GB2233795A

GB2233795A - Medication reminder

Info

Publication number: GB2233795A
Application number: GB8927258A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Bill Eggert; Jay S Kunin
Original assignee: LASERMAX CORP
Current assignee: LASERMAX CORP
Priority date: 1989-07-14
Filing date: 1989-12-01
Publication date: 1991-01-16
Also published as: GB8927258D0

Abstract

A portable alarm for alerting a patient when medication is necessary comprises means for in putting times when medication is due and also which of a number of medications should be taken at that time. The device comprises a programmable memory, display timer and alarm. The timer is reset after medication has been taken by the user. The device may warn of possible drug interactions and side effects can be recorded. The device can also be interrogated by emergency medical personnel. <IMAGE>

Description

Medication Reminder The present invention relates to reminder devices for indicating when a person should do something, and more particularly to medication reminders that remind a patient when to take prescription drugs. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to medication reminders that provide information as to when and which type of drug a patient should take, as well as warning the patient of drug interactions.

Present medical drugs have a predetermined therapeutic range in which the effects of taking the drug are beneficial. Under utilization of a drug may endanger the patient with the drug's side effects without reaching levels necessary for a therapeutic action.

On the other hand, over utilization may cause side effects or toxicity to a much greater extent than any possible benefit. Thus is critically important that a patient follow prescribed directions on medications, yet, frequently patients forget whether they have taken medication and either omit doses or repeat them.

This problem is particularly severe for elderly patients who are generally beset with multiple ailments requiring numerous drugs and directions. The fading memory and confusion that come with age further compound the problem. Oftentimes, elderly patients could well lead independent self-sufficient lives but for their inability to follow a therapeutic regimen necessary to their health and wellbeing. Medication reminders will be an important adjunct in drug therapy as the number of elderly people increases and new potent drugs are utilized.

Another problem occurs when a patient is taking several different types of medication, a common occurrence with the elderly. Since it is very difficult to remember which medication has been taken, often one or more of the dosages are missed each time medication should be taken. This may result in too much of a particular drug being taken, along with an insufficient amount of another drug.

Another severe problem is that a patient may forget to tell his doctor what type of drugs he is currently taking, thus a newly prescribed drug interacts with drugs currently being taken to lessen the effect of either or both of the drugs, or perhaps cause a severe side effect. Just as important, the patient may decide to take an over-the-counter drug without consulting a physician, causing the above-described problems.

When drug companies are testing a new drug, it is critically important that they have a complete and accurate record of when and how much medication was taken. Currently, few portable electronic systems are available to record the amount and type of medication taken, along with the time, so hand written records are generally the only records available.

It is thus apparent that there is a need in the art for an improved method or apparatus that will remind a patient when to take medication. There is also a need in the art for a device that will tell a patient which type of medication to take at a given time. There is a further need for such a device that will record the time and amount of medication taken by a patient, and make this information available to their physician. Another need is for a device that will allow a patient to enter the type of drugs being taken, and will alert a patient if these drugs have known interactions.

It is an object of the present invention to allow a patient to enter the medication being taken, along with the amount and time such medication should be taken.

Another object of the invention is to allow such entry using simple numbers.

Still another object is to provide an alphanumeric display showing the name of the medication being taken.

Yet another object of the present invention is to alert a patient if a new medication to be taken will interact with other medication already being taken.

A further object of the present invention is to remind a patient when to take medication.

A still further object is to identify the particular medication that should be taken at a particular time.

Another object is to alert a patient if he has forgotten to take medication at a particular time.

It is also an object of the invention to record the time a patient takes medication.

Another object is to record adverse effects that occur when a patient takes medication.

Another object of the invention is to record the amount of medication taken at a particular time.

Yet another object of the invention is to record and remind a patient of appointments.

Still another object is to remind the patient that their prescription for a medication needs a refill.

A further object of the present invention is to provide emergency personnel with information regarding the type, quantities, and times of the medication being taken by the patient, as well as other important information the patient enters.

The above and other objects are accomplished in a calculatorlike device having a keyboard with a numeric keypad and special keys for input, and an alphanumeric display for output. The device contains a processor, memory, and a clock, as well as a communications interface for sending or receiving information.

A patient inputs information about the drugs being taken, as well as the time and amount of each dosage. The type of drug being taken is entered as a number, and the device displays the name of the drug on the display, so that the patient can confirm the type of medication. In one form of the device, the device checks the drug entered against all other drugs entered to determine if any known drug interactions will occur, and the device notifies the patient if an interaction may occur.

Using the clock, the medication reminder device sounds an alarm when the next dosage of medication should be taken. The medication reminder then displays the name and amount of the drug to be taken. If more than one drug needs to be taken at the alarm time, each is displayed in sequence, requiring the patient to indicate that one has been taken before the next is displayed.

After taking the medication, the patient indicates that he has taken the medication using a special "take" key on the reminder device, and he can input information regarding any side effects encountered when the medication was taken. The device saves the time and dosage amount taken, as well as the side effects entered by the patient, and can transmit this information to a computer for processing, through the communications interface in the device.

The device allows the patient to display the complete schedule of drugs and amounts to be taken. At any time the patient can change the type of drugs, the amount, the times, or the order in which the drugs will be taken.

In one embodiment of the device, a special medical emergency key is provided to inform emergency medical personnel about the drugs the patient is taking. When this key is pressed, the device lists all the drugs being taken, when the last dosage was taken, and any other medical information the patient has entered into the device. This allows on-site medical personnel to have an up to date record of the patient's medical information immediately available.

The device will also allow a patient to enter appointments, and will sound an alarm prior to when the appointment is due.

