WO2005051555A2 - Method and apparatus for identification and dosage of medications - Google Patents

Abstract

The target of the invention is a method and an apparatus for success of the medicine distribution in the manual or in the automatic delivering of medical preparations, typically tablets and capsules to the customer. The medicine table or medicine box (1) is typically set to the planar scanner (1) or and the picture is taken with a camera or a camera phone and the picture is analyzed with the machine vision software (5) for separation and identification of the medical preparation or the dose. Medicines (3) can be recognized with the help of the database, and it can give medicines connected information for example in the display (6). The identification of the medicinal preparation or the preclusion is available according to the method in many official tasks, in which it will need real time and fast identification of the medicine or the preclusion.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEPARATE AND IDENTIFY MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS AND DOSAGES

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application derives priority from the same inventor's Finnish applications serial no. FI 20031740 filed on November 28, 2003, FI 20040053 filed on January 15, 2004 and FI 20040148 filed on January 30, 2004.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention is the using of the machine vision feasibly for separating or identification of the medicinal preparation or the dose in the situations, which the dose delivers from medicine boxes or the other containers for example in a hospital, old residents' house, pharmacy or at home to the customers ready for example morning, day, evening and night doses. In addition to that the medicine identifier can be as a part in a computer system of the hospital, the pharmacy or other, and can be used also in different situations, which is needed the identification of the medicinal preparation for example in customs, police and in first aid. The identification of the medicines or preclusion is done according to the method based in up-to-date information and quickly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The amount of old people is increasing and taking of the several medicine in different times causing large challenges to the medication success. Old people want often live at home as long as possible, and helping this there are big possibilities with different technical solutions.

The using of medicine can be under or over use. Nowadays it will be held as a one problem that, in the medication is in a routine way gives for example tranquilizing and sleeping medicine continually, although they are ordered prescription taking only as needed. So old people are dozy and because of their degraded working capability are for example liable to falling. None of current proportioning system of the medicines, such as a medicine box or mechanical dose distribution takes to attention for separation of necessary or as needed taken medicines. Also other problems exist in these systems after the distribution, a patient does not know which each medicine is, if although she or he would like to leave sleeping medicines taking. When medicines are taken from its container, so in the same time in those being packing leaflets and the doctor's given instructions are lost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention contains a method and apparatus for recognize a dose or medicinal preparation comprising with obtaining picture, using machine vision and giving information concerning medicine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The target of the system is to remind in taking of the medicine and gives also medicine information for success of the medication during the whole medication time. Medication's success depends on right of the medicines remembering of the time moment and for example food and using other medicines. A patient can have 5-10 different medicines (1) and the right time and optimal use is difficult, and to a certain extent perhaps also useless, if easily using solutions exists.

In accordance with the method, device informs, when the medicine (1) should take, to warn if medicine we are taking too early or late, and gives alarm (9), if medicine not after some time, be at latest taken. Is possible, that patient should not be able to self to change database. However as the program users are also patients, whose memory is weakened, but which are able to program (7) the self of the medicine box. That's why device's user- interface must be easy and simple. Also the resetting of the information (8) is possible, but it made more difficult.

Elderly people can leave without concerns remembering of the medication to the technical solution, and so the medication connected necessary information is however easily available, and however they would not be able to keep the information in the mind all the time. In connection with the medicine taking it can be important drink at the least glass water or notice special interactions for example with the grapefruit juice. So this kind of medicine information, which in a medicine box and in the mechanical medicine distribution is lost, it is available in accordance with the invention's method and device. In the invention it is advantageously that competing systems are demanded for example a memory circle or a central computer in order to the information could give. In this invention medicines are differed at least to necessary and as needed taking solid medicines, typically tablets and capsules. The using of the device is easy, put to the device at first necessary tablets and then press the button and the scanner reads the picture and then as needed taking medicines put to the device, and again press the button and the device reads the picture again. So the method is really flexible, whereby there can be put all medicines, also self care medicines. Generally in the dose mechanical distribution the selection of medicines is small and flexibility is really small for example among self care medicines.

More common used and familiar to patients is a medicine box, a plastic box, in which compartments are named for example day of the week and according to the time, is much used. That when patient has his medicine taken from the device not naturally see, neither plastic box inform to the patient forgetting of the medicine taking. A dose bag is not familiar as compared with a medicine box. In these solutions medicine information disappears mostly and it is difficult to remember 5-10 different tablets. With the invention in accordance with the method the device recognizes at the least the necessary and only as needed taking medicines, but are possible, that drug factories start to make such kinds of tablets and capsules, so in presser in tablet machine are is the such kind of identifications, which come to the tablet surface, by which the device recognizes medicines. This device can give just to this connected guidance. These data are updated for example by way of the disk or information network depending on model of device. In addition to generalizing of the electronic prescription are these data available, and this inspection increases the medicine safety. Instructions are also available on different languages and by that for example patient compliance can improve, when the patient gets information by her or his own mother tongue.

