Patent Document

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to apparatus and method for dispensing medication and more particularly to self-dispensing apparatus for storing solid medicaments in bulk and quickly and accurately individually dispensing solid medicaments from the bulk storage while controlling and varying the dosing regimens. 
     2. Description of Prior Art and Objects 
     It is common for the elderly to ingest many different pills and tablets of various prescription and non-prescription medicines. It is typical for the medications to be taken in different amounts, on differing days, and at differing times. It is routine for patients to be suffering under the influence of amnesia, either as a result of aged infirmities or amnesia from anesthetic. Geriatric patients lose mental acuity causing many of the lapses resulting in no medication or improper medications by ingesting a double dose. Some people find it necessary to keep a written memorandum as a reminder of when and how many pills they are to take. Some carry a check list, however, they sometimes forget to check off the check list and, thus, they either suffer from taking a double dose of medication and/or from not taking enough medication. 
     Moreover, geriatric patients frequently lose visual acuity resulting in the inability to properly read labels on the pill containers. If a nurse is helping the individual, the nurse regularly has many patients and may visit other than at the prescribed times for taking the medications. Typically, geriatric patients suffer from being under medicated or over medicated. Inaccurate historical reporting also interferes with a prescribing physician&#39;s treatment. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and novel method and apparatus for accurately dispensing varying doses of medications at varying prescribed times. 
     It has been found advantageous to store a variety of medications in bulk in a plurality of compartments provided in a rotary carousel. Carousels have been provided heretofore in pill dispensing devices such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,725,997 issued to John Urquhart on Feb. 16, 1988. The Urquhart patented device stores medication in a series of circumferentially spaced-apart pockets provided in a carousel; however, a high degree of dexterity is required to remove the pills from the pockets and thus has serious limitations, particularly involving the elderly. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,236 issued to Gary W. Conkright on Aug. 12, 1997, discloses a medication dispensing and timing system which performs several functions but which does not in fact dispense the medications. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,948 issued to Joseph D. Turner on Sep. 10, 1991, discloses a medication dispensing system in which the medication is prepackaged. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide medication dispensing apparatus which will allow the medication to be stored in bulk form prior to being dispensed. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide new and novel medication dispensing apparatus for aiding patients who must ingest various medications in various amounts, several times a day for an extended period. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new and improved apparatus for storing various medications in bulk form and a capacity to select and dispense any selected number of each medication in a single dose. 
     Most medication, whether sold in pill or tablet form, is quite small in size and many geriatric patients do not have the dexterity to individually grip the pills or tablets. It has been found advantageous to utilize a vacuum operated probe or finger which seals in airtight relation to a single solid medicament and then lifted or moved. One such prior art device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,610 issued to Walter G. Pearson on Feb. 13, 1996. Such a device, however, requires the patient to remember the time and date when pills are to be taken and further requires that the patient have considerable dexterity to periodically manually install a vacuum tube through a small tunnel in a sidewall where pills are kept in bulk. Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide an easily operated vacuum operated system for automatically, accurately retrieving and dispensing pills or tablets from a plurality of bulk storage bins with challenged manual dexterity and coordination. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum operated system for accurately retrieving any desired number of pills from any of a plurality of storage bins in bulk form and depositing them into a single container to be ingested by the user at any one of a plurality of selected times and on any one of a number of a plurality of selected days. 
     Still another object of the present invention is to provide medicament dispensing apparatus of the type described including a new and novel vacuum operated probe or finger for retrieving an oral solid medication or other pharmaceutical from a bulk supply. 
     It is a further object of the present invention is to provide new and improved medicament dispensing apparatus of the type described that will store and dispense various medications in the proper chronological order, daily intervals, and for an extended period of time. 
     It is a still further object of the present invention to provide new and novel apparatus for accurately dispensing individual solid medicaments such as pills or tablets from a plurality of bulk storage bins. 
