Expandable personal portable medication dispenser for homebound and institutional use

• US 7,831,336 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ronald S. Gumpert
• Original Assignee: Ronald S. Gumpert
• Inventors: Gumpert, Ronald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US10/904,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20060097000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2, 221/3, 221/4, 221/5, 221/7, 221/8, 221/9, 221/10, 221/12, 221/13, 221/15, 221/21, 700/236, 700/244, 700/243, 700/242
• US Class Current: 700/244
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• 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

This invention is a fault tolerant computer controlled automatic medication dispenser with a unique dispensing system. This dispensing system enables a large number of detachable medication filled dispensing wheels to be vertically stacked and held in a fixed position; and then be automatically dispensed one dispensing wheel. The patient'"'"'s medication can be dispensed for a few days, weeks, and or many months without a refill. These medication filled dispensing wheels are stored and held in a fixed position within the dispenser.

Claims

1. A medical dispenser comprising:

(a) a processor for transmitting and receiving information internal or external to the medical dispenser;

(b) a compliance button that transmits information to the processor;

(c) a plurality of dispensing wheels structured to include a plurality of dispensing units and the dispensing units are capable of holding at least one object to be dispensed, the plurality of dispensing wheels comprising;

a first dispensing wheel comprising;

a top wall, and

a magnetic probe attached to the top wall; and

a second dispensing wheel disposed above the first dispensing wheel, the second dispensing wheel comprising;

a base at a bottom of the second dispensing wheel,

a groove in the base for the magnetic probe to travel within, and

an entrapment room located in the groove, the entrapment room including a flexible metallic door and a magnetic wall; and

(d) a vertical pathway that allows for the at least one object to travel from the plurality of dispensing wheels into a dispensing draw,

wherein each dispensing wheel rotates a predetermined distance around a vertical axis in order to align each dispensing unit with the vertical pathway, and

wherein when the magnetic probe in the groove aligns with the entrapment room the magnetic probe passes through the flexible metallic door of the entrapment room and becomes attached to the magnetic wall, such that magnetic attraction of the magnetic probe of the first dispensing wheel and the magnetic wall of the second dispensing wheel allows for both the first and second dispensing wheels to be enjoined and to move together as a single combined dispensing wheel.

2. The medical dispenser of claim 1, wherein the entrapment room is positioned in the second dispensing wheel before and below a wall of a first dispensing unit.

3. The medical dispenser of claim 1, wherein the door of the entrapment room extends laterally across and near a top of the entrapment room and closes to entrap the magnetic probe with the magnetic wall when the magnetic probe aligns with the entrapment room.

4. The medical dispenser of claim 3, wherein the door of the entrapment room extends laterally approximately 3/4 of the way across the entrapment room from either an outside wall-in or an inside wall-out.

5. The medical dispenser of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) a motor for driving the rotation of the plurality of dispensing wheels; and

(f) two rods that extend down from a top of a highest stacked dispensing wheel through each dispensing wheel stacked below the highest stacked dispensing wheel to the top wall of the first dispensing wheel.

6. The medical dispenser of claim 5, wherein the processor includes a clock mechanism that causes the motor to drive the rotation of the plurality of dispensing wheels around the vertical axis the predetermined distance at least one set time.

7. The medical dispenser of claim 5 further comprising,

(g) a housing comprising:

a base with a skid proof rubber pad,

a display area that comprises a display and the compliance button, and

a door with a locking mechanism that closes off the dispensing drawer; and

(h) a camera mounted on the top of the housing of the medication dispenser that can supply video to the processor.

8. The medical dispenser of claim 1, wherein each dispensing wheel of the plurality of dispensing wheels is separated from other dispensing wheels by a dispensing wheel floor.

9. The medical dispenser of claim 5, wherein:

the two rods are attached to the top and center of the inside wall of the top half of the dispenser housing; and

the two rods extend through two receiving holes in each dispensing wheel to the top wall of the first dispensing wheel.

10. The medical dispenser of claim 5, further comprising:

a vertical dispensing bar coupled to a U-shaped top of the bottom half of the dispenser;

a plurality metallic probes coupled to the vertical dispensing bar; and

a plurality of solenoids coupled to the vertical dispensing bar;

wherein the metallic probes and the solenoids extend horizontally out from the vertical dispensing bar; and

wherein the metallic probes and the solenoids fit into a vertical cut out groove in the outer wall of a dispensing wheel.

11. The medical dispenser of claim 8, wherein each of the dispensing wheel floors comprises a V-shaped cut out that is vertically aligned with the V-shaped cutouts of the other dispensing floors.