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US5157640A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Medication alert watch and system

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1990-07-11
•
Granted: 1992-10-20
•
Expires: 2010-07-11
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Abstract

Abstract An electronic watch may be programmed by direct link to a pharmacist's computer to store a medication regimen. When a medication is to be taken, an alarm is sounded, and the medication and dosage are identified on the display of the watch. A number of tones are periodically generated, the number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications which are to be taken at a given time. Several medications may be displayed successively as a reset button is set. To program the watch, the watch is placed in a cradle which couples to a communications port on the watch to provide communications with the pharmacist's computer.

Inventors

  • 👤 Brian P. Backner

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 11:02
CPC Classifications
G; G04; G04G; G04G11/00; A; A61; A61J; A61J7/00; A61J7/04; A61J7/0409; A61J7/0481; A61J7/0454

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 29
Claim 1
Independent Claim 101 words
An electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an audible alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification of medications and times at which the medications are to be taken; control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the alarm to periodically generate a number of alarm tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and display of identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken; and a communications port for coupling the timepiece to a host computer which programs the programmable storage.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 101 words
An electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an audible alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification of medications and times at which the medications are to be taken; control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the alarm to periodically generate a number of alarm tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and display of identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken; and a communications port for coupling the timepiece to a host computer which programs the programmable storage.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 26 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the alarm sounds periodically until the alarm and medication display are disabled by pressing of a button.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 29 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 2 programmable to identify plural medications to be taken at a given time by displaying successive medications as said button is pressed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display of identification of a medication comprises display of the name and dosage of the medication.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 23 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the medical regimen is only storable in the programmable storage through the communications port.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the programmable storage stores medical regimens on the basis of alternating days.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 30 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the programmable storage stores medical regimens on the basis of time within a day and days within a week or month.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 21 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 7 wherein the programmable storage stores medical regimens on the basis of alternating days.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 33 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 1 wherein the programmable storage is adapted to store end dates of a medical regimen and causes further alarms and display of a medication to cease.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 168 words
An electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an audible alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification of medications and times at which the medications are to be taken, the storage being programmable to identify plural medication types to be taken at a given time; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the audible alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and to display identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken; an activator for causing, upon each activation, the control electronics to successively display the identification and dosage of another medication type to be taken at that time and to reduce the number of tones by one; and a communications port for coupling the timepiece to a host computer which programs the programmable storage, the medical regimen only being storable in the programmable storage through the communications port.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 168 words
An electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an audible alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification of medications and times at which the medications are to be taken, the storage being programmable to identify plural medication types to be taken at a given time; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the audible alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and to display identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken; an activator for causing, upon each activation, the control electronics to successively display the identification and dosage of another medication type to be taken at that time and to reduce the number of tones by one; and a communications port for coupling the timepiece to a host computer which programs the programmable storage, the medical regimen only being storable in the programmable storage through the communications port.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 26 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 10 wherein the display of identification of a medication comprises display of the name and dosage of the medication.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 61 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 10 wherein the programmable storage stores medical regimens on the basis of time within a day in successive or alternating days or days within a week or month and wherein the programmable storage is adapted to store end dates of a medical regimen and causes further alarms and display of a medication to cease.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 152 words
A medication alert system comprising: a computer for storing a medical regimen including identification and dosage of each type of medication and times at which the medications are to be taken; an electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification and dosage of each type of medication and times at which the medications are to be taken; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate an audible alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and display of identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken; and a communications link adapted to couple the computer and the electronic timepiece such that medical regimens are transferred from the computer and stored in the programmable storage of the electronic timepiece.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 152 words
A medication alert system comprising: a computer for storing a medical regimen including identification and dosage of each type of medication and times at which the medications are to be taken; an electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification and dosage of each type of medication and times at which the medications are to be taken; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate an audible alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and display of identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken; and a communications link adapted to couple the computer and the electronic timepiece such that medical regimens are transferred from the computer and stored in the programmable storage of the electronic timepiece.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 31 words
A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the communications link is a cradle which physically supports the electronic watch and couples the computer to a communications port in the watch.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 45 words
A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the computer is programmed to retrieve identification information in the watch and to compare that information with identification information input by a user to the computer and identification information corresponding to regimens previously stored in the computer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 44 words
A system as claimed in claim 13 wherein the computer is programmed to store a patient identification and a medication regimen for that patient including, for each medication, an identification of the medication, a physician, dosage, days and times and start and stop dates.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 173 words
An electronic timepiece as claimed in claim 15 comprising: an electronic display; an audible alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification of medications and times at which the medications are to be taken, the storage being programmable to identify plural medication types to be taken at a given time; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the audible alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and to display identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken; an activator for causing, upon each activation, the control electronics to successively display the identification and dosage of another medication type to be taken at that time and to reduce the number of tones by one; and a communications port for coupling the timepiece to a host computer which programs the programmable storage, the medical regimen only being storable in the programmable storage through the communications port.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 26 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 17 wherein the display of identification of a medication comprises display of the name and dosage of the medication.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 61 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 18 wherein the programmable storage stores medical regimens on the basis of time within a day in successive or alternating days or days within a week or month and wherein the programmable storage is adapted to store end dates of a medical regimen and causes further alarms and display of a medication to cease.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 85 words
An electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an audible alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification of medications and times at which the medications are to be taken; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the audible alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and display of identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 85 words
An electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an audible alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification of medications and times at which the medications are to be taken; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the audible alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and display of identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 27 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 20 wherein the audible alarm sounds periodically until the alarm and medication display are disabled by pressing of a button.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 29 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 21 programmable to identify plural medications to be taken at a given time by displaying successive medications as said button is pressed.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 26 words
An electronic watch as claimed in claim 20 wherein the display of identification of a medication comprises display of the name and dosage of the medication.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim 124 words
An electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification and dosage of each type of medication and times at which the medications are to be taken and end dates after which each type of medication is no longer to be taken; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and display of identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken and to cause further alarms and display of a medication type to cease after the end date for that medication type.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim 124 words
An electronic timepiece comprising: an electronic display; an alarm; programmable storage which stores a medical regimen including identification and dosage of each type of medication and times at which the medications are to be taken and end dates after which each type of medication is no longer to be taken; and control electronics responsive to the programmable storage to initiate the alarm to periodically generate a number of tones corresponding to the number of types of medications yet to be taken at a given time and display of identification and dosage of each medication type when that medication type is to be taken and to cause further alarms and display of a medication type to cease after the end date for that medication type.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-10-20 1996-04-20 1996-10-20 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-10-20 2000-04-20 2000-10-20 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-10-20 2004-04-20 2004-10-20 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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