Automatic pill dispensing device and method of use thereof

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for automatic pill dispensing are disclosed herein. An exemplary automatic pill dispensing device includes a temporary storage compartment, a feeding assembly, a dispensing route, a plurality of optical sensors, and a controller. The temporary storage compartment stores pills that are to be counted and eventually dispensed into a pill bottle. The feeding assembly is coupled to the temporary storage compartment and can move or stop the flow of pills into the dispensing route where the plurality of optical sensors count the pills as they pass by the light beams thereof. The controller receives a count from the plurality of optical sensors and stops the feeding assembly when a predetermined count of pills has been reached. Systems and methods utilizing the pill dispensing devices include incorporating a centralized computer and a conveyor belt system to accurately and efficiently dispense a plurality of pill types into pill bottles.

I claim: 
     
       1. A pill dispensing device comprising:
 a temporary storage compartment adapted to store one or more pills; 
 a feeding assembly including a that comprises at least one singulator, the feeding assembly being and that is coupled to the said temporary storage compartment and adapted to move and stop the one or more pills; 
 an exit position of said feeding assembly;  
 a dispensing route operatively coupled to an said exit position of the said feeding assembly and disposed to receive the said one or more pills; 
 a plurality of optical sensors, each optical sensor being adapted to produce a light beam project and receive electromagnetic radiation and indicate a count signal for each of the said one or more pills that disrupt the light beam, the light beam being disposed within moves along at least a portion of the said dispensing route; 
 a controller coupled to the said feeding assembly and the said plurality of optical sensors; 
 a housing enclosing at least the a portion of said feeding assembly, the at least a portion of the said dispensing route, and the at least a portion of said plurality of optical sensors; and  
 a filtration assembly configured to remove air and particulate matter from an interior cavity of the said housing; and,  
 wherein:
 the controller is programmable with a specific number of sensor mismatches; 
 the controller is configured to receive count signals from each of the plurality of optical sensors, the count signal indicating that a pill has disrupted the light beam; 
 the controller is configured to generate an abort count sensor mismatch indication when the number of pills counted by at least one of the plurality of optical sensors is different than the number of pills counted by another of the plurality of optical sensors by the specific number; 
 the controller is configured to send a stop instruction to the feeding assembly based on the abort count sensor mismatch indication; and 
 the feeding assembly is adapted to stop moving the one or more pills upon receiving the stop instruction from the controller 
 said controller is configured to receive said count signals from each of said plurality of sensors and to record a sensor mismatch when, during counting for a prescription, a pill count of one of said sensors is different from a pill count of another of said sensors, 
 said controller is configured to generate an abort count sensor mismatch indication when a difference between said pill count of said one of said sensors during said counting for said prescription and said pill count of said another of said sensors during said counting for said prescription reaches a specific number, and 
 said specific number of sensor mismatches is programmable. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The pill dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein: the said feeding assembly is adapted to vibrate at a plurality of speeds and includes a vibratory base unit, and a vibratory feeder bowl; and the wherein said singulator is configured to separate stacked pills. 
     
     
       3. The pill dispensing device of claim  2 , 1 wherein the said dispensing route comprises, a dispensing chute having,: 
 an upper portion proximate and operatively coupled to the said exit position of the said feeding assembly, the upper portion allowing the light beam of each optical sensor therein to project, and said one or more of said plurality of said sensors therein to sense,  
 a lower portion configured to change the direction of the said one or more pills, and 
 a dispensing neck coupled to the said lower portion of the said dispensing chute and adapted to fit be positioned over a pill bottle container. 
 
     
     
       4. The pill dispensing device of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one portion of the said dispensing neck is extended and retracted by one or more pneumatic actuators. 
     
     
       5. The pill dispensing device of  claim 2 , wherein the said feeding assembly further includes comprises a stopping mechanism coupled to the said vibratory feeder bowl proximal the exit position, and the singulator is adjustable for pills of a particular size. 
     
     
       6. A method for filling a said prescription using two or more of the pill dispensing device of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 scheduling a said prescription for fulfillment, the prescription including at least a type and a quantity of pills, the scheduling including at least entering the said quantity of pills into a computer system, the said computer system being in communication with each controller of the two or more pill dispensing devices; 
 programming the specific number of abort count sensor mismatches by entering a specific number of sensor mismatches into the computer system; 
 routing a pill bottle container proximal a first pill dispensing device of the two or more pill dispensing devices, the said first pill dispensing device having a plurality of the type of pills as the one or more pills in its temporary storage compartment and an opening of the pill bottle container being substantially aligned with a dispensing end of the said dispensing route of the said first pill dispensing device; 
 signaling, by the said computer system, the said first pill dispensing device with at least a predetermined number of pills according to the prescription quantity of pills; 
 activating the said feeding assembly and the said plurality of optical sensors of the said first pill dispensing device; 
 counting each pill of the said plurality of the type of pills using each of the said plurality of optical sensors; and 
 deactivating the feeding assembly when each of the plurality of optical sensors has counted a number of pills equal to the predetermined number 
 generating a sensor mismatch indication when said sensor mismatch is recorded by at least one of said controllers; and 
 communicating to an end user said sensor mismatch indication. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the said two or more pill dispensing devices are arranged in an array configuration. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the said filtration assembly is adapted to transmit an alarm to the said computer system when a quantity of particulate matter from an interior of the at least one pill dispensing device exceeds a threshold. 
     
     
       9. A method for filling a prescription using the pill dispensing device of  claim 1  wherein the said controller includes a at least one controller interface panel, the method comprising:
 entering at least a quantity of pills indicated by a prescription into the controller interface panel; 
 programming the specific number of sensor mismatches by entering the specific number of sensor mismatches into the controller interface panel; 
 placing a pill bottle container proximal the said pill dispensing device, the said pill dispensing device having a plurality of pills in its a temporary storage compartment and an opening of the pill bottle container being substantially aligned with a dispensing end of the said dispensing route; 
 activating, by the controller, the feeding assembly and the said plurality of optical sensors of the pill dispensing device; 
 counting, by the controller, each of the said plurality of pill count signals indicated by each of the said plurality of optical sensors; and 
 deactivating, by the controller, the said feeding assembly when each of the said plurality of optical sensors has indicated a number of pills equal to the quantity of pills entered. 
 
     
     
       10. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said sensors comprise an optical sensor.  
     
     
       11. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said sensors comprise a fiber-optic sensor.  
     
     
       12. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said sensors comprise an infrared sensor.  
     
     
       13. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said sensors comprise an ultraviolet sensor.  
     
     
       14. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said plurality of sensors comprises a plurality of different types of sensors.  
     
     
       15. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 and further comprising a computer system programmed to log one or more pill count discrepancy.  
     
     
       16. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said one or more pill count discrepancy comprises a sensor mismatch discrepancy.  
     
     
       17. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said one or more pill count discrepancy comprises a known over-count discrepancy.  
     
     
       18. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said one or more pill count discrepancy comprises a known under-count discrepancy.  
     
     
       19. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to generate and communicate a stop instruction to stop movement of said pills along said dispensing route in response to said abort count sensor mismatch indication.  
     
     
       20. The pill dispensing device of claim 19 wherein said feeding assembly is adapted to stop moving the one or more pills upon receiving the stop instruction from the controller.  
     
     
       21. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 and further comprising a computer system configured to identify a pill container as a result of said abort count sensor mismatch indication.  
     
     
       22. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said computer system is configured to identify a pill container for a recount as a result of a known over-count indication or a known under-count indication.  
     
     
       23. The pill dispensing device of claim 21 wherein said computer system is configured to reroute said pill container for a recount as a result of said abort count sensor mismatch indication.  
     
     
       24. The pill dispensing device of claim 23 wherein said a computer system is configured to reroute said pill container for a manual recount as a result of a said abort count sensor mismatch indication.  
     
     
       25. The pill dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said filtration assembly comprises a filtration assembly configured to transmit an alarm to a computer system when a quantity of particulate matter exceeds a threshold.  
     
     
       26. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 further comprising a computer system coupled with said controller and configured to be programmable with said specific number by entering said specific number into said computer system.  
     
     
       27. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of programming said specific number by entering said specific number into a computer system.  
     
     
       28. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of programming said specific number by entering the specific number into a controller interface panel.  
     
     
       29. The pill dispensing device of claim 22 wherein said computer system is configured to reroute said pill container for a recount as a result of said known over-count indication or said known under-count indication.  
     
     
       30. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 further comprising a computer system configured to monitor said pill dispensing device's performance.  
     
     
       31. The pill dispensing device of claim 30 wherein said computer system configured to maintain said pill dispensing device's performance comprises a computer system configured to log said dispenser's performance.  
     
     
       32. The pill dispensing device of claim 30 wherein said computer system configured to log said pill dispensing device's performance comprises a computer system configured to log performance selected from the group consisting of: component failure, pill count discrepancies, sensor mismatches, sensor calibration, internal particulate, internal particular interfering with one or more sensors.  
     
     
       33. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 and further comprising a computer system configured to identify a pill container having a pill count equaling a predetermined number of pills according to the prescription quantity of pills, and having no pill count discrepancies.  
     
     
       34. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 and further comprising a computer system configured to communicate to an end user a sensor mismatch indication when said sensor mismatch is recorded by said controller.  
     
     
       35. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein one or more of said sensors is adapted to communicate an alarm to a computer system when a quantity of particulate matter from an interior of the pill dispensing device exceeds a threshold.  
     
     
       36. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein one or more of said sensors is configured to communicate a stop instruction to a computer system to stop movement of said pills along said dispensing route when a quantity of particulate matter from an interior of the at least one pill dispensing device exceeds a threshold.  
     
     
       37. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 and further comprising a computer system configured to communicate a stop instruction to stop movement of said pills along said dispensing route when said sensor mismatch reaches said specific number.  
     
     
       38. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said computer system is configured to communicate to an end user one or more sensor mismatch indications.  
     
     
       39. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein each of said sensors comprises a sensor pair.  
     
     
       40. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said dispensing route is operatively coupled to said exit position of said feeding assembly.  
     
     
       41. The pill dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said and said controller is operatively coupled to said feeding assembly and said plurality of sensors.