DISPENSER DEVICE BUILT INTO A STORING CONTAINER, AND DISPENSER TOOLS THAT CAN BE INTEGRATED WITH IT, CONSTRUCTED TO MEET VARIOUS

USER NEEDS

The object of the invention is a dispenser system primarily suitable for storing and contactless gravitational dispensing of pills, pillets, sugar-coated tablets and capsules applied in health care, and used by piece (henceforward: pills), which consists of a dispenser tool integrated with the storage container (henceforward: storing-dispenser device), and dispenser devices that can be integrated with it, designed to meet various user needs.

One of the greatest challenges in health care logistics is the secure, controlled, and well documented storage, dosing, and sorting of medicines, nutritional supplements, vitamins, in our case, the pillets, pills, capsules, ampules, suppositories that can be identified and used by piece (henceforward: pills), and supplying these to the end user.

Production and transportation are secure systems. Issues are encountered during dosing and sorting, since, for various patients and according to the changing therapeutic prescriptions throughout their treatment, it is necessary to continuously create the proper combination of various pills, and these must be delivered to the appropriate user at the appropriate time and place. Nevertheless, when the packing is opened for this purpose, and pills leave or are able to leave the container, their further secure use generates substantial risks, damages and costs. To ensure the identifying of the pills, the accuracy of the treatment, to detect counterfeits, and to avoid unjustified, multiply or incompatible medicine use, it is necessary to document every step of all participants of the process. Also, from this point on the pills are exposed to risks of being damaged, mixed or contaminated.

During the past years, several solutions were proposed to solve these problems; these are storing, dispenser and sorting systems combined with intelligent data processing, handling and storing systems that are able to identify the medicine, the person being treated and the therapy prescribed, and can remotely control and monitor the therapeutic process.

Publication document No. US 2019/326,006 proposes a solution where the original packaging - the container - containing the medicine is opened, placed and secured within the dispenser tool. The known dispenser tool consists of a rotating conical funnel and a gear driven tube with a hole receiving the pill.

The pills are transported from the container to the conical funnel using the force of gravity, and the one by one dispensing of the pills is performed by the tube with a hole.

The disadvantage of the known solution is that all pills are transferred from the container to the conical funnel, and it is not possible to re-close the container, and dispense the pills in multiple steps if required.

Publication document No. US 2019/307,648 proposes a dosing procedure and method where it is placed individually in a closed and secure storage device which, with the aid of high level IT services, performs the dispensing, inspection, remote control and documentation of pills.

The disadvantage of the known solution is that pills with low security requirements like nutritional supplements, vitamins, etc. are difficult to integrate into the system, since the IT services connected to the containers present significant extra expenses also for these pills.

Publication document No. AU 2019206109 A proposes a dispensing procedure and method where the pills may be dispensed from a container either manually or by a machine that can be programmed and remotely monitored.

The disadvantage of the known solution is that the capacity of the aggregate, programmable machine is limited, the devices cannot be interconnected, and it does not ensure the secure storage and transport of the pill combinations being dispensed.

The pill dispensers according to the know solution are usually mechanical or electronic devices fitted to the containers, and all of them are suitable for solving sub-tasks.

Mechanical devices dispensing vitamins, nutritional supplements, and candies are usually connected to the containers as a locking cap, and the user operates them by turning or pulling the cap or by moving special buttons or arms provided for this purpose.

Intelligent sorting and dispenser systems, typically large hospital systems or programmable home dispensers, use special containers that can only be used within their own system, and typically the pills must be taken out from the original packaging and be filled in manually. Identifying, sorting, dispensing, and repackaging, transport and storage if required, due to the expected security level, are associated with significant risks and costs.

Both simple mechanical and intelligent programmable solutions are so-called “zero degree of freedom” systems: they are not interoperable, cannot be connected to each other, and cannot be integrated into a unified system.

The aim of the present invention is to create a storage container closed by a dispenser tool, from which it is possible to dispense the pills one by one from the connected dispenser devices, either manually or by motorised operation, in a way that it can be programmed, remotely controlled and operated, and documented. The dispenser device, unable to operate on its own, closes the storage container, ensuring the storage and transport of the pills without damage, and makes it possible to dispense the pills from the container - which can be uniquely identified if required - by piece, without any further unnecessary and expensive identification. The dispenser tool is operated by a rotating axle that can be inserted afterwards, and is actuated by various manual or motorised dispenser devices. This solution makes it possible to operate the same storage container integrated into the dispenser tool with various dispenser devices, which can be designed to meet various requirements, using the expensive security devices in the required way, only to the extent necessary.

