Automated pill dispenser

Abstract

An automated pill dispensing system (10, fig. 1) comprises: a plurality of circular pill reservoir trays 22; a pneumatically operated pill picking mechanism; an electronic control system; and a digita

Description

[002] Automated tablet dispensers are becoming crucial in healthcare due to the rising need for precise and efficient medication management. As the population ages and chronic illnesses increase, the demand for systems that ensure patients follow their prescribed medication schedules has grown. Manual methods of dispensing medication often result in human errors, such as missed doses or incorrect quantities, which can have serious consequences for patients. Automated tablet dispensers, with their accurate dosage control and reminders, address these issues, improving patient outcomes by minimizing medication errors.

[003] Automated medicine dispensers go back to basic mechanical pillboxes that simply reminded patients to take their medication for a specific day of the week. Over time, these devices have transformed into advanced systems that integrate seamlessly with digital health platforms. Initially, they required manual loading and scheduling, but technological advancements have enabled smart dispensers to sync with electronic health records, communicate with caregivers, and automatically adjust for prescription changes. Modern devices can even alert healthcare providers if a dose is missed, allowing for real-time intervention. This level of automation eases the burden on caregivers and enhances patient compliance.

[004] As healthcare technology has progressed, so have the features and capabilities of automated dispensers. Today’s devices incorporate artificial intelligence (Al) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to better tailor medication schedules and adjust dosages based on patient-specific needs. For example, some systems can analyze patient health metrics, adjust medication schedules accordingly, or predict when a refill is needed. These technologies have made medication adherence more personalized and dynamic, addressing the unique health profiles of individual patients and ensuring they receive the right medication at the right time.

[005] Current automated pill dispenser systems can broadly be classified into two main categories: (a) Systems involving picking of pills from predefined compartments, and (b) Systems involving the delivery of dedicated pill boxes allowing users to pick pills themselves. A review of the prior-art reveals that US2022332493A1, US20140305959A1, US9980880B and US20060213921A1 disclose systems belonging to the first category. Pneumatic mechanisms involving vacuum generation and mechanically movable arms are generally utilized as a means of picking up the pills from the reservoirs and delivering them to the patients. One of the common issues observed in prior-art is the reloading mechanism, which is generally complex, and requires opening the entire contraption before replenishing the required pill reservoirs. Moreover, specific pill reservoirs must be pre-programmed with medicine types before reloading to allow the device to pick-up the medicine as required. Incorrect programming may lead to wrong medicine dispensing and is a potential health risk for the elderly patients not accustomed to the programming (or reprogramming) process of the pill dispenser.

[006] Considering the aforementioned issues observed with the existing technologies, there is a need for a medication dispensing system that will overcome the above-identified drawbacks. SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[007] The following presents a simplified summary of features disclosed herein to provide a basic understanding of some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. This summary is neither an exclusive overview of all the different embodiments of the present disclosure, nor intended to identify the critical elements of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts disclosed herein in a simplified form as a precursor to a more comprehensive description.

[008] In the following text, the term drug, if used, refers to pills, capsules, tablets and other solidified forms of medication. For the sake of simplicity, the term “pill” will be used throughout this disclosure to represent any solid form of medication and should be understood to encompass all types of solid drug portions as described earlier.

[009] The present disclosure provides an automated means of dispensing pills as required by the user. The system allows the user to load different types of pills within dedicated pill reservoirs provided by the system. The user can also program the system to dispense the type and specific dosage of pills on-demand.

[010] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the automated pill dispensing system may comprise a rigid outer casing with a plurality of openings allowing users to deposit pills while loading I refilling the device. A digital user interface allowing users to interact with the device may also be located on the outer edge of the said rigid enclosure allowing users to interact with the device by providing input through an appropriate input medium which may be a touch screen or a series of physical buttons along with a display.

[011] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, the automated pill dispensing system may comprise a plurality of pill reservoirs which may be arranged radially within multiple circular reservoir trays. Each of the multiple circular reservoir trays may be designed to be stacked on top of each other with an acceptable amount of gap between adjacent circular reservoir trays. According to the same embodiment, the stacked series of reservoir trays may be attached to a motorized setup enabling the entire stack to be rotated around its center.

[012] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a pill picking mechanism may also be provided to pick up individual pills from the pill reservoirs and dispense them when directed. The pill picking mechanism may comprise a pneumatic pill picker installed on a vertical guide rail fixed near the multiple circular reservoir trays. A vacuum pump may also be provided and connected to the pneumatic pill picker to enable picking of pills using vacuum suction. According to the same embodiment, the pill picker may be enabled to move vertically along the vertical guide rail in order to access the pill reservoirs located in different reservoir trays in the stack.

