阅读说明：本技术 在对药丸包装的压缩期间收集能量 (Harvesting energy during compression of pill packages ) 是由 A·琼斯 K·H·J·德利莫雷 M·格吕特里奇 A·鲍曼 于 2018-06-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：本文公开的各种方法和装置涉及用于从对药丸包装的操作中收集能量并将该能量用于各种目的的装置和技术。在各种实施例中,公开了一种能量收集装置,其被配置为容纳药丸包装(104、304)。根据各种实施例的一种能量收集装置可以包括：壳体(102、302),其中,所述壳体被配置为容纳药丸包装(104、304)；以及并入所述壳体(102、302)中的发电机,其中,所述发电机将与从所述药丸包装中排出一个或多个药丸(105<Sub>1-n</Sub>、305<Sub>1-n</Sub>)的对所述药丸包装(104、304)的至少一个泡罩(103<Sub>1-n</Sub>、303<Sub>1-n</Sub>)的压缩相关联的运动转换为电能,其中,所述电能用于在对所述一个或多个药丸的所述排出期间收集与对所述药丸包装的操作相关联的一个或多个数据点。(Various methods and devices disclosed herein relate to devices and techniques for harvesting energy from the operation of packaging pills and using that energy for various purposes. In various embodiments, an energy harvesting device configured to contain pill packages (104, 304) is disclosed. An energy harvesting device according to various embodiments may include: a housing (102, 302), wherein the housing is configured to contain a pill pack (104, 304); and a generator incorporated in the housing (102, 302), wherein the generator is to be associated with discharging one or more pills (105) from the pill pack 1‑n 、305 1‑n ) To at least one blister (103) of the pill package (104, 304) 1‑n 、303 1‑n ) Wherein the electrical energy is used to collect one or more data points associated with the operation of the pill package during the discharge of the one or more pills.)

1. An energy harvesting device comprising:

a housing (102, 302), wherein the housing is configured to contain a pill pack (104, 304); and

a generator incorporated in the housing (102, 302), wherein the generator is adapted to be associated with the ejection of one or more pills (105) from the pill package_1-n、305_1-n) To at least one blister (103) of the pill package (104, 304)_1-n、303_1-n) Wherein the electrical energy is used to collect one or more data points associated with the operation of the pill package during the discharge of the one or more pills.

2. The energy harvesting device of claim 1, wherein the one or more data points associated with the operation on the pill package include a location of the one or more pills (105) expelled from the pill package (104, 304)_1-n、305_1-n) Identification of (1).

3. The energy harvesting device of claim 2, further comprising an identification button (107), wherein the identification button is positioned when the one or more pills (105) are presented_1-n、305_1-n) Is activated when expelled from the pill pack (104, 304).

4. The energy harvesting device of claim 2, wherein the one or more pills (105) expelled from the pill pack (104, 304) are dispensed_1-n、305_1-n) Is determined based on a level of force required to expel the one or more pills.

5. The energy harvesting device of claim 1, further comprising a low-power wireless transmitter (132, 332) integral with the housing (102, 302), wherein at least some of the electrical energy is used to wirelessly transmit one or more of the data points from the low-power wireless transmitter to a remote computing device.

6. The energy harvesting device of claim 5, wherein the low power wireless transmitter (132, 332) is a Bluetooth Low energy transmitter, a ZigBee transceiver, or an EnOcean transceiver.

7. The energy harvesting device of claim 2, wherein the one or more collected data points associated with the operation on the pill pack (104, 304) include a timestamp.

8. A method (400) for collecting and using electrical energy during compression of a pill pack (104, 304), comprising:

inserting (402) the pill pack (104, 304) into a housing (102, 302) configured to contain the pill pack;

operating (404) the pill package (104, 304), wherein operating comprises operating at least one blister (103) of the pill package_1-n、303_1-n) Compressing to expel at least one pill (105) from the pill package_1-n、305_1-n)；

Will be coupled to the at least one blister (103) by means of a generator integral with the housing (102, 302)_1-n、303_1-n) The compression of the associated motion is converted (406) into electrical energy; and

during the discharge of the at least one pill, at least some of the electrical energy is used (408) to collect one or more data points associated with the operation of the pill package.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein operating the pill package (104, 304) further comprises operating one or more pills (105) expelled from the pill package_1-n、305_1-n) And (5) performing identification.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the one or more data points include a location of the at least one pill (105) expelled from the pill package (104, 304)_1-n、305_1-n) Identification of (1).

