GB2476159A

GB2476159A - Therapy or drug administration reminding device with a pair of counter displays

Info

Publication number: GB2476159A
Application number: GB1020706A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harald Popp
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-12-08
Filing date: 2010-12-07
Publication date: 2011-06-15
Also published as: GB201020706D0; DE102009057264A1

Abstract

A reminding device (1) with a readout device (2) for displaying recurrent therapy application or drug administration times, these times being displayed in accordance with a presettable recurrent cycle, a timer being provided that displays a reminder at the times via the readout device (2), an input device formed in particular by an acknowledgement button (3) being provided, by means of which the readout is confirmed and deactivated, a further counter being provided that counts an overshoot of the displayed time if no confirmation is provided and the output of which is displayed continuously via a readout device (2) provided for this purpose. The device (1) may have a receptacle or container (4) for a drug packet. The device may be a portable computer or mobile phone running the reminder system as software.

Description

REMINDING DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING RECURRENT THERAPY

APPLICATION OR DRUG ADMINISTRATION TIMES

The invention relates to a reminding device for displaying recurrent therapy application or drug administration times, these times being displayed in accordance with a presettable recurrent cycle.

Lots of drugs or therapeutic applications have to be taken or applied strictly at specific times or on specific days in accordance with a recurrent pattern.

The so-called birth control pill is the most widespread and popular prevention method for preventing unwanted pregnancies. At the start of the menstrual cycle the woman takes the birth control pill for 21 days for example, where possible at the same time of day.

For example there is then a 7-day non-administration phase during which no birth control pill is taken. At the start of the next menstrual cycle the administration of 21 pills is started again. If the birth control pill is taken correctly then pregnancy can be prevented with a certainty of more than 99 per cent.

Despite this very high prevention likelihood, an undesired pregnancy may occur during use of the birth control pill.

In this instance it has usually accidentally been forgotten to take the birth control pill on one or more days, or the birth control pill has been taken too late. The preventive action of the birth control pill then might not take effect.

A device with means for connection to a birth control pill blister pack or for storing a birth control pill blister pack with a timer and a signal emitter coupled thereto is known from DE 102004023641 Al.

During the entire menstrual cycle the previously known device takes into account correct administration timewise of the birth control pill during the 21-day administration phase and at the same time takes into account the non-administration phase by a corresponding readout of an administration-free day.

However, if administration of the pill is deferred, there is also a high uncertainty as to whether administration of the medication or an application of a therapy can still be effective or can still be caught up effectively without further steps.

For example in the case of a birth control pill, pregnancy-preventive medication is thus no longer ensured for an entire cycle if administration of the pill is delayed for more than 12 hours, or even within yet shorter time spans in the case of low-dose variants.

This is particularly complicated if a traveller travels through different time zones and must calculate different administration times.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved reminding device for checking and reminding of dates for therapy application or drug administration times, with which assistive advice is given if administration of drugs or a therapy is delayed.

This object is achieved by a reminding device for displaying recurrent therapy application or drug administration times according to the features of claim 1.

In accordance with the invention a reminding device with a readout device for displaying recurrent therapy application or drug administration times is provided, these times being displayed in accordance with a presettable recurrent cycle, a timer being provided that displays a reminder at the times via the readout device, an input device formed in particular by an acknowledgement button being provided, by means of which the readout is confirmed and deactivated, which reminding device is distinguished in that a further counter is provided that counts an overshoot of the displayed time if no confirmation is provided and the output of which is displayed continuously via the readout device provided for this purpose.

Assistive advice as to whether the efficacy of administration of a drug or efficacy of a therapy is limited or reversed by overshooting the time provided is hereby given to the user of a reminding function.

A cycle of a period with repeated readouts of therapy application or drug administration times and a period with administration-free or application-free periods, i.e. split into two portions is also advantageous.

A particularly preferred configuration of the invention provides that the readout of the overshoot is displayed in preset time units, in particular complete hours.

In accordance with an advantageous development, the overshoot is displayed at short, repetitive intervals. This may occur acoustically or visually accordingly.

The overshoot is advantageously reset on the reminding device for administration of a drug or application of a therapy by actuating the input device and the readout shows the next original recurrent therapy application or drug administration time.

The therapy application or drug administration time and/or the overshoot of the time is/are most preferably displayed acoustically and/or optically and/or haptically by a vibration device.

The cycle is advantageously selected to recur every 28 days, this cycle being divided into two portions: a first portion being characterised by a daily administration or application time and the second portion providing a reminder for no administration or application.

In accordance with a development of the invention the first portion is selected to last 21, 22 or 28 days.

The reminding device advantageously provides a particularly (re)sealable receptacle for a drug packet, in particular a pill blister pack. Drugs, for example a blister pack containing birth control pills, can thus be carried with an individual in a discreet and/or stylish container.

An advantageous development of the invention provides that an incorrect event is displayed after a maximum preset interval of the overshoot of the displayed time and the cycle has to be started again or concluded.

A very advantageous variant of the invention enabling further configurations of the invention provides that the reminding device is formed by a portable computer or mobile phone with software installed thereon.

Further advantageous configurations will emerge from the further sub-claims or possible sub-combinations thereof.

The invention will now be described further with reference to the drawings. More specifically, the schematic illustration shows in: Fig. 1 a schematic view of an opened reminding device according to the invention with an opened cover and a view of the optical readout, acknowledgement buttons and a pill blister pack.

