ELECTRONIC PILL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF MEDICINE RESERVOIRS

• US 20110092959A1
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Progenity, Inc. (Athyrium Capital Management LP)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Jeff, Dijksman, Johan F., Albu, Lucian R., Zou, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 8,961,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/890.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50

Abstract

Electronic pill (1, 11, 21) comprising a plurality of medicine reservoirs (2, 12, 22), each of the reservoirs comprising a discharge opening (3, 13, 23) covered by a removable cover (6, 16, 26). The pill comprises at least one actuator responsive to control circuitry for removing the cover from the discharge opening (3, 13, 23). The actuator can for example be a spring loaded piston (4) breaking a foil cover when dispensing the medicament. 5 Alternatively, the cover can be a rotatable disk (16) or cylinder (26) with an opening (17, 27) which can be brought in line with the discharge opening of a reservoir under the action of the actuator.

Claims

1. Electronic pill comprising a plurality of medicine reservoirs, each of the medicine reservoirs comprising a discharge opening covered by a removable cover, the electronic pill comprising at least one actuator responsive to control circuitry for removing the cover from the discharge opening.

2. Electronic pill according to claim 1 wherein at least a part of the medicine reservoirs comprises an actuator and wherein the cover is a sealing foil breakable under the action of the corresponding actuator.

3. Electronic pill according to claim 1 wherein the cover comprises a rotatable member with an opening which can selectively be brought in line with the discharge opening of each of the medicine reservoirs under the action of the actuator.

4. Electronic pill according to claim 3 wherein the actuator is a spiral spring element acting on the rotatable member to move it by discrete steps to bring the opening in the rotatable member in line with a single reservoir with each subsequent discrete step.

5. Electronic pill according to claim 3 wherein the rotatable member comprises a disk having an opening which can be brought in line with the respective discharge openings of the medicament reservoirs.

6. Electronic pill according to claim 3 wherein the rotatable member comprises a cylinder wall enveloping the reservoirs and having a slot-shaped opening which can be brought in line with the respective discharge openings of the medicament reservoirs.

7. Electronic pill according to claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a spring loadable piston in at least a part of the medicine reservoirs.

8. Electronic pill according to claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a memory alloy in at least a part of the reservoirs.

9. Electronic pill according to claim 1 wherein the actuator comprises a fuse breakable under the action of an applied electric current in at least a part of the reservoirs.

10. Electronic pill according to claim 1 wherein the medicine reservoirs are longitudinal reservoirs with parallel longitudinal axes and having a cross section corresponding to the discharge opening.

11. Electronic pill according to claim 1 wherein the medicine reservoirs form adjacent radial cylinder sections.

13. Electronic pill according to claim 4 wherein the rotatable member comprises a disk having an opening which can be brought in line with the respective discharge openings of the medicament reservoirs.

14. Electronic pill according to claim 4 wherein the rotatable member comprises a cylinder wall enveloping the reservoirs and having a slot-shaped opening which can be brought in line with the respective discharge openings of the medicament reservoirs.

15. Electronic pill according to claim 5 wherein the rotatable member comprises a cylinder wall enveloping the reservoirs and having a slot-shaped opening which can be brought in line with the respective discharge openings of the medicament reservoirs.

12. Method for preparing an electronic pill comprising the steps of:

providing an electronic pill having a plurality of medicine reservoirs, each of the reservoirs comprising a discharge opening;

filling each of the reservoirs with a medicine in quantities corresponding to predefined dosage regime;

covering the discharge openings with a cover releasable under the action of an actuator.