MEDICINE DOSAGE DEVICE

Abstract: The aim with the device is to remind persons who take medicine to take this at the right point of time and to prevent that medicine is taken at the wrong point of time and/or in wrong amount. This has been solved by the medicine being put in a cassette with compartments placed along the periphery in a cylindrical box, where the lid is movable round the centre of the box, or where the cassette is movable in relation to the lid. The lid is equipped with a hole which, when it is in position over a compartment, makes this accessible. None of the other compartments are then accessible. The feeding/transport of the lid or the cassette is controlled by a timer with alarm.

Description: TITLE OF THE INVENTION: MEDICINE DOSAGE DEVICE TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a device for dosage of medicine. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For senile persons and/or persons with impaired memory functions there are today no means which efficiently controls the taking of medicine. The patient forgets to take his/her medicine or forgets that he/she has taken his/her medicine and takes double dose or none at all. Today is normally used a medicine box "Dosett", which consists of a number of compartments which the patient opens himself/herself. This will not work for the patients who have strongly impaired memory capacity. Today nursing staff or members of the family of above all old and senile persons are forced to visit the patients only to portion out medicine. Known devices which are closest comparable with the present invention is German patent DE 3204770 from 1982- 02-11. This device is lacking automatic feeding and does not prevent that the medicine is taken from more than one dosage compartment and there is therefore a big risk that it will not work satisfactorily for the types of patients in question. THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM The aim with the present invention is to produce a device which on one hand reminds the patient that it is time to take his/her medicine and on the other hand prevents the patient from taking the wrong amount or the wrong medicine. THE SOLUTION The invention is characterized in that the medicine is put in a cassette with compartments in a cylindrical box where the cassette is movable concentrically round the centre of the box. The lid is provided with a hole which, when this is in a position over a compartment, makes this compartment accessible. None of the other compartments are then accessible. The feeding of the cassette is controlled by a timer and this timer also produces sound- and/or light signals at preprogrammed points of time. Nursery staff/chemist's staff or members of the family suitably "load" the medicine in the compartments and program the timer/alarm. The cassette can be loaded at for instance a chemist's and by nursery staff be put into the dosage device. This procedure is established but today a device is lacking which prevents that the distributed and portioned medicine is taken at the wrong time or not at all. As an alternative solution can, instead of the cassette, the lid be movable and the cassette be fixed in relation to the bottom part. The cassette can then also be an integrated part of the bottom part. DRAWINGS WITH EXPLANATION In the drawn figure example below (Figure 1 and 2) the actuation is arranged by means of a motor (1) . At programmable points of time the lid is turned in a way that the alarm signal from the clock (2) starts the motor which via a gear actuates the cassette (3) . The turn is stopped in a new position when the opening in the lid (4) is in position over the next compartment (5) . This function is controlled by a sensor with belonging electronics, the program control device (6) . The lid of the box (7) can not be turned manually. Alternatively the device can be arranged with a spring pulling the lid until a new compartment is accessible instead of the above mentioned motor. The alarm of the clock can be turned off by means of a button or either by turning the box upside down, which occurs when the box is emptied of its contents. Alternatively the alarm can be arranged in way that turning off/receipt need not be done.

Claims: PATENT CLAIMS 1. Medicine dosage device in the form of a box including a cassette with a number of after each other in turn accessible compartments, each one intended for the medicine dose which is intended to be taken on one and the same occasion, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it also includes a clock with alarm, a feeding device which can be activated by the clock and one with the clock cooperating program control device and at which the program control device can be programmed to, at certain points of time, make the contents of a certain compartment in the box accessible and which also prevents access to the contents in the other compartments. 2. Medicine dosage device according to patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it has the form of a cylinder with a cassette with compartments, which is movable in relation to one with an opening for feeding out equipped lid, and at which the compartments are arranged along the own outer periphery, whereas the clock and the program control device are arranged in its centre and at which the movements of the lid is controlled by the program control device. 3. Medicine dosage device according to patent claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it has the form of a cylinder equipped with a movable lid having an opening for feeding out, and at which the compartments are arranged along the own outer periphery, whereas the clock and the program control device are arranged in its centre and at which the movements of the lid is controlled by the program control device. 4. Medicine dosage device according to patent claims 1-3 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that its compartments are manufactured as a (disposable) cassette which can be combined with other parts. 5. Medicine dosage device according to any of the patent claims 1-3 , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that its clock is equipped with a turn off device for the own alarm, which can be activated either by the latest fed compartment being emptied, or by the box being turned upside down. 6. Medicine dosage device according to any of the patent claims 1-4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the application field is extended to all types of contents in the compartments which need to be dosed, i.e. not only medicine.

Inventors: ERIKSSON MATS, HAEGERBRO INGEMAR, ERIKSSON, MATS, HAEGERBRO, INGEMAR
Applicants: ERIKSSON MATS, HAEGERBRO INGEMAR, TELELARM CARE AB, ERIKSSON, MATS, HAEGERBRO, INGEMAR
Application year: 1995
Main classification: A61J7
IPC codes: A61J7