Medicaments container with display component

• US 7,949,426 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2007
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Helene Laliberte, Michael Handfield
• Original Assignee: Helene Laliberte, Michael Handfield
• Inventors: Handfield, Michael, Laliberte, Helene
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/841,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20080142534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/236
• 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

Methods and apparatus are disclosed herein for a medicament container with a multi-colored, multi-functional display. In some embodiments, the display is adapted to output multiple colors and/or characters. In one embodiment, the display may change colors and/or blinking status in order to indicate the working status of the tray. For example, the display may show a green light to indicate that the medicament container is working properly, a yellow light to indicate that the tray needs to be replenished soon, or a blinking red light to indicate that the tray is empty.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a housing adapted to store medicaments;

an interface adapted to connect the apparatus to a dispensing device;

an electronic display component located on the housing and adapted to indicate a condition of at least one medicament detected at the time of dispensing, wherein the condition comprises at least one of an incorrect, a counterfeit, and a tampered with medicament;

a memory module connected to the electronic display component, wherein the memory module is adapted to store data adapted to drive the electronic display component; and

a processor disposed within the housing and adapted to write data to the memory module.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic display component is adapted to indicate the condition of the at least one medicament by displaying a particular color associated with the condition.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electronic display component is adapted to indicate the condition of the at least one medicament by displaying a particular set of characters associated with the condition.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condition further relates to the operability of the apparatus.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the condition further relates to the number of medicaments stored within the housing.

6. A medicament container comprising:

a compartment adapted to contain medicaments;

a connector adapted to connect the medicament container to a medicament dispensing apparatus, wherein the medicament dispensing apparatus is adapted to enable medicaments to be dispensed from the compartment upon receiving the connector; and

an indicator adapted to indicate information pertaining to the status of the medicament container detected at the time of dispensing, wherein the status of the medicament container comprises at least one of an incorrect, a counterfeit and a tampered with medicament.

7. The medicament container of claim 6 further comprising a pull handle, wherein the indicator is disposed upon the pull handle.

8. The medicament container of claim 6, wherein the connector comprises an alignment locking mechanism.

9. The medicament container of claim 8, wherein the alignment locking mechanism comprises a ball pin adapted to guide the medicament dispensing container into the medicament dispensing apparatus.

10. The medicament container of claim 8, wherein the alignment locking mechanism comprises a conductive material and is adapted to function as a ground pin.

11. A medicament tray comprising:

a container adapted to contain one or more medicaments;

a dispensing mechanism adapted to dispense the one or more medicaments from the container;

an interface for an external drive gear, wherein the external drive gear is adapted to actuate the dispensing element; and

a display module adapted to display data associated with the medicaments contained within the container detected at the time of dispensing, the display data comprising at least one of an incorrect, a counterfeit and a tampered with medicament.

12. The medicament tray of claim 11, wherein the container comprises a memory module adapted to store the data that is displayed by the display module.

13. The medicament tray of claim 12, wherein the display module is adapted to display the data as a set of characters.

14. The medicament tray of claim 12, wherein the display module is adapted to display the data as a color.

15. The medicament tray of claim 14, wherein the display module is adapted to flash the color at a frequency that is selected based upon a value comprised within the data.

16. A device comprising:

a compartment adapted to house at least one medicament;

a memory module adapted to store data for determining a state of an electronic display;

a sensor connected to the memory module and adapted to determine whether a medicament has been dispensed from the compartment;

a locking mechanism adapted to lock the device into a dispensing unit, wherein the dispensing unit comprises an external rotation mechanism adapted to cause said at least one medicament to be dispensed from the compartment; and

the electronic display adapted to display a status condition associated with the at least one medicament detected at the time of dispensing, wherein a status condition comprises at least one of an incorrect, a counterfeit, and a tampered with medicament.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism is adapted to be inserted into a slot disposed within the dispensing unit.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism is adapted to guide the device into a slot comprised within the dispensing unit.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the locking mechanism is adapted to snap-lock the device into the dispensing unit.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein locking mechanism comprises a conductive material enabling electrical communication between the device and the dispensing unit.

21. A medicament dispensing container comprising:

a housing for containing a plurality of medicaments;

a dispenser mechanism adapted to dispense medicaments from the housing;

memory contained within the housing and adapted to store a condition related to the at least one medicament detected at the time of dispensing, wherein the condition comprises at least one of an incorrect, a counterfeit, and a tampered with medicament; and

a display disposed on the housing and adapted to indicate the condition stored within the memory.

