Automatic pill dispenser and method of administering medical pills

• US 4,573,606 A
• Filed: 09/12/1983
• Issued: 03/04/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LEWIS, KERMIT E. R.R. 4
• Original Assignee: Kermit E. Lewis
• Inventors: Lewis, Kermit E., Roberts, Arthur S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/530,893
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2, 221/3, 221/4, 221/6, 221/7, 221/15, 221/82, 221/83, 221/76, 221/69, 221/197, 206/459, 340/568, 53/507, 53/508
• US Class Current: 221/2
• 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 7/0481 working on a schedule basis

Abstract

An automatic pill dispenser for dispensing medical pills having different prescribed administration schedules includes a plurality of pill storage compartments each capable of holding more than one pill, an automatic release mechanism for dispensing pills at predetermined time intervals corresponding with their respective administration schedules, and a pill receptacle coupled to a pill detector such that a pill dispensed from the pill dispenser and received by the receptacle causes the pill dispenser to generate a signal to alert the patient to take the dispensed medicine. Twelve storage compartments, arranged in a ring about a vertically rotating wheel, are preloaded by a patient with all pills prescribed to be taken during a 24-hour period. The patient loads pills into individual storage compartments according to a loading code corresponding to the respective administration schedules of the pills. The pill dispenser then automatically sequentially rotates the storage compartments over a trapdoor which operates to empty each compartment positioned thereover. A photoelectric detector, having a light beam traveling vertically through a cup into which pills are dispensed, detects pills therein and responds by alerting the patient with an audible or visual signal. The light source also serves as a night light. A preloadable pill storage canister is also disclosed which may be preloaded by a pharmacist and simply inserted into the pill dispenser by the patient for automatic pill dispensing. A method of dispensing medical pills having different prescribed administration schedules is also described.

Claims

1. An automatic pill dispenser for dispensing medical pills, such as tablets, capsules or suppositories, having different prescribed administration schedules, comprising:

(a) a plurality of pill storage compartments for holding pills having different administration schedules, said compartments each being sized to hold one or more pills;

(b) means for releasing pills from said pill storage compartments at predetermined time intervals corresponding with their respective administration schedules;

(c) a pill receptacle for receiving pills released from said storage compartments; and

(d) means for detecting the delivery of a pill into said receptacle and for producing a sensible signal in response thereto,

in which said detecting means comprises a photoelectric detector having a light source and photodetector arranged such that delivery of a pill of any commercial size from said storage compartments into said receptacle causes interruption of a light beam generated by said light source, said receptacle is provided with a vertical through-hole of diameter less than one-eighth of an inch, said receptacle includes means for positioning a first pill received from said storage compartments over said hole, and in which said light source and photodetector are arranged such that said light source generates a light beam which normally passes through said hole whereby a first pill received from said storage compartments interrupts the light beam passing through said hole.

2. The automatic pill dispenser of claim 1 in which said receptacle is removable from said pill dispenser, said pill dispenser further comprising:

(e) means responsive to removal of said receptacle for terminating the sensible signal produced in response to delivery of a pill into said receptacle.

3. The automatic pill dispenser of claim 2 in which said releasing means includes means for emptying all of said compartments during a predetermined dispensing cycle, said pill dispenser further comprising:

(f) means for producing a sensible signal in response to completion of said dispensing cycle.

4. The automatic pill dispenser of claim 3 further comprising:

(g) means for coding individual pill storage compartments to indicate loading locations for pills corresponding to their respective administration schedules.

5. The automatic pill dispenser of claim 4 in which said coding means includes a plurality of predetermined unique color patterns respectively corresponding with said administration schedules, said pill dispenser further comprising:

(h) a removable loading guide having thereon said coding means, said loading guide defining inlet holes each corresponding with one of said storage compartments, said loading guide being attached to said pill dispenser with said inlet holes indexed to predetermined storage compartments for loading of pills thereinto.

6. The automatic pill dispenser of claim 5 in which said pill storage compartments are formed on a wheel vertically rotatable within a cylindrical housing, said wheel having a hub, a rim, and a plurality of flanges extending radially between said hub and rim and separating said pill storage compartments;

said compartments each have a circumferential opening, said housing being provided with a bottom aperture sized to span one of said circumferential openings; and

in which said releasing means further includes drive means for rotating said wheel to sequentially position each of said compartments over said bottom aperture and empty compartments so positioned.

7. The automatic pill dispenser of claim 6 in which said wheel is slidably mountable within said housing, said pill dispenser further comprising:

(i) a removable storage cover attached to said wheel prior to mounting of said wheel within said housing, said storage cover enclosing said compartments when attached to said wheel whereby pills preloaded into individual compartments are maintained therein regardless of the orientation of said wheel.

8. An automatic pill dispenser for dispensing medical pills, such as tablets, capsules or suppositories, having different prescribed administration schedules, comprising:

(a) a cylindrical housing normally disposed with its longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane, said housing having

(1) an open forward end,

(2) a rear plate,

(3) a rotatable central shaft extending axially forward from said rear plate, and

(4) a trapdoor mechanism in the bottom of said housing;

(b) drive means for rotating said shaft to predetermined angular positions at predetermined time intervals;

(c) a pill storage wheel slidably indexedly mountable on said shaft within said housing, said pill storage wheel having

(1) a circular rear faceplate,

(2) a hub connected to the center of said faceplate, and

(3) a ring of storage compartments having said faceplate as a common rear end wall and said hub as a common inner wall, said storage compartments being separated by flanges projecting perpendicularly from said faceplate and radially from said hub, said flanges each having an outer edge perpendicular to said faceplate at about its periphery, said faceplate and said outer edges of said flanges closely fitting the inside curvature of said housing when said wheel is positioned therein, said housing and wheel being sized to hold a plurality of pills of different commercial types and sizes in each of said storage compartments when said wheel is within said housing;

(d) a circular cover slidably mountable on said shaft, said cover forming a common front end wall for said storage compartments and closely fitting the inside curvature of said housing when mounted on said shaft adjacent to said wheel;

(e) means for operating said trapdoor mechanism and releasing all pills contained in one of said storage compartments at predetermined time intervals; and

(f) a photoelectric detector coupled to said housing for detecting pills released from said storage compartments,

in which said drive means is an electric motor operative to continuously rotate said shaft at a fixed speed, said trapdoor operating means includes a rotatable multi-lobed cam coupled to said drive means, said trapdoor mechanism includes a trapdoor coupled to a cam follower, said cam follower being operatively connected to said cam, and in which said housing further includes a stationary reference point indicator, said pill dispenser further comprising;

(g) a time-indicating dial indexed to said shaft and said storage compartments, said dial having numbers thereon corresponding to hours of the day; and

(h) means for overriding said drive means to rotate said dial with respect to said reference point indicator such that said dial indicates the correct time of day.

9. The automatic pill dispenser of claim 8 further comprising:

(i) a cup for receiving pills released from said storage compartments, said cup being provided with a vertical through-hole of diameter less than one-eighth of an inch and including means for positioning a first pill received from one of said storage storage compartments over said hole, said photoelectric detector detecting interruption of light through said hole by a first pill positioned thereover; and

(j) signal means for producing an audible signal in response to detection of said light interruption by said photoelectric detector.