[013] According to another embodiment, a plurality of sensors may be installed on the pill picker to detect the occupancy level of individual pill reservoirs. The sensors may include infrared as well as visual sensors to detect the same.

[014] According to yet another embodiment, a holding rack may be provided which may house the motorized setup for rotating the stacked reservoir trays as well as other electronic circuitry required for the operation of the disclosed device. Additionally, this holding rack may also contain fixtures to mount the stacked reservoir trays and may be concealed when the rigid casing of the device is in place.

[015] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure the process of filling the pill reservoirs may involve first selecting the desired reservoir through the digital user interface. In response to the input from the user, the motorized setup may rotate the stacked reservoir trays so that the desired pill reservoir faces one of the plurality of openings located in the rigid casing. Once the desired pill reservoir is adjacent to one of the plurality of openings in the rigid casing, the user may replenish the reservoir with pills. The system may also require the user to input, via the digital user interface, the number of pills loaded into the pill reservoir for inventory purposes.

[016] According to another embodiment, pill dispensing process may involve the system first determining the stacked reservoir tray which contains the desired pill reservoir. The pill picking mechanism may then be triggered to move the pill picker by vertically moving it along the guide rails such that the pill picker has access to the said stacked reservoir tray. The stacked reservoir trays may be rotated by the motorized setup to make sure the desired pill reservoir is in vertical reach of the already positioned pill picker. The pneumatic system may then be initiated to enable the pill picker to pick (using vacuum suction) the desired number of pills from the pill reservoir and drop it into the dispensing channel, one pill at a time.

[017] According to another embodiment, the system may also manage the inventory of individual pill reservoirs post any dispensing operation. Alerts may be generated via, for example, audio I visual means and I or network connected methods to alert the users of the current reservoir status to ensure timely refilling. According to the same embodiment, the disclosed system may also generate alerts when a dispensing schedule of a certain user is due, alerting the user to approach the disclosed automated pill dispenser to receive the pills.

[018] According to yet another embodiment, the system may be linked wirelessly to a computer network allowing for status monitoring.

[019] According to another embodiment, users may program medication dispensing schedules within the system through the digital user interface, web application, or mobile application. The users or physicians may use the digital user interface, the mobile application, or the web browser-based remote access to do the same. The same embodiment discloses the ability of the user to visually monitor the pill reservoir status, operating status of the disclosed automated pill dispensing system, and a history of the dispensed medicine with detailed information regarding time and dispensed medicine amount using the same means as described above.

[020] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, a control circuitry may also be included to control the overall operations of the disclosed device. The control circuitry may utilize a microprocessor for computational tasks, may have onboard storage to store the user profiles and schedule information, it may also have wireless transceivers to enable wireless communications, and may also control the operation of the motors for circular, as well as vertical motion.

[021] According to one last embodiment, the system may also allow for the creation of a plurality of independent user profiles, through the digital user interface, the web or mobile application, with the ability to program custom medicine dispensing schedules, alert settings and the like. The user may just select his own profile, and the corresponding schedule may come to force automatically.

[022] Advantages of the disclosed pill dispensing system may include the ability to autonomously dispense medicine for the elderly or individuals with limited physical motion abilities. Additionally, the network connectivity aims to provide remote access to doctors to not only monitor the medicine consumption history, but also automatically update I modify the prescriptions without any intervention required by the user.

[023] These additional features of the present disclosure will be more thoroughly understood and appreciated by reviewing the following detailed description of the embodiments along with the accompanying drawings. The drawings and explanations together provide a comprehensive understanding of the disclosure's embodiments, functionality, and potential applications, offering valuable insights into its innovative aspects. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[024] The preferred embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated in the appended drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like elements and in which:

[025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the disclosed automated pill dispensing system.

[026] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the disclosed automated pill dispensing system without the outer casing.

[027] FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the stacked reservoir tray assembly.

[028] FIG. 4 shows a detailed view of the pill picking mechanism.

[029] FIG. 5 shows the perspective view of the rigid outer casing.

[030] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the figures. The exemplifications set herein illustrate merely the embodiments of the disclosure and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure in any manner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[031] Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the disclosure are shown. The present disclosure will be better understood with reference to the definitions, examples and descriptions provided herein.