The container closing the dispenser tool is composed of two cylindrical bodies placed one under the other, in an actuating connection with each other: the collecting cylinder and the dispenser cylinder. Both of them have at least one collecting and dispensing opening, which cross the cylindrical body and are open at both ends. The two cylinders are separated by an element that does not participate in the rotation of the cylinders, thus, the pill input opening and pill discharge opening within it ensure that only in certain positions during the coordinated movement of the two cylindrical bodies such an arrangement is created where the pills in the container, by the force of gravity, can enter the dispensing opening of the dispenser cylinder by piece, from the container through the collecting opening of the collecting cylinder, and then leave the container through the pill discharge slot.

The two cylindrical bodies can be placed concentrically or eccentrically to each other. There can be an arbitrary number of pill entry and discharge openings. By their appropriate placement and the exact determination of the degree of rotation, the operating mechanism described above can be ensured in a very large number of ways. The invention is not limited to the design forms presented, since their simple modifications result in new structural designs, which can be considered the due knowledge of a specialist.

Hereunder, we are going to present a detailed concentric arrangement where there are two, symmetrically placed collecting and dispenser openings placed at 180 degrees to each other in the bodies of the collecting and dispenser cylinder, respectively. However, based on the similarity of the operating principle, the invention idea includes all possible solutions, without listing each item.

On the basis of the figures attached, the storing-dispenser device forming the contactless pill dispenser system in accordance with the invention, and the advantageous dispenser design forms of the dispenser devices connected are described in details.

1. Figure 1: The design form of the storing-dispenser device used in the system in accordance with the invention design, lateral view cross-section.

2. Figure 2: The storing-dispenser device in Figure 1, exploded view.

3. Figure 3: Closing platform element of the storing-dispenser device in Figure 1, lateral view cross-section.

4. Figure 4: Closing platform element in Figure 3, top view.

5. Figure 5: Closing platform element in Figure 3, bottom view.

6. Figure 6: Collecting cylinder element of the storing-dispenser device in Figure 1, lateral view cross-section.

7. Figure 7: Collecting cylinder in Figure 6, top view.

8. Figure 8: Collecting cylinder in Figure 6, bottom view.

9. Figure 9: Dispenser cylinder element of the storing-dispenser device in Figure 1, lateral view cross-section.

10. Figure 10: Dispenser cylinder in Figure 9, top view.

11. Figure 11: Dispenser cylinder in Figure 9, bottom view.

12. Figure 12: Design form of the dispenser device fitting the storing-dispenser device in Figure 1, suitable for manual dispensing, lateral view cross-section.

13. Figure 13: Manual dispenser device in Figure 12, top view.

14. Figure 14: Manual dispenser device in Figure 12, bottom view.

15. Figure 15: Design form of the motorised dispenser device fitting the storing-dispenser device in Figure 1, lateral view cross-section.

16. Figure 16: Motorised dispenser device in Figure 15, top view. 17. Figure 17: Schematic drawing of the construction of the box dispenser device, incorporating the aggregated storing-dispenser devices and motorised dispenser devices according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows an advantageous design form of the storing-dispenser device used in the system in accordance with the invention in lateral view cross-section.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the storing-dispenser device presented in Figure 1.

The storage device of the storage and dispenser tools built together is the container (10), which is a hollow body, closed at one end, the other end of which is securely closed by the dispenser tool, which consists of the collecting cylinder (30), the closing platform (20) made of two pieces, and the dispenser cylinder (40), located between the two parts of the closing platform (20). This dispenser tool can be operated with a rotating axle (50), which can be inserted from the outside.

The storage container (10) is ideally designed as a cylinder, with different height, depending on the size and quantity of the pills stored, but for the sake of the unified operation of the system in accordance with the invention it is a hollow body with the same diameter.

If required, there are flexible guiding plates (11) on the inner surface of the storage container (10), which decrease the possibility for the pills to stick together.

