Pill dispensing system and apparatus
First Claim
1. An automatic pill dispensing apparatus for dispensing pills to a patent according to a prescription schedule comprising:
- a housing comprising an upwardly facing housing cover with a linear array of upwardly facing cartridge doors disposed under the housing cover, an information input/output display and a dispense button;
a plurality of rotatable circular cartridges mounted on a centrally positioned, horizontally disposed primary shaft located inside the housing, each cartridge comprising a plurality of individual pill compartments, each cartridge having a plurality of fill positions wherein each pill compartment is selectively positionable beneath a fill opening defined by a cartridge door, and a plurality of dispense positions in which each pill compartment is selectively positionable and open at each dispense position;
a pivoted dispense bar for closing each open pill compartment when the cartridge is in one of the dispense positions;
a sweeping wire;
a driver comprising a motor, at least one engageable clutch and complementary gears for rotating a cartridge to a successive dispense position;
a control unit comprising(a) prescription dispense time input for each cartridge,(b) linking capability,(c) prescription dispense time sorting,(d) motor, clutch and gear control,(e) patient notification comprising audible alarm control and remote notification control;
wherein, upon depression of the dispense button, the dispense bar pivots down which opens the pill compartment and the sweeping wire moves downward through the pill compartment and dislodges a pill into a dispense tray allowing patient access to the pill.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automatic pill dispensing system and apparatus are disclosed that include a plurality of pill storage cartridges, a control system configured to dispense pills at predetermined times and intervals. The dispensed medications, dosage times, patient compliance information, other prescription information are programmed or available to a caregiver, physician, other medical personnel or pharmacist either directly or remotely by a caregiver through an interface that is not accessible to the patient. The apparatus signals the patient at appropriate times and pills are dispensed when the patient depresses a single dispense button to discharge the prescribed medications into a tray.
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Citations
8 Claims
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1. An automatic pill dispensing apparatus for dispensing pills to a patent according to a prescription schedule comprising:
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a housing comprising an upwardly facing housing cover with a linear array of upwardly facing cartridge doors disposed under the housing cover, an information input/output display and a dispense button; a plurality of rotatable circular cartridges mounted on a centrally positioned, horizontally disposed primary shaft located inside the housing, each cartridge comprising a plurality of individual pill compartments, each cartridge having a plurality of fill positions wherein each pill compartment is selectively positionable beneath a fill opening defined by a cartridge door, and a plurality of dispense positions in which each pill compartment is selectively positionable and open at each dispense position; a pivoted dispense bar for closing each open pill compartment when the cartridge is in one of the dispense positions; a sweeping wire; a driver comprising a motor, at least one engageable clutch and complementary gears for rotating a cartridge to a successive dispense position; a control unit comprising (a) prescription dispense time input for each cartridge, (b) linking capability, (c) prescription dispense time sorting, (d) motor, clutch and gear control, (e) patient notification comprising audible alarm control and remote notification control; wherein, upon depression of the dispense button, the dispense bar pivots down which opens the pill compartment and the sweeping wire moves downward through the pill compartment and dislodges a pill into a dispense tray allowing patient access to the pill. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification