Device for Dispensing Pharmaceutical Doses
AssigneePharmRight Corporation
InventorWilliam Park
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices dispense medicine and dietary supplements in solid dosage form. The dimensions of the selection slots for the solid dosage forms in a device can be customized in depth by adding or subtracting spacers, and in width by adding or subtracting thickness inserts, or otherwise by employing components of suitable dimensions. Also, structures and methods for resolving jams of solid dosage forms are disclosed.
Claims20
A device for dispensing a solid dosage form, comprising:
- a storage compartment comprising a volume for storing a plurality of solid dosage forms having a same shape;
- and
- a receiver coupled to the storage compartment and adapted to rotate about an axis, comprising a selection slot at a distance from the axis,
- wherein the selection slot is adapted to separate a single solid dosage form from the plurality of solid dosage forms when the receiver is selectively rotated clockwise and counterclockwise about the axis, and
- wherein the receiver is adapted to reversibly couple to at least one spacer to accommodate the same shape in the selection slot.
A device for selectively dispensing two or more unique solid dosage forms from a collection of unique solid dosage forms, wherein a unique solid dosage form in the collection has a shape that is independently alike or different from other unique solid dosage forms in the collection, wherein the device comprises:
- a storage compartment for each unique solid dosage form, comprising a volume for storing a plurality of the unique solid dosage form separately from other unique solid dosage forms in the collection, and
- a receiver coupled to the storage compartment for each unique solid dosage form, the receiver adapted to rotate about an axis, and comprising a selection slot at a distance from the axis,
- wherein the selection slot is adapted to separate a single unique solid dosage form from the plurality stored in the storage compartment when the receiver is selectively rotated clockwise and counterclockwise about the axis, and
- wherein the receiver is adapted to reversibly couple to at least one spacer to accommodate the shape of the unique solid dosage form in the selection slot.
A method of dispensing a single solid dosage form, comprising:
- (a) obtaining a device that comprises
- a storage compartment storing a plurality of solid dosage forms having a same shape;
- and
- a receiver coupled to the storage compartment and adapted to rotate about an axis, comprising a selection slot at a distance from the axis, wherein the receiver is adapted to reversibly couple to at least one spacer to accommodate the same shape in the selection slot;
- (b) rotating in a first direction the receiver about the axis;
- (c) determining that the selection slot has not separated the single solid dosage form from the plurality;
- (d) rotating in a second direction the receiver about the axis;
- (e) optionally repeating one or more of the (b) rotating in a first direction, the (c) determining, and the (d) rotating in a second direction;
- and
- (f) detecting that the selection slot has separated the single solid dosage form from the plurality;
- (g) dispensing the single solid dosage form from the device;
- thereby dispensing the single solid dosage form.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.