CA1293382C

CA1293382C - Apparatus for alerting a patient to take medication

Info

Publication number: CA1293382C
Application number: CA 484538
Authority: CA
Inventors: Bruce A. Kehr; Albert L. Hedrich
Original assignee: Bruce A. Kehr; Albert L. Hedrich; Informedix, Inc.
Current assignee: InforMedix Inc
Priority date: 1984-07-06
Filing date: 1985-06-19
Publication date: 1991-12-24
Anticipated expiration: 2008-12-24
Also published as: JPS6156655A; DE3585899D1; US4768176A; EP0172638B1; JPH0544296B2; EP0172638A1

Abstract

APPARATUS FOR ALERTING A PATIENT
TO TAKE MEDICATION

ABSTRACT

A container for medication has four compartments, each of which may store medication. An electrical signal-ing system emits take-medication signals from time to time, each of which said signals indicates a) that medication should be taken, b) from which compartment the medication should be taken, c) the quantity of medication to be taken from the designated compartment, and instructions for tak-ing the medication. If a designated compartment is not promptly opened and closed, the electrical signaling system will sound an alarm. At any time that a designated compartment is opened and closed, the take-medication sig-nal and the alarm (if operating) are turned off. A "night"
switch is associated with each compartment and when manual-ly operated turns off the signaling system for such compartment; however, the signaling system is automatically reactivated the next morning. A reload signal is given once a week, as a reminder to reload the compartments with medication.

Description

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APPARATUS FOR ALERTING A PATIENT
TO TAKE MEDICATION

Background of the Invention It is a frequent occurrence that patients do not properly take their medication as prescribed by his or her physician. This is especially true for elderly patients who must take several different medications at various times throughout the day. The problem has been especially serious when the patient has impaired eyesight and/or is confused. The problem manifests itself in various ways, such as (1) failure to take the medication, (2) taking the wrong medication (3) taking too much of, or too lit`tle of, the correct medication, and (4) taking the medication at an incorrect ti~e.
Despite the fact that the aforesaid problem has existed for generations it remains unsolved. The closest approach has been a portable pill container that emits a signal when medication is to be taken. Such a device, while helpful, does not solve the problem. In particular, it does not indicate to the patient which one of several prescribed medications is to be taken when the signal is given, much less does it signal how much medication is to be taken. It also fails to take action in the event the patient does not heed the signal. It similarly lacks other useful features described in this application.

SUMMARY_ OF T~E I~IVENTION

The longstanding problem described above has~been solved by our invention described below:
A container with a plurality of medication 30~ compartm~ents may be u~sed to store~a plurallty of medications.
An~electrical signaling circuit, having a timing system therein, not only~gives a signal whenever medication is to be taken but indicates the compartment from which the .

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medication is to be taken. This indication is given by illuminating a light bank positioned closely adjacent the desired compartment. The number of lights, of the light bank, which are illuminated, indicates the quantity of medication to be taken from the designated compartment;
i.e. i~ the medication is in the for~ of pills the illum-ination of three lights, for example, of the bank, indi-cates that three pills are to be taken from the designated compartment.
If the patient obeys the commands of the system and opens the designated compartment, removes the desired medication and then closes the compartment, the aforesaid signals will be turned off until the next time arrives for taking medication.
If the patient fails to obey the commands of the system and does not open and close the designated compart-ment within a predetermined interval of time, an alarm will be given. The alarm and the signal will be shut off when the designated compartment is opened and closed.
Generally, any single medication is to be taken periodically throughout the day. Therefore, the electrical circuitry associated with each compartment may be preset to any one of several periods, for example four, six, eight, twelve or twenty~four hours. The period for each compart-ment may be set independently of the settings for the other compartments, and the period for a given compartment may be selected so that it is appropriate to the medication in the compartment to which the setting is applicable.
When the medication in any given compartment is not to be taken at night, the patient may depress a special night cut-off switch which latches-out the signaling system for the night; however, the signaling system automatically restarts at a preset time the next morning.
The device has a number of manually operable switches that are pre-set to obtain proper operating conditions. To avoid accidental manual operation of these switches they are mounted in a cavity between upstanding ribs, and can be depressed only with a pointed instrument.
As stated above, the take-medication signal, and ~he al-rm~(~f opera-irg), are t;rned off when the patient - .