The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be better understood by reading the following more particular description of the invention, presented in conjunction with the following drawings, wherein: Fig. 1A shows a block diagram of the electrical components of the device; Fig. 1B shows a keyboard layout of one embodiment of the device; Fig. 1C shows a keyboard layout of a second embodiment of the device; Fig 2 is a flowchart of the top level of processing in the device; Figs. 3A through 3G show the processing that occurs when the enter key is pressed; Fig. 4 is a flowchart of the process for changing one of the drugs being taken; Fig. 5 is the process of setting the clock to the next alarm; Fig. 6 is the process of getting a number from the keyboard;; Fig. 7A and 7B show the top level processing for allowing the patient to change information; Fig. 8 shows the process for listing the drug schedule; Fig. 9 shows the processing that occurs when an alarm occurs in the clock; Fig. 10 shows the processing that occurs when the patient indicates that he has taken the required drugs at an alarm time; Fig. 11 shows the process of sending data to a computer; Fig. 12 is a flowchart of the top level processing for a second embodiment of the device; Figs. 13A through 13I show the processing that occurs for the ENTER key in the second embodiment; Fig. 14 shows the process for listing the drug schedule in the second embodiment; Fig. 15 shows the process for listing drug interactions; Fig. 16 shows the processing when an alarm occurs; Fig. 17 shows the process for entering additional medical information;; Fig. 18 shows the process for displaying additional medical information; Fig. 19 shows the process for displaying emergency medical information; and Fig. 20 shows the process of calculating the amount of drugs remaining in a prescription.

The following description is of the best presently contemplated mode of carrying out the present invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined by referencing the appended claims.

In general, the medication reminder device will alert a patient to take medication at specific times, and it will tell the patient which drugs and what amounts to take. It will also record information regarding when drugs were taken, and adverse effects that occur, and it will send this information to a host computer.

In one embodiment, the device will inform the patient of any known drug interactions between drugs that the patient is taking.

Fig. 1A shows a block diagram of the electronics of both embodiments of the medication reminder device. Referring now to Fig. 1A, the medication reminder device 10 is shown having a processing element 12 connected to a system bus 14. A memory 16 for supplying instructions to the processing element 12, and for storing information is also connected to the system bus 14. A keyboard 18 is used by the patient to input information to the processing element 12, and an alphanumeric display 20 is used by the processor 12 to output information to the patient. A communications interface 22 is used by the processing element 12 to send information to a host computer, and a clock 24 is used by the processing element 12 for displaying the time, and for interrupting the processing element 12 when the next drug alarm time occurs.

Fig. 1B shows the external design of a first embodiment of the device. Referring now to Fig. 1B, the device 10 is shown, along with the keyboard 18 and the display 20. The keyboard 18 is shown having a numeric keypad, as well as several special function keys.

The functions performed by pressing these keys will be described below with reference to Figs. 2 through 11.

Fig. 1C shows the external design of a second embodiment the device. Referring now to Fig. 1C, the second embodiment 30 is shown, along with a keyboard 34 and a display 32. The keyboard 34 is shown having a numeric keypad, as well as several special function keys. The functions performed by pressing these keys will be described below with reference to Figs. 12 through 19.

Fig. 2 depicts the flow of the highest level process within the first embodiment of the medication reminder. Referring now to Fig. 2, after power on, or after battery insertion, control starts with the initialize block 100 which performs all the necessary functions for the medication reminder to start operation. for example, constants in Random Access Memory (RAM) are initialized, the clock is set to an initial time, and data is moved from any non-volatile memory to RAM. Block 102 then retrieves any key pressed, and control goes to block 104. Block 104 tests for the "ENTER" key which is used by the patient to enter drugs being taken, as well as appointments. If the ENTER key was pressed, block 104 transfers to Fig. 3A, otherwise control goes to block 106.Block 106 tests for the "C/D" key, which is used by the patient to change or delete drugs being taken, or the times those drugs are taken, as well as appointments. If the C/D key was pressed, control transfers to Fig. 7A, otherwise control transfers to block 108. Block 108 tests for the "LIST" key, which is used by the patient to list all the drugs being taken along with the times they will be taken, as well as any appointments entered. If the key pressed was LIST, control goes to Fig. 7A, otherwise control goes to block 112 to test for the "SET" key. If the key was SET, control goes to block 114 where the patient is prompted for the correct time and date, and the time and date entered are put into the clock. After setting the clock, or if none of the above keys was pressed, control goes back to block 102 to get the next key.

Figs. 3A through 3G show the flow of processing the ENTER command, which is how the patient enters the drugs, amounts and times of their medication schedule. This command is also used to enter appointments. Fig. 3A is entered from Fig. 2 when the ENTER key is pressed. After entering Fig. 3A, block 130 displays a message indicating that the patient should enter a drug number.

Block 132 then calls Fig. 6 to get the number entered by the patient. When Fig. 6 returns, it passes back the last key pressed by the patient, or if the patient enters the maximum number of digits allowable, Fig. 6 returns the ENTER key. Upon return from Fig. 6, if the last key pressed was the "NO" key, block 134 transfers to Fig. 3D to continue, since the patient has indicated that he does not want to enter drug information. If the last key was not the NO key, control goes to block 144 to test for the ENTER key. If the key pressed was not the ENTER key, the keystroke will be ignored, and control goes to block 132 to get the next keystroke.

If the ENTER key was pressed, block 144 transfers to block 146 which uses the number stored in a buffer by Fig. 6 to look up the drug in a drug list. This list is the current medication schedule for this patient, and if the drug is already in the list, the patient may change information about the drug. If the drug is in the list, block 146 transfers to Fig. 3E to make any changes requested by the patient. If the drug is not on the list, control transfers to Fig. 3B to complete the information necessary to create a complete medication schedule entry.

