PRESCRIPTION CONTROL SYSTEM

• US 20150359711A1
• Filed: 08/26/2015
• Published: 12/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Dean Ducatt
• Original Assignee: James Dean Ducatt
• Inventors: Aiello, Justin, Ducatt, James Dean
• Granted Patent: US 9,675,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: G07F 11/005 Special arrangements for insuring that only one single article may be dispensed at a time
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/58 the articles being supported on or by endless belts or like conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A medication dispensing device comprises a cartridge unit and a control unit. The cartridge unit comprises a cartridge housing defining a dispensing channel to allow passage of the dosage from the cartridge to the patient. A cartridge holds dosages, with a driven member engaging the cartridge. The driven member drives the cartridge to dispense a dosage. The control unit comprises a main housing for coupling to the cartridge housing. A driver member engages the driven member to actuate the driven member. A motor driven locking mechanism is moveable between locked and unlocked positions. When in the locked position the cartridge unit is secured to the control unit. When in the unlocked position the cartridge unit is separable from the control unit thereby providing access to the cartridge. A mobile computing device stores dosage availability and receives an authorized patient identification input before dispensing a dosage.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing device for dispensing a dosage of a medication to a patient, the dosage being dispensed to the patient upon receipt of a valid request, the valid request including an authorized patient identification input and a dosage availability determined in accordance with a medical professional'"'"'s prescription, the medication dispensing device comprising:

a) a cartridge unit comprising;

i) a cartridge housing having a bottom surface and an upwardly extending sidewall defining a cartridge receiving area, the sidewall further defining a dispensing channel formed therethrough to allow passage of the dosage from the cartridge receiving area to the patient;

ii) a cartridge configured to reside within the cartridge receiving area and hold one or more dosages;

iii) a driven member positioned within the cartridge receiving area and configured to engage the cartridge, the driven member being selectively actuatable to drive the cartridge so as to cause dispensing of a next sequential dosage through the dispensing channel; and

b) a control unit comprising;

i) a main housing configured for removable coupling to the cartridge housing and having a top surface and a downwardly extending sidewall defining a controller receiving area, the downwardly extending sidewall configured to coincide with the upwardly extending sidewall of the cartridge housing to prevent access to the cartridge receiving area and the controller receiving area;

ii) a driver member positioned with the controller receiver area and configured to engage the driven member such that actuation of the driver member upon receipt of the valid request operates to actuate the driven member;

iii) a motor driven locking mechanism moveable between locked and unlocked positions, wherein when in the locked position the cartridge unit is secured to the control unit, and wherein when in the unlocked position the cartridge unit is separable from the control unit thereby providing access to the cartridge;

iv) a mobile computing device including a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, wherein the dosage availability is stored in the memory, the mobile computing device configured to receive the authorized patient identification input; and

v) a battery configured to provide electrical energy to the driver member and the motor driven locking mechanism.

2. The medication dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the cartridge includes a belt having a plurality of outwardly extending fingers defining a plurality of dosage slots therebetween, wherein each slot is configured to contain a respective dosage, and wherein the driven member includes a belt pulley configured to engage the belt, whereby upon receipt of the valid request the driver member is energized to drive rotation of the belt pulley so as to advance the belt until the next sequential dosage becomes aligned with the dispensing channel to dispense the dosage.

3. The medication dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a camera and a microphone, the camera and the microphone configured for recording video data and audio data in the memory upon receipt of an unauthorized patient identification input.

4. The medication dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the dispensing channel is proportioned so that only a single dosage may pass through the dispensing channel at a time.

5. The medication dispensing device of claim 4, wherein the dispensing channel is a non-linear channel thereby requiring the dosage to traverse a tortuous path from the cartridge receiving area to the patient.

6. The medication dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the driver member is a gear driven by a driver motor, wherein the driver motor is powered by the battery upon receipt of the valid request.

7. The medication dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the upwardly extending sidewall and downwardly extending sidewall include at least one pair of corresponding housing contacts that form a completed circuit when the cartridge unit and control unit are disposed together.

8. The medication dispensing device of claim 7, further comprising a camera and a microphone, wherein the camera and microphone operate to record video data and audio data in the memory upon severing of the completed circuit.

9. The medication dispensing device of claim 8, further comprising a wireless transceiver, and wherein the wireless transceiver operates to transmit the video and audio data to a remote monitoring server.

10. The medication dispensing device of claim 9, further comprising a global positioning system (GPS) node, the GPS node operable to transmit a location of the device to the remote monitoring server upon severing of the completed circuit.

11. The medication dispensing device of claim 1, further comprising a camera, a microphone and a touchscreen display, wherein the mobile computing device is operable to initiate a videoconferencing application program, wherein the patient may remotely engage with a medical professional via a videoconference session.

12. The medication dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the case is about 4 inches wide, about 8 inches long and about 2 inch deep.

