Automatic pill dispensing apparatus

• US 5,609,268 A
• Filed: 11/03/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thomas J Shaw
• Original Assignee: Thomas J Shaw
• Inventors: Shaw, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOLAND, KENNETH W
• Application Number:
  US08/552,701
• Time in Patent Office: 494 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2-7, 221/13, 221/14, 221/15, 221/82, 221/87, 221/88, 221/90, 221/91, 221/113, 221/127
• US Class Current: 221/2
• 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 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis

Abstract

An automatic pill dispensing apparatus is provided having a plurality of cartridges supported in guide slots within a housing. The apparatus is integrated with a microprocessor operating according to an algorithm, which receives, stores and processes prescription schedule data. Each cartridge has a plurality of compartments disposed about its periphery for containing medication to be dispensed at proper intervals at a dispensing position. An alarm is sounded for the user when the cartridges are ready to be positioned for dispensing medication according to the prescription schedule. A dispense bar is manually actuated by the user to eject scheduled medication into a tray for user access. If the user fails to dispense scheduled medication, it is withheld to prevent double dosing at subsequent dispensing times. The plurality of cartridges enable filling by a pharmacist of independent multiple prescriptions. After the cabinet housing is loaded for use, the housing is locked to prevent access unless a security code is entered into the processor. A dislodging wire sweeps through each compartment as the dispense bar is depressed, thereby dislodging the medication from the compartment for user access.

Claims

1. An automatic pill dispenser for dispensing pills to a patient according to a predetermined prescription schedule, comprising:

storage means for storing a quantity of at least one medication; and

control means operable to

(a) accept input data designating which of said at least one medication are to be dispensed at what times,

(b) son the input data into time order,

(c) shift the position of the storage means to one of successive dispensing positions when a dispensing time has arrived; and

(d) activating a patient operable dispenser for a time interval beginning when a dispensing time has arrived so the patient can receive the designated medicine from the storage means during the time interval.

2. The pill dispenser of claim 1 wherein the control means includes processing means for executing a stored algorithm in combination with a clock means.

3. The pill dispenser of claim 2 wherein the processing means comprises a microprocessor and associated nonvolatile memory for storage of the algorithm.

4. In an automatic pill dispensing apparatus having a housing, at least one cartridge having successive pill compartments, and drive means for rotating said pill compartments to successive pill dispensing positions, in response to a control means, the improvement comprising:

said at least one cartridge having a rotatable portion containing a plurality of said successive pill compartments each having an opening around the periphery of the rotatable portion closed by a wall which has a dispensing opening in communication with a dispensing opening in said housing that leads to a pill collecting means;

said rotatable portion being movable by said drive means to successive pill dispensing positions wherein successive pill compartments are open to the opening in said wall;

said rotatable portion of the cartridge has a side adapted to receive a cover over the pill compartments to facilitate loading and retention of pills in the compartments; and

a cover is removably mountable on the side of said rotatable portion to retain pills within the cartridge, said cover having a vertical slot formed therein in addition to the dispensing opening.

5. The automatic pill dispensing apparatus of claim 4 wherein the pill compartments in the rotatable portion are formed by a plurality of radial walls extending outwardly toward said periphery.

6. In an automatic pill dispensing apparatus having a housing, at least one cartridge having successive pill compartments, and drive means for rotating said pill compartments to successive pill dispensing positions in response to a control means, the improvement comprising:

said at least one cartridge having a rotatable portion containing a plurality of said successive pill compartments each having a opening around the periphery of the rotatable portion closed by a wall which has a dispensing opening in communication with a dispensing opening in said housing which leads to a pill collecting means;

said rotatable portion being movable by said drive means to successive pill dispensing positions wherein successive pill compartments are open to the opening in said wall;

said rotatable portion of the cartridge has a side adapted to receive a cover over the pill compartments to facilitate loading and retention of pills in the compartments; and

cover is removably mountable on the side of said rotatable portion to retain pills within the cartridge, wherein the cover is formed from a plate member having a projecting circular wall that encloses the walls of the rotatable part when the cover is in place.

7. The automatic pill dispensing apparatus of claim 6 wherein the rotatable portion has a series of sensor openings to use in combination with a sensor in order to indicate the position of the rotatable portion.

8. In an automatic pill dispensing apparatus having housing, at least one cartridge having successive pill compartments, and drive means for rotating said pill compartments to successive pill dispensing positions in response to a control means, the improvement comprising:

said at least one cartridge having a rotatable portion containing a plurality of said successive pill compartments each having an opening around the periphery of the rotatable portion closed by a wall which has a dispensing opening in communication with a dispensing opening in said housing that leads to a pill collecting means;

said rotatable portion being movable by said drive means to successive pill dispensing positions wherein successive pill compartments are open to the opening in said wall;

said rotatable portion of the cartridge has a side adapted to receive a cover over the pill compartments to facilitate loading and retention of pills in the compartments;

a cover is removably mountable on the side of said rotatable portion to retain pills within the cartridge; and

a sweeping means having a portion positionable within said rotatable portion and movable through successive compartments when they are rotated to a pill dispensing position to aid in removing and dispensing pills from said compartments.

9. A method for automatically dispensing pills, comprising the steps of:

storing a quantity of at least one medication, each of said at least one medication respectively stored in a corresponding cartridge;

inputting to a control means data designating which of said at least one medication are to be dispensed at what times;

sorting the data into time order;

determining a current clock time;

indicating which of said at least one medication is ready to be dispensed when the current clock time equals the designated time; and

dispensing said ready to be dispensed medication from said cartridges in which said at least one medication is respectively stored when a patient activated dispense control is activated by a patient.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the inputting, sorting, determining and dispensing steps are performed under the control of a processing means which executes a stored algorithm in combination with a clock means.

11. The method of claim 9 further including the step of signaling when the medication has been dispensed and may be retrieved by the patient.

12. The method of claim 9 further including the step of ceasing dispensing when the medication to be dispensed has been exhausted.

13. The method of claim 9 further including the steps of:

signaling when an exhausted medication must be replenished; and

ceasing to dispense until the exhausted medication has been replenished.

14. The method of claim 9 further including the step of recording compliance data showing how many times dispensed medicine was actually retrieved by the patient.