Fig 3B is entered to complete the collection of information for entry of one drug into the medication schedule table. Block 160 uses the drug number entered in Fig. 3A to access a table of drug names and retrieve the name of the drug to be taken by patients. The drug name table contains the names of many of the drugs commonly taken. Using this method, the patient need only enter a simple number, and the medication reminder device will display back the name of the drug to allow the patient to confirm.

After retrieving the name, block 160 transfers to block 162 to display the name of the drug entered, and to confirm that it is the correct drug. Block 164 then gets a key from the keyboard, and block 166 checks for the "NO" key. If the key entered is NO, block 166 transfers to block 168 and then back to Fig. 3A to get a new drug number, since the one entered was incorrect.

If the key was not the NO key,control goes to block 170 to test for the "YES" key. If the key entered is not YES, it will be ignored, so block 170 transfers back to block 164 to get another keystroke. If the YES key was pressed, control goes to block 172 to ask for the number of pills to be taken. Then block 174 calls Fig. 6 to get a number. If the last key pressed while entering the number was not the ENTER key, the key will be ignored, so block 176 transfers back to block 174 to try again. If the ENTER key was pressed, block 176 transfers to block 178 and then to Fig. 3C to complete the entry.

The device can also be used in a manner where the drug names are on a printed card, and only drug numbers are stored. In this case, block 160 to block 170 would not be present, and drug names would not be displayed.

Fig 3C completes the entry of the information for one drug.

After entry from Fig. 3B, block 190 puts the drug number and the number of pills to be taken into the medication schedule table.

Control transfers to block 192 to request the times the drug should be taken. Block 194 calls Fig. 6 to get the time (a number).

After the return from Fig. 6, control goes to block 200 to test for the "AM" key. If the last keystroke entered with the number was the AM key, block 202 stores it in the buffer, which contains the number entered in Fig. 6, and transfers to block 208 to store this buffer data as the time in the medication schedule table.

Control then returns to block 192 to get the next time for the drug to be taken.

If the keystroke was not the AM key, control goes to block 204 to test for the "PM" key, and if the last key pressed was the PM key, control goes to block 206 to store the PM key into the buffer, and then to block 208 to store the time in the medication table.

If the key was not the PM key, control goes to block 210 to test for the "NO" key. If the NO key was not pressed, the last keystroke will be ignored, and control returns to block 194 to try again. If the NO key was pressed, the patient has completed entering all the take times, so control goes to block 212 to call the SET NEXT ALARM function (Fig. 5), which finds the next time for an alarm and loads it into the clock. After return from the SET NEXT ALARM function, control goes to block 214 and then back to Fig. 2 to await the next command or alarm.

Fig. 3D depicts the process of a patient inputting appointments. This process is entered from Fig. 3A when the patient responds "NO" to entry of a drug number. Referring now to Fig. 3D, after entry, block 220 asks the patient if he wishes to enter an appointment. Block 222 gets the next key, and block 224 determines if the key pressed was "YES". If the key was YES, control goes to block 226 which calls the ENTER APPOINTMENT function, Fig. 3G, to get the appointment, and then control goes back to block 220 to ask for another appointment. If the key was not the YES key, control goes to block 228 to test for the "NO" key. If the key was not the NO key, it will be ignored, and block 228 transfers back to block 220 to again ask for an appointment.

If the key was NO, control goes to block 230 to call the SIDE EFFECTS function, Fig. 3F, to allow the patient to enter drug side effects he has encountered. After control returns from the SIDE EFFECTS function, it goes to Fig. 2 to get the next command or alarm.

Fig. 3E is entered from Fig. 3A when the drug entered by the patient is found in the medication schedule table. After entry, block 240 asks the patient if he wants to change information regarding the drug. Block 242 gets the next keystroke, and block 244 tests it. If the keystroke is not the "YES" key, control goes back to Fig. 2 to await a new command. If the key is the YES key, control goes to block 246 which calls the CHANGE DRUG function, Fig. 4, to allow the patient to change information about the drug.

After returning from the CHANGE DRUG function, control goes to Fig.

2 to await the next command or alarm.

Fig. 3F is entered after the patient responds NO to the drug number and also to the request to input an appointment. The process of Fig. 3F allows the patient to enter common side effects encountered when taking drugs, and this process is used when the medication reminder is being used to collect information about the use of one or more drugs. After entry, block 250 asks if the patient wishes to enter a side effect. Block 252 gets the number of the side effect, and block 254 tests the last key pressed. If the last key was NO, control transfers directly to block 278 to return to the caller. If the last key was not the NO key, control goes to block 260 to test for the "ENTER" key. If the key was not ENTER, it is ignored, and control goes back to block 252 to try again. If the key was the ENTER key, control goes to block 262 to look up the side effect in the side effect table.The side effect table contains a list of the most common side effects encountered when taking prescription drugs, so the patient only has to enter a number to record that he has encountered a particular side effect. After retrieving the name of the side effect from the table, control goes to block 264 where the side effect name is displayed. Control then goes to block 266 to get a number representing the severity of the side effect, and then block 268 tests the last keystroke pressed for the "NO" key. If the last keystroke was NO, control transfers to block 250 to allow the patient to try again. If the keystroke was not the NO key, control goes block 274 to test for the "ENTER" key, and if the keystroke was not ENTER, it is ignored, so control goes back to block 266 to try again.If the ENTER key was pressed, control goes to block 276 to record the side effect encountered, along with the severity of the side effect and time of entry. This side effect information can be sent to a host computer through the communications interface, where it can be used in the analysis of a drug. After recording the side effect, control goes to block 278 to return to the caller.

