Intelligent interactive care medicine box for the elderly

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of medical assistive devices, specifically to an intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and rehabilitation. The box includes a housing with a detachable top cover; a rotating medicine cylinder rotatably fitted to the upper part of the housing, with several medicine storage compartments arranged circumferentially within the rotating medicine cylinder; a counting compartment fixedly connected to the inner wall of the housing, with an opening at the bottom of each medicine storage compartment communicating with the counting compartment; a counting disc rotatably fitted to the inner wall of the counting compartment; and several counting grooves of different contours arranged circumferentially on the counting disc, each groove being used to accommodate different specifications of medication. A carrying compartment is detachably connected to the bottom of the housing, with the bottom of the counting compartment communicating with the carrying compartment. A linkage mechanism is also provided within the housing to drive the rotating medicine cylinder and the counting disc to rotate synchronously, thereby conveying medications of different specifications adapted to the counting grooves to the carrying compartment. This invention enables the dispensing of different medications, reducing the difficulty of operation for the elderly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical assistive devices, specifically to an intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and rehabilitation. Background Technology

[0002] With the accelerating aging of the population, the prevalence of chronic diseases among the elderly is high, requiring the daily use of multiple medications. This leads to a growing demand for long-term, regular, and multi-drug medication management. Due to physiological decline, many elderly individuals experience memory loss, blurred vision, or decreased hand dexterity, making them prone to missed doses, duplicate doses, or incorrect medication administration. This not only affects treatment effectiveness but may also pose health risks. Traditional pillboxes only provide basic storage and cannot meet the complex medication needs of the elderly, potentially leading to medication errors and impacting treatment outcomes. Furthermore, limited home care resources and high institutional care costs necessitate the use of intelligent tools to improve the convenience and safety of medication management.

[0003] Most common pillboxes currently available have simple compartmentalized structures, only capable of physically storing and roughly classifying medications. They rely primarily on user memory and manual operation, lacking intelligent reminders and intervention mechanisms. Furthermore, some pillboxes cannot distinguish between different sizes and forms of medication, making it difficult to meet the dosage control needs of multiple medications taken simultaneously. Meanwhile, some electronic pillboxes have complex operating procedures that do not suit the usage habits of the elderly, resulting in low actual usage rates. While some electronic pillboxes have introduced timed reminder functions, they cannot automatically sort and dispense medications, still requiring manual intervention in the dispensing and dispensing process, offering limited support for the elderly who are frail, live alone, or have limited cognitive abilities.

[0004] Therefore, this invention proposes an intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance. By matching the different contours of the counting slots on the counting disc with the specifications of the medicines, it can store and distinguish medicines of various forms and sizes such as tablets and capsules. With the control of the linkage mechanism, it can realize the dispensing of different medicines and reduce the difficulty of operation for the elderly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the aforementioned issues, this invention provides an intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and rehabilitation. It uses counting slots with different contours on a counting disc to match the specifications of the medications, allowing for the storage and differentiation of various forms and sizes of medications, such as tablets and capsules. Combined with the control of a linkage mechanism, it enables the dispensing of different medications, reducing the difficulty of operation for the elderly.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A smart interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health includes a shell, with a top cover detachably connected to the top of the shell; a rotating medicine cylinder is rotatably fitted on the upper part of the shell, and a plurality of medicine storage compartments are provided in the circumferential direction of the rotating medicine cylinder; a counting compartment is also fixedly connected to the inner wall of the shell, and an opening communicating with the counting compartment is opened at the bottom of each medicine storage compartment; a counting disk is rotatably fitted to the inner wall of the counting compartment; a plurality of counting grooves with different contours are opened in the circumferential direction of the counting disk, and the counting grooves are respectively used to accommodate medicines of different specifications; a carrying compartment is also detachably connected to the bottom of the shell, and the bottom of the counting compartment is communicating with the carrying compartment.

[0007] The housing is also equipped with a linkage mechanism, which is used to drive the rotating medicine cylinder and the counting disk to rotate synchronously, so as to transport medicines of different specifications that are compatible with the counting tank to the carrying chamber.

