Abstract:
An article dispensing apparatus includes a carousel and a dispensing face including a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed. The carousel includes plural holding sections for holding the articles to be dispensed and is rotationally movable. A controller controls an actuating unit to apply a force to the carousel to cause the carousel to move rotationally relative to the dispensing face when an instruction to dispense an article is received. When the carousel is moved relatively to the dispensing face so that one of its holding sections having an article therein is aligned with the dispensing orifice, the article is allowed to be dispensed through the dispensing orifice. A detector can detect when an article is within one of the holding sections aligned with the dispensing orifice and when the article is no longer within the one of the holding sections aligned with the dispensing orifice.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to dispensers configured to dispense articles, particularly medication, to a user, and to devices, methods and systems for controlling medication dispensing and tracking medication compliance. 
         [0002]    Medication non-compliance is a major problem in health care. Medications in the form of pills, capsules, gel-caps, pellets, tablets, etc., are typically provided to a user in a disposable plastic container with a cap, such as a childproof cap. When physicians prescribe medications, they typically advise the patients of a proper medication administration, such as to take the medication at appropriate times in appropriate quantities, to continue taking the medication for the full prescribed regimen, even if the patient feels better, etc. Unfortunately, many patients exhibit poor compliance in properly following the regimens set out by their physicians. 
         [0003]    A variety of products and techniques for reminding patients to take their medications, as prescribed, are known. Some compliance intervention systems offered by health care providers are designed to remind the patient to take the medication and alert a remote caregiver if the patient does not comply with taking the medication as prescribed. Some of these compliance intervention systems include sensors/reminders in the home, a network connection, and outbound messaging to a caregiver or even back to the patient. 
         [0004]    Various attempts have been made to try to increase and improve the compliance of patients in the taking of their medications. Most of these systems are reminder systems. For example, there are a large number of pillbox systems that marry alarm clocks to medication containers to remind patients when it is time to take their medications. 
         [0005]    U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0016443, for example, describes a method of providing a feedback scheme for medication to determine if a patient is complying with a specific schedule for the medication. This is accomplished by applying a special cap to a regular pill container. A sensor senses when the cap is opened and closed. A weight sensor may be provided to determine how many pills have been removed from the container. Further, the patent application publication describes the use of a pillbox with several compartments for storing pills. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 7,359,765, as another example, describes an electronic pill dispenser which has a container for storing pills with a pill dispensing tray located on the bottom of the container. The container has a pill dispensing mechanism with a rotary wheel connected to two recesses diametrically opposed to each other. The recesses allow the pill to travel through as it is being dispensed. The recesses may be adjustable to dispense a pill of a particular size. 
         [0007]    The present invention improves prior systems and overcomes the prior systems&#39; deficiencies. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    A system, method and apparatus are disclosed for an article dispenser which is able to dispense, for example, a single article (or a predetermined number of articles) at a time and determine that the article is being dispensed to the user. Particularly when the article is medication, such as a pill, the system, method and apparatus are also capable of determining the compliance of a user with the prescribed method of consumption of the pill from a doctor or health care provider. 
         [0009]    In one aspect of the present invention, a dispensing apparatus includes a main housing, an article dispensing unit, an actuating unit and a controller. The main housing has a mounting section, and the article dispensing unit is mounted in the mounting section of the main housing. The article dispensing unit includes a carousel and a dispensing face including a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed, with the carousel including plural holding sections for holding the articles to be dispensed and being rotationally movable relative to the main housing and the dispensing face. The actuating unit is configured to apply a force to the carousel to cause the carousel to move rotationally relative to the main housing and the dispensing face. The controller controls the actuating unit to apply the force to the carousel to move the carousel relatively to the dispensing face so that one of the holding sections that has an article therein is aligned with the dispensing orifice to allow the article to be dispensed through the dispensing orifice. The detector is configured to detect when an article is within one of the holding sections aligned with the dispensing orifice and when the article is no longer within the one of the holding sections aligned with the dispensing orifice, and includes an emitter and a receiver, with one of the emitter and the receiver being disposed near a center of the carousel and the other of the emitter and the receiver being disposed adjacent an outer periphery of the carousel and the dispensing orifice. 