     Other vacuum operated medicine dispensers are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,405,048 and 5,480,062 issued to Lisa M. Rogers, et al on Apr. 11, 1995, and Jan. 2, 1996, respectively. In this construction, a probe is associated with each and every bin and does not include a single pivotal vacuum operated probe which can be disposed in any selected one of the containers to pick up a pill therein and dispense it at a dispensing station. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and novel pill dispensing apparatus of the type described which includes a single vacuum finger that is pivotally mounted on a frame for movement in a vertical swinging path of travel between a lowered position in any selected one of the bins and a raised position above the carousel allowing the carousel to be rotated. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide new and novel medicament dispensing apparatus of the type described wherein a single vacuum operated finger successively enters each bulk storage bin and a control system that applies vacuum to the finger in any selected bin to detachably hold one random pill therein. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a pill dispensing apparatus and method of the type described including a carousel provided with a plurality of pill storing bins and a plurality of vertical discharge openings there-through adjacent the bins and a vacuum operated probe which can swing downwardly into any selected bin to pick up and remove a random pill and hold it until a vertical discharge passage is thereunder and then releasing the pill for discharge through one of the discharge openings. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of discharging medications including the steps of retrieving a pill from one of the bins and moving it to an elevated position above the bins, holding the pill in an elevated position and then moving a discharge chute into alignment therewith. 
     It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of discharging solid medicaments by elevating an individual medicament from a bulk storage carousel bin to an elevated position above the carousel and then rotating a carousel to dispose a vertical discharge chute provided in the carousel into vertical alignment with the elevated pill and then releasing the vacuum and discharging the pill to the chute. 
     The construction illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,062 includes a vacuum operated medicine dispenser which includes a vacuum probe associated with each and every storage bin, which is a relatively expensive construction. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel apparatus of the type described which utilizes a single vacuum finger that is selectively moveable in to and out of all of a plurality of bulk storage bins carrying a plurality of different medicaments. 
     The aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 5,480,062 also includes a complicated system for moving the withdrawn pills to a position radially outwardly of the carousel in which the pills are stored. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the type described including a new and novel apparatus overlying the carousel for dispensing solid medicaments following their removal from a bulk storage bin. 
     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide new and novel method and apparatus of the type described which includes dispensing passages disposed in the carousel for receiving and passing solid medicaments removed from the bulk storage bins to a single container disposed below the carousel. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide pill storage and dispensing apparatus of the type described which includes at least one dispensing passage disposed adjacent each pill storage bin. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide pill storing and dispensing apparatus of the type described including a pill dispensing chute there-through between each successive pairs of bulk storage compartments. 
     Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide pill storage and dispensing mechanism of the apparatus of the type described including pill dispensing chutes which are radially aligned with the tip end of a vacuum probe that lifts a pill to a raised position above a storage bin and holds it until a dispensing chute is disposed thereunder. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide new and novel cam and cam follower mechanism for vertically swinging a single vacuum probe in a to-and-fro swinging path of travel to move a vacuum probe tip end into and out of the bulk storage bins as the carousel rotates. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a rotary bulk storage carousel of the type described having a hub and an annular sidewall spanned by a plurality of circumferentially spaced vanes defining upwardly opening compartments for storing pluralities of different medicaments and a discharge chute in the carousel aligned with the radially outer ends of the vanes separating each successive pair of storage bins. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent as the descriptions hereof proceeds: 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Apparatus for storing and dispensing solid medicaments comprising: a frame having a retrieving and dispensing station thereon; a carousel mounted on the frame for rotation about a vertical axis and including a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart, upwardly opening compartments for storing the medicaments in bulk; mechanism for rotating the carousel about the vertical axis to dispose any selected one of the compartments at the retrieving and dispensing station; and medicament retrieving mechanism swingably mounted on the frame between a lowered pill retrieving position in which a terminal end of the retrieving mechanism adheres to a solid medicament in the selected compartment and an elevated position above the selected compartment for lifting a solid medicament from the selected compartment to a raised position above the carousel. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention may be more readily understood by referring to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional side view of storing and dispensing apparatus constructed according to the present invention, taken along the section line  1 — 1  of FIG. 2 with the vacuum finger illustrated in an intermediate position, disposed in one of the bins or compartments, and in chain lines in raised and lowered positions; 
     FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the base and carousel of the storing and dispensing apparatus, taken along the line  2 — 2  of FIG. 1, more particularly illustrating a rotary, bulk storage carousel and the hinge end of the vacuum probe positioned in a cam valley; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the carousel and a pivotal vacuum probe only illustrated in a raised position removed from the bulk storage compartments; 
     FIG. 3A is an enlarged sectional side view of the terminal end of the vacuum probe sealed to a pill for transport; 
     FIG. 4 is a slightly reduced, rear perspective view of the base and carousel illustrated in FIG. 2 to better illustrate the carousel with the pill lifting vacuum probe being illustrated in a lowered position received by one of the upwardly opening compartments or pill storage bins; 
     FIG. 5 is a reduced front perspective view, of the storing and dispensing apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, more particularly illustrating a pill receiving container for receiving the pills dispensed by the carousel in a single dosing regimen; 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional side view similar to FIG. 1, taken along the section line  6 — 6  of FIG. 7, but illustrating the carousel in a slightly rotated position and the vacuum probe in an elevated position above the carousel, 
     FIG. 7 is a sectional plan view, taken along the line  7 — 7  of FIG. 6, more particularly illustrating the pivotal vacuum probe disposed in radial alignment with one of the radial carousel vanes and riding on one of the cam peaks; 
     FIG. 8 is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a portion of the hinge mechanism and limit switch associated therewith, illustrated in the chain line circle  8 — 8  of FIG. 3 for signaling the level of pills stored in each bin visited by the swinging movement of the vacuum probe; 
     FIG. 9 is a greatly enlarged end elevational view of the portion encircled in the chain line  9 — 9  of FIG. 8; 
     FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 9 illustrating the hinge parts of FIG. 8 in adjusted positions after the vacuum probe has been lowered beyond the threshold level of pills stored in a bin; 
     FIG. 11 is a sectional side view, taken along the section line  11 — 11  of FIG. 12, similar to FIGS. 1 and 6, but illustrating the carousel in another slightly adjusted rotary position with the terminal end of the vacuum finger disposed above one of the discharge chutes; 
     FIG. 12 is a top plan view, taken along the line  12 — 12  of FIG. 11, more particularly illustrating the carousel with the hinge end of the vacuum probe aligned with one of the cam peaks on the carousel side wall and the probe tip end disposed in vertical alignment with a discharge chute provided between a pair of bins in the carousel; 
     FIG. 13 is a greatly reduced fragmentary sectional side view, taken along the section line  13 — 13  of FIG. 2, more particularly illustrating the hinge and cam mechanism; 
     FIG. 14 is a functional block diagram of the circuitry included in the storage and dispensing apparatus constructed according to the present invention; and 
     FIGS. 15A,  15 B,  16 A,  16 B,  17 A,  17 B,  18 A,  18 B and  19 , collectively, are a schematic of a computer programming flow chart of apparatus constructed according to the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Pill storing and dispensing apparatus, generally designated  10 , is particularly adapted for storing solid medicine or medicaments  12 , commonly found in pill or capsule form. The apparatus  10  includes a hollow base or frame, generally designated  14 , detachably closed by a cover  16 . The base or frame  14  includes a hollow upwardly opening cylindrical housing, generally designated  18 , having a bottom wall  20 , an upstanding annular side wall  22  having an enlarged thickness, probe mounting sidewall portion, generally designated  24 . 
     The base  14  includes a false floor  26  spaced above the bottom wall  20  to provide a component storage cavity  28  there-between. The side wall  18  is radially inwardly recessed at  30  to define a radially outwardly opening container cavity  32  for externally receiving a medicament receiving container  34  at a medicament retrieving and dispensing station, generally designated  36 . The annular side wall  22  and the false bottom floor  26  define an upwardly opening cavity, generally designated  38 , which rotatably receives a medicament storage carousel or rotor, generally designated  40 . 
     The carousel  40  may suitably comprise a one piece molded plastic cylindrical block having a solid inner plastic hub  42 , having a radially outwardly downwardly diverging sidewall  43 , and an annular radially outer, radially inwardly downwardly inclined side wall  44  spanned by a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart radially extending downwardly converging vanes or sidewalls  46  which downwardly converge to a floor  48  and collectively define a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart, upwardly opening medicament or pill receiving cavities, bins or compartments  50 . A plurality of different medicaments  12  are stored in bulk in each cavity  50  different than the plurality of medicaments in each other compartment  50 . It should be understood that the number of storage compartments may vary from that illustrated. 
     Disposed between the radially outer portions  52  and  54  of every second pair of cavities  50 , and in radial alignment with the radially outer ends of alternate radial vanes  46  and located at the junction of the annular side wall  44  the radially outer end of vanes  46 , is a vertical pill dispensing chute or aperture  60  which passes completely through the carousel or rotor  40  and is open-ended at its top  62  and includes a bottom opening  64  in the false floor  26  above the cavity  32  for passing a pill to the container  34  at the dispensing station  36  as will be described more particularly hereinafter. The open bottom end  64  is provided in the false floor  26  radially outwardly of the recessed wall  30 . The pill dispensing chutes  60  are radially disposed so as to be in vertical alignment with a container  34  at the dispensing station  36  and between every-other successive pair of pill compartments  50 . 