[0008] Each medicine storage compartment is equipped with an opening and closing mechanism at the bottom. The opening and closing mechanism is used to open the opening at the bottom of the medicine storage compartment when the medicine storage compartment is rotated to the position corresponding to the counting slot.

[0009] The technical principles of the above solution are as follows:

[0010] The system utilizes a combination of a rotating cartridge, a counting disc, and a carrying chamber to achieve quantitative drug administration. The rotating cartridge contains multiple storage compartments for different drug specifications. The counting disc has circumferentially shaped counting slots corresponding to the specific drug specifications. When the linkage mechanism drives the rotating cartridge to rotate until the target storage compartment aligns with the corresponding counting slot, the opening and closing mechanism opens the bottom opening of that storage compartment, allowing single-pill or quantitatively measured drugs to fall into the counting slot. The counting disc then continues to rotate, guiding the drug through the counting compartments to the carrying chamber below.

[0011] The above approach has the following beneficial effects:

[0012] 1. This solution uses counting slots with different contours on the counting disc to match the specifications of medications, allowing for the storage and differentiation of medications in various forms and sizes, such as tablets and capsules. Elderly and senior citizens often need to take multiple medications for chronic diseases, and the specifications of these medications vary greatly, making it difficult for traditional pillboxes to dispense medications in specific quantities. This design ensures that different medications are dispensed only from their corresponding counting slots, avoiding medication confusion or incorrect dosage and improving medication safety. Simultaneously, the independently separated storage compartment of the rotating pill dispenser, combined with a linkage mechanism, allows for the dispensing of different medications, reducing the difficulty of operation for the elderly.

[0013] 2. This solution employs a mechanical linkage design, eliminating the need for complex electronic components and reducing issues such as electronic malfunctions and power depletion. It is particularly suitable for elderly individuals unfamiliar with operating electronic devices. The synchronous rotation of the rotating cartridge, counting disc, and carrying chamber is achieved through a mechanical structure, ensuring stable operation and simple maintenance. All components of the housing are detachably connected, facilitating cleaning and maintenance and preventing cross-contamination caused by drug residues. The opening and closing mechanism only activates when the drug storage chamber aligns with the counting slot, preventing accidental drug spillage and further enhancing reliability.

[0014] 3. This solution allows for pre-classification and storage of medications. Caregivers simply select the appropriate storage compartment by rotating the pillbox according to the elderly person's medication needs, and can quickly retrieve the correct dosage, shortening the medication preparation time. Furthermore, the pillbox design facilitates verification of medication types and quantities by caregivers, reducing human error. For elderly people living alone, the pillbox's dispensing function can reduce the risk of missed or overdosed doses due to memory decline, enhancing their self-care ability.

[0015] Furthermore, the linkage mechanism includes a drive component and a transmission component. The drive component is used to drive the counting disk to rotate; the transmission component is used to transmit the power of the drive component to the rotating cartridge, and when the counting disk rotates, the transmission component synchronously drives the rotating cartridge to rotate, and makes different specifications of drugs correspond to the contour of the counting groove.

[0016] Beneficial effects: Through the coordinated operation of the drive and transmission components, the counting disc and the rotating medicine cartridge rotate synchronously, ensuring precise alignment of different specifications of medicines with their corresponding counting slots. This avoids errors caused by manual operation, improves the efficiency and accuracy of dispensing medicines, and meets the automated and standardized care needs of elderly care and rehabilitation scenarios involving multiple specifications of medicines.

[0017] Furthermore, the drive assembly includes a controller and a drive component, with the controller and drive component being electrically connected; the drive component is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the housing, and a rotating shaft is coaxially fixedly connected to the output shaft of the drive component, with the end of the rotating shaft away from the drive component passing through the counting chamber and being coaxially fixedly connected to the counting disk.

[0018] Beneficial effects: The counting disk is directly driven to rotate by the shaft of the drive component; the controller can control the speed and angle of the drive component to achieve the alignment of the counting slot and the drug storage compartment, improve the accuracy of drug dispensing, facilitate intelligent operation, and realize automated and personalized drug administration control.

[0019] Furthermore, the transmission assembly includes a first bevel gear coaxially fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, the first bevel gear meshing with a second bevel gear, the second bevel gear coaxially fixedly connected to a transmission shaft, and the end of the transmission shaft away from the second bevel gear being fixedly connected to the bottom of the rotating cartridge.

[0020] Beneficial effects: The bevel gear set enables vertical steering of power, transmitting the horizontal power of the drive component to the rotating medicine cylinder, ensuring that the counting disc and the medicine cylinder rotate synchronously, aligning different specifications of medicines with the counting slot, improving the accuracy of medicine dispensing and the durability of the equipment, and meeting the long-term stable operation requirements of elderly care and health care scenarios.

[0021] Furthermore, the opening and closing mechanism includes several solenoid valves located at the openings, all of which are connected to the controller signal.

[0022] Beneficial effects: By controlling the on / off state of one or more solenoid valves, the controller enables the independent release of medications of different specifications, avoiding drug mixing or dosage errors. Simultaneously, the electronic control mode can adjust the opening and closing logic according to personalized medication plans, enhancing the level of intelligence in medication care within elderly care and wellness settings.

[0023] Furthermore, the bottom of each medicine storage compartment is designed to be inclined towards the opening; several springs are also fixedly connected to the inner wall of each medicine storage compartment, and a spring plate is fixedly connected to the end of each spring away from the inner wall of the medicine storage compartment.

[0024] Beneficial effects: The inclined bottom design of the drug storage compartment, combined with the spring plate structure, can help transport drugs by using gravity and elastic force, reduce drug jamming or accumulation, ensure smooth discharge of drugs of different specifications and forms, improve the stability and reliability of drug dispensing, and adapt to the storage needs of various drugs.

[0025] Furthermore, it also includes a locking mechanism for locking the rotation of the drive shaft. The locking mechanism includes a locking disc fixedly connected to the outer wall of the drive shaft. A braking element is also fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the housing. The braking element is electrically connected to the controller, and the output end of the braking element contacts the outer wall of the locking disc.

[0026] Beneficial effects: By cooperating with the braking component and the locking disc, the drive shaft can be locked immediately after the medication is dispensed, preventing the rotating medicine cylinder from shifting due to inertia or external force, ensuring the alignment of the medicine storage chamber and the counting tank, improving the medication dispensing accuracy and equipment safety, and adapting to the intelligent care needs in elderly care and health care scenarios.

[0027] Furthermore, the carrying chamber is also equipped with a weighing module for verifying drug quality; the weighing module includes a weight sensor fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the carrying chamber; the controller is used to acquire the weight information emitted by the weight sensor and compare it with the pre-stored benchmark weight; if the difference between the weight information and the benchmark weight exceeds the preset error range, a weight abnormality signal is generated.

[0028] Beneficial effects: By collecting the weight of the medication through a weight sensor and automatically comparing it with the baseline weight pre-stored in the controller, abnormalities such as medication dosage deviation, missing or incorrect dispensing can be identified. Once the weight difference exceeds the preset range, an abnormal signal is generated to trigger an early warning, improving medication safety and the level of equipment intelligence, and reducing the cost of manual verification.

[0029] Furthermore, it also includes a communication module; the communication module is used to send information including the type of drug, preset dosage, actual dosage, medication time, and medication record to a remote terminal after each medication retrieval operation is completed.

[0030] Beneficial effects: The communication module enables real-time data interaction between the device and the remote terminal. After the medication is picked up, information such as the type of medication, dosage, and time is synchronized to the terminal of family members or medical staff. This allows family members to remotely monitor the elderly person's medication and also makes it easier for medical staff to dynamically adjust the medication plan, thus ensuring the medication safety of elderly users.

[0031] Furthermore, it also includes an early warning module, which monitors the user's adherence to the medication plan and issues an early warning signal if the user fails to take the medication.

[0032] Beneficial effects: The early warning module monitors the user's medication plan in real time and immediately issues an audible and visual or remote warning signal when the user fails to pick up the medication on time. This reduces the problem of missed doses caused by memory decline and mobility impairment in elderly people in the elderly care and health care scenario, improves medication adherence, and reduces the risk of disease fluctuations caused by missed doses.

[0033] Furthermore, it also includes a verification module, which includes a camera fixedly connected to the inner wall of the carrying chamber (6). The camera is connected to the controller signal. The verification module is used to collect images of the appearance of the drug and compare them with the pre-stored image library to identify whether the drug type conforms to the medication plan. If it does not conform to the medication plan, an early warning signal is issued through the early warning module.

[0034] Beneficial effects: By setting up a verification module, the camera is used to identify the type of medication and compare it with a pre-stored image library, which can effectively prevent incorrect or missed medication administration, thereby improving medication safety and care reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is an isometric drawing of the intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 For the present invention Figure 1 The side sectional view in the middle.

[0037] Figure 3 For the present invention Figure 2 Axonometric drawing of the central linkage mechanism.

[0038] Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Top sectional view of the rotating cartridge case.

[0039] Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 2A frontal sectional view of the central counting disc.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a structural block diagram of each module in the intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance of the present invention.

[0041] The reference numerals in the accompanying drawings of the instruction manual include: 1. housing; 2. top cover; 3. medicine storage compartment; 4. counting compartment; 5. counting disc; 6. bearing compartment; 7. driving component; 8. first bevel gear; 9. second bevel gear; 10. transmission shaft; 11. spring; 12. spring plate; 13. locking disc; 14. braking component. Detailed Implementation

[0042] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0043] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0044] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0045] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation method:

[0046] Example 1:

[0047] As attached Figures 1-5As shown: A smart interactive care medicine box for elderly care and rehabilitation includes a shell 1, with a top cover 2 detachably connected to the top of the shell 1; a rotating medicine cylinder is rotatably fitted on the upper part of the shell 1, and several medicine storage compartments 3 are arranged circumferentially inside the rotating medicine cylinder; a counting compartment 4 is also screwed to the inner wall of the shell 1, and each medicine storage compartment 3 has an opening at its bottom communicating with the counting compartment 4; a counting disk 5 is rotatably fitted on the inner wall of the counting compartment 4; the counting disk 5 has several counting grooves of different contours along its circumference, and the counting grooves are used to accommodate different specifications of medicines (such as... Figure 5 (As shown); the bottom of the shell 1 can also be detachably connected to the carrying chamber 6, and the bottom of the counting chamber 4 is connected to the carrying chamber 6; in this embodiment, the drugs of different specifications are mainly tablets or capsules.

[0048] The housing 1 is also equipped with a linkage mechanism, which is used to drive the rotating medicine cylinder and the counting disk 5 to rotate synchronously, so as to transport medicines of different specifications adapted to the counting tank to the carrying chamber 6.

[0049] Each drug storage compartment 3 is equipped with an opening and closing mechanism at its bottom. The opening and closing mechanism is used to open the opening at the bottom of the drug storage compartment 3 when the drug storage compartment 3 is rotated to the position corresponding to the counting groove.

[0050] The linkage mechanism includes a drive component and a transmission component. The drive component is used to drive the counting disk 5 to rotate; the transmission component is used to transmit the power of the drive component to the rotating medicine cylinder, and when the counting disk 5 rotates, the transmission component synchronously drives the rotating medicine cylinder to rotate, and makes different specifications of medicine correspond to the contour of the counting groove.

[0051] Combination Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the drive assembly includes a controller and a drive component 7. In this embodiment, the controller is a PLC controller and the drive component 7 is a servo motor. The controller and the drive component 7 are electrically connected. The drive component 7 is bolted to the inner wall of the housing 1. The output shaft of the drive component 7 is coaxially connected to a rotating shaft through a coupling. The end of the rotating shaft away from the drive component 7 passes through the counting chamber 4 and is coaxially fixedly connected to the counting disk 5.

[0052] The transmission assembly includes a first bevel gear 8 coaxially fixedly connected to a rotating shaft, the first bevel gear 8 meshing with a second bevel gear 9, the second bevel gear 9 coaxially fixedly connected to a transmission shaft 10, and the end of the transmission shaft 10 away from the second bevel gear 9 being fixedly connected to the bottom screw of the rotating cartridge.