Medicines put in to the medicine box (1) device with the mobile partitions (4) as the one- layer typically in the horizontal position over the scanner (2) so that the medicines can be moved however identification in succeeding. The medicine box is typically set to the planar scanner (1) and with that is read for example by 256 colors. After that microprocessor (2) with the memory calculates and compare for example to similarity based on algorithm the recognizable pieces and gives the data to the display, and gives possibly necessary reminder of medicine taking or other attention. When a cover of the scanner is open, so for the background comes black, which eases the identification of the pieces. In the device is clock and this it can scan the medicine box for example30 minute's intervalled. The device includes the memory (5), whereby can be saved the medication history, and this can be used for the benefit of in many ways. One medication safety increasing point is that the distributor of the medicines can check that it come similar medication as on previous period. Especially in the mechanical medicine distribution can be necessary for uses the vibrator (10) of a medicine box (1), so that medicines are in the one floor. The device can be also only as needed starting, when the program notices that medicines are over the another, an so the separation of the medicines is not succeeded, and this automatically or manually can for example move the partition of the medicine box. From this activity device can give the use of the announcement or the using of the vibrator can be prevented.

In other patents they are often dependent on a central computer, but in this with invention in accordance with device can be taken along to the journey or to the holiday residence. Nowadays scanners in other words scanners are extremely reasonable and they are possibility to prepare thin and different size. For example Java computer based programs are device regardless and algorithm is available, and these is not generally can even patent. With the help of the features, we can classify target to the known class or place. The feature is on other hand a property or a property group, which repeats inside the class, and in tablets and capsules position situation is generally like this. These kinds of can be for example color, darkness, length, width and area. The pattern recognition can be shared to three different main divisions, which are statistical, syntactical and to the neural network based on identification.

Pixels similarity based on classifying happens by growing some qualified pixel's area. Checking the acceptability of the pixel can be checked for example with the simple or with the automatic border. Classifying is made by clustering n pixel of the similar surrounding for the one cluster. Another way is to go through surrounding of the qualified pixel, for example 4 or 8 nearest surrounding pixel and if similar pixels can be found, the search is continued to recursive for them. The Raman spectroscopy is an analysis method, which is based molecules which cause measurable the scattering of light. The Raman scattering happens when to the examining specimen focusing breaking out light photons lose energy to the molecules or get that from those. The Raman spectrums can be observed in the solid, liquid and in the gas atmosphere being molecules. In pharmaceutics the Raman spectroscopy is used among other things examining of the medicine delivery system. With its help can be recognized an active ingredient and excipients, define contents and locate impurities. The benefits of the method are speed and ease, which is because of developing of the devices, also that specimens generally do not need to prepare for the examinations. The benefits of the Raman spectroscopy is no longer only a laboratory analysis method, and also easily mobile devices are nowadays available. On other hand the prices of the devices have lowered, what have enabled the method benefits wider profiting, such as in the case of scanners has happened. A mentionable benefit in examining is that sampling can possibly carry out through packing materials. This is the conclusion that on the most of packing materials, such as on plastic and on glass, have the Raman scattering really weak, and that is why it do not disturb examining of the specimen Raman spectrums. The Raman spectrums' successful collecting produces much analytical information. All molecules give as a result of the different Raman spectrum, which, their identification is possible according to the method. This again enables for specimen quality analysis, for example active substances identification in tablet mass. On other hand the light of the sprinkled intensity picture also material content in the specimen, and so method can be improved also to the determined analysis. Further it can be analyzed among other things active substances material content in the medicine output system, for example in the tablet, with that spectrums of the active substances are generally appreciably spectrums of the excipients more powerful. Generally in different tablet has different drugs and this can have medicines separated and/or recognized. For example from the tablets can with the help of Raman scattering, defines among other things the contents of the active substances and excipients. Raman spectroscopy is important parallel method to the infra red spectroscopy and IR and Raman spectroscopies complete each others. If specimen is gently to fluorescent, the intensity of the fluorescence issue is normally much higher than the intensity of Raman scattering.

