Device for tracking medication adherence

Abstract

Method and system for a medication adherence tracking device of a medication container. The adherence tracking device includes a motion sensor detecting at least a partial rotation of a removable cap of a medication container, the motion sensor being disposed at least partly on the removable cap; and a transmitter transmitting adherence data that indicates a time of removal of the cap from the medication container in accordance with the motion sensor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medication adherence tracking device comprising:
 a motion sensor detecting at least a partial rotation of a removable cap of a medication container, the motion sensor being disposed at least partly on the removable cap; and   a transmitter transmitting adherence data that indicates a time of removal of the cap from the medication container in accordance with the motion sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 1  wherein the motion sensor comprises a nine-axis inertial sensor arrangement. 
     
     
         3 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 2  wherein the nine-axis inertial sensor arrangement comprises a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis compass. 
     
     
         4 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 1  wherein the at least a partial rotation includes a sequence of movements around a z-axis in conjunction with a displacement along the z-axis. 
     
     
         5 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 1  further comprising at least one proximity sensor, and detecting the at least a partial rotation is based on the motion sensor in combination with data of the at least one proximity sensor. 
     
     
         6 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 5  wherein the motion sensor activates the proximity sensor from an inactive mode upon detecting motion of the medication container. 
     
     
         7 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 5  wherein the proximity sensor comprises an infrared proximity sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 1  wherein the time of removal is indicated in accordance with a timestamp. 
     
     
         9 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 1  further comprising a processor. 
     
     
         10 . The medication adherence tracking device of  claim 9  wherein the processor determines whether a current time is within a predetermined dosing period upon the motion sensor detecting a movement of the medication container. 
     
     
         11 . A method of medication adherence tracking, the method comprising:
 detecting at least a partial rotation of a removable cap of a medication container in accordance with a motion sensor disposed at least partially on the removable cap;   associating a timestamp with the at least a partial rotation; and   transmitting, in response to the detecting, adherence data that indicates a time of removal of the cap from the medication container in accordance with the timestamp.   
     
     
         12 . The method of medication adherence tracking of  claim 11  wherein the motion sensor comprises a nine-axis inertial sensor arrangement. 
     
     
         13 . The method of medication adherence tracking of  claim 12  wherein the nine-axis inertial sensor arrangement comprises a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis compass. 
     
     
         14 . The method of medication adherence tracking of  claim 11  wherein the at least a partial rotation includes a sequence of movements around a z-axis in conjunction with a displacement along the z-axis. 
     
     
         15 . The method of medication adherence tracking of  claim 11  wherein the removable cap comprises at least one proximity sensor, and further comprising detecting the at least a partial rotation based on the motion sensor in combination with data of the at least one proximity sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The method of medication adherence tracking of  claim 15  wherein the motion sensor activates the proximity sensor from an inactive mode upon detecting motion of the medication container. 
     
     
         17 . The method of medication adherence tracking of  claim 15  wherein the proximity sensor comprises an infrared proximity sensor. 
     
     
         18 . The method of medication adherence tracking of  claim 11  wherein the removable cap comprises a processor. 
     
     
         19 . The method of medication adherence tracking of  claim 19  further comprising determining, by the processor, whether a current time is within a predetermined dosing period upon the motion sensor detecting a movement of the medication container. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing instructions executable in a processor, the instructions when executed in the processor causing operations comprising:
 detecting at least a partial rotation of a removal cap of a medication container in accordance with a motion sensor disposed at least partially on the removable cap;
 associating a timestamp with the at least a partial rotation; and 
 transmitting, in response to the detecting, adherence data that indicates a time of removal of the cap from the medication container in accordance with the timestamp.