Medication Dispensing Container with Segmented Passageways and Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medication dispensing systems often come to a standstill due to missing medications, particularly when a tablet case is empty or a medication is jammed, leading to increased downtime and inefficiencies in packing operations.
Innovation Solution
A medication dispensing container with a dispensing mechanism featuring passageways, a separating member, and a detection arrangement that allows for the alignment of filled waiting chambers with the outlet opening, ensuring that only filled chambers dispense medications and enabling the system to detect empty chambers before activation, thereby reducing the occurrence of missing medications and minimizing downtime.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple dispensing mechanism with grooves is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability of medication dispensing deteriorates due to jamming and missing medications
Solution Approach 1:
The dispensing mechanism is segmented into multiple independent components: arranging body with passageways, first wall member with output opening, storage body with waiting chambers, and second wall member with outlet opening. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function independently, improving reliability while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
Medications are pre-positioned in the arranging body passageways before dispensing. The system performs preliminary arrangement and verification of medication presence in waiting chambers before the actual dispensing action, preventing missing medications and reducing system standstills.
2Reliability
If medication presence is detected at the outlet, then the reliability of detection is improved, but the loss of time increases due to system standstill until detection
Solution Approach 1:
The detection arrangement verifies medication presence in waiting chambers before dispensing is initiated. This preliminary detection prevents system standstills by identifying missing medications in advance, allowing for proactive refilling or replacement without interrupting the dispensing workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The detection arrangement provides feedback on medication presence in waiting chambers to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables real-time monitoring and proactive management of medication inventory, preventing system interruptions by alerting operators before medications are needed but missing.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple medications are accommodated in a single row, then the quantity of medication per container is increased, but the manufacturing precision requirements worsen due to tighter tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The container is segmented into multiple passageways within the arranging body, each capable of holding one or more medications. This segmentation allows for standardized passageway dimensions that can be manufactured with consistent tolerances, while the overall capacity is increased by having multiple discrete pathways rather than requiring a single large precision cavity.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a medication dispensing container for holding medications, which container is provided with a dispensing mechanism comprising: an arranging body comprising passageways, each for accommodating a number of medications in a single row, a first wall member with an output opening arranged below said arranging body, said arranging body is arranged to subsequently align one of said passageways with said output opening, a separating member which blocks a passageway when aligned with the output opening, a storage body comprising waiting chambers arranged below said first wall member, each waiting chamber is arranged for receiving the medication(s) from one passageway, a second wall member with an outlet opening arranged below said storage body, said storage body is arranged to subsequently align one of said waiting chambers with said outlet opening, and a detection arrangement for the detection whether or not one of said waiting chambers is filled.