Apparatus and methods for pill management

Abstract

A pill management apparatus and related methods are disclosed herein. In various aspects, the pill management apparatus may include a housing with a disc rotatably received therein. The disc may be divided into a plurality of compartments, and a compartment of the plurality of compartments may be in communication with the passage. A gate may be slideably disposed about the passage and positionable between a closed position, wherein the gate generally seals the passage, and an open position, wherein the gate unseals the passage sufficiently to dispense a pill from the compartment to the exterior therethrough. The gate cooperates mechanically with the disc such that the disc advances as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position, in various aspects.

1 . A pill management apparatus, comprising:
 a housing that defines a chamber, an exterior, and a passage therebetween;   a disc rotatably received within the chamber, the disc divided into a plurality of compartments, a compartment of the plurality of compartments in communication with the passage; and,   a gate disposed about the passage, the gate positionable between a closed position wherein the gate generally seals the passage and an open position wherein the gate unseals the passage sufficient to dispense a pill from the compartment to the exterior therethrough, the gate cooperates mechanically with the disc such that the disc advances to alter the compartment in communication with the passage as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
 a base; and   a cover, the cover positionable between a closed cover position and an open cover position, with the cover positioned in the closed cover position the chamber is substantially enclosed, with the cover positioned in the open cover position the chamber is revealed to allow placement of one or more pills within the one or more compartments.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein the disc as provided by a vendor to a user is pre-loaded with pills. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a base; and   a cover, the cover positionable between a closed cover position and an open cover position, with the cover positioned in the closed cover position the chamber is substantially enclosed, with the cover positioned in the open cover position the chamber is revealed to allow an exchange of the disc received therein.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a docking station, the docking station adapted to removeably receive the housing, the docking station includes a sorting tray for the manipulation of pills thereupon, the docking station includes a receptacle adapted to removeably receive a pill bottle.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , further comprising;
 a funnel adapted to cooperate with the disc to distribute pills into the plurality of compartments.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an axle disposed within the housing, the disc is rotatably received upon the axle; and   a gear disposed about the axle to engage the disc, the gear adapted to allow the disc to advance in a rotational direction and generally prevent the disc from rotating in an opposite rotational direction.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cam in mechanical cooperation with the gate and the disc such that the cam advances the disc as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the housing is formed of a generally transparent material to allow a user to view one or more pills located within the chamber. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus, as in  claim 1 , wherein the gate is adapted to be positioned from the closed position to the open position by a finger of a user. 
     
     
         11 . A pill management apparatus, comprising:
 a base;   a cover, the cover cooperates with the base to form a housing with a chamber and an exterior, the cover is positionable between a closed cover position and an open cover position; the chamber is substantially enclosed with the cover positioned in the closed cover position, the interior is generally revealed with the cover positioned in the open cover position;   a passage that extends between the chamber and the exterior;   a disc rotatably received within the chamber, the disc defines a compartment to contain a pill, the compartment is in communication with the passage; and,   a gate slideably disposed about the passage, the gate positionable between a closed position and an open position, the gate positioned in the closed position generally seals the passage, the gate positioned in the open position unseals the passage to dispense the pill from the compartment to the exterior therethrough, the gate cooperates mechanically with the disc such that the disc advances as the gate is positioned from the closed position to the open position.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus, as in  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a docking station, the docking station adapted to removeably receive the housing, the docking station includes a sorting tray for the manipulation of pills thereupon, the docking station includes a receptacle adapted to removeably receive a pill bottle.   
     
     
         13 . A method for managing pills, comprising the steps of:
 positioning a gate from a closed position to an open position thereby unsealing a passage through a housing between a chamber therein and an exterior thereof;   advancing a disc rotatably secured within the chamber such that a compartment containing a pill is communicating with the passage by positioning the gate from the closed position to the open position; and   dispensing the pill through the unsealed passage.   
     
     
         14 . The method, as in  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 positioning a cover portion of the housing from a closed cover position to an open cover position thereby revealing the chamber; and   placing a pill into a compartment of the disc following the step of positioning a cover portion of the housing from a closed cover position to an open cover position.   
     
     
         15 . The method, as in  claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
 docking the housing in a docking station prior to the step of placing a pill into a compartment of the disc.   
     
     
         16 . The method, as in  claim 15 , further comprising the step of:
 removing the housing from the docking station prior to the step of dispensing the pill through the unsealed passage.   
     
     
         17 . The method, as in  claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
 receiving a pill bottle containing the pill in a receptacle of a docking station; and   sorting pills on a tray portion of the docking station.   
     
     
         18 . The method, as in  claim 14 , wherein the step of placing a pill into a compartment of the disc is accomplished using a funnel adapted to engage the disk and adapted to distribute pills into compartments of the disc. 
     
     
         19 . The method, as in  claim 13 , wherein the disc is pre-loaded with pills by at vendor. 
     
     
         20 . The method, as in  claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:
 positioning a cover portion of the housing from a closed cover position to an open cover position thereby revealing the chamber; and   exchanging the disc secured rotatably within the chamber with a replacement disc following the step of positioning a cover portion of the housing from a closed cover position to an open cover position, the replacement disc having pills pre-loaded therein.