Pill dispensing apparatus

Abstract

An automated pill dispenser includes a plurality of pill chambers peripherally disposed about a hub. The hub includes a rotatable plate capable of rotating to a selected pill chamber and removing a pill therefrom. A vacuum tip including a bellows extends through an access opening formed within the rotatable plate to withdraw a pill from a bottom portion of the selected pill chamber by grasping the pill from above. A reflective bar code is disposed beneath the rotatable plate and detectable through an opening through the plate to indicate plate position relative to the pill chambers. A computer enables a user to programmably operable the pill dispenser and select the pill chamber, dosage amount and time.

1 . A pill dispenser comprising: 
 a plurality of pill chambers peripherally disposed about a central hub, each of said plurality of pill chambers including a bottom portion, and    a mechanism that withdraws a pill from each of said bottom portions by grasping said pill from above, and delivers said pill to an exit port.    
   
   
       2 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of pill chambers are adjacent one another and circumferentially disposed about said central hub.  
   
   
       3 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , further comprising means for selecting a selected pill chamber of said plurality of pill chambers.  
   
   
       4 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 3 , wherein said means for selecting includes a rotatable plate with at least an access opening therethrough and means for positioning said access opening over said bottom portion of said selected pill chamber, said mechanism disposed on said rotatable plate and withdrawing said pill from said bottom portion of said selected pill chamber through said access opening.  
   
   
       5 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 4 , wherein said means for positioning comprises a computer and a motor that rotates said rotatable plate, said motor responsive to said computer.  
   
   
       6 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 4 , wherein said plate is round and said access opening extends radially inwardly from a circumference of said plate.  
   
   
       7 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 4 , wherein said means for positioning includes a stationary surface with a reflective portion and a non-reflective portion disposed beneath a detection opening formed in said rotatable plate, an optical source that directs light through said detection opening, and a sensor that senses light reflected off said reflective portion.  
   
   
       8 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 7 , wherein said reflective portion includes a plurality of segments and said non-reflective portion includes a plurality of non-reflective segments together arranged in a pattern that forms a code indicative of position of said rotatable plate with respect to each of said pill chambers which are in fixed position.  
   
   
       9 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 8 , further comprising a programmable controller and means for sending to said programmable controller an electrical signal indicative of said position.  
   
   
       10 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein each pill chamber includes a vertical portion that is essentially orthogonal to said bottom portion.  
   
   
       11 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said pills within said plurality of pill chambers and wherein each of said pill chambers includes a vertical portion and an inclined surface that guides pills of said plurality of pills from said vertical portion to said bottom portion.  
   
   
       12 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said mechanism is rotatable with respect to said plurality of pill chambers and said mechanism singularly and individually withdraws said pill from said bottom portion.  
   
   
       13 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of said pills in said plurality of pill chambers and at least one vibrating motor that alters orientation of pills of said plurality of pills in said bottom portion and urges said pills into said bottom portions, each vibrating motor disposed in a base portion of said hub.  
   
   
       14 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said mechanism includes a vacuum tip and bellows portion that grasp said pill.  
   
   
       15 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 14 , wherein said mechanism is mounted on a rotatable plate with an access opening therethrough, said vacuum tip extendable through said access opening and into said bottom portion.  
   
   
       16 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 15 , wherein said vacuum tip is a terminal part of a tube that moves substantially vertically.  
   
   
       17 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , further comprising a computer that communicates with a programmable controller that communicates with said mechanism, said computer including a timer and a memory and responsive to user input.  
   
   
       18 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 17 , wherein said computer is operable programmably to preset at least one of a time and a number of pills to be dispensed from each of said plurality of pill chambers and to operate said mechanism to withdraw said pills from each of said bottom portions.  
   
   
       19 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 17 , wherein said computer is operable to maintain a dispensing schedule of pills from each of said respective pill chambers according to at least one of a predetermined dosage amount and time, said dosage amount and time including different frequencies and start times, and to operate said pill dispenser to dispense said pills according to said dispensing schedule.  
   
   
       20 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said central hub is cylindrically shaped and respective outer surfaces of said plurality of pill chambers combine to form a circle.  
   
   
       21 . The pill dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said exit port comprises a drawer disposed below said pill chambers and further comprising a centrally disposed inclined surface that urges said pill into said drawer.  
   
   
       22 . A method for dispensing pills from a pill dispenser comprising: 
 providing a pill dispenser with a plurality of pill chambers peripherally disposed about a central hub, each pill chamber having a subjacent portion disposed below a retrieval mechanism;    selecting a selected pill chamber of said plurality of pill chambers;    rotating said retrieval mechanism to position said retrieval mechanism over said subjacent portion of said selected pill chamber;    withdrawing a pill from said subjacent portion of said selected pill chamber using said retrieval mechanism;    further rotating said plate to position said pill over a release tray; and releasing said pill into said release tray.    
   
   
       23 . The method as in  claim 22 , wherein said retrieval mechanism is disposed on a rotatable plate with an access opening therethrough and said rotating includes positioning said access opening over said subjacent portion of said selected pill chamber and said withdrawing includes said withdrawal mechanism extending through said access opening.  
   
   
       24 . The method as in  claim 22 , further comprising vibrating said central hub to alter orientation of pills in at least one of said pill chambers.  
   
   
       25 . The method as in  claim 22 , further comprising a computer sending a signal to said pill dispenser to cause at least one of said rotating, withdrawing and further rotating.  
   
   
       26 . The method as in  claim 25 , further comprising programming said computer using a touch screen.  
   
   
       27 . The method as in  claim 25 , further comprising programming said pill dispenser to dispense pills according to a schedule including at least one of a dosage amount, dispensation time, and dispensation frequency.  
   
   
       28 . The method as in  claim 22 , wherein said withdrawing comprises lowering a vacuum arm into said subjacent portion to grasp said pill from above.  
   
   
       29 . The method as in  claim 22 , wherein said plate includes a detection hole extending therethrough, and a surface including reflective portions and non-reflective portions is disposed beneath said plate, and further comprising directing light through said detection opening and providing a detector capable of sensing reflected light from said opening.  
   
   
       30 . The method as in  claim 29 , wherein said reflective and said non-reflective portions form a code indicative of a position of said rotatable plate with respect to each of said pill chambers, and wherein said rotating further comprises positioning said access opening over a desired subjacent portion based on said detector sensing said code.  
   
   
       31 . A method for dispensing pills from a pill dispenser comprising: 
 providing a pill dispenser with a plurality of pill chambers peripherally disposed about a central hub, each pill chamber having a subjacent portion disposed below a portion of said central hub;    selecting a selected pill chamber of said plurality of pill chambers;    rotating a plate with an access opening extending therethrough, to position said access opening over said subjacent portion of said selected pill chamber;    withdrawing a pill from said subjacent portion of said selected pill chamber through said access opening; and    releasing said pill into a release tray.