Smart medicine container assembly

• US 9,043,015 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nitesh Ratnakar
• Original Assignee: Nitesh Ratnakar
• Inventors: Ratnakar, Nitesh
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/488,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259336A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,164 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/241
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0445 for preventing drug dispensing during a predetermined time period
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/26 Endless bands
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

Present invention discloses a dispenser having means to dispense desired number of pills from a bulk supply of pills contained in the dispenser. The dispenser comprises of storage compartment having bulk supply of pills and having a discharge port emptying into counting compartment The counting compartment contains first and second conveyors moving at first and second speed; wherein the second speed is greater than the first speed thereby enabling pill separation; the second conveyor discharges pills into dispensing compartment. Sensors are strategically placed along the conveyors to count pills discharged into dispensing compartment. A pill recovery system and apparatus is disposed inside the dispenser having means to recover pills remaining on conveyors upon completion of a dispensation cycle and deposit recovered pills back into the storage compartment for use in future dispensation cycles. A docking station having receptacles to accommodate dispenser is provided. Docking station has communication ports enabling two-way communication with personal computer.

Claims

1. A docking station for docking multiple smart medicine containers, each said smart medicine container having a control means, a memory, and a docking means, each said smart medicine container configured to store a bulk supply of pills and dispense one or more pills from the bulk supply under the control of the respective control means according to patient compliance data stored in the respective memory, the docking station comprising:

a plurality of docking units each configured to engage the docking means of one respective said smart medicine container so as to dock the one respective said smart medicine container thereto;

a centralized communication means configured to receive a first set of data from an external device on behalf of multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units; and

a centralized docking control means configured to, for each of the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units, access the respective memory of the one respective said smart medicine container through the respective docking unit to which the one respective said smart medicine container is docked, such that at least one subset of the received first set of data is stored in the respective memory of the one respective said smart medicine container.

2. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the centralized communication means comprises a USB port.

3. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the centralized docking control means comprises a printed circuit board.

4. The docking station of claim 2, wherein the centralized docking control means comprises a USB hub converting a USB connector to a contact connector.

5. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the centralized communication means is further configured to receive power and supply power to each of the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units through the respective docking unit.

6. The docking station of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of docking units comprises a receptacle configured to receive one respective said smart medicine container and engage the docking means of the one respective said smart medicine container so as to dock the one respective said smart medicine container thereto.

7. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the docking means of each of said smart medicine containers comprises a docking port and an electrical port;

and

wherein each of the plurality of docking units comprises a docking terminal and an electrical terminal, which are adapted to operatively engage with the docking port and the electrical port of one respective said smart medicine container when the one respective said smart medicine container is docked to the respective docking unit.

8. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the first set of data received by the centralized communication means comprises clock data, and the centralized docking control means is further configured to use the received clock data to synchronize a respective clock of each of the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units.

9. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the first set of data received by the centralized communication means comprises respective patient compliance data for the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units, and the centralized docking control means is further configured to, for each of the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units, update respective patient compliance data stored in the respective memory of the one respective said smart medicine container by storing in the respective memory of the one respective said smart medicine container the received respective patient compliance data for the one respective said smart medicine container.

10. The docking station of claim 9, wherein, for each of the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units, the respective patient compliance data stored in the respective memory of the one respective said smart medicine container docked to one of the plurality of docking units comprises prescription schedule data including medicine dose dispensation times and a number of pills to be dispensed at each of the dispensation times.

11. The docking station of claim 9, wherein for each of the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units, at least one subset of the received respective patient compliance data are identical patient compliance data.

12. The docking station of claim 1, wherein the first set of data received by the centralized communication means comprises respective firmware for the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units, and the centralized docking control means is further configured to, for each of the multiple said smart medicine containers each docked to one of the plurality of docking units, update respective firmware for the one respective said smart medicine container with the received respective firmware.