SPECIMEN DISPENSING DEVICE

• US 20120245730A1
• Filed: 06/09/2012
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: La Pierres, Inc.
• Original Assignee: La Pierres, Inc.
• Inventors: Zhou, Yuchen, Tieu, Hieu, Wahng, Chao Uei, Hu, David
• Granted Patent: US 9,623,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0087 Hand-held applicators
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0207 heated
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0214 cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/10 with further special therapeutic means, e.g. electrotherapy, magneto therapy or radiation therapy, chromo therapy, infrared or ultraviolet therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/00 Percussion or vibration massage, e.g. using supersonic vibration; Suction-vibration massage; Massage with moving diaphragms apparatus for passive exercising A61H1/00; generating or transmitting mechanical vibrations in general B06B
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/006 Percussion or tapping massage hand percussion A61H23/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0245 with ultrasonic transducers, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 35/003 Portable hand-held applicators having means for dispensing or spreading integral media hand-held massage devices with liquid delivery A61H7/003
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/0092 using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic vibrations, e.g. phonophoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0408 Use-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/328 for improving the appearance of the skin, e.g. facial toning or wrinkle treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0616 Skin treatment other than tanning
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A novel specimen dispensing device for skin care and skin treatment is disclosed. Methods to utilize the embedded memory and electrical interface of the device to produce customizable skin care products and give better skin treatment results are presented. The invention has applicability to other health care and personal care needs.

Claims

1. A specimen dispensing device for dispensing one or more types of specimen of liquid, gel, serum, cream, lotion, paste and powder to a target skin area of a human being for treatment of skin, biological body area, body function, organ, bone, tissue and cell, said device comprising:

a device body;

a dispenser containing said specimen, said dispenser being enclosed in said device body;

a specimen outlet existing on a surface member which is a part of said device body;

said outlet being operatively connected to said dispenser, where said specimen passes through during a dispensing operation;

at least one electrical contact being electrically connected to an electronic circuit included in said dispenser;

at least one first information storage component located in said dispenser storing first type of information;

a control unit enclosed in said device body, said control unit containing electronic circuits and embedded software;

an electrical connection between said dispenser and said control unit;

at least one second information storage component located in said control unit storing second type of information; and

at least one information processing component located in said control unit which controls dispensing of specimen from said dispenser by processing said first type and second type of information;

wherein said surface member provides any of;

ultrasonic vibration, sub-sonic vibration, electrical voltage or current application, heating, cooling, light emission, air blowing, brushing, tapping, shaking, pulsating or scrubbing.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said dispenser is any of:

a removable and replaceable dispenser;

a refillable dispenser;

a disposable and for one time use only dispenser;

a dispenser having multiple sub-dispensers containing same or different specimens, said sub-dispensers being individually selectable to dispense specimen therein;

a dispenser with multiple specimen compartments containing same or different specimens, each of said compartments being individually selectable to dispense specimen therein;

a dispenser that resides within said device body; and

a dispenser that is externally attached to said device body.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said specimen is dispensed from said dispenser by any of:

a manually exerted or a pre-loaded force to said dispenser, wherein said control unit controls the dispensing by limiting the amount of specimen being dispensed from one or more of containing compartments or sub-dispensers;

an electrically powered driving mechanism that is part of said dispenser and operated by said control unit; and

an electrically powered driving mechanism that is part of said device body and electrically controlled by said control unit.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said first type of information can be any of:

information about said specimen;

information about optimal or pre-set operational mode of different sub-dispensers or difference specimen compartments within a single dispenser;

information about historic usage of said device, said dispenser and said specimen;

information that is created or input by a user, a manufacturer or a health care professional;

information transferred from said control unit;

biometrics information of the user; and

information for anti-fake, anti-piracy and authenticity confirmation.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said first information storage component and said second information storage component can be any of:

a digital data storage device;

an analog data storage device;

an optically recognizable markings; and

a hard coded dispensing regulation component.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said second type of information can be any of:

device operation data, user skin information data, user personal and biometrics information, dispenser identification data, date, time, season, weather and other user-specific data, application schedule and reminder message.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said control unit comprises:

means for displaying information to a user through visual, skin contact or sound effects;

means for receiving said first type of information stored in said first information storage component and said second type of information stored in said second information storage component;

means for processing said first type of information and said second type of information by said information processing component and providing instructions to control said dispenser to dispense said specimen in a specific manner;

means for sending data to be stored in said dispenser, wherein data stored in said container is retrievable;

means for providing user interface, power supply and charging functions; and

means for sending messages wirelessly to a separate device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein said information processing component comprises embedded software for processing said first type and second type information;

wherein said embedded software, first type of information and second type of information can be retrieved or updated through a data interface within said device;

wherein said retrieval and update can be done by an external computing device; and

wherein said data interface can be any of;

a wireless transmitter/receiver within said control unit;

a data communication component that utilizes a wireless charging circuitry to transmit digital or analog data; and

one or more electrical contacts that connect to said control unit.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein said first type information is transmitted to said information processing component in said control unit by using a standardized protocol;

wherein said protocol can be configured such that different specimen information in any individual compartment or individual sub-dispenser is arranged in a same digital format;

wherein said same digital format can be an ordered number and/or character sequence of information that contains an allocate space in a sequence for any of possibly needed information of any given specimen to be dispensed from said device; and

wherein said protocol can be used to standardize communication between any specimen dispenser made by different vendors and any dispensing devices made by other vendors to achieve compatibility and to reduce cost of operation.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a cooling means that cools said specimen within said dispenser, said cooling means being controlled by said control unit.