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opens and closes the compartment. This operation is car-ried out by having a separate closure (for example a lid) for opening and closing each compartment. When the lid is moved to close the compartment a switch, operating through the electrical circuit of the signaling system, turns off the take-medication signal (including said light bank). and the alarm (if it is operating).
Each compartment has its own signaling circuits, although some parts such as a timing circuit, an audible signal, the alarm signal, and the reload signaling system, are common to all compartments.
The timing circuit feeds predetermined periodic timing signals to the signaling circuits of all compartments. There are settable switches associated with each compartment which enable the desired period (four hours, 5iX hours, etc.) to be selected. Each slgnal of each group of periodic signals "sets" a bistable device which activates the take-medication bank of lights adjacent to the compartment containing the medication to be taken in response to such signal. An audible signal is also given.
If in response to the command of the take-medication signal the patient opens and closes the lid of the applicable compartment, the bistable de~ice is "reset" and the take~
medication siynal is turned off. If the lid is not oper-ated after a predetermined time, the bistable deviceremains "set" and a timing circuit turns on an alarm.
The timing circuit has a twenty-four signal which will restart the take-medication signal each morning if it is turned off at night as aforesaid. The night switch, 30 when operated, "resets" the bistable devices and prevents the setting thereof, but the twenty-four signal will"set~
the bistable device the next morning and restart the sys-tem.
o A , 7 divider receives the twenty-four hour signal 35 and gives the reload si~nal, once a week, which directs the patient to reload the compartments with medication.
If desired, the audible signal may be a transducer which emits speech giving special instructions to the patient relating to the taking of the medication.
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, -BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is side view of a pill bottle embodying the invention.
Figure 2 is a top view of the preferred form of 5 the invention.
Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuitry used in practicing the invention.
Fi~ure 5 is a schematic diagram showing addition-10 al circuitry used in practicing the invention and also showing the interconnection of that circuitry with the circuitry of Figure 4.

; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 illustrates a pill container 12 having a I5 screw-type lid or cap 10, and an electrical switch 11 which momentarily operates electrical circuitry Ihereinaf-ter described) when the cap~20 is screwed onto the contain-er ~ to close it.
Figure 2 illustrates casing 13 having four diffe-;20 rent pill compartments 14, 15, 16 and 17, having lids 18,19, 2~ and 21 respectively. Each of the four lids 18, 19,, 20 and 21 for the four compartments 14, 15, 16 and 17, is~
; pivoted at its inner end to the pill compartment; for example lid 21 is attached to compartment 17 by a pivoted~
25 connection 26 which permits the lid 21 to be opened and closed by rotating it about the connection 26. Each of lids 18, 19,~20 and 21 has means for holding it cIosed; for example, the lid 21 has a projection terminating in a large hall 28 which snaps into contoured indent 27. The ball 28 ' :

