Smart automated pill dispenser

• US 9,501,626 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 11/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Allen Cheng, Ashwin Nathan, Dafang Zhang, Eli Cohen
• Original Assignee: Allen Cheng, Ashwin Nathan, Dafang Zhang, Eli Cohen
• Inventors: Zhang, Dafang, Nathan, Ashwin, Cheng, Allen, Cohen, Eli
• Primary Examiner(s): CICCHINO, PATRICK D
• Application Number:
  US13/904,057
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• Field of Search: 700/240, 700/242
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

Dispensing machine. The machine includes a number of silos for the storage of smaller objects and a mechanism for dispensing the stored objects into a central receptacle at a designated time or frequency in a combinatorial manner, regardless of the size, shape, or other physical characteristics of the pill to be dispensed. Major components of the device include a number of silos for storing objects of dispersal, a user input interface, a circuit board, an actuator, a central receptacle, a sensor, a storage receptacle, and an alarm. It is preferred that the designated time or frequency for dispersal from each silo is set by a user or a third-party. It is preferred that the machine further includes a capability for wireless connectivity to an intranet or an internet and a mechanism for monitoring access to the central receptacle and for outputting feedback to a user or a third-party.

Claims

1. A device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects comprising:

a user input interface in electronic communication with a dispensing machine, the user input interface communicating an input signal to the dispensing machine, the input signal providing a count of dispensing a plurality of small objects; and

the dispensing machine comprising;

two adjacent storage-auger devices and a connector, each one of the two storage-auger devices comprising;

a storage container, the storage container defining a substantially hollow interior portion, the hollow interior portion having an inlet and an outlet;

an auger housing defining an interior chamber, the interior chamber being in communication with the storage container outlet;

a rotatable auger disposed within the interior chamber of the auger housing constructed and arranged to propel at least one of the plurality of small objects in the interior chamber of the auger housing towards an outlet of the auger housing; and

a counter in communication with the outlet of the auger housing, the counter configured to count the at least one of the plurality of small objects being dispensed from the outlet of the auger housing into a sorting receptacle;

the connector being physically connected to the sorting receptacle, the connector and sorting receptacle movable from one storage-auger device to the other storage-auger device such that the at least one of the plurality of small objects dispensed from each one of the storage-auger devices is collected in the sorting receptacle wherein the sorting receptacle is configured to release the plurality of small objects into a dispersal chute.

2. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 1 wherein the rotatable auger is configured to propel the plurality of small objects towards the outlet of the auger housing using an actuator system mounted on one of the connector, the rotatable auger of one of the two storage-auger devices, or the auger housing of one of the two storage-auger devices.

3. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 2 wherein the actuator system comprises:

a screw head embedded on a distal end of each of the rotatable augers;

an axial shaft engageable with the screw head using a linear actuator; and

a rotary actuator propelling the plurality of small objects up along the rotatable auger by providing a rotary motion of the rotatable auger as the axial shaft engages the screw head.

4. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 1 wherein the counter is configured to communicate with the dispensing machine to stop the rotatable auger following a successful count, the successful count being when the plurality of small objects counted by the counter is equal to the plurality of small objects scheduled to be dispensed from the storage-auger device according to the count of the input signal from the user input interface.

5. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 4 wherein the sorting receptacle is configured to release the plurality of small objects into a dispersal chute upon communication to the dispensing machine by the counter of the successful count, the dispersal chute being in communication with a dispersal receptacle where the plurality of small objects are accessible to a user.

6. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 5 further comprising a mechanism of alerting the user when to access the dispersal receptacle, the mechanism of alerting being at least one of an audio alert, visual alert, and a vibrating alert.

7. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 1 wherein the counter is configured to communicate with the dispensing machine to stop the rotatable auger following a failed count, the failed count being when the plurality of small objects counted by the counter is not equal to the plurality of small objects scheduled to be dispensed from the storage-auger device according to the count of the input signal from the user input interface.

8. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 7 wherein the sorting receptacle is configured to release the plurality of small objects into an error chute upon communication to the dispensing machine by the counter of the failed count, the error chute being in communication with an error receptacle where the plurality of small objects are accessible to the user.

9. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 8 further comprising a second mechanism of alerting the user when to access the error receptacle, the second mechanism of alerting being at least one of an audio alert, visual alert, and a vibrating alert.

10. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 1 wherein the counter is an optical sensor.

11. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 1 wherein the outlet of the storage container is downwardly converging.

12. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 1 wherein the connector is transversely moved using a drive motor.

13. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 1 further comprising a wireless link allowing the user to communicate the input signal to the dispensing machine from a remote user input interface, and allowing an output signal to be transmitted from the dispensing machine to the remote user input interface.

14. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 13 wherein the output signal communicates information on the count of the dispensed plurality of small objects, the user access to the storage containers, the user access to the dispersal receptacle and the user access to the error receptacle.

19. The device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 1 wherein the sorting receptacle is configured to release the plurality of small objects into a dispersal chute.

15. A method for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects comprising the steps of:

providing a user input interface in electronic communication with a dispensing machine, the dispensing machine comprising;

two adjacent storage-auger devices and a connector, each one of the two storage-auger devices comprising;

a storage container, the storage container defining a substantially hollow interior portion, the hollow interior portion having an inlet and an outlet;

an auger housing defining an interior chamber, the interior chamber being in communication with the storage container outlet;

a rotatable auger disposed within the interior chamber of the auger housing; and

a counter in communication with an outlet of the auger housing;

the connector being directly connected to the sorting receptacle;

adding a plurality of small objects into each one of the two storage containers;

programming a dispersal schedule for the two storage-auger devices using the user input interface, the user input interface communicating the dispersal schedule as an input signal to the dispensing machine;

dispensing at least one of the plurality of small objects from the storage container of one of the two storage-auger devices into the interior chamber of the auger housing based on the programmed dispersal schedule;

propelling the at least one of the plurality of small objects towards the outlet of the auger housing using the rotatable auger;

dispensing the at least one of the plurality of small objects from the outlet of the auger housing into the sorting receptacle;

counting the plurality of small objects dispensed from the outlet of the auger housing using the counter; and

moving the connector from one storage-auger device to the other storage-auger device such that the plurality of small objects dispensed from each one of the storage-auger devices is collected in the sorting receptacle releasing the plurality of small objects within the sorting receptacle into a dispersal chute.

16. The method for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 15 wherein the propelling of plurality of small objects towards the outlet of the auger housing by the rotatable auger uses an actuator system mounted on the connector, an operation of the actuator system comprising the steps of:

engaging an axial shaft to a screw head using a linear actuator, the screw head being embedded on a distal end of the rotatable auger; and

providing a rotary motion of the rotatable auger as the axial shaft engages the screw head using a rotary actuator propelling the plurality of small objects up along the rotatable auger.

17. The method for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

alerting a user when a successful count has taken place using an alert mechanism, the successful count being when the plurality of small objects counted by the counter is equal to the plurality of small objects scheduled to be dispensed from the two storage-auger devices according to the dispersal schedule of the input signal from the user input interface, the alert mechanism being at least one of an audio alert, visual alert, and a vibrating alert.

20. The method for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects of claim 15 wherein the storage container is a vertically oriented storage container, and wherein the outlet is at a bottom lengthwise end of the storage container;

wherein the storage container outlet is at a lengthwise end of the auger housing; and

wherein the counter in communication with the outlet of the auger housing is positioned at an opposite end of the auger housing from the storage container.

18. A device for storage and dispensing of a plurality of small objects comprising:

a user input interface in electronic communication with a dispensing machine, the user input interface communicating an input signal to the dispensing machine, the input signal providing a count of dispensing a plurality of small objects; and

the dispensing machine comprising;

a storage-auger device and a connector, the storage-auger device comprising;

a storage container, the storage container defining a substantially hollow interior portion, the hollow interior portion having an inlet and an outlet;

an auger housing defining an interior chamber, the interior chamber being in communication with the storage container outlet;

a rotatable auger disposed within the interior chamber of the auger housing constructed and arranged to propel at least one of the plurality of small objects in the interior chamber of the auger housing towards an outlet of the auger housing, wherein the rotatable auger is configured to propel the plurality of small objects towards the outlet of the auger housing using an actuator system mounted on the auger or the connector, the actuator system comprising;

a screw head embedded on a distal end of the rotatable auger;

an axial shaft engageable with the screw head using a linear actuator; and

a rotary actuator propelling the plurality of small objects up along the rotatable auger by providing a rotary motion of the rotatable auger as the axial shaft engages the screw head; and

a counter in communication with the outlet of the auger housing, the counter configured to count at least one of the plurality of small objects being dispensed from the outlet of the auger housing into a sorting receptacle;

the connector being directly coupled to the sorting receptacle.