Computerized oral prescription administration for securely dispensing a medication and associated systems and methods

• US 10,729,860 B1
• Filed: 05/22/2019
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2019
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Berkshire Biomedical, LLC
• Original Assignee: Berkshire Biomedical, LLC
• Inventors: Boyer, Robert, Corey, Christy, Cronenberg, Richard, Kirkpatrick, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Brandy S
• Application Number:
  US16/420,002
• Time in Patent Office: 440 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/70 Device provided with specific sensor or indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0053 Syringes, pipettes or oral dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0021 Mouthpieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0025 with caps
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/0066 with means for varying the dose size
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/13 with means for the detection of operative contact with patient, e.g. lip sensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/276 preventing unwanted use
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3303 Using a biosensor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3317 Electromagnetic, inductive or dielectric measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6009 for matching patient with his treatment, e.g. to improve transfusion security
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/609 Biometric patient identification means
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence

Abstract

In one embodiment, a member for securely dispensing a substance to an intended user includes a first member configured to threadedly engage with a housing containing the substance; a second member coupled to the first member, the second member configured to fixedly secure the first member to the housing; a third member including a cavity sized and shaped to selectively receive the second member; and a valve coupled to the first member such that: when the second member is received within the cavity, the valve is in an open state that allows the substance to be dispensed from the housing to the intended user in response to a processor determining that a unique biometric attribute of the intended user is detected, and when the second member is not received within the cavity, the valve is in a closed state that prevents the substance from being dispensed from the housing.

Claims

1. A member for securely dispensing a substance to an intended user, the member comprising:

a first member configured to threadedly engage with a housing containing the substance;

a second member coupled to the first member, the second member configured to fixedly secure the first member to the housing;

a third member including a cavity sized and shaped to selectively receive the second member; and

a valve coupled to the first member such that;

when the second member is received within the cavity of the third member, the valve is in an open state that allows the substance to be dispensed from the housing to the intended user in response to a processor determining that a unique biometric attribute of the intended user is detected, and

when the second member is not received within the cavity of the third member, the valve is in a closed state that prevents the substance from being dispensed from the housing.

2. The member of claim 1, further comprising:

a biasing member configured to bias the valve to the closed state when the second member is not received within the cavity of the third member.

3. The member of claim 2, wherein when the second member is received within the cavity of the third member, the biasing member is compressed.

4. The member of claim 1, wherein the first member comprises a plurality of latching members configured to encase a lip of the housing, the plurality of latching members configured to prevent removal of the first member from the housing in an axial direction.

5. The member of claim 4, wherein the second member includes a distal portion configured to encase the plurality of latching members to prevent removal of the plurality of latching members from the lip of the housing in a radial direction.

6. The member of claim 5, wherein the plurality of latching members are circumferentially arranged around a circumference of the first member.

7. The member of claim 1, wherein the first member comprises at least one proximal latching member.

8. The member of claim 7, wherein the second member comprises at least one latch configured to engage with the at least one proximal latching member of the first member to prevent removal of the second member from the first member in an axial direction.

9. The member of claim 1, wherein the valve includes a longitudinal axis, and wherein the second member is configured to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the valve when the second member is coupled to the first member.

10. The member of claim 1, wherein the unique biometric attribute comprises a unique dentition of the intended user.

11. The member of claim 10, further comprising:

a mouthpiece having a sensor array, wherein the substance is dispensed from the housing to a mouth of the intended user through the mouthpiece.

12. The member of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine that the unique biometric attribute of the intended user is detected by the sensor array.

13. The member of claim 11, wherein the sensor array is a capacitive sensor array.

14. The member of claim 13, wherein data obtained by the capacitive sensor array includes a capacitive map associated with the intended user.

15. The member of claim 14, wherein determining that the unique biometric attribute of the intended user is detected by the sensor array comprises comparing the capacitive map associated with the intended user to a predetermined capacitive map associated with the intended user.

16. The member of claim 1, wherein the second member comprises one or more sensors positioned on an upper surface of the second member, the one or more sensors configured to provide a unique identifier associated with the intended user.

17. The member of claim 16, wherein the third member comprises one or more detectors positioned on a lower surface of the third member, the one or more detectors configured to be in contact with the one or more sensors of the second member when the second member is received within the cavity of the third member.

18. The member of claim 17, wherein the one or more detectors of the third member are configured to communicate with the one or more sensors of the second member to receive the unique identifier associated with the intended user.

19. The member of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the substance to be dispensed from the housing to a mouth of the intended user in response to determining that the one or more detectors received the unique identifier associated with the intended user.

20. A system for securely dispensing a substance to an intended user, the system comprising:

a device housing;

a locking cap coupled to the device housing, the locking cap comprising;

a first member configured to threadedly engage with a housing containing the substance;

a second member coupled to the first member, the second member configured to fixedly secure the first member to the housing;

a third member including a cavity sized and shaped to selectively receive the second member; and

a valve coupled to the first member such that;

when the second member is received within the cavity of the third member, the valve is in an open state that allows the substance to be dispensed from the housing; and

when the second member is not received within the cavity of the third member, the valve is in a closed state that prevents the substance from being dispensed from the housing;

a mouthpiece coupled to the device housing, the mouthpiece including a recess; and

a processor configured to;

determine that a unique dentition of the intended user is positioned within the recess of the mouthpiece; and

cause the substance to be dispensed from the housing to a mouth of the intended user in response to determining that the unique dentition of the intended user is positioned within the recess of the mouthpiece.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the mouthpiece includes a capacitive sensor array configured to obtain data regarding dentition positioned within the recess of the mouthpiece.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the data obtained by the capacitive sensor array includes a capacitive map associated with the intended user.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor is further configured to:

compare a capacitive map associated with a user of the mouthpiece to a predetermined capacitive map associated with the intended user.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the locking cap further comprises a biasing member configured to bias the valve to the closed state when the second member is not received within the cavity of the third member.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the first member of the locking cap comprises a plurality of latching members configured to encase a lip of the device housing, the plurality of latching members configured to prevent removal of the first member from the device housing in an axial direction.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the second member of the locking cap comprises a distal portion configured to encase the plurality of latching members to prevent removal of the plurality of latching members from the lip of the device housing in a radial direction.

27. The system of claim 20, wherein the second member of the locking cap comprises one or more sensors positioned on an upper surface of the second member, the one or more sensors configured to provide a unique identifier associated with the intended user.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the third member of the locking cap comprises one or more detectors positioned on a lower surface of the third member, the one or more detectors configured to be in contact with the one or more sensors of the second member when the second member is received within the cavity of the third member.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the one or more detectors of the third member are configured to communicate with the one or more sensors of the second member to receive a unique identifier associated with the intended user.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the substance to be dispensed from the housing to the mouth of the intended user in response to determining that the one or more detectors received the unique identifier associated with the intended user.