Solid medication dispensing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025152477-A1
Application number	US-202418581509-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 20, 2024
Priority date	Nov 13, 2023
Publication date	May 15, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A solid medication dispensing device that includes a medication carousel including a plurality of solid medication holding chambers, each configured to contain a single type of solid medication, a controllable opening cover configured to in a closed state prevent the solid medication from exiting holding chamber and in an open state allow the solid medication to exit a solid medication holding chamber, a removable storage compartment, and a controller. The device is configured to automatically dispense units of solid medication from the medication carousel to the removable storage compartment. The device can be configured to dispense one or more units of one or more solid medications to match a patient's total medication regimen.

First claim

1 . A solid medication dispensing device, comprising
a dispenser body comprising
a body cover,
a baseplate comprising a dispensing opening,
a medication carousel including a plurality of solid medication holding chambers, each configured to contain a single type of solid medication, the medication carousel configured to be rotated relative to the dispensing opening,
a controllable opening cover configured to in a closed state block the dispensing opening and thereby prevent a solid medication from exiting a solid medication holding chamber and in an open state allow a solid medication to exit a solid medication holding chamber, and
a dispensing distributor disposed beneath the controllable opening cover;
a removable storage compartment; and a controller, wherein the dispensing distributor is configured to direct solid medication from the dispensing opening to the removable storage compartment; the medication carousel is configured to rotate to position a solid medication holding chamber above the dispensing opening to permit dispensing of solid medication from that solid medication holding chamber during a dispensing action; and the controller is configured to control a rotation of the medication carousel and an action of the controllable opening cover during the dispensing action such that a solid medication output including one or more solid medications from one or more solid medication holding chambers is provided to the removable storage compartment.

2 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 1 , further comprising
a filling distributor configured to receive a solid medication input and distribute the solid medication input to a solid medication holding chamber during a filling action, wherein the controller is configured to control to which solid medication hold chamber the solid medication input is distributed by controlling at least one selected from the group consisting of the filling distributor and the medication carousel.

3 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the removable storage compartment comprises a plurality of sub-compartments and the dispensing distributor is configured to direct a first portion of the solid medication output to a first sub-compartment and a second portion of the solid medication output to a second sub-compartment.

4 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to control an orientation of the dispensing distributor to direct the portion of the solid medication output to the sub-compartment.

5 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic user input device configured to receive user input and provide instructions to the controller based on the user inputs.

6 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive an identity of a solid medication held in a solid medication holding chamber.

7 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a size of a unit of a solid medication held in a solid medication holding chamber.

8 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a position of the controllable opening cover to allow only a single unit of the solid medication held in the solid medication holding chamber to be dispensed at a time during a dispensing action.

9 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a dosage schedule of a solid medication held in a solid medication holding chamber.

10 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive a receive a medication regimen and dispense one or more solid medications to the removable storage compartment based on the medication regimen.

11 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 10 , wherein the medication regimen is a daily regimen and the solid medication dispensing device dispenses to the removable storage compartment an entirety of the daily regimen at one time.

12 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 11 , wherein
the daily regimen is divided into one or more sub-regimens, each sub-regimen including at least one solid medication to be taken at a set time of day; the removable storage compartment comprises a plurality of sub-compartments; and each sub-regimen is dispensed to a different sub-compartment of the removable storage compartment.

13 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 10 , wherein the medication regimen is a daily regimen and the solid medication dispensing device dispenses at a set time of day a sub-regimen including at least one solid medication to be taken at the set time of day.

14 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 2 , wherein the body cover includes a filling opening configured to allow a solid medication to be supplied to the filling distributor.

15 . The solid medication dispensing device of claim 14 , wherein the body cover further comprises a blister pack opener.

16 . A solid medication dispensing system, comprising
the solid medication dispensing device of claim 1 ; and a portable electronic user device, wherein the solid medication dispensing device is configured to receive user input from the portable electronic user device to provide an instruction to the controller based on the user input.

17 . The solid medication dispensing system of claim 16 , wherein the portable electronic user device is configured to provide an alert to a user.

18 . The solid medication dispensing system of claim 16 , wherein the portable electronic user device is configured to receive medication information including at least one of a size of a unit of a solid medication held in a solid medication holding chamber, a dosage schedule of a solid medication held in a solid medication holding chamber, and an identity of a solid medication held in a solid medication holding chamber; and
transmit the medication information to the controller.

19 . The solid medication dispensing system of claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to track a quantity of units of a solid medication held in a solid medication holding chamber and transmit to the portable electronic user device a low medication alert when the quantity is at a threshold value.

20 . The solid medication dispensing system of claim 16 , wherein the portable electronic user device is configured to transmit to the controller a dispensing signal that causes the controller to initiate a dispensing action.

Assignees

• Univ Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal

Inventors

• Al Masalam Noof Waleed
• Alrumaihi Najla
• Alkhaldi Ruba
• Albaadi Rahaf
• Al Shehri Lama
• El-Wakeel Hala
• Ansari Khadeeja

Classifications

• A61J2200/30

  Compliance analysis for taking medication · CPC title

• A61J7/0084

  for multiple medicaments · CPC title

• A61J7/0454 Primary

  for dispensing of multiple drugs · CPC title

• A61J7/0481

  working on a schedule basis · CPC title

• A61J7/0436 Primary

  resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container · CPC title