GB2307314A - Prompting device - Google Patents

Abstract

A pill prompting device 1 serves to prompt a user to take a course of pills at the required intervals of time. The device 1 comprises a casing 3 incorporating a timing circuit for supplying a time elapsed signal at the end of the predetermined time period, conductive tracks connected to the timing circuit and adapted to be broken by the taking of pills by the user, and a discriminator circuit for supplying a triggering signal in response to the time elapsed signal in the event of an appropriate one of the conductive tracks 15 not being broken prior to the end of the predetermined time period. The device 1 includes an alarm for supplying a prompt signal to the user in response to the triggering signal indicating that a pill has not been taken within the predetermined time period. The conductive tracks 15 and the pills may be incorporated in a disposable blister pack which may be fitted to the casing 3 while the course of pills is being taken and may be subsequently detached from the casing 3 and disposed of.

Description

prompting Devices This invention relates to prompting devices for providing a prompt to a user in the event that a required action, such as taking of a pill for example, has not been carried out by the user within a predetermined time period.

As is well known, doses of pharmaceutical substances are commonly taken by the user in the form of courses of pills taken at regular time intervals.

In this context the term "pill" denotes any defined dose of a pharmaceutical substance, whether in the form of a tablet, a capsule or any other form.

Furthermore there are many applications in which the effectiveness of the course can be decreased if one or more pills is not taken on time. For example, if a single pill in a course of contraceptive pills is not taken on time, unwanted pregnancy can result.

Various measures have been put forward to attempt to minimise the risk of a pill not being taken on time within a course of pills. For example many courses of contraceptive pills are supplied in blister packs with a day of the week shown alongside each pill on the pack. This provides the user with an indication that a pill has not been taken in so far as, if a pill remains in the pack alongside a day which has passed, it is reasonable to assume that that pill was not taken on the required day. However this does not guard against the pill not actually being taken on the required day. Furthermore it is known to set a conventional alarm clock to provide an audible prompt to remind a user to take a pill.However the use of such a conventional alarm clock for this purpose relies on the user remembering to set the alarm and to subsequently turn it off and take the pill in response to the alarm being triggered, so that such an arrangement is far from foolproof in practice.

It is an object of the invention to provide a novel prompting device which is particularly suitable for providing a prompt in such circumstances.

The invention is defined in the accompanying claims.

The prompting device of the invention may be used for prompting any required action which needs to be taken within a predetermined time period, and is particularly suitable for prompting the taking of a course of pills at suitable time intervals. In the event that a particular pill is not taken within a particular time period, a prompt signal is provided to remind the user to take the pill and this prompt signal is preferably only turned off by the action of the pill being taken from a pill container. Furthermore, if the pill is taken within the predetermined time period, no prompt signal will be produced.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood, a preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: Figure 1 is a front view of a main part of the device; and Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a detachable part of the device. Referring to Figure 1, the main part 2 of the pill prompting device 1 comprises control circuitry (not shown) encapsulated within a plastics casing 3 and connected to a multi-pin socket 4 of an electrical connector for detachable connection to a multi-pin plug of the connector, as will be described further below with reference to Figure 2.The control circuitry includes timing, discriminator and alarm circuits and suitable processing circuits, and the front face of the casing 3 incorporates four banks 5 of seven red light-emitting diodes 6 amounting to twenty eight light-emitting diodes 6 in all, alongside each of which is marked the day on which a pill is to be taken within a course of pills.

Furthermore the front face of the casing 3 incorporates a function key panel 7 including function keys for setting the time/date/day on which each pill is to be taken, a time/date/day display panel 8 for indicating the current or selected time and/or date and/or day, and a message display panel 9 for displaying messages, such as warning messages, battery-charge status messages, etc. The function keys may also possibly control pre-programmed functions of the device, such as a program for automatically setting time periods at daily intervals, etc. In addition locating pins 10 are provided at the four corner regions of the front face of the casing 3.

Figure 2 shows schematically a detachable part 12 of the device 1 incorporating a multi-pin plug 13 and four locating apertures 14 through which the locating pins 10 on the front face of the casing 3 extend when the detachable part 12 is fitted to the front of the main part 2 so that the plug 13 engages within the socket 4 of the connector so as to establish electrical contact between the pins of the two connector parts.