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and/or the walls defining indent 27, are sufficiently flex-ible so that the ball 28 snaps into and out of indent 27.
The lids 18, 19, 20 and 21 have associated elec-trical switches 22, 23, 2~, and 25 respectively. E~ch of 5 these four switches i8 arranged to be momentarily closed (or opened if the associated circuitry so requires) when its complementary lid 18, 19, 20 or 21 is closed.
Located within the casing 13, but not in any of the compartments 14 to 17, is the electrical circuitry 10 shown in Figures 4 and 5. Basically, this circuitry can be set to give signals from time to time to alert the patient to take one or more pills. The circuitry will also desig-nate the pill compartment 14 to 17 which contains the pill to be taken at any given time by illuminating one or more 15 of the four light banks 29-31, 32-3~, 35-37 and 38-~0.
Assume, for purpose of illustration, that a pa-tient is to take pills, everyday, as follows:
Pill A 7 AM, 11 ~M, 3 PM, 7 PM
Pill B 7 AM, 1 PM, 7 PM
Pill C 7 AM, 7 P~
Pill D 7 AM only Pills, A, B, C, and D would be placed in compart-ments 14, 15, 16, and 17, respectively. The electrical circuitry, as we shall see, is settable to give signals at the various times, each day, at which pills are to be 25 taken.
For Pill A, the patient will select circuitry that will repeat its signals every four hours starting at 7 AM. For Pill B, the patient will select circuitry that wilI repeat itself every six hours, again starting at 7 30 AM. For Pill C,`the patient will select circuitry that will repeat itself every 12 h:ours starting at 7 AM and for Pill D, the patient will select circuitry that repeats itself once each day at 7 AM.
To satisfy the above illustration, at 7 AM the 35 circuitry of Figures 4 and 5 will emit an audible signal for fifteen seconds and which audible signal will, repeat itself once a minute until it is stopped by ~he operation of switch 22 upon the closing of the lid 18 of compartment 14. At the same time that the audible signal begins, the ~:
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electrical circuitry of Figures 4 and 5, will energize one or more of the three signal lights 29, 30 and 31 in the light bank 29-31. The light bank 29-31 is located closely adjacent to compartment 14, and thereby indicates to the patient that he or she is to take medication from compart-ment 14. The light bank 29-31 is deenergized by switch 22 when the lid 18 of compartment 14 is closed~
The light bank 2a-31 has three si~nal lights 29, 30 and 31 (Fig. 5~ which are pre-settable, as will appear, so that when the light bank 29-31 is energi~ed orlly the correct number of these three lights will be energized.
If one light is illuminated it means that the patient is to take only one pill from the compartment 14. ~lhen two of the signal lights are illuminated the patient i5 to take two pills from the compartment 14. ~hen all three lights 29, 30 and 31, are illuminated, the patient is to take three pills.
Light bank 32-34 is closely adjacent compartment 15, light bank 35-37 is closely adjacent cor;partment 16, and light bank 3~-40 is closely adjacent com,partment 17.
Thus, each liyht bank serves one cc~partment, and its function in conjunction with its complementary corrpartlTIent is the same as the function of light bank 29-31 in conjunction with compartment 14.
Similarly, at 3 PM, and again at 7 PM a similar series of events occurs.
Since the timin~ circuitry repeats itself every 24 hours, each of compartments 14 to 17 may contain a number of pills, that is compartm~ent 14 may contain a one-week supply of pill A, cornpartment 15 may contain a one-week supply of pill B, etc.
Wires A and C of Fi~ure 4 connect to ~"ires ~ and C
respectively, of Figure 5. ~he block diagrams shown in Figures 4 and 5 show the logic and electronic circuitry to perform the following functions and operations:
The clock 41 with dividers 42 through 5~ generate electrical signals at intervals of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, ~3, 12 and 24 hours tFig. 4). The siynal occurring at the desired interval is selected b~f closins the appropriate s~"itch 72 through 79 (Fig- 5). When the selected signal occurs, the lZ933132 following events take pLace: Either one, two or three of the light emitting diodes ~LEDs), 29, 3~ and 31, are ener-gized depending on whether one or both of the switches, 70 and 71, are closed. These switches are set at the time the pill-kox is initiali~ed to indicate the number of units of medication to be taken. At the same time a liquid crystal display tLCD) 69a (Fig. 5) is caused to display a preset message such as "MEALS", "~IOR~" or "EVE".
As explained in rnore detail later, thee is one LCD 69a for each compartment 14, 15, 16 and 17, and each such LCD 69a is closely adjacent its complernentary ccmpartment so the patient will associate the message on an LCD 69a with the compartment complementary to that LCD. At the same time the audible alarm 68 (Fig. 4) produces a unique sound for a period of 15 seconds at the beginning of every minute for a period of ten minutes. If, during the ten minute period followiny initiation of the alarm, the lid 18 of compart-ment 14 is opened and ther closed the audible alarm, and the LED`s and the LCD are shut off. If thc alarm has not been answered by opening and closing the lid 18 within the ten minute period following initiation of the alarm, the audible alarm 68 is turned off. ~t the same time the red LED 57 is turned cn. The red LED 57 will stay on as t~ill the LEDs and LCD until the lid 18 of the ccmpartment is opened and closed. Opening and closing the lid 1~ of the compartment 1~ operates the switch 22 (Figs. 2 and 4) in a manner explained later.
If the invention is designed to have an LCD 69a with an output inscribed with the word "~IEAL", the pill in the container 14, 15, 16 or 17 closest to that LCD 69~/oul~
be taken at the meal next following ~he illumination of LC~
69a. An LCD displa~y and driver,suita~le for part 69a, is describ~d in the Intersil publication on pages 6-84 through 6-1~3, a co~y of which is being filed with this application. Either IC~17233 ~Jhich provides 4 charàcters of 18 segments or ICM7234 which will drive 5 characters of 1~ segments, would be suitable.
A signal from the divider 61 occurs seven days later causing the yellow L~D 66 to be turned on indicatirlg ~40 that it is time to re-load the box with rr.edication. Alter-:

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~L~93~l512 natively, an LCD display of "LOAD" could be used rather than the yellow LED 66. The "LOAD" signal recurs every seven days, and thereby instructs the patient to re~load compartments 14 to 17 with pills. After each reloading the 5 patient momentarily de~resses switch 64 to turn off the load signal light 66.
The following is a detailed descri~tion of the operation of the electrical circuit shown in Fi~ures 4 and 5. The symbols used in the figures follow accepted usage 10 in showing logic devices. l~Jhere non-standard or special symbols are usecd, they are explained in the text.
Figure 4 shows that part of the circuit that is common to all ccmpartments and contains all parts of tlle circuit that perform fur.ctions not unique to any particu-lar compartment 14 to 17. Figure 5 show6 those parts cf the circuit unique to each compartment 14, 15, 16 and 17 and that, therefore, must be duplicatec' for each compart-ment 14, 15, 16 ancl 17.
A11 timing signals ancl the electrical signals for 2û the audible signal originate in the cloc~ 41. A co~er-cially available unit suitable for this function is the Intersil~ ICM7213 One Second/One r~inute Precision Clock and ~" Reference Generator. This is described in detai1 on pa~es 7-42 throu~h 7-46 of the Intersil reference book, HOT ID~S
IM CMOS. Photocopies of the referenced pages ar~ beins filed with this application. The signal present on pin 14 of this clock 41 is an electrical pulse occuring at a rate of one pulse per minute (1/60 Hz). These pulses are applied to a string of dividers 42 through 50 that act to divide the frequency at which the pulses occur. This is the equivalent to multiplying the time interval ~etween pulses by the same factor. The divide-by-ten (--10) divider 42 is typically a Motorola MC14017B Decade Counter/Divider as shown on pase 7-54ff of ~lotorola publi-cation DL-105. The . 6 divider 43 and 3 divider ~,7 are typically 2~iotorola ~1C14018B Presetta~le Divide-by~l Counters described on page 78-59ff of the same ~lotcrola publication. The --2 dividers 44, 45, 46, 48, 49 and 5 are typically Motorola ~lC14516e Binary Up/Down Counters described on page 7-4~6 of the same Motorola publication.

