Patent ID: 7302311

Claim:
An intelligent dispensing device ( 35 ) for dispensing pill- or capsule-form medications in desired doses, said dispending device comprising a housing or frame ( 10 ), a cartridge ( 20 ), rotatably supported on the housing or frame ( 10 ), said cartridge comprising individual dosage compartments ( 27 ) for desired doses of medication, the cartridge ( 20 , 40 ) being adapted to be disengageable and removable from the dispensing device ( 35 ) for filling the dosage compartments ( 27 ) of the cartridge with desired doses of medication, a signalling device ( 75 , 76 ) giving a sound and/or light signal, which activates at pre-programmed points of time, and an electronics unit ( 19 , 55 ) containing program electronics ( 19 ) and a dispensing program, the program electronics ( 19 ) being re-programmable by means of push buttons ( 56 ) or with a programming device ( 66 , 101 , 102 ), the dispensing being arranged to be effected by means of the users own action which is exerted onto the dispensing device ( 35 ), means ( 18 , 18 a ) for rotating the cartridge ( 20 ), the rotating means being activated to function upon pressing a push button ( 3 ), but only during a predetermined time window for taking the medication, a cover ( 2 ) mountable around the frame ( 10 ), at least one cartridge ( 20 ) being encloseable within a space ( 5 a, 5 b ) defined by the cover ( 2 ) and the cartridge ( 20 ).