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Automatic pill dispensing device and method of use thereof

  • US RE46,835 E1
  • Filed: 02/26/2015
  • Issued: 05/08/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A pill dispensing device comprising:

  • a temporary storage compartment adapted to store one or more pills;

    a feeding assembly including a that comprises at least one singulator, the feeding assembly being and that is coupled to the said temporary storage compartment and adapted to move and stop the one or more pills;

    an exit position of said feeding assembly;

    a dispensing route operatively coupled to an said exit position of the said feeding assembly and disposed to receive the said one or more pills;

    a plurality of optical sensors, each optical sensor being adapted to produce a light beam project and receive electromagnetic radiation and indicate a count signal for each of the said one or more pills that disrupt the light beam, the light beam being disposed within moves along at least a portion of the said dispensing route;

    a controller coupled to the said feeding assembly and the said plurality of optical sensors;

    a housing enclosing at least the a portion of said feeding assembly, the at least a portion of the said dispensing route, and the at least a portion of said plurality of optical sensors;

    and a filtration assembly configured to remove air and particulate matter from an interior cavity of the said housing; and

    , wherein;

    the controller is programmable with a specific number of sensor mismatches;

    the controller is configured to receive count signals from each of the plurality of optical sensors, the count signal indicating that a pill has disrupted the light beam;

    the controller is configured to generate an abort count sensor mismatch indication when the number of pills counted by at least one of the plurality of optical sensors is different than the number of pills counted by another of the plurality of optical sensors by the specific number;

    the controller is configured to send a stop instruction to the feeding assembly based on the abort count sensor mismatch indication; and

    the feeding assembly is adapted to stop moving the one or more pills upon receiving the stop instruction from the controllersaid controller is configured to receive said count signals from each of said plurality of sensors and to record a sensor mismatch when, during counting for a prescription, a pill count of one of said sensors is different from a pill count of another of said sensors,said controller is configured to generate an abort count sensor mismatch indication when a difference between said pill count of said one of said sensors during said counting for said prescription and said pill count of said another of said sensors during said counting for said prescription reaches a specific number, andsaid specific number of sensor mismatches is programmable.

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