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the generator comprises a linear alternator (114).

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the generator comprises a piezoelectric strip (320)_1-n)。

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising wirelessly transmitting one or more of the data points from a low-power wireless transmitter (132, 332) integral with the housing (102, 302) to a remote computing device using at least some of the electrical energy.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the low power wireless transmitter (132, 332) is a bluetooth low energy transceiver or a ZigBee transceiver.

15. The method according to claim 8, wherein the one or more data points include data indicative of the at least one pill (105)_1-n、305_1-n) A time stamp of a time of being expelled from the pill package (104, 304).

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to health care. More particularly, various methods and devices disclosed herein relate to devices and techniques for harvesting energy from the expulsion of one or more pills from a pill package and using that energy for various purposes.

Background

Compliance with the prescribed medication regimen is a problem in patients of all ages and backgrounds. The reason for non-compliance is complex and multifactorial. Some of the major factors that have been identified as likely to lead to non-compliance include: 1) economic burden associated with patient disease or co-morbid disease; 2) poor patient-caregiver/healthcare provider relationship; 3) perceived stereotypy impressions and misinterpretations related to patient condition; 4) the patient is lacking participation in the decision-making process; 5) medication errors (associated with incorrect identification of medication); and 6) improper or incorrect medication management (e.g., taking the wrong medication or taking an insufficient or excessive dose).

There are conventional products that partially address some of the factors that cause non-compliance with a pharmaceutical regimen. These include pill containers, custom pill packages, smartphone applications, audible medication recognition devices (to prevent medication errors due to incorrect recognition), and the like. However, these products suffer from various drawbacks, for example they do not address the multiple co-existing factors that lead to poor drug compliance. Moreover, conventional products do not collect the energy expended during compression of the pill package, for example, for powering data transmissions to one or more remote computing devices and/or automatically recording information regarding compliance in patient medical records.

WO03090663 a1 discloses a content usage monitoring system for monitoring usage of the content of a blister package.

Disclosure of Invention

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for harvesting energy from an operation on a pill package including compression of at least one blister of the pill package. In general, in one aspect, an energy harvesting device configured to contain a pill pack according to various embodiments described herein includes: a housing, wherein the housing is configured to contain a pill pack; and a generator incorporated in the housing, wherein the generator converts motion associated with compression of at least one blister of the pill pack to expel one or more pills from the pill pack into electrical energy. The electrical energy is used to collect one or more data points associated with the operation of the pill pack during the discharge of the one or more pills.

In some embodiments, the one or more data points associated with the operation on the pill package include an identification of the one or more pills discharged from the pill package. In some embodiments, the energy harvesting device further comprises an identification button, wherein the identification button is positioned to be activated when the one or more pills are expelled from the pill package. In other embodiments, the identification of the one or more pills expelled from the pill package is determined based on a level of force required to expel the one or more pills.

In some embodiments, the energy harvesting apparatus further comprises a low-power wireless transmitter integral with the housing, wherein at least some of the electrical energy is used to wirelessly transmit one or more of the data points from the low-power wireless transmitter to a remote computing device. In other embodiments, the low power wireless transmitter is a bluetooth low energy transmitter, a ZigBee transceiver, or an EnOcean transceiver. In still other embodiments, the one or more data points collected associated with the operation on the pill package include a timestamp.

In other aspects, a method for collecting and using electrical energy during compression of a pill pack is disclosed. Such a method comprises: inserting the pill package into a housing configured to contain the pill package; operating the pill package, wherein operating comprises compressing at least one blister of the pill package to expel at least one pill from the pill package; converting, by a generator integral with the housing, motion associated with compression of the at least one blister into electrical energy; and using at least some of the electrical energy to at least temporarily store one or more data points associated with the operation of the pill package in a memory component integral with the housing.