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~33~2 Copies of the applicable pages of said Motorola publication are being filed with this application.
The -10 divider 42, and 6 divider 43, ta}~en together divide the output of clock 41 by 60 and therefore procduces a pulse once per hour at the output o~ divider 43. Dividers 4~, 45 and 46 generate pulses at intervals of 2, 4 and 8 hours respectively. In a similar fashion, divi-ders 47 through 50 generate pulses at intervals of 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours.
The eight lines terrninating at the bottom of Figure 4 carry the signals for the eic,ht periods described above. All eight lines go to all compartments, 14, 15, 1 and 17, of the casing 13. Refer now to ~igures,~ and 5.
The compartments 1~, 15, 16 and 17 of the casing 13 have switches 22, 23, 24 and 25, respectively. ~ach compartment 14, 15, 16 and 1~ has a set of parts iclentical to 70 to 87 incl., 29-31 incl., and 69. It should be understood that the description of the electrical circuitry for compartment 14 is valid for any of the compartments 15, 16 ar.d 17 and that the four compartments 14 to 17 can be programmed independently of each other. All timing signals go to all compartments independently of what is happening with any of the others. ~lhether or not the alarm 68 i5 ans~ered for one compartment has no bearing on whether the alarm 68 will sound for one of the other compartments.
To select the desired timing one of s~itches 72 to 79 is closed. For the illustration given above for Pill A, switch 75, which selectes a four hour period between the takin~ of pills, ~ould be closed. At the chosen time the signal through switch 75 is connected to cne of the inputs of the eisht-input NOR gate 80. This is typically a Motorola MC14078B 8-Input NOR Gate described on page 7-Sff of the above-referenced publlcation. A copy of this publi-cation is being filed with this application. All inputs 35 ~and outputs of losic elements referred to in the remainder of this description can have only two states, ~ and 1, unless the contrary is explicitly stated. A NO~ c~ate has the property that the output is 1 as lony as all inputs are 0. If any input is 1, the cutput goes to 0. ~'herefore, the output o~ the ~OR gate 8~ is 1 until an alarm siynal 3~3~2 drives one of the eight inputs to 1 at which time the output goes to 0.
The latch 81 shown in dotted lines is typically a Motorola ~C14044B Quad NAND R-S Latch described on page 7-5 120ff of the above-referenced Motorola publication. A copy of this publication is being filed with this application.
The designation "Quad" indicates that there are four such latches shown in Figures 4 and 5 and typically they would be the four latches located on this IC. A M~ND R-S latch 10 has the property that a momentary transition from 1 to 0 on one of the inputs produces an output level that re~ains at this level until an appropriate level change at one of the inputs causes it to change to the other level, hence the name latch. The change can be momentary and the condition 15 is latched-in until changed.
The top input to latch 81 may be driven from the output of NOR c;ate ~0, via inverter ~2 and N~D gate 83.
When the top input to latch ~1 is driven (as Just explained) to a 0 level by the output of the NCR gate ~, 20 the output shown on the right side of the dotted rectangle is driven from 0 to 1. The output stays at this level until driven to 0 by the appropriate signal to the other input as will be descrlbed later. An output level of 1 usually represents a voltage level of about 4.5 to 5.0 25 volts. This is an appropriate voltage to turn on one or more of the green LED`s 29, 30 and 31. LED 29 will always come on when alarmed and LED`s 3~ and 31 will come on when switches 70 and 71, respectivel~, are closed and the circuit to those switches i5 energized. The output signal 30 is also sent to the circuits of Figure 4 through line C.
Wire A of Figure 4 connects to wire A of Figure 5, and wire C of Figure 4 connects to wire C of Figure 5.
The signal on line C is applied to three logic elements shown in Figure 4: tlIe NAND gate 52, the inverter 35 67 and the inverter 54. The function of each of these elements will be described ~elow. The N~.MD cate 52 is typically a Motorola MC140l2B Dual 4-Input NP~ID Gate des-cribed on page 7-5ff of the a~ove-re~erenced MotGrola pub-lication. The designation "Dual" indicates that there are 40 two identical gates on a single IC. ~ ~IAMD gate has the ~33~Z

property that the output is at a 1 level if any one of the inputs is a 0 level. When all inputs are at a l level, the output goes to a 0 level. NAND gate 52 is used to turn on the audible alarm 68.
~s long as the level on the C line is at 0 the other three inputs to the NAND sate 52 will have no effect on the output. However, when the signal on the C line goes to l,control goes to the other inputs of gate 52. Timer 51 controls one of the other inputs to NAND gate 52. Timer 51 typically is an Intersil ICr~7555 and is describe~. on page 6-155ff of the Intersil publication referred to abcve. In this application it is used as a monostable pulse generator as shown in Figure 4, page 6-158 of the Intersil publica-tion. The trigger applied to pin 2 of the timer 51 is l_ obtained from the clock 41 output consisting of a pulse once per minute. The resistor and capacitor shown in Figure 4 of the Intersil data book are chosen to produce a pulse of approximately 15 seconds width. The positive output pulse from pin 3 of the timer 51 is applied to one of the inputs of gate 52, hereinafter referred to as the center input. Thus, for the first 15 seconds of each minute the center input of gate 52 is at a 1 level. Thus, when the C line is at a 1 level, control of the output of gate 52 is transferred to the top in~ut for the first 15 seconds of each minute.
The top input to gate 52 is obtained from pin 13 of the clock 41. This signal consists of a composite of a 1024 Hz, a 16 Hz and a 2 Elz signal. When converted into sound ~,aves by the transducer 68, it produces a very dis-tinctive alarm sound. When the other three inputs to gate 52 are at a 1 level, this signal fronl the cloc}; 41 controls the output of gate 52 which is applied to the audible sound generator or transducer 68. ThUcl the signal will sound for the first 15 seconds of each minute as long as the signal on the C line is at a 1 ] evel.
Instead of applying the electrical alarm signal generated by the clock 41 to the audible signal senerator 658, the electrical signal at the output of l~ NI~ gate 52 could be applied to the input of a hearing aicl earphone so that the signal ~"ould ~;e audi.~le to a person with a hearing ~293313;Z

impairment. Alternatively, the output of MAMD gate 52 may actuate a voice synthesizer, or the loud speaker of a radio or television set. A suitable voice synthesi~er is shown and described on pages 28 to 42 of the March 1984 issue of 5 BYTE magazine. ~ copy of this article is being filed with this application. The output of the voice synthesizer wGuld feed the earphone of a hearins aid or a loudspea~er~ith instructions for taking the medication. Alternati~.ely, the signal fed to audible signal generator 68 could start a recorder which would emit audible voice instructions to the patient as to how to take the medication.
The signal on the C line is also applied to the inputs of the two inverters 54 and 67. These inverters are typically Motorola MC14~49UBV Hex Inverter/Buffers des-cribed on page 7-129ff of the above-referenced Motorola publication. An inverter has the property that it chanses the input to its complement at the output. Thus, if the input is at a 1 level, the output is at a 0 level and vice-versa. The ~lex designation indicates that there are six 20 inverters on a single IC. Thus, all the inverters used in Figures 4 and 5 can be located on a single IC.
When the level on the C line goes to a 1 level as a result of the alarm si~nal, the to~ input tc latch 55 is driven from a 1 level to a 0 level. The output of the latch 55 is driven to a 0 level which is applied to the top input of ~AND ~ate 56 insuring that its output is at a 1 level. The inverter 60 output is at a 0 level and the red LED 57 is off. At the same time, the lower input 67a of latch 58 is driven to a 0 level by the signal on the C line 30 applied to tllis input throu~h the inverter 67. This drives the output of latch 58 to a 1 level which is applied to the bottom input of ~AND gate 56. This transfers control of gate 56 to the top input. If the alarln is not answered by opening and closing the lid of the applicable compartment, 35 during the ten minute period followins the initiation of the alarm, a signal from the -1~ divlder ~2 will ~rive the bottom input of latch 55 to a ~ level through inverter 53 which will cause the output of latch 55 to go to a 1 level. The output of M~D ~ate 56 will go to a ~ level dnd 40 the red LED 57 will be turned on throush inverter 6~ ar.d ; ~ :
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d by transducer 68 i 1 Closing the lid 18 ' the alarm ls anS~ver d S to a 0 level Th Y dr vln9 the top nput 5 f the lid 18 of the d a ft er the 10 minut red LED 5 7 wi 1 1 be t o aPpears th e o u tput 5 8a o f 1 t 1 ine Ref erence to Fi A is applied to th b Will go to a 0 level 14 is closed. Thi 31 Wlll be urned Oef el and the green LED~
u rn i n g o f f th e a u d i b 1 l e to abe returned to a co di arm si gna 1 andP at as described ab i t to a 1 1 ow th e u s er f 15, 16e alarm, on any of th y s u ch c ompa r t m e n t s o d i red to i ts norma 1 n c e o f th e 2 4 -h o u r a l is that it is probabl Patient would nOt w t 3O the sYsterl to it SVent the pati t desired that thiS ~o 1 p nents 82 through 87 (~i j ut Off circuit Operat Under nrmal cO
1 ed~ the right hand t i v e by t h e o u tp u t O f he c 24 hour signal on li a 1 1 compa rtment s 14 sab 1 ed- The ~i sab 1 i ¦
~ inPUt to latch 84 f ndition any signal a li 13 ! --.. .. . ..