         [0010]    In another aspect of the present invention, a dispensing apparatus includes a main housing, an article dispensing unit, an actuating unit, a controller, and an ambient condition sensor. The main housing has a mounting section and the article dispensing unit is mounted in the mounting section of the main housing, with the article dispensing unit including a holding unit having plural holding sections for holding articles to be dispensed and a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed. The actuating unit is configured to manipulate the article dispensing unit to allow one of the articles to be dispensed from the dispensing orifice. The controller controls the actuating unit to manipulate the dispensing unit to allow the article to be dispensed through the dispensing orifice. The ambient condition sensor is in communication with the controller and measures at least one ambient condition and supplies a sensor signal representing the magnitude of the at least one ambient condition to the controller. The controller controls the actuating unit based on the magnitude of the sensor signal 
         [0011]    In yet another aspect of the present invention, a dispensing apparatus includes a main housing, an article dispensing unit, an actuating unit, a controller, and an accelerometer. The main housing has a mounting section and the article dispensing unit is mounted in the mounting section of the main housing. The article dispensing unit includes a holding unit having plural holding sections for holding articles to be dispensed and a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed. The actuating unit is configured to manipulate the article dispensing unit to allow one of the articles to be dispensed from the dispensing orifice. The controller is for controlling the actuating unit to manipulate the dispensing unit to allow the article to be dispensed through the dispensing orifice. The accelerometer communicates with the controller and is configured to sense an acceleration of the apparatus. The controller controls the actuating unit depending on a parameter calculated by the controller and based on signals from the accelerometer. 
         [0012]    These and other aspects and advantages will become apparent when the description below is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dispenser of a first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of the internal features of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 3A and 3B  are cross-sectional views of the dispenser of  FIG. 2  taken along section lines  3 A- 3 A and  3 B- 3 B, respectively. 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the mounted cartridge of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of the cartridge and main housing along section line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing electrical components of an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart of a method of operating the dispenser of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a dispenser of a second embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    The present invention relates to an apparatus, method and system for using an intelligent dispenser to dispense articles, particularly medicine for a patient, and for monitoring its usage. In a preferred embodiment, the dispensed medicine is in the form of pills. The term “pills,” as used herein, refers to any of capsules, gel-caps, pellets, tablets, or the like, in any particular shape or size. However, as would be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, the present invention is not limited to only dispensing medicine, but may be used to dispense any suitable items, especially those in which compliance is monitored and those of a specific, uniform size. 
         [0022]    In a preferred embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 1-3B , a dispensing apparatus or dispenser  100  is a device which distributes appropriate articles to a user. Hereinafter, the example of the articles being medicinal pills P will be used throughout the description, but the present invention is not limited to that example. The dispenser  100  includes a main body or housing  200  and a dispensing cartridge  300 . In a preferred embodiment, dispensing cartridge  300  is removably mountable into a mounting recess  202  of main body  200 . Recess  202  is shaped to be complementary to the shape of cartridge  300  with peripheral walls  203  and central shaft  214 . In a preferred embodiment, both cartridge  300  and recess  202  are of a generally circular shape. Any suitable mechanisms can be used to secure cartridge  300  to main housing  200 , such as spring-loaded latches, friction fitting, a bayonet connection, etc. Cartridge  300  is configured to hold a plurality of pills to be dispensed therefrom. Main body  200  is provided with components configured to manipulate cartridge  300  in order to dispense the articles. 
         [0023]    In addition to mounting recess  202 , main housing  200  includes a control section or controller  220 , an actuator mechanism  230 , an actuator switch or button  240 , a power source  250 , and a pill sensing device or sensor  260 . Controller  220  is in the form of a printed circuit board (PCB) appropriately programmed to operate the dispensing apparatus. The controller is powered by power source  250 , which is preferably in the form of a battery, which can be positioned beneath the PCB for space saving. Actuator  230  includes a rotary DC motor  232  having an output shaft  233 , which engages with a transmission including, for example, gears  234 ,  235 . Motor  232  is also powered by power source  250  and controlled by controller  220 . Gear  235  engages with a complementary gear  316  provided on dispensing cartridge  300 . When motor  232  is actuated to drive transmission gears  234 ,  235 , dispensing cartridge  300  is also consequently actuated. 
         [0024]    Dispensing cartridge  300 , as shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  4  and  5 , includes a stationary upper panel  302 , a stationary lower panel  304 , and a carousel  306  disposed between the upper and lower panels. Upper panel  302  is provided with a dispensing orifice  320  and a handle or grip  315 . Carousel  306  is rotatably secured to the upper and lower panels  302 ,  304  by any suitable means, such that the carousel can rotate relative to the two panels. For example, upper panel  302  includes a hollow center shaft  302 - 1  that engages a central hole of carousel  306 , such that the edges of the central hole of the carousel engage the peripheral sides of center shaft  302 - 1  to allow the carousel to rotate therearound. Lower panel  304  is provided with a central hole  304 - 1  that receives central shaft  302 - 1  of upper panel  302 . Carousel  306  is thereby sandwiched between upper and lower panels  302 ,  304 , but with enough clearance to allow relative rotational movement. Upper and lower panels  302 ,  304  can be secured to one another by any suitable means. For example, shaft  302 - 1  of upper panel  302  can create a friction fit when inserted within central hole  304 - 1  of lower panel  304 . The outer peripheral edges of upper and lower panel  302 ,  304  can frictionally engage to secure the two panels together. As another example, shaft  302 - 1  can be threaded to engage with complementary threads on central hole  304 - 1  for securing by threaded engagement. Alternatively or in addition, the outer peripheral edges of upper and lower panel  302 ,  304  can be threaded to secure the two panels together. Shaft  302 - 1 , hole  304 - 1  combine to form hollow central hub  303  of cartridge  300 . 
         [0025]    Carousel  306  is further provided with a plurality of radial slots  308  for receiving the pills. The slots  308  are defined by an inner peripheral wall  310 , an outer peripheral wall  312 , and a series of radial separating walls  314 . The separating walls can have a symmetrical and contoured shape to approximate the shape of the pill. For example, if the article is an oblong pill with both flat and rounded peripheries, the separating walls can be of a curved shape generally complementary to the curved surface of the pill. In this way, if the separating walls are sized properly, they will hold the pills in a desired orientation with little play. For example, the play can be no more than a few rotational degrees so that the pill cannot rotate completely off of its flat periphery onto its rounded periphery when held in the slots. 
         [0026]    Carousel  306  is provided with a rotation gear  316  for engaging with transmission gear  235  of actuator mechanism  230 . When driven, carousel  306  moves relative to upper and lower panels  302 ,  304 . 
         [0027]    Cartridge  300  is also provided with a preferably rewritable memory, such as an EEPROM  350  for storing data. The memory can be read and/or written by a suitable device at a filling pharmacy and or by controller  220  of main housing  200 . The location of the cartridge memory is not limited, but is preferably at a location that can engage with a reader/writer  408  on the main housing  200  that is in communication with controller  220 . For example, the cartridge memory  350  can be located on the bottom face of lower panel  304  and the reader/writer  408  can be positioned on a lower face of mounting recess  202 . 
         [0028]    At least one of stationary upper panel  302  and stationary lower panel  304  of dispensing cartridge  300  can be formed of a translucent material. This will allow a user or a provider to determine whether the cartridge is full, empty, or partially-used. Dispensing cartridge  300  can be formed of molded plastic or any other suitable materials. 
         [0029]    Upper panel  302  is formed with a dispensing orifice  320  at a radial position. Orifice  320  is stationary, but carousel  306  can be rotated to align any of its slots with orifice  320 . When a slot containing a pill is rotated to align with dispensing orifice  320 , that pill is then exposed and can be removed from the dispenser. In one embodiment, dispenser  100  can be tipped to allow the pill to fall out of the orifice into a user&#39;s hand, for example. Orifice  320  must be of a size to allow passage of the pill therethrough. In that regard, orifice  320  can be designed to have a shape similar to that of each of the slots. 
         [0030]    The pill dispenser  100  may be any desired shape and size. Preferably, the pill dispenser is of a rectangular shape approximately 5″ to 6″ long, 3″ to 4″ wide, and less than an inch deep, basically not much larger than a typical smart phone. This allows the pill dispenser  100  to be of a size and shape to be portable and unobtrusive. Structural materials of the dispenser can be of any known type, but plastics may be preferred for ease of manufacture and lower costs than other materials. 
         [0031]    An actuating button  240 , in communication with controller  220 , is located on a face of main body  202 . When the button  240  is depressed by a user, the pill dispenser  100  dispenses a pill, as will be discussed further below. 
         [0032]    The main body  202  may also have one or more LEDs  204  placed thereon, as shown in  FIG. 1 . The LEDs may be illuminated in order to alert a user when it is time to take his or her medication, as will be discussed more fully below. As would be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art, multiple color LEDs may be used. Further, the location of the LEDs is not limited to any particular face of main body  202 . The LEDs may be placed at any location in order to alert a user. 
         [0033]    Dispenser  100  can also be provided with an LCD display  205  in addition to, or in place of, the LEDs. LCD display  205  can be positioned on a face of the main housing, for example, adjacent to the LEDs. The LCD display can perform many functions, such as alerting the user as to when it is time to take his or her medication, indicating the status of the dispenser, outputting an error message, and providing dosage instructions. 
         [0034]      FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of the electrical components of the system. As discussed previously, the controller  220  of the dispenser can be in the form of a PCB, which receives and transmits signals from and to the several electrical components of the dispenser. Controller  220  is provided with any suitable memory that it can use as a workspace and to store and retrieve data and programs. 
         [0035]    The dispenser is provided with a temperature and/or humidity sensor  402 , an accelerometer  404 , and a global positioning system (GPS) unit  406  in communication with controller  220 . These sensors can be of any known configuration known to those in the art. The temperature and/or humidity sensor  402  can sense ambient temperature and/or humidity conditions of the dispenser and can convert those conditions into an electrical signal to supply to controller  220 . Controller  220  is programmed to control the dispensing operation depending on current or recent temperature and/or humidity conditions. For example, if the temperature or humidity detected by sensor  402  is above a threshold level stored in memory  215 , controller  220  does not allow motor  232  to operate to rotate the dispensing cartridge, even if a user has depressed the dispensing button  240 . This is because certain medications may not be usable if exposed to extreme temperature and humidity conditions. If the ambient conditions potentially render the medication unusable, this feature can prevent the user from using unsafe or ineffective medication. A message indicating that the unit has been in undesirable temperature or humidity conditions can be also displayed on LCD  205  to notify the user as to why dispensing is not being permitted. 
         [0036]    Accelerometer  404  is incorporated into dispenser  100  and can be used to determine the orientation of the dispenser and its movements. Signals from the accelerometer  404  are fed to the controller  220  for processing. As discussed above, when a pill is to be dispensed, carousel  306  of dispensing cartridge  300  is rotated to expose a pill in dispensing orifice  320 . If the dispenser is oriented in an upside down position, for example, when the carousel rotates and the pill is aligned with the dispensing orifice, the pill may freely drop out even if a user is not ready to receive the pill is her or her hand. Controller  220  can be programmed to compare the orientation of the dispenser determined from signals from accelerometer  404  at the time of dispensing with acceptable orientations stored in memory  215 . If the determined orientation is within acceptable ranges, dispensing will be permitted. However, if the dispenser is in an unacceptable orientation, such as upside down, the controller will not send a signal to the motor to actuate the carousel even if the dispensing button has been depressed. The controller can be programmed to effect the dispensing movement of the carousel once the dispenser is repositioned in an acceptable orientation. 
         [0037]    Controller  320  can also process the signals from accelerometer  404  to determine whether the dispenser is moving and at what velocity and acceleration. For example, if the controller determines that the dispenser is moving at gravitational acceleration, it assumes that the dispenser has been dropped and is falling. If the dispensing button has been depressed, and thereafter controller  220  determines that the unit is falling, the controller will not send signals or will interrupt signals that have already been sent to motor  232  to actuate the carousel. This will prevent the pill from being lost if the dispensing operation were to be performed before the dispenser impacts. As an alternative, a locking device (not shown) can be incorporated into the dispenser and be actuated when the controller senses the dispenser is falling, so as to lock movement of the carousel. 