The detachable part 12 is in the form of a blister pack containing pills (not shown) which are held in position within the pack between two layers of material, such as two layers of transparent plastics material for example, but each of which is capable of being removed from the pack by breaking the upper layer of material in the vicinity of the pill and removing the pill from the pack through the resulting hole. Blister packs for containing pills are known per se so that further description of the manner in which the pack is formed will not be given.

However, by contrast with a conventional blister pack, the detachable part 12 incorporates a series of conductive tracks 15 embedded in the upper layer of the pack which is made of breakable non-conductive material. Furthermore each of the tracks 15 is in the form of a loop having two ends connected to separate pins of the plug 13 such that, when the plug 13 is engaged with the socket 4, the two ends are connected to circuitry within the main part 2 so as to form a closed circuit therewith, each of the tracks 15 overlying a respective pill within the pack so that, when the pill is taken from the pack by breaking the upper layer of material in the vicinity of the pill, the associated track 15 will simultaneously be broken so as to open circuit the loop.

It should be appreciated that the tracks 15 are shown only schematically in Figure 2, and that no attempt is made to show the actual paths of the tracks which will in practice be more complicated in order to enable each track to overlie an associated pill positioned alongside the light-emitting diode 6 corresponding to the day on which the pill is to be taken. In the event that pills are provided corresponding to all twenty eight days for which light-emitting diodes 6 are available, the pills will be arranged in four banks of seven pills within the detachable part 12. Furthermore appropriate windows 16 are provided in the detachable part 12 to enable the four banks 5 of light-emitting diodes 6, as well as the panels 7, 8 and 9 on the front face of the main part 2, to be visible when the part 12 is attached to the main part 2.Only two of the windows 16 are shown in Figure 2 for ease of illustration, although it will be appreciated that five further windows will be provided in the central area of the part 12, the tracks 15 being positioned so as to avoid crossing any of the windows.

In use of the device 1, the detachable part 12, which will be supplied by a pharmacist ready filled with pills, is fitted to the front of the main part 2 so that the plug 13 engages within the socket 4 and so that the pills are located adjacent the light- emitting diodes 6 corresponding to the days on which the pills are to be taken. In the event of a short course only the number of pills corresponding to the length of the required course will be provided. The function keys on the function key panel 7 will then be set so as to determine the time periods within which the pills are to be taken, and after the elapse of which an alarm will be triggered if a pill has not been taken.

Thereafter the action of taking each pill from the pack will result in breaking of the overlying conductive track 15. If this is done before the time period for taking the pill has elapsed, no alarm will be triggered. However, once the time period has elapsed without the pill being taken, a triggering signal will automatically be generated at the end of the time period, and this will result in a bleeping sound being emitted by a sounder (not shown) within the main part 2 of the device, and in the corresponding red light-emitting diode 6 being lit.

Furthermore the audible and visible alarm provided in this manner will only be switched off by breaking of the relevant circuit by taking the required pill from the pack. This action will silence the sounder and turn off the associated lightemitting diode 6.

Furthermore, once the first pill has been taken, the timing circuitry will automatically default to the adjacent circuit (e.g. the second circuit for the second day), and the alarm will again be set off if the second pill has not been taken within the required time period. This process will be continued for as many days as there are pills to be taken, and in each case the alarm will be given if the appropriate pill has not been taken within the relevant time period. On each occasion that the alarm is set off the lighting of the appropriate light-emitting diode 6 will indicate to the user the pill which is to be taken, the alarm only being turned off when the pill is taken.In the event that the relevant circuit is not broken by taking of the pill within a predetermined time interval after the alarm has been set off of, say, one hour, the bleeping sound emitted by the sounder is increased in volume and a message is displayed on the message display panel 9, such as "you are one hour late". Further appropriate messages could be programmed to appear on the message display panel 9 at suitable intervals thereafter, until the circuit is broken by taking of the pill which then automatically turns off the alarm and stops further messages being displayed.

