KR20240067613A - Medication managing device capable of detecting emergency situations - Google Patents

Abstract

The embodiment relates to a medication administration device, and in particular, to a medication administration device that accurately determines whether a user has taken the medication using weight and pressure values.
The drug administration management device according to the embodiment includes a first receiving space in which pills are accommodated, a pill receiving portion having a door on one side that can be opened and closed for inputting and discharging pills, and a second receiving space in which medicine packets are accommodated; , a medicine bag receiving part having an entrance and exit part that allows insertion and discharge of the medicine bag, and a medicine bag receiving part that is detachably coupled to each of the pill receiving part and the medicine bag receiving part, detects the input and discharge of the pill in the pill receiving part, and the medicine bag receiving part. It is composed of a main body that detects the insertion and discharge of the medicine packet within.

Description

{MEDICATION MANAGING DEVICE CAPABLE OF DETECTING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS}

The embodiment relates to a medication management device capable of detecting an emergency situation, and in particular, to a medication management device capable of detecting an emergency situation that accurately determines whether the user has taken the medication using weight and pressure values.

In general, medications are taken according to a doctor's or pharmacist's prescription for the purpose of treating or preventing disease. When taking medicine in this way, the process and time for decomposition and absorption within the human body are different depending on the unique ingredients or effects of the medicine, so the time for taking the medicine is determined during the prescription process.

In the case of medications taken on a daily basis, such as colds, no major problems will arise if you do not exactly follow the dosage instructions instructed during the prescription process. However, in the case of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and tuberculosis, you must take the medication at the prescribed time to prevent illness. It can prevent it from worsening or causing complications, and can improve the condition.

Due to the recent global aging phenomenon and changes in eating habits, the number of patients with chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia is continuously increasing. Because patients must take many types of drugs over a long period of time to treat and manage chronic diseases, the patient's medication adherence is very important.

Medication compliance refers to the degree to which a patient correctly takes the medication prescribed by a doctor, and non-adherence such as overdosing, underdosing, and misdosing can lead to serious consequences such as worsening the disease condition and causing fatal complications. .

Meanwhile, a medication dispenser is a personal health device that dispenses medication according to a set schedule and assists the user in taking medication by providing visual reminders for taking medication. It is currently considered the most effective method to increase medication compliance, but the medication dispenser is a personal health device that helps users take medication by dispensing medication according to a set schedule and providing visual reminders for taking medication. It has the disadvantage of not being able to detect whether or not the drug has been taken, making it difficult to prevent intentional non-compliance with medication.

The purpose of the embodiment is to provide a medication management device capable of detecting an emergency situation by accurately confirming whether the user has taken the medication using weight and pressure values.

The drug administration management device according to the embodiment includes a first receiving space in which pills are accommodated, a pill receiving portion having a door on one side that can be opened and closed for inputting and discharging pills, and a second receiving space in which medicine packets are accommodated; , a medicine bag receiving part having an entrance and exit part that allows insertion and discharge of the medicine bag, and a medicine bag receiving part that is detachably coupled to each of the pill receiving part and the medicine bag receiving part, detects the input and discharge of the pill in the pill receiving part, and the medicine bag receiving part. It is composed of a main body that detects the insertion and discharge of the medicine packet within.

In addition, the medicine container has a container case that is open on one side and has a second receiving space formed therein, and is coupled to one side of the container case, and has both sides that are open with the surfaces facing each other penetrating, and allows the medicine package to be inserted and discharged. It is composed of an entrance and exit unit, and adjacent to one side of the opening of the entrance unit, an opening is formed to facilitate insertion and discharge of the medicine packet while allowing the medicine packet to be visible from the outside. A concave groove is formed in the opening portion, and the main body. The unit is comprised of a main body case that accommodates control devices inside or on the side, the first side of the main body case is coupled to face one side of the accommodating case, and the second side of the main body case is connected to the opening of the entrance/exit section. It is coupled to face one side of the main body case, and a weight sensor is installed on the first side of the main case to detect the weight of the pill or the weight of the medicine container, and the second side of the main case is in contact with a part of the medicine bag to enter the medicine bag. A pressure sensor that detects pressure is installed, and a groove for easy discharge of medicine is formed on the side adjacent to the second side of the main case.

In addition, the medication management device is mounted on one or more of the pill receptacle, main body, and medicine package receptacle, and can be in contact with the skin of the user. It includes a contact sensor that generates a touch detection value according to skin contact and applies it to the processor. , Contains a processor that determines whether the user has taken it by checking the user's grip according to the contact detection value from the contact sensor and checking the decrease in pills or medicine packets according to the weight value from the weight sensor and the pressure value from the pressure sensor. It is desirable to do so.