         [0038]    GPS unit  406  can be used to track the location of the dispenser. This data can be used to track the habits of the user. 
         [0039]    The dispenser is also provided with a transceiver  225  and/or a USB port  226  connected to controller  220 . This allows communication with the dispenser remotely or directly. In this manner, any information stored in memory  215  can be downloaded so as to track dispensing times and compliance. These connections can also be used to program the controller when needed, such as when upgrading its software. 
         [0040]    Dispenser  100  is provided with a detecting sensor  260  to determine whether a pill is in a slot aligned with the dispensing orifice. In a preferred embodiment, the detecting sensor  260  is in the form of an infrared emitter and receiver. Infrared emitter  262  is provided on or within axial mounting shaft  214 , which is disposed at the center of hub  303  of dispensing cartridge  300  while mounted. Infrared receiver  264  is provided on a wall of recess  202  of main housing  200 . If unobstructed, an infrared beam  263  emitted from emitter  262  is received by receiver  264 . Receiver  264  sends a signal to controller  220  when that signal is received. Controller  220  is programmed, under most circumstances, to indicate that no pill is in a slot aligned with the dispensing orifice if the infrared beam is received. If a pill is in that aligned slot, the beam will be interrupted and receiver  264  will no longer send a signal to controller  220 . Controller  220  would then indicate that that particular slot is filled. Dispensing cartridge  300  is designed to allow passage of the infrared beam therethrough when a slot is aligned with dispensing orifice  320 . In this regard, center hub  303  has slots or transparent sections  303 - 1  to allow the IR beam  263  to pass. Further, the carousel inner wall  310  is provided with cut outs  311  and carousel outer wall  312  is in the form of flared edges designed to retain the pills yet have an open end to allow passage of the infrared beam. 
         [0041]    When dispensing cartridge  300  is mounted on main body  200 , it is essential that it be precisely positioned in mounting recess  202 . In this regard, the recess  202  and cartridge  300  can be designed with complementary physical features, such as protrusions and recesses, so as to allow mounting in only one orientation. Additionally, a switch  213  can be provided in recess  202  in order to sense that the cartridge has been mounted. Instead of a dedicated switch, the infrared detecting sensor  260  can be used for this sensing. 
         [0042]    When a cartridge is filled with pills P, but is not mounted on the main body, the carousel  306  may be free to rotate relative to upper and lower plates  302 ,  304 , potentially allowing a pill P to be aligned with the dispensing orifice  320  and inadvertently dispensed. In order to prevent such a situation, an initial slot is not filled when the cartridge is pre-filled with pills. A solid stop (not shown) of a shape complementary to the recess can then be inserted in that empty slot to take up the space where a pill would fit. This stop engages both the empty slot of the carousel and edges of upper plate  302  that define dispensing orifice  320 , precluding movement between the carousel  306  and plate  302 . The stop can be removed after mounting the cartridge on the main body to allow the dispensing operation. The stop can be provided with tamper-resistant features. Alternatively, a removable adhesive tape can be used over the empty slot to prevent the relative movement. 
         [0043]    Cartridge  300  can also be provided with a memory  350  for storing data. In one example, the memory can be an EEPROM. The stored data can include the type of medication, the date of filling, prescription identification and other data. Further, information can be written in EEPROM from the controller  220  of the main body  200  through a cartridge connection having an EEPROM reader/writer  408 . For example, dispensing times can be recorded from controller  220  onto the cartridge EEPROM. 
         [0044]    In order to position the cartridge at the home position upon mounting, a flag (not shown) can be provided on the carousel at the inner peripheral wall  310 . Controller  220  can rotate the carousel until the flag is sensed by IR sensor  260 . The carousel is then reverse rotated a preset number of degrees to the home position. 
         [0045]    Dispenser  100  can be provided with any known biometric features to allow only a preauthorized user to actuate the dispenser. For example, actuator button  240  can be provided with a fingerprint reader that allows only the assigned user&#39;s finger to actuate the dispenser. The biometric information for comparison with the read information can be stored in memory  215 . 