In some embodiments, manipulating the pill package further comprises identifying one or more pills expelled from the pill package. In other embodiments, the one or more data points include an identification of the at least one pill expelled from the pill package.

In some embodiments, the generator comprises a linear alternator. In other embodiments, the generator comprises a piezoelectric strip.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises wirelessly transmitting one or more of the data points from a low power wireless transmitter integral with the housing to a remote computing device using at least some of the electrical energy. In some embodiments, the low power wireless transmitter is a bluetooth low energy transceiver or a ZigBee transceiver. In other embodiments, the one or more data points include a timestamp indicating a time at which the at least one pill was expelled from the pill package.

Drawings

In the drawings, like reference numerals generally refer to the same parts throughout the different views. Moreover, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead generally being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example performance collection device capable of containing a pill pack and configured with selected aspects of the present disclosure, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a top view of the example energy collection device of FIG. 1 having selected aspects of the present disclosure, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 3 illustrates a top view of another example performance collection device capable of containing a pill pack and configured with selected aspects of the present disclosure, in accordance with various embodiments.

Fig. 4 depicts an exemplary method of performing various techniques described herein, in accordance with various embodiments.

Detailed Description

Conventional products for addressing non-compliance with drug regimens suffer from various disadvantages. These products may not address the multiple co-existing factors that lead to poor drug compliance. Additionally, conventional products may not provide one or more methods for collecting energy consumed during compression of the pill package for powering data storage and/or transmission. In view of the foregoing, various embodiments and implementations of the present disclosure are directed to harvesting energy from the operation of packaging pills in a housing and utilizing that energy for various purposes.

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate an example energy collection device 100 configured with selected aspects of the present disclosure depicted in cross-sectional (fig. 1) and top (fig. 2) views. The energy harvesting device 100 may include a housing 102. In some embodiments, the housing 102 may be in the form of a sleeve or box that removably contains the pill pack, e.g., the pill pack may be slid into the housing 102. In other embodiments, the housing 102 may permanently contain pill packs and may not be reusable. In still other embodiments, the housing 102 may also be used to hold the pill pack in a desired position.

The pill pack used in conjunction with the housing 102 may contain any number of pills deemed necessary by the medical professional for the disposal process. In some embodiments, this may be a one month supply, while in other embodiments, this may be a one month supplyMay be a one week supply, etc. Pill packages for use with the energy collection device may have one or more blister compartments (referred to herein as "blisters") each containing one or more pills. The blister may be divided by the date and time of administration of one or more pills so that all pills that need to be taken at each time of the entire week are stored in the same compartment. Typically, these blisters are created with a cover (typically in the form of a blister) attached to the backing over the selected pill(s). In some embodiments, the blister cover may be of plastic material of varying thickness. In other embodiments, a single piece of plastic may be used as a cover for the entire pill package, and individual blisters created therefrom. In some embodiments, the backing may be aluminum foil of varying thickness. Although fig. 1 and 2 show a linear arrangement of blister compartments and associated pills, this is not intended to be limiting. The pill pack may include one or more blisters arranged linearly or in a grid, for example a 4x7 grid may be used to dispense four or 28 days of medication. Fig. 1 and 2 show a pill pack 104 and an associated blister compartment 103 within a housing 102_1-n. The housing 102 may include an interior region 106 that may contain one or more pills after they are expelled from the blister.

As noted above, embodiments described herein generally relate to harvesting energy during operations on pill packages and utilizing the harvested energy for various purposes. Thus, the energy harvesting device 100 may include various integrated components that facilitate the assembly with the blister 103 of the slave pill pack 104_1-nIn which one or more pills 105 are expelled_1-nThe associated motion is converted into electrical energy. For example, the example depicted in fig. 1 may include a linear alternator 114. In some embodiments, the linear alternator 114 may include one or more electrically conductive coils and ferromagnetic elements (not shown in fig. 1 or 2). The ferromagnetic element may be located via a pill 105_1-nMoves within the conductive coil.

