Abstract: The present disclosure describes a medication container that includes a receptacle having an inner space for holding medications and a main housing coupled with the receptacle for retaining the medications in the inner space. The main housing can have an opening and a movable gate that can selectively open and close the opening. A singulator is located between the inner space of the receptacle and the opening and being shaped to only allow a single item, e.g., a medication item, to pass through the singulator to the opening at a time. The main housing may further have a generally funnel-shaped inner wall that extends a wide end adjacent the inner space of the receptacle to a narrow end adjacent the singulator for guiding the medications towards the singulator during a dispensing operation.

Abstract: A system for remotely managing a medication regimen includes a communication device usable by a target individual, a peripheral device that obtains biometric information of the target individual, an interactive medication dispenser, and a processor. The processor causes the communication device to enable a conversation interface associated with a virtual assistant that provides information, queries, and directions to a target individual, receives input from the target individual, information from the medication dispenser, and biometric information from the peripheral device, determines a status of management of the medication regimen based on the received data, determines a response based on the determined status, and transmits the response.

Abstract: An article dispensing apparatus includes a carousel and an upper casing with a dispensing face including a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed. The carousel includes plural holding sections for holding the articles to be dispensed and is rotationally movable. A controller controls application of a force to cause the carousel to rotate relative to the dispensing face when an instruction to dispense an article is received. When the carousel is moved so that one of its holding sections having an article therein is aligned with the dispensing orifice, the article is allowed to be dispensed therethrough. A locking mechanism selectively engages the carousel to prevent any relative movement of the carousel when the article dispensing unit is not mounted on the main housing and disengages from the carousel to allow intended relative movement when the article dispensing unit is mounted on the main housing.

Abstract: An article dispensing apparatus includes a carousel and an upper casing with a dispensing face including a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed. The carousel includes plural holding sections for holding the articles to be dispensed and is rotationally movable. A controller controls application of a force to cause the carousel to rotate relative to the dispensing face when an instruction to dispense an article is received. When the carousel is moved so that one of its holding sections having an article therein is aligned with the dispensing orifice, the article is allowed to be dispensed therethrough. A locking mechanism selectively engages the carousel to prevent any relative movement of the carousel when the article dispensing unit is not mounted on the main housing and disengages from the carousel to allow intended relative movement when the article dispensing unit is mounted on the main housing.

Abstract: An article dispensing apparatus includes a carousel and a dispensing face including a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed. The carousel includes plural holding sections for holding the articles to be dispensed and is rotationally movable. A controller controls an actuating unit to apply a force to the carousel to cause the carousel to move rotationally relative to the dispensing face when an instruction to dispense an article is received. When the carousel is moved relatively to the dispensing face so that one of its holding sections having an article therein is aligned with the dispensing orifice, the article is allowed to be dispensed through the dispensing orifice. A detector can detect when an article is within one of the holding sections aligned with the dispensing orifice and when the article is no longer within the one of the holding sections aligned with the dispensing orifice.

Abstract: An article dispensing apparatus includes a carousel and an upper casing with a dispensing face including a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed. The carousel includes plural holding sections for holding the articles to be dispensed and is rotationally movable. A controller controls application of a force to cause the carousel to rotate relative to the dispensing face when an instruction to dispense an article is received. When the carousel is moved so that one of its holding sections having an article therein is aligned with the dispensing orifice, the article is allowed to be dispensed therethrough. A locking mechanism selectively engages the carousel to prevent any relative movement of the carousel when the article dispensing unit is not mounted on the main housing and disengages from the carousel to allow intended relative movement when the article dispensing unit is mounted on the main housing.

Abstract: An article dispensing apparatus includes a carousel and a dispensing face including a dispensing orifice through which the articles are dispensed. The carousel includes plural holding sections for holding the articles to be dispensed and is rotationally movable. A controller controls an actuating unit to apply a force to the carousel to cause the carousel to move rotationally relative to the dispensing face when an instruction to dispense an article is received. When the carousel is moved relatively to the dispensing face so that one of its holding sections having an article therein is aligned with the dispensing orifice, the article is allowed to be dispensed through the dispensing orifice. A detector can detect when an article is within one of the holding sections aligned with the dispensing orifice and when the article is no longer within the one of the holding sections aligned with the dispensing orifice.

Abstract: A pill dispenser for dispensing pills of various sizes includes a pill storage section, a dispensing section located at a lower end of the storage section, an optical sensor, a memory and a controller. The dispensing section includes a device for adjusting a variable size cavity configured to adjust to various pill sizes. The controller adjusts the variable size cavity of the dispensing section depending on the individual pill specifications, and determines if the optical sensor has sensed presence of the pill to be dispensed.

Abstract: A pill dispenser for dispensing pills of various sizes includes a pill storage section, a dispensing section located at a lower end of the storage section, an optical sensor, a memory and a controller. The dispensing section includes a device for adjusting a variable size cavity configured to adjust to various pill sizes. The controller adjusts the variable size cavity of the dispensing section depending on the individual pill specifications, and determines if the optical sensor has sensed presence of the pill to be dispensed.