         [0046]    An alert device will be provided in the pill dispenser  100  in order to alert a user of the time to take the medication or of errors in the system. The alert device may be an audio alarm, a visual alarm, a vibration alarm, or any combination thereof. The visual alarm may be the light emitting devices (LEDs)  204  or LCD display  205  shown in  FIG. 1 . For example, one of the LEDs glows green when the user is to take a pill and another glows red when it is not yet time for the user to take a pill. The audio alarm will emit an audible signal through speaker  206  when it is time for a user to take a pill and the vibrating alarm (not shown) will vibrate the pill dispenser  100  when it is time for the user to take a pill. 
         [0047]    The visual alarm may be a flashing light or may be a steady light. Further, the audio alarm may emit sound in a pattern, may emit a steady sound or may be an automated voice. Further, the pill dispenser  100  is not limited to a single type of alert device. The pill dispenser  100  may contain all three types of alarms, any combination of the three types of alarms, or other alerting devices not discussed herein. 
         [0048]    The alarms in the pill dispenser  100  are not only for alerting a user when to take medication, but can also alert the user if there is a system malfunction. For example, if the battery is getting too low or there is a mechanical malfunction, the dispenser  100  could emit an audio alarm with a sound that differs from the audio alarm sound used to indicate it is time to take medication. Also, the dispenser  100  could emit a different color LED  204  if there is a system malfunction. 
         [0049]    The LEDs  204  may also be used to alert the user to what type of medication is in the pill dispenser. As an example, if a user is taking a variety of pills, a pill dispenser  100  for heart medication could glow red, and a pill dispenser  100  for diabetes medication could glow blue. As an alternative or in addition, dispensing cartridge  300  made be colored to indicate the medication loaded therein. 
         [0050]    The selection and pre-filling of the dispensing cartridge  300  will be discussed below. 
         [0051]    Dispensing cartridges  300  can be pre-filled, for example, at a pharmacy by a pharmacist or other authorized personnel. Dispensing cartridges can be designed with several sizes of carousel slots to accommodate different sizes of pills. The pharmacist selects which type of pill is to be filled and selects an appropriately-sized dispensing cartridge  300 . The memory of the dispensing cartridge  300  can be connected to a pharmacy computer system either by wired or wireless means. The pharmacy computer system contains a database of all drug specifications. The pharmacy computer system enters the drug type, dose, dispensing time and other critical information to the memory of the dispensing cartridge  300 . The pharmacy computer system also transmits the patient specific information, along with health care provider and pharmacy information, as required by relevant regulations. 
         [0052]    Once the patient information and the specific drug information are uploaded to the dispensing cartridge  300 , the dispensing cartridge can be filled. One of upper and lower panels  302 ,  304  can be removed to expose all of the carousel slots for batch filling, or the carousel can be filled through the dispensing orifice while turning the carousel a sufficient angle to expose the next slot. After filling is completed, the dispensing cartridge  300  is reassembled and dispensing orifice is sealed with the removable film or plug. The film or plug can include tamper-resistant features known in the art. The pre-filling process can also be performed by an automated, suitably designed filling machine. 
         [0053]    The pill dispenser  100  can be programmed to go into one of two modes: 
         [0054]    1. A patient can decide when to take the first pill to begin initiation of a medication cycle, such as once every 24 hours, or three times a day, such as for antibiotics. 
         [0055]    2. The pill dispenser  100  will have a suggested time for consumption saved in the database depending on the type of drug prescribed and will initiate an alarm at an appropriate window (such as in the morning). 
         [0056]    The operation of the pill dispenser  100  by a user will be discussed below. 
         [0057]    When a user wishes to dispense a pill, the user will press the button  240  located on the top face of main body  202 . The control section  220  will begin a dispensing operation by sending an actuating signal to rotary motor  232 . Motor  232  rotates transmission gears  233 ,  234 , which engage with carousel gear  316  to rotate carousel  306  relative to upper plate  302 . If the rotary motor is a stepper motor, the carousel is driven a precise angle by a predetermined number of steps so as to align the next filled carousel slot with the dispensing orifice. At this time, the pill in the aligned carousel slot will interrupt the IR beam from sensor  260 , notifying the control section that the next pill is ready for dispensing. If a less accurate motor is used, the interruption of the IR beam, or other suitable feedback, can be used by controller  220  to signal the motor to stop actuating. When the next pill is aligned with the dispensing orifice, the main housing can then be tipped by the user to allow the pill to fall from the dispensing orifice into the user&#39;s hand, for example. After the pill has dropped from the dispensing orifice, the IR beam will no longer be interrupted, thereby allowing the IR beam to hit receiver. The resulting signal from the receiver is used by controller  220  to identify that the pill has been dispensed. The timing of dispensing can be recorded in the dispenser memory  215  and/or cartridge memory  350 . 