22. The medicament dispensing container of claim 21, wherein the display is adapted to indicate the condition by displaying a color corresponding to the condition.

23. The medicament dispensing container of claim 21, wherein the display is adapted to indicate the condition by displaying a string of text corresponding to the condition.

24. The medicament dispensing container of claim 21, wherein the display is adapted to indicate the condition by displaying a symbol corresponding to the condition.

25. The medicament dispensing container of claim 21, wherein the display is adapted to indicate the condition by temporally modulating a light source at a designated frequency.

26. A device comprising:

a container adapted to store a plurality of medicaments;

a status module adapted to receive information related to the status of a medicament detected at the time of dispensing, wherein the status comprises at least one of an incorrect, a counterfeit, and a tampered with medicament; and

a display structure connected to the status module and adapted to electronically generate an output based at least in part upon the information.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the device further comprises an interface adapted to connect the device to a medicament dispensing module, wherein at least a portion of the container is adapted to be unlocked when the device is connected to the medicament dispensing module.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the status module is adapted to receive information related to the status of the medicament over a wireless communication channel.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein the status module is adapted to receive information related to the status of the device medicament over a fiber-optic cable.

30. The device of claim 26, wherein the status module is adapted to receive an update when one or more medicaments are dispensed from the container.

31. A medicament tray for dispensing medicaments, comprising:

a compartment adapted to store a plurality of medicaments;

a dispensing mechanism adapted to dispense the plurality of medicaments;

a sensor adapted to determine a condition associated with a medicament detected at the time of dispensing, wherein a condition comprises at least one of an incorrect, a counterfeit, and a tampered with medicament; and

a display mechanism connected to the sensor and adapted to graphically indicate the condition.

32. The medicament tray of claim 31, wherein the medicament tray further comprises an outlet formed within a portion of the medicament tray, wherein the dispensing mechanism is adapted to transmit one or more medicaments to the outlet.

33. The medicament tray of claim 32, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises at least one groove.

34. The medicament tray of claim 33, wherein the compartment comprises a compressible medium adapted to exert a force upon one or more medicaments such that a medicament is transferred into the groove.

35. The medicament tray of claim 34, wherein the dispensing mechanism is further adapted to be rotated by an external drive gear.

36. A method of outputting data related to a medicament container, the method comprising:

sensing a condition related to at least one medicament detected at the time of dispensing with one or more sensors disposed with the medicament container, wherein the condition comprises at least one of an incorrect, a counterfeit, and a tampered with medicament;

determining an output state for a display device connected to the medicament container, wherein the output state is based at least in part upon the condition; and

presenting a graphical output on the display device, wherein the graphical output is based at least in part upon the output state.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the graphical output comprises a color corresponding to the output state.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the graphical output comprises a symbol corresponding to the output state.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the graphical output comprises text corresponding to the output state.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the graphical output comprises a frequency of flashing that corresponds to the output state.

41. A medicament tray for dispensing medicaments, comprising:

an outlet;

a dispensing mechanism comprising at least one groove, wherein the dispensing mechanism is adapted to dispense one or more medicaments to the outlet;

a compartment adapted to store a plurality of medicaments, wherein the compartment comprises a compressible medium adapted to exert a force upon the one or more medicaments such that a medicament is transferred into the groove;

a sensor adapted to determine a condition associated with the medicament tray; and

a display mechanism connected to the sensor and adapted to graphically indicate the condition.

42. The medicament tray of claim 41, wherein the dispensing mechanism is adapted to be rotated by an external drive gear.

43. A medicament tray for dispensing medicaments, comprising:

a compartment adapted to store a plurality of medicaments;

a dispensing mechanism adapted to dispense the plurality of medicaments;

a display mechanism located on an outer surface of the medicament tray and adapted to graphically indicate a condition of the medicament tray or the plurality of medicaments; and

a medicament moving mechanism adapted to exert a force upon one or more medicaments such that a medicament is transferred from the compartment to the dispensing mechanism, wherein the medicament moving mechanism is movable relative to the compartment and the dispensing mechanism.

44. The medicament tray of claim 43, wherein the medicament moving mechanism further comprises a compressible medium.

45. The medicament tray of claim 43, wherein the medicament moving mechanism further comprises a spring-loaded device.

46. The medicament tray of claim 43, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises at least one groove, and wherein the compressible medium is further adapted to transfer a medicament from the compartment to the at least one groove.

47. The medicament tray of claim 43, wherein the medicament tray further comprises an outlet formed within a portion of the medicament tray, and wherein the dispensing mechanism is further adapted to transmit one or more medicaments to the outlet.