MEDICATION MANAGING APPARATUS

• US 20090261011A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation), Yutaka Imai
• Original Assignee: Omron Healthcare Company Limited (Omron Corporation), Yutaka Imai
• Inventors: Ohe, Bunichiro, Kurata, Yukitoshi, Narai, Akihisa, Tanaka, Takahide, Miyata, Kiichiro, Imai, Yutaka, Inoue, Tomonori
• Granted Patent: US 7,868,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/459.100
• 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: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis

Abstract

A medication managing apparatus includes a medicine package case and a main body unit removably storing the medicine package case. The medicine package case includes blocks each storing a medicine package, openings provided at walls of each block and formed at positions facing each other such that the medicine package stored in the block is sandwiched therebetween, and an openable/closable cover. The main body unit includes a sensor portion (a medicine package sensor) disposed corresponding to each opening at the opposing walls of each block, to sense a medicine package based on that the medicine package stored in the block blocks a gap between a pair of openings, and a switch lever and a micro-switch (a medicine package case sensor) sensing attachment/removal of the medicine package case to/from the main body unit.

Claims

1-2. -2. (canceled)

3. A medication managing apparatus, comprising:

a medicine package case; and

a main body unit removably storing the medicine package case, and managing medication-related information including a medication instruction time, to give, at said medication instruction time, an instruction/notice of medication, wherein

said medicine package case includes

a plurality of blocks divided by walls and arranged in parallel with each other, each storing a medicine package containing a medicine to be taken by a user, and

an openable/closable cover covering said plurality of blocks to allow the medicine package to be stored and taken out, wherein

said main body unit includes

a medicine package sensor sensing the medicine package in each said block, and

a medicine package case sensor sensing attachment/removal of said medicine package case to/from said main body unit, wherein

said medication managing apparatus comprises

openings provided at opposing walls of said each block and formed at positions facing each other such that the medicine package stored in the block is sandwiched therebetween, and wherein

said medicine package sensor is disposed corresponding to each said opening at the opposing walls of each said block, to sense a medicine package based on that the medicine package stored in the block blocks a gap between a pair of openings.

4. The medication managing apparatus according to claim 3, comprising a cover opening/closing sensor sensing opening/closing of the cover of said medicine package case.

5. The medication managing apparatus according to claim 3, comprising:

information storing means for storing said medication-related information; and

notice means for giving, at said medication instruction time, a notice that said medication instruction time has come.

6. The medication managing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said information storing means is a storage medium externally attached to said main body unit, and the medication managing apparatus comprises a storage medium attachment portion for attaching the storage medium.

7. The medication managing apparatus according to claim 6, comprising

medication condition management means for causing said medication-related information to be stored in said storage medium based on said medication instruction time and a detection signal of said medicine package sensor, said medicine package case sensor and said cover opening/closing sensor.

8. The medication managing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

said blocks of said medicine package case are arranged in the depth direction of said main body unit, each positioned orthogonally to the depth direction of main body unit.

9. The medication managing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein

a notch portion is provided at the opposing wall of said each block to extend downwardly from an upper edge of the wall.