Fig. 3G depicts the process of entering an appointment.

Referring now to Fig. 3G, after entry, block 280 gets the time of the appointment, which is a number. Block 281 then tests the last key pressed for the NO key, and returns if the patient pressed the NO key. If the NO key was not pressed, control goes to block 282 to test for the AM or PM keys, and if neither of these keys was pressed, control returns to the caller. If either the AM or the PM key was pressed, control goes to block 284 to ask for the date.

Then block 285 calls Fig. 6 to get a number and block 286 checks for the ENTER key. If the ENTER key was pressed, control goes to block 287 to ask the patient for the doctor phone number. Block 288 then gets a number and block 290 tests the last key pressed for the ENTER key. If the last key pressed was not the ENTER key, control returns to the caller, otherwise, control goes to block 292 to store the appointment into the appointment table before returning to the caller. Although not shown in the above described flowchart, the device may also allow a patient to enter the amount of time prior to an appointment time that the patient wishes to be notified of the appointment.

Fig. 4 depicts a subroutine that is called from other routines to change information relating to a drug being taken. Referring now to Fig. 4, after entry, control goes to block 302 which displays the drug name and the first take time in the medication schedule table for the drug. The drug name was passed to this subroutine when it was called. Block 304 then gets the time, which is a number, and upon return from Fig. 6, block 306 tests the last keystroke pressed. If the last key pressed was the AM or PM key, control goes to block 312 to store the new take time in the medication schedule table. Control then transfers to block 314 which tests the medication schedule table to determine if the table contains another take time for this drug. If another take time exists, control goes back to block 302 to display the next take time, otherwise control goes to block 328 to set the next alarm.

If block 306 finds that the last keystroke was not the AM or PM keys, control goes to block 308 which tests for the NO key. If the keystroke was the NO key, control goes to block 324 which calls Fig. 5 to set the next alarm into the clock before returning to the caller.

If block 308 determines that the NO key was not pressed, control goes to block 310 to test for the C/D key, and if the C/D key was not pressed, the keystroke will be ignored, so control goes back to block 304 to try again. If block 310 finds that the C/D key has been pressed, control goes to block 316 to ask the patient if he wishes to delete the drug. Then block 318 gets a keystroke, and if it is the YES key, block 320 goes to block 322 where the drug is deleted from the medication schedule table before going to block 324 to set the next alarm time into the clock. If the keystroke returned in block 318 is not the YES key, it is assumed that the patient does not wish to delete the drug, so control goes directly to block 324 to set the next alarm time before returning to the caller.

Fig. 5 depicts a subroutine to set the next alarm into the time clock. Referring now to Fig. 5, After entry, block 340 searches the medication schedule table and the appointment table to determine the next drug take time, or the next appointment alarm time that is nearest to the current time. Block 342 then sets this time into the clock to cause it to send an alarm interrupt when the time occurs. Control then returns to the caller. Those skilled in the art will recognize that appointments and drug schedules could be stored in the same table, which would require block 340 to only search one table.

Fig 6 shows the process of getting a number from the keyboard.

After entry, block 350 gets the next keystroke from the keyboard.

Block 352 tests the keystroke to determine if it is a number, and if it is not a number, control goes to block 358 to return to the caller. If the keystroke is a number, control goes to block 354 to store the number into a buffer in RAM. Block 356 then tests a count passed into the subroutine to determine if the maximum number of keystrokes has been entered. If the maximum number of keystrokes has not been entered, control goes back to block 350 to get the next key, otherwise, control returns to the caller. When returning to the caller, this subroutine passes back the keystroke that caused the subroutine to complete processing, and if processing was completed because the count was reached, the ENTER key is passed back.

Figs 7A and 7B show the process of allowing the patient to make changes to data entered earlier. Referring now to Fig. 7A, after entry from Fig. 2, block 370 asks the patient if he wants to make changes in the drugs being taken or the take times for those drugs. Block 372 gets the next key. Block 374 determines if the key pressed was the NO key, and if so, transfers to Fig. 7B to make changes in appointments. If the NO key was not pressed, block 374 goes to block 378 to test for the YES key. If the keystroke was not the YES key, the key is ignored, and control goes back to block 372 to get the next key. If the keystroke was the YES key, control goes to block 380. If there are no more entries (or none) in the medication schedule table, block 380 transfers to block 382 which informs the patient that there are no more drugs to change, then control goes back to Fig. 2.If there are more entries in the medication schedule table, block 380 transfers to block 384 which displays the next (or first) drug in the table. Block 386 then gets a keystroke, and block 388 tests for the YES key. If the keystroke is not the YES key, control goes to block 380 to display the next drug. Otherwise, control goes to block 390 which calls Fig. 4 to make changes to the take times for the drug. After returning from Fig. 4, control then goes back to Fig. 2.

Fig. 7B is entered from block 374 of Fig. 7A when the patient responds NO to the "CHANGE DRUG?" display of block 370 of Fig. 7A.

After entry to Fig. 7B, block 400 tests the appointment table to determine if more (or any) appointments have been stored. If no more appointments, or none, are in the table, control goes to block 418 to inform the patient, and then control returns to Fig. 2. If there are more appointments, control goes to block 401 to display the next appointment. Block 402 then gets a key and block 403 tests it. If the key was the NO key, control returns to block 400 to check the next appointment. If the key was not the NO key, control goes to block 404 to ask for the time. Block 405 then calls Fig. 6 to get a number from the keyboard, and block 406 tests for the AM or PM key being returned from Fig. 6. If the AM or PM key was returned, block 407 asks for the date and block 408 gets a number. Block 409 then tests for the ENTER key and if found, goes to block 410 to update the appointment table.Block 411 then sets the next alarm before returning to Fig. 2.

