Abstract: Digital data are communicated between a portable data-gathering unit and a data-receiving unit without direct electrical connection by transmitting the data over a contactless connection system. In a preferred embodiment, data flow is bidirectional.

Abstract: A pharmaceutical preparation is provided for oral or anal administration containing, in addition to a selected pharmacologically active agent, at least one magnetic material capable of reacting to an externally acting magnetic field of an electronic monitoring device, so that after administration to a patient, a signal is produced that is selectively detectable by such a monitoring device, thus providing information on whether the preparation has been taken or not by the patient and/or facilitates locating the preparation or the magnetic material in the region of the gastrointestinal tract of the patient.

Abstract: A device for monitoring the dispensing of drugs to a patient is disclosed. This device includes a detector which determines the actual physical delivery of the drug dosage to the patient. This eliminates ambiguities associated with devices in the art which only monitor inferentially the dispensing of the drug dosage to the patient. The detector can include an optical sensor which notes the physical passage of the drug dosage through a dispensing port to the patient.

Abstract: A device for detecting the dispensing of drugs from a container in a way which eliminates false detection events due to mishandling of the container is disclosed. The device includes a container which may be opened and closed. It also contains a means for detecting the opening and separately detecting the closing of the container as well as means for measuring the time between these events and comparing this elapsed time to a predetermined standard indicative of drug dispensing event. The times of proper drug dispensing events are stored in the device for use by the health care professional following the patient's drug dosing compliance. Other opening and closing intervals which fall outside this time range give rise to an alternative response. They may be recorded with a notation of their probable error or they may be disregarded.

Abstract: An interactive drug dispenser which actively controls the pattern in which doses of one or more pharmaceutical preparations are administered to a patient. The dispenser is programmed with information concerning an initial dosing regimen, and monitors deviations from that regimen. The dispenser is adapted to calculate from the dosage deviation a dosing error correction factor which corrects a patient's measured plasma drug concentration for deviations from a prescribed dosing regimen, so as to distinguish the effects of patients' dosing errors from suboptimal prescribed dosage regimens.

Abstract: A contingent dosing device which actively controls the pattern in which doses of one or more pharmaceutical preparations are administered to a patient. The device is programmed with information concerning an initial dosing regimen, and monitors deviations from that regimen. Based on the acceptability of the calculated deviations, the device may dispense or withhold medication. The invention also includes an automatic drug dosage compliance method using the contingent dosing device.