Interactive medication delivery system for individual pills and caplets
First Claim
1. A medication delivery system for individual pills/caplets comprisinga first cassette and a second cassette, each cassette includinga housing, with the first cassette housing being a different size than the second cassette housing,a storage chamber within the housing for holding at least one pill/caplet,a dispensing chamber within the housing, anda self contained shuttle member carried for movement within the housing for dispensing a pill/caplet from the dispensing chamber,a medication dispenser includinga dispensing station,first slot means having a first predetermined dimension for releasably inserting the housing of the first cassette into the dispensing station for use and for removal and replacement after use, the first predetermined dimension blocking the insertion of the housing of the second cassette into the first slot means,a second slot means having a second predetermined dimension different than the first predetermined dimension for releasably inserting the housing of the second cassette into the dispensing station for use and for removal and replacement after use, the second predetermined dimension blocking the insertion of the housing of the first cassette into the second slot means,first and second self contained linkage means associated with the first and second slot means, respectively, and being independently operative, when the first or second cassette is inserted into its respectively slot means, for engaging the associated shuttle member of the inserted cassette to move the associated shuttle member, the first and second linkage means being operative, when the first or second cassette is subsequently removed from its respective slot means, for disengaging the associated shuttle member, andcontrol means for independently actuating the first and second linkage means to dispense medication from the inserted respective first and second cassettes according to predetermined medication criteria.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A medication delivery device includes a housing that encloses a storage chamber for holding at least one pill/caplet. The housing also includes a dispensing chamber. The storage chamber has a first opening communicating with the dispensing chamber for conveying a pill/caplet from the storage chamber into the dispensing chamber. The dispensing chamber has a second opening for dispensing the pill/caplet from the housing. A shuttle member is movable within the dispensing chamber between a first and second position. The shuttle member has a delivery mechanism that receives a pill/caplet through the first opening as the shuttle member is moved from its first position toward its second position. The delivery mechanism carries the received pill/caplet to the second opening for dispensing as the shuttle member is returned to its first position.
124 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A medication delivery system for individual pills/caplets comprising
a first cassette and a second cassette, each cassette including a housing, with the first cassette housing being a different size than the second cassette housing, a storage chamber within the housing for holding at least one pill/caplet, a dispensing chamber within the housing, and a self contained shuttle member carried for movement within the housing for dispensing a pill/caplet from the dispensing chamber, a medication dispenser including a dispensing station, first slot means having a first predetermined dimension for releasably inserting the housing of the first cassette into the dispensing station for use and for removal and replacement after use, the first predetermined dimension blocking the insertion of the housing of the second cassette into the first slot means, a second slot means having a second predetermined dimension different than the first predetermined dimension for releasably inserting the housing of the second cassette into the dispensing station for use and for removal and replacement after use, the second predetermined dimension blocking the insertion of the housing of the first cassette into the second slot means, first and second self contained linkage means associated with the first and second slot means, respectively, and being independently operative, when the first or second cassette is inserted into its respectively slot means, for engaging the associated shuttle member of the inserted cassette to move the associated shuttle member, the first and second linkage means being operative, when the first or second cassette is subsequently removed from its respective slot means, for disengaging the associated shuttle member, and control means for independently actuating the first and second linkage means to dispense medication from the inserted respective first and second cassettes according to predetermined medication criteria.
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6. A medication delivery system for individual pills/caplets comprising
a cassette including a housing, a storage chamber within the housing for holding at least one pill/caplet, a dispensing chamber within the housing, the storage chamber having a first opening communicating with the dispensing chamber for conveying a pill/caplet from the storage chamber into the dispensing chamber, the dispensing chamber having a second opening for dispensing the pill/caplet from the dispensing chamber, a self contained shuttle member carried within the housing and being movable within the dispensing chamber between a first and second position, the shuttle member having delivery means for receiving a pill/caplet through the first opening as the shuttle member is moved from its first position towards its second position and for carrying the received pill/caplet to the second opening for dispensing as the shuttle member is returned to its first position, and machine readable code carried by the housing containing information about the medication stored within the storage chamber, and a medication dispenser including a dispensing station, means for releasably inserting the cassette into the dispensing station for use and for removal and replacement after use, scanning means for reading the code upon insertion of the cassette in the dispensing station, self contained linkage means operative, when the cassette is inserted into the dispensing station, for engaging the shuttle member to move the shuttle member between its first and second positions, the linkage means being operative, when the cassette is subsequently removed from the dispensing station, for disengaging the shuttle member, and control means for actuating the linkage means to dispense medication from the inserted cassette according to predetermined medication criteria.
Specification