SMART CAP SYSTEM

• US 20140305963A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 10/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Compliance Meds Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Compliance Meds Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Zonana, Moses, Way, Ben, Garcia, Daniel, Ferreira, Rodrigo, Blumenthal, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 10,392,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/241
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0409 with timers
• 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 7/0445 for preventing drug dispensing during a predetermined time period
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2401/10 Tearable part of the container B65D2401/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0409 the dispensing means being adapted for delivering one article, or a single dose, upon each actuation B65D83/0445 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A medicine container cap for use with a bottle containing a plurality of pills includes a casing having a pill dispensing opening. A pill dispensing track assembly is removably coupled to the casing and includes a pill ramp for delivering pills to the pill dispensing opening and an insert that includes a pill dispenser slot that receives pills from the pill ramp and is open to the pill dispensing opening. The insert is detachably from the pill ramp and is insertable through an opening in the casing for being attached to the pill ramp. The pill ramp includes an adjustable member that modifies a characteristic of the pill ramp based on at least one characteristic of the insert that is selected, inserted through the opening in the casing and coupled to the pill ramp.

Claims

1. A medicine container cap for use with a bottle containing a plurality of pills comprising:

a casing having a pill dispensing opening, the casing being configured to securely attach to the bottle and represent a cap structure that closes off the bottle;

a door member coupled to the casing and movable between at least an idle position and a dispensing position in which the pill dispensing opening is open and one pill is released; and

a pill dispensing track assembly that is removably coupled to the casing and includes a pill ramp for delivering pills to the pill dispensing opening and an insert that includes a pill dispenser slot that receives pills from the pill ramp and is open to the pill dispensing opening, the pill ramp being coupled to the casing and for insertion into the bottle to contact pills therein, the insert being detachably from the pill ramp and insertable through an opening in the casing for being attached to the pill ramp;

wherein the pill ramp includes a vertically adjustable member that modifies a characteristic of the pill ramp based on at least one characteristic of the insert that is selected and inserted through the opening in the casing and coupled to the pill ramp.

2. The container cap of claim 1, further including a base to which the casing is coupled, the base including a notch formed along a periphery thereof for receiving the insert, the notch being axially aligned with the opening formed in the casing.

3. The container cap of claim 1, wherein the casing includes a top surface and a side wall with a recessed track formed therein and the door member includes a top wall that seats against the top surface of the casing and is rotatable thereon and a door portion that is received within the recessed track and can laterally move therein, wherein in the idle position, the door portion covers the pill dispensing opening and prevents pills from being dispensed.

4. The container cap of claim 3, wherein the pill ramp is coupled to the top surface of the casing.

5. The container cap of claim 3, wherein the top surface includes a first recessed channel and a second recessed channel and the top wall of the door member includes a first slot and a second slot, one end of the first recessed slot being open to both the opening formed in the casing and the pill dispensing slot, wherein a plunger member is received and is movable within the first recessed slot and includes a tab that is received within the first slot of the overlying top wall of the door member, wherein the plunger member is biased to assume a first position in which the door member is in the idle position and the plunger member is at least partially within the pill dispensing slot and prevents travel of the pill to the pill dispensing opening, wherein a door return member is received and is movable within the second recessed slot and includes a tab that is received within the second slot of the overlying top wall of the door member, wherein the door return member is biased to assume a first position in which the door member is in the idle position.

6. The container cap of claim 5, wherein the plunger member assumes a second position as a result of counterclockwise movement of the door member to the load position of the door member, wherein a first biasing member that is coupled to the plunger member stores energy in the second position such that release of the door member in the load position causes the door member to return to the idle position.

7. The container cap of claim 5, wherein the door return member assumes a second position as a result of clockwise movement of the door member to the dispensing position of the door member, wherein a second biasing member that is coupled to the door return member stores energy in the second position such that release of the door member in the load position causes the door member to return to the idle position.

8. The container cap of claim 5, further including an actuator that is disposed within the casing and has a projection that moves between an extended position and a retracted position, wherein in the extended position, the projection creates interference with the door member and prevents the door member from being moved into the dispensing position, the projection assuming the retracted position under select conditions, whereby the door member is free to move to the dispensing position and the pill dispensing opening is open to allow release of one pill.

9. The container cap of claim 8, wherein the actuator is a solenoid that is electronically connected to a processor that is disposed within the casing and is configured to determine whether select criteria have been satisfied to permit the door member to be moved to the dispensing position as a result of the projection being retracted.

10. The container cap of claim 1, wherein the pill ramp has a helical shape that is formed about a central shaft, the adjustable member being movably coupled to the central shaft such that it can move between two portions of the pill ramp that at least partially overlie one another.

11. The container cap of claim 10, wherein a bottom of the pill ramp is coupled to the top surface of the casing and a bottom end of adjustable member is directly coupled to the insert which is fixed in place relative to the casing, wherein the adjustable member is coupled to the central shaft proximate a top end thereof.

12. The container cap of claim 10, wherein the vertically adjustable member has a partial helical shape that complements an underlying portion of the helical shaped pill ramp, such that a space is formed between an underside of the adjustable member and the pill ramp, the space receiving pills as they travel along the pill ramp toward the pill dispensing opening, wherein dimensions of the space are variable depending upon the position of the adjustable member relative to the pill ramp.

13. The container cap of claim 12, wherein the central shaft includes a vertical notch with the adjustable member extending through the vertical notch and having an inner portion contained within a hollow center of the central shaft, the inner portion of the adjustable member being biased within the hollow center by a biasing member that extends between the inner portion and a top end of the central shaft, the biasing member causing the adjustable member to normally be in a lower position resulting in the space being at a minimum.

14. The container cap of claim 13, wherein a height of the insert determines whether and how much energy the biasing member stores due to the insert being mated to the adjustable member at one end and attached at an opposite end to the casing.

15. The container cap of claim 1, further including an emergency tab along an interface between the bottle and the casing for preventing free access to the bottle for removal of the bottle from the casing, the emergency tab being configured such that in an emergency, the emergency tab can be removed to allow separation of the bottle from the casing.

16. The container cap of claim 1, wherein the characteristics of the pill ramp comprise a height of at least a tunnel portion defined between the adjustable member and the pill ramp proximate the pill dispensing slot, a height of the tunnel controlling an orientation in which the pills can slide along pill ramp into the pill dispensing slot and the characteristics of the insert comprise a height thereof.

17. The container cap of claim 1, further including a pill sensor that is disposed at least partially within the pill dispensing slot for determining a presence of one pill within the pill dispensing slot.

18. The container cap of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured such that the door member can only move into the dispensing position if the following criteria are satisfied:

(1) it is time for a pill to be dispensed and (2) a pill is sensed within the pill dispensing slot.

19. The container cap of claim 9, wherein the top wall of the door member includes a main through opening through which the insert and pill ramp extend through, the main through opening having a shaped end portion into which the projection of the actuator extends in the extended position, thereby limiting rotation of the door member relative to the casing and preventing movement of the door member to the dispensing position, the shaped end portion being constructed such that the door member can move to the load position while the projection remains in the extended position.

20-27. -27. (canceled)