At the inner edge of the open end of the storage container (10) there is a platform fitting profile (12), ensuring that the lower platform part (20b) of the closing platform (20) closes the storage container (10) filled with pills securely, in a way that it cannot move.

On the external surface of the storage container (10) there is a device fitting profile (13), ensuring that fitting profiles of the manual (60), motorised (70) and aggregated (80) dispenser devices (to be described later) properly fit the storage container (10).

The external surface of the storage container (10) is designed in such a way that it is suitable for placing unique identifier symbols (e.g. bar code, QR code) and other required information in a way that they shall not fade or wear.

The lower platform part (20b) of the closing platform (20) is fixed into the platform fitting profile (12) on the inner wall of the container (10). The lower platform part (20b) and the top platform part (20a) of the closing platform (20) encompass the dispenser cylinder (40) in a way that the axle receiving opening (22) of the lower platform part (20b) enables the rotating axle (50) to enter the axle receiving bushing (42) of the dispenser cylinder (40), and the stub receiving opening (23) of the upper platform part (20a) enables the fitting stub (43) of the dispenser cylinder (40) to enter the stub receiving profile (33) of the collecting cylinder (30).

The collecting cylinder (30) and the dispenser cylinder (40) are connected to each other in a way that they cannot move relative to each other, and they actuate each other in such a way that the fitting stub (43) located in the centre of the upper surface of the dispenser cylinder (40) enters the stub receiving profile (33) of the collecting cylinder (30). The surface of the fitting stub (43) and the stub receiving profile (33) are designed in a way that these two parts are connected without moving relative to each other; the inner surface of the stub receiving profile (33) and the outer surface of the fitting stub (43) are designed as fixed connecting profiles.

In the centre of the dispenser cylinder (40) there is an axle receiving profile (42) along the entire height of the dispenser cylinder (40), and there is an axle receiving profile (32) in the stub receiving profile (33) of the collecting cylinder (30) that is the continuation of the axle receiving profile (42) of the dispenser cylinder (40), with the same axis. The joint movement of the collecting cylinder (30) and the dispenser cylinder (40) is performed by turning the rotating axle (50) that fits into the axle receiving profile (42) of the dispenser cylinder (40) and the axle receiving profile (32) of the collecting cylinder (30).

The dispenser cylinder (40) is equipped with at least one pill dispenser opening (41), matching the size of the pill collector opening (31) on the collecting cylinder (30).

The collecting cylinder (30) and dispenser cylinder (40) are separated by the upper platform part (20a) of the closing platform (20).

The collecting cylinder (30) and the dispenser cylinder (40) are actuated by the rotating movement of the favourably square cross section rotating axle (50) that fits into the axle receiving profiles (32) and (42) in the centre axis of the former two parts. The height of the collecting cylinder (30) is set so that, regardless of the size of the dispenser cylinder (40) which matches the pill size, the rotating axle (50) can freely fit into the axle receiving profiles (32) and (42). Figure 3 illustrates the element of the closing platform (20) of the storing -dispenser device in Figure 1 in a lateral view cross-section.

Figures 4 and 5 are the top view and bottom view of closing platform (20) in Figure 3.

The closing platform (20) consists of two parts, the upper platform part (20a) and the lower platform part (20b), which enables the dispenser cylinder (40) to fit into the space determined by the two parts of the closing platform (20).

In the centre of the upper platform part (20a) of the closing platform (20) there is a stub receiving opening (23) that enables the fitting stub (43) of the dispenser cylinder (40) to pass through and rotate, and by the side of the stub receiving opening (23) there is a pill input opening (21a) that permits the pill arriving from the pill collector opening (31) of the collecting cylinder (30) to pass.

In the centre of the lower platform part (20b) of the closing platform (20) there is an axle receiving opening (22) to enable the passing and turning of the rotating axle (50), so that the rotating axle (50) can fit into the axle receiving bushing (42) of the dispenser cylinder (40), and a pill discharge opening (21b) with the same size as the pill input opening (21a) of the upper platform part (20a), placed at a certain angle - ideally 180 degrees - relative to it.

The upper platform part (20a) and lower platform part (20b) of the closing platform (20) are constructed as one element, or they are connected to each other with the connecting profiles (20c) on their surfaces. Since the lower platform part (20b) is fixed into the platform fitting profile (12) of the container (10) in a way that it cannot move, the upper platform part (20a) connected to it is also located in the container (10) in a way that it cannot move, separating the dispenser cylinder (40) actuated by the rotating axle (50), and the collecting cylinder (30), which is rigidly fixed to it.

