Medication dispensers
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A medication dispenser, comprising:
- a drug pump including a control module, the control module configured to cause the drug pump to deliver(i) a substantially liquid medication when a substantially liquid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, or(ii) a substantially solid medication when a substantially solid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of a medication dispenser comprises a drug pump having a control module. A medication dose request device can be in communication with the drug pump. A dispensing device, for dispensing substantially solid medication in response to activation of the medication dose request device, can be in communication with the drug pump.
83 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A medication dispenser, comprising:
a drug pump including a control module, the control module configured to cause the drug pump to deliver (i) a substantially liquid medication when a substantially liquid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, or (ii) a substantially solid medication when a substantially solid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A medication dispenser, comprising:
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a drug pump including a control module, the control module configured to cause the drug pump to deliver (i) a substantially liquid medication when a substantially liquid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, or (ii) a substantially solid medication when a substantially solid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump; and a medication dose request device in communication with the control module, wherein, in response to activation of the medication dose request device by a patient when the substantially solid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, the drug pump is driven by command from the control module to dispense individual doses of the substantially solid medication outwardly from the substantially solid medication dispensing device for delivery to the patient of what otherwise would be deemed a bolus of a fluid medication if the substantially liquid medication dispensing device was selectively coupled to the drug pump.
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14. A method of dispensing medication to a patient, comprising:
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providing a medication dispenser to a patient, the medication dispenser including (i) a drug pump having a control module, the control module configured to cause the drug pump to deliver (a) a substantially liquid medication when a substantially liquid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, and (b) a substantially solid medication when a substantially solid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, and (ii) a medication dose request device in communication with the control module; entering a dispense command in the control module via the medication dose request device; and when the substantially solid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, driving the drug pump, in response to the dispense command, to dispense a dose of the substantially solid medication outwardly from the substantially solid dispensing device to the patient.
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15. A medication dispensing system, comprising:
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a drug pump including a control module, the drug pump being capable of being selectively mounted to one of a plurality of removable cassettes containing a material, the control module configured to cause the drug pump to deliver (i) a fluid material when the one of the plurality of removable cassettes selectively mounted to the drug pump comprises a fluid material, (ii) a semi-solid material when the one of the plurality of removable cassettes selectively mounted to the drug pump comprises a semi-solid material, or (iii) a solid material when the one of the plurality of removable cassettes selectively mounted to the drug pump comprises a solid material; and an actuator contained within each of the cassettes; wherein the actuator is driven by the drug pump in response to command from the control module to deliver to a patient the material from the one of the plurality of removable cassettes that is at that time mounted to the drug pump.
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16. A medication dispenser, comprising:
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a drug pump including a control module, the control module configured to cause the drug pump to deliver (i) a substantially liquid medication when a substantially liquid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, or (ii) a substantially solid medication when a substantially solid medication dispensing device is selectively coupled to the drug pump, the substantially solid medication being selected from a group consisting of pills, tablets, capsules containing liquid, granular materials, and powdered materials; and a medication dose request device in communication with the control module, the medication dose request device being selected from a group consisting of remote dose cord devices and voice-activated devices, wherein the drug pump is a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump selected from a group consisting of ambulatory pumps, peristaltic pumps, syringe pumps, gravity-feed pumps, elastomeric pumps, and multichannel pumps, and wherein the substantially solid medication dispensing device is a removable cassette that is selectively coupled to the drug pump, the cassette contains an actuator therewithin, and the actuator is driven by command from the control module, in response to activation of the medication dose request device, to advance the medication outwardly from the cassette.
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Specification