US 12,485,069 B2
Automated modular pill dispensing device and associated methods
Minott Pruyn, Belgrade, MT (US)
Filed by Minott Pruyn, Belgrade, MT (US)
Filed on Jun. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/809,824.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/217,596, filed on Jul. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0000724 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. A61J 7/00 (2006.01); A61J 1/03 (2023.01); A61J 7/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61J 7/0076 (2013.01) [A61J 1/03 (2013.01); A61J 7/0418 (2015.05); A61J 2200/70 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated modular pill dispensing device for selectively dispensing pills of a pill regimen to a patient, the dispensing device comprising:
a base unit having a pill dispensing chute leading to a pill receptacle area, the base unit including a controller coupled to a power source, a pill tray communication interface, and a user interface; and
a plurality of stackable pill trays each including a tray base and associated series of pill compartments each configured to hold at least one pill of a treatment;
the plurality of stackable pill trays are configured to stack on each other, and on the base unit, and each include communication ports for communicatively interfacing with the pill tray communication interface of the base unit and adjacent stackable pill trays above and below;
each stackable pill tray includes an opening in the tray base, aligned with the pill dispensing chute of the base unit, and an actuator configured to selectively advance the series of pill compartments towards the pill hopper in response to the controller so that pills therein will be dispensed, in accordance with the pill regimen, through the opening and via the pill dispensing chute to a pill receptacle positioned at the pill receptacle area;
wherein each stackable pill tray comprises a rotatable pill compartment ring above the tray base that defines the series of pill compartments;
wherein the actuator of each stackable pill compartment tray is configured to selectively rotate the rotatable pill compartment ring so that the series of pill compartments advance towards the opening in the tray base in response to the controller; and
wherein each stackable pill tray comprises a sensor arrangement including a pill dispensing sensor, a low-pill sensor, and an out-of-pills sensor.