If block 406 does not find AM or PM keys, or block 409 does not find the ENTER key, control goes to block 412 to test for the C/D key. If the key is not the C/D key, control returns to block 400 to check for more appointments. If the C/D key was pressed, control goes to block 413 to ask if the patient wants to delete the drug. Block 414 gets a key and block 415 tests for NO. If the key is NO, control returns to block 400, otherwise it goes to block 416 to test for YES. If the key is not YES, control returns directly to block 400, otherwise control goes to block 417 which deletes the appointment before returning to block 400.

Fig. 8 shows the process of listing the drugs and appointments currently entered into the medication reminder. This figure is entered from Fig. 2 when the patient presses the LIST key. After entry, block 430 tests the medication schedule table to determine if there are more (or any) drug entries. If there are entries, control goes to block 432 to display the next (or first) entry, and then block 434 gets the next key. Block 436 determines if the key pressed was the LIST key, and if so, control goes back to block 430 to list the next drug in the table. If the key pressed is not the LIST key, control goes to block 438 to test for the NO key. If the key pressed is not the NO key, control goes to block 430 to get the next key. If there are no more entries, or if the NO key is pressed after displaying an entry, control goes to block 444 to test the appointment table.If the appointment table has no more entries (or none), control goes to block 452 to inform the patient before returning to Fig. 2. If there are more appointments, control goes to block 446 to display the next appointment. Then block 448 gets a keystroke, and block 450 tests it. The loop formed by blocks 444 to 450 will continue until the appointment table is exhausted, or until the patient presses a key other than LIST, then control will return to Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 depicts the process that occurs when the clock signals an alarm interrupt. Referring now to Fig. 9, After entry, block 460 sounds the audible alarm for a short period of time, block 462 displays the alarm visually, and block 466 gets a key from the keyboard. After any key is pressed, block 470 displays the appointment or the drug name and time of the alarm, and block 472 gets another key. If the key is the TAKE key, control goes to block 476 to call Fig. 10 to enter information regarding the drug taken, and to set the next alarm time. Block 478 checks the alarm just set to determine if it is due, and if so, control transfers back to block 460. If the next alarm is not past due, control returns to Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 shows the process for entering information regarding a drug that has been taken. Referring now to Fig. 10, after entry, block 490 saves the drug name, alarm time, and time taken into the drug taken table in RAM. Block 491 then moves a pointer past this alarm, and block 492 decrements the pill count. Block 493 tests to determine if the pill count is less than a three day supply and if so, block 494 displays a refill message (where X is the number of days supply remaining). Then block 494 calls Fig. 5 to set the next alarm time into the clock before returning to the caller.

Fig. 11 depicts the process of uploading drug taken and side effect information to a host computer. Referring now to Fig. 11, after entry via interrupt from the communications interface, block 498 establishes communication with the host computer and uploads data from the drug taken table, along with any other information requested by the host computer, before returning to the process that was interrupted.

Fig. 12 depicts the flow of the highest level process within a second embodiment of the medication reminder. Referring now to Fig. 12, after power on, or after battery insertion, control starts with the initialize block 602 which performs all the necessary functions for the reminder to start operation. For example, constants in Random Access Memory (RAM) are initialized, the clock is set to an initial time, and data is moved from any non-volatile memory to RAM. Block 604 then retrieves any key pressed, and control goes to block 606. Block 606 tests for the "ENTER" key which is used by the patient to enter drugs being taken, as well as appointments. If the ENTER key was pressed, block 606 transfers to Fig. 13A, otherwise control goes to block 608.Block 608 tests for the "C/D" key, which is used by the patient to change or delete drugs being taken, or the times those drugs are taken, as well as appointments. If the C/D key was pressed, control transfers to Fig. 7A, otherwise control transfers to block 610. Block 610 tests for the "LIST" key, which is used by the patient to list all the drugs being taken along with the times they will be taken, as well as any appointments entered. If the key pressed was LIST, control goes to Fig. 14, otherwise control goes to block 614 to test for the "SET" key. If the key pressed was SET, control goes to block 616 where the patient is prompted for the correct time, and the time entered is put into the clock. After setting the clock, control goes back to block 604 to get the next key.

If the key pressed was not SET, control goes to block 618 to test for the INFO key. This key is used by the patient to enter additional medical data, which can be displayed by others when necessary, or by medical emergency personnel. If the INFO key was pressed, control goes to Fig. 17, otherwise control goes to block 620. Block 620 tests for the DATA key, which is used by the patient to display the medical data entered with the INFO key. If the key pressed was the DATA key, control goes to Fig 18, otherwise control goes to block 622. Block 622 tests for the EMERG key, which is used by emergency medical personnel to display all the drugs the patient is taking, as well as all the medical data entered with the INFO key. If the key was EMERG, control goes to Fig. 19, otherwise control goes to block 624.Block 624 tests for the INTER key, which is used by the patient to display drug interactions between the drugs the patient is taking, as well as interactions between drugs being taken and certain foods or diseases entered by the patient. If the INTER key was pressed, control goes to Fig. 15, otherwise the key pressed will be ignored, and control goes to block 604 to get the next key.

Figs. 13A through 13I show the flow of processing the ENTER command, which is how the patient enters the drugs, amounts, and times of their medication schedule. This command is also used to enter appointments. Fig. 13A is entered from Fig. 12 when the ENTER key is pressed. After entering Fig. 13A, block 640 displays a message indicating that the patient should enter a drug number.