[0053] In this embodiment, the transmission ratio between the first bevel gear 8 and the second bevel gear 9 is set to adapt to the delivery of different drugs; for example, the transmission ratio between the first bevel gear 8 and the second bevel gear 9 is set to 2:1, that is, when the first bevel gear 8 rotates one revolution, the second bevel gear 9 rotates half a revolution. Four drug storage chambers 3 and four counting slots are set, with the outline of the counting slots corresponding sequentially to the different specifications of drugs in the drug storage chambers 3; and the rotating medicine cylinder and the counting disk 5 rotate in the same direction. Specifically, when the opening of the first drug storage chamber 3 rotates to correspond with the counting slot, the rotating medicine cylinder rotates 1 / 4 revolution, while the counting disk 5 rotates 1 / 2 revolution, just enough to deliver the drug corresponding to the counting slot into the carrying chamber 6; by aligning the drug storage chambers 3 with the counting slots, the delivery of drugs of different specifications can be achieved.

[0054] The opening and closing mechanism includes several solenoid valves located at the openings, and all solenoid valves are connected to the controller signal.

[0055] The specific implementation process is as follows:

[0056] First, according to the user's medication plan, the corresponding specifications of medication are loaded into each storage compartment 3, and the medication time, dosage, and corresponding storage compartment 3 information are set in the controller (PLC controller). When the preset medication time arrives, the PLC controller starts the servo motor; the output shaft of the servo motor drives the rotating shaft. One end of the rotating shaft is connected to the counting disk 5, and the other end indirectly drives the rotating medicine cylinder through a transmission assembly composed of the first bevel gear 8 and the second bevel gear 9. In some preferred embodiments, a drying treatment or vacuum storage design can be added inside the storage compartment 3 to improve the moisture-proof performance of the device and extend the drug storage time.

[0057] As the shaft rotates, the counting disk 5 and the rotating cartridge rotate synchronously; due to the specific transmission ratio set between the first bevel gear 8 and the second bevel gear 9, when the rotating cartridge rotates 1 / 4 turn to align the opening of one of the drug storage compartments 3 with the counting groove on the counting disk 5 below, the counting disk 5 simultaneously rotates 1 / 2 turn; during this 1 / 2 turn rotation, its counting groove rotates from top to bottom, causing the received drug to fall into the receiving compartment 6. This design ensures that during the rotation of the counting disk 5, the corresponding drug storage compartment 3 rotates to the position where its opening aligns with the counting groove of a specific contour on the counting disk 5.

[0058] As the drug storage chamber 3 rotates to align with its corresponding counting slot, the controller sends an opening signal to the solenoid valve at the bottom of the corresponding drug storage chamber 3. The solenoid valve opens, and the specific size of the drug inside the storage chamber 3 falls through the opening into the corresponding counting slot below under the influence of gravity.

[0059] After the medication falls into the counting trough, the counting disk 5 rotates synchronously to the receiving chamber 6 below the landing point, completing one medication count. Then, the solenoid valve closes. Under the controller's command, the servo motor continues to drive the counting disk 5 and the rotating medicine cylinder to rotate, moving the next medicine storage chamber 3 and its corresponding counting trough to the working position. This process is repeated until all medication dispensing instructions are completed.

[0060] In existing technologies, different drug delivery methods typically require separate storage compartments and independent drive components. This results in a large number of drive components, increasing the overall cost of the device. Furthermore, the use of multiple drive components increases the complexity of the control logic, necessitating a more sophisticated controller, which further increases the cost. Additionally, the counting logic within the device usually employs a separate control logic design, increasing the layout of the algorithm logic and leading to some shortcomings in terms of both device cost and control logic.

