Pill dispensing method and apparatus
AssigneeCzarnek and Orkin Laboratories, Inc.
InventorRobert Czarnek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is a pill dispensing method and apparatus wherein a first rotor rotates pills about a rotation axis along a first part of a spiral path at a first rotational speed whereupon the pills move spirally away from the rotation axis. A second rotor receives the pills from the first rotor and rotates the pills about the rotation axis along a second part of the spiral path at a second, greater rotational speed whereupon the pills move spirally away from the rotation axis toward a discharge chute which dispenses the pills into a pill bottle or a storage container. A counter can be provided for counting pills that exit the discharge chute or opening.
Claims17
A pill dispensing machine comprising:
- a cassette including a first rotor disposed for rotation about a rotation axis, a second rotor disposed for rotation about the first rotor and the rotation axis, and a discharge chute or opening;
- at least one motor for rotating the first rotor at a first speed and for rotating the second rotor at a second, faster speed;
- one or more plates spaced from the first and second rotors and defining therewith a spiral path at least partially about the rotation axis that extends between a first location at or adjacent the rotation axis and a second location at or adjacent the discharge chute;
- and
- means for counting pills that exit the discharge chute comprising:
- a light source and a photodiode positioned on opposite sides of a pill pathway;
- a collimating lens for collimating light output by the light source and for passing the collimated light to the pill pathway;
- a focusing lens for focusing light exiting the pill pathway onto the photodiode;
- and
- a controller programmed to be responsive to changes in an amount of the focused light received by the photodiode in response to the passage of pills through the collimated light in the pill pathway for accumulating a count of pills that pass through the collimated light in the pill pathway.
A pill dispensing machine comprising:
- a plurality of concentric rotors having pill receiving surfaces;
- at least one motor for rotating the plurality of concentric rotors at different rotational speeds about a rotation axis;
- at least one plate spaced from the pill receiving surfaces of the plurality of concentric rotors and defining with said pill receiving surfaces all or part of a spiral path at least partially around the rotation axis which extends between the innermost rotor and the outermost rotor;
- a discharge chute or opening adjacent the outermost rotor from the rotation axis;
- and
- means for counting pills that exit the discharge chute or opening, said means for counting including:
- a light source and a photodiode positioned on opposite sides of a pill pathway;
- a collimating lens for collimating light output by the light source and for passing the collimated light to the pill pathway;
- a focusing lens for focusing light exiting the pill pathway onto the photodiode;
- and
- a controller responsive to changes in an amount of the focused light received by the photodiode due to the passage of pills through the collimated light in the pill pathway for accumulating a count of pills that pass through the collimated light in the pill pathway.
A method of pill dispensing comprising:
- (a) a first rotor rotating pills about a rotation axis along a first part of a spiral path at least partially around the rotation axis at a first rotational speed whereupon the pills move spirally away from the rotation axis;
- (b) a second rotor receiving the pills from the first rotor and rotating the pills about the rotation axis along a second part of the spiral path at least partially around the rotation axis at a second, greater rotational speed whereupon the pills move spirally away from the rotation axis;
- (c) following step (b), feeding the pills to a discharge chute or opening;
- and
- (d) following step (c), accumulating a count of pills that pass through a beam of collimated light after exiting the discharge chute or opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.