Medication identification methods comprising depositing at least one medication in a compartment; identifying this one medication deposited in this compartment and analyzing at least one characteristic of said at least one medication; comparing this one characteristic of said at least one medication to medication signature characteristics to obtain an identified content for the compartment; comparing the identified content to a prescription; and allowing the medication to pass, via gravity, from the compartment to a pill box. Medication identification systems are also described.

Medication dispensers and methods of dispensing medication are provided. A medication dispenser includes an exterior body defining an interior, and a distribution disk disposed within the interior, the distribution disk defining a plurality of compartments, the plurality of compartments disposed in at least one annular array, the distribution disk rotatably indexable about a central axis. The medication dispenser further includes a dispenser drawer in selective communication with one of the plurality of compartments disposed in the at least one annular array. The medication dispenser further includes a motor connected to the distribution disk, the motor operable to rotatably index the distribution disk about the central axis. Rotatable indexing of the distribution disk causes an adjustment in the one of the plurality of compartments disposed in the at least one annular array which is in communication with the dispenser drawer.

Prescription administration system for administering prescriptions to a plurality of patients. One embodiment provides a prescription administration system including a medication tray having a plurality of prescription boxes. Each of the plurality of prescription boxes is configured to receive a plurality of medications corresponding to a single administration time. The prescription administration system also includes an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to receive, via a user interface, a selection of an administering unit and identify a prescription box corresponding to the administering unit from the plurality of prescription boxes. The electronic processor is also configured to receive identification information of a patient and determine whether the identification information of the patient corresponds to the prescription box. The electronic processor is further configured to provide an indication when the identification information of the patient corresponds to the prescription box.

Item-management systems, apparatus, and methods are described, preferably for management of items such as medicaments. In embodiments, an item-management system comprises a container defining plural cells, a docking station configured to receive the container, sources of visible information to indicate the cell(s) into which an item is to be loaded, and at least one controller operable to control the visible information sources to indicate the cell into which the item is to be received.

A system for grabbing and filling pills into a blister pack is provided and associated corresponding method. The system includes a vacuum pill-manipulator provided with prongs having holes at their tip to retain pills. The vacuum pill-manipulator is configured to transition from a pill-retaining configuration where suction is applied at the tip of each prong to hold the pills during movement, to a pill-releasing configuration where suction is released to drop the pills in corresponding pill-chambers. A robotized arm is provided with the vacuum pill-manipulator, and is controllable to: move the vacuum pill-manipulator from a pill-container rack, for grabbing a pill-container, to a pill-container retaining station, to suction pills at the tips of the prongs; and move, in the pill-retaining configuration, the vacuum pill-manipulator to the blister pack location, and position the vacuum pill-manipulator to align the tip of each prong with the corresponding pill-chamber for the pill-releasing configuration.

The present disclosure provides an intelligent pill box, including a pill box main body, an alarm, and a vibration sensor. The pill box main body is configured to store pills. The alarm is disposed in the pill box main body, and the alarm is configured to remind a user to take the pills. The vibration sensor is disposed on the pill box main body, and the vibration sensor is configured to turn off the alarm when the vibration sensor detects that the pill box main body is rotated. The intelligent pill box may intelligently turn off the alarm, which is convenient for a user to use.

The present invention relates to a holding structure for simultaneously holding a plurality of containers for substances for pharmaceutical, medical or cosmetic applications or of devices having such containers, having a plurality of receptacles. The receptacles are arranged in a regular arrangement and are formed by in each case peripherally formed side walls. The receptacles have in each case one or two widened clearances having a dimension which is greater than the width of a gap between the containers received in the receptacles and side walls of the receptacles in the regions other than the widened clearances. The widened clearances additionally make available space for access to containers or devices which are received in the receptacles for handling thereof.

The present disclosure relates to a contents accommodation device for blister packs that is capable of detecting discharge of contents, a medication management system including the same, and a method of determining whether contents are discharged. The contents accommodation device according to the present disclosure includes a blister seating portion where a blister in which contents are packed is seated, a container main body configured to accommodate the blister seating portion in an upper portion thereof and having a space at a lower portion to accommodate contents that fall after being extruded from the blister, and a passing portion configured to discharge the contents moving thereto from the container main body to an outside, wherein the passing portion includes a passage portion configured to serve as a movement passage of the contents and a detecting portion configured to detect movement of the contents, an opening is formed at one end of the passage portion, and the contents are discharged to the outside through the opening at the one end of the passage portion after entering the passage portion from the container main body.

A medication adherence system and corresponding medication box for improving medication adherence. The system includes the medication box, which is transparent and has a machine-readable marker, such as a QR code, on or beneath the floor thereof. The marker is capable of being scanned and read through the transparent bottoms of individual chambers. Data embedded in the marker includes, but is not limited to, the user's medication plan, the date and time when the medication is to be ingested, and instructions for recording the date and time when the marker is scanned and read. The underlying software program/application processes this information and provides an indication as to the user's compliance with the medication plan.

A medication tray may include a boundary wall defining a boundary outline. Markers may be carried by the boundary wall. A mobile device may obtain a first image of the medication tray, and determine a number of the markers from the first image. When the number equals or exceeds a threshold, an edge detection algorithm may be applied to the first image to identify the boundary outline based upon the markers, and generate a stocking list of the tray based upon the outline. When the determined number does not exceed the threshold, the device may obtain a second image of the tray, and determine an updated number of the markers from the first and second images. When the updated number equals or exceeds the threshold, the algorithm may be applied to the images to identify the outline based upon the markers, and generate the stocking list based upon the outline.