[0061] This embodiment uses a single servo motor as a power source, which, through a set of fixed-ratio transmission components, synchronously controls the specification positioning of the counting disk 5 and the drug feeding positioning of the rotating drug cylinder. The two actions of drug sorting (through counting grooves of different contours) and conveying (through the rotation of the rotating drug cylinder and the carrying chamber 6) are integrated into the same continuous rotary motion, achieving linkage and efficient coordination. By combining the principle of irregular-shaped hole sieving with a rotary synchronous feeding mechanism, and through mechanical transmission ratio design, a simple structure is used to achieve the identification, sorting, and collection of drugs of different specifications.

[0062] Example 2:

[0063] As attached Figures 2-4 As shown, the difference from Embodiment 1 is that the bottom of the medicine storage chamber 3 is set to be inclined towards the opening; the inner wall of the medicine storage chamber 3 is also fixedly connected with several springs 11 by screws, and the end of the spring 11 away from the inner wall of the medicine storage chamber 3 is fixedly connected with a spring plate 12 by screws.

[0064] The specific implementation process is as follows: During the rotation of the drug storage chamber 3, since the bottom of the drug storage chamber 3 is designed to be inclined towards the opening, the drug slides down to a position close to the opening under the action of gravity, providing favorable conditions for drug dispensing; the spring 11 connected to the inner wall of the drug storage chamber 3 and the spring plate 12 on it play an auxiliary role in conveying the drug to the opening; when the solenoid valve is opened, the spring plate 12 can slightly rebound to release the pressure, causing the drug closest to the opening to slide smoothly into the counting tank.

[0065] After the drug falls into the counting slot, the counting disk 5 continues to rotate, moving the counting slot, which is adapted to the shape of the drug, to the bottom outlet of the counting chamber 4, and then guiding it into the detachable carrying chamber 6 below by gravity. Throughout the process, the inclined bottom surface works in conjunction with the elastic plate 12 and the spring 11 to reduce the problem of drug jamming and difficulty in falling, and improve the reliability and consistency of drug dispensing.

[0066] Example 3:

[0067] As attached Figure 2 As shown, the difference from Embodiment 2 is that, when the medicine box completes a single medication administration or is in a non-working state, to prevent the rotating medicine cartridge or drive shaft 10 from accidentally rotating due to external vibration, accidental contact, or gravity, which could lead to misalignment of the medicine storage compartment 3 or accidental drug drop, this embodiment introduces a locking mechanism to lock the rotation of the drive shaft 10 to ensure the stability and safety of the device. The locking mechanism includes a locking disc 13 fixedly connected to the outer wall of the drive shaft 10 by screws; a brake element 14 is also fixedly connected to the inner side wall of the housing 1 by screws. The brake element 14 is electrically connected to the controller, and the output end of the brake element 14 contacts the outer wall of the locking disc 13. In this embodiment, the brake element 14 is an electromagnetic brake; its output end is provided with a retractable brake pin or friction block, which normally remains in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the locking disc 13 or is in a standby position.

[0068] The specific implementation process is as follows: When the controller determines that no drug administration operation is required (e.g., in standby, charging, drug loading, or before the user's medication time), it will send a locking signal to the brake 14, driving its output shaft to extend, so that the brake end tightly presses against the locking disc 13, thereby limiting the rotational freedom of the transmission shaft 10, ensuring that each drug storage compartment 3 is maintained in the preset position, and avoiding misalignment of the opening or accidental slippage of the drug.

[0069] Conversely, when the set medication time is reached and the linkage medication process needs to be started, the controller first sends an unlocking command to the brake 14, causing its output shaft to retract and release the constraint on the locking disc 13; then the servo motor is started, and the linkage mechanism drives the counting disc 5 and the rotating medicine cylinder to rotate synchronously according to the predetermined transmission ratio to complete the precise medication dispensing.

[0070] Example 4:

[0071] As attached Figure 6 As shown, the difference from Embodiment 3 is that, to meet the requirements of accurate drug delivery, this embodiment also includes a weighing module, a communication module, an early warning module, and a verification module; the weighing module is used to verify drug quality; the communication module is used to connect to the terminal device; the early warning module is used to issue early warning signals; and the verification module is used to detect whether the drug type conforms to the medication plan; the specific functions of each module are as follows:

[0072] The weighing module includes a weight sensor that is fixedly attached to the bottom wall of the bearing chamber 6; the controller is used to acquire the weight information emitted by the weight sensor and compare it with the pre-stored benchmark weight; if the difference between the weight information and the benchmark weight exceeds the preset error range, a weight abnormality signal is generated.

