Negative pressure type medication delivering device and medication dispensing device and system using the same

Abstract

A medication delivering device includes a delivering unit and a negative pressure unit. The delivering unit includes a cylinder, a retractable part and a tip element. The cylinder has a first opening and a second opening. The retractable part connects the cylinder with the tip element. The tip element has a first end, a second end and a channel. The first end passes through the first opening and is received within the cylinder. The second end is located at an outlet of a pill container. The channel penetrates from the first end to the second end to link with the interior of the cylinder. The negative pressure unit connects to the second opening for providing negative pressure to the interior of the cylinder and the channel of the tip element, so that the tip element sucks up a pill on the outlet of the pill container.

1 . A negative pressure type medication delivering device for taking away a pill from an outlet of a pill container, comprising:
 a delivering unit, including:
 a cylinder, having a first opening and a second opening; 
 a retractable part, connecting to the cylinder; and 
 a tip element, connecting to the retractable part and having a first end, a second end and a channel, wherein the first end passes through the first opening and is received within the cylinder, the second end is located at the outlet, and the channel penetrates from the first end to the second end to link with the interior of the cylinder; and 
   a negative pressure unit, connecting to the second opening of the cylinder for providing negative pressure to the interior of the cylinder and the channel of the tip element, so that the tip element being capable of sucking up the pill on the outlet of the pill container.   
     
     
         2 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the pill sucked up by the tip element disconnects the connection between the channel and the exterior, so that the negative pressure increases and causes the tip element to move from the first opening to the second opening and take away the pill from the outlet. 
     
     
         3 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 2 , wherein as the tip element moves away from the outlet with the pill, the negative pressure unit is switched off to release the negative pressure, so that the pill is dropped from the tip element. 
     
     
         4 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 2 , wherein the cylinder comprises a pressure releasing part, the radial cross-sectional area on the pressure releasing part of the cylinder is larger than that of the remaining portion of the cylinder, when the first end moves to the pressure releasing part, a gap is formed between the first end and the inner wall of the cylinder, so that the interior of the cylinder links to the exterior via the gap and the first opening to reduce the negative pressure. 
     
     
         5 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 2 , wherein the tip element comprises a pressure releasing hole and a fixed sleeve corresponding to the pressure releasing hole, as the tip element moves until the pressure releasing hole is outside the fixed sleeve, the interior of the cylinder links to the exterior via the pressure releasing hole to reduce the negative pressure. 
     
     
         6 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 2 , wherein as the tip element and the pill move away from the outlet, the pill is then removed from the tip element by a scraper. 
     
     
         7 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tip element comprises a piston at the first end. 
     
     
         8 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the tip element comprises a pill sucking end at the second end, the cross-sectional area of the pill sucking end is substantially equal to or larger than that of the outlet of the pill container, and the pill sucking end comprises an extension part whose cross-sectional area is substantially smaller than that of the outlet of the pill container. 
     
     
         9 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the retractable part is a spring disposed within the cylinder or on the periphery of the tip element. 
     
     
         10 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the retractable part is a bellows. 
     
     
         11 . The medication delivering device according to  claim 1 , wherein the retractable part comprises at least one magnetic element for attracting or repelling the tip element, so that the tip element returns to a starting position in the cylinder. 
     
     
         12 . A medication dispensing device, comprising:
 a plurality of pill containers, wherein each of the pill containers has an outlet for pills;   a plurality of delivering unit, wherein each of the delivering units corresponds to one of the pill containers and comprises:
 a cylinder, having a first opening and a second opening; 
 a retractable part, connecting to the cylinder; and 
 a tip element, connecting to the retractable part and having a first end, a second end and a channel, wherein the first end passes through the first opening and is received within the cylinder, the second end is located at the outlet, and the channel penetrates from the first end to the second end to link with the interior of the cylinder; 
   a negative pressure unit, connecting to the second opening of each cylinder of the delivering units; and   a controlling unit, connecting to the negative pressure unit for driving the same to selectively provide negative pressure to the interiors of the cylinders and the channels of the tip elements, so that the tip elements being capable of sucking up the pills on the outlets of the pill containers.   
     
     
         13 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the pills sucked up by the tip elements disconnect the connection between the channels and the exterior, such that the negative pressure increases and causes the tip elements to move from the first openings to the second openings and take away the pills from the outlets, and the pills are dropped from the tip elements after the negative pressure is released. 
     
     
         14 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 13 , wherein the cylinder comprises a pressure releasing part, the radial cross-sectional area on the pressure releasing part of the cylinder is larger than that of the remaining portion of the cylinder, when the first end moves to the pressure releasing part, a gap is formed between the first end and the inner wall of the cylinder, so that the interior of the cylinder links to the exterior via the gap and the first opening to reduce the negative pressure. 
     
     
         15 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 13 , wherein the tip element comprises a pressure releasing hole and a fixed sleeve corresponding to the pressure releasing hole, as the tip element moves until the pressure releasing hole is outside the fixed sleeve, the interior of the cylinder links to the exterior via the pressure releasing hole to reduce the negative pressure. 
     
     
         16 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 13 , wherein as the tip element and the pill move away from the outlet, the pill is then removed from the tip element by a scraper. 
     
     
         17 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a pill collector, for collecting the pills;   a movable or rotatable platform, for moving the pill collector; and   a continuous pill package, for receiving the pills.   
     
     
         18 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a vibrating, rotating or blowing unit, connecting to the controlling unit and each of the pill containers for selectively moving the pill containers.   
     
     
         19 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a base frame, for carrying the pill containers, wherein the pill containers are slanted by the base frame, and the delivering units are slanted corresponding to the pill containers.   
     
     
         20 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a regulating value unit, connecting to the controlling unit, the negative pressure unit, and the cylinders for selectively opening passageways between the negative pressure unit and the cylinders.   
     
     
         21 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the tip element comprises a pill sucking end at the second end, the cross-sectional area of the pill sucking end is substantially equal to or larger than that of the outlet of the pill container, and the pill sucking end comprises an extension part whose cross-sectional area is substantially smaller than that of the outlet of the pill container. 
     
     
         22 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the retractable part is a spring disposed within the cylinder or on the periphery of the tip element. 
     
     
         23 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the retractable part is a bellows. 
     
     
         24 . The medication dispensing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the retractable part comprises at least one magnetic element for attracting or repelling the tip element, so that the tip element returns to a starting position in the cylinder. 
     
     
         25 . The medication dispensing system, comprising:
 a terminal server, for receiving at least one prescription data; and   at least one medication dispensing device of  claim 12 , wherein the controlling unit of the medication dispensing device connects to the terminal server for actuating the negative pressure unit to cause the tip elements to withdraw the pills according to the prescription data.