Figure 6 illustrates the collecting cylinder (30) of the storing-dispenser device in Figure 1 in a lateral view cross-section.

Figures 7 and 8 are the top view and bottom view of the collecting cylinder (30) in Figure 6. The collecting cylinder (30) is a cylindrical body which contains a curved guiding surface (30a) on the upper part, and the stub receiving profile (33) receiving the fitting stub (43) of the dispenser cylinder (40) in the centre of its bottom part; it also contains an axle receiving profile (32) with a common axis with the axle receiving profile (42) of the dispenser cylinder (40), and at least one pill collector opening (31), open at both ends, stretching vertically along the entire length of the body of the collecting cylinder (30).

The guiding surface (30a) of the collecting cylinder (30) guides the pills in the storage container (10) by the force of gravity and rotation into the pill collector opening (31), one by one. Note: to prevent the pills from sticking to each other and to make their transport more efficient, the inner surface of the storage container (10) may be equipped with guiding plates (11).

Figure 9 illustrates the dispenser cylinder (40) of the storing-dispenser device in

Figure 1 in a lateral view cross-section.

Figures 10 and 11 are the top and bottom view of the dispenser cylinder (40) in Figure

9.

In the centre of the upper part of the dispenser cylinder (40) there is a fitting stub (43), which, passing through the stub receiving opening (23) of the upper platform part (20a), fits into the stub receiving opening (33) of the bottom part of the collecting cylinder (30). Inside the fitting stub (43), in the axis of the dispenser cylinder (40), there is smaller axle receiving profile (42) with the same axis as that of the fitting stub (43), stretching all along the dispenser cylinder (40), open at both ends, which receives the rotating axle (50).

In the dispenser cylinder (40) there is at least one pill dispenser opening (41), extending along its whole length, open at both ends, which passes the pill arriving from the pill collector opening (31) of the collecting cylinder (30) through the pill input opening (21a) of the upper platform part (20a) to the pill discharge opening (21b) on the lower platform part (20b), by turning the dispenser cylinder (40) at a certain angle, through which the pill leaves the container (10) by the force of gravity.

Note: the sizes of the pill collector opening (31) and the pill dispenser opening (41) and the height of the dispenser cylinder (40) and of the closing platform (20), which fits the size of the cylinder, are according to the diameter (a, b) and height (h) of the pills, ensuring this way that pills are arranged one by one above each other in the pill collector openings (31) of the collecting cylinder (30), and only one pill can fit into the pill dispenser opening (41) of the dispenser cylinder (40). a, b, h = 2-15 mm.

Note: the pill input opening (21a) and pill discharge opening (21b) of the closing platform (20), and the pill discharge opening (61) of the manual dispenser device (60) (to be described later) and the pill input opening (71a) and pill discharge opening (71b) of the motorised dispenser device (70), and the channels (81a), (81b), and (81c) of the aggregate dispenser device (80) are designed according to the size of the largest pill.

Hereunder, the operation of the storing-dispenser device, which is the basic unit of the dispenser system in accordance with the invention is presented in detail.

Introductory note: all elements of the storing-dispenser device in accordance with the invention are made of the same material, which makes it possible to recycle the material of the empty containers without disassembly, decoupling and sorting.

The pills to be dispensed are received by the container (10), which contains the closing platform (20) rigidly fixed to its inner surface, the lower platform part (20b) of which closes the container (10), while its upper platform part (20a) separates the collecting cylinder (30) and the dispenser cylinder (40). The pills in the container (10) are arranged in the pill collecting openings (31) as they pass along the guiding surface (30a) of the collecting cylinder (30). They are prevented from sticking together and jamming by the rotation of the collecting cylinder (30) and the guiding plates (11) on the inner surface of the container (10) if required.

Note: there can be an arbitrary number of pill collecting openings (31) but there must be at least one. In case of the ideal design form presented, the collecting cylinder contains two pill collecting openings (31), placed at 180 degrees to each other.

The bottom plane of the collecting cylinder (30) is closed by the upper platform part (20a) of the closing platform (20) in such a way that the pill input opening (21a) leaves only one pill collector opening (31) open. The pill input opening (21a) is of the same size as the pill discharge opening (21b) of the lower platform part (20b), and their position related to each other is determined by the rotation angle of the dispenser cylinder (40). In case of the presented design form, the two pill collecting openings (31) and the two pill dispenser openings (41) are placed diagonally, at 180 degrees to each other. The dispenser cylinder (40) is enclosed by the two elements of the closing platform (20), in which there is at least one pill dispenser opening (41), open at both ends, fitting to the pill discharge opening (21a) of the platform part (20a) and the pill discharge opening (21b) of the platform part (20b) during the rotating movement of the dispenser cylinder (40).

The fitting stub (43) of the dispenser cylinder (40) fits into the stub receiving profile (33) of the collecting cylinder (30) in a way sized and designed for a rigid connection so that there is a transmission of force between the collecting cylinder (30) and the dispenser cylinder (40).

The rotating axle (50), actuated by the manual dispenser devices (60) or the motorised dispenser devices (70) connected from the bottom with the aid of device fitting profiles (13) at the external side of the container (10) is mounted into the axle receiving profile (42) of the dispenser cylinder (40) to the storing-dispenser device in accordance with the invention.

The size and position of the openings in the various elements of the dispenser device in accordance with the invention, and the coordinated movement of the collecting cylinder (30) and the dispenser cylinder (40) ensures that pills leave the container (10) one by one through the pill discharge opening (21b).

The dispenser cylinder (40) actuated by the rotating axle (50) operates the collecting cylinder (30), which moves the pills in the container (10), and the pills are transferred into one of the collecting openings (31) of the collecting cylinder (30) without being damaged.

During the common movement of the collecting cylinder (30) actuated by the rotating axle (50) and the dispenser cylinder (40), the pill collector opening (31) and the pill dispenser opening (41) come into a coordinated position with the pill discharge opening (21a) of the upper platform part (20a), which separates them, and does not move relative to them, which, through the force of gravity, moves a pill from the collector opening (31) to the pill dispenser opening (41), and the pill dispenser opening (41), moving above the pill discharge opening (21b) of the lower platform part (20b) which does not move relative to it makes it possible for the pill to exit the storing-dispenser device through the pill discharge opening (21b). Figure 12 illustrates the integrated storage and dispenser device, shown in Figure 1, together with the design form of the manual dispenser device (60) that can be fitted to it, in lateral cross section view. Figures 12 is the lateral cross section of the manual dispenser device (60) in Figure 13.

Figures 13 and 14 are the top and bottom views of the manual dispenser device (60) in Figure 12.

The manual dispenser device (60) is a cylindrical device, open at one end, fitting from the outside to the end of the container (10) of the dispenser system in accordance with the invention, closed by the platform part (20b). The cylinder encompassing the container (10) from the outside is connected to the device fitting profile (13) of the container (10) with a device fitting profile (63), and the rotating axle (50) can be fixed into the axle receiving profile (62), located in the centre of its closed platform part. At the bottom part of the device there is at least one pill discharge opening (61), placed and sized according to the pill discharge opening (21b) of the lower platform part (20b). The device fitting profile (63) connected to the device fitting profile (13) of container (10) fixes the dispenser device (60) rigidly to the container (10), while enabling the manual turning of the dispenser device (60). Turning the dispenser device (60) rotates the rotating axle (50) fitted into the axle receiving profile (42) of the dispenser cylinder (40), which operates the dispenser cylinder (40). During the joint rotation of the dispenser cylinder (40) and the manual dispenser device (60), a position is achieved where the pill dispenser opening (41) is situated above the pill discharge opening (21b), and the pill discharge opening (61) is situated under the pill discharge opening (21b). Thus, the pill is able to leave the storing -dispenser device without being blocked, by the force of gravity, through the properly sized openings.

Note: the size of the pill discharge opening (61) of the manual dispenser device (60) is the same as that of the pill discharge opening (21b) of the lower platform part (20b) of the closing platform (20).

Further note: the manually operated dispenser device (60) may be of a child-resistant design, preventing the unauthorised or unintentional use of the dispenser device (60), and the material of the manual dispenser device (60) and the rotating axle (50) is the same as that of the parts of the dispenser device, which makes it possible to fully recycle the material of the empty storing-dispenser device and the manual dispenser device after their use, without decoupling and sorting. Figure 15 is the lateral cross-section of the design form of the motorised dispenser device (70) that can be fitted to the storing-dispenser device in Figure 1.

