Inhaler compliance device and monitoring system

Abstract

An aerosol mist compliance device maintains a patient's aerosol supply and monitors the patient's access to pills contained in the device to memorialize the patient's compliance with his/her respiratory inhalation regimen. The device has a housing, including an inner aerosol mist storage compartment and an electronics unit, a removable mouthpiece cap, a switch to detect removal of the mouthpiece cap and magnet away from the housing, and to detect a replacement of the mouthpiece cap and magnet to the housing, wherein activating the switch triggers a transition from an active state, to a dormant state, and vice versa. A transition from the dormant state to the active state, by replacing the mouthpiece cap to the housing generates an aerosol-taken signal. A microcontroller generates a compliance notification signal that is communicated to a Wi-Fi module or router within or attached to the electronics unit, to memorialize the apparent compliance.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An aerosol dispenser compliance device for maintaining a patient's aerosol mist usage supply and monitoring the patient's access to aerosol contained in the device to memorialize the patient's compliance with his/her aerosol use regimen, the compliance device comprising:
 an L-shaped, elbowed, hollow container, including an inner aerosol barrel storage compartment and a removable mouthpiece cap for covering the L-shaped, elbowed, hollow container and the inner aerosol mist storage compartment; and   a wraparound attachment;   wherein the removable mouthpiece cap includes a power supply, a mechanical switch and an electronics unit including a microcontroller and a memory;   wherein said mechanical switch includes a capacitive touch sensor element and a switch press element communicating with a press plate;   wherein removing the removable mouthpiece cap from the L-shaped elbowed hollow container triggers the mechanical switch to an open switch state, generates and transfers an access signal to the microcontroller, and provides access to the L-shaped elbowed hollow aerosol inhaler dispenser;   wherein placing the removable mouthpiece cap on the L-shaped elbowed hollow container triggers the mechanical switch to a closed switch state, generates and transfers a no-access signal to the microcontroller, and prevents access to the aerosol mist; and   wherein if a no-access signal is generated within a predetermined period after an access signal is generated, the microcontroller generates a compliance notification signal that is communicated to a Wi-Fi module or router within or attached to said electronics unit.   
     
     
         2 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 1 , wherein the Wi-Fi module or router communicates the compliance notification signal. 
     
     
         3 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 1 , and wherein said press plate of said mechanical switch is in contact with the capacitive touch sensor in the closed switch state. 
     
     
         4 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 1 , wherein the mechanical switch further comprises a movable floating ring printed circuit board. 
     
     
         5 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 1 , wherein the electronics unit comprises a printed circuit board. 
     
     
         6 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device as in  claim 5  wherein said printed circuit board comprises an ESP09 microprocessor module, a super capacitor, and a resistor, wherein when said power supply is a battery and wherein a case where said battery does not supply necessary current at a fast enough speed, a draw from the circuit reduces a load from said battery, said super capacitor accumulates the current from said battery over a short period of time, and discharges the current at an increased speed to power said circuit board and said resistor controls the discharge of the current from said super capacitor. 
     
     
         7 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 1 , wherein the Wi-Fi module or router directs the notification signal to an Internet address or URL of a medical service provider or cloud storage system, where the user data of the Wi-Fi notification signal is stored and accessed by authorized users. 
     
     
         8 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 1 , wherein a failure to send a Wi-Fi notification signal to the medical service provider within a “failure to take” period results in an automatic communication to notify a 3 rd  party that the user has failed to take a required dosage of aerosol mist. 
     
     
         9 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 1 , further comprising a key component for locking and unlocking said device for preventing spillage of medication and damage to said electronics;
 wherein separating the magnet and mouthpiece cap from the magnetically activated switch triggers a transition from an active state, to a dormant state, when the magnet and switch are proximate due to the mouthpiece cap's presence prior to removal;   wherein attaching the mouthpiece cap to the barrel of the housing triggers a transition from the dormant state to an active state;   wherein a transition from the active state to the dormant state, by removing the mouthpiece cap from the housing generates an access signal;   wherein a transition from the dormant state to the active state, by replacing the mouthpiece cap to the housing generates a pill-taken signal; and   wherein if the aerosol mist dosage taken signal is generated within a predetermined period after the aerosol mist dosage access signal is generated, the microcontroller generates a compliance notification signal that is communicated to a Wi-Fi module or router within or attached to said electronics unit, to memorialize the apparent compliance.   
     
     
         10 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 9 , wherein the Wi-Fi module or router directs the notification signal to an Internet address or URL of a medical service provider or cloud storage system, where the user data of the Wi-Fi notification signal is stored and accessed by authorized users. 
     
     
         11 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 10 , wherein a failure to send a Wi-Fi notification signal to the medical service provider within a “failure to take” period results in an automatic communication to notify a 3 rd  party that the user has failed to take a required aerosol mist dosage. 
     
     
         12 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 10 , wherein said electronics unit is located in an exterior attachment housing adjacent to the aerosol mist storage compartment. 
     
     
         13 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 10 , wherein the magnetic switch is a reed switch. 
     
     
         14 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 13 , wherein the reed switch includes a push button that overrides the signals generated by switching form a dormant to an active state or from an active to a dormant state. 
     
     
         15 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 10 , wherein said mouthpiece cap is slidably removable and replaceable. 
     
     
         16 . The aerosol dispenser compliance device of  claim 10 , wherein said mouthpiece cap is removed from the housing. 
     
     
         17 . A microcontroller-controlled method of providing aerosol compliance by use of an aerosol use compliance device for maintaining a patient's aerosol supply and monitoring the patient's access to the aerosol mist contained in the device to memorialize the patient's compliance with his/her aerosol-taking regimen, the aerosol compliance device comprising an electronics unit with electronic components including a microcontroller and memory, a housing with an inner storage compartment for storing aerosol, and a removable mouthpiece cap covering the inner storage compartment of said housing, said removable mouthpiece cap including at least one of:
 a) a magnet, a magnetically activated switch with a magnet, or,   b) a mechanical switch including a capacitive touch sensor element and a switch press element and wherein the press plate is in contact with the capacitive touch sensor in the closed switch state,   wherein each said switch is used to detect removal of said mouthpiece cap and magnet away from said housing, and is responsive to a replacement of said mouthpiece cap and magnet to said housing,   wherein separating the magnet and mouthpiece cap from the magnetically activated switch triggers a transition from an active state, to a dormant state;   wherein, when the switch is activated, the magnet and switch are proximate due to the mouthpiece cap's presence prior to removal; and   wherein attaching the mouthpiece cap to the housing triggers a transition from the dormant state to an active state, the method including the steps of:   first generating an access signal upon removal of the removable mouthpiece cap from the housing and inner pill storage compartment, the access signal indicative of a transition from the active state to the dormant state;   second generating an aerosol dosage-taken signal when, within a predetermined amount of time, the removable mouthpiece cap is replaced on the housing and inner storage compartment, the aerosol dosage-taken compliance signal indicative of the patient's having inhaled the aerosol mist; and   in response to an aerosol-taken signal, the microcontroller generating a compliance notification signal and provides said compliance notification signal to a Wi-Fi module or router within, attached to or coupled to the electronic unit to memorialize the apparent compliance.