When all the pills have been taken the detachable part 12 is removed from the main part 2 of the device and disposed of. A further part 12 containing a fresh supply of pills may then be fitted to the main part 2 to enable a further course of pills to be taken. It will be appreciated that the main part 2 of the device 1 is retained, and may be used with any number of separate detachable blister packs which may contain different numbers and types of pills provided that the form of the pack is adapted to be fitted to the main part 2.

Such a pill prompting device 1 is easily used and provides a high level of safeguard against the risk of a pill not being taken at the required time.

Furthermore the device is compact and has only a low power requirement so that it can be mains or battery powered.

Various modifications of the device described are possible within the scope of the invention. In particular the blister pack may take various forms, and the number of circuits and light-emitting diodes may be decreased or increased to allow for courses requiring pills to be taken twice daily, three times daily, etc. Also various arrangements are contemplated for enabling a pill to be taken from the pack. The material of the upper layer of the pack may be rupturable manually or by means of a knife to enable the pill to be pushed out of the front of the pack, or alternatively a cylinder can be driven through the overlying material to enable the pill to be removed from the pack. In certain circumstances the two parts of the device may be formed integrally, and furthermore the device may be in the form of a wrist watch or a bedside alarm, optionally with an integral radio and/or light.

Claims (13)

1. A prompting device for providing a prompt to a user in the event that a required action has not been carried out by the user within a predetermined time period, the device comprising timing circuit means for supplying a time elapsed signal at the end of the predetermined time period, conductive track means connected to the timing circuit means and adapted to be broken by the required action being carried out by the user, discriminator means for supplying a triggering signal in response to the time elapsed signal in the event of the conductive track means not being broken prior to the end of the predetermined time period, and alarm means for supplying a prompt signal to the user in response to the triggering signal indicating that the required action has not been carried out within the predetermined time period.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein the conductive track means comprises a plurality of conductive tracks connected to the timing circuit means and each adapted to be broken by a respective required action being carried out by the user , the discriminator means being adapted to supply a respective triggering signal to the alarm means in the event that each required action has not been carried out within a respective predetermined time period.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the alarm means comprises a respective alarm circuit for providing a prompt signal to the user in response to a triggering signal indicative of the required action which has not been carried out within the relevant predetermined time period.

4. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the discriminator means is adapted to cause the prompt signal provided in response to the triggering signal to be discontinued in the event that the conductive track means is broken by the required action being carried out after the prompt signal has been triggered.

5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the alarm means comprises at least one visual indicator for providing a visual prompt signal in response to the triggering signal.

6. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the alarm means comprises at least one audible indicator for providing an audible prompt signal in response to the triggering signal.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein display means are provided for displaying time and/or message information.

8. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein function key means are provided for setting the predetermined time period.

9. A device according to any preceding claim, comprising a main part incorporating the timing circuit means, the discriminator means and the alarm means, and a detachable part incorporating the conductive track means and connectable to the main part by electrical connector means for electrically connecting the conductive track means to the timing circuit means.

10. A pill prompting device for providing a prompt to a user in the event that a pill has not been taken by the user within a predetermined time period, the device comprising timing circuit means for supplying a time elapsed signal at the end of the predetermined time period, electrical connector means for connecting the timing circuit means to conductive track means incorporated in pill containing means in such a manner that the conductive track means is broken by taking of a pill from the pill containing means by the user, discriminator means for supplying a triggering signal in response to the time elapsed signal in the event of the conductive track means not being broken prior to the end of the predetermined time period, and alarm means for supplying a prompt signal to the user in response to the triggering signal indicating that the pill has not been taken within the predetermined time period.

11. A disposable pill pack adapted to be fitted to a pill prompting means for providing a prompt to a user in the event that a pill has not been taken by the user within a predetermined time period, the pack comprising pill containing means for containing a course of pills to be taken, conductive track means incorporated in the pill containing means in such a manner that the conductive track means is broken by taking of a pill from the pill containing means, and connector means for connecting the conductive track means to the pill prompting means so that a prompt signal will be supplied by the pill prompting means to the user in the event that the conductive track means has not been broken by the taking of a pill from the pill containing means within the predetermined time period.

12. A pill prompting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

13. A disposable pill pack substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.