Cartridge-based pharmacy compounding system

• US 9,757,308 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tailorpill Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tailorpill Technologies, LLC
• Inventors: Alfano, Kenneth Mimnaugh
• Primary Examiner(s): Maust, Timothy L
• Application Number:
  US14/859,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20160038376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 723 Days
• Field of Search: 141 83, 141100-105, 141144-147, 424451
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/06 into the form of pills, lozenges or dragees
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/07 into the form of capsules or similar small containers for oral use
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/074 Filling capsules; Related operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0087 Galenical forms not covered by A61K9/02 - A61K9/7023
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/34 Adjusting weight by trickle feed
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/134 by sensing the weight of the individual components
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A pharmaceutical compounding system having automated micro-dosing capability and using exchangeable source containers containing respective drugs, the system comprising an automated capsule-filling machine configured for compounding: an interface configured for receiving of prescription information for particular patients; and a dispensing head containing a solid-form drug; wherein said drug can be dispensed from said dispensing head by said machine such that the drug'"'"'s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) alone can be accurately dosed; and wherein the dispensing head is part of a set of multiple dispensing heads configured for compounding with said system.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical compounding system having automated micro-dosing capability and using exchangeable source containers containing respective drugs, the system comprising:

an automated capsule-filling machine configured for compounding customized polypills;

an interface configured for receiving of prescription information for particular patients; and

a dispensing head containing a solid-form drug for dispensation to capsules by said machine;

wherein said drug can be dispensed from said dispensing head by said machine such that the drug'"'"'s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) alone can be accurately dosed into the capsules;

and wherein said dispensing head is part of a set of multiple dispensing heads configured for compounding with said system, whereby each dispensing head houses a different respective drug to be selected or swapped as needed for producing said polypills for said patients.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing head is disposable.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the machine uses mechanical shock waves for actuating dispensation, and wherein the dispensation can be iteratively adjusted based on microbalance readings.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said drug is formulated in a blend.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said drug is in powder form.