[032] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the disclosed automated pill dispensing system 10. A rigid outer casing 11 covers the internal components from the human eye, and also serves the purpose of protecting unauthorized access to the internal components of the automated pill dispensing system 10. The rigid outer casing 11 is held elevated in place by a solid frame 12 fixed at the bottom of the rigid outer casing 11 as shown in FIG. 1. A plurality of openings 13 are provided on the rigid outer casing 11 corresponding to the number of stacked reservoir trays installed within the automated pill dispensing system 10. The openings 13 may be used to load I refill the pill reservoirs when desired. A protruding column cover 14 covers the pill picking mechanism and stretches vertically along the height of the rigid outer casing 11 concealing the inner workings of the pill picking setup. A digital user interface 15 may be installed on the rigid outer casing 11 allowing for easy visual interaction with the users.

[033] FIG. 2 shows the internal components 20 of the disclosed automated pill dispensing system 10 with the rigid outer casing 11 removed. The basic setup consists of a base plate 21 serving as the base for the other components fixed on top of the bottom curved plate 210, which in turn is attached to the solid frame 12 as shown in FIG. 2. A plurality of circular reservoir trays 22 stacked together through stacking rods 23 are connected on to a rotary plate 24. As seen in the exploded view of FIG. 3, the rotary plate 24 connects through a common center axis to a stepper motor 25 which is installed on the base plate 21. Each of the plurality of circular reservoir trays 22 comprises of multiple pill reservoirs 31 located radially around the circular reservoir tray 22 structure as shown in FIG. 3. A pill picking mechanism comprising of a pneumatic pill picker 26 installed on a vertical guide rail 27 is bolted on the outer periphery of the base plate 21 on a dedicated slot 32 (FIG. 3). A camera 28 is also installed on the pneumatic pill picker 26 which serves as a means to visually detect and report the occupancy status of the pill reservoirs 31. The movement of the pneumatic pill picker 26 is done vertically along a vertical guide rail 27 by a lead screw 29 which connects to the vertical movement motor 42. The bottom end of the disclosed automated pill dispensing system 10 is covered by the bottom curved plate 210 as shown in FIG. 2. Limiting switch 211 is located on the base plate 21 enabling the stacked circular reservoir trays 22 to be brought back to the default position. A plurality of stud mount balls 33 are installed on the rotary plate 24 as shown in FIG. 3. These stud mount balls 33 allow for smooth rotation of the stacked circular reservoir trays 22 on a corresponding track 53 (FIG. 5) built radially on the inner circumference of the rigid outer casing 11.

[034] An isolated view of the pill picking mechanism is shown in FIG. 4. Vacuum pump 41 is connected to the pneumatic pill picker 26 via flexible silicone tube and is installed in a cavity underneath the base plate 21 concealed from local view. A vertical movement motor 42 enables the vertical movement of the pneumatic pill picker 26 along lead screw 29 supported by the vertical guide rail 27. A silicone rubber suction tip 46 is attached to the suction end of the pneumatic pill picker 26 and provides a soft holding pad while picking up pills 47. Once picked via vacuum suction, the pill 47 is dropped by the pneumatic pill picker 26 into the delivery channel 43 for dispensing to the user. Two limiting switches 44 and 45 are also located on the pill picker 26 assembly on top and bottom, respectively, as indicated in FIG. 4. These limiting switches 44 and 45 help limit the vertical movement of the pill picker 26 when it is positioned between two adjacent circular reservoir trays 22. In case any vertical movement (either direction) of the pneumatic pill picker 26 is triggered, the physical contact of either of the limiting switches 44 and 45 with either the top or the bottom circular reservoir tray 22 alerts the control circuitry to reverse the motion ensuring the pneumatic pill picker 26 operates within the allowed physical space.

[035] FIG. 5 shows the perspective view of the rigid outer casing 11. Two limiting switches 51 and 52 are also located towards the top and the bottom of this protruding column cover 14 as indicated. A movement track 53 is also installed on the inner circumference of the rigid outer casing 11 allowing for a dedicated motion path for the rotary plate 24. Once in place, the vertical guide rail 27 along with the pneumatic pill picker 26 is designed to occupy the space within the protruding column cover 14. The limiting switches 51 and 52 prevent the pill picker 26 from travelling too high or too low beyond the required distance on the vertical guide rail 27. In case of any such motion, the pneumatic pill picker 26 comes in physical contact with either of the limiting switches 51 and 52 alerting the control circuitry to reverse the direction of motion of the vertical movement motor 42.