     The annular outer sidewall  44  includes an undulating upper edge, generally designated  66 , which defines a cam  70  having circumferentially alternate raised peaks  72  and lowered valleys  74 . The peaks  72  are radially aligned with the vanes or spokes  46  and the valleys are radially aligned with the bins or compartments  50 . The carousel  40  is rotatably driven about a vertical axis  76  via a step motor  78  disposed in the storage cavity  28  and coupled thereto via a shaft  29 . 
     Dispensing apparatus, generally designated  80 , is provided for randomly lifting or picking up a single medicament  12  in any selected one of the compartments  50  and depositing it into the container  34  at the dispensing station  36 . The dispensing apparatus  80  includes a vacuum finger or probe  82  including an elongate one-piece hollow vacuum communicating tube  84  having a mounting end  86  coupled to a hinge pin  88  which is journaled for rotation about a horizontal axis  89  via bearings  90  provided on the enlarged thickness portion  24  of the sidewall  22 . It should also be noted that the probe  82  is moved downwardly under its own weight and the force of gravity and thus less power is consumed in order to make the device function. In fact, no additional lifting mechanism is required to raise the probe other than rotation of the carousel which causes a direct mechanical link without any other intervening moving or lifting mechanisms. The carousel  40  moves in a horizontal path of travel and the probe  82  swings in a vertical path of travel into and out of each successive compartment  50  disposed at the retrieving and dispensing station  36 . 
     A mid-portion  92  of the hollow tube  84  is bent downwardly at an angle to generally match the downward slope of the radially inner compartment defining walls  43  when disposed in the cavity or compartments  50  in the position illustrated at  82 A in FIG.  1 . The terminal tube end portion  94  is further angularly offset or bent downwardly relative to the partially bent mid-portion  92  so as to be generally vertical when the tube  84  is in its lower-most position illustrated at  82 B in FIG.  1 . It should be noticed that, when probe  82  is positioned as illustrated in FIG. 1, the horizontal distance X between the terminal tip end  94 B and the rotational axis  89  is less than the distance Y (FIG. 11) between the terminal tip end  94 A and the axis  89  when the probe is positioned at  82 A as illustrated at  94 A in FIG.  1  and as illustrated in FIG.  11 . Similarly, the horizontal distances between the tip end  94  and the rotational axis  76  in the lower-most position illustrated in FIG. 1 is less than the horizontal distance between the tip end  94 A and the vertical axis  76  in the position illustrated in FIG.  11 . Because of this bent configuration, the medicament lifting tip  94  will swing radially outwardly in an arcuate path from the lowered position illustrated at  94  in FIG. 1 to the raised position illustrated at  94 A in FIG. 11 in vertical alignment with the discharge chute  60 . The tube  82  has an elongate passage  83  therein and is of such diameter  85  as to be less than the minimum breadth  87  of a pill  12  to be removed. 
     Pill level sensing apparatus, generally designated  91 , is provided for sensing the level of the medicaments  12  dropping below a predetermined level (i.e., ⅔ empty) in each of the bins or compartments  50 . The pill level sensing apparatus  91  includes a cut out or notch  96  on the hinge  88  having a cam surface  97  which will engage a limit switch, generally designated  98 , when the terminal probe end  94  of the probe  84  is below the predetermined level. 
     Apparatus, generally designated  99  is provided for vertically swinging the probe  82  and includes a cam follower roller, generally designated  100 , rotatably mounted on the inner end  86  of the vacuum finger  82  and including a groove  101  which rides on the cam  70  to force the vacuum finger  82  to vertically move between a lowered picking position, illustrated in FIG. 1 and a raised position, illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 11, as the roller  100  moves from one of the valleys  94  to the adjacent peak  72 . 
     As the vacuum finger  82  moves into the compartments  50  downwardly below a predetermined level, the cam surface  97  will engage the limit switch  98 , as illustrated in FIG. 10 and a signal will be provided to the operator to replenish the medication in the bins which have an inadequate supply of medicaments. 