Because of that arise problems. FT-Raman technology is planned to eliminate fluorescence caused problem. SERS (surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy) is recently developed technology, with the help of the which, can have strong signals from the small amount organic molecules. In micro Raman monochromatic laser beam is tightly focused through the microscope object glass. It gives to the user possibility to examine areas, which are either on the specimen, or inside the specimen. The specimen area all can be also as small as 2.0 μm². Information analysis as being easing has been developed computer software. They include for example data banks, which has many Raman spectrums of the different materials. As compared with traditional to spectroscopy technology FT-Raman spectroscopy offers three significant benefit in the medicinal preparation product development: it won't demand the preparation of the specimen, that can be used with the optical microscope, in the solid in the specimen copy being examining of the small particles and it won't damage or damage the specimen. With its help can be examined specimen even through the closed, tightly closed filmy cover. A medicinal preparation includes often two or several component mixture. The powder from different particles can be defined to each component by their own Raman spectrum. Because the scattering of the polymer coat is weak and fluorescence is not significant in using as the source from the long wave light, can antihistamine tablets examine through their blister packs, with the FT- Raman spectroscopy, which by other methods are generally impossible making. So medicine can be for example in a medicine bag or in a box.

Near infra red spectrometer (NIR) is meant a comparison method, by which is able to recognize and to study composition of the organic compounds on the wave length area 780-2500 nm.

The infra red spectroscopy (IR) is a from the more common used comparison methods in the organic chemistry in identification and researching molecules. Different functional groups can be recognized for them with their characteristics vibration values. IR- spectroscopy is useful method in the pharmaceutical materials identifications and in the analysis and crystal structures and other physical properties studying

In accordance with the method, the medicine reminder is simple to use and it must not to get messed up for example during an electricity break. Therefore for example accumulator or battery guaranteed system is needed and give benefits from its mobility.

In the user-interface there could be the part area of the display (6), which tells to the patient simply how long time is left, when the next medicine must take. In addition to user- interface can be control to be more complex to show among other things day's all medicine taking times. If medicine would not take during the tolerance time, which is beforehand set, the display would start for example to blink.

According to the American research in the institutional care manually delivered doses there was fault almost in every fifth. Common faults there were incorrect timing, the medicine leaving away from the box or giving of the medicine without this concerning guidance. In accordance with device of the invention a medicine distributor has possibilities to check for example that does now delivered period deviate from the previous period, and also in the behalf of this it improves the medical safety.

A digital picture forms from the point of the picture, in other words pixels, distributor from the pixels and these include color information and points place. What more pixels are a certain area, that smaller they are and that more precision is the picture. By this way in the picture it can be presented better also changing tones and small details of the picture. The pixel information is in the black white pictures 0 or 1 and in the color pictures pixel can be for example in 8 bits, whereby with that can express 256 colors. From this resulting matrix it is used in this invention. One commonly used way is a principal component analysis, whereby it can be inspected for example the histograms. Nowadays popular an object modeling is a one way see tablets and capsules for example an objects of the medicine class, which have certain properties. The object describes of the measurements or with the the relationships, and they are classified on the basis of the similarities and differences.

A picture forms from pixels. A bitmap term is coming of the reason that every pixel has its own place in the x- and y-coordinates of the picture. So each pixel has a unique location in the picture. A bitmap picture has four important basic properties: pixel size, resolution, colors' model and depth. A bitmap picture has a resolution, which presents usually quantity per inch. Generally the presentation of the colors on the computer display is based on sum of RGB (red, green and blue) color system and generally the same color system is also used in digital cameras and scanners. Each pixel is saved a red, green and blue (RGB) intensity of the color in the certain precision. A color depth is presented by quantity binary per pixel. In a full color picture (24 bits) each pixel has available 256 different brightness values per a main color. So its color depth is 3x8=24 bits. Thus in the picture each picture point can be presented by 24 bits in 256x256x256=16.7 million different colors. Such as recently in the got US-patent 6,529,446 March 4, 2003 is being used in the medicine or in the medicine bag memory unit, which is read and happens medicine taking reminder. In the US patent 4,223,801 is being presented time base on box, which inactivates, when the medicine has been taken from the box. In the US patent 6,330,957 is being used light only in activating of signal. In the US patent 5,992,742 bar codes are being used in the tablet fakes' and because of the mistakes. In the US patent 5,850,344 Medication dispensing and timing system is used by central computer, in which is being used telephone networks and these information networks using are developed for example with the using of the modem. In the US patent 5,810,198 Motorized tablet dispenser is on the motor working medicine distribution. In the US patent 5,752,621 Smart automation medication dispenser uses different distribution arms "a plurality of ejection arms ". In the US patent 5,582,323 Medication dispenser and monitor happens with two programmable processor

EXAMPLE 1

The nurse of the elderly person puts to her or his medicine container morning, day, evening and night medicines (3) for two weeks period. Firstly he puts the necessary medicines planar, no one on top of another medicine dish to the compartment and to push the button, whereby scanner (2) scans the medicine dish or takes picture from the medicine container. To the display (6) appears situation according to each compartment and possible with movable partition walls (4), and this she or he can check, that number matches and from the model dependency can give also other information. Then she or he puts as needed taking medicines to the compartment together to the floor planar and to push the button (7), and this scanner scans the medicine dish and again comes added medicines' amount and entire amount from the medicines to the display. The device informs for example by the light or sound (9), if the medicine is not be taken according to the schedule. Depend on the model of the device it can recognize medicine to the known preparation, and by this it gives information connected medicine such as that to drink at the least glass water in connection with the medicine taking, or that the medicine is not suitable taking with the grapefruit juice.