[036] As is evident from the description, numerous adjustments and alterations can be made to the disclosed embodiments. It should be noted that the multiple embodiments of the present disclosure, disclosed herein, may be implemented differently from the specific description provided herein, as long as the implementation falls within the boundaries defined by the following claims:

Claims

1. An automated pill dispensing system comprising:a plurality of circular pill reservoir trays;a pneumatically operated pill picking mechanism;an electronic control system; anda digital user interface.

2. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 1 wherein the plurality of circular pill reservoir trays are stackable.

3. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of circular pill reservoir trays have at least one numbered pill reservoir supporting the storage of pills.

4. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 1 wherein the plurality of circular pill reservoir trays is stacked together and fixed on top of a circular rigid rotary plate serving as the base of the entire structure.

5. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 4 wherein the circular rigid rotary plate is centrally connected to a stepper motor allowing for rotation around the central axis.

6. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 1 wherein the pill picking mechanism further comprises of:a pneumatically operated pill picker with a camera attached to the end;a vertical guide rail supporting the pneumatically operated pill picker;a lead screw providing a vertical movement channel for the pneumatically operated pill picker;a vertical movement motor connected to the base of the lead screw allowing for vertical motion of the pneumatically operated pill picker along the lead screw supported by the vertical guide rail; anda pill dispensing channel to deliver the picked-up pills to the user.

7. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 6 wherein the pneumatically operated pill picker picks up individual pills using vacuum suction which is generated by a concealed vacuum pump.

8. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 6 wherein the pneumatically operated pill picker is installed on the vertical guide rail and is free to move vertically along the vertical movement motor operated lead screw.

9. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 6 wherein the suction end of the pneumatically operated pill picker is a silicone rubber pad.

10. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 1 wherein the digital user interface is an LCD with user input collected using a touchscreen.

11. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 1 wherein the electronic control system comprises:a microprocessor for processing user instructions;a programmable data storage to store user profiles and dispensing schedules;a wireless transceiver to enable wireless data communication;plurality of limit switches to ensure operation within required tolerances; andan audio speaker for generating auditory alerts;12. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 11 wherein the microprocessor is capable of receiving user instructions from the digital user interface and storing them in the programmable data storage before processing them.

13. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 11 wherein the wireless transceiver is a Wi-Fi setup allowing the said electronic control system to communicate with a remote software application.

14. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 11 wherein the audio speaker is configured to sound alarms and alerts when triggered.

15. The automated pill dispensing system of Claim 11 whereinthe plurality of limit switches function to bring the moving parts back to the default home position; andthe plurality of limit switches guide the vertical and rotatory movements of the components.

16. A method of dispensing pills from the automated pill dispensing system, comprising:receiving, via a user interaction, user identification information;receiving, via a user interaction, biometric or visual information from a user;receiving, via a user interaction, a request to dispense a certain dosage of medicine; anddispensing the user-defined dosage of pills to the user.

17. The method of Claim 16 wherein the dispensing of the user-defined dosage of pills comprises:determining, from the inventory information stored in the programmable data storage, the pill reservoir number and the corresponding pill reservoir tray containing the requested pills;once the inventory is verified to be available, authorizing the pneumatically operated pill picker to position itself vertically adjacent to the already identified pill reservoir tray;positioning the desired pill reservoir directly under the pneumatically operated pill picker by rotating the pill reservoir trays until the correct pill reservoir aligns with the pneumatically operated pill picker;detecting the present occupancy of the pill reservoir through the camera of the pneumatically operated pill picker;picking up individual pills from the already aligned pill reservoir through vacuum suction; anddropping the picked-up pill into the pill dispensing channel for delivery to the user.

18. The method of Claim 16 wherein requests for medicine dispensing comprise of allowing the user, via the digital user interface, to create schedules of medicine dosage for certain users.

19. The method of Claim 16 wherein requests for medicine dispensing include allowing the user, via web application, to create schedules of medicine dosage for certain users.

20. The method of Claim 16 wherein requests for medicine dispensing comprise of allowing the user, via the digital user interface, to request a certain dosage of medicine on demand.

21. The method of Claim 17 wherein the inventory of the pill reservoir is updated after delivering the pill to the user.

22. The method of loading the automated pill dispensing system, comprising:collecting, via user interaction, pill information;determining the pill reservoir number and the corresponding pill reservoir tray from the inventory data in the data storage;positioning the already identified pill reservoir directly adjacent to one of the corresponding plurality of openings in the rigid outer casing by rotating the pill reservoir trays accordingly;alerting the user to physically load the pills into the already aligned pill reservoir through the corresponding opening in the rigid outer casing; andupdating the inventory data in the programmable data storage for the corresponding medicine type.