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gate 80 through one of the switches 72 through 79 will cause the input cf NA~D gate 83 to go to a 1 state, driving the top input of latch 81 to 0. The sequence of events described above will then occur.
If and when it is desired to disable the circuit from a given compartment, for example compartment 14, "night" switch 85 is closed momer.tarily, causing thc output ~3a of latch 84 to go to 0. Under this condition the output of the ~AND gate 83 will be 1 and will be unaffected by any input on its left hand input 82a. This c~naition will persist until the occurence of the 24-hour alarm signzl on line 69 ~see Fig. 5). The 24 hour signal on line 69 (Yig. 5~), resets latch 84 for normal daytime operation.
Resistor 87 insures that the top input to latch 84 is at 1 until switch ~5 is closed.
~ 1hen the bo.~ is initiall~ set it is only necessary to insure that the 2~1-hour signal occurs at the desired time in the morning, in this illustration at 7 AM.
In the preferred form of Figures 2 and 3, the components 70 to 87 incl., 29, 3~, 31 and 69a are usea in conjunction with compartment 14. A "uplicate set" of all of these parts 7~ to 87 incl., 29, 3~, 31 and 69a is used for each of the other compartments 15, 16 and 17. This "duplicate set" for compartment 15 is partially shown in Fiure 5 by reference numbers 92 to 1~0 incl. Reference number 101 shows certain ~Yires that feed the "duplicate set" for compartment 16, and the "duplicate set" for compartment 17.

Operation of Figure 1 The electrical circuitry used in conjunction with Figure 1 is apparent from the foregoing. The form of invention shown in Figure 1 may be used ~hen the patiellt takes a sinsle medication from time to timc. If the medication is in the form of pills, they are placed in container 12, and a switch 11 is momentarily closed when lid 1~ is screwed or other~ e inserted on the container 12. The circuitry of Fi~ures 4 and 5 is used with Eigure 1 exce~t that the ~uplicate circuitry 92 to lUl incl. Gf 1~

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Figure 5 is omitted.
The pill conta.iner 12 of Fisure 1 may be used by a patient who must take a given pill periodically. Assume that the pill is to be taken at four-hour intervals, the patient will close switch 75. As a result, the audible signaling device (transducer) 68 and one or more of signal lights 29, 3~ and 31 will be energi~ed every four hours, starting at 7 A~. After the 7 PM pill, the patient may momentarily depress switch 85 -to deactivate the system until 7 AM.
If the patient obevs the co~.ands of the system by, in response to each emission of an audible sisnal by transducer 68, promptly (a) opening the container (b) taking the number of ~ills indicated by signal li~hts 29, 30, 31, and (c) screwing lid 1~ on the container (moment-arily closing switch 11), the repeat audible warnings and the illumination of red LED 57 will not occur.
However, if the patient fails to open the contain-er 12 and take a pill, the back-up ~arning system will be activated as follo~s: As explained above, there will be repeat audible warnings from transducer 6~ for the first fi~teen seconds of every minute, and aftcr ten minutes the red light 57 (Figs. 1 and 4) will be turned on.
Once a week, the re-load signal light 66 is illuminated, and after reloading container 12 :ith pills the switch 64 is momentarily closed to turn off signal light 66 until it comes back on one week later.
The device of Figure 1, employs the circuitry 41 to 50 incl., 61 to 66 incl., and 69a, ~hich energizes signal light 66 at 7 A~l once a weeX thereby instructing the patient to reload container 12 with pills, as explained in ; ~ conjunction with Figures 2 and 3. The patient sets one of switches 72 to 79 incl. to designate the time period between the taking of a given pill during the day. At each indicated time, pills from container 12 are to be ~alcen as in the case of Figu}es 2 and 3. The audible signal 68, and one or more of signal Iights 29, 3 and 31 (Figure S) are illuminated at the aforesaid various times during the day, as explained above as well as in con~unctlon with Figures 2 ;40 and 3.
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; ~ 15 ;

1~33~32 In the form of Figure 1, switch 11 of Figure 1 corresponds to switch 22 of Figure 4; switches 23, 24 and 25 being omitted in this modification. Since s~Jitch 11 (switch 22 in Fig. 4) closes momentarily when the lid or cap 10 is screwed onto container 12, the latch 58 will be reset, as explained in conjunction with Figures 2 and 3, and turns off (a) the audible signal 68 and (b) whichever one or ones of the signal lights 29, 30 and 31 which are on.
One, two or three of signal lights 29, 30 and 31 may be illuminated every pill-taking time, dependins on the settings of manually operable switches 70 and 71. Similar-ly, at pill-taking time LCD 69a will be displayed. It too will be turned off when lid 10 is screwed onto container 12.

