Title: Cartridge for dispensing pill - or capsule-form medications in desired doses
Abstract: A system for dispensing pill- or capsule-form medications (61) in desired doses (60). The system comprises a dispensing device (35), which includes a cartridge (20, 40) rotatable relative to a housing or frame (10) and provided with discrete dosage compartments (27, 47) for desired doses of medication. The cartridge (20, 40) is manipulated by elements (18, 18a, 18b; 14a, 14b, 15, 18, 19), whereby each separate dosage compartment (27, 47) is rotatable relative to the housing or frame (10) to a dispensing point (4, 12) for the dose of medication (60). A signalling device (75, 76) producing a sound and/or light signal activates at pre-programmed limes. An electronics unit (19, 55) containing a dispensing program is reprogrammable by means of an external programming device (36, 66, 101, 102). The cartridge (20, 40) is adapted to be disengaged from the dispensing device (35) and to be transferred to a loading device (80), which fills the dosage compartments (27, 47) of the cartridge with desired doses of medication and furnishes the filled cartridge with identification data (ID), on the basis of which the filled cartridge (20, 40) can be certifiably returned to the proper dispensing device (35), which is arranged to upkeep a dispensing event log at a distant control file (64a).
Patent Number: 6,988,634 Issued on 01/24/2006 to Varis
| Inventors:
|
Varis; Reijo (Helsinki, FI)
|
| Assignee:
|
ADDOZ Oy (Helsinki, FI)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
790372 |
| Filed:
|
March 1, 2004 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Aug 28, 2000[FI] | 20001889 |
| Aug 28, 2001[WO] | PCT/FI01/00751 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
221/7; 206/534 |
| Current Intern'l Class: |
G07F 11/00 (20060101) |
| Field of Search: |
221/2,3,7,9,13,82,79,15,197
206/534,528
700/242,243,231
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 4572403 | Feb., 1986 | Benaroya.
| |
| 4674651 | Jun., 1987 | Scidmore et al.
| |
| 4695954 | Sep., 1987 | Rose et al.
| |
| 4768176 | Aug., 1988 | Kehr et al.
| |
| 4785969 | Nov., 1988 | McLaughlin.
| |
| 4911327 | Mar., 1990 | Shepherd et al.
| |
| 5011032 | Apr., 1991 | Rollman.
| |
| 5372276 | Dec., 1994 | Daneshvar.
| |
| 5392952 | Feb., 1995 | Bowden.
| |
| 5490610 | Feb., 1996 | Pearson.
| |
| 5564593 | Oct., 1996 | East, Sr.
| |
| 5710551 | Jan., 1998 | Ridgeway.
| |
| 5971594 | Oct., 1999 | Sahai et al.
| |
| 6075755 | Jun., 2000 | Zarchan.
| |
| 6198383 | Mar., 2001 | Sekura et al.
| |
| 2001/0009398 | Jul., 2001 | Sekura et al.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| WO 95/2814/2 | Oct., 1995 | WO.
| |
| WO 97/4399/9 | Nov., 1997 | WO.
| |
| WO 99/4328/4 | Sep., 1999 | WO.
| |
Primary Examiner: Noland; Kenneth
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Klauber & Jackson, LLC
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a Continuation of U. S. aplication Ser. No. 10/369,924
filed on Feb. 19, 2003 now U. S. Pat. No. 6,702,146. Applicants claim the benefits
of 35 U. S. C. §119 as to the said United States application, and the entire
disclosure of said application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cartridge for dispensing pill- or capsule-form medications in desired doses
(
60), said cartridge comprising
individual dosage compartments (
27) for desired doses of medication,
a vacant recess or space (
23) between the dosage compartments (
27),
a rotatable and removable cover (
28) having an opening (
28a)
which can be rotated to coincide with any of the dosage compartments (
27)
for loading and/or dispensing of doses through the opening (
28a),
and
means (
90,
91) for visual indication of dispensing schedule comprising
a first ring (
90) with sections for days of a week, and a second ring (
91)
dividing said sections into subsections indicating the number of medicine of a
day,
the cartridge being furnished with identification date (ID), on the basis of
which the filled cartridge (
20,
40) can be certifiably returned to
a correct user.
