Medication dispenser
First Claim
1. Apparatus for automatically dispensing medication comprising:
- a housing;
a plurality of pill holding compartments each having an open bottom;
wherein the plurality of pill holding compartments are arranged generally in side by side rows;
an elongated belt disposed under such pill holding compartments, said belt having at least one opening therein;
wherein the elongated belt is disposed in said housing such that adjacent portions of the elongated belt are moving in opposite directions relative to one another and said side by side rows of pill holding compartments such that said at least one opening in the elongated belt will pass sequentially beneath the plurality of pill holding compartments in each row; and
,means for selectively advancing said belt so that said opening moves from beneath one compartment to a position beneath another compartment whereby when said opening moves below a particular compartment, pills contained in said particular compartment will drop down through said openings.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A tamper-proof apparatus of a type for automatically dispensing medication having a housing with a plurality of medication holding compartments each having an open bottom therein. The compartments can either be of a type which are open at the top so they can be filled manually, or they can be of a prepackaged type having a closed top and a slide-open bottom which are available from and returnable for refilling to a pharmacy. A belt is disposed under the medication holding compartments and the belt has at least one opening therein. A microprocessor is used to control a motor or the like for selectively advancing the belt so that the opening therein moves from beneath one compartment to a position beneath another compartment whereby when the opening moves below a particular compartment, pills contained in such particular compartment will drop down through the openings. The microprocessor can be programmed by authorized personnel to dispense medication from any one of the compartments at any one time. It can be programmed for any particular length of time, being limited only by the number of pill holding compartments and such number can be large to accommodate almost any need. A lid having a lock thereon can be controlled by the microprocessor to allow access only to persons knowing a certain code.
96 Citations
22 Claims
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1. Apparatus for automatically dispensing medication comprising:
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a housing; a plurality of pill holding compartments each having an open bottom;
wherein the plurality of pill holding compartments are arranged generally in side by side rows;an elongated belt disposed under such pill holding compartments, said belt having at least one opening therein;
wherein the elongated belt is disposed in said housing such that adjacent portions of the elongated belt are moving in opposite directions relative to one another and said side by side rows of pill holding compartments such that said at least one opening in the elongated belt will pass sequentially beneath the plurality of pill holding compartments in each row; and
,means for selectively advancing said belt so that said opening moves from beneath one compartment to a position beneath another compartment whereby when said opening moves below a particular compartment, pills contained in said particular compartment will drop down through said openings. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification