MONITORED ARTICLE DISPENSER

摘要

A dispenser aids and monitors regimen-conforming use of medications provided in blister packages. A blister package and a separate, disposable sensor sheet (148) are loaded into a compact housing containing supervisory electronics (350), visual indicatos (392, 393, 394) and an audible alarm (396). The sensor sheet (148) consists of sensing regions (310) corresponding to each individual compartment of the blister package. A connector (318) in the dispenser housing allows periodic scanning of the sensor sheet circuitry by the control circuitry (350) without adding connector components ot the low cost, disposable sensor sheet (148). When a medication is ejected through the blister package, a parameter associated with a corresponding region of the sensor sheet (148) is altered, thereby permitting the control circuitry (350) to monitor the dispensing event. Stored patient compliance data may then be reported remotely through an interface (352, 354) between the dispenser and an external system for review by the pharmacist/physician.