2. A loading device for loading cartridges as set forth in claim 1, characterized
in that the cartridge is insertable into a separate dosing or loading device (
80)
for filling the dosage compartments (
27) of the cartridge with desired doses
of medication and for furnishing the filled cartridge (
20) with identification
data (ID).
3. An intelligent dispensing device (
35) for dispensing pill- or capsule-form
medications in desired doses, said dispensing device comprising
a housing or frame (
10),
a cartridge (
20) according to 2, rotatably supported on the housing or
frame (
10) without its cover (
28), the cartridge (
20,
40)
being adapted to be disengageable and removable from the dispensing device (
35)
for filling the dosage compartments (
27) of the cartridge with desired doses
of medication, the cartridge being furnished with identification data (ID), on
the basis of which the filled cartridge (
20) can be certifiably returned
to the proper dispensing device (
35),
a signalling device (
75,
76) giving a sound and/or light signal,
which activates at pre-programmed points of time, and
an electronics unit (
19,
55) containing program electronics (
19)
and a dispensing program,
the program electronics (
19) being re-programmable with a programming
device (
66,
101,
102), the dispensing being arranged to be
effected by means of the users own action which is exerted onto the dispensing
device (
35).
4. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the programming
device (
66,
101,
102) is an external portable device, which
has a wireless communication link (
37,
138) with the electronics
unit (
19,
55) of the dispensing device (
35).
5. A loading device as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the prescription
controlling the loading device (
80) in terms of its filling action is adapted
to be delivered, along with a patient's identification data, by way of a communication
network, such as the internet or a chip card (
68), to a computer (
67)
controlling operation of the loading device (
80).
6. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the external
programming device (
66,
101,
102) for a dispensing program
comprises either a mobile telephone or a programming device (
101,
102)
equipped with an IR link (
38,
138) for feeding the dispensing program,
or modifications thereto to the electronics unit (
19,
55).
7. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the external
programming device (
66,
101,
102) for a dispensing program
comprises a computer (
66), which has a link via the internal to a distant
control file or which has a control file gored in its bulk memory.
8. A loading device as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the loading
device (
80) is adapted to provide the cartridge (
20) with an optically
readable label (ID) disclosing the identification data.
9. A loading device as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the cartridge
(
20) carries an electronic identification tag (
39), which the loading
device (
80,
80′) furnishes with identification data for a
customer, and that the dispensing device (
35) according to claim 26 or a
hospital dispensary is provided with elements (
39a;
102/
139)
for reading the data disclosed in the identification tag (
39).
10. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that there
are means (
18,
18a) for rotating the cartridge (
20)
the rotating means being activated to function upon pressing a push button (
3),
but only after the signalling device (
75,
76) has activated under
control of the program of the electronic unit (
19,
55).
11. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 10, characterized in that, upon
every activation of the means (
18,
18a) manipulating the cartridge
(
20), the information about a dispensing occurrence is transmitted to said
control file (
64a), which compiles a monitoring log of taking a medication.
12. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 10, characterized in that the electronics
unit (
19,
55) involves a memory which collects information regarding
dispensing occurrences and transmits the same at prescribed times to a control
file, which compiles a monitoring log of taking a medication, the prescribed times
being short enough for practically real time monitoring of taking a medication.
13. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the electronic
unit (
19,
55) containing a dispensing program is programmable by
means of push buttons (
56) included therein.
14. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that between
the dosage compartments (
27) of the cartridge (
20) is a vacant recess
or space (
23) and the housing or frame (
10) of the dispensing device
is provided with a protrusion, which functions as a response and/or an indication
for inserting the cartridge (
20) in the housing or frame (
10) of
a dispensing device in a preset initial position.
15. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that at least
one cartridge (
20) is encloseable within a space (
5a,
5b)
defined by a cover (
2) mountable-around the frame (
10) and the cartridge (
20).
16. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that a stepping
motor (
18) rotates the cartridge (
20) in compliance with a program
programmed in a programmable memory of the electronics unit (
19,
55).
17. A cartridge as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that, with the removable
cover (
28) set in its position, the dosage compartments (
27,
47)
are dosed on all sides thereof.
18. A cartridge as set forth to claim 1, characterized in that, the cartridge
(
20) is made of transparent plastics and also the dispensing device is partially
made of transparent plastics to allow visual inspection of the doses in the dosage compartments.
19. A dispensing device as set forth in claim 10, characterized in that a stepping
motor (
18) rotates the cartridge (
20) through an angular distance
equal to the dosage compartment (
27) as the dispensing button (
20)
is pressed at the accepted medication time, which is programmed in the program
of the electronics units (
19,
55).
Description
The invention relates to a cartridge for dispensing pill- or capsule-form medications
in desired doses, said cartridge comprising
- individual dosage compartments for desired doses of medication, rotated
to coincide with any of the dosage compartments for loading and/or dispensing of
doses through the opening, and
- means for visual indication of dispensing schedule.
It is an object of the invention to provide a dispensing cartridge for doses
of
medication, which can be used either as a manually operated dispensing cartridge
or with an intelligent dispensing device.
Still another object of the invention is to use a dispensing cartridge which
facilitates filling or loading of the dosage compartments by doses of medication
either manually or more or less in an automated manner by using a loading robotics,
and which dispensing cartridge alone can also be used as a simple manually operated
dispensing apparatus which is provided by visual indication of dispensing schedule,
said visual indication serving both for manual filling or loading and for manually
operated dispensing if the cartridge is used alone as a manually operated dispensing apparatus.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide, as a preferred option,
a possibility to fill or load the dosage compartments of the dispensing cartridge
under control of a computer program which gives an alarm if there are non-compatible
medications to be loaded.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a medication dispensing
system wherein the information of identification, medication and dispensing schedule
follows the cartridge and can be easily re-programmed and transferred between the
cartridge and the memory of the dispensing device containing the dispensing program,
as well as between either of these and a programming computer.
This and other objects are achieved according to the invention on the basis
of the characterizing features set forth in the annexed claim
1. The non-independent
claims disclose preferred embodiments of the invention, which facilitate dosing
or loading logistics, offer versatile re-programming possibilities for dispensing,
and facilitate the supervision of medication.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in more
detail
with reference made to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows schematically a medication dispenser according to an embodiment
useful as part of a system of the invention.
FIG. 2 shows a dosage cartridge for the dispenser of FIG. 1 or without the dispenser
as a manually operated dispensing cartridge.
FIG. 3 shows a programming device useful between the dispensing device and a
facility computer in hospital, rest home or the like.
FIG. 4 illustrates a schema of a loading device located for example in a dispensary
or druggist's.
The prescription controlling the loading device
80 in terms of its filling
action is adapted to be delivered, along with a patient's identification data,
by way of a communication network, such as the internet
65 or a chip card
68, to a computer
67 controlling operation of the loading device
80. Alternatively, the prescription can be delivered conventionally on a
paper printout, from which the necessary information is transferred by typing to
the computer
67 controlling the dosage.
The cartridges
20,
40 are adapted to be disengaged from the dispensing
device
35 and to be transferred to the loading device
80 for filling
or loading the dosage compartments
27,
47 of a cartridge with desired
doses of medication. In addition, the mechanism
73 associated with the loading
device
80 furnishes the loaded cartridge
20 with identification data
ID, on the basis of which the loaded or filled cartridge
20,
40 can
be certifiably returned to the correct dispensing device
35.
The dispensing device
35 has its program electronics
19 re-programmable
with an external programming unit. In the depicted case, the external programming
unit comprises a mobile telephone
36, whereby a dispensing program or its
updatings can be fed to the program electronics
19 by way of an IR link
37,
38 shown in FIG.
