Modular drug releasing system

• US 7,129,819 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Issued: 10/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tabsafe Medical Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tabsafe Medical Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Morgan, Chris, Tipsword, Jack, Chiavetta, James N., Frazer, M. Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Pope, Daryl C
• Application Number:
  US10/418,800
• Publication Number:
  US 20030231119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 340/309.15, 340/573.1, 340/309.4, 340/309.5, 340/309.16, 340/309.7, 221/2, 221/3, 221/15, 206/531, 368/10
• US Class Current: 340/309.16
• 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 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/022 Paging systems personal calling arrangements or devices G08B3/1008; selective calling networks H04W84/022

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for processing the releasing and/or dispensing of releasable items, particularly pills, capsules, tablets, medications, and drugs. In one embodiment, a system for processing the releasing and/or dispensing releasable items includes a releasing unit configured to verify whether a cartridge is authorized for usage with a releasing unit. The releasing unit is further configured to send data corresponding to the releasable items and the activities of the items via a network and/or telephone line. The system further includes a central-computing device configured to receive the data via the network and/or telephone line and provide a database of the data to a provider, i.e., pharmacist. In one embodiment, a method for processing the releasing and/or dispensing of releasable items includes verifying whether a cartridge is authorized for usage with a releasing unit, gathering data corresponding to the releasable items from the cartridge, determining whether to release the releasable items to a user in accordance to the gathered data, recording data corresponding to the activities of the medication in a memory in the releasing unit, sending the data from the releasing unit to a central-computing device via a network and/or telephone line, wherein the central-computing device provides a database of the activities data and sends the database to a provider.

Claims

1. A releasing apparatus for releasing releasable items in sequence, said apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a plurality of cartridge slots;

at least one cartridge for insertion into at least one of said cartridge slots, each of said cartridges including a case and a carousel rotatably received in said case about a central axis of rotation;

said carousel comprising multiple compartments arranged in a circular array about the central axis of rotation of said carousel for storing the releasable items, each compartment having a release opening;

said case defining a discharge opening in alignment with said circular array of compartments for registering with said release openings of each of said compartments in sequence as said carousel rotates; and

a bubble pack being comprised of multiple sacks, which are placed in said multiple compartments arranged in said circular array about said central axis of rotation of said carousel to facilitate storing and releasing of said releasable items.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said releasable items are one of pills, capsules, tables, medications, and drugs.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said case is translucent.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a releasing engine carried by said housing for rotating said carousel so that said release openings of said carousel register in sequence with said discharge opening of said case.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cartridge and said housing are configured to release said releasable items by force of gravity.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said compartments further includes at least two side walls for retaining said items in said circular array about said central axis of rotation of said carousel.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a user interface to interact with a user to facilitate releasig releasable items, said user interface comprising one of a display, button, audio speakers and light components.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said carousel further includes radially extending tabs to facilitate indexing said compartments of said carousel and aligning said discharge opening witch said circular array of compartmens for registering with said release openings of each of said compartments in sequence as said carousel rotates.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cartridge further includes at least one locking arm that operatively couple with said carousel to facilitate aligning said discharge opening with said release opening.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said case further includes an inner ring that facilitates positioning said carousel in said case about a central axis of rotation of said carousel and rotating said carousel for releasing said releasable items.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said case includes an electronic chip, said chip being comprised of programmable readable memory that contains one of medication data, user identification data, releasing unit identification data, facility identification data and releasing activity data.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said cartridge further includes a partitioning insert being coupled to said carousel such that said releasable items are positioned to the outer radius of said carousel.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a cartridge lock that locks said cartridge when said cartridge slides into said cartridge slot of said housing.

14. A releasing apparatus for releasing releasable items in sequence, said apparatus comprising:

housing defining plurality of cartridge slots;

at least one cartridge for insertion into at least one of said cartridge slots, each of said cartridge including a case and a carousel rotatably received in said case about a central axis of rotation;

said carousel comprising multiple compartments arranged in a circular array about the central axis of rotation of said carousel for storing the releasable items, each compartment having a release opening;

said case defining a discharge opening in alignment with said circular array of compartments for registering with said release openings of each of said compartments in sequence as said carousel rotates; and

a drawer that slides in and out of said apparatus so that said releasable items are released into said drawer when said drawer is in said apparatus and said releasable items are accessible when said drawer is slid out of said apparatus.

15. A method for facilitating releasing releasable items from a releasing unit, said method comprising the steps of:

verifying whether a cartridge is authorized for usage with a releasing unit;

gathering data corresponding to said releasable items from said cartridge;

determining whether to release said items to a user in accordance with said items data; and

rotating a carousel in said cartridge such that said items in said carousel is released through a discharge opening of said cartridge, said cartridge comprising a bubble pack, said bubble pack being comprised of at least one sack, which is placed in said carousel to facilitate storing and releasing of said releasable items.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein said step of verifying whether said cartridge is authorized usage with said releasing unit further comprising:

gathering data in an electronic chip coupled to said cartridge, said data corresponding to authorize information; and

determining whether said authorized data of said cartridge matches with identification data of said releasing unit.

17. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising interfacing with a user by one of a display button, audio speakers, light components and pagers far releasing said releasable items.

18. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising determining the availability of said releasable items cartridge.

19. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising verifying access information to release said releasable items from said releasing unit.

20. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising verifying whether to re-release said releasable items.

21. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising pausing the activities of said releasing unit.

22. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising advancing said releasable items to a user.

23. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising paging a person via a modem to notify said person to release said releasable items.

24. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising gathering said releasable items data and data corresponding to the activities of said items and send said items-activities data via a network and/or telephone line.

