Digital Pill Dispenser

Abstract

The device is an apparatus for storing and dispensing pills and supplements of various kinds The dispensed substance could be food, drug, supplements, liquids, powders or pills. The device is a pill dispenser consisting of a rectangular body with rounded edges and display unit that functions as an alarm clock. The device may work with blister-packed pills or alternatively use an encapsulated compartment to hold and dispense loose pills. The device will have opening in the front and back so that the pills can be distributed. The device beeps, vibrates and illuminates to remind the user to take their pills or medicine in regular intervals.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS (IF ANY)

None

STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY-SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (IF ANY)

None

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention is directed to a digital pill dispenser; more particular a pill dispenser vibrates and illuminates to remind the user to take their pills or medicine in regular intervals.

2. Background

For people who may have lost one or more senses, there exists a need for a device offers multisensory reminders to take their pills (sound, light, vibration).

Originally, pill dispensers were primarily large homebound dispensers. Prior art people failed to solve the problem of how to dispense medication to patients that must take their medications throughout their days and evenings. Prior art people failed to develop a dispenser that was small enough to be carried inconspicuously and conveniently by patients while they are working, performing their community activities, vacationing, traveling, and visiting friends and family members.

There is still room for improvement in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The current invention is an apparatus for storing and dispensing pills and supplements of various kinds. The dispensed substance could be any type of food, drugs, or medicines such as supplements, liquids, powders, Gels, gases or pills. The device has display unit that functions as an alarm clock. It beeps, vibrates and illuminates to remind the user to take their pills or medicine in regular intervals. The user can select any or all of these features or none of them.

The device also functions independently as an alarm clock with a time feature.

The device is programmable. The user may set up to any number of alarms. The device may work with blister-packed pills or alternatively use an encapsulated compartment to hold and dispense loose pills. The device is portable and made of plastic, metal or wood or any other moldable or machined material. The device allows for the user to conveniently and securely transport their pills or medication in a sleek apparatus that will remind them when to take their pills.

The device consists of a base with a storage area into which the blister pack of pills or the pills are place with display at the top of the base which has a power means such as a battery and an audio signaling means such as a beeper. The top of the base would also have one or more input keys to allow a user to input the correct time information when a pill is supposed to be taken. The base bottom and the top will have openings that correspond to the locations of the pills in the blister pack. This will allow a user an easy access to the pills by pushing the top of the blister pack so that the pills will come out of the bottom.

For elderly people who may have lost one or more senses, the device offers multisensory reminders to take their pills (sound, light, vibration). The device may or may not contain RFID or other similar mechanism to communicate with smart phones, computers and other multimedia devices to deliver and receive data such as when the user needs to re-order pills or if the user missed a dose.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Without restricting the full scope of this invention, the preferred form of this invention is illustrated in the following drawings:

FIG. 1 is a display of the front of the pill dispenser;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the pill dispenser;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the device;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective of the device;

FIG. 6 shows the display and input buttons:

FIGS. 7A and 7B display the device being used;

FIG. 8 displays the blister pack being put into the device;

FIG. 9 displays a simple schematic of the device;

FIG. 10 displays the device using a wireless network; and

FIG. 11 displays pill holders.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

There are a number of significant design features and improvements incorporated within the invention.

The current invention is an apparatus for storing and dispensing material such as pills and supplements of various kinds as shown in FIG. 1. The dispensed substance could be food, drug, supplements, liquids, powders or pills but in the preferred embodiment it will be specified as pills 200 even though it can be any type of food, drugs, or medicines such as supplements, liquids, powders, Gels, gases or pills.

The device 1 has display unit 18 that functions as an alarm clock. It beeps, vibrates and illuminates to remind the user to take their pills or medicine 200 in regular intervals. The user can select any or all of these features or none of them.

The device 1 also functions independently as an alarm clock with a time feature. It can also function as a stop watch.

The device 1 is programmable having a computer processor 630. The user may set up to a plurality of alarms. The device may work with blister-packed pills or alternatively use an encapsulated compartment to hold and dispense loose pills 200. The device 1 is portable and made of plastic, metal or wood or any other moldable material. The device 1 is rectangular in shape with rounded edges.

The device 1 allows for the user to conveniently and securely transport their pills or medication in a sleek apparatus that will remind them when to take their pills.

As shown in FIGS. 1-5, the device 1 consists of a rectangular base 10 with a hinged pill storage area 12 into which the blister pack 40 of pills or the pills 200 are place with a display unit 18 at the top of the base 10 which has a power means such as a battery 100 and an audio signaling means such as a beeper 110 or speaker 640. The top 11 of the base 10 would also have one or more input keys to allow a user to input information such as the correct time when a pill 200 is supposed to be taken or when to buy more pills or set the timer.

The base bottom 70 and the hinged lid 80 will have openings 90 that correspond to the locations of the pills 200 in the blister pack 40. This will allow a user an easy access to the pills 200 by pushing the top of the blister pack 40 so that the pills 200 will come out of the bottom 70.

