Systems And Methods For Determining Container Contents, Locations, And Surroundings

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for determining whether and/or when a patient is taking his or her medication and, when appropriate, providing reminders and/or alerts to the patient to improve adherence to a medication regimen. In some embodiments, a medication container is provided that includes a capacitance sensor for sensing the contents of the medication container (e.g., pill count or quantity of liquid medication). The capacitance sensor may include interleaved or interdigitated electrodes oriented vertically, horizontally, or angularly (e.g., diagonally) relative to an axis of the medication container. Reminders and/or alerts to the patient may be triggered based at least in part on the contents of the medication container, when a cap of the container was last opened and/or closed, the location of the medication container, and/or the container's surroundings.

1 .- 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A system for reminding a patient to consume a medication, comprising:
 computer memory configured to store data indicative of a medication regimen associated with a patient; and   one or more computers configured to receive communications from a medication container associated with the patient, the one or more computers configured to:
 determine utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container; and 
 based at least in part on the determination, trigger a reminder to the patient to consume the medication. 
   
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more computers configured to determine utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container are configured to determine utilizing one or more machine learning techniques when to send a reminder to the patient to consume medication of the medication container. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more computers configured to determine utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container are configured to determine utilizing one or more machine learning techniques what type of reminder to send to the patient to remind the patient to consume medication of the medication container. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more computers configured to determine utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container are configured to determine utilizing one or more machine learning techniques when the patient is most likely to take his or her medication. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more computers configured to determine utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container are configured to determine the at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container based at least in part on an analysis of data regarding the patient's past adherence to the medication regimen stored in the computer memory. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more computers configured to trigger a reminder to the patient to consume the medication based at least in part on the determination are configured to communicate a signal to the medication container that activates an alert by the container. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more computers configured to trigger a reminder to the patient to consume the medication based at least in part on the determination are configured to communicate a signal to the medication container that activates an audio alert by the container. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more computers configured to trigger a reminder to the patient to consume the medication based at least in part on the determination are configured to communicate a signal to the medication container that activates a visual alert by the container. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more computers configured to trigger a reminder to the patient to consume the medication based at least in part on the determination are configured to initiate a digital message to a user computer associated with the patient. 
     
     
         36 . A method for reminding a patient to consume a medication, comprising:
 storing in computer memory data indicative of a medication regimen associated with a patient;   receiving with one or more computers one or more electronic communications from a medication container associated with the patient;   determining with the one or more computers utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container; and   based at least in part on the determination, triggering with the one or more computers a reminder to the patient to consume the medication.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein determining with the one or more computers utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container comprises determining with the one or more computers utilizing one or more machine learning techniques when to send a reminder to the patient to consume medication of the medication container. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein determining with the one or more computers utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container comprises determining with the one or more computers utilizing one or more machine learning techniques what type of reminder to send to the patient to remind the patient to consume medication of the medication container. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein determining with the one or more computers utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container comprises determining with the one or more computers utilizing one or more machine learning techniques when the patient is most likely to take his or her medication. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein determining with the one or more computers utilizing one or more machine learning techniques at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container comprises determining with the one or more computers the at least one parameter related to reminding the patient to consume medication of the medication container based at least in part on an analysis of data regarding the patient's past adherence to the medication regimen stored in the computer memory. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein triggering with the one or more computers a reminder to the patient to consume the medication based at least in part on the determination comprises communicating with the one or more computers a signal to the medication container that activates an alert by the container. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein triggering with the one or more computers a reminder to the patient to consume the medication based at least in part on the determination comprises communicating with the one or more computers a signal to the medication container that activates an audio alert by the container. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein triggering with the one or more computers a reminder to the patient to consume the medication based at least in part on the determination comprises communicating with the one or more computers a signal to the medication container that activates a visual alert by the container. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein triggering with the one or more computers a reminder to the patient to consume the medication based at least in part on the determination comprises initiating with the one or more computers a digital message to a user computer associated with the patient.