Block 642 then calls Fig. 6 to get a number from the patient.

After placing the number in a buffer, Fig. 6 returns the last key pressed by the patient. If the last key pressed is the "NO" key, block 644 transfers to Fig. 13G to continue, since the patient has indicated that he does not want to enter drug information. If the last key pressed was not the ENTER key, the keystroke will be ignored, and control goes back to block 642 to get a valid number.

If the ENTER key was pressed, block 646 transfers to block 648 which uses the number stored in the buffer to access a drug list.

This list is the current medication schedule for this patient, and if the drug is already in the list, the patient may change information about it. If the drug is in the list, block 648 transfers to Fig. 13I to make any changes requested by the patient.

If the drug is not on the list, control transfers to Fig. 13B to complete the information necessary to create a complete medication schedule entry.

Fig 13B is entered to complete the collection of information for entry of one drug into the medication schedule. Block 660 uses the drug number entered in Fig. 13A to access a table of drug names and retrieve the name of the drug to be taken. The drug name table contains the names of many of the drugs commonly taken. Using this method, the patient need only enter a simple number, and the medication reminder device will display back the name of the drug to confirm. After retrieving the name, block 660 transfers to block 662 to display the name of the drug entered, and to confirm that it is the correct drug. Block 664 then gets a key from the keyboard, and block 666 checks for the "NO" key. If the key entered is NO, block 666 transfers back to Fig. 13A to get a new drug number, since the one entered was incorrect.If the key is not the NO key, control goes to block 668 to test for the "YES" key. If the key entered is not YES, it will be ignored, so block 668 transfers back to block 664 to get another keystroke. If the YES key was pressed, control goes to Fig. 13C.

Fig 13C receives control from Fig. 13B when the patient wishes to enter the specific drug take times, rather than entering a frequency and letting the medication reminder compute the take times. After entry, block 690 requests the times the drug should be taken. Block 692 gets a number from the patient, and returns the last keystroke pressed by the patient. If the last keystroke was the AM key, block 694 transfers to block 696 which stores it in the buffer (which was used to store the number) and transfers to block 704 to store this time in the medication schedule table.

Control then returns to block 690 to get the next time for the drug to be taken.

If the keystroke was not the AM key, control goes to block 698 to test for the "PM" key, and if found, control goes to block 700 to store the PM into the buffer, and then to block 704 to store the time in the medication table. If the key was not the PM key, control goes to block 702 to test for the "NO" key. If the NO key was not pressed, the keystroke is ignored, and control returns to block 692 to try again. If the NO key was pressed, the patient has completed entering all the take times, so control goes to Fig. 13D to continue collecting information.

Fig 13D gets the dosage of the drug from the patient.

Referring now to Fig. 13D, after entry, block 720 asks the patient to enter the dosage to be taken each time. By keeping track of dosage, the medication reminder can inform the patient that a refill prescription is needed for the drug, before the patient runs out of medication. Block 722 then gets a number from the patient.

If the last key pressed was not ENTER, control goes to block 725 to store zero as the dosage in the table. Control then goes to Fig. 13F, entry point 2, to complete processing. If the key was the ENTER key, control goes to block 726 to store the dosage in the medication schedule table, before transferring to Fig. 13E.

Referring now to Fig. 13E, after entry, block 730 asks for the prescription size (the amount of medication that is contained in the prescription), and block 732 calls Fig. 6 to get a number.

After returning from Fig. 6, block 734 tests for the ENTER key, and if the last key pressed was not the ENTER key, control goes to block 735 to store zero as the pill count before going to Fig. 13F, entry point 2, to complete processing. If the ENTER key was pressed, control goes to block 736 which stores the pill count in the medication schedule table. Then block 738 asks for the start date for taking the medication, and block 740 calls Fig. 6 to get a number. Block 741 tests the return from Fig. 6 for the ENTER key, and if the ENTER key was not returned, control goes to block 742 to store the current date as the start date before going to Fig. 13F, entry point 2, to complete processing. If the ENTER key was the last key pressed, control goes to block 744 to store the start date in the medication schedule table, before transferring to Fig. 13F, entry point 1.

After entering through entry point 1 in Fig. 13F, block 750 asks the patient for the start time for the medication, and block 752 gets a number. Bock 754 tests for the ENTER key, and block 756 tests for the AM or PM keys. If any of these keys were pressed, control goes to block 758 to store the start time in the medication schedule table. If none of those keys were pressed, control goes to block 757 to store the current time as the start time, and then control goes to block 760. Block 760 completes the enter processing by calling Fig. 5 to set the next alarm into the clock, before returning to Fig. 12.

Fig. 13G allows a patient to enter an appointment into the medication reminder. Referring now to Fig. 13G, after entry from Fig. 13A, block 770 asks the patient if he desires to enter an appointment, and block 772 gets a key from the keyboard. Block 74 then examines the key pressed and if it was the YES key, control transfers to block 776 which calls Fig. 3G to enter the appointment. If the YES key was not pressed, control goes to block 778 which tests for the NO key. If the NO key was pressed, control goes to Fig. 13H to accept a Food/Disease into the reminder. If the NO key was not pressed, the key will be ignored, and control returns to Fig. 12 to try again.

Fig. 13H allows the patient to enter a Food or Disease, so that the reminder can check for interactions between the food or disease and medication being taken. After entry from Fig. 13G, block 784 prompts the patient to enter a food or disease, then block 786 calls Fig. 6 to get a number. The foods or diseases that may be entered are specified by a number. After returning from Fig. 6, block 787 tests for the NO key, and if the last key pressed by the patient was the NO key, control returns to Fig. 12.