Operation of Fi~ures 2 and 3 The 24 hour period of divider 5~ is preferably once every 24 hours and may be set to run from 7 AM one day to 7 Ar~l the next day.
To set the system to dispense Pill A in compartment 1~ at fcur hour intervals starting at 7 AM, the patient depresses four-hGur switsh 75 ascociated with compartment 14.
Similarly, to set the system to dispense Pill B in compartment 15 every six hours the user would depress switch 96.
Likewise, to set the system to dispense Pill C in compartment 16 every 12 hours, the patient would depress that switch of the "duplicate set" assi~ned to compartment 30 16, correspondin~ to switches 78 and 98 of Fisure 4.
In similar fashion, to dispense Pill D from compartment 17, the patient would depress that switch of the "duplicate set" assigned to compartmen-t 17, corres~ond-ing to switches 79 and 99 of Figure 4.
The switches 7E and 71, and various s~/itches of the "duplicate sets" ~ould also be closed, as required to indicate the quantity of each pill which th~ pa~ient should take each time the alarm sounds.

..
, ~.: , ~2~33~2 Let it be assumed that after ta~ing the 7 PM
pills, the patient wishes to turn off the device for the night, the "night" switches for all four compartments 14, 15, 1~ and 17, corresponding to "niyht" switch ~5 of Figure 5, are momentarily closed. The system is now deactivated and no alarm will sound and no light ban};s will be illumi-nated until at least 7 A~l when a signal appears on wire 69.
The deactivation resulting from the momentary closure of switch 85 sets latch 84 to disable gate 83 and sets latch 81 to forbid the appearance of a signal on wire C. This precludes any current reaching light bank 29-31. It also precludes gate 52 froM allo~ing current to pass to audible signaling device 68.
The patient may wish to take Pill B every six lS hours during the night but not take the other pills after 7 PM. In such case, "nisht" switch 85 associate~ with compartmetlt 14 would be closed momentarily. This would deactivate the system,until 7 Ar~, insofar as it relates to compartment 14. (The systems relating to compartments 16 and 17 are not scheduled to produce signals bet~"een 7 PM
and 7 AM.~ At 7 A~ the system will be reactivated in view of the 24 hour signal on ~;ire 69 energizing inverter ~G.
If one or both of compartments 16 and 17 were scheduled to produce alarms during the night the~ coulc be turne~ off by depressing their "night switches" ~5. If the patler.t ~romptly takes the various pills as indicated by the sys-tem, the back-up warnings will not be given. However, if the patient does not open and close one or more of lids 1~, 19, 20 and 21, as indicated by the system, the bac~-up ; 30 audible and visible warnings will occur as described in conjunction with Figure 1.

Miscellaneous Matters Applicable ~ ~ to Fi~ures 1 and 2 : ~ : : : :
There is the possibility that one or m~re of the switches described above may be inadvertently operated. To avoid this possibility the switches are of the push-button type and the push buttons are of small diameter, for ex-ample in the range of ~.05 to 0.15 inches in diameter, and ;~ - 17 ~: :

~Z5~33~3~
protective ribs are positioned on both sides of a row of switches. Thus, in Figure 1, the switches 7~ to 79 incl., are of the push button type, are less than 1/8 inch in diameter, and are located in a row. The ribs 102 and 103 5 extend outwardly from the casiny 12 a greater distance than the switches 70 to 79. Moreover, the ribs 102 and 103 are closely adjacent to the row of switches 70-79. Thus, the only practical way to operate the switches is by use of a rod of small cross-section that will readily fit between lO the ribs 102 and 103. The switches will, therefore, not be operated by normal handling of the casing 12. ~11 of the switches of Figures 2 to 5 are also located in rows pro-tected by ribs 102 and 103.
The medication need not be in the form of pills, for 15 example, a small bottle of eye drops may be placed in one of the compartments.
The latches referred to above are a species of bistable devices.
Both the apparatus of Figure 1, and that of Figure 2, is portable and may be carried in a pocketbook. The elec-trical apparatus (Figures 4 and 5) may ke supplied with power from a srnall kattery (not shown). A conventional device for emitting signals ~1hen the battery needs re-25 placing may be employed if desired.
The various switches shown in Figures 4 and 5 aremounted on the casing 13 of Fiyure 2. Preferably, the switches relating to any ~iven one of compartments 14 to 17 incl. are groupecl adjacent to that compartment.

Claims

1. In a device for providing medication, a container for storing medication, electrical means associated with said container for indicating when medication should be taken, comprising:
(a) timing circuit means for producing equally spaced first signals that recur periodically, and for producing a plurality of take- medication signals during the period between two of said first signals;
(b) means for suspending further take-medication signals;
(c) said timing circuit means including means for resuming the take-medication signals, but no earlier than the occurence of the next one of said first signals to follow the said suspension of said take-medication signals;
(d) said timing circuit means producing said first signals independently of the means for suspending further take-medication signals.

2. In a device for providing medication as defined in claim 1, said equally spaced first signals recurring every twenty-four hours, said third named means being manually operable.

3. In a device for providing medication as defined in claim 1, in which one of said take-medication signals occurs once every twenty-four hours concurrently with one of said equally spaced first signals and the take-medication signals occuring periodically, unless suspended, during each twenty-four hour period.