In addition, the medication management device preferably includes a display unit, a speaker, or a vibrator unit, and the processor determines whether the user has taken the medication according to a pre-stored dosage schedule, and performs a medication alarm through the display unit, speaker, or vibrator unit when the medication is not taken. do.

In addition, the medication management device preferably includes a communication unit, and the processor transmits information related to whether or not the medication has been taken to the user's communication terminal, guardian's communication terminal, or management server through the communication unit.

The embodiment uses weight and pressure values to accurately confirm whether the user has taken the medicine, but additionally uses contact detection to ensure accuracy of whether the medicine has been taken, and it is possible to store medicine packets and pills at the same time. In addition, it supports a portable form by reducing the weight of the medicine box, updates medication information (whether medication is taken) to the guardian's application through real-time data processing, and automatically links to crisis management centers such as 119 when an emergency situation is detected. It has the effect of preventing accidents in advance.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a medicine administration management device according to an embodiment.
2A and 2B are perspective views of a medication management device according to an embodiment.
Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of a medication management system including a medication management device according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments are described in detail through the drawings. However, this is not intended to be limiting to specific embodiments, and the described embodiments should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numbers may be used for similar components.

In this document, expressions such as “have,” “may have,” “includes,” or “may include” refer to the existence of the corresponding feature (e.g., a numerical value, function, operation, or component such as a part). , and does not rule out the existence of additional features.

In this document, expressions such as “A or B,” “at least one of A or/and B,” or “one or more of A or/and B” may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. . For example, “A or B”, “at least one of A and B”, or “at least one of A or B” (1) includes at least one A, (2) includes at least one B, or (3) it may refer to all cases including both at least one A and at least one B.

As used herein, expressions such as "first", "second", "first", or "second" may describe various elements in any order and/or importance, and may refer to one element as another. It is only used to distinguish from components and does not limit the components. For example, a first user device and a second user device may represent different user devices regardless of order or importance. For example, a first component may be renamed a second component without departing from the scope of rights described in this document, and similarly, the second component may also be renamed the first component.

A component (e.g., a first component) is “(operatively or communicatively) coupled with/to” another component (e.g., a second component). When referred to as being “connected to,” it should be understood that any component may be directly connected to the other component or may be connected through another component (e.g., a third component). On the other hand, when a component (e.g., a first component) is said to be “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component (e.g., a second component), It may be understood that no other component (e.g., a third component) exists between other components.

The expression “configured to” used in this document may mean, for example, “suitable for,” “having the capacity to,” or “having the capacity to.” It can be used interchangeably with ", "designed to," "adapted to," "made to," or "capable of." The term “configured (or set) to” may not necessarily mean “specifically designed to” in hardware. Instead, in some contexts, the expression “a device configured to” may mean that the device is “capable of” working with other devices or components. For example, the phrase "processor configured (or set) to perform A, B, and C" refers to a processor dedicated to performing the operations (e.g., an embedded processor), or executing one or more software programs stored on a memory device. By doing so, it may mean a general-purpose processor (eg, CPU or application processor) capable of performing the corresponding operations.

Terms used in this document are merely used to describe specific embodiments and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Singular expressions may include plural expressions, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the technical field described in this document. Among the terms used in this document, terms defined in general dictionaries may be interpreted to have the same or similar meaning as the meaning they have in the context of related technology, and unless clearly defined in this document, they may be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal sense. It is not interpreted. In some cases, even terms defined in this document cannot be interpreted to exclude embodiments of this document.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a medicine administration management device according to an embodiment, and Figures 2A and 2B are perspective views of a medicine administration management device according to an embodiment.

The medication management device 100 has a first receiving space (S1) in which the pills are accommodated, a pill receiving portion (10) having a door (8) on one side that can be opened and closed for inputting and discharging the pills, and a medicine packet. A medicine bag receiving part 20 having a second receiving space (S2) in which the medicine bag is accommodated, and an entrance part 17 that allows insertion and discharge of the medicine bag, a pill receiving part 10, and a medicine bag receiving part ( 20) It is detachably coupled to each and is configured to include a main body portion 30 that detects the insertion and discharge of the pill in the pill container 10 and the insertion and discharge of the medicine package in the medication container 20. do.

In detail, the pill receiving portion 10 includes a receiving portion case 2 having a first receiving space S1 inside and an opening 2a formed on one side being opened and closed by a door 8, and case 2 ) and is configured to include a door (8) that is rotatably mounted on the door (8) and is opened and closed by the external force of the user. The door 8 is, for example, hinged to the case 2, and may be provided with a fastening hook on one side for connection with the opening 2a. One side (2b) of the receiving case (2) faces the main body (30) and is detachably coupled to the main body (30). The pill receiving part 10 is made of transparent or translucent material so that the user can check the amount of pills. The other side of the receiving case 2 may be provided with a groove for hanging a key ring.