Otherwise, control goes to block 788 to look up the food or disease in a table. After retrieving the name of the food or disease, block 792 displays the name and block 794 gets a key. If the key pressed was NO, control goes back to block 784 to accept a new food/disease number. If the NO key was not pressed, control goes to block 797 to test for YES. If the key was not YES, control returns to block 794 to try again, otherwise control goes to block 798 to enter the food/disease into the medication schedule table, and then control returns to Fig. 12.

Fig. 13I is entered from Fig. 13A when the drug entered is already in the medication schedule table, and the patient wishes to make changes. Block 802 prompts the patient with the name of the drug and asks if a change is desired. Block 804 gets a key and block 806 examines it. If the key pressed is not YES, control goes to block 807 to test for NO. If the key was not NO, control returns to block 804 to try again, otherwise control returns to Fig. 12. If the YES key was pressed, control goes to block 808 to call Fig. 4 and change the drug, or drug take time schedules, before returning to Fig. 12.

Fig. 14 depicts the process of listing the drugs and appointments currently entered into the medication reminder. This figure is entered from Fig. 12 when the patient presses the LIST key. After entry, block 820 tests the medication schedule table to determine if there are more (or any) drug entries. If there are entries, control goes to block 822 to display the next (or first) entry, and then block 824 gets the next key. Block 825 tests for the NO key, and if it was pressed, control goes to Fig.

7B to display appointments. If the NO key was not pressed, block 826 determines if the key pressed was the NEXT key, and if so, control goes back to block 820 to list the next drug in the table.

If the key pressed was not the NEXT key, control goes to block 828 to test for the PREV key. If the key pressed was not the PREV key, control goes to block 820 to check the next entry in the table.

If the PREV key was pressed, block 828 transfers to block 832 to determine if there are any previous entries in the table, and if there are, control goes to block 834 which points to the previous entry before returning to block 820 to display it. If there are no more entries, or no more previous entries, control goes to block 836 to display a no more entries message before returning to Fig.

12.

Fig. 15 shows the process of displaying interactions between drugs, or between drugs and foods/diseases, and is entered from Fig. 12 when the patient presses the ENTER key. Referring now to Fig. 15, after entry, block 870 determines if there are more (or any) drug or food pairs to be checked, and if not, control goes to block 872 to inform the patient before returning to Fig. 12. If there are more drug or food pairs, control goes to block 874 to look up, in the interaction matrix, any interactions with the next pair in the medication schedule table. Block 876 then determines if there is a non-zero severity associated with the pair interaction. A zero severity will be associated with an interaction when there is no interaction, or the interaction is insignificant. If the severity is zero, control goes back to block 870 to display the next pair. If the severity is non-zero, control goes to block 878 to display the severity message from the interaction matrix table. Then block 880 gets a key, and block 882 tests it. If the key is not YES, control goes back to block 870 to check the next drug in the medication schedule table. If the key pressed is YES, control goes to block 884 to display the two drugs, or the drug and food/disease. Then block 886 gets a key, and block 888 tests it. If the key is NEXT, control goes back to block 870 to display the next pair. If the key is PREV, control goes back to block 878 to display the next severity message for this drug pair. This loop continues until all drug interactions have been displayed, then control returns to Fig. 12.

Fig. 16 depicts the process that occurs when the clock signals an alarm interrupt. Referring now to Fig. 16, after entry, block 900 sounds the audible alarm for a short period of time, and block 902 displays the alarm visually. Block 904 blanks the display screen, and block 906 gets a key from the keyboard. After any key is pressed, block 908 displays the drug name and take time for the drug causing the alarm, and block 910 gets another key. If the key pressed is not the TAKE key, control returns to Fig. 12, otherwise block 913 calls Fig. 20 to calculate the amount of prescription remaining, then control goes to block 914 to call Fig. 5 to set the next alarm. Block 916 checks the alarm just set to determine if it is due, and if so, control transfers back to block 900. If the next alarm is not past due, control returns to Fig. 12.

Fig. 17 allows a patient to enter additional medical information into the reminder, and is entered from Fig. 12 when the patient presses the INFO key. Referring now to Fig. 17, after entry, block 930 prompts the patient to enter information. Block 932 calls Fig. 6 to get a number, and after return from Fig. 6, block 934 tests the last key pressed by the patient. If the last key pressed was the NO key, block 934 transfers control back to Fig. 12. If the key was not the NO key, block 934 transfers to block 936 which looks up the information item based on the number input by the patient. Block 938 then displays the name of the information item, and asks the patient to verify. Block 940 then gets the next key, and block 942 tests it. If the key pressed is not YES, block 942 transfers to block 930 to try again.If the key is the YES key, block 942 goes to block 944 which enters the information item in the medication schedule table before returning to block 930 to get another item. Block 944 may request additional information from the patient if the information item requires it, for example, the information item might consist of blood pressure, in which case block 944 would request that the patient enter their blood pressure, and block 944 will store the blood pressure entered into the medication schedule table.

Fig. 18 allows the patient to display any additional information entered by them using the INFO key. Referring now to Fig. 18, after entry, block 950 checks the medication information table to determine if more information (or any) needs to be displayed, and if not, control goes to block 952 to inform the patient before returning to Fig. 12. If more information needs to be displayed, control goes to block 954 which displays the next information item along with any data entered with it, and then block 956 gets the next key. If the key pressed is NEXT, block 958 transfers back to block 950 to display the next item, otherwise block 958 transfers back to Fig. 12.

