Computer system for pill dispensing devices

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 singulator, the feeding assembly being coupled to the temporary storage compartment and adapted to move and stop the one or more pills;   a dispensing route operatively coupled to an exit position of the feeding assembly and disposed to receive the one or more pills;   a plurality of optical sensors, each optical sensor being adapted to produce a light beam and indicate a count signal for each of the one or more pills that disrupt the light beam, the light beam being disposed within a portion of the dispensing route;   a controller coupled to the feeding assembly and the plurality of optical sensors;   a housing enclosing at least the feeding assembly, the portion of the dispensing route, and the plurality of optical sensors;   a filtration assembly configured to remove air and particulate matter from an interior cavity of the 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. 
   
     
     
       2. The pill dispensing device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the feeding assembly is adapted to vibrate at a plurality of speeds and includes a vibratory base unit, a vibratory feeder bowl; and   the singulator is configured to separate stacked pills.   
     
     
       3. The pill dispensing device of  claim 2 , wherein the dispensing route comprises,
 a dispensing chute having,
 an upper portion proximate and operatively coupled to the exit position of the feeding assembly, the upper portion allowing the light beam of each optical sensor therein to project, and 
 a lower portion configured to change the direction of the one or more pills, and 
   a dispensing neck coupled to the lower portion of the dispensing chute and adapted to fit over a pill bottle.   
     
     
       4. The pill dispensing device of  claim 3 , wherein the portion of the dispensing neck is extended and retracted by one or more pneumatic actuators. 
     
     
       5. The pill dispensing device of  claim 2 , wherein the feeding assembly further includes a stopping mechanism coupled to the vibratory feeder bowl proximal the exit position, and the singulator is adjustable for pills of a particular size. 
     
     
       6. A method for filling a prescription using two or more of the pill dispensing device of  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 scheduling a prescription for fulfillment, the prescription including at least a type and a quantity of pills, the scheduling including at least entering the quantity of pills into a computer system, the 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 proximal a first pill dispensing device of the two or more pill dispensing devices, the 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 being substantially aligned with a dispensing end of the dispensing route of the first pill dispensing device;   signaling, by the computer system, the first pill dispensing device with at least a predetermined number of pills according to the prescription quantity of pills;   activating the feeding assembly and the plurality of optical sensors of the first pill dispensing device;   counting each pill of the plurality of the type of pills using each of the 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.   
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the two or more pill dispensing devices are arranged in an array configuration. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the filtration assembly is adapted to transmit an alarm to the 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 controller includes a 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 proximal the pill dispensing device, the pill dispensing device having a plurality of pills in its temporary storage compartment and an opening of the pill bottle being substantially aligned with a dispensing end of the dispensing route; 
 activating, by the controller, the feeding assembly and the plurality of optical sensors of the pill dispensing device; 
 counting, by the controller, each of the plurality of pill count signals indicated by each of the plurality of optical sensors; and 
 deactivating, by the controller, the feeding assembly when each of the plurality of optical sensors has indicated a number of pills equal to the quantity of pills entered. 
 
     
     
       10. A pill dispensing device comprising:
 a temporary storage compartment adapted to store one or more pills;   a feeding assembly that comprises at least one singulator and that is coupled to said temporary storage compartment;   a dispensing route coupled to an exit position of said feeding assembly and disposed to receive said one or more pills;   a plurality of sensors, each sensor adapted to indicate a count signal for each of said one or more pills that moves along at least a portion of said dispensing route;   a controller coupled to said feeding assembly and said plurality of sensors;   a housing enclosing at least said feeding assembly, said portion of said dispensing route, and said plurality of sensors; and   a filtration assmbly configured to remove air and particulate matter from an interior cavity of said housing;   wherein:   said controller is configured to be programmable with a specific number of sensor mismatches,   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 and said pill count of said another of said sensors reaches said specific number of sensor mismatches, and   said controller is configured to send a stop instruction to the feeding assembly based on said abort count sensor mismatch indication.    
     
     
       11. The pill dispensing device of claim 10 wherein said feeding assembly is adapted to vibrate at a plurality of speeds and includes a vibratory base unit and a vibratory feeder bowl; and wherein said singulator is configured to separate stacked pills.  
     
     
       12. The pill dispensing device of claim 10 wherein said dispensing route comprises
 a dispensing chute having:
 an upper portion coupled to said exit position of said feeding assembly, the upper portion allowing said one or more of said plurality of said sensors therein to sense, 
 a lower portion configured to change the direction of said one or more pills, and 
 a dispensing neck coupled to said lower portion of said dispensing chute and adapted to be positioned over a pill container.  
   
     
     
       13. The pill dispensing device of claim 12, further comprising one or more pneumatic actuators configured to extend and to retract at least one portion of said dispensing neck.  
     
     
       14. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said feeding assembly further comprises a stopping mechanism coupled to said vibratory feeder bowl proximal the exit position, and the singulator is adjustable for pills of a particular size.  
     
     
       15. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said sensors comprise an optical sensor.  
     
     
       16. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said sensors comprise a fiber-optic sensor.  
     
     
       17. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said sensors comprise an infrared sensor.  
     
     
       18. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said sensors comprise an ultraviolet sensor.  
     
     
       19. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said plurality of sensors comprises a plurality of different types of sensors.  
     
     
       20. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, and further comprising a computer system programmed to log one or more pill count discrepancy.  
     
     
       21. The pill dispensing device of claim 20, wherein said one or more pill count discrepancy comprises at least one of a sensor mismatch discrepancy, a known over-count discrepancy, or a known under-count discrepancy.  
     
     
       22. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, further comprising a computer system configured to reroute a pill container for a recount as a result of said abort count sensor mismatch indication.  
     
     
       23. The pill dispensing device of claim 10, further comprising a computer system configured to log performance associated with sensor mismatches.  
     
     
       24. The pill dispensing device of claim 10 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.  
     
     
       25. The pill dispensing device of claim 10 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.  
     
     
       26. The pill dispensing device of claim 10 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.