Timed medicant dispensing device

• US 3,968,900 A
• Filed: 07/25/1975
• Issued: 07/13/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Berigoj K. Stambuk
• Original Assignee: Berigoj K. Stambuk
• Inventors: Stambuk, Berigoj K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Application Number:
  US05/599,169
• Time in Patent Office: 354 Days
• Field of Search: 221/3, 221/15, 221/92, 221/289, 116/121
• US Class Current: 221/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0445 for preventing drug dispensing during a predetermined time period
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 21/16 producing the signals at adjustable fixed times

Abstract

An electrically operated device capable of holding first and second hollow plastic balls that contain predetermined numbers of tablets or capsules of first and second medicants, and dispensing the balls at timed intervals to a patient. Each ball is defined by interlocking half portions that may be separated to permit the medicant contained in the ball to be removed therefrom. The balls have the medicants placed therein by a pharmacist. The physician supplies the patient with an opaque disk that has at least one ring of circumferentially spaced apertures formed therein. The present invention is illustrated and described as having two rings of apertures in the disk. A clock drive on the device slowly rotates the disk. As the first and second apertures pass first and second beams of light, first and second light sensitive diodes are rendered electrically conductive to energize first and second solenoid operated dispensers that allow first and second balls to roll onto a spring loaded pivotally supported dispenser tray from which the balls may be taken by the patient. The first and second balls may be dispensed either concurrently or at different time intervals. The dispensed balls, as they pivot the hinged tray to a supporting position, completes an electric circuit to an electrically operated alarm to audibly notify the patient to remove the balls from the tray. The audible alarm will continue to operate until the dispensed ball or balls are removed from the tray. After a ball has been dispensed onto the dispenser tray and until the ball is removed therefrom, the clock drive is de-energized, and as a result a patient cannot take the medicant oftener than the time intervals dictated by the spaced apertures formed in the disk.

Claims

1. A device for storing a plurality of hollow balls defined by interlocking half portions that may be manually separated, which balls are consecutively dispensed at desired time intervals, with each of said balls serving as a carrier for a prescribed quantity of a medicant contained therein, which device includes:

a. a cannister in which said balls are stored, in which cannister an opening is formed through which said balls can roll by force of gravity;

b. a housing having a first opening formed therein through which said cannister may be inserted into the interior thereof, and with a second opening being formed in said housing through which said balls may roll due to force of gravity;

c. a spring-loaded ball dispenser tray pivotally supported from said housing that in a first position obstructs said second opening and when in a second position serves as a support for a ball discharged thereonto from said second opening;

d. movable ball stop means in said housing capable of occupying first and second positions, with said ball stop means as it moves from said first to said second position allowing one of said balls to roll from said cannister and pivot said dispenser tray from said first to said second position;

e. first electrically operated spring-loaded means for moving said ball stop means from said first to said second position;

f. an electrically operated timer supported at a fixed on said housing, said timer including a drive shaft;

g. an opaque, non-light reflecting disk having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures formed therein, with said disk being non-rotatably mounted on said drive shaft;

h. electrically operated light generating means which emit a beam of light that is sequentially aligned with said apertures as said disk rotates;

i. light sensitive means that becomes electrically conductive only when said beam of light travels through one of said apertures and impinges thereon;

j. a source of electric power;

k. electrically operated sound generating means;

l. a first normally open electrical switch that is closed when said dispenser tray pivots to said second position;

m. a second normally closed electric switch that is opened when said dispenser tray occupies said second position and has one of said balls resting thereon; and

n. an electrical circuit connected to said source of power, with said circuit including said first electrically operated means, timer, light-emitting means, light-sensitive means, and said first and second switches, with said first electrically operated means being energized by said electrical circuit each time one of said apertures is aligned with said beam of light to allow the latter to impinge on said light-sensitive means to move said ball stop from said first to said second position and allow one of said balls to pivot said dispenser tray from said first to second position to thereafter rest on said dispenser tray, said first switch when said dispenser tray is in said second position assuming an open position to break said circuit to said timer, which second switch when said dispenser tray is in said second position assumes a closed position to energize said sound-generating means to alert a patient to remove a ball from said dispenser tray, which tray when a ball is removed therefrom pivots to said first position to allow said first and second switches to move to closed and open positions respectively, to energize said timer and terminate operation of said sound-generating means.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said cannister includes:

o. two laterally spaced parallel side walls;

p. a top;

q. a sloping bottom that serves as a ramp;

r. first and second end walls, said second end wall having a third opening therein adjacent said bottom, and a bifurcated portion in said second end wall above said opening; and

s. a door slidably movable in said bifurcated portion, which door when in a first position obstructs said third opening to prevent balls within said cannister rolling therefrom.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 in which said cannister in addition includes:

t. a plurality of parallel spaced partitions in said cannister that extend between said sidewalls and terminate above said bottom a distance greater than the external diameter of one of said balls, said partitions cooperating to define a plurality of elongate confined spaces in which a plurality of stacks of said balls are disposed in positions to sequentially move downwardly therein and roll along said bottom to discharge from said third opening when said door is in a second position substantially within said bifuracted portion.

4. A device as defined in claim 3 in which said housing in addition includes:

u. guide and support means within the interior thereof for removably supporting said cannister in a first position therein where said balls may sequentially roll by gravity to said ball stop means to be discharged one by one by said ball stop means onto said dispenser tray as said ball stop means moves from said first to said second position.

5. A device as defined in claim 4 in which said door includes a tab that extends outwardly, therefrom and said housing includes an internal shoulder, with said tab engaging said shoulder and sliding said door to said second position as said cannister is moved downwardly in said housing to said first position.

6. A device as defined in claim 3 in which said movable ball stop means is longitudinally aligned with said stocks of balls and is disposed in said housing between said second and third openings, said ball stop means including:

v. an L-shaped member pivotally supported in said housing that is capable of occupying first and second positions, said member including first and second legs, said first leg when said member is in said first position preventing the one of said balls most adjacent thereto rolling past said member to pivot said dispenser tray from said first to said second position; and

w. said first electrically operated spring loaded means connected to said second leg for pivoting said L-shaped member from said first to a second position when said electrically operated means is energized to allow said ball most adjacent said L-shaped member to roll towards said ball dispenser tray to pivot the latter from said first to said second position, with said electrically operated spring loaded means being energized when said light sensitive means becomes electrically conductive due to a beam of light from said light generating means impinging thereon.

7. A device as defined in claim 1 in which said opaque disk is removably mounted in a fixed position on said drive shaft, and said device further including:

o. a transparent disk and a light reflecting disk removably mounted on said drive shaft, with said opaque disk sandwiched therebetween, and said beam of light being reflected to said light sensitive means after said beam has passed through one of said apertures.