Portable and modular prescription drug dispensing device

摘要

A dispensing device for dispensing doses of non-individually packaged pills at a plurality of pre-specified dosing times includes a housing that holds a removable magazine, a dispensing unit and an electronic circuit. The removable magazine is configured to hold a stack of the non-individually packaged pills. The dispensing unit is configured to operate on the removable magazine to dispense a pre-specified dose of the pills upon receipt of a signal. The electronic circuit includes a timer that provides the signal at the pre-specified dosing times to activate the dispensing unit to dispense the pre-specified dose.

主权项

1. A dispensing device for dispensing pills, comprising a housing and a removable magazine, wherein said housing is configured for holding said removable magazine, wherein said removable magazine is configured for holding the pills in a column arrangement, and wherein said housing includes:
a dispensing unit configured to operate on at least one pill in said column arrangement in said removable magazine to dispense said at least one pill, wherein, as dispensed, said at least one pill is unpackaged, wherein said dispensing unit includes a moveable plate having a thickness about equal to thickness of said pill, wherein said plate includes an opening into which said one pill may enter, wherein presence of said one pill in said opening blocks another pill from entering into said opening wherein said opening extends entirely through said moveable plate; and an electronic circuit that provides a signal to activate the dispensing unit to dispense said at least one pill at each of a plurality of pre-specified dosing times.