8. The external programming unit for
a dispensing program may also comprise the facility computer
66, which has
a communication via the internet
65 with the control file
64a
or which has the control file stored in its bulk memory. In the latter case,
the dispensing device
35 can be brought to the IR link
138 (shown
in FIG. 10) of the computer
66 for programming or the program can be transferred
from the computer
66 to the mobile phone
36, whereby the program
is delivered further to the program memory
19 of the dispensing device
62.
The cartridge
20,
40 can be furnished with identification data,
e. g. by attaching to the cartridge an identification-data carrying label ID by
means of the mechanism
73. Optionally or additionally, the identification
can be certified.
The following description deals in more detail with the dispensing device shown
in FIG.
1. The dispensing device is provided with a cover or housing
1,
comprising a shell portion
2 which includes a dispensing outlet
4
and a flap
4a for closing the same, if necessary. The components
2 and
4a can be manufactured in moulded plastics and at least
the flap
4a is transparent (shell portion
2 may be non-transparent).
The flap
4a may have its base hinged in such a way that the flap
4a can be removed as required, if a patient finds it difficult to
operate a locking mechanism attached to its outer end, A push button
3 fits
in a central hole in the shell portion
2 and is manufactured from transparent
stained plastics. The colour of the push button
3 can also be used for encoding
a loading device. The push button
3 is provided with a transparent window
(not shown) for monitoring a timer display (the window can be covered as required).
In addition, the push button
3 is provided with an opening
3b
for a led light indicator
76.
The cartridge
20 comprises preferably a transparent machine-washable plastic
manufactured in food-grade plastics. The cartridge is provided with
28 dosage
compartments
27 for tablets. The cartridges
20 are interchangeable
between various dispensing devices. The cartridge has its central hole
24
provided with a gear rim
18b, which supplies the cartridge with its
rotary drive from a gearwheel
18a of the motor
18 placed in
the central hollow of the housing
10 (the necessary gear between the motor
18 and the gearwheel
18a has not been shown).
The housing
10 is manufactured in transparent plastics e. g. as a plastic
extrudate. Consequently, a prescription or an identification tag ID, attached to
the bottom of the cartridge
20, is visible as required through a transparent
floor
21 of the housing
10. Through a rim collar
13 of the
housing it is possible to visually observe medications remaining in the dosage
compartments
27 of a cartridge (even in the case that the shell portion
is non-transparent).
An electronics unit
55 is disposed inside a cylindrical central hollow
11 within the housing
10. The electronics unit is provided with a
memory-equipped, programmable processor
19, which can be programmed with
four daily times for medication by means of key buttons
56 or an IR link
37,
38 included in the unit
55. In addition, the program takes
care of necessary safety times and delay times, as well as a deadline for the ingestion
of a dose. The IR link
37,
38, included in the unit
55, along
with the GSM module
62, serving as an accessory, enables a telecontrol over
medication and eventual alarms regarding malfunctions. Hence, the program takes
care of the specification-compliant function of a dispensing device and, merely
by modifying the program, it is possible to develop various versions of a dispensing
device. Naturally, the IR link can be replaced with an RF link or other finks operating
in compliance with standards.
A floor panel
29, having a hole
29a for the operation of
an
IR link, encloses the housing hollow
11 which has space also for a sound
signal device
75 and a battery.
The motor
18 comprises e. g. a stepped motor, which activates its operation
upon pressing down the push button
3 as pins
3a depress the
programming keys
56 of the electronics unit
55. However, this activation
only occurs after the signaling device
75,
76 has been activated
under the control of program electronics
19,
55. Every time the elements
18,
18a operating the cartridge
20 are activated, the
information about a dispensing occurrence is transmitted to a distant control file,
which comprises e. g. a www-page in the internet and which constitutes a monitoring
log for taking the medication. Optionally, a memory associated with the program
electronics
19,
55 is used to collect information about dispensing
occurrences and to transmit the same at prescribed times to said control file.
