Time and temperature sensor medication dispenser for hospitals and nursing homes/monthly personal time
View Patent ↗A medication dispenser is described. A plurality of drawers capable of storing medications is arranged in an array. For personal use, each drawer has an illuminatable number thereon representing a date in a month. For institutional use, each drawer has an associated adjacent illuminatable patient identification section. Illuminatable numbers in a row above the drawers correspond to hours in a day wherein a current time is displayed by illuminating one of the numbers. Rechargeable batteries maintain a memory capable of storing information about when each of a plurality of medications is to be taken. When the current time matches a time when one of the medications is to be taken, a number on the drawer corresponding to a current date or the particular patient identification section is illuminated. A sensor senses when a particular drawer is opened and saves in memory the current time and drawer identification.
1. A medication dispenser for personal use comprising:
a plurality of drawers arranged in a two-dimensional array, each drawer having an illuminatable number thereon representing a date in a month, wherein each drawer is capable of storing medication to be taken on a particular date corresponding to said number on said drawer;
illuminatable numbers in a row above said array of drawers wherein said numbers correspond to hours in a day wherein a current time is displayed by illuminating one of said numbers;
rechargeable batteries for maintaining a memory capable of storing information about when each of a plurality of medications is to be taken;
a temperature sensor for ensuring stability of said plurality of medications; and
a sensor capable of sensing when a particular drawer is opened wherein when said current time matches a time when one of said medications is to be taken, a number on said drawer corresponding to a current date is illuminated, and wherein when said drawer is opened, said sensor causes said drawer number and said current time to be saved in said memory, indicating that a medication was taken at said current date and said current time.
2. A medication dispenser for institutional use comprising:
a plurality of drawers arranged in a vertical array, each drawer having an associated adjacent illuminatable patient identification section, wherein each drawer is capable of storing medication to be taken by a patient identified by said patient identification section;
illuminatable numbers in a row above said array of drawers wherein said numbers correspond to hours in a day wherein a current time is displayed by illuminating one of said numbers;
rechargeable batteries for maintaining a memory capable of storing information about when each of a plurality of medications is to be taken by each of a plurality of patients;
a temperature sensor for ensuring stability of said plurality of medications; and
a sensor capable of sensing when a particular drawer is opened wherein when said current time matches a time when one of said medications is to be taken by a patient, said patient identification section associated with said patient is illuminated, and wherein when said drawer adjacent to said illuminated patient identification section is opened, said sensor causes information in said patient identification section adjacent to said drawer and said current time to be saved in said memory, indicating that a medication was taken by said patient at said current time.