Is located on the pill 105_1-nOne ofOr multiple straps 120 may be under tension. In some embodiments, a single strip may extend along the length of a row or column of pills, where the pill pack is a grid or array. In some embodiments, the bands may be made of a rigid polymer; in other embodiments, the bands may be made of a rubber band-like material. A first end 121 of the strap 120 may be fixedly secured to the housing 102 and a second end 123 of the strap 120 may be connected to the ferromagnetic element and spring 125 of the linear alternator 114. Thus, during compression of the blister to expel the one or more pills, any vertical movement of the one or more strips 120 may cause the ferromagnetic element to displace within the conductive coil. However, this should not be construed as limiting; any triggering mechanism known in the art for movement of a ferromagnetic element may be used, for example, a vertical moving stage located directly above the alternator may trigger the desired movement.

As an illustrative example, when a user desires to remove a pill 105 from the pill package 104, the user may apply pressure (i.e., press down in fig. 1) to the strip 120 on the blister 103 containing the desired pill 105 in order to press the pill(s) down to disengage them from the package. Pressing down on the strap 120 may pull the spring 125 inward (to the left in fig. 1), which may prevent excessive force from being applied to the adjacent blister 103 and minimize the risk of inadvertently dispensing additional pill(s) from the adjacent blister. Thus, energy can be collected (according to faraday's law of induction) as the strap 120 is pulled down toward the blister (or similar component) until the pill 105 has been pushed off the package. According to faraday's law, movement of the ferromagnetic element relative to the electrically conductive coil can induce an electrical current in the electrically conductive coil, and the flow of electrons forming the current can charge a capacitor, for example with electrical energy, which can then be used for various purposes.

The collected energy may be temporarily stored in the capacitor 122 or supercapacitor as it is generated until the movement of one or more pills from the blister of the pill pack is complete and expelled. Upon completion of the movement and expulsion of the one or more pills, the collected energy can be automatically released, for example, to send a low-power data transmission to a remote computing device (e.g., a smartphone, a smartwatch or tablet computer, a network, a computer, etc.) operated by a user (e.g., a patient and/or medical personnel) to indicate that the one or more pills have been successfully removed from the package.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 may include on-board circuitry 130, which may include a transmitter 132 (or transceiver in some cases). The transmitter 132 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more remote computing devices (not depicted in fig. 1 or 2) using various low energy wireless technologies (e.g., bluetooth low energy (e.g., bluetooth 4.0), ANT +, infrared data association ("IrDA"), ZigBee, Z-wave, low power Wi-Fi, near field communication ("NFC"), EnOcean radio frequency transmission protocol, etc.). In some embodiments, one or more blisters 103 are provided_1-nAnd one or more pills 105_1-nThe electrical energy collected during the expulsion of the pill pack 104 into the interior 106 of the housing can be used to power the wireless transmission of data to one or more remote computing devices. In some embodiments, the remote computing device may store the data point(s), for example, in association with a timestamp generated by the remote computing device.

From (the individual blisters 103 of) the pill package 104_1-n) In which one or more pills 105 are expelled_1-nOne or more data points associated with the manipulation of the pill package can be generated. In some embodiments, these data points may include an identification of which pill(s) to expel from the pill package. This information may be useful to caregivers or intermediate providers so that they can track which particular pills are (presumably) taken or not taken by the patient. In some embodiments, the identification of the expelled pill(s) may be used in conjunction with an alarm system to determine whether the correct medication was administered at the correct time. With such an alarm system, steps may be taken to warn the user of poor compliance, or to help prevent non-compliance with the medication by warning the patient that the incorrect pill(s) are expelled before the patient swallows the pill(s)Proper administration.