Figure 16 is the top view of the motorised dispenser device (70) in Figure 15.

The motorised dispenser device (70) is composed of three structural elements:

The fitting housing part (70a), the device fitting profile (73) of which, connected to the device fitting profile (13) of the container (10), rigidly fixing the motorised dispenser device (70) to its container (10). The rigid connection is registered by the connection sensor (70d).

The device storing housing part (70b), housing the stepping motor (74) operated by the start button (75) and the rotating axle (50) operated by the stepping motor (74), the rotating axle (50) fitting through the axle receiving opening (72) to the axle receiving profile (42) of the dispenser cylinder (40), and the pill input opening (71b) fitting the pill discharge opening (21b) of the lower platform part (20b), connected to the pill input opening (71a) by the pill guiding channel (71c). The movement of the pills is registered by motion sensor (7 Id).

The control housing part (70c), in which a battery (77) supplying the stepping motor (74) and the control unit (76), and the programmable control unit (77) processing the data arriving from the connection sensor (70d) and the motion sensor (7 Id) operates the local signal generator (78a) and the remote signal generator (78b), enabling the intelligent operation of the motorised dispenser device (70) that can be programmed, remotely monitored, and documented.

The operation of the motorised dispenser device in Figure 15 is explained below.

The stepping motor (74) and the rotating axle (50) attached to it operate the storing- dispenser device as described earlier in detail.

The pill leaving the storing-dispenser device through the pill discharge opening (3 lb) is transferred to the pill input opening (71b) of the device storing housing part (70b) of the motorised dispenser device (70), where, moving along the pill guiding channel (71c), it leaves the device through the pill discharge opening (71a). Its movement is registered by motion sensor (7 Id) located in the pill guiding channel (71c).

Note: in the case of the design form presented, the collecting cylinder (30) and the dispenser cylinder (40) contain two openings, but the device may have one or more openings, which are located at a certain angle to each other, and the appropriate rotation of the stepping motor (74) ensures the proper fitting of the pill input and output openings (21a), (21b), (31), (41), and (71b) of the storing-dispenser device and the motorised dispenser device (70), enabling the pills to leave the container one by one, without being damaged, by the force of gravity.

The stepping motor (74) powered by battery (77) dispenses a pill each time the system is started manually by the start button (75).

The control centre (76) powered by battery (77), according to the programmed therapeutic prescription, with the aid of the local signal generator (78a), warns the users by audible and/or light signals to use the pill according to the plan,

The control centre (76) detects and registers the signal of the motion sensor (7 Id) about the movement of the pill, continuously updating the information on the quantity of the pills in the container (10) based on this,

The control centre (76) sends information with the aid of the remote signal generator (78b) to a remote control point about the stock, and the usage of the pills according to or deviating from the prescription,

The control centre (76) monitors the connection of the storing-dispenser device and the dispenser device (70) on the basis of the connection sensor (70d), and, in case of a technical problem, sends a signal on the basis of data from sensors (70d) and (7 Id) to the user or the remote monitoring point with the use of local signal generator (78a) or remote signal generator (78b).

Further note: the motorised dispenser device (70) can be isolated from the storage/dispenser device (10) under controlled conditions and with appropriate tools, the empty dispenser tool can be reused as raw material, and the motorised dispenser device can be used again by connecting it to another dispenser device.

Figure 17 is the schematic drawing of the construction of the box dispenser device (80), incorporating the aggregated storing-dispenser devices and motorised dispenser devices, in accordance with the invention.

The box dispenser device (80) is composed of four structural elements: The box closing housing part (80a) securely closes the device storing housing part (80b) and the controlling housing part (80c), while the pill collecting cup (90), connected to the device storing housing part (80b), collects the pill combinations created by the box dispenser device (80). The box closing housing part (80a) can only be opened by a person presenting their authorisation, and the devices placed in the device storing housing part (80b) can only be operated when it is closed, which is monitored by the connection sensor (80d). There is a communications panel (85) located on the box closing housing part (80a), which provides public information about the operation and data of the closed system, and limited possibilities for urgent interventions that do not require the opening of the closed system.

