A medication dispensing device and method that forces patient compliance with a health-care-provider-prescribed medication schedule. The device may be filled with medication by a health care provider, but not by the patient. The device may be programmed to limit access to medication with prescribed minimum time intervals between access to doses. These minimum time intervals may be uniform or flexible. The device may unlock to grant a patient access to a dose of medication through a lock. The device may also be programmed to prevent any release of medication after a prescribed period of time has elapsed. The device may include an insert to prevent cross contamination between uses. The device may include an unlocked compartment housing limited amounts of medication to be accessed as needed. The device may be returned to a health care provider to dispose of excess medication.

A portable, reusable medication dispensing assembly which has communication capability to improve medication adherence is disclosed. An electromechanical apparatus sequentially delivers dosage form packages from a compartment in a housing to a dose-ready area in the housing. A microprocessor-based controller is reprogrammable with contact and prescription data. The controller controls the electromechanical apparatus to sequentially deliver the dosage form packages at prescribed times or time intervals to the dose-ready area based on the prescription data. The controller generates and stores a set of event data based on when the dosage form packages are ready to be released in the dose-ready area and whether and when the dosage form packages have been released in the dose-ready area. Communication apparatus is capable of wirelessly transmitting the event data via a publicly-accessible network to a remote database and to wirelessly transmit event notifications via the network based on the prescription and contact data.

Aspects and embodiments of the present invention generally include a device for patient self-administration of a prescribed medication. The total quantity of doses to be contained in the device, the quantity of prescribed medication comprising each individual dose, and the dosing schedule, collectively referred to as prescription parameters, are determined and controlled solely by a health care provider (HCP) such as the patient's physician. In accordance with a prescribed dosing schedule, the device makes available for administration the precise quantity of prescribed medication constituting an individual dose. Patient access to the medication as well as patient control of the device is limited solely to the aspects of the device necessary to administer the available dose; that is, the patient has no control over the prescription parameters utilized by the device; that is, the quantity of a dose, the availability of individual doses, the schedule at which the doses are made available to the patient, nor the prescribed medication itself which is contained in the device. Preferably, the device also has a monitored subassembly which detects and transmits relevant device information to a remote management system accessible to the HCP, including detected attempts to alter, access, control or otherwise tamper with the device beyond its prescribed use. Advantageously, HCPs may render sufficient oversight and control over the device and its use to mitigate the risks associated with patients self-administering potentially dangerous or abusable medication without direct, in-person supervision.

A cost-effective, single use bag or container is provided for storing biological substances that incorporates on its inner wall an electronic device that is configured to measure physiological and/or physical parameters of the enclosed biological substances, such as source history, identification, demographics, time stamping, temperature, pH, conductivity, glucose, O.sub.2, CO.sub.2 levels etc. The electronic device of the disclosed bag comprises a sensor configured to measure physiological and/or physical parameters of the biological substances enclosed within the bag, and a radio-frequency (RF) device communicably coupled to the sensor and configured to: (a) acquire from the sensor data associated with the measured parameters, (b) store the acquired sensor data in nonvolatile memory, and (c) communicate the stored data wirelessly to a RF reader.

Dry thawing systems and devices for thawing biological substances are provided herein. Methods for thawing biological substances are also provided.

Dry thawing systems and devices for thawing biological substances are provided herein. Methods for thawing biological substances are also provided.

Various systems and methods for encouraging patient behavior utilize one or more sensors for gathering medical-related information about a patient and processing the medical-related information to provide feedback to the patient, such as notification reminders for dosing, testing, and/or other patient behaviors.

The present application provides a unique way for storing cigars, and medicines in a portable environmental storage container system. The portable environmental storage container system can comprise a lid, an inner compartment, an outer container, electronics, and a bottom enclosure. An inner compartment can slide in and out of an outer container and seal shut with a seal keeping the inside of the container air tight with the humidity kept in when sealed, or the humidity out if none is desired. After the contents have been stored within the portable environmental storage container the user can monitor the contents inside the container with a portable computing device in real time.

A pharmaceutical management system includes: an IC tag attached to a pharmaceutical; a pharmaceutical storage box to store the pharmaceutical and read information of the IC tag; a controller to acquire the information of the IC tag from the pharmaceutical storage box and manage the pharmaceutical; and a pharmaceutical refrigerator to store the pharmaceutical storage box to refrigerate the pharmaceutical.

A tamper-resistant pill and/or capsule dispenser for attachment to an electronic control and communication unit including inter alia, an electric actuator mechanism, a microprocessor, a graphical user interface and a communications unit, the dispenser including sensors operative under control of said electronic control and communication unit to monitor and dispense prescribed dosages of medications or vitamin supplements in pill and/or capsule form and help control, track and maintain a record of pills and/or capsules dispensed to a patient to ensure that the dispensed product is not improperly removed from or replaced in the dispenser, said dispenser comprising: a generally cylindrical housing having an open top, and a generally closed bottom, except for a pill dispensing opening formed in a lower side portion of the cylindrical housing; a cylindrical sleeve open at its top end and closed at its bottom end, said sleeve being eccentrically disposed within said cylindrical housing and away from the side of said cylindrical housing having said pill dispensing opening, said sleeve being affixed at its bottom end to the bottom end of said cylindrical housing and having an open, longitudinally extending slot formed in the side thereof opposite said pill dispensing opening; an axially rotatable cylinder disposed within said housing, said cylinder having a helical indented groove formed in the outer cylindrical surface thereof, said groove extending from a point proximate an upper end of said cylinder to a point proximate a lower end of said cylinder, said groove being adapted to slidably carry pills and/or capsules to be sequentially passed through said first pill exiting aperture, said axially rotatable cylinder having a coupling socket formed in its upper end for driving engagement with said electric actuator mechanism: and a tubular slide slidably disposed about said sleeve and carrying a pill pin for slidably engaging pills and/or capsules disposed in said helical indented groove as said electric actuator mechanism causes said axially rotatable cylinder to rotate and dispense pills and/or capsules out of said pill dispensing opening.