Medication dispensing method and apparatus

• US 20050049747A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apex Medical Technologies Incorporated (Apex Medical Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Apex Medical Technologies Incorporated (Apex Medical Corporation)
• Inventors: Garland, Jeffrey Clyne, Willoughby, Christopher Wallace, Travis, Lee William, Wright, David Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,963,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/232
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/40 by shape or form, e.g. by using shape recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/50 using icons or symbolic figures, e.g. by a graphical representation symbolising the type of pathology or the organ by an image
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/42 Chains of interconnected packages
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/26 Endless bands
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/68 in which the articles are torn or severed from strips or sheets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 225/307 Combined with preliminary weakener or with nonbreaking cutter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/446 With means to initiate tool feed by same control impulse
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/4521 Nonfeed motion is reverse to feed motion
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/536 Movement of work controlled
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8785 Through return [noncutting] stroke
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/8844 Gear actuated tool support
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/896 Rotatable wound package supply

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dispensing prepackaged medication packages includes an apparatus having a body with an internal cavity and an opening. A central processing unit operably communicates with an actuator within the cavity to regulate and monitor the dispensation of the packages, while the actuator operably communicates with a feed mechanism within the cavity to dispense the packages.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing packages of medication, comprising:

a plurality of bodies each having an internal cavity and an outlet;

an actuator received in each of said cavities;

a feed mechanism received in each of said cavities, said feed mechanisms being in operable communication with an associated one of said actuators for feeding and dispensing the packages of medication toward said outlet; and

a processing unit in operable communication with each of said actuators to regulate the dispensation of the packages by said feed mechanisms through each outlet.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each of said feed mechanisms has a pair of feed rollers arranged to engage the packages as the packages pass between said pair of feed rollers and a pair of dispensing rollers arranged to engage the packages as the packages pass between said pair of dispensing rollers.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one feed roller in each of said pair of feed rollers has a driven member and each of said actuators has a drive member, each of said driven members being arranged in operable communication with an associated one of said drive members causing said one feed roller to rotate in response to rotational movement of said associated one of said drive members.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one dispensing roller in each of said pair of dispensing rollers has a driven member and each of said actuators have a drive member, each of said driven members being arranged in operable communication with an associated one of said drive members causing said one dispensing roller to rotate in response to rotational movement of said associated one of said drive members.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one dispensing roller in each of said pair of dispensing rollers is caused to rotate at a greater velocity than one feed roller in each of said pair of feed rollers in response to rotational movement of said actuators.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein one feed roller in each of said pair of feed rollers and one dispensing roller in each of said pair of dispensing rollers are laterally spaced a first distance from one another and the other of said feed rollers in each of said pair of feed rollers and the other of said dispensing rollers in each of said pair of dispensing rollers are laterally spaced a second distance from one another, said second distance being greater than said first distance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a plurality of feed mechanisms are received in each of said bodies.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein each of said feed mechanisms is arranged to receive a separate string of the packages.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said feed mechanisms feed the packages independently of one another.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said feed mechanisms can feed separate packages at the same time.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus receives instructions to dispense packages from the apparatus from a station remote to the apparatus.

12. An apparatus for dispensing packages of medication, comprising:

a body having an internal cavity and an outlet;

a plurality of housings, each of said housings receiving packages of medication a plurality of actuators received in said cavity;

a plurality of feed mechanisms corresponding in number to said actuators and said housings, said feed mechanisms being received in said cavity, each feed mechanism feeding and dispensing the packages of medication from a separate one of the housings toward said outlet; and

a central processing unit in operable communication with each of said actuators to regulate the dispensation of the packages.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each of said feed mechanisms have a pair of feed rollers arranged to engage the packages as the packages pass between said pair of feed rollers and a pair of dispensing rollers arranged to engage the packages as the packages pass between said pair of dispensing rollers.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one feed roller in each of said pair of feed rollers has a driven member and each of said actuators has a drive member, each of said driven members being arranged in operable communication with a separate one of said drive members causing said one feed roller to rotate in response to rotational movement of said separate one of said drive members.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one dispensing roller in each of said pair of dispensing rollers has a driven member and each of said actuators has a drive member, each of said driven members being arranged in operable communication with a separate one of said drive members causing said one dispensing roller to rotate in response to rotational movement of said separate one of said drive members.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one dispensing roller in each of said pair of dispensing rollers rotates at a greater velocity than one feed roller in an associated one of said pair of feed rollers in response to rotational movement of an associated one of said actuators.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein one feed roller in each of said pair of feed rollers and one dispensing roller in an associated one of said pair of dispensing rollers are laterally spaced a first distance from one another and the other of said feed rollers in each of said pair of feed rollers and the other of said dispensing rollers in each of said pair of dispensing rollers are laterally spaced a second distance from one another, said second distance being greater than said first distance.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein each housing comprises at least in part a spool, said spools receiving a separate string of the packages of medication in coiled fashion thereabout.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein each of said string of packages has separate packages attached to one another along a perforated seam.

20. A method of dispensing packages of medication to an authorized recipient, comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of medication dispensing apparatus;

forming a network by arranging said medication dispensing apparatus in communication with one another;

incorporating a processing unit in said network;

incorporating an interface device in communication with said processing unit;

providing packages containing predetermined doses medication;

loading said packages into said medication dispensing apparatus;

entering a request for medication into the interface device; and

processing the request for medication though the processing unit and making a package from a selected medication dispensing apparatus accessible to the recipient.

21. The method of claim 20 including providing said packages as separate strings of packages attached to one another along a perforated seam.

22. The method of claim 21 including providing each of said medication dispensing apparatus with at least one feed mechanism, said at least one feed mechanism being operable to separate a selected one or more of said packages from an associate one of said string of packages.

23. The method of claim 22 including providing each of said medication dispensing apparatus with a plurality of feed mechanisms, each of said feed mechanisms being operable independently from one another to dispense a different medication.