Medication dispensing and monitoring system

Abstract

A medication dispensing and monitoring system includes an acknowledge-back pager, a carriage communicating with the pager, and a medication unit dispensing stored medication. The pager receives prescriptions and transmits messages back to a physician or health care organization. Prescriptions received by the pager are stored and processed by a pager processor. The pager processor communicates with a carriage controller via a series of electrical contacts. At a prescribed time, a motor in the carriage causes the medication unit to dispense the prescribed medication. Numerous medication units may be assembled to accommodate different forms of medication.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A medication dispensing system comprising: 
 a pager; and    a medication unit, including an apparatus for dispensing stored medication, and communicatively coupled to the pager.    
     
     
         2 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 1   , wherein the medication unit is mechanically but removably coupled to the pager.  
     
     
         3 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 1   , wherein the medication unit is infra-red coupled to the pager.  
     
     
         4 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 1   , wherein the pager is an acknowledge-back pager.  
     
     
         5 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 1   , further comprising: 
 a coupling bracket rigidly coupled to a surface of the medication unit; and    a second medication unit removably engaged with the coupling bracket.    
     
     
         6 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 1   , wherein the pager includes a paging circuit comprising: 
 means for receiving a packet message;    a processor coupled to the receiving means;    a random access memory coupled to the processor;    a read-only memory coupled to the processor; and    a carriage interface coupled to the processor.    
     
     
         7 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 6   , further comprising means for transmitting a packet message.  
     
     
         8 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 6   , wherein the packet message receiving means further comprises: 
 an antenna;    an antenna switch coupled to the antenna; and    a message receiver coupled to the antenna switch.    
     
     
         9 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 1   , wherein the medication unit further comprises: 
 a canister storing the medication; and    a base medication dispenser removably engaged with the canister.    
     
     
         10 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 1   , wherein the base medication dispenser further comprises: 
 a canister storing the medication;    a delivery drum for receiving medication from the canister;    a delivery drum actuator coupled to the delivery drum; and    a dispensing cavity disposed proximate the delivery drum.    
     
     
         11 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 10   , further comprising a carriage having a carriage circuit.  
     
     
         12 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 11   , wherein the carriage circuit further comprises: 
 a power source;    a motor driver coupled to the power source; and    means for controlling operation of the carriage.    
     
     
         13 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 12   , wherein the carriage further comprises: 
 a motor driven by the motor driver; and    at least one gear rotated by the motor and rotatably coupled to the delivery drum actuator.    
     
     
         14 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 12   , wherein the controlling means further comprises a firmware controller.  
     
     
         15 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 12   , wherein the controlling means further comprises a carriage read-only memory storing dispensing operations.  
     
     
         16 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 11   , further comprising means for detecting a presence of the medication in the delivery drum.  
     
     
         17 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 16   , wherein the detecting means further comprises: 
 a first light pipe extending from a first entrance of the base medication dispenser to a first end of the delivery drum;    a second light pipe extending from a second entrance of the base dispenser to a second end of the delivery drum; and disposed within the base medication dispenser;    a first detector disposed on a surface of the carriage proximate the first entrance; and    a second detector disposed on the surface of the carriage proximate the second entrance.    
     
     
         18 . The medication dispensing system, a recited in    claim 10   , further comprising means for detecting a type of medication stored in the canister.  
     
     
         19 . The medication dispensing system, as recited in    claim 18   , wherein the medication type detecting means further comprises: 
 an identifying chip disposed along a surface of the canister; and    a chip detector disposed along a surface of the carriage.    
     
     
         20 . A portable medication dispensing control system adapted to be communicatively coupled to a medication dispensing apparatus, the system comprising: 
 means for storing a dispensing control program, the dispensing control program controlling functions for: 
 identifying a stored medication;  
 comparing the identified medication to a stored medication identifier;  
   means, responsive to the dispensing control program, for providing a control signal to the medication dispensing apparatus.    
     
     
         21 . A medication container adapted for use with an automated medication dispenser, the container comprising: 
 a hollow housing for storing at least one medication, the housing having a plurality of sides; and    means for storing medication information, the storing means adapted to be interrogated by the medication dispenser, and the storing means being coupled to one of the sides.    
     
     
         22 . The medication dispenser, as recited in    claim 21   , wherein the storing means further comprises a programmable silicon ID chip.  
     
     
         23 . The medication dispenser, as recited in    claim 21   , wherein the chip may be interrogated without power.  
     
     
         24 . A method for automatically verifying and dispensing a medication, the method adapted for use with a container having means for identifying a medication stored therein, the method comprising the steps of: 
 interrogating the identifying means for the medication stored in the container;    comparing the medication stored in the container to stored medication information; and    if the stored medication matches the stored medication information, automatically dispensing at least one of the stored medication.