber located and fully enclosed within a medication dispenser housing;
transferring said at least one aggregated medication pouch from said medication pouch storage chamber to an externally accessible medication pouch receptacle that is configured to receive and retain said at least one aggregated medication pouch and expose said at least one aggregated medication pouch to manual access;
generating a first video image having a field of view substantially consumed by said medication pouch receptacle;
generating a second video image synchronous in time with said first video image and having a field of view including at least a patient's hands, arms, and face and further including a medication handling region extending substantially between said patient's face to at least adjacent to said medication pouch receptacle;
wherein said first and second video images capture said patient removing said at least one aggregated medication pouch from said medication pouch receptacle and subsequently capture said patient removing and consuming said at least one medication from said at least one aggregated medication pouch.