Polypharmacy Co-Packaged Medication Dosing Unit Including Communication System Therefor
A custom medication dosing unit is disclosed. The custom medication dosing unit includes a housing having a shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating a medication. A first closure element provided with a circumferential edge is placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner. A medication is disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element. A circuit module is associated within the first closure element. A system includes the custom medication dosing unit operative to communicate with a local node. Also disclosed is a method of manufacturing the custom medication dosing unit.
1 . A custom medication dosing unit, comprising:
a housing comprising at least one shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication;
a first closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner;
at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element; and
a circuit module associated within the first closure element.
2 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1 , wherein the circuit module comprises a circuit element and an antenna coupled to the circuit element, wherein the circuit element comprises a radio operative to wirelessly communicate information associated with the at least one medication with a local node.
3 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1 , wherein the circuit module comprises a power storage unit to receive power from an external source and store the power in the power storage unit.
4 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 2 , wherein the circuit module comprises a memory with information associated with the at least one medication contained within the housing stored therein.
5 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 3 , wherein the memory comprises information associated with the consumer of the at least one medication.
6 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1 , comprising a sensor to detect when the first closure element is removed from the shell element and to activate the circuit module when the first closure element is removed.
7 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises multiple compartments, each defining a shell element provided with a bottom surface and an upright circumferential edge extending upwardly from the planar bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication.
8 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1 , further comprising a storage compartment for accommodating therein an ingestible device and a second closure element for sealing the ingestible in the storage compartment.
9 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 8 , wherein the ingestible device comprises any one of an ingestible event marker, and ingestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an ingestible coil, and an ingestible magnet.
10 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 1 , comprising a marking on an exterior portion of the closure element identifying the at least one medication contained within the housing.
11 . A system for communicating a dosing event from a custom medication dosing unit, the system comprising:
a first custom medication dosing unit, the first custom medication dosing unit comprising:
a housing comprising at least one shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication;
a first closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner;
at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element; and
a circuit module associated within the first closure element, wherein the circuit module comprises a circuit element operative to wirelessly communicate information associated with the at least one medication with a local node.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the local node comprises a local wireless access point and the circuit module is operative to communicate with the local wireless access point.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the local node comprises a mobile device and the circuit module is operative to communicate with the mobile device.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the local node comprises a patch and the circuit module is operative to communicate with the patch.
15 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one medication comprises an ingestible device, and wherein the patch is operative to communicate with the first custom medication dosing unit when a consumer ingests the ingestible device.
16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the local node comprises a second custom medication dosing unit, the second custom medication dosing unit comprising:
a housing comprising at least one shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication;
a first closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner;
at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element; and
a circuit module associated within the first closure element; and
wherein the first custom medication dosing unit is operative to communicate with the second custom medication dosing unit.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the local node is operative to communicate with a remote node.
18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the remote node comprises a processing system communicatively coupled to a database.
19 . A method of manufacturing a custom medication dosing unit, the method comprising:
receiving an order for a custom medication dosing unit comprising at least one medication from a server.
dispensing the at least one medication into a housing comprising at least one shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending from the bottom surface and a central portion defining an opening for accommodating the at least one medication; and
applying a closure element provided with a circumferential edge on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner, the closure element comprising a circuit module associated therewith.
20 . The method of claim 19 , comprising applying a marking on an exterior surface of the closure element by a printer device, wherein the marking is to identify the at least one medication.
21 . The method of claim 19 , comprising programming the circuit module with information associated with the at least one medication, wherein the information is to be transmitted upon opening the closure element.
22 . The method of claim 19 , comprising dispensing at least one ingestible device into the housing.
23 . A custom medication dosing unit, comprising:
a housing;
a first compartment comprising:
at least a first shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication;
a first closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner; and
at least one ingestible device disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element.
24 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , further comprising at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the shell element and the first closure element.
25 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , further comprising:
a second compartment comprising:
at least a second shell element provided with a bottom surface and a circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication; and
a second closure element provided with a circumferential edge placed on the circumferential edge of the shell element in an adhering and closing manner for sealing the medication in the second storage compartment; and
at least one medication disposed within the opening defined between the second shell element and the second closure element.
26 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , wherein the ingestible device comprises any one of an ingestible event marker, and ingestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag, an ingestible coil, and an ingestible magnet.
27 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 25 , wherein the housing comprises multiple first and second compartments, each defining a shell element provided with a bottom surface and an upright circumferential edge extending upwardly from the bottom surface and a portion defining an opening for accommodating at least one medication and at least one ingestible device.
28 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 24 , comprising a marking on an exterior portion of the closure element identifying the at least one medication contained within the housing.
29 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 25 , comprising a sensor to detect when either the first or second closure element is removed from the respective first or second shell element.
30 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , wherein the first closure element is pivotally coupled to the first shell element and the first closure element can be pivotally opened and closed.
31 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 25 , wherein the second closure element comprises a peelable membrane for sealing the ingestible device within the second compartment.
32 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , wherein the first closure element comprises a blister membrane for sealing the ingestible device within the first compartment.
33 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , wherein the housing comprises information associated with any one of a name of a patient, a packaging date, a dosing event, and contents of either the first or second compartment.
34 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , wherein the housing comprises information that identifies the at least one medication contained inside the first compartment.
35 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , wherein the housing comprises information that identifies the at least one ingestible device contained inside the second compartment.
36 . The custom medication dosing unit of claim 23 , wherein the housing comprises markings indicating a day of the week on which either a medication or the ingestible device should be consumed.