         [0058]    If at any stage in dispensing the pill the pill dispenser  100  determines there is an error, either due to the pill or the system, an alarm can be activated to alert a user. 
         [0059]    The pill dispenser  100  keeps a timestamp of every type of event in a memory (not shown) of the controller. Events can include, for example, a successful dispensing at correct dosage and time; dispensing of incorrect dosage (i.e., an extra pill); successful dispensing at an incorrect time; and unsuccessful dispensing. 
         [0060]    The pill dispenser  100  utilizes transceiver  225  to send and receive communications regarding user, prescription information, and compliance information. The transceiver may be Zigbee and/or Bluetooth technology, a cell modem, a RFID transmitter, or any other known device for sending and receiving information. Preferably, the pill dispenser  100  contains more than one transceiver  225  for redundancy. For example, the pill dispenser preferably contains a cell modem and Bluetooth and/or Zigbee technology. 
         [0061]    The cell modem will allow the controller  220  to send messages, via SMS text messages or any other suitable protocol such as TCP/IP, to a central server so as to report compliance data of a user, any malfunctions, or any misuse of the pills that is sensed by the pill dispenser  100 . The Bluetooth or Zigbee technology allows for the device to be able to quickly interact with the pharmacy computing system. The pharmacy computer will detect the pill dispenser  100  and its unique ID and will download any necessary data to the pill dispenser  100 . 
         [0062]    Information from the cell modem may also be used by an external server to send messages to any outside source, for example, a user&#39;s family or friends, a caretaker, doctor, other healthcare provider, a researcher, pharmaceutical company, a pharmacy for refills, etc., as needed or desired. 
         [0063]    When dispensing cartridge  300  is removed from dispenser  100  and returned to the pharmacy after use, the data recorded by the dispensing cartridge  300 , including data that had already been sent to a central server, may be uploaded to a pharmacy computer. The pharmacy database then may compile the data received from the dispensing cartridge  300  into a report to send to a doctor and/or a central database. The data compiled may include the information discussed above and also when the dispensing cartridge  300  was returned to the pharmacy. 
         [0064]    The dispensing cartridge  300  may then be reset and refilled for a new user or a new prescription. 
         [0065]    While the pill dispenser  100  has been described as having a battery as power source  250 , the pill dispenser  100  is not limited to a battery for power supply, but rather any power source may be used to power the pill dispenser  100 . 
         [0066]    A process for determining when to indicate to a user it is time to take a pill is shown in  FIG. 7 . At step S 502 , the controller  220  determines if time has elapsed for the next dose of the medication as prescribed by the information stored in the memory  350  of dispensing cartridge  300  and/or memory  215  of main housing  200 . More specifically, controller  220  determines if the elapsed time t is greater than a prescribed time interval t p . If yes, the controller  220  activates an alert in step S 504 . Here, activating the alert means indicating to the user that it is time to take a pill. Deactivating the alert, mentioned below, signals to the user it is not yet time to take the pill. For ease of example, only a visual alarm will be described. If the prescribed time has elapsed, the alarm will flash a green light indicating to the user it is time to take a pill. If the prescribed time has not yet elapsed, the alarm will continue to flash a red light indicating to the user it is not yet time to take the next dose. 
         [0067]    In step S 506 , when the alarm indicates to the user it is time to take the next dose, the user may press the button  240  to dispense a pill. If the user has depressed the button  240 , then in step S 508  the controller  220  controls motor  232  to rotate carousel  306  to align the slot holding the next pill to be dispensed with dispensing orifice  320 , as discussed above. The controller  220  determines that the next pill has been moved into alignment with the dispensing orifice  320  when the signal from sensor  260  indicates that the IR beam has been interrupted. 
