Systems and methods for a consumer to determine food/medicine interactions

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention relates to systems and methods for detecting harmful and/or hazardous ingredients that may cause an allergic reaction, interfere with the effectiveness of a prescription drug, exacerbate symptoms associated with a chronic illness, and/or cause another undesired reaction.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A system for detecting the presence of an unwanted ingredient in a product, comprising: 
 a scanner for scanning indicia associated with the product and capturing product information, which product information includes a product identifier;    a mechanism receiving the product information for obtaining, from a product database, data identifying each ingredient associated with the product identified by the product identifier;    a mechanism for obtaining, from a user database, each unwanted ingredient associated with a particular person;    a mechanism receiving each ingredient associated with the product identified by the product identifier and each unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person for determining if any ingredient associated with the product identified by the product identifier is also an unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person; and    a mechanism for indicating if it is determined that any ingredient associated with the product identified by the product identifier is also an unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the scanner additionally scans indicia associated with the particular person and the mechanism for obtaining, from the user database, each unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person is configured to obtain each unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person identified by the indicia scanned by the scanner.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the scanner is selected from the group of: (a) a text scanner; and (b) a barcode scanner.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the scanning of at least one of the indicia associated with the product and the indicia associated with the particular person is carried out at a point of sale of the product.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the system operates essentially in real-time to detect the presence of an unwanted ingredient in the product.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism for indicating provides at least one of a visual and an audio indication if it is determined that any ingredient associated with the product identified by the product identifier is also an unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the product is selected from the group of: (a) a prescription medicine; (b) an over the counter medicine; and (c) a food.  
     
     
         8 . A system for detecting the presence of an unwanted ingredient in a product, comprising: 
 a scanner for scanning indicia associated with the product and capturing product information, which product information includes each ingredient associated with the product;    a mechanism for obtaining, from a user database, each unwanted ingredient associated with a particular person;    a mechanism receiving the product information and each unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person for determining if any ingredient associated with the product is also an unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person; and    a mechanism for indicating if it is determined that any ingredient associated with the product is also an unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person.    
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the scanner additionally scans indicia associated with the particular person and the mechanism for obtaining, from the user database, each unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person is configured to obtain each unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person identified by the indicia scanned by the scanner.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the scanner is selected from the group of: (a) a text scanner; and (b) a barcode scanner.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the scanning of at least one of the indicia associated with the product and the indicia associated with the particular person is carried out at a point of sale of the product.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the system operates essentially in real-time to detect the presence of an unwanted ingredient in the product.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the mechanism for indicating provides at least one of a visual and an audio indication if it is determined that any ingredient associated with the product is also an unwanted ingredient associated with the particular person.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the product is selected from the group of: (a) a prescription medicine; (b) an over the counter medicine; and (c) a food.