Fig. 19 depicts the process of displaying all drugs being taken by the patient as well as additional information entered.

Fig. 19 is entered from Fig. 12 by pressing the EMERG key. This function is expected to be used by emergency medical personnel, so it is designed to require no action except the initial pressing of the EMERG key. Referring now to Fig. 19, after entry, block 960 checks the medication schedule table to determine if there are more drugs (or any) to be displayed. If there are more to be displayed, control goes to block 962 to display the next (or first) drug.

Then control goes to block 964 to delay for a short time. The amount of delay is sufficient to allow the medical personnel to read the drug from the display. After the delay, block 964 transfers back to block 960 to display the next drug. After all drugs have been displayed, control goes to bock 966 to display the medical information entered with the INFO key. Block 966 determines if there is more (or any) medical information to be displayed, and if so, transfers to block 970 to display the next item. Control then goes to block 972 to delay long enough for the medical personnel to read the information from the display, then control returns to block 966 to display the next item. After all medical information has been displayed, control goes to block 968 to inform the medical personnel that all information has been displayed, then control returns to Fig. 12.

Fig 20 is a subroutine used to process a drug dosage taken by the patient. Upon entry, block 840 deducts the amount of medication taken from the amount remaining in the prescription, and block 842 determines if the prescription is depleted. If the prescription is not depleted, control goes to block 856 which calls Fig. 5 to set the next alarm before returning to the caller. If the prescription is depleted, control goes to block 844 which displays a drug depleted message to the patient and asks if the drug is to be deleted from the medication schedule table. Block 846 gets the next key, and block 848 examines it. If the key pressed was the NO key, block 848 returns to the caller. If the key pressed was not the NO key, block 848 transfers to block 852 which tests for the YES key. If the key was YES, control goes to block 854 to delete the drug from the medication schedule table.

If the key was not YES, or after deleting the drug, control returns to the caller.

Having thus described a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects.of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and circuitry and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and the description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, more preferably defined in scope by the following claims.

Claims

1. A medication reminder comprising: input means for entering one or more drugs to be taken and one or more times when the drugs should be taken; output means for displaying the drugs being taken; clock means for identifying when one or more of the drugs should be taken; and alarm means for alerting a patient when the clock means identifies that a drug should be taken.

2. The medication reminder of claim 1 further comprising logging means for storing and displaying the times the drugs were taken and the amount of drugs taken each time.

3. The medication reminder of claim 2 further comprising logging means for storing and displaying side effects encountered each time drugs are taken.

4. The medication reminder of claim 3 further comprising communications means for sending the times the drugs were taken, the amounts taken, and the side effects encountered to a remote device.

5. The medication reminder of claim 1 wherein the input means further comprises: means for accepting a drug number; and means for converting the drug number to a drug name and for displaying the drug name on the output means.

6. The medication reminder of claim 5 wherein the alarm means further comprises means for displaying the drug name of the drug to be taken.

7. The medication reminder of claim 1 further comprising emergency display means for displaying all drugs entered.

8. The medication reminder of claim 1 further comprising interaction detection means for detecting and displaying known interactions between the drugs entered.

9. The medication reminder of claim 1 further comprising means for entering and storing additional medical information.

10. The medication reminder of claim 9 further comprising emergency medical display means for displaying the additional medical information entered.

11. The medication reminder of claim 1 wherein the input means further comprises means for entering one or more appointment times, and wherein the clock means further comprises means for identifying when one or more of the appointment times occurs.

12. The medication reminder of claim 11 wherein the alarm means alerts the patient a predetermined amount of time prior each of the appointment times entered.

13. The medication reminder of claim 11 wherein the alarm means alerts the patient a programmable amount of time prior each of the appointment times entered.

14. The medication reminder of claim 1 further comprising: means for entering a prescription size for each of the drugs to be taken; means for counting each of the drugs taken; and means for alerting the patient when the prescription for one or more of the drugs being taken should be refilled.

15. A medication reminder comprising: input means for entering one or more drugs to be taken and one or more times when the drugs should be taken; output means for displaying the drugs being taken; means for entering a prescription size for each of the drugs to be taken; clock means for identifying when one or more of the drugs should be taken; alarm means for alerting a patient when the clock means identifies that a drug should be taken; counting means for counting the drugs taken; and prescription alert means for alerting the patient when the prescription for one or more of the drugs is exhausted.

16. The medication reminder of claim 15 wherein the input means further comprises: means for accepting a drug number; and means for converting the drug number to a drug name and for displaying the drug name on the output means.

17. The medication reminder of claim 16 wherein the input means further comprises means for entering one or more appointment times, wherein the clock means further comprises means for identifying when one or more of the appointment times occurs, and wherein the alarm means alerts the patient prior to each of the appointment times entered.

18. The medication reminder of claim 17 further comprising: drug logging means for storing and displaying the times the drugs were taken and the amount of drugs taken each time; side effect logging means for storing and displaying side effects encountered each time drugs are taken; and communications means for sending the times the drugs were taken, the amounts taken, and the side effects encountered to a remote device.

19. A process for reminding a patient to take medication comprising the steps of: entering one or more drug numbers of drugs to be taken into a medication schedule table; entering times when the one or more drugs are to be taken; entering the prescription size for each of the drugs to be taken; identifying each time one or more of the drugs should be taken; alerting the patient when the one or more drugs is identified; counting the drugs taken; and alerting the patient when a prescription for one or more of the drugs being taken is exhausted.

20. The process of claim 19 further comprising the steps of: logging the amount of each drug taken; logging the time each drug is taken; logging and side effects encountered with each drug taken; communicating the logged information to a remote device.

21. A medication reminder substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.