Container with content monitoring and reporting capabilities
View Patent ↗An activity monitor is associated with a container, such as a medication bottle, and includes one or more detectors configured to detect activity associated with the bottle, such as movement, opening and/or closing, and changes in volume and/or mass. The activity monitor may include alerting devices and be programmed with scheduling information. The activity monitor may also, or instead, be part of a system and communicate with one or more remote devices such as a user device or monitoring system, such as to receive programming information from those devices or to output activity information to those devices.
1. A method of monitoring medication consumption comprising the steps of:
receiving, at a host system comprising at least one server comprising a processor, a communication interface, a memory and machine-readable code stored in the memory and executable by the processor, information regarding a plurality of detected activities at a monitored medical container associated with an insured, said monitored medical container comprising a container and at least one monitoring apparatus comprising at least one activity detector associated with said container which detects activity associated with said container and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the at least one activity detector and configured to transmit information regarding said detected activities at said monitored medical container;
processing said information regarding said plurality of detected activities to determine compliance of said insured with a prescription for said medication associated with said medical container; and
determining pricing for said prescription based upon said determined compliance of said insured, wherein said pricing varies based upon a level of compliance.
2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said step of determining pricing comprises determining an effective price, wherein said effective price of said prescription is higher when said level of compliance is low and said pricing is lower when said level of compliance is high.
3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein host system comprises a medical container monitoring system and wherein said step of processing is performed by an insurance system comprising at least one server comprising a processor, a communication interface a memory and machine-readable code stored in the memory and executable by the processor, using said information regarding said detected activities transmitted from said host system to said insurance system.
4. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said pricing comprises a first amount and comprising issuing one or more rebates or discounts to said insured to effectively reduce said first amount.
5. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said information regarding said detected activities comprises information regarding a change in medication associated with said medical container.
6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising the step of transmitting information regarding said pricing to a pharmacy.
7. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said step of determining compliance comprises determining at least one of whether medication associated with said medication container was taken at the correct time and in the correct amount.
8. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one activity detector comprises one or more of a mass sensing device, an accelerometer and a volume measuring device.
9. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one activity detector is associated with a housing that is mounted to said medical container.
10. A method of monitoring medication consumption comprising the steps of:
receiving, at a host system comprising at least one server comprising a processor, a communication interface, a memory and machine-readable code stored in the memory and executable by the processor, information regarding a plurality of detected activities at a monitored medical container associated with an insured, said monitored medical container comprising a container and at least one monitoring apparatus comprising at least one activity detector associated with said container which detects activity associated with said container and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the at least one activity detector and configured to transmit information regarding said detected activities at said monitored medical container;
determining compliance of said insured with a prescription for said medication associated with said medical container by comparing said information regarding said plurality of detected activities to said prescription; and
determining insurance coverage and/or pricing for to said insured for said medication based upon said determined compliance.
11. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said pricing is a first level corresponding to a first level of compliance and second level corresponding to a second level of compliance.
12. The method in accordance with claim 10 wherein said step of determining insurance coverage comprises denying coverage when said insured is not compliant with said prescription.
13. A medicant monitoring and feedback system comprising:
a host system comprising at least one server comprising a processor, a communication interface, a database, a memory and machine-readable code stored in the memory and executable by the processor;
a monitored medical containers, said monitored medical container comprising a container and at least one monitoring apparatus comprising at least one activity detector associated with said container which detects activity associated with said container and a processing unit communicatively coupled to the at least one activity detector and configured to transmit information regarding a detected activity at said monitored medical container; and
an insurance system comprising at least one server comprising a processor, a communication interface a memory and machine-readable code stored in the memory and executable by the processor;
wherein said host system is configured to receive said information regarding said detected activity;
wherein said host system is configured to transmit said information regarding said detected activity to said insurance system;
wherein said insurance system is configured to determine compliance of said insured with a prescription for said medication associated with said medical container by comparing said information regarding said plurality of detected activities to said prescription; and
wherein said insurance system is configured to determine insurance coverage and/or pricing for to said insured for said medication based upon said determined compliance.
14. The medicant monitoring and feedback system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said information regarding said detected activity comprises information regarding a change in medication associated with said medical container.
15. The medicant monitoring and feedback system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said insurance system is configured to determine compliance by determining at least one of whether medication associated with said medication container was taken at the correct time and in the correct amount.
16. The medicant monitoring and feedback system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said at least one activity detector comprises one or more of a mass sensing device, an accelerometer and a volume measuring device.
17. The medicant monitoring and feedback system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said at least one activity detector is associated with a housing that is mounted to said medical container.
18. The medicant monitoring and feedback system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said pricing is a first level corresponding to a first level of compliance and second level corresponding to a second level of compliance.
19. The medicant monitoring and feedback system in accordance with claim 13 , wherein said step of determining insurance coverage comprises denying coverage when said insured is not compliant with said prescription.