Fig. 2 a schematic view of the reminding device from Fig. 1 with a closed cover, Fig. 3 a schematic view of an exemplary optical readout with cycle selection, Fig. 4 a schematic view of an exemplary optical readout before the reminder, Fig. 5 a schematic view of an exemplary optical readout before the reminder time, Fig. 6 a schematic view of an exemplary optical readout when the administration time is overshot with an overshoot readout in complete hours Fig. 7 a schematic view of an exemplary optical readout during administration-free days of the cycle, and Figs 8 to 11 a schematic view of an exemplary optical readout with input and consideration of a time shift caused by travelling through different time zones.

In the figures like reference numerals denote like of functionally like elements.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of an opened reminding device 1 according to the invention, comprising a lower part 12 and an opened cover 11, with a clear view of the optical readout device 2, the acknowledgement button 3 and set button 31 and the receptacle 4 for a pill blister pack 41 arranged therein and containing pills 42.

Fig. 2 shows the reminding device 1 with a closed cover 11.

The device can be carried comfortably and discreetly by the user, for example in a handbag.

A timer is provided in the reminding device that triggers the readout after a predetermined recurrent cycle.

In accordance with the invention a further counter is also provided that counts an overshoot of the displayed time and the output of which is continuously displayed via the readout device 2 until this is acknowledged via the acknowledgement button 3. This is shown later in greater detail in Fig. 6.

The preset 22 of the underlying cycle is first effected using the display readout, as illustrated in Fig. 3 with reference to the readout device 2. Preset cycles of 21 administration days with a subsequent sequence of 7 administration-free days (22a) can be selected.

Alternatively, a cycle of 22 to 6 days (22b) or 28 to zero days (22c) can also be chosen. The selected drug is preset to be birth control pills in accordance with these cycle breaks.

However, another recurrent rhythm may be set using the set button 31, as confirmed 23 in the display.

The readout device 2 also shows whether the user is in the administration-free period of the cycle by displaying "chi1l" 27 or is in the administration period by displaying "pil1" 26, with daily administration or application time readouts.

Fig. 4 shows the readout device 2 in the disconnected mode with an activated alarm 28 for reminding of the due administration/therapy. The current time 24 is shown.

After this, as shown in Fig. 5, when the reminding time is reached the first application of a therapy or administration of the first of a number of pills is displayed by an administration/therapy counter 25.

If the administration or application is not acknowledged by actuation of the acknowledgement button 3, the overshoot is continued on the readout device 2 in preset time units in accordance with the counter state of the further counter.

This is illustrated in Fig. 6. The readout is given in complete hours 21 in the display.

In the example the alarm is displayed by the repeated readout of the overshoot at short, recurrent intervals.

An acoustic indication by beeps is also conceivable, for example using a piezo loudspeaker and/or haptically by a vibration device.

After a preset maximum overshoot time, the readout in the example switches to the acknowledgement of an incorrect event via the acknowledgement button 3, whereby the cycle has to be started again completely or concluded depending on the application or drug.

The readout is displayed in Fig. 7, for example as is shown during administration-free days of the cycle.

It is indicated to the user by the readout "chill" 27 that no application/administration must take place. The current time 24 is displayed.

In Figs 8 to 11 a further function of the reminding device is described, in which consideration of the shift in time by travelling through different time zones is described.

Fig. 8 shows an exemplary situation before a time shift setting is begun. In the example the current time 24 is displayed in the readout device by "9.30", whilst the reminding time with activated reminding/alarm readout 28 is displayed.

Now, as shown in Fig. 9, a time shift by 6 hours is input 29. The activated time shift is displayed 29a in the display.

Once the time shift has been input, the time readout 24 is adapted and the time shift of the alarm time is corrected from 9:30 in the example and, for information, is now shown 24 as 15:30 to correspond with the calculated time interval of the administration/therapy.

Fig. 11 shows the situation of the corrected time readout with an indication of the activated time shift input.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

1 reminding device 11 cover 12 lower part 2 readout device 21 readout in complete hours 22 input of the cycle repetition 22a to c type of cycle 23 acknowledgement readout of the selection 24 time readout administration/therapy counter 26 therapy application or administration time 27 administration-or application-free time 28 active alarm display 29 time shift input 3 acknowledgement button 31 set button 4 receptacle 41 pill blister pack 42 pills

Claims

CLAIMS1. A reminding device (1) with a readout device (2) for displaying recurrent therapy application or drug administration times, these times being displayed in accordance with a presettable recurrent cycle, a timer being provided that displays a reminder at the times via the readout device (2), an input device formed in particular by an acknowledgement button (3) being provided, by means of which the readout is confirmed and deactivated, characterised in that a further counter is provided that counts an overshoot of the displayed time if no acknowledgement is provided and the output of which is displayed continuously via the readout device (2) provided for this purpose.
2. The reminding device according to claim 1, characterised in that the readout of the overshoot is displayed (21) in presettable time units, in particular complete hours.
3. The reminding device according to either claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the readout of the overshoot is given at short, recurrent intervals.
4. The reminding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the readout of the overshoot is reset on the reminding device for administration of a drug or application of a therapy by actuating the input device and the readout is given in accordance with the next original recurrent therapy application or drug administration time.
5. The reminding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the therapy application or drug administration time and/or the overshoot of the time is/are displayed acoustically and/or optically and/or haptically by a vibration device.
6. The reminding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the cycle is selected to recur, particularly every 28 days, this cycle being divided into two portions: a first portion being characterised by a daily administration or application time and the second portion providing a reminder for no administration or application.
7. The reminding device according to claim 6, characterised in that the first portion is selected to be 21, 22 or 28 days.
8. The reminding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that said device provides a particularly (re)sealable receptacle (4) for a drug packet, in particular a pill blister pack (41)
9. The reminding device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that an incorrect event is displayed via the readout device (2) after a maximum preset interval of the overshoot of the displayed time and the cycle has to be started again or concluded.
10. The reminding device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that said device is formed by a portable computer or mobile phone with software installed thereon.