Thus, the electronics unit
55 included in the dispensing device is programmable
either by a patient him- or herself or by medical personnel (keys
56) or
by means of the computer
66 or utilizing an IR link
138 in the programming
device
101 or
102, or in the GSM telephone. According to its programming,
the dosage dispenser electronics
19,
55,
75, outputs a signal
to the user whenever it is time for medication and prevents the ingestion of any
dose of medication other than the one to be taken at that precise time.
As the dosage cartridges
20 containing doses of medication are carried
independently of a dispensing device from the loading device
80 to the dispensing
device
35, the dosage cartridge
20 must be provided with a cover
28. This cover
20 may be a rotatable cover of thin transparent plastics,
which is provided by a loading opening
28a (FIG. 2) for manual loading.
The cover
28 is removed as the cartridge
20 is inserted in the housing
10. The cartridge turns an angular distance equal to the dosage compartment
27 every time the push button
3 is depressed at the accepted medication
time. The stepped motor
18 can be used for the precise determination of
an angle of rotation in such a way that, even after quite a long-term use, the
dosage compartments
27 always coincide with the dispensing outlet
4.
As shown in FIG. 2, mechanical detents
92a around the periphery
of the cartridge
20 can be used to fit with a complementary detent
92b
in the cover
28 to slightly hold the rotation of the cover
28
each time the opening
28a coincides with the dosage compartment
27.
FIG. 2 illustrates a section from the rim of a cartridge (the rest of the rim
being also provided by compartments
27 though not shown). The dosage compartments
27 are narrow and high so as to accommodate
28 of those along a relatively
small circular arc. This configuration is beneficial in terms of both elongated
capsules and circular pills. Between the dosage compartments
27 is a vacant
recess or space
23 and in line therewith the dispenser bottom
10/
21
is provided with a protrusion (not shown), which is insertable in the space
23
(from the bottom side thereof) as an indication for inserting the cartridge
20
in the housing
10 of the dispensing device
35 (and similarly in the
loading device
80) in a preset initial position. The cartridge
20
rests upon setbacks
11b and
11a included in the cylindrical
housing hollow
11. Space
23 can be utilized also for receiving the
RF-tag
39.
The jacket or shell portion
2 has a bottom edge which can be locked with
an appropriate forming to the top edge of an outer housing rim
13. In view
of switching the cartridges
20, there must be an engagement between the
jacket
2 and the housing
10 which is readily disconnectable and reconnectable
(if necessary, also lockable). This can be implemented e. g. by forming the opposing
edges with a combination of short threading and bayonet coupling. A lock cylinder
may be placed inside the protrusion
69.
As shown in FIG. 2, there is a schedule ring
90,
91 close to the
inner rim of the openings of the dosage compartments
27. This schedule ring
is a replaceable paper or plastic ring having a first ring divided into sections
90, each section
90 corresponding to a certain day of a week typed
in the corresponding section
90. Such a "week day section" covers
1-
4
compartments
27. A second ring is divided into subsections
91 of
the "week day sections"
90, indicating first, second etc. medicine of a
day. With this kind of scheduling ring and the rotatable cover
28 with opening
28a, the cartridge can also be used as a manually operated dispensing
cartridge also without the actual dispensing device. This is a clear benefit of
the cartridge construction, which facilitates the manual loading in one hand, but
enables automated loading on the other hand, and is furthermore applicable to be
used with or without the intelligent dispensing device.
FIG. 4 shows a semi-automatic loading device
80′ having feeders
81′ arranged in a semi circle from medicine receptacles to the periphery
of cartridge
20 which is rotated automatically under control of the computer
67 and the prescription fed in the computer
67. The cartridges
20
are manually changed and the medicine receptacles are manually filled. Also in
this case it is important to provide each and every cartridge
20 with the
identification label ID and/or with the RF-tag bearing the identification information.
Preferably, at least an optically readable ID label is attached to the cartridge
by means of the loading device
80,
80′.
As can be learned from the above description the invention serves an advanced
logistics for delivering medicines from dispensary to the users (patients) and
for efficient monitoring of appropriate use or disposition of the medicines.
*