The uniquely identified stepping motors (84) and the rotating axles (50) operated by them are located in the device storing housing part (80b), and the storing-dispenser devices connected to them as described earlier, also uniquely identified, which are securely fixed with the device fitting profiles (83a) to the device storing housing part (80b) are also located here. The secure and continuous connection is monitored by connection sensors (80d).

The pill receiving channels (81a) are connected to the pill discharge openings (21b) of the storing-dispenser devices placed in the device storing housing part (80b), which receive the pills leaving the storing-dispenser device. The movement of the pills is registered by motion sensors (8 Id). The pills are transferred to the pill collecting channel (81b) through the pill receiving channel (81a), through which they are transferred to the pill dropping channel (81c) by the force of gravity and the channel actuating motor (82) enhancing its effect. The combination of different pills created according to the program leave the box dispenser device (80) at the lower end of the pill dropping channel (81c), and is collected in the pill collecting cup (90), fitting the bottom of the pill collecting channel (80c), and connected to the device storing housing part (80b). The pill guiding channels (81a), (81b), and (81c) provide a continuous, closed system for the pills, ensuring that the different pills move together. To prevent the risks from possible contamination, the whole channel system can be removed and cleaned.

On the external surface of the device storing housing part (80b), there are external device fitting profiles (83b) that make it possible to connect the box dispenser devices (80) to each other, ensuring that the pill dropping channels (81c), connected to each other, form a unified channel. The box dispenser devices (80) connected to each other make it possible to use several storing-dispenser devices together. These device fitting profiles (83b) ensure the secure fixing of the pill collecting cup (90) to the device storing housing part (80b), and its exact fitting to the bottom of the pill dropping channel (81c).

At the lower end of the pill dropping channel (81c), the pill collecting cup (90) is fixed securely to the device fitting profiles (83b) by the cup fitting profiles (91). The secure fitting is monitored by the connection sensor (80d). The cup identifying sensor (89) located here registers the unique identifier sign (90d) of the cup (90). Based on the unique identifier sign (90d) assigned to the unique user, the control centre (86) creates the pill combination determined according to therapy prescribed for the given user. The securely fixed pill collecting cup (90) ensures that the pills leaving the box dispenser device (80) are not scattered, and the unique identifier signs (90d) located on the pill collecting cups (90) make it possible for the box dispenser device (80) to create the pill combination for the person identified by the unique identifier sign (90d). One box dispenser device (80) or several of the devices connected to each other can prepare the pill combinations prescribed for several persons, filling the pill collecting cups (90) distinguished by the unique identifier sign (90d), one by one.

The controlling housing part (80c) encompasses the battery (87) powering the system, the control centre (86) controlling its operation, and the local signal generator (88a) and remote signal generator (88b).

The operation of the box dispenser device (80) in Figure 17 is explained below.

The person authorised to operate the system places the uniquely identified storing- dispenser devices containing the various pills, fitting them to the stepping motors (84) that can also be uniquely identified, in a way described earlier, so that the storing-dispenser devices are connected to the rotating axles (50) operated by the stepping motors (84), and their device fitting profiles (13) are connected securely, monitored by the connection sensor (80d), to the device fitting profiles (83a) located in the device storing housing part (80b). The interconnected data from the uniquely identified stepping motors (84) and the storing- dispenser devices are recorded by the control centre (86).

The person authorised to operate the device records the data required to identify the user in the control centre (86), the data related to the prescribed therapy, and assigns the pill collecting cup (90) identified by the unique identifier sign (90d). The control centre (86), based on the data of the connection sensors (80d), registers that the box closing lid (80a) closes properly the device storing housing part (80b), that the device fitting profiles (13) of the storage containers (10) are properly connected to the device fitting profiles (83a) of the device storing housing part (80b), and that the pill collecting cup (90) properly fits the bottom of the pill dropping channel (81c).

Based on the data of the cup identifying sensor (89) registering the unique identifier sign (90d) of the pill collecting cup (90), the system starts to assemble the pill combination prescribed for the user: at certain points in time, it sends a command to the corresponding stepping motors (84), which, by operating the rotating axles (50), start the movement of the dispenser cylinders (40), with the result that the required pills leave the containers (10) through the pill discharge openings (21b), and are transferred to the pill collecting channels (81b) through the pill guiding channels (81a) connected to the pill discharge opening (21b). The event when pills leave the container (10) is registered by the motion sensors (8 Id) placed into the pill collecting channels (81a).