4. In a device as defined in claim 1, said take-medication signal comprising both an audible signal and the visual display of at least one word.

5. In a device for providing medication, a container for storing medication, electrical means, associated with said container, having signal producing means for producing audible take-medication signals and thereby indicating when medication should be taken:
(a) timing circuit means for producing equally spaced first signals that recur periodically every twenty-four hours, and for controlling said sound producing means to produce a plurality of spaced take-medication signals during the period between two of said first signals;
(b) manually operable means for suspending further take-medication signals with such suspension staring at a selected time after one of said first signals but substantially prior to the next of said first signals;
(c) said timing circuit means including means for controlling said sound producing means to resume the take-medication signals, but no earlier that the occurrence of said next one of said first signals.

6. In a device for providing medication as defined in claim 5, in which said signal producing means includes means for producing at least some of the take-medication signals in the form of both audible and visual signals that coexist for at least a limited period of time.

7. In a device for providing medication as defined in claim 5, a casing, said container and said electrical means being located in said casing, said casing including a cover portion operable so that said container may be exposed for placing medication into the container and for removing medication from the container.

8. In a device for providing medication as defined in claim 5, said manually operable means comprising:
means for suspending the take-medication signals starting at any selected time between any two of said first signals that are spaced 24 hours apart.

9. In a device for providing medication, a container for storing medication, electrical means associated with said container including an electrically operated signaling device for indicating when medication should be taken, said signaling device having an input and giving a take-medication signal when its input is energized, said electrical means comprising:
(a) timing circuit means for producing equally spaced first signals that recur periodically, and for producing input signals to said signaling device to provide a plurality of take-medication signals during the period between two of said first signals;
(b) means for suspending further -take-medication signals comprising circuit means including: (1) a manually operated switch for starting the suspension, and (2) means responsive to the one of said first signals that next follows the operation of said switch for terminating said suspension;

(c) said timing circuit means including means for resuming the take-medication signals, but no earlier than the occurrence of the next one of said first signals to follow said suspension of said take-medication signals;
(d) said timing circuit means producing said first signals independently of the means for suspending further take-medication signals.

10. In a device for providing medication as defined in claim 9, said equally spaced first signals recurring every twenty-four hours.

11. A method of alerting a patient to take medication comprising:
storing sufficient of the medication for a substantial number of doses to be taken at intervals of time over a more extended period of time in a compartment having a closure that can be opened at said intervals by the patient for the purpose of removing a dose at a time and closed again after each opening;
and providing real time clock-controlled signaling means associated with the medication compartment that is programmable to emit an alerting signal automatically to the patient at the occurrence of each of said time intervals when medication is due to be taken;
characterized in that the signalling means generating said alerting signal is arranged to energize temporarily a display associated with the medication compartment and indicating to the patient the amount of the dose, e.g. how many pills, to take at a time.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the alerting signal is switched off automatically by the action of the patient in opening and re-closing the compartment.

13. A method according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein said display is a light array in which the number of lights lit indicates the dose.

14. A method according to claim 11 or claim 12, in which a plurality of medication compartments are provided each to contain a different medication and each having a respective closure and a respective dose-indicating display, and the clock-controlled signalling means is programmable to generate alerting signals at different intervals of time to be routed to the displays of different compartments.

15. A method according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein if the patient does not respond to the alerting signal an alarm signal, e.g. an audible alarm, is activated after a predetermined period, this alarm signal being disabled upon opening and closing of the respective closure.

16. Apparatus for alerting a patient to take medication comprising:
at least one compartment to store sufficient of the medication for a substantial number of individual doses to be taken at intervals of time over a more extended period of time, a closure for the compartment that can be opened at said intervals by the patient for the purpose of removing a dose at a time and closed again after each opening;

and real time clock-controlled signalling means associated with the medication compartment that is programmable to emit an alerting signal automatically to the patient at the occurrence of each of said time intervals when medication is due to be taken, characterized in that the signalling means generating said alerting signal temporarily energizes a display associated with the medication compartment and indicating to the patient the amount of the dose, e.g. how many pills to take at a time.

17. Apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising means to switch off the alerting signal automatically by the action of the patient in opening and re-closing the compartment.

18. Apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17, wherein said display is a light array in which the number of lights lit indicates the dose.

19. Apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17, comprising a plurality of medication compartments each to contain a different medication and each having a respective closure and a respective dose-indicating display the clock-controlled signalling means being programmed to generate alerting signals at different intervals of time that are routed to the displays of different compartments.

20. Apparatus according to claim 16 or claim 17, further comprising alarm signal emitting means which is energized if the patient does not respond to the alerting signal within a predetermined period, means to disable the alarm signal emitting means after it has been energized upon opening and closing of the respective closure, and switch means operable at will to inhibit temporarily the clock-controlled signalling means from emitting alerting signals for the duration of a night-time portion of a 24 hour period and until a predetermined time the following morning.