[0073] After each medication retrieval operation is completed, the communication module sends information including the type of medication, preset dosage, actual dosage retrieved, medication time, and medication record to the remote terminal.

[0074] The early warning module is used to monitor the user's adherence to the medication plan and issue an early warning signal if the user fails to take the medication.

[0075] The verification module includes a camera that is fixed to the inner wall of the bearing chamber 6 with screws. The camera is connected to the controller signal. The verification module is used to collect images of the appearance of the drug and compare them with a pre-stored image library to identify whether the drug type conforms to the medication plan. If it does not conform to the medication plan, an early warning signal is issued through the early warning module.

[0076] The specific implementation process is as follows: After the medicine box completes one dispensing cycle, and the medicine falls from the counting plate 5 into the carrying chamber 6, the controller immediately starts the verification program. At this time, the weight sensor installed on the bottom wall of the carrying chamber 6 collects the total weight of the medicine in real time and transmits this weight information to the controller. The controller has pre-stored the baseline weight of each medicine at the corresponding dosage (e.g., 1 capsule of medicine A is 0.5g, 2 capsules of medicine B are 1.2g, etc.). The controller compares the actual measured weight with the baseline weight corresponding to the type and dosage of medicine to be dispensed this time.

[0077] If the difference between the two values ​​is within the preset allowable error range (e.g., ±5%), the medication dispensing is considered normal, and the controller records the medication data for that dispensing. If the difference exceeds this range (e.g., medication is missing, extra, or foreign matter is mixed in), the controller generates a weight anomaly signal and triggers a local alarm (e.g., a buzzer or LED flashing). At the same time, the abnormal event, along with the timestamp, medication type, expected and actual weight, is uploaded to a remote terminal (e.g., a family member's mobile app or a community health platform) via the communication module for timely intervention.

[0078] After each medication retrieval operation is completed, the communication module will automatically package and send the complete medication record to the remote terminal. The content includes: the type of medication in this medication plan, the preset dosage, the actual dosage obtained by weighing, the precise medication time, and the execution status (success / abnormal / no medication retrieved).

[0079] In addition, the early warning module continuously monitors the user's medication adherence. The controller determines whether the user has completed the medication retrieval action within a set time window based on the built-in medication plan. If the medication carrier 6 is not detected to have been removed or no medication retrieval confirmation signal is received within the specified time, the early warning module will first issue an audible and visual reminder locally; if the user still does not respond, it will push a "failure to take medication on time" warning message to the remote terminal through the communication module, notifying caregivers to intervene.

[0080] Furthermore, after the drug falls into the carrying chamber 6 through the counting disk 5, the controller triggers the camera to capture a high-definition image of the drug; the image is preprocessed (such as noise reduction, enhancement, and contour extraction), and then compared with the user-specific drug image library stored in the controller to identify key visual information such as the color, shape, size, and surface markings of the drug.

[0081] If the identification result matches the type of medication corresponding to the current medication plan, it is considered normal and the medication collection process can proceed. If the identification result does not match (such as incorrect packaging, mixed medications, or missing medications), the controller will activate the warning module, announce the medication abnormality via voice, and simultaneously push the abnormality information to the family member or caregiver's terminal via the wireless communication unit, thereby preventing accidental administration and ensuring medication safety management.

[0082] Obviously, the above embodiments are merely illustrative examples for clear explanation and are not intended to limit the implementation. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other variations or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is neither necessary nor possible to exhaustively list all possible implementations here. However, obvious variations or modifications derived therefrom are still within the scope of protection of this invention.