     The vacuum finger  82  is coupled to a vacuum pump  102 , disposed in chamber  26 , via a suitable vacuum line  104  which is received in a vertical passage  106  provided in the enlarged probe mounting housing portion  24  adjacent the hinge pin  86 . The base  14  also externally mounts a keypad, generally designated  108 , which is provided for entering data to an operating system  118  (FIG. 14) as to which cavities or bins  50  will have medicaments  12  extracted therefrom by the probe  82  and in which quantity, what time and on what days. 
     The lower peripheral edge  110  of the cover  16  and upper peripheral edge  112  (FIG. 6) of the base sidewall  22  includes cooperating notched portions which frictionally engage to detachably hold the cover  16  onto the base  14 . The access cover  16  is removable to allow the user to pour whatever medicament  12  is desired in each of the compartments  50 . 
     Apparatus is provided for sensing whether or not medicaments  12  dispensed through the chutes  60  to the container  34  have been removed for consumption and includes a limit switch  114  underlying the container  34  at the retrieving and dispensing station  36 . If the medications have not been removed from the station  36 , medications obviously they have not been consumed, and the entire dispensing operation will cease until such time as the container having medications previously deposited therein is removed from the limit switch  114 . The base  14  also includes an external LCD display  109  for displaying printed data and messages for the operation. 
     The Control Circuit Operation and Method 
     A computer operating system, generally designated  118 , for operating the apparatus illustrated in FIGS. 1-13 is schematically illustrated in the functional block diagram of in FIG.  14 . It will be assumed that the parts are initially in the positions illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 with the cam follower roller  100  radially aligned with one of the radial vanes  46  and riding on one of the cam peaks  72  and the vacuum probe  82  being disposed in the position illustrated above the carousel without any medicament  12  being held thereby. 
     The operating system  118 , which is suitably coupled to a source of electrical power, includes a microcontroller or microprocessor  120 . The user, via the keypad  108 , will feed to microcontroller  120  certain data, such as what bins or compartments  50  are being supplied with pills  12 , how many days medications are to be taken, and how many medications are to be dispensed at what times, intervals, days of the week. The entry of this data will program the microcontroller  120 . 
     The microcontroller  120  includes a clock which counts to the time when a pill  12  is to be dispensed. When that time is reached, the microcontroller  120  will automatically direct the step motor  78 , via integrated circuitry  125 , to receive power to drive motor  78  and index the carousel  40 , in the direction of the arrow  123 , from the position illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 to the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. As the carousel  40  rotates to a position in which the selected bin  50  is disposed at the retrieval and dispensing station  36 , the vacuum finger  82  is concurrently moved downwardly to the position illustrated in FIG. 1 into the trough of the selected bin or compartment  50 . As the carousel  40  rotates and the follower roller  100  rides down the cam peak  72  passes into the adjoining cam valley  74 , the vacuum probe or finger  82  will fall by gravity into the adjacent compartment  50 . The finger terminal end  94  enters the bin downwardly by gravity until such time as the terminal probe end  94  engages the pills on the top of the pile of pills  12 . 
     Suction is not applied by the pump motor  102  until the system senses that the vacuum finger  82  is disposed in the proper selected compartment or bin  50 . The carousel will continue to rotate until the probe  82  reaches the proper bin, at which time the pump motor  102  will be energized by the micro-controller  120 . 
     When the correct bin  50  is disposed at the station  36 , the microprocessor  120  will activate power to vacuum pump motor  102  causing a vacuum or suction forces to be created in the vacuum probe  82  and terminal probe end  94 . The pump motor is coupled in circuit with a current meter  124  which senses the current supplied to pump motor  102 . The current to the motor  102  will decrease when the terminal tube end  94  seals in airtight engagement to a pill  12  because the power forces required to maintain the vacuum in tube  94  will decrease and thus the current to the motor will decrease. The microcontroller will sense this current change and thus will instantly know when a pill  12  is sealed to the probe end  94 . 
     When the microcontroller  120  senses that a random medicament  12  in the selected compartment  50  has been sealed to the probe end  94 , the microcontroller  120  will cause power to be delivered to the step motor  78  forcing the motor  78  to continue to rotate in the direction of the arrow  123 . When the carousel  40  rotates, the cam follower roller  100  will travel along the next following cam peak  72  forcing the vacuum finger  82  to swing upwardly out of the compartment  50  and into alignment with the adjacent pill dispensing passage  60  as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. The terminal tip end  94  and the pill  12  supported thereon will be vertically aligned with the passage or discharge chute  60  and the underlying container  34 . When a medicament is deposited into the container  34  at station  36 , the limit switch  114  will close. When the dispensing cycle has been totally completed, the cycle will not restart until such time as the container  34  has been removed from the switch  114 . 
