Patent Application
20160328535
The present invention generally relates to the field of medication packaging and particularly to the dispensing of pills.
The health industry is faced with a multibillion dollar problem of prescription controlled substance diversion. Patients often either inadvertently or intentionally take their medication too frequently or outside the guidance of their treating physician. This problem is exacerbated when unauthorized persons attempt to utilize pills or other prescribed medication from an authorized patient's pill supply. Accordingly, there is a need for a secure pill dispensing device that will ensure that patients do not take their medication more frequently than prescribed and that unauthorized persons are unable to access the medication.
Presently preferred embodiments of the invention include a pill dispensing device. The pill dispensing device preferably includes a container, a lid, and a processing unit. The container preferably includes a first cylinder, a second cylinder, a bottom, a top ring, a dispensing mechanism and a tamper resistance mechanism. The first and second wall of the container form a space containing a conductive solution and are connected to the bottom of the container. The dispensing mechanism preferably includes a hopper, a first trap door, a first chute, a first sensor, a second trap door, a second chute, a second sensor, and a tray. In a preferred embodiment, the hopper is configured to accept a plurality of pills, which are then dispensed through the first chute and the second chute into the tray. The lid engages the container's top ring and preferably includes an RFID reader and a display. The processing unit monitors the conductive solution to ensure that the pill dispensing device has not been tampered with, and when necessary, activates the tamper resistance mechanism to render the plurality of pills unusable.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
In the preferred embodiment, the container 100 is cylindrical and includes a first cylinder 110, a second cylinder 112, a bottom 114, the top ring 116, a dispending mechanism 120 and a tamper resistance mechanism 130. The first cylinder 110 and second cylinder 112 are formed so that the diameter of the first cylinder 110 is greater than the diameter of the second cylinder 112. Both the first cylinder 110 and second cylinder 120 engage the bottom 114. It is understood that the positioning of the first cylinder 110 and the second cylinder 112 forms a space 113 between the first cylinder 110 and second cylinder 112. This space 113 is filled with a conductive liquid 115 capable of conducting an electric current.
The dispensing mechanism 120 is positioned within the second cylinder 112 of the container 100, and includes a hopper 121, a first trap door 122, a first chute 123, a first sensor 124 a second trap door 125, a second chute 126, a second sensor 127 and a tray 128. The hopper 121 is configured to hold pills (P). The first trap door 122 engages the hopper 121 in a manner that permits the first trap door 122 to selectively open and close. Notably,
In the preferred embodiment, the tamper resistance mechanism 130 is positioned within the hopper 121 and includes a fluid vessel 132, a tamper resistance fluid 133, and a rupture device 134. The tamper resistance fluid 133 is contained within the tamper resistance vessel 132, and may consist of a variety of fluids that would spoil or otherwise damage the pills (P) upon exposure. Such fluids are known in the art, and include without limitation saline, food dye and syrup of ipecac. It will be understood that the particular makeup of the tamper resistance fluid 133 may depend upon the particular makeup of the pills (P) being used in the embodiment of the pill dispensing device 10. The fluid vessel 132 has a first surface 135 that engages the rupture device 134. The rupture device 134 is capable of rupturing the first surface 135 such that the tamper resistance fluid 133 will spill out of the fluid vessel 132 and engage the pills (P) within the hopper 121, rendering such pills (P) less functional or alternatively unusable. It will be understood that while
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In the preferred embodiment, the communications module 330 is a universal serial bus port that will accepts a standard USB cable and is configured to communicate with a personal computer. It will be understood, however, that the communications module 300 may also support other communications protocols including wifi, bluetooth, etc., so long as the communications module can communicate with a personal computer.
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It will be understood that a pharmacist must first setup the pill dispensing device 10 before it can be used by a patient. In the preferred embodiment the pharmacist must first open the pill dispensing device 10 by bringing an authorized RFID fob in proximity with the RFID reader 230. The RFID reader then signals the processing unit 300 that an authorized RFID fob has been used. The processing unit 300 will then signal the locking mechanism 240 to selectively change the position of the locking pin 244, which thereby either locks or unlocks the lid 200 from the container 100.
In an alternative embodiment, the pharmacist opens the pill dispensing 10 by plugging a USB cable into the communications module 330 thereby connecting with the personal computer. So long as the USB cable is plugged into the communications module 330, the locking mechanism 240 will maintain the locking pin 244 in an open position. As soon as the USB cable is removed from the communications module 330, the locking mechanism 240 will change the position of the locking pin 244 into a closed position. In a further aspect of this alternative embodiment, once the USB cable is connected to the communication module 330, an authentication code specific to the pharmacist's pharmacy is stored by the processing unit 300. Thereafter, the locking mechanism 240 cannot be disengaged unless the authentication code specific to the pharmacist's pharmacy is transmitted by the pharmacist over the USB cable to the communication moule 330. It will be understood that this functionally “pairs” the pill dispensing device 10 with the pharmacists' pharmacy thereby preventing the user from using that pill dispensing device 10 with at a different pharmacy.
