Medicine supply device for patient with dementia

Abstract

A medicine supply device is capable of dispensing an appropriate dose of medicine even when used by for a patient with dementia living alone who is unaware of presence of medicine to be taken, by calling attention of the patient on a phone. The medicine supply device has an animal shape overall so that the patient can know immediately. The medicine dose in a PTP package is held individually between an open hole in the upper plate 6 having appropriate elasticity and a lower plate 8 having an outfall opening, the upper plate 6 is automatically rotated when a time becomes that set in a 24-hour time 4 , and a medicine then is deliver to the outfall opening, thus a dose of a medicine is supplied to the medicine tray 16 by gravity.

1 . (canceled) 
   
   
       2 . (canceled) 
   
   
       3 . A medicine supply device for a patient with dementia comprising:
 holding means for holding doses of medicine so as not to scatter, said holding means comprising:
 a rotatable upper plate having a first plurality of circumferentially spaced holes, each hole receiving one of the doses of medicine; and 
 a lower plate arranged below the upper plate and having a planar surface portion for supporting the doses of medicine retained with the holes in the upper plate and an opening for dispensing one of the doses by gravity from one of the holes of the first plurality of holes in the upper plate, through the opening; 
   delivery means for rotating the upper plate from a position where a dose is retained by the planar surface of the lower plate, within a hole in the upper plate, to a position where the dose is dispensed by gravity through the opening in the lower plate; and   control means for repeatedly rotating the upper plate to dispense the doses of the medicine at timed intervals.   
   
   
       4 . A medicine supply device according to  claim 3  wherein the upper plate further has a second plurality of circumferentially spaced holes radially inward of and radially aligned with respective holes of the first plurality, for dispensing a second dose of medicine through the opening in the second plate along with the dose from a hole in the first plurality. 
   
   
       5 . A medicine supply device according to  claim 3  wherein the upper plate has the shape of a circle or a polygon. 
   
   
       6 . A medicine supply device according to  claim 1  having the outer shape of an animal. 
   
   
       7 . A medicine supply device according to  claim 1  wherein the upper plate can be lifted to insert the dose of a PTP package into a hole in the upper plate and to clip a brim part of the PTP package between the upper and lower plates. 
   
   
       8 . A medicine supply device according to  claim 1  wherein the control means includes a timer.