In some embodiments, the identification button 107 is located on top of the blister compartment 103 and below the strip 120. This button 107 (where present) may be pressed or otherwise actuated during compression of the blister 103 in order to expel the pill(s), and may be used to identify which pill(s) the user has dispensed (and presumably taken). In some embodiments, the identification buttons 107 may be coupled together via circuitry such that actuation of any given identification button 107 may cause the output to be provided in the form of a unique identification number. In other embodiments, a predetermined level of force may be required in order to activate the identification button 107. Such a predetermined force requirement may be particularly useful when preventing unintentional activation of the identification button, for example, by accidental contact with the device during walking. In some embodiments, the remote computing device may compare the data generated from pressing the identification button 107 with previously received data to determine whether compression is on a valid blister compartment (i.e., a compartment containing one or more pills) or an invalid blister compartment (i.e., a correct pill that has previously been emptied without refilling or is not to be taken). In other embodiments, once it is known that the identification buttons 107 for all of the pills in the pill package have been pressed, the remote computing device may send a pill refill alert to the user, caregiver, medical professional (e.g., physician, pharmacy, etc.), indicating that it may be time to refill the prescription. In some embodiments, once an empty pill pack has been removed, the energy collection device 100 can be reused and a new pill pack can be loaded/inserted into the energy collection device.

In other embodiments, the identification of which pill(s) to expel from the pill package may be determined by comparing a measure of the force required to expel the pill(s) from a particular blister compartment to known standards and/or to other blister compartments. In such embodiments, the pill package used may have different degrees of force required to expel the pill(s) from the blister compartment depending on the placement of the blister compartment. For example, the blister compartment of the upper right quadrant of a pill pack having a 2 by 2 grid may require more force to expel the pill(s) contained therein than the blister compartment of the lower left quadrant of the same pill pack. This difference can be used to identify which pill(s) were expelled without using the identification button 107.

In some embodiments, the on-board circuitry 130 may also include some form of basic memory (not shown in fig. 1 or 2) coupled to the transmitter or transceiver for storing one or more data points associated with operation of the energy-collecting apparatus 100. For example, in some embodiments, the identification of which pill(s) have been expelled may be stored at least temporarily in the memory component. The memory components may take various forms that may or may not be considered "low power" because only a minimal amount of power is required to read from and/or write to the memory components. In some embodiments, the memory component may be non-volatile and may include one or more of the following: random access memory ("RAM"), programmable read-only memory ("PROM"), erasable PROM ("EPROM"), electrically erasable PROM ("EEPROM"), flash memory (NAND or NOR), ferroelectric RAM ("FeRAM"), programmable metallization cell ("CBRAM"), parallel random access machine ("PRAM"), silicon oxynitride-oxide silicon ("SONOS"), resistive random access memory ("RRAM"), racetrack memory, Nano-RAM, and the like.

To determine the amount of energy that can be collected, it is assumed that when the user presses the blister 103 of the pill pack_1-nTo receive from the blister 103 of the pill pack 104_1-nIn which one or more pills 105 are expelled_1-nWhen the force F is applied, a force F of 30-40N is applied. Applying such a force F over a distance D of 5-10mm during handling of the pill pack 104 may lead to the following equation to calculate the (total) collected energy E_{General assembly}：

E_{General assembly}＝F×D＝(30-40N)*(0.050-0.010m)＝0.150-0.400J (1)

Even considering 40% energy loss, net collectedEnergy E_{Medicine for treating rheumatism}The following can also be estimated:

E_{medicine for treating rheumatism}＝0.6*E_{General assembly}＝0.6*(0.150-0.400)＝0.090-240J (2)

In some embodiments, the maximum force required to remove a pill from a blister of a pill package may vary depending on the package design. In the case of an aluminum foil on the back of the pill pack, the peak force required to rupture the aluminum foil may be about 15N. However, the force required to push the pills completely out of the package may depend on the thickness and hardness of the plastic blister of the pill package. Thus, the amount of energy that can be collected may vary between different types of pill packages.

