Dispenser system and methods for medication compliance

• US 10,722,431 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2018
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Changhai Chen, Daniel Chen, Michael Chen
• Original Assignee: Changhai Chen, Daniel Chen, Michael Chen
• Inventors: Chen, Changhai, Chen, Daniel, Chen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Rakesh
• Application Number:
  US15/896,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20180168935A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 700240
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/32 by weighing check-weighing of filled containers or receptacles B65B1/46
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/46 Check-weighing of filled containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/14 and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A medication dispensing system is provided and includes a medicine transfer device (MTD) and a controller. The MTD transfers medicine between first and second containers. The first container initially stores medicine. The controller: determines a first predetermined amount of medicine to be dispensed from the medicine dispensing system; causes the MTD to discharge a second predetermined amount of the medicine from the first container onto the MTD, and transfer a third predetermined amount of the medicine from the MTD to the second container; subsequent to the transfer of the third predetermined amount, determine whether the second container has greater than or equal to the first predetermined amount; and if the second container has less than the first predetermined amount, cause the MTD to transfer a portion of the medicine on the MTD into the second container or discharge a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the MTD.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing system comprising:

a medicine transfer device configured to transfer medicine between a first container and a second container, wherein the first container is configured to initially store medicine; and

a controller configured to

determine a first predetermined amount of medicine to be dispensed from the medicine dispensing system,

cause the medicine transfer device to (i) discharge at least a second predetermined amount of the medicine from the first container onto the medicine transfer device, and (ii) transfer at least a third predetermined amount of the medicine from the medicine transfer device to the second container,

subsequent to the transfer of the third predetermined amount of the medicine, determine whether the second container has greater than or equal to the first predetermined amount of the medicine,

if the second container has less than the first predetermined amount of the medicine, cause the medicine transfer device to at least one of (i) transfer at least a portion of the medicine on the medicine transfer device into the second container, or (ii) discharge at least a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the medicine transfer device, and

until the second container has the first predetermined amount of the medicine, iteratively perform a plurality of operations including at least one of

discharging medicine remaining on the medicine transfer device into the first container,

discharging at least a portion of the medicine in the second container onto the medicine transfer device, and

transferring at least a portion of the medicine on the medicine transfer device into the second container,

wherein each iteration of the plurality of operations includes discharging less medicine from the medicine transfer device into the second container than during the previous iteration.

2. The medication dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to, if the second container does not have the first predetermined amount of the medicine, discharge medicine remaining on the medicine transfer device into the first container prior to discharging the at least a portion of the medicine in the second container onto the medicine transfer device.

3. The medication dispensing system of claim 1, wherein:

the second predetermined amount of the medicine is greater than or equal to the first predetermined amount of the medicine; and

the third predetermined amount of the medicine is greater than or equal to the first predetermined amount of the medicine and less than or equal to the second predetermined amount of the medicine.

4. The medication dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the medicine transfer device comprises at least one of a conveyor or a rotating table.

5. The medication dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising a device configured to generate a signal, wherein:

the signal is indicative of an amount of medicine in at least one of the first container or the second container; and

the controller is configured to, based on the signal, at least one of (i) discharge the at least a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the medicine transfer device, (ii) transfer the at least a portion of the medicine on the medicine transfer device into the second container, (iii) transfer the medicine remaining on the medicine transfer device to the first container, or (iv) discharge the at least a portion of the medicine in the second container onto the medicine transfer device.

6. The medication dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of devices configured to generate a plurality of signals, wherein:

the plurality of signals are indicative of amounts of medicine at least one of in the first container, in the second container, or on the medicine transfer device; and

the controller is configured to, based on the signals, at least one of (i) discharge the at least a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the medicine transfer device, (ii) transfer the at least a portion of the medicine on the medicine transfer device into the second container, (iii) transfer the medicine remaining on the medicine transfer device to the first container, or (iv) discharge the at least a portion of the medicine in the second container onto the medicine transfer device.

7. A medication dispensing system comprising:

a medicine transfer device configured to transfer medicine between a first container and a second container, wherein the first container is configured to initially store medicine;

a controller configured to

determine a first predetermined amount of medicine to be dispensed from the medicine dispensing system,

cause the medicine transfer device to (i) discharge at least a second predetermined amount of the medicine from the first container onto the medicine transfer device, and (ii) transfer at least a third predetermined amount of the medicine from the medicine transfer device to the second container,

subsequent to the transfer of the third predetermined amount of the medicine, determine whether the second container has greater than or equal to the first predetermined amount of the medicine, and

if the second container has less than the first predetermined amount of the medicine, cause the medicine transfer device to at least one of (i) transfer at least a portion of the medicine on the medicine transfer device into the second container, or (ii) discharge at least a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the medicine transfer device; and

a container transfer device configured to move the first container and the second container between a first station and a second station,

wherein

the first container is (i) at the first station while discharging medicine onto the medicine transfer device, and (ii) at the second station while the medicine transfer device is transferring medicine into the first container, and

the second container is (i) at the first station while discharging medicine onto the medicine transfer device, and (ii) at the second station while the medicine transfer device is transferring medicine into the second container.

8. The medication dispensing system of claim 7, wherein the container transfer device comprises at least one of a computer numerical control machine, a carousel or a robot.

9. A medication dispensing system comprising:

a medicine transfer device configured to transfer medicine between a first container and a second container, wherein the first container is configured to initially store medicine; and

a controller configured to

determine a first predetermined amount of medicine to be dispensed from the medicine dispensing system,

cause the medicine transfer device to (i) discharge at least a second predetermined amount of the medicine from the first container onto the medicine transfer device, and (ii) transfer at least a third predetermined amount of the medicine from the medicine transfer device to the second container,

subsequent to the transfer of the third predetermined amount of the medicine, determine whether the second container has greater than or equal to the first predetermined amount of the medicine, and

if the second container has less than the first predetermined amount of the medicine, cause the medicine transfer device to at least one of (i) transfer at least a portion of the medicine on the medicine transfer device into the second container, or (ii), discharge at least a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the medicine transfer device;

a container transfer device configured to move the first container and the second container between a first station and a second station; and

a device configured to generate a signal,

wherein

the signal is indicative of at least one of (i) an amount of medicine on the medicine transfer device, or (ii) whether medicine remains on the medicine transfer device, and

the controller is configured to, based on the signal, at least one of (i) discharge the at least a portion of the medicine in the first container onto the medicine transfer device, (ii) transfer the at least a portion of the medicine on the medicine transfer device into the second container, (iii) transfer the medicine remaining on the medicine transfer device to the first container, or (iv) discharge the at least a portion of the medicine in the second container onto the medicine transfer device.