         [0068]    In step S 510 , the controller  220  determines if the aligned pill has been removed from its carousel slot by determining whether the signal from sensor  260  indicates that the IR beam is once again received by sensor receiver  264 . If no, the processing unit  402  will return to step S 504  and the alarm on the pill dispenser  100  will continue to alert the user that it is time to take a pill. If the pill has been dispensed, i.e., removed from its carousel slot, in step S 512  the controller  220  will set the elapsed time t=0. In step S 514 , the alarm will be deactivated and the controller  220  will again begin monitoring the elapsed time t to determine if it is time for the user to take another pill based on the dose specifications stored in the memory. 
         [0069]    If the elapsed time t is not greater than the prescribed time interval in step S 502 , the controller  220  will continuously monitor whether the button  240  has been depressed in step S 516 . If not, the controller  220  will continue to monitor the time. If the button has been depressed in step S 516 , the controller controls to align the pill in the next carousel slot with the dispensing orifice in step S 518 , and monitors when the pill has been dispensed, i.e., removed from its carousel slot, in step S 520 . Once dispensed, the elapsed time t will be set to zero in step S 522 . 
         [0070]    As discussed above in  FIG. 7 , if a user depresses the button  240  before the timer in the controller  220  has determined that it is time for the user to take the pill, the pill dispenser  100  may still dispense a pill and restart the timer when the pill is dispensed to begin a new calculation of a new time for the next dose. The controller  220  will store the date and time the user dispenses the pill. Further, the pill dispenser  100  may send a message to an outside service if certain conditions are met, such as a predetermined number of pills are taken before the prescribed interval has elapsed, the unit has been tampered with, there is a malfunction in the pill dispenser  100 , or the prescribed number of pills has been dispensed. All of the various information is stored in the memory of the controller  220  and/or dispensing cartridge. 
         [0071]    The foregoing embodiment describes a dispenser  100  that can dispense one pill at a time. The invention, however, is not limited to single pill dispensing. Plural pills can be dispensed with each actuation by modifying the slots in the carousel. For example, as shown in  FIG. 8 , three pills are provided in one slot of modified dispenser cartridge  300 ′. Main housing  200  of dispenser  100  need not be physically modified, but must be programmed to actuate the rotation of the cartridge by an increased angle. Such modified programming can be prestored in memory  215  and loaded when reader  408  reads the EEPROM of the mounted cartridge  300 ′, identifying it as a three-pill dispenser. Any number of programs can be preloaded in main body memory  215  to accommodate any of various configurations of cartridges. Alternatively, the programming of the dispenser can be modified on an as-needed basis through its wired or wireless connections, either remotely or proximally. 
         [0072]    In order to modify cartridge  300 ′ to dispense plural pills, the carousel slots and dispensing orifice  320 ′ are modified. The sizes of the slots are increased to accommodate a greater number of pills. The distance between adjacent separating walls  314  (not shown in  FIG. 8 ) of the carousel can be increased to accommodate additional pills. The shape of the separating walls preferably remains contoured to conform to the shapes of the pills in contact therewith. The geometry of the pills can be utilized in conjunction with the shape of the slots to ensure that each of the pills is maintained in its desired orientation until dispensed. For example, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the geometries of the pills and the carousel slot are designed so as to maintain the pills on their flat sides until dispensed. As an alternative, additional separating walls or other elements can be used to individually maintain each of the pills in its desired orientation. 
         [0073]    As discussed with regard to the first embodiment, maintaining the pills in the desired orientation is important in blocking the IR beam  263  used by sensor  260 . In this multi-pill embodiment, the IR beam can be directed at one of the pills in each slot when aligned, and all of the pills in a given slot can be assumed to be moved to the dispensing position and dispensed based on the signal from the sensor  260 . Alternatively, the IR beam can be split by any known means and directed at each of the pills in an aligned slot. In this modification, IR receiver  264  would also have to be modified to receive and discriminate the plural beams. 
         [0074]    Thus, there has been shown and described new and useful devices for dispensing articles, such as pills, to a user and determining if the user complies with the prescribed method of consumption. Although this invention has been exemplified for purposes of illustration and description by reference to certain specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, alterations, and equivalents of the illustrated examples are possible.