Simple energy budget calculations can be used to confirm the collection of the generated net energy E_{Medicine for treating rheumatism}Sufficient to transmit one or more data points using the transmitter 132:

E_{medicine for treating rheumatism}＝E_{General assembly}–(E_xmit+E_loss) (3)

E_xmitRepresenting the energy required to transmit one or more data points. E_{Loss of power}Representing the energy loss, which can be calculated as 0.4 × E assuming 40% energy loss_{General assembly}。

Wireless transmission is assumed using ZigBee or low power Wi-Fi and the estimated energy loss is 40%. In some embodiments, 0.036J of power E may be consumed during data transmission_xmit. The power requirement of the low-power Wi-Fi/ZigBee is 36mJ of data per 24 bytes, the lower power is 0.147mJ for Bluetooth, and the lower power is even lower for EnOcean radio frequency, and the power requirement is only 200 muJ for 100-. Suppose E_{General assembly}Is 0.150J, which means E_{Loss of power}Is 0.060J. Substituting the values set forth above into equation (3) indicates that there is sufficient net energy E_{Medicine for treating rheumatism}To acquire, store and transmit data:

0.054＝0.150J-(0.036J+0.036J+0.060J)＝0.054J (4)

the above equations are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. If one or more pills 105 are ejected from the pill package 104_1-nThe greater the required compressive force, the even more energy can be generated.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 100 may include (e.g., be coupled with the on-board circuitry 130) one or more output devices, such as one or more light emitting diodes ("LEDs") (not shown in fig. 1 and 2). These output components (where present) may be located at various locations on the device 100, such as on a portion of the housing 102. In some such embodiments, for example, one or more LEDs may emit light (e.g., in green) when a successful data transmission has occurred. In other embodiments, for example, when sufficient power is not collected to allow data transmission, one or more LEDs may illuminate (e.g., in red), indicating to the user that additional compressive force needs to be applied to a particular blister compartment in order to allow data transmission to occur. In some embodiments, an output device (e.g., one or more LEDs) may be wirelessly coupled with a remote computing device and may serve as a notification system that removal/expulsion of the pill(s) was successfully recorded. For example, yet another LED may be illuminated green to signal to the user that the data was successfully transmitted to the remote computing device.

FIG. 3 illustrates another example energy collection device 300 configured with selected aspects of the present disclosure, depicted in a top view. As shown in fig. 3, the energy harvesting device 300 may include a housing 302. Similar to the embodiment previously described in connection with fig. 1 and 2, the housing 302 may be in the form of a sleeve or box that removably contains the pill pack. For example, the pill pack may be slid into the housing 302 and may hold the pill pack in a desired position. In other embodiments, the housing may permanently contain the pill pack and may not be reusable. The pill package 304 used in conjunction with the housing 302 may be similar to the pill package described in conjunction with fig. 1 and 2, and may have one or more blister compartments 303_1-nEach blister compartment containing one or more pills 305_1-n. As previously described, the blister 303 may be divided by the date and time of administration of the pill(s) therein. Typically, these blisters 303 are created by a cover (typically in the form of a blister) attached to a backing over the selected pill(s)And (4) building. In some embodiments, the blister cover may be of plastic material of varying thickness. In other embodiments, a single piece of plastic may be used as a cover for the entire pill package, creating individual blisters therein. In some embodiments, the backing may be aluminum foil of varying thickness. The pill pack 304 includes one or more blisters 303 arranged linearly or in a grid or array. Fig. 3 shows a pill package 304 and an associated blister compartment 303 within a housing 302_1-n。

As previously discussed, the embodiments described herein generally relate to collecting energy and utilizing energy from and with one or more pills 305 during operations for pill packaging_1-nFrom (the individual blisters 303 of) the pill package 304_1-n) To discharge the associated motion into electrical energy and the collected energy for various purposes. For example, in the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, when one or more strips 320 of piezoelectric material_1-nIs stored in the blister compartment 303_1-nIn (b), they may be disposed in the pill(s) 305_1-nAnd (4) upward. In some embodiments, the piezoelectric material may be lead zirconate titanate (PZT). In other embodiments, the piezoelectric material used may be aluminum nitride, barium titanate, potassium sodium niobate (KNN), and/or bi-layer sodium bismuth titanate (BNT), all of which may have the advantage of being lead-free. The first end 321 of the piezoelectric strip 320 is attached to and supported by the first end 310 of the housing 302, and the second end 323 of the piezoelectric strip 320 is attached to and supported by the second end 312 of the housing 302, with the first end 314 and the second end 312 of the housing 302 opposing each other.