The medicine container 20 is open on one side and is coupled to a container case 12 having a second container space S2 formed therein, and one side of the container case 12, and the surfaces facing each other are penetrated and opened. It is provided with both sides and includes an entrance/exit section (17) through which the medicine packet is inserted and discharged. An opening (17a) is formed adjacent to one side of the opening in the entrance/exit unit (17) to facilitate insertion and discharge of the medicine package and to allow the medicine bag to be visible from the outside. In the opening part (17a), a concave groove (17b) is formed. ) is formed. One open side of the entrance/exit unit 17 faces the main body 30 and is detachably coupled to the main body 30 . The medicine bag receiving part 20 can be made of a transparent or translucent material to check the amount of medicine, and is made of a plastic material including a rubber material for easy portability.

The main body 30 includes a main body case 22 that accommodates control devices inside or on the side. The first side (22a) of the main body case (22) is coupled to face one side (2b) of the receiving part case (2), and the second side (22b) of the main body case (22) is connected to the entrance part (17). ) is combined facing the open side of the. A weight sensor 26 that detects the weight of the pill or the weight of the medicine container 10 is mounted on the first surface 22a of the main body case 22. A pressure sensor 23 is mounted on the second surface 22b of the main body case 22, which contacts a portion of the medicine bag and detects the pressure caused by the medicine bag. The third surface 22c, which is in contact with each of the first and second surfaces 22a and 22b of the main body case 22, includes a display unit 25 for visually displaying various information, and an input from the user (e.g. , an input unit 24 for obtaining a dose start input) is installed. In addition, a groove 22d for easy discharge of medicine is formed on the surface adjacent to the second surface 22b of the main body case 22.

As shown in Figures 2a and 2b, the pill receiving part 10, the main body 30, and the medicine containing part 20 of the drug administration management device 100 in the combined state are stacked and combined in that order, and the entrance part ( The medicine bag is inserted through the opening 17a of 17), at least a portion of the medicine bag is inserted into the second receiving space S2, and at least a part of the medicine bag is exposed or protrudes to the outside through the opening 17a. The grooves 22d and 17b are formed opposite to each other, and at least a portion of the medicine bag is located between the grooves 22d and the grooves 17b. The user can discharge the portion of the medicine packet exposed between the groove 22d and the groove 17b by pulling or dragging it with a finger.

Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of a medication management system including a medication management device according to an embodiment.

The medication management system includes a medication management device 100 that stores and accommodates medications (pills or medicine packets) and checks whether the user has taken the medication, and a user communication terminal 200 with a communication function (e.g., a smartphone, Bullet, etc.), a guardian communication terminal (300) that has a communication function and is owned by the guardian of the user, and a management server (400) that has a communication function. The medication management device 100, the user communication terminal 200, the guardian communication terminal 300, and the management server 400 (e.g., cloud system, etc.) can each communicate with each other through the network 500. .

The management server 400 may acquire the patient's medication information by communicating with a medical information system (not shown), or the administrator may directly store and manage the medication information provided by the user or the user's communication terminal 200. there is.

The medication management device 100 is paired or registered with the user communication terminal 200 and/or the guardian communication terminal 300 and/or the management server 400 by a unique identification number for each device, and this communication method is used in this product. Since the embodiments correspond to technologies widely known to those skilled in the art, their detailed descriptions are omitted.

As described above, the medication management device 100 includes a pressure sensor 23 that detects pressure from the medication packet and applies the detected pressure value to the processor 40, and an input from the user (e.g., input to start taking medication, An input unit 24 that obtains a dosage time extension input, a dosage schedule initialization input, a dosage schedule update input, etc.) and applies it to the processor 40, and various information (e.g., notification of whether to take the drug, etc.) from the processor 40. A display unit 25 that receives display signals for taking information, taking alarm, etc. and visually displays them, and as described above, a processor ( A weight sensor 26 applied to the weight sensor 40, a speaker 27a that receives an audio output signal from the processor 40 and emits sound, and a vibration unit 27b that vibrates by receiving a vibration output signal from the processor 40. ), and is mounted on one or more of the pill receiving part 10, the main body part 30, and the medicine bag receiving part 20, can be in contact with the skin of the user, and generates a contact detection value according to skin contact, and the processor ( 40), which performs wired or wireless communication through the network 500 with one or more of the contact sensor 28, the patient communication terminal 200, the guardian communication terminal 300, and the management server 400. A communication unit 29 and a processor 40 that controls the above-described components and performs a function of updating (or storing) the user's dosage schedule, a function of guiding the dosage according to the dosage schedule, and a function of confirming whether the user has taken the drug. It is composed including, etc. However, the power supply unit (not shown), speaker 27a, vibration unit 27b, communication unit 29, etc. correspond to technologies widely known to those skilled in the art belonging to this embodiment, and their detailed description is omitted. , the input unit 24, the display unit 25, and the weight sensor 26 have been described above.