FIG. 6 shows the display and input buttons. At the top rounded edge of the base 10 is the display unit 18. The display unit 18 in the preferred embodiment is an LED display, but any other digital display like OLED or LCD can be used. It displays a numeric timer that displays when the user is supposed to take their next pill 200. There is input buttons below the display unit 18. In the preferred embodiment there are three input buttons that are slightly raised above the surface. The buttons on the front are hours 510 to set the hour display or the hour to notify the user, minutes 520 to set the minute display or the minute to notify the user and the set button 530 which is used the set the time for display or to notify the user. There is an on/off button 505 on the left side of the base 10 near the top which turns the display and the notification function. There are three buttons on the right side of the base 10. The top button 540 is for setting the alarm 590. The alarm 590 which is a beep and/or a sound and/or a vibration and/or a light 660 set by the user that will go off at the set time. This can be used to notify the user of the time to take a pill 200 or to buy more pills. The bottom button 550 is for setting the vibration means 650 and a middle button 560 for setting the light 660.

At the back of the base 10 there is a battery compartment 600 with a battery compartment lid 610 which screws in. A battery 620 is held in the battery compartment 600. This battery 620 is used to power the display unit 18 and a computer processor 630 as well as a speaker 640 or beeper 110, the light 660 and the vibration means 650 as well as the wireless connection device 700 if there is one.

A user removes pills 200 at the appropriate time by pressing the top of the blister pack 40 at a location of one of the pills 50 through one of the lid openings 25 pushing the pill 50 through the foil bottom 42 of the blister pack 40 through one of the bottom openings 15 as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B.

The device 1 is opened by pushing open the lid 20 giving access to the pill cavity 16. The blister pack 40 or other pill holding means is placed into the pill cavity 16 with the pills facing the lid 20 and the back of the blister pack 40 placed against the floor 18 of the pill cavity 15 with the pill lined up with the lid openings 25 and the bottom openings 15 as shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 displays a simple schematic of the device. This battery 620 is connected to the display unit 18 and a computer processor 630 as well as a speaker 640 and/or beeper 110 and to the other notification means and wireless communication devices. The computer processor 630 receives input from the input buttons 510, 520, 530, 540, 550. The pill dispenser 1 may also have a wireless communication means 700 which is connected to the computer processor 630. The pill disperser 1 will also have a vibration means 650 attached to the computer processor 630 which will vibrate to indicate a specific event such as time for the user to take a pill 200 or to purchase more pills 200. There will also be a light 660 in the display unit 18 that will light up to indicate a specific event such as time for the user to take a pill 200 or to purchase more pills 200.

For elderly people who may have lost one or more senses, the pill dispenser 1 device offers multisensory reminders to take their pills (sound, light, vibration). The device 1 may or may not have a wireless connection device 700, RFID or other similar mechanism to communicate with smart phones 710, computers 720 and other multimedia devices 730 to deliver and receive data such as when the user needs to re-order pills or if the user missed a dose as shown in FIG. 10. This wireless connection device 700 may work with Bluetooth, RFID or any other wireless means. In one embodiment of the pill dispenser device 1, a KIOSK will program the device 1 with the initial pill taking schedule for the user as well as the time to re-order pills 200.

In the preferred embodiment, the pills 200 will be stored in a blister pack 40 but other storage means can be used as shown in FIG. 11. A pressed cardboard holder 940 can be used where the cardboard has indentations where the user can load the pills 200 and it is folded over at a fold 941 to cover the pills 200. This would be loaded in the pill cavity 15 with the pill lined up with the lid openings 25 and the bottom openings 15. A framed pill holder 950 could also be used. This would be made of a flexible material such as plastic with the pills 200 being loaded into the pill holder cell 955 which would hold the pills 200 in place. The pill holder cell would be made of a frame with enough tension strength to hold the pill 200 in place but when the user pushes down on the pill 200 the top frame 956 and bottom frame 957 would part enough for the pill 200 to be released from the frame.

As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.

With respect to the above description, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing material comprising: a base with a storage area which holds a material holding means which holds the material where said material can be dispense individually with a display unit at the top of the base with a notifying means to notify the user of one or more specific events with openings in the bottom and the top the correspond to the location of the material in the holding means.

2. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having a plurality of input keys.

3. A device according to claim 2 further comprising having said input keys being used to set data into the device.

4. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having said event being the correct time when the material needs to be taken.

5. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having said event being when more material need to be purchased.

6. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having said notifying means being one or more from a set of a beeper, a speaker, a vibration means or a light.

7. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having an alarm clock with a time feature.

8. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having a hinged lid attached to said base.

9. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having said device being used as a timer.

10. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having a plurality of input keys being located below said display unit.

11. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having a plurality of input keys being located on the side of said base.

12. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having a plurality of input keys being located below said display unit and on the side of said base.

13. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having said material being one or more from a set of food, drugs, medicines, liquids, powders, Gels, gases or pills.

14. A device according to claim 14 further comprising having the material dispensed by pushing on the top of said base.

15. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having the material dispensed by pushing on openings on top of said base and having the material dispensed through the openings on the bottom of said base.

16. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having said holding means being a blister pack.

17. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having a user setting a plurality of events.

18. A device according to claim 1 further comprising having a wireless communication means.

19. A device according to claim 18 further comprising having said device receive event data through said wireless communication means.

20. A device for dispensing material comprising: a base with a material storage area which holds a material holding means which holds the material where said material can be dispense individually with a display unit at the top of the base with a notifying means to notify the user of one or more specific events with openings in the bottom and the top the correspond to the location of the material in the holding means having a plurality of input keys having said input keys being located below said display unit and on the side of said and being used to set data into the device, having said notifying means being one or more from a set of a beeper, a speaker, a vibration means or a light, having an alarm clock with a time feature, having a wireless communication means through which event data is received and having said material being one or more from a set of food, drugs, medicines, liquids, powders, Gels, gases or pills.