When the user compresses the blister compartment 303 downwards_1-n(i.e., into the page of fig. 3) to expel the pill(s) 305 contained therein_1-nThis action may then push the piezo strip 320 down under the pill(s) 305. Once the downward force is released, the piezoelectric strip 320 can spring back to its original position, typically once the pill(s) have been expelled. The stress applied to the piezoelectric strip 320 generates an alternating current and provides a way to harvest energy from the operation of the pill pack 304 based on the event. In some embodiments, AC power may also be provided using a bridge rectifierThe flow is converted to a DC current which in turn may charge a capacitor or supercapacitor, and the collected energy may be temporarily stored in the capacitor 322 or supercapacitor as it is generated until the movement of one or more pills from the blister of the medication package is finished and expelled.

In some embodiments, the apparatus 300 may include on-board circuitry 330, which may include a transmitter 332 (or transceiver in some cases). The transmitter 332 may be configured to wirelessly communicate with one or more remote computing devices (not depicted in fig. 3) using various low-energy wireless technologies, such as those described above. In some embodiments, one or more blisters 303 are sealed_1-nAnd one or more pills 305_1-nThe electrical energy collected during expulsion from the pill pack 304 can be used to power wireless transmission of data to one or more remote computing devices. In some embodiments, the remote computing device may store the data point(s), for example, in association with a timestamp generated by the remote computing device.

In general, automatically collecting energy and using the energy to store and/or make available information regarding pill identification, pill characteristics (e.g., dosage), time of discharge (and approximate administration) from a blister of a pill package as described herein may have a number of technical advantages. Some such technical advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein may include, but are not limited to: the burden on the patient to record their medication intake is reduced, the reliability of tracking as an energy harvesting device, such as described herein, does not require batteries that may need to be replaced, and the like. Thus, medical personnel, caregivers, and the like may be able to more accurately monitor compliance with a medication regimen. This in turn may reduce errors that may result from distraction or the like. The collected data can be used to update a patient's medical history, trigger reminders to the patient in the event of partial compliance or non-compliance with a medication regimen, and the like.

Fig. 4 depicts an exemplary method 400 of performing various techniques described herein, in accordance with various embodiments. While the particular operations of method 400 are shown in a particular order, this is not intended to be limiting. In various embodiments, one or more operations may be added, omitted, and/or reordered.

At block 402, a pill package (e.g., 104, 304) is inserted into a housing (e.g., 102, 302) configured with selected aspects of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the housing may be in the form of a sleeve or box that removably contains the pill pack (e.g., 104, 304), e.g., the pill pack may be slid into the housing. In other embodiments, the housing may permanently contain the pill pack and may not be reusable. In still other embodiments, the housing may also be used to hold the pill pack in a desired position.

At block 404, the pill package contained by the housing is manipulated, which may include packaging at least one blister (e.g., 103) of the pill package_1-n、303_1-n) Is compressed to expel at least one pill (e.g., 105) from the pill package_1-n、305_1-n). These blisters may be divided by the date and time of their administration so that all pills that need to be taken at each time of the day, week, etc. are stored in the same compartment. Operating the pill package to expel one or more pills may involve pressing down on one or more blisters so that the one or more pills break through the (e.g. aluminium) backing and can be pushed out; the force required to compress the blister and expel the pill(s) may also vary.

At block 406, the motion associated with the compression of the one or more blisters may be converted to electrical energy. In some embodiments, a linear alternator may be used to generate electrical energy. In other embodiments, piezoelectric strips may be used to generate electrical energy.

At block 408, at least some of the electrical energy collected during the operation on the pill package may be used to at least temporarily store one or more data points in a memory component integral with the housing. These data points may include, but are not limited to, an identification of the pill(s) expelled, a dosage of the pill(s) expelled, a timestamp of when the pill(s) were expelled, and so forth. In some embodiments, at least some of the electrical energy collected during the operation on the pill package may be used to transmit one or more of the aforementioned data points to a remote computing device. In other embodiments, at least some of the electrical energy collected during operation of the pill package may be used to power one or more LEDs.

