Portable medication management system

Abstract

The present invention is a medication management system for use with a programmable mobile device, such as a cell phone, smart phone, or a tablet computer. The invention consists of a case that encases or attaches to the mobile device, with a pill container attached to the case, and software for execution by the mobile device to manage the use of medication, generally in the form of pills, by the user of the mobile device. The pill container slideably engages the case so that doses of pills in the container may be removed by sliding the container out far enough to expose the next dose of pills and turning the mobile device and case over. The software allows the user to program a dosing schedule into it and then alerts the user when it is time to take doses of pills.

1 . A medication management system for managing the use of pills by a user of a programmable mobile device, the mobile device having a display, the system comprising:
 a. a case for the programmable mobile device;   b. a pill container attached to the case for holding doses of pills; and   c. software for execution by the mobile device to manage the use of the pills by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the software running on the mobile device causes the mobile device to alert the user when it is time to take a dose of pills held in the pill container. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein alerting the user comprises displaying a message on the display of the mobile device indicating which dose of pills held in the pill container the user should take. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the software renders on the display a menu to request that the user confirm that the dose of pills has been taken. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the user may program a dosing schedule into the software running on the mobile device and the software causes the mobile device to alert the user when it is time to take a dose of pills held in the pill container according to the dosing schedule. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the mobile device is a smart phone. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the mobile device is a tablet computer. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the pill container has a top side corresponding to a side of the mobile device having the display, and the pill container comprises a plurality of compartments, each compartment being adapted to hold a dose of pills and having an opening on the top side to allow the user to place pills in the compartments and remove pills from the compartments. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein each dose of pills comprises at least one pill containing a medicament. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the pill container slideably engages the case so that the pill container may be slid away from the case to expose one dose of pills when at least one compartment contains a dose of pills. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein each compartment is coded and, when it is time for the user to take a dose of pills, the software renders on the display a representation of the compartments and their coding, with an indication of which compartment the dose of pills is to be taken from. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the software employs a photograph of the pill container filled with doses of pills to assist the user in refilling the pill container. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein each compartment is color-coded. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the software displays an indication of the status of each compartment on the display upon request of the user. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the mobile device has an orientation sensor for determining that the pill container has been moved so that the openings of the compartments are oriented downward, and the software automatically renders on the display a menu to request that the user confirm that the dose of pills has been taken. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using a medication management system for managing the use of pills by a user of a programmable mobile device, the mobile device having a display, the system comprising:
 a. a case for the programmable mobile device;   b. a pill container attached to the case for holding doses of pills; and   c. software for execution by the mobile device to manage the use of the pills by the user,   the software having been loaded onto the mobile device, the mobile device having been placed into the case, the method comprising the steps of:   d. programming a dosing schedule into the software;   e. filling the pill container with doses of pills according to the dosing schedule;   f. removing a dose of pills indicated by the software from the pill container;   g. taking the indicated dose of pills; and   h. confirming to the software that the dose of pills has been taken.