     When the carousel is disposed in the position illustrated in FIG. 11, the vacuum pump motor  102  is rendered inoperative so that the vacuum is released and the pill  12 , which is vacuum supported thereon falls by gravity through the chute  60  into the underlying container  34 . The microcontroller  120  controls the voltage to the pump  102  causing it to start and stop. 
     If there is another pill of the same medication that comes out of the same bin  50 , the microprocessor will cause the step motor  78  to reverse direction and rotate the carousel  40  in the opposite direction  123 A until the same bin  50  is at the station  36  and the probe  82  is permitted to freefall by gravity to the position illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. 
     The stepper motor  122  can drive the carousel  50  in either direction  123  or  123 A and can be directed to return to the identical bin that it just picked a pill from to repeatedly pick up pills from the same bin as many times as is necessary and reach and deposit them into the discharge chute  16 . 
     The operation continues and pills  12  are selected as necessary from the appropriate bins and deposited into the chutes  16  adjacent the bins  50  from which the pills  12  are retrieved. The device continues to operate to move to the selected bin, that&#39;s been programmed into the memory, and repeats for each pill at the selected time. When all of the pills  12  from the various selected bins  50  have been deposited into the container  34  for the dose, the microcontroller  120  signals a speaker  126  to alert the user that the operation is completed so that a patient who has limited eyesight will know the container is full. Also, the LCD display  109  will print out the message that the filling cycle has been completed for that particular time so that one who is unable to hear can likewisely be signaled that the operation for this dose was completed. There is an audible alert as well as a text message on the liquid crystal display  109  that tells the patient that the medication is ready to be taken. 
     If the patient doesn&#39;t remove the medication container  34  from the station  36  and the next dosing period comes along, the microcontroller will sense that the cup  34  has not been removed and any doses for the following times be skipped until the container  34  is removed. 
     When the container  34  is removed, the micro-controller  120  will assume that the person has taken the medication or somehow skipped these doses. 
     The system can be programmed to skip doses if desired. The system can also be programmed to “pre-dose” which allows the user, if going on a trip, to fill a number of cups to be taken with the user and the system can be programmed to drop the medications earlier than otherwise would be required. 
     The system can be programmed to pre-dose or drop the medication early and the user can go back to it after the completion of the vacation and the micro-controller will pick up with the next scheduled dose and can be continued to be operated. 
     For example, once the user pre-doses for two days, the microprocessor won&#39;t start dosing again until the third day. The controller has a memory that keeps track of that information. 
     Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 15A-19, the software flow diagram is illustrated to better assist in understanding the operation of the system illustrated in FIGS. 1-14. 
     In each of these Figures, the parenthesis symbols, i.e., ( ), indicate which component is performing the function and the quote symbol, i.e., “ ” indicates something that is being displayed to the user. 
     FIGS. 15A and 15B is the flow diagram of the user input program which starts out by the user turning on the power at  130  and then inserting a series of inputs at  131 ,  132 , 133  and  134  with regard to what day it is, what time it is, a typical first dose and a typical final dose. Assuming all of that information is accurately placed into the LCD  109  and the microcontroller  120 , the next entry to be programmed is which bin  50  is to be loaded. This is done by merely typing the selected bin number on the keypad  108  and then the user inputs the other information with regard to the days of the week, times, etc., as indicated at  136 ,  137  and  138 . 
     After the first selected bin  50  is programmed into the operating system, the user will then be questioned at  139  as to whether or not more bins are to be programmed and the user again will appropriately type in the next bin to be programmed so that the input at “A” is recycled and the operation is repeated for however many bins  50  are to have medicaments  12  dispensed therefrom. 
     Once all the bins are programmed, the user inserts an appropriate response at  139  and a signal will be sent at “X” to the portion of the flow diagram illustrated in FIGS. 16A and 16B. FIGS. 16A and 16B basically illustrate a functional program. In this diagram, the elimination of the quote symbols, i.e., “ ” on the text indicates that this text represents internal questions presented to or by the microprocessor. 
