Medicament container system and method

• US 7,886,931 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• 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:
  US11/841,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20080029533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 221/154, 221/151, 221/153, 221/125, 221/247
• US Class Current: 221/154
• 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 method and system that utilizes one or more containers that hold medicaments for dispensing. In one embodiment, a medicament container includes a housing having an outlet port through which a medicament unit can be dispensed; a door configured to seal the outlet port in a closed position and to move to an open position to permit the medicament unit to be dispensed from the outlet port; and a lock configured to maintain the door in the closed position to prevent unauthorized dispensing of the medicament unit.

Claims

1. A medicament container comprising:

a housing having an outlet port through which a medicament unit can be dispensed;

a door configured to seal the outlet port in a closed position and to move to an open position to permit the medicament unit to be dispensed from the outlet port; and

a locking mechanism configured to prevent unauthorized dispensing of the medicament unit, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to unlock as a result of engagement of an external drive mechanism of the dispensing machine with the locking mechanism of the medicament container.

2. The medicament container of claim 1, wherein the medicament container is configured to be inserted into a dispensing machine.

3. The medicament container of claim 2, wherein the drive mechanism is configured to engage the locking mechanism only upon insertion of the medicament container into the dispensing machine.

4. The medicament container of claim 1, further comprising an active dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the medicament unit through the outer port.

5. The medicament container of claim 1, wherein the medicament container is configured to dispense a dosage of medicament units contained therein.

6. The medicament container of claim 1, wherein the medicament container is configured to be inserted into an apparatus that is configured to accept a plurality of medicament containers.

7. The medicament container of claim 1, wherein the medicament container is a portable dispensing container.

8. The medicament container of claim 1, further comprising circuitry to receive an authorization signal and to disengage the locking mechanism only in response to the authorization signal.

9. The medicament container of claim 8, wherein the authorization signal is received from a dispensing machine.

10. The medicament container of claim 8, wherein the authorization signal is received from a server.

11. The medicament container of claim 8, wherein the authorization signal is generated when a dosing interval is reached.

12. The medicament container of claim 8, wherein the authorization signal is generated by a health care professional.

13. The medicament container of claim 8, wherein the authorization signal is generated upon insertion of the medicament container into a dispensing machine.

14. The medicament container of claim 1, further comprising a timer programmed to unlock the dispensing container at a predetermined time.

15. The medicament container of claim 14, wherein the predetermined time comprises a dosing time, or dosing interval.

21. The medicament container of claim 1, wherein the locking mechanism comprises:

a gear having first and second surfaces, a circumference about an axis, and teeth disposed around the circumference; and

a rigid structure fixedly mounted to the medicaments container in releasable engagement with the gear;

wherein when the gear is engaged by the external drive mechanism and rotational force is imparted on the gear by the external drive mechanism, the gear disengages from the rigid structure and rotates about its axis causing a dispensing mechanism in the medicaments container to dispense a predetermined quantity of medicament units.

22. The medicament container of claim 21, wherein the rigid structure comprises a rigid cylinder and the gear further comprises a recesse on the first surface of the gear to be engaged by the cylinder.

23. The medicament container of claim 22, wherein the one or more rigid cylinders are configured to engage the one or more recesses to prevent rotation of the gear, thereby preventing operation of the dispensing mechanism when the external drive mechanism is disengaged.

24. The medicament container of claim 21, wherein the teeth are arranged in a helical configuration such that when rotational force is imparted on the gear by the external drive mechanism, the gear is translated along its axis in a first direction thereby disengaging the gear from the rigid structure.

25. The medicament container of claim 24, further comprising a spring mechanism mounted adjacent a surface of the gear and configured to apply a force to the gear in a second direction opposite the first direction, to cause the gear to be translated along its axis in the second direction and to reengage the rigid structure when the external drive mechanism is disengaged.

16. A medicament container comprising:

a housing having an outlet port through which a medicament can be dispensed;

a door configured to seal the outlet port in a closed position and to move to an open position to permit the medicament unit to be dispensed from the outlet port; and

a locking mechanism configured to maintain the door in the closed position to prevent unauthorized dispensing of the medicament unit, wherein the locking mechanism is engaged in response to an error code, during a maintenance check of the medicament container, or when the medicament container is being returned for credit.

17. The medicament container of claim 16, wherein the medicament container is configured to be inserted into a dispensing machine.

18. The medicament container of claim 16, further comprising an active dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the medicament unit through the outlet port.

19. The medicament container of claim 16, wherein the medicament container is configured to dispense a dosage of medicament units contained therein.

20. The medicament container of claim 16, wherein the medicament container is configured to be inserted into an apparatus that is configured to accept a plurality of medicament containers.