The contact sensor 28 is used to detect when the user holds the medication management device 100 with his or her hand to take the medication, and may be implemented as, for example, a capacitance sensor. The contact sensor 28 applies a touch detection value to the processor 40, and the processor 40 compares the applied contact detection value with a reference contact detection value. The reference contact detection value corresponds to the minimum contact detection value when the user's hand or skin is in contact with the contact sensor 28. If the applied contact detection value is greater than or equal to the reference contact detection value, the processor 40 determines that the user has held the medication management device 100 by hand.

In this embodiment, the dosing schedule includes at least one dosing time (e.g., 8 a.m.) and a dosing time range (e.g., 30 minutes).

First, the update (or save) function of the taker's dosing schedule is explained.

The processor 40 receives and stores the dosage schedule through the input unit 24, or receives and stores the dosage schedule from the user communication terminal 200 or the management server 400 through the communication unit 29, and stores the dosage schedule of the user. You can save it for the first time, or update the previous dosing schedule with a new dosing schedule.

In addition, the processor 40 can store a plurality of dosage schedules, etc., and when the user wishes to change from the current dosage schedule to a new dosage schedule, a change in the dosage schedule is input through the input unit 24 (e.g., When a continuous input of 2 seconds or more) is input, the processor 40 performs a dosing guidance function according to a new dosing schedule and confirmation of taking the dosing according to the input of a change in the dosing schedule.

In addition, when the user temporarily stops taking the medicine or wants to initialize the currently remaining medication schedule after prescribing a new medication, if an initialization input for the medication schedule is input through the input unit 24, the processor 40 determines the medication schedule. You can initialize (delete) the current dosing schedule by entering the initialization input.

In another embodiment, the user communication terminal 200 or the guardian communication terminal 300 includes medication information including a medication schedule, medication (for example, dosage amounts of pills, medicine packets, etc.), and user information ( For example, name, address, disease name, etc.) are stored and transmitted to the management server 400 through the network 500. The management server 400 stores medication information and user information as data for each user, and the data for each user additionally includes information on whether the user has taken the drug (for example, took the drug, did not take the drug). The medication management device 100 may periodically access the management server 400 through the network 500 to receive, store, and use medication information.

Next, the dosage guidance function according to the dosage schedule is explained.

The processor 40 has a built-in timer and can display a time range (eg, breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.) through the display unit 25.

In addition, the processor 40 displays a non-taking notice, such as red, on the display unit 25 if the user has not taken the medicine, and a medication notification, such as green, if the user has taken the medicine (a notification that the medicine has been taken). is displayed on the display unit 25.

In addition, when the taker wants to extend the dosing time by a preset time in the dosing schedule, if the taker inputs an extension input (for example, an input of less than 1 second, etc.) through the input unit 24, the processor 40 extends the nearest dosing time by a preset time.

In addition, if the processor 40 does not confirm the dosage within the dosage range from the dosage time, the display unit 25, the speaker 27a, and the vibrating unit 27b after the first reference time (for example, 2 minutes). Operate one or more of the following to provide the first dosage guidance (or alarm). In addition, the processor 40, if the user does not take the medicine within the second reference time (for example, 8 minutes) after the above first dosage guidance, displays the display unit 25, the speaker 27a, and the vibrating unit. Any one or more of (27b) is operated to perform a second medication guidance (or alarm), and a non-medication notification is transmitted to the guardian communication terminal 300 and/or the management server 400 through the communication unit 29. Through the guardian communication terminal 300 (or an installed dedicated application), the guardian recognizes the patient's non-medication, and communicates with the patient communication terminal 200 through the phone connection function to check the patient's safety and provide medication guidance. You can. In addition, if the guardian cannot communicate with the user through the user communication terminal 200 or does not check the patient's safety, the guardian may contact the management server 400 or the emergency dispatch system through the guardian communication terminal 300 (or an installed dedicated application). It can be used to perform a reporting function for users. For emergency dispatch, the guardian communication terminal 300 may store the patient's information, such as the patient's disease information or address, and transmit it to the management server 400 or an emergency dispatch system.