11. A method to produce customized specimen by using an integrated specimen dispensing device which can dispense one or more types of specimen of liquid, gel, serum, cream, lotion, paste and powder to a target skin area of a human being for treatment of skin, biological body area, body function, organ, bone, tissue and cell, the said method comprising the steps of:

providing a device body;

providing a dispenser containing said specimen, said dispenser being enclosed in said device body;

providing a specimen outlet existing on a surface member which is a part of said device body, said outlet being operatively connected to said dispenser, where said specimen passes through during a dispensing operation;

providing at least one electrical contact being electrically connected to an electronic circuit included in said dispenser;

providing at least one first information storage component located in said dispenser storing first type of information;

providing a control unit enclosed in said device body, said control unit containing electronic circuits and embedded software;

providing an electrical connection between said dispenser and said control unit;

providing at least one second information storage component located in said control unit storing second type of information; and

providing at least one information processing component located in said control unit which controls dispensing of specimen from said dispenser by processing said first type and second types of information;

wherein said surface member can provide any of;

ultrasonic vibration, sub-sonic vibration, electrical voltage or current application, heating, cooling, light emission, air blowing, brushing, tapping, shaking, pulsating or scrubbing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said dispenser is any of:

a removable and replaceable dispenser;

a refillable dispenser;

a disposable and for one-time use only dispenser;

a dispenser having multiple sub-dispensers containing same or different specimens, said sub-dispensers being individually selectable to dispense specimen therein;

a dispenser with multiple specimen compartments containing same or different specimens, each of said compartments being individually selectable to dispense specimen therein;

a dispenser that resides within said device body; and

a dispenser that is externally attached to said device body.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said specimen is dispensed from said dispenser by any of:

a manually exerted or a pre-loaded force to said dispenser, wherein said control unit controls the dispensing by limiting the amount of specimen being dispensed from one or more of containing compartments or sub-dispensers;

an electrically powered driving mechanism that is part of said dispenser and operated by said control unit; and

an electrically powered driving mechanism that is part of said device body and electrically controlled by said control unit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said first type of information can be any of:

information about said specimen;

information about optimal or pre-set operational mode of different sub-dispensers or difference specimen compartments within a single dispenser;

information about historic usage of said device, said dispenser and said specimen;

information that is created or input by a user, a manufacturer or a health care professional;

information transferred from said control unit;

biometrics information of the user; and

information for anti-fake, anti-piracy and authenticity confirmation.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said first information storage component and said second information storage component can be any of:

a digital data storage device;

an analog data storage device;

an optically recognizable markings; and

a hard coded dispensing regulation component.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said second type of information can be any of:

device operation data, user skin information data, user personal and biometrics information, dispenser identification data, date, time, season, weather and other user-specific data, application schedule and reminder message.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said control unit comprises:

means for displaying information to a user through visual, skin contact or sound effects;

means for receiving said first type of information stored in said first information storage component and said second type of information stored in said second information storage component;

means for processing said first type of information and said second type of information by said information processing component and providing instructions to control said dispenser to dispense said specimen in a specific manner;

means for sending data to be stored in said dispenser, wherein data stored in said container is retrievable;

means for providing user interface, power supply and charging functions; and

means for sending messages wirelessly to a separate device.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein said information processing component comprises embedded software for processing said first type and second type information;

wherein said embedded software, first type of information and second type of information can be retrieved or updated through a data interface within said device;

wherein said retrieval and update can be done by an external computing device; and

wherein said data interface can be any of;

a wireless transmitter/receiver within said control unit;

a data communication component that utilizes a wireless charging circuitry to transmit digital or analog data; and

one or more electrical contacts that connect to said control unit.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said first type information is transmitted to said information processing component in said control unit by using a standardized protocol;

wherein said protocol can be configured such that different specimen information in any individual compartment or individual sub-dispenser is arranged in a same digital format;

wherein said same digital format can be an ordered number and/or character sequence of information that contains an allocate space in a sequence for any of possibly needed information of any given specimen to be dispensed from said device; and

wherein said protocol can be used to standardize communication between any specimen dispenser made by different vendors and any dispensing devices made by other vendors to achieve compatibility and to reduce cost of operation.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

providing a cooling means that cools said specimen within said dispenser, wherein said cooling means is controlled by said control unit.