Aprex Corporation

Richard G Hamilton

John Urquhart

David M Liu

A device for monitoring the dispensing of drugs to a patient is disclosed. This device includes a detector which determines the actual physical delivery of the drug dosage to the patient. This eliminates ambiguities associated with devices in the art which only monitor inferentially the dispensing of the drug dosage to the patient. The detector can include an optical sensor which notes the physical passage of the drug dosage through a dispensing port to the patient.

Drug dispenser having means for detecting dispensing events

A device for detecting the dispensing of drugs from a container in a way which eliminates false detection events due to mishandling of the container is disclosed. The device includes a container which may be opened and closed. It also contains a means for detecting the opening and separately detecting the closing of the container as well as means for measuring the time between these events and comparing this elapsed time to a predetermined standard indicative of drug dispensing event. The times of proper drug dispensing events are stored in the device for use by the health care professional following the patient's drug dosing compliance. Other opening and closing intervals which fall outside this time range give rise to an alternative response. They may be recorded with a notation of their probable error or they may be disregarded. In other aspects, the invention provides a preferred physical configuration for the electronic components of the device and a preferred means for accessing the data stored in the device.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Richard G Hamilton