While several inventive embodiments have been described and illustrated herein, those of ordinary skill in the art will readily envision a variety of other means and/or structures for performing the functions and/or obtaining the results and/or one or more of the advantages described herein, and each of such variations and/or modifications is deemed to be within the scope of the inventive embodiments described herein. More generally, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary and that the actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and/or configurations will depend upon the specific application or applications for which the teachings of the present invention is/are used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein. It is, therefore, to be understood that the foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only and that, within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereto, embodiments of the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described and claimed. Inventive embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to each individual feature, system, article, material, kit, and/or method described herein. In addition, any combination of two or more such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods, if such features, systems, articles, materials, kits, and/or methods are not mutually inconsistent, is included within the scope of the present disclosure.

All definitions, as defined and used herein, should be understood to control over dictionary definitions, definitions in documents incorporated by reference, and/or ordinary meanings of the defined terms.

The terms "a" and "an" as used in the specification and claims should be understood to mean "at least one" unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made.

The phrase "and/or" as used herein in the specification and claims should be understood to mean "either or both" of the elements so combined, i.e., elements that are present in combination in some cases and in isolation in other cases. Multiple elements listed with "and/or" should be understood in the same way, i.e., "one or more" of the elements so combined. In addition to the elements specifically identified by the "and/or" clause, other elements may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to those specifically identified elements. Thus, as a non-limiting example, when used in conjunction with open language (e.g., "including"), references to "a and/or B" may refer in one embodiment to a alone (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, only B (optionally including elements other than a); in yet another embodiment, refer to both a and B (optionally including other elements); and so on.

As used herein in the specification and claims, "or" should be understood to have the same meaning as "and/or" as defined above. For example, when items in a list are separated, "or" and/or "should be read as inclusive, i.e., including at least one of a plurality of elements or a list of elements, but also including more than one, and optionally including additional unlisted items. Merely explicitly indicating the opposite terms, such as "only one of them" or "exactly one of them", or "consisting of … …" when used in the claims, means comprising a plurality of elements or exactly one element of a list of elements. In general, the term "or" as used herein, when preceded by an exclusive term (e.g., "any of," "one of," "only one of," or "exactly one of") should only be read as indicating an exclusive substitute (i.e., "one or the other but not both"). "consisting essentially of … …" when used in the claims shall have the ordinary meaning as used in the patent law field.

As used herein in the specification and claims, the phrase "at least one," when referring to a list of one or more elements, should be understood to mean at least one element selected from any one or more of the elements in the list of elements, but not necessarily including at least one of each element specifically listed in the list of elements, and not excluding any combination of elements in the list of elements. The definitions also allow that elements other than those referred to by the phrase "at least one" specifically identified within a list of elements may optionally be present, whether related or unrelated to those specifically identified elements. Thus, as a non-limiting example, "at least one of a and B" (or, equivalently, "at least one of a or B," or, equivalently "at least one of a and/or B") can refer, in one embodiment, to at least one (optionally including more than one) a, without B being present (optionally including elements other than B); in another embodiment, refers to at least one (optionally including more than one) B, with no a present (optionally including elements other than a); in yet another embodiment, to at least one (optionally including more than one) a, and at least one (optionally including more than one) B (optionally including other elements); and so on.

It will also be understood that, in any method claimed herein that includes more than one step or action, the order of the steps or actions of the method is not necessarily limited to the order in which the steps or actions of the method are recited, unless specifically indicated to the contrary.

In the claims, as well as in the specification above, all transitional phrases such as "comprising," "including," "carrying," "having," "containing," "involving," "holding," "including," and the like are to be understood to be open-ended, i.e., to mean including but not limited to. As described in the us patent office patent inspection program manual, section 2111.03, the transitional phrases "consisting of … …" and "consisting essentially of … …" alone should be closed or semi-closed transitional phrases, respectively. It should be understood that certain expressions and reference signs used in the claims according to patent cooperation treaty ("PCT") regulation 6.2(b) are not limiting in scope.