Container for dispensing medicaments having a compressible medium therein

• US 7,721,914 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helene Laliberte, Michael Handfield
• Original Assignee: Helene Laliberte, Michael Handfield
• Inventors: Handfield, Michael, Laliberte, Helene
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/445,105
• Publication Number:
  US 20060219730A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,455 Days
• Field of Search: 221/279, 221/56, 221/14, 221/226, 221/227, 221/231, 221/229
• US Class Current: 221/231
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/24 Rotary or oscillatory members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/38 in which the magazines are horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

The invention relates to a medicaments dispensing container (e.g., a cassette or tray), which hold one or more types of medicaments, and configured for secure and intelligent dispensing of the medicaments. In one embodiment, a container for dispensing medicaments includes: a housing for storing an aggregate of medicament units stored loosely with respect to one another; an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units; and a compressible medium located within the housing and configured to expand so as to move the medicament units toward the outlet for dispensing.

Claims

1. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing a plurality of medicament units in a random orientation within the housing;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units; and

a compressible medium located within the housing for pushing medicament units stored in the housing to be dispensed at the outlet, wherein the compressible medium comprises a bellows.

2. The container of claim 1 further comprising a movable medium within the housing for holding and carrying at least one medicament unit stored in the housing to the outlet, wherein the compressible medium pushes stored medicament units stored in the housing onto the movable medium.

3. The container of claim 1, wherein the compressible medium is configured to be expanded to a desired state so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the housing.

4. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units in a random orientation within the housing;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units; and

a compressible medium located within the housing for pushing the stored medicament units out of the chamber to be dispensed at the outlet, wherein the compressible medium comprises a bellows.

5. The container of claim 4 further comprising a movable medium located within the housing and defining at least one compartment for holding at least one medicament unit, wherein the compartment carries the at least one medicament unit from the chamber to the outlet, wherein the compressible medium pushes stored medicament units from the chamber onto the movable medium.

6. The container of claim 5 wherein the movable medium comprises a rotatable disk.

7. The container of claim 4, wherein the compressible medium, when decompressed, occupies substantially all of the space within the chamber.

8. The container of claim 4, wherein the compressible medium is configured to be expanded to a desired state so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the chamber.

9. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing a plurality of medicament units;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a movable medium within the housing having a compartment for holding at least one medicament unit, wherein the movable medium is configured to transport the at least one medicament unit to the outlet for dispensing; and

a compressible medium located within the housing for pushing the at least one medicament unit into the compartment, wherein the compressible medium is expandable via a fluid.

10. The container of claim 9 wherein the compressible medium comprises a bellows.

11. The container of claim 9 wherein the movable medium comprises a rotatable disk.

12. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a dispensing mechanism configured to move at least one medicament unit from the chamber to the outlet; and

a compressible medium located within the chamber and configured to expand as medicament units are dispensed so as to push remaining medicaments units toward the dispensing mechanism, wherein the compressible medium is expandable via a fluid.

13. The container of claim 12, wherein the compressible medium, when decompressed, occupies substantially all of the space within the chamber.

14. The container of claim 12, wherein the compressible medium is configured to be expanded to a desired state so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the chamber.

15. The container of claim 12, further comprising an inlet valve coupled to the compressible medium to allow fluid to expand the compressible medium.

16. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing medicament units;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a dispensing mechanism configured to move at least one medicament unit stored in the housing to the outlet for dispensing;

a compressible medium located within the chamber and configured to expand as medicament units are dispensed so as to push remaining medicaments units toward the dispensing mechanism; and

an inlet valve coupled to the compressible medium to allow fluid to expand the compressible medium.

17. The container of claim 16, wherein the compressible medium, when decompressed, occupies substantially all of the space within the chamber.

18. The container of claim 16, wherein the compressible medium is configured to be expanded to a desired state so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the chamber.

19. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a dispensing mechanism configured to transport at least one medicament unit from the chamber to the outlet;

a compressible medium located within the chamber and configured to expand so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the chamber; and

an inlet valve coupled to the compressible medium to allow fluid to expand the compressible medium.

20. The container of claim 19, wherein the compressible medium, when decompressed, occupies substantially all of the space within the chamber.

21. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a dispensing mechanism configured to transport at least one medicament unit from the chamber to the outlet; and

a bellows located within the chamber and configured to move remaining medicaments units toward the dispensing mechanism.

22. The container of claim 21, wherein the bellows is configured to occupy substantially all of the space within the chamber when expanded.

23. The container of claim 21, wherein the bellows is configured to be decompressed to a desired state so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the chamber.

24. The container of claim 23, further comprising an inlet valve coupled to the bellows to allow fluid to expand the bellows.

25. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a dispensing mechanism configured to transport at least one medicament unit from the chamber to the outlet; and

a compressible medium located within the chamber and configured to expand as medicament units are dispensed, wherein the compressible medium is expanded by a medicaments dispensing machine coupled to the container.

26. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units in a random orientation within the housing;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a dispensing mechanism configured to transport at least one medicament unit from the chamber to the outlet; and

a compressible medium located within the chamber and configured to expand so as to ensure dispensing of substantially all the medicament units stored within the chamber, wherein the compressible medium is expandable via a fluid.

27. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units in a random orientation within the housing;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a rotatable disk within the housing and defining at least one compartment configured to hold at least one medicament unit, the rotatable disk being positioned between the storage chamber and the outlet whereby when the rotatable disk rotates, the at least one compartment carries the at least one medicament unit from the chamber to the outlet; and

a compressible medium located within the chamber for pushing the at least one medicament unit from the chamber onto the rotatable disk, wherein the compressible medium is expandable via a fluid.

28. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units in a random orientation within the housing;

an outlet defined in the housing;

a dispensing mechanism within the housing configured to dispense at least one medicament unit via the outlet; and

a compressible medium located within the housing configured to push the at least one medicament unit from the storage chamber to the dispensing mechanism and to expand to occupy substantially all of the space within the chamber, wherein the compressible medium is expandable via a fluid.

29. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units;

an outlet defined in the housing;

a movable medium configured to carry at least one of the stored medicament units from the chamber to the outlet; and

a compressible medium located within the housing configured to push the at least one medicament unit from the storage chamber to the dispensing mechanism and to expand to occupy substantially all of the space within the chamber, wherein the container is configured to be coupled to a dispensing machine that controls expansion of the compressible medium.

30. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store the medicament units;

an outlet defined in the housing;

a movable medium configured to carry at least one of the stored medicament units from the chamber to the outlet;

a compressible medium located within the housing configured to push the at least one medicament unit from the storage chamber to the movable medium and to expand as medicament units are dispensed from the container, wherein the container is adapted for use in conjunction with a medicaments dispensing machine configured to hold the container and control expansion of the compressible medium.

31. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing a plurality of medicament units in a nonlinear arrangement within the housing;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units; and

a compressible medium located within the housing and configured to expand so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the housing.

32. The container of claim 31, wherein the compressible medium, when decompressed, occupies substantially all of the space within a chamber contained in the housing.

33. The container of claim 32, further comprising an inlet valve coupled to the compressible medium to allow fluid to expand the compressible medium.

34. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing an aggregate of medicament units loosely with respect to one another;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense at least one medicament unit at a time; and

a compressible medium located within the housing and configured to expand so as to move the aggregate of medicament units toward the outlet for dispensing, wherein the compressible medium is expandable via a fluid.

35. The container of claim 34 further comprising a dispensing mechanism located within the housing and configured to transport at least one medicament unit from a chamber within the housing to the outlet, wherein the compressible medium moves the medicament units from the chamber to the dispensing mechanism.

36. The container of claim 34, wherein the compressible medium is configured to occupy substantially all of the space within the chamber when fully expanded.

37. The container of claim 34, wherein the compressible medium is configured to be decompressed to a desired state so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the chamber.

38. The container of claim 35, wherein the container is configured in the shape of a tray to be received within a medicament dispensing machine.

39. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing an aggregate of medicament units loosely with respect to one another;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense at least one medicament unit at a time;

a compressible medium located within the housing for pushing the aggregate of medicament units stored in the housing to be dispensed at the outlet; and

an inlet valve coupled to the compressible medium to allow fluid to expand the compressible medium.

40. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing an aggregate of medicament units loosely with respect to one another;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units; and

a compressible medium located within the housing and configured to expand so as to reduce movement of the medicament units stored within the housing, wherein the compressible medium is expandable via a fluid.

41. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing an aggregate of medicament units loosely with respect to one another in a random orientation;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a compressible medium located within the housing and configured to expand so as to move the medicament units toward the outlet for dispensing; and

an inlet valve coupled to the compressible medium to allow fluid to expand the compressible medium.

42. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store an aggregate of medicament units loosely with respect to one another in a random orientation;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units; and

a compressible medium located within the chamber and configured to expand as medicament units are dispensed.

43. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing;

a chamber within the housing to store an aggregate of medicament units loosely with respect to one another in a random orientation;

an outlet defined in the housing; and

a compressible medium located within the housing configured to push the aggregate of medicament units from the chamber toward the outlet, wherein the compressible medium is configured to occupy substantially all of the space within the chamber when fully expanded so as to ensure dispensing of substantially all of the medicament units.

44. A medicament dispensing container, comprising:

a housing for storing an aggregate of medicament units loosely with respect to one another in a random orientation;

an outlet defined in the housing to dispense the medicament units;

a bellows located within the housing and configured to expand so as to reduce movement of the aggregate of medicament units stored within the housing; and

an inlet valve coupled to the bellows to allow fluid to expand the bellows.