Portable medication dispenser

• US 7,178,688 B2
• Filed: 01/07/2003
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ghadir Naufel, Naji C. Naufel
• Original Assignee: Ghadir Naufel, Naji C. Naufel
• Inventors: Naufel, Ghadir, Naufel, Naji C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHARMA, RASHMI K
• Application Number:
  US10/337,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20040129716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,505 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2, 221/5, 221/9, 221/13, 221/25, 221/123, 221/88, 221/26, 221/28, 221/30, 221/93
• US Class Current: 221/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A medication dispensing system (10) includes a portable securable container (42), and a mechanism (12, 13, 14, 16, 19) for dispensing a dosage of solid medication. The system further comprises a processor (11) interfacing with the mechanism and further programmed to await (402) an authorization code from an authorized user among a plurality of authorized users, dispense (404) a dosage of medication while maintaining remaining dosages of medication secure in the portable secure dispenser upon receipt of at least the authorization code and optionally a patient'"'"'s name, and store (406) a code representative of the authorized user, a code representative of the patient'"'"'s name, and a date and time of dispensation of the dosage of medication in a memory.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing system, comprising:

a portable securable container having or holding at least a bubble pack;

a mechanism having a pair of linear drive motors assisting movement along bars perpendicularly aligned to each other for placing an actuator motor adjacent to a single bubble pack and dispensing a dosage of solid medication contained within the single bubble pack of a matrix of bubble packs;

a processor interfacing with the mechanism and further programmed to;

await an authorization code from an authorized user among a plurality of authorized users;

dispense a dosage of medication while maintaining remaining dosages of medication secure in the portable secure dispenser upon receipt of at least the authorization code and optionally a patient'"'"'s name; and

store a code representative of the authorized user and at least one among a code representative of the patient'"'"'s name and a time of dispensation of the dosage of medication in a memory.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to allow a user in an administrator mode to provide at least one among the functions of programming user names and authorization codes, setting a current date and time, dispensing a pill, resetting the system upon re-filling the system with a new dosage of solid medication, displaying dispensation activity for a given authorized user or a given patient, programming the system for a unique patient or for stock medication dispensation, and upload dispensation activity data to a database on a computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator motor further comprises a plunger that pushes the dosage of solid medication out of the single bubble pack at the instruction of the authorized user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a keypad and a liquid crystal display coupled to the processor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises an easily accessible drawer for retrieving the dosage of solid medication once it has been dispensed.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a means of biometric data entry associated with an authorized user.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the code representative of the authorized user is the name of the authorized user and the code representative of the patient'"'"'s name is the patient'"'"'s name or social security number, wherein the authorized user is someone other than the patient.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the code representative of the authorized user is a Personal Identification Number of the authorized user and the code representative of the patient'"'"'s name is the patient'"'"'s name or a social security number.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a transmitter function for transmitting dispensation data to a remote memory device, wherein dispensation data comprises at least one among the code representative of the authorized user, the code representative of the patient'"'"'s name, and the date and time of dispensation of the dosage of medication.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system further comprises a receiver for receiving updated dispensation data for at least one among a particular user and a particular medication.