13. The medication dispensing device of claim 2, wherein the cartridge is removable and further includes:

a floor integral with and generally perpendicular to the belt and outwardly extending fingers; and

a removable cover having a top panel and a sidewall configured to cover the belt and substantially enclose the dosage slots, wherein the removable cover is removed from the removable cartridge when the removable cartridge resides within the cartridge receiving area.

14. The medication dispensing device of claim 1, wherein the cartridge includes:

a) a plurality of walls in spaced parallel relation with one another and extending generally perpendicular to the dispensing channel;

b) a back wall extending across a rear edge of the plurality of walls to thereby define a plurality of dosage wells, wherein each of the plurality of dosage wells is configured to contain a stack of dosages;

c) a respective dispensing wheel positioned at a forward edge of the plurality of dosage wells, wherein each dispensing wheel includes a recess configured to receive a single dosage at a time from its respective stack of dosages, and wherein the driven member is coupled to the dispensing wheels, whereupon receipt of the valid request the driver member is energized to drive rotation of the driven member and dispensing wheels so as to advance each respective recess until the next sequential dosage becomes aligned with the dispensing channel thereby dispensing the dosage.

15. The medication dispensing device of claim 14, wherein each recess is rotationally offset a common number of degrees from a next successive recess such that a sum of the common number degrees equals 360 degrees, whereby each valid request causes the driven member to rotate the common number of degrees so as to advance each respective recess until only the next sequential dosage becomes aligned with the dispensing channel, and wherein upon completion of a 360 degree rotation of the driven member and each dispensing wheel, a single dosage is dispensed from each stack.

16. The medication dispensing device of claim 14, wherein each dosage well includes a respective biasing member adjacent the back wall, wherein the biasing member biases its respective stack toward its respective dispensing wheel.

17. A medication dispensing device for dispensing a dosage of a medication to a patient, the dosage being dispensed to the patient upon receipt of a valid request, the valid request including an authorized patient identification input and a dosage availability determined in accordance with a medical professional'"'"'s prescription, the medication dispensing device comprising:

A) a cartridge unit comprising;

i) a cartridge housing having a bottom surface and an upwardly extending sidewall defining a cartridge receiving area, the sidewall further defining a dispensing channel formed therethrough to allow passage of the dosage from the cartridge receiving area to the patient;

ii) a cartridge configured to reside within the cartridge receiving area and hold one or more dosages, the cartridge including;

a) a plurality of walls in spaced parallel relation with one another and extending generally perpendicular to the dispensing channel;

b) a back wall extending across a rear edge of the plurality of walls to thereby define a plurality of dosage wells, wherein each of the plurality of dosage wells is configured to contain a stack of dosages;

c) a respective dispensing wheel positioned at a forward edge of the plurality of dosage wells, wherein each dispensing wheel includes a recess configured to receive a single dosage at a time from its respective stack of dosages;

iii) a driven member positioned within the cartridge receiving area and configured to engage the cartridge, wherein the driven member is coupled to the dispensing wheels, whereupon receipt of the valid request the driver member is energized to drive rotation of the driven member and dispensing wheels so as to advance each respective recess until the next sequential dosage becomes aligned with the dispensing channel thereby dispensing the dosage; and

B) a control unit comprising;

i) a main housing configured for removable coupling to the cartridge housing and having a top surface and a downwardly extending sidewall defining a controller receiving area, the downwardly extending sidewall configured to coincide with the upwardly extending sidewall of the cartridge housing when coupled to the sidewalls prevent access to the cartridge receiving area and the controller receiving area;

ii) a driver member positioned within the controller receiver area and configured to engage the driven member such that actuation of the driver member upon receipt of the valid request operates to actuate the driven member;

iii) a mobile computing device including a central processing unit (CPU) and a memory, wherein the dosage availability is stored in the memory, the mobile computing device configured to receive the authorized patient identification input; and

iv) a battery configured to provide electrical energy to the driver member and the motor driven locking mechanism.

18. The medication dispensing device of claim 17, wherein the control unit further comprises a motor driven locking mechanism moveable between locked and unlocked positions, wherein when in the locked position the cartridge unit is secured to the control unit, and wherein when in the unlocked position the cartridge unit is separable from the control unit thereby providing access to the cartridge.

19. The medication dispensing device of claim 17, wherein each recess is rotationally offset a common number of degrees from a next successive recess such that a sum of the common number degrees equals 360 degrees, whereby each valid request causes the driven member to rotate the common number of degrees so as to advance each respective recess until only the next sequential dosage becomes aligned with the dispensing channel, and wherein upon completion of a 360 degree rotation of the driven member and each dispensing wheel, a single dosage is dispensed from each stack.

20. The medication dispensing device of claim 17, wherein each dosage well includes a respective biasing member adjacent the back wall, wherein the biasing member biases its respective stack toward its respective dispensing wheel.