     As illustrated, the microprocessor  120  will automatically continue to sense at  140  if it is time to dispense medicaments  12 . If so, the microprocessor will automatically inquire at  141  as to when the last medication dose was taken. If the last dose was not taken and the cup  34  is not removed from the station  36 , the system will recycle at  142  to continue to signal “X” which will be refed at  140 . 
     If the cup  34  is removed from station  36  indicating that the last dose was taken, then the microprocessor  120  will signal at  143  the stepper motor  122  to automatically index the carousel to properly position the proper selected bin  50  at the station  36 . 
     As the carousel  40  rotates, the vacuum finger  82  will progressively enter and remove itself from each of the successive bins  50  until the proper selected bin  50  is at the station  36 . When the proper bin  50  is at the station  36 , the microprocessor  120  will signal at  144  the vacuum pump motor  102  to operate and draw vacuum through the vacuum tube  82 . As the vacuum pump motor  102  is operated, initially a relatively high current will be read at  124  until the vacuum probe terminal end  94  of the suction device  82  seals to a medicament  12 . Upon such sealing, the current through the meter  124  will be substantially reduced and the system will indicate that at  145  that the pill has been picked up. 
     If this is not the case and a pill  12  isn&#39;t sealed to the probe end  94 , a signal will be sent at  146  to the stepper motor  122  causing it to incrementally “bump” or jostle the carousel in an attempt to sufficiently align one of the pills with the end  94  of the pickup device  82  so that the suction forces will draw a random pill into sealing engagement. A counter  147  will allow this pickup device to jostle or bump three times. If after three bumps there is no sealing of the probe end  94  to a random medicament  12 , the system will send an alarm signal at  149  to an alarm  148  and to the microprocessor  120  to halt the operation. Assuming, however, that three or less errors are found, the signal will at  150  pass back to the microprocessor  120  causing the carousel  40  to again rotate. 
     Assuming that the microprocessor  120  receives information that the pill has been picked up, then the microprocessor  120  will verify whether or not the pill level is below a predetermined amount via the limit switch  98 . If it is too low, an alarm  152  will sound or a message will be printed at the LCD display  108 . Whether or not the bin level is too low, the microprocessor  120  will cause the stepper motor  28  to then rotate the carousel  40  as indicated at  153  which causes the terminal end  94  of the vacuum finger  82  carrying the pill  12  to be cammed upwardly and elevate a raised position above the carousel and forwardly of its lowered position illustrated in FIG. 1 to a position vertically aligned with the discharge chute  60 . The microprocessor  120  will sense at  154  whether or not the pill  12  is still picked up and secured to the terminal end  94 . If not, a signal will be sent at C to again cause the carousel return to the bin  50  to repeat the operation. 
     If the pill  12  is identified as still being picked up, however, a signal will be sent at  155  to cut off the pump motor  102  and release the vacuum. 
     The microprocessor  120  includes a counter  156  which determines and compares the number of pills removed from the first selected bin at  157  to a preselected pill count. If the pill count is not met, a signal is sent at  158  to input C to again move the carousel  40  to reposition the original bin at the discharge station. 
     If the pill count for the first bin is met, a signal is sent at  160  inquiring as to whether or not this is a final bin and if not, a signal is sent at  161  to recall at  162  the next bin selected  50  and a repeat signal is sent to input C to again move the carousel  40  as indicated at reference character  143  for the second selected bin. This operation will continue until all requisite pills are removed from all bins as required. 
     If the final bin  50  is indicated to have now had all of the required pills removed, then a signal is sent at  161  to an alarm and/or LCD display  109  and the system will be set to automatically dispense the next dosage regime. 
     FIGS. 17A,  17 B,  18 A,  18 B, and  19  basically illustrate the system for changing the user program set forth in FIG.  16  and by selecting various inputs at  163 , various signals will be sent at X, P, Q, R and S to reprogram the user system. If no modifications are necessary, the escape program is utilized to provide a signal X. This would happen if power was cut off and no modifications in the program was necessary. 
     Signal X is basically just an escape key to indicate that the system need not be modified. 
     FIG. 19 basically indicates that if the user wants to skip a dose, the signal is set at R and the system will advance to the next scheduled memory. 
     For pre-dosing, a signal is sent at S to move the carousel, assuming that the last dose was taken at  141 ,  143  in FIG.  16 A. 
     It is to be understood that the drawings and descriptive matter are in all cases to be interpreted as merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, rather than as limiting the same in any way, since it is contemplated that various changes may be made in various elements to achieve like results without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Technology Category: g