Once the lid 200 is removed from the container 100, the pharmacist fills the hopper 121 with the desired type and number of pills (P). The pharmacist then uses a personal computer to communicate with the processing unit 300 via the communications module 330. In particular, the pharmacist will indicate how often a pill (P) can be dispensed, how many pills were loaded into the hopper 121, and a code identifying a patient RFID fob. In alternative embodiments, the pharmacist may indicate what type of pills (P) were loaded into the hopper 121, whether any refills will be allowed, the patient's name and other related personal information. Such information is stored on the data store 320 as needed. Once the pharmacist has indicated all of the desired information, the lid 200 is engaged back onto the top ring 116 of the container 100, which is then locked by the locking mechanism 240, and the pill dispensing device 10 is given to the patient for use.
A patient operates the pill dispensing device 10 by placing a personal RFID fob in close proximity with the RFID reader 230. After detecting the patient's RFID fob, the RFID reader 230 will signal the processing unit 300 that the patient wishes to dispense one of the pills (P). The processing unit 300 will then evaluate the request against the information previously entered by the pharmacist. In particular, the processing unit 300 will determine if enough time has passed since the last pill was dispensed, and if this particular patient RFID fob is authorized. For example, if the pharmacist desires the particular type of pills (P) in the pill dispensing device 10 to be used only once every 4 hours, then the processing unit 300 will determine whether 4 hours has passed since the last pill (P) was dispensed. If 4 hours have not passed, then the processing unit 300 will signal the display 220 to display the amount of time left until a pill (P) can be dispensed.
Alternatively, if the processing unit 300 determines based upon the information input by the pharmacist, that a pill (P) can be dispensed, then the processing unit 300 will signal the first trap door 122 to open so that a pill (P) can move from the hopper 121 into the first chute 123. When a pill (P) moves from the hopper 121 past the first trap door 122 into the first chute 123, the first sensor 124 signals the processing unit 300 that a pill (P) is now in the first chute 123. The processing unit 300 will then signal the first trap door 122 to close, and then signal the second trap door 125 to open, thus preventing any more pills (P) from moving into the first chute 123 and permitting the pill (P) in the first chute 123 to move through the second chute 126 into the tray 128. As the pill (P) passes through the second chute 126, the second sensor 127 signals the processing unit 300 and indicates that a pill (P) has been dispensed into the tray 128. The processing unit 300 counts the number of pills of dispensed and stores that count in the data store 320. The number of dispensed pills can then be later communicated to the pharmacist via the communications module 330. After a pill is dispensed, the processing unit 300 then signals the second trap door 125 to close. The patient may then open the tray 128 and retrieve the dispensed pill (P).
It will therefore be understood that unauthorized users (those without an authorized patient RFID fob) are unable to dispense pills (P) from the pill dispensing device 10. It will also be understood that even authorized users (those with an authorized patient RFID fob) can only dispense pills (P) in accordance with the schedule indicated by the pharmacist when the pill dispensing device 10 was setup.
The pill dispensing device 10 is further secured through the operation of the tamper resistance mechanism 130. It will be understood that the processing unit 300 monitors the conductive liquid 113 by passing a current from the first wire 250 through the conductive liquid 113 to the second wire 252. It will be further understood that if a user attempts to tamper with the pill dispensing device 10 by breaking through the first cylinder 110 of the container 100, the conductive liquid 115 will spill through any rupture in the first wall 100 thus breaking the circuit between the first wire 250, the conductive liquid 115 and the second wire 252. When the processing unit 300 detects that circuit break, it signals the tamper resistance mechanism 130 to activate. As discussed above, activation of the tamper resistance mechanism 130 will result in rending the pills (P) unusable. It will be understood that because the first wire 250 and second wire 252 are preferably of different lengths, the function of the tamper resistance mechanism 130 cannot be circumvented by tilting the pill dispensing device 10 upside down to ensure at the conductive liquid 115 maintains contact with the first wire 250 and second wire 252.
It is clear that the present invention is well adapted to carry out its objectives and attain the ends and advantages mentioned above as well as those inherent therein. While presently preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in varying detail for purposes of disclosure, it will be understood that numerous changes may be made which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention disclosed, as defined in the written description and appended claims.