Claims

1. A smart interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance, comprising a shell (1), wherein a top cover (2) is detachably connected to the top of the shell (1); characterized in that, The upper part of the shell (1) is rotatably fitted with a rotating medicine cylinder, and the rotating medicine cylinder is provided with several medicine storage chambers (3) in the circumferential direction; the inner wall of the shell (1) is also fixedly connected with a counting chamber (4), and the bottom of each medicine storage chamber (3) is opened to communicate with the counting chamber (4). The inner wall of the counting chamber (4) is rotatably fitted with a counting disk (5); the counting disk (5) is provided with several counting grooves of different contours in the circumferential direction, and the counting grooves are used to adapt to different specifications of drugs; the bottom of the shell (1) can also be detachably connected with a carrying chamber (6), and the bottom of the counting chamber (4) is connected to the carrying chamber (6); The housing (1) is also equipped with a linkage mechanism, which is used to drive the rotating medicine cylinder and the counting plate (5) to rotate synchronously, so as to transport the medicines of different specifications that are adapted to the counting tank to the carrying chamber (6). Each drug storage compartment (3) is equipped with an opening and closing mechanism at the bottom. The opening and closing mechanism is used to open the opening at the bottom of the drug storage compartment (3) when the drug storage compartment (3) is rotated to the position corresponding to the counting slot.

2. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linkage mechanism includes a drive component and a transmission component. The drive component is used to drive the counting disk (5) to rotate; the transmission component is used to transmit the power of the drive component to the rotating medicine cylinder, and when the counting disk (5) rotates, the transmission component synchronously drives the rotating medicine cylinder to rotate, and makes different specifications of drugs correspond to the contour of the counting groove.

3. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 2, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a controller and a drive component (7). The controller and the drive component (7) are electrically connected. The drive component (7) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the housing (1). The output shaft of the drive component (7) is coaxially fixedly connected to a rotating shaft. The end of the rotating shaft away from the drive component (7) passes through the counting chamber (4) and is coaxially fixedly connected to the counting disk (5).

4. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 3, characterized in that, The transmission assembly includes a first bevel gear (8) coaxially fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, the first bevel gear (8) meshing with a second bevel gear (9), the second bevel gear (9) coaxially fixedly connected to a transmission shaft (10), and the end of the transmission shaft (10) away from the second bevel gear (9) fixedly connected to the bottom of the rotating cartridge.

5. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 4, characterized in that, The opening and closing mechanism includes several solenoid valves located at the openings, and all solenoid valves are connected to the controller signal.

6. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 5, characterized in that, The bottom of each medicine storage compartment (3) is set to be inclined towards the opening; several springs (11) are also fixedly connected to the inner wall of each medicine storage compartment (3), and a spring plate (12) is fixedly connected to the end of each spring (11) away from the inner wall of the medicine storage compartment (3).

7. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 6, characterized in that, It also includes a locking mechanism for locking the rotation of the drive shaft (10), the locking mechanism including a locking disc (13) fixedly connected to the outer wall of the drive shaft (10); a brake (14) is also fixedly connected to the inner wall of the housing (1), the brake (14) is electrically connected to the controller, and the output end of the brake (14) contacts the outer wall of the locking disc (13).

8. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 7, characterized in that, The carrying chamber (6) is also equipped with a weighing module for verifying drug quality; the weighing module includes a weight sensor fixedly connected to the bottom wall of the carrying chamber (6); the controller is used to acquire the weight information emitted by the weight sensor and compare it with the pre-stored benchmark weight; if the difference between the weight information and the benchmark weight exceeds the preset error range, a weight abnormality signal is generated.

9. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 8, characterized in that, It also includes a communication module; the communication module is used to send information including drug type, preset dosage, actual dosage, medication time and medication record to the remote terminal after each medication retrieval operation is completed.

10. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 9, characterized in that, It also includes an early warning module, which monitors the user's adherence to the medication plan and issues an early warning signal if the user fails to take the medication.

11. The intelligent interactive care medicine box for elderly care and health maintenance according to claim 10, characterized in that, It also includes a verification module, which includes a camera fixedly connected to the inner wall of the carrier (6). The camera is connected to the controller signal. The verification module is used to collect images of the appearance of the drug and compare them with the pre-stored image library to identify whether the drug type conforms to the medication plan. If it does not conform to the medication plan, an early warning signal is issued through the early warning module.

Images