Automated Pill Cup Conveyor for Reliable Scheduled Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pill dispensers suffer from inoperability, difficult use, unreliability, and high cost, leading to poor patient adherence to medication schedules, particularly for those with chronic conditions requiring multiple medications.
Innovation Solution
An automated pill dispenser with a conveyor assembly and drive assemblies, each comprising a row of pill cups, driven by motors and controlled by a processor-based system, to ensure timely and reliable dispensing of medications based on user input and scheduled times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing pill dispensers are used, then the device structure is simple, but the reliability and operational accuracy deteriorate leading to poor patient adherence
Solution Approach 1:
The pill dispenser is divided into multiple independent drive assemblies, each responsible for a specific row of pill cups. Each drive assembly contains its own motor, drive belt, and cup couplers, allowing independent operation and reducing the complexity of controlling the entire system. This segmentation enables reliable dispensing by isolating failures to individual rows rather than the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operation with an automated conveyor system driven by electric motors and controlled by a processor. The drive belts and cup couplers create a mechanical transmission system that automatically transports pill cups to the dispensing location, eliminating the need for manual intervention and improving reliability through consistent automated operation.
2Ease of operation
If manual pill dispensing is used, then the device complexity is low, but the ease of operation and adherence to schedule deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pill dispenser performs itself the task of scheduling and dispensing medications automatically. The processor-based control system monitors the time of day and automatically activates the appropriate drive assemblies to dispense pills at scheduled times, eliminating the need for users to manually track and manage their medication schedules. This self-service approach significantly improves ease of operation for patients.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the processor monitors the current time and compares it against the scheduled dispensing times stored in memory. This feedback loop enables the system to automatically adjust and correct any timing discrepancies, ensuring medications are dispensed at the correct times without requiring user intervention or manual scheduling.
3Productivity
If multiple pill cups are manually managed, then the quantity of pills that can be stored is limited, but the productivity and dispensing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor assembly enables continuous movement of pill cups through the dispensing system. The drive belts continuously transport pill cups from the storage location to the dispensing location, eliminating idle time and manual handling interruptions. This continuous operation significantly increases the dispensing speed and productivity compared to manual pill management.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-positioning multiple pill cups in the conveyor assembly before dispensing is needed. The conveyor system is designed to hold and arrange multiple pill cups in advance, allowing for rapid sequential dispensing without the need for manual retrieval and arrangement of pills during the dispensing process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances patient adherence to medication schedules by ensuring accurate and timely dispensing of pills, reducing the risk of nonadherence and complications, and offering integration with smart features for enhanced compliance and interaction monitoring.
Implementation Method 1
a selectably actuatable electrically powered motor at least indirectly in communication with the processor, and rotatably coupled to a drive gear engaged with the drive belt
Implementation Method 2
a drive belt; a plurality of cup couplers individually coupling the row of pill cups to the drive belt
Data Source
AI summary
An automated pill dispenser is provided that include a housing having a first side and a second side, a processor and a conveyor assembly. The conveyor assembly includes a drive frame having a plurality of channels and a plurality of drive assemblies. Each of the plurality of drive assemblies include a row of pill cups between the first side and second side for receiving pills therein, a drive belt, a plurality of cup couplers individually coupling the row of pill cups to the drive belt, and a selectably actuatable motor rotatably coupled to a drive gear engaged with the drive belt, wherein actuation of the motor causes the row of pill cups to advance until one of the pill cups in the row of pill cups is vertically inverted from an upright position to an upside-down position as it traverses between the first side and second side of the housing.