Controllable medicinal dosage packaging for liquid medication

• US 8,863,996 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2011
• Issued: 10/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Empire Technology Development LLC (Allied Inventors Management, LLC)
• Inventors: Mishra, Himanshu
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, LIEN M
• Application Number:
  US13/395,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20120298699A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• Field of Search: 222/424.5, 222/427, 222/442, 222/447, 222/142.9, 222/142.8, 222/142.5, 222/142.6, 222/142.2, 222/425.5, 222/144.5, 222/144, 222450-456, 222/425, 222/142.1, 222/133, 222/144.45, 222430-438, 222/457.5, 220/253
• US Class Current: 222/424.5
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/22 with means for metering the amount of fluid
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0046 Cups, bottles or bags
• 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: B65D 23/04 Means for mixing or for promoting flow of contents hydro-dynamic means for influencing the flow of liquids F15D
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/26 wherein the measuring chamber is filled and emptied by tilting or inverting the supply vessel, e.g. bottle-emptying apparatus

Abstract

A storage device includes a storage chamber, a dispensing chamber, an intermediate chamber, a first channel, and a second channel. The intermediate chamber adjusts relative to the storage chamber to select a predetermined amount of fluid to flow into the intermediate chamber from the storage chamber. The first channel is located between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber having at least two interchangeable conformations, a first open conformation to allow fluid flow between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber, and a first closed conformation to prevent fluid flow between the storage chamber and intermediate chamber. The second channel is located between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber having at least two interchangeable conformations, a second open conformation to allow fluid flow between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber, and a second closed conformation to prevent fluid flow between the intermediate chamber and dispensing chamber.

Claims

1. A storage device comprising:

a storage chamber;

a dispensing chamber;

an intermediate chamber, wherein the intermediate chamber is configured to adjust relative to the storage chamber to select a predetermined volume of liquid from a plurality of predetermined volumes of liquid to flow into the intermediate chamber from the storage chamber;

a first channel located between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber having at least two interchangeable conformations, a first open conformation configured to allow liquid flow between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber, and a first closed conformation configured to prevent liquid flow between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber; and

a second channel located between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber having at least two interchangeable conformations, a second open conformation configured to allow liquid flow between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber, and a second closed conformation configured to prevent liquid flow between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber, wherein at least a portion of the second channel is located within the storage chamber.

2. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the intermediate chamber is configured to move relative to the storage chamber to select one of at least two positions, wherein in the first position the first channel is open and the second channel is closed.

3. The storage device of claim 2, wherein in the second position the second channel is open and the first channel is closed.

4. The storage device of claim 3, wherein in a third position the first channel and the second channel are closed.

5. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the intermediate chamber is configured to rotate around a central axis of the storage chamber to select one of at least two positions, wherein in the first position the first channel is open and the second channel is closed.

6. The storage device of claim 5, wherein in the second position the second channel is open and the first channel is closed.

7. The storage device of claim 6, wherein in a third position the first channel and the second channel are closed.

8. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the dispensing chamber is detachable.

9. The storage device of claim 1, further comprising a first air channel configured to allow air flow between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber.

10. The storage device of claim 9, further comprising a second air channel configured to allow air flow between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber.

23. The storage device of claim 1, wherein the storage chamber comprises multiple slots, wherein the intermediate chamber comprises a notch configured to be inserted into one of the multiple slots to select one of the plurality of pre-determined volumes of liquid, and wherein each slot corresponds to one of the plurality of predetermined volumes of liquid.

24. The storage device of claim 23, wherein the liquid is a medicine, wherein a first predetermined volume of liquid corresponds to an adult dosage, and wherein a second predetermined volume of liquid corresponds to a child dosage.

11. A storage device comprising:

a storage chamber having a first end and a second end;

an intermediate chamber connected to the first end of the storage chamber, wherein the intermediate chamber is configured to adjust relative to the storage chamber to select a predetermined volume of liquid to flow into the intermediate chamber from the storage chamber;

a dispensing chamber connected to the second end of the storage chamber and configured to move relative to the storage chamber to open a second channel;

a first channel located between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber having at least two interchangeable conformations, a first open conformation configured to allow liquid flow between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber, and a first closed conformation configured to prevent liquid flow between the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber; and

the second channel located between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber having at least two interchangeable conformations, a second open conformation configured to allow liquid flow between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber, and a second closed conformation configured to prevent liquid flow between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber wherein the second channel comprises a channel between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber, wherein at least a portion of the second channel is located within the storage chamber.

12. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the intermediate chamber is configured to move relative to the storage chamber to select one of at least two positions, wherein in the first position the first channel is open and the second channel is closed.

13. The storage device of claim 12, wherein in the second position the second channel is open and the first channel is closed.

14. The storage device of claim 13, wherein in a third position the first channel and the second channel are closed.

15. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the intermediate chamber is configured to move relative to the storage chamber to select one of at least two positions, wherein in the first position the first channel is open and the second channel is closed.

16. The storage device of claim 15, wherein in the second position the second channel is open and the first channel is closed.

17. The storage device of claim 16, wherein in a third position the first channel and the second channel are closed.

18. The storage device of claim 11, wherein the dispensing chamber is detachable.

19. A method comprising:

adjusting a capacity of an intermediate chamber to one of a plurality of predetermined volumes;

opening a first channel located between a the storage chamber and the intermediate chamber, wherein a storage device comprises the storage chamber, the intermediate chamber, and a dispensing chamber, and wherein opening the first channel allows liquid to flow from the storage chamber to the intermediate chamber;

closing the first channel, wherein closing the first channel prohibits liquid from flowing from the storage chamber to the intermediate chamber;

opening a second channel located between the intermediate chamber and the dispensing chamber, wherein opening the second channel allows liquid to flow from the intermediate chamber to the dispensing chamber, wherein at least a portion of the second channel is located within the storage chamber; and

changing an orientation of the storage device to permit liquid to flow from the intermediate chamber to the storage chamber.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

closing the second channel, wherein closing the second channel prohibits liquid from flowing from the intermediate chamber to the dispensing chamber;

detaching the dispensing chamber.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the opening the first channel comprises rotating an intermediate chamber around a central axis of a storage chamber to open the first channel, and wherein the opening the second channel comprises rotating the intermediate chamber around the central axis of the storage chamber to open the second channel.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the liquid is a medicine, wherein a first predetermined volume of liquid corresponds to an adult dosage, and wherein a second predetermined volume of liquid corresponds to a child dosage.