For those skilled in the arts are clear that the invention is not limited to the presented details, such as to the medicine box form, material and used to the colors binary digit amount, and the invention can put into effect in the other form and it does not deviate from the invention. The dose recognizer can be using in manual or in the mechanical or these in between these in the medicine distribution in a hospital, a chemist, a drug factory, a wholesaler and at home, where a medicine box is filled and ensured that the right medicines are putting in the right compartment.

PICTURES

A picture 1 is a schematic picture of the invention. The explanation of the numbers

1. A medicine delivery table or for example a medicine box's place

2. A scanner or other picture taker, for example a camera or a camera telephone, or a combination of these, and also regulating of lighting on the same time

3. Medicinal preparations and doses 4. Separation walls, which are possibly movable

5. A microprocessor, a memory and possible communication connections

6. A display

7. A start button of a scanner

8. A reminder and a possibly resetting button 9. For example by the light and/or sound happening an announcement

10. A vibrator button can be automatic or it can be started manually

11. A teaching unit for example teaching of new medicinal preparations to the device, but advantageously this happens centrally

Claims

1. The method for separation, identification of a medicinal preparation and/or for a dose, and giving medicine information comprises of

(a) taking the picture (2) from the medicinal preparation or the dose (3)

(b) using the machine vision system (5) for separation of the medicinal preparation (3) from each another or for identification

(c) giving the information (6, 9) about the number of the medicinal preparation difference from the previous medication and/or about medicinal preparation or the dose.

2. The method according to the claim 1, wherein in the step (a) the medicinal preparation (3), typically a tablet or a capsule, is photographed with. a scanner (2), a camera, a cellular camera phone, a smart camera, a web camera, a video camera or with a combination of these to a digital form.

3. The method according to the claiml or2 wherein in the step (b) the picture in the digital form taken from the step (a) is analyzed with machine vision technologies (5), typically with different pattern recognition technologies, the fuzzy logic or neural networks or with a combination of these in order to recognize different known medicinal preparations and/or doses.

4. The method according to the claim 3, wherein the pattern recognition is done with using medicine's (3) shape, color, surface and in addition to other dimensions, like other calculated quantities, for example the relationships of medicine's length and width, and if needed, the regulating of the lighting.

5. The method as claimed in any of the claims 1-4, wherein the picture information gathered in the step (a) includes also the information of light beyond the visible wave lengths and for example using the Raman spectrometer in the identification of the medicinal preparation.

6. The method as claimed in any of the claims 1 -5, wherein the step (c) the information is given about the medicine amount and/or the medicine information.

7. The method as claimed in any of the claims 1-6, wherein the medicine information or/and the medicines' amount can be compared to the previous proportioning times in the computer memory (5), by teaching medicine to the machine vision technology (11) or with the communication connection to the database, for example the database of the electronic prescription and/or the database of the medicine, the medication, or the patient.

8. The method as claimed in any of the claims 1-7, wherein the medication can be checked by for example pressing a button (7), or automatically intervalled, for example in 30 minutes interval, picture taking (a), analysis (b), and giving the information (c) about faulty medicine delivering or notification about the medicinal preparation which has not been taken, and possible existing an alarm stopping button (8).

9. The method as claimed in any of the claims 1-8, wherein the step (c) giving the information is typically done with the announcement in the display (6), or with the sound (9), or with the light, or by the text message, or via the information network or with the combination of these.

10. The apparatus as claimed in the claim 1, wherein it can be a medicine delivery table or a docking medicine box (1) with possible movable partitions (4), a scanner (2), scanners, a camera or a cameras, a cellular camera phone, a smart camera, a web camera, a video camera or combination of these, a picture reading start button (7), possibly a vibrator (10), which target is to ease separating medicinal preparation from each another, a processor (5), a memory, possible a communication connection to, for example, a database of patients or an electronic prescription, a machine vision software, which can be also located elsewhere, for example a camera telephone sends the picture to a central computer which informs via telephone, for example with the text message, or with sound, of, for example, about the medicine taking, and possible adjustment of the lighting in the picture taking process, giving the information on a display (6), a paper printout, a loudspeaker (9), a light source, a text message or other suitable way to inform about the separation or identification success and about the medicine distribution success and possible a medicine information from a memory or from a communication connection to a database.