25. The method as defined in claim 15, further comprising recording data corresponding to the activities of said items in a memory in one of said cartridge and said releasing unit, wherein said activities data is sent to a central-computing device via a network and/or telephone line, wherein said central-computing device provides a database of said activities data to a provider i.e., pharmacist.

26. A method for facilitating releasing releasable items from a releasing unit said method comprising the steps of:

verifying whether a cartridge is authorized for usage with a releasing unit;

gathering data corresponding to said releasable items from said cartridge;

determining whether to release said items to a user in accordance with said items data;

rotating a carousel in said cartridge such that said items in said carousel is released through a discharge opening of said cartridge; and

releasing said items in a drawer and opening said drawer to obtain said items.

27. A releasing unit manager for enabling releasing releasable items, the manager stored on a computer-readable medium;

the manager comprising;

logic configured to verify whether a cartridge is authorized for usage with a releasing unit;

logic configured to gather data corresponding to said releasable items front said cartridge;

logic configured to determine whether to release said releasable items to a user in accordance with said releasable items data; and

logic configured to rotate a carousel in said cartridge such that said items in said carousel is released through a discharge opening of said cartridge, said cartridge comprising a bubble pack, said bublepack being comprised of at least one sack, which is placed in said cartridge to facilitate storing and releasing of said releasable items.

28. The manager as defined in claim 27, wherein said logic configured to verify whether said cartridge is authorized for usage with said releasing unit further comprising:

logic configured to gather data in an electronic chip coupled to said cartridge, said data corresponding to authorize information; and

logic configured to determine whether said authorized data of said cartridge matches with identification data of said releasing unit.

29. The manager as defined in claim 27, further comprising logic to determine the availability of releasable items in a cartridge.

30. The manager as defined in claim 27, further comprising the logic to verify access information to release the releasable items to a user.

31. The manager as defined in claim 27, further comprising the logic to verify whether to release the releasable items.

32. The manager as defined in claim 27, further comprising logic to pause the activities of the releasing unit.

33. The manager as defined in claim 27, further comprising logic to advance the releasable items to a user.

34. The manager as defined in claim 27, further comprising logic to page a person in order to notify the person to release the releasable items.

35. The manager as defined in claim 27, further comprising gathering the releasable items information and information corresponding to the activities of the items and send the releasable items activities information via a network and/or telephone line.

36. The method as defined in claim 27, further comprising logic to record data corresponding to the activities of said items in a memory in one of said cartridge and said releasing unit, wherein said activities data is sent to a central-computing device via a network and/or telephone line, wherein said central-computing device provides a database of said activities data to a provider, i.e., pharmacist.

37. A medication releasing system comprising:

a plurality of cartridge wherein a quantity of medication tablets are disposed, said cartridge being programed with encoded data for said medication tablets, said cartridge comprising a bubble pack, said buble pack being comprised of at least one sack, which is placed in said cartridge to facilitate storing and releasing of said medication tablets;

a releasing unit including a plurality of slots formed therein and configured to receive said cartridge in operative engagement;

a plurality of interfacing devices integrated into said releasing unit capable of raiding said encoded data and generating a digital signal in response thereto;

a processor being operatively connected to said interfacing devices capable of receiving said digital signal being programmable to transmit data via a modern and telephone lines to a pharmacist at a remote monitoring computer after said cartridge has been accessed a predetermined number of times; and

a user interface device integrated into said storing means and operatively connected to said microprocessing means enabling a user to enter a programmed pass code to actuate said cartridge to obtain a predetermined dosage of medication.

38. A releasing apparatus for releasing releasable items in sequence, said apparatus comprising:

a housing defining a plurality of cartridge slots;

at least one cartridge for insertion into at least one of said cartridge slots; and

a bubble pack being comprised of at least one sack, which are placed in said cartridge to facilitate storing and releasing of said releasable items.

39. The apparatus as defined in claim 38, wherein each of said cartridges including a case and a carousel rotatably received in said case about a central axis of rotation, said carousel comprising at least one compartment arranged in a circular array about the central axis of rotation of said carousel for storing the releasable items, each compartment having a release opening, said case defining a discharge opening in alignment with said circular array of compartments for registering with said release openings of each of said compartments in sequence as said carousel rotates.

40. The apparatus as defined in claim 39, wherein said at least one sack of said bubble pack is placed in said at least one compartment arranged in said circular array about said central, axis of rotation said carousel to facilitate storing and releasing of said releasable items.

41. The apparatus as defined in claim 40, further comprising a releasing engine carried by said housing for rotating said carousel so that said release openings of said carousel register in sequence with said discharge opening of said case.

42. The apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein said compartments further include at least two said walls for retaining said items in said circular array about said central axis of rotation of said carousel.

43. The apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein said carousel further includes radially extending tabs to facilitate indexing said compartments of said carousel and aligning said discharge opening with said circular array of compartments for registering with said release openings of each of said compartments in sequence as said carousel rotates.

44. The apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein said cartridge further includes at least one locking arm that operatively couple with said carousel to facilitate aligning said discharge opening with said release opening.

45. The apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein said case further includes an inner ring that facilitates positioning said carousel in said case about a central axis of rotation of said carousel and rotating said carousel for releasing said releasable items.

46. The apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein said case includes an electronic chip, said chip being comprised of programmable readable memory that contains one of medication data, user identification data, releasing unit identification data, facility identification data and releasing activity data.

47. The apparatus as defined in claim 40, wherein said cartridge further includes a partitioning insert being coupled to said carousel such that said releasable items arc positioned to the outer radius of said carousel.

48. The apparatus as defined in claim 38, wherein said cartridge and said housing are configured to release said releasable items by force of gravity.

49. The apparatus as defined in claim 38, further comprising a user interface to interact with a user to facilitate releasing releasable items, said user interface comprising one of a display, button, audio speakers and light components.