Based on the signal of the motion sensors (8 Id), the control centre (86) registers that a certain pill has left the container (10). The control centre (86) modifies the pill inventory accordingly. Based on the data of the programmed therapy, the control centre (86) sends a signal through the local signal generator (88a) and communications panel (85) or to a remote monitoring point through the remote signal generator (88b) that the container is going to run out of pills, and replacement will be required. Similarly, the control centre (86) also monitors the data about the expiry dates of the pills in the containers (10).

The box dispenser devices (80) can be connected to each other with the external device fitting profiles (83b) in a way that the pill dropping channels (81c) form one continuous channel, and all of the pill combinations created in the box dispenser devices (80) connected to each other leave the box dispenser device (80) at the bottom end of the pill dropping channel (81c) of the lowest box.

At the bottom end of the pill dropping channel (81c), where the pill combination leaves the box dispenser device (80), the external device fitting profile (83b) and the cup fitting profile (93) of the pill collecting cup (90) rigidly connected to each other securely fix the pill collecting cup (90) to the bottom end of the pill dropping channel (81c) of the box dispenser device (80). The secure connection is monitored by the connection sensor (80d). The cup identifying sensor (89) detects the unique identifier sign (90d) of the pill collecting cup (90). The control centre (86) registers the proper, secure fitting of the pill dispenser cup (90), and, based on the unique identifier sign (90d), it creates the pill combination prescribed for the uniquely identified user.

Advantages of the contactless pill dispenser system in accordance with the invention:

The storing device, created during the production of the medicine or its packaging at the pharmacy, which can be uniquely identified if required, and which is closed by the dispenser tool provides cost effective means of storing and transporting, based of the unified size system,

- enables the secure use of the medicines that can be documented, significantly decreasing the security risks and the costs necessary to prevent these risks;

- makes it possible to use all of the medicines, decreasing the detrimental environmental effects of medicine remainders, and the costs of their disposal as hazardous waste;

- considerably reduces the risk of the medicines being damaged, contaminated, or mixed;

- the uniquely identifiable storing/dispenser device makes it considerably more difficult to sell counterfeit medicines;

- according to the requirements, it makes it possible to operate the storage/dispenser devices manually or automatically;

- makes it possible to program, remote control, remote monitor and document the dosing;

- all parts of the storing-dispenser device are made of one type of material that can be collected and recycled, so the costs of handling and disposing of the packaging is reduced, while the motorised and remote controlled devices can be used several times. NUMBERED LIST OF THE PARTS OF THE CONTACTLESS PILL DISPENSER

SYSTEM

1 storing-dispenser device

10 storage container

11 guiding profile

12 platform fitting profile

13 device fitting profile

20 closing platform

20a upper platform part

20b lower platform part

20c connecting profile

21a pill input opening

21b pill discharge opening

22 axle receiving opening

23 stub receiving opening

30 collecting cylinder

30a guiding surface

31 pill collector opening

32 axle receiving profile

33 stub receiving profile

40 dispenser cylinder

41 pill dispenser opening

42 axle receiving profile

43 fitting stub dispenser device

50 rotating axle

60 manual dispenser device

61 pill discharge opening

62 axle receiving profile

63 device fitting profile

70 motorised dispenser device

70a fitting housing part

70b device storing housing part

70c control housing part

71a pill input opening

71b pill discharge opening

71c pill guiding channel

7 Id motion sensor

72 axle receiving opening

73 device fitting profile

73a container sensor

74 stepping motor

75 battery

76 start button

77 control centre

78a local signal generator

78b remote signal generator

box dispenser device

80a box closing housing part

80b device receiving housing part

80c control housing part

80d closing detection sensor

81a pill receiving channel

81b pill collecting channel

81c pill dropping channel

8 Id motion sensor

82 pneumatic or mechanical motor

83a device fitting profile

83b external device detecting sensor

84 stepping motor

85 display panel

86 control centre

87 battery

88a local signal generator

88b remote signal generator

89 cup identifying sensor

90 pill collecting cup

90a cup closing lid

90b pill storing housing part

90c control housing part

90d unique identifier sign

91 control centre

92 battery

93 cup fitting profile