Patent ID: 6163736
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: A61J

Abstract:
A medication dispenser for dispensing doses of medication to a patient on a predetermined schedule comprising;a carrying case having a dispenser outlet opening therein, a generally planar wheel element mounted within said carrying case, a plurality of pockets formed in said wheel element adjacent a peripheral edge thereof in equally spaced relationship with respect to one another, indexing means mounted within said carrying case to rotate said wheel element so as to incrementally align said pockets relative to said dispenser outlet opening, a programmable controller mounted within said carrying case and electrically connected to said indexing means whereby said programmable controller controls an incremental movement of said wheel element based upon a predetermined time schedule, means for connecting said programmable controller to a source of electrical power, a plurality of medication containers adapted to be selectively positioned within said pockets of said wheel element for receiving doses of medication to be supplied to a patient on a predetermined schedule, said medication containers being of a size to be removable from said pockets through said dispenser outlet opening, a cover member pivotally moveable with respect to said carrying case from a first position covering said dispenser outlet opening to a second position in non-covering relationship to said dispenser outlet opening, means for moving said cover member from said first position to said second position in response to a medication container becoming aligned for removal through said dispenser outlet opening, and means for resiliently urging said cover member from said second position to said first position.