Next, the function of confirming whether the user has taken the drug is explained.

The processor 40 confirms both the recipient's phage and the weight reduction of the drug. The processor 40 may determine the recipient's grip using the contact detection value from the contact sensor 28. In addition, in order to detect a decrease in the number of medicine bubbles, the processor 40 checks the change in the pressure value from the pressure sensor 23, and since the decrease in pressure value corresponds to a decrease in the number of medicine bubbles, it is determined that the medicine has been taken. can do. In addition, in order to detect a decrease in the number of pills, the processor 40 checks the change in the weight value from the weight sensor 26, and since the decrease in the weight value corresponds to a decrease in the number of pills, it is determined that the medicine has been taken. can do.

In addition, taking the above medicine must be done within the time range before and after the time of taking it. For example, if your dosing time is 8:00 a.m. and your dosing time window is 30 minutes, the time between 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

That is, the processor 40 determines that the user has taken the medicine only when there is a decrease in the amount of medicine packets or pills in the user's grasping state within the range of time taken before and after the taking time.

At least a portion of the device (e.g., processor or functions thereof) or method (e.g., operations) according to various embodiments is stored in, for example, a computer-readable storage media in the form of a program module. Can be implemented as stored instructions. When the instruction is executed by a processor, the one or more processors may perform the function corresponding to the instruction. A computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, memory.

Computer-readable recording media include hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic media (e.g. magnetic tape), optical media (e.g. CD-ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), magnetic media) It may also include magnetic media (e.g., a floptical disk), hardware devices (e.g., ROM, RAM, or flash memory, etc.), and program instructions, such as those generated by a compiler. The above-described hardware device may include not only machine language code but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc., and may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform operations of various embodiments. The same goes for the station.

The processor or functions provided by the processor according to various embodiments may include at least one of the above-described components, some of them may be omitted, or other additional components may be included. Operations performed by modules, program modules, or other components according to various embodiments may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or in a heuristic manner. Additionally, some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

As explained above, it is not limited to the specific preferred embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made by anyone skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the claims. Of course, such changes are within the scope of the claims.

23: pressure sensor 26: weight sensor
28: contact sensor

Claims (5)

A pill receiving unit having a first receiving space for receiving pills and having a door on one side that can be opened and closed for inserting and discharging pills;
a medicine bag receiving unit having a second receiving space for storing the medicine bag, and having an entrance and exit part that allows insertion and discharge of the medicine bag;
It is detachably coupled to each of the pill accommodating portion and the medicine package accommodating portion, and is characterized in that it includes a body portion that detects the insertion and discharge of the pill in the pill accommodating portion and the insertion and discharge of the medicament in the medicament accommodating portion. Medication management device. According to claim 1,
The medicine container has a container case that is open on one side and has a second receiving space formed inside, and is coupled to one side of the container case, has two open sides with opposing surfaces penetrating, and has an entrance and exit portion through which the medication is inserted and discharged. It is configured to include, and is adjacent to one side of the opening in the entrance and exit part, and an opening is formed to facilitate insertion and discharge of the medicine bag while allowing the medicine bag to be visible from the outside, and a concave groove is formed in the opening part,
The main body is composed of a main body case that accommodates control devices inside or on the side, the first side of the main body case is coupled to face one side of the accommodating case, and the second side of the main body case is connected to the entrance part. It is joined facing one open side,
A weight sensor is mounted on the first side of the main body case to detect the weight of the pill or the weight of the medicine container, and a pressure sensor is mounted on the second side of the main body case to detect the pressure caused by the medicine bag by contacting a part of the medicine bag. A medicine administration device characterized in that a groove is formed on the side adjacent to the second side of the main body case for easy discharge of the medicine packet. According to claim 2,
The medication management device is mounted on one or more of the pill container, main body, and medicine packet container, and includes a contact sensor that can be in contact with the skin of the user and generates a touch detection value based on skin contact and applies it to the processor. It includes a processor that determines whether the user has taken the drug by checking the user's grip according to the contact detection value from the sensor and checking the decrease in pills or medicine packets according to the weight value from the weight sensor and the pressure value from the pressure sensor. A drug administration management device characterized by: According to claim 3,
The medication administration device includes a display unit, a speaker, or a vibrator unit,
A medication management device characterized in that the processor determines whether the user has taken the medication according to a pre-stored dosing schedule and, when not taking the medication, provides a medication alarm through a display unit, speaker, or vibrator unit. According to claim 4,
The medication administration device includes a communication unit,
A medication management device characterized in that the processor transmits information related to taking the medication to the user's communication terminal, guardian's communication terminal, or management server through the communication unit.