Integrated drug dosage form and metering system

A housing having enclosing walls comprising one element of a drug metering device for the accurate, recurring dispensing of medicaments in a continuous drug tape form in adjustable, preselected single dosage lengths, where the drug tape is provided in a cassette having a first discharge site and a mounting to support the drug tape, wherein the housing and the cassette fit together to form an enclosed case, said housing comprising:

• a second discharge site, a dispenser site and a cassette receptacle receiving site in the housing adapted for sealed engagement with the cassette whereby the first discharge site mates with the second discharge site;
• gear means in the housing situated for drivably engaging the mounting of the cassette to feed the drug tape from the cassette through the first and second discharge sites to the dispenser site;
• controller means in the housing coordinately actuating the gear means for automatically measuring the single dosage lengths of drug tape;
• a display on a wall of the housing, regulated by the controller for displaying the number of remaining doses and the dosage corresponding to the single dosage length;
• and
• a cutter disposed proximate the dispenser site for severing the drug tape.

A drug metering device for the recurring, accurate dispensing of medicaments in a continuous drug tape form in adjustable, preselected single dosage lengths, having an enclosed case comprising:

• a portable housing having a front wall, a rear wall, a cassette receptable site accessible through the rear wall, a first discharge site, and a dispenser site;
• a cassette for containing a supply of the drug tape, adapted for sealed engagement with the housing at the cassette receptacle site, having a shaft for supporting the drug tape, and having a second discharge site which mates with the first discharge site;
• gear means in the housing for frictionally engaging the shaft in the cassette, the gear means controlling the feed of the drug tape from the cassette through the first and second discharge sites to the dispenser site;
• a counter in the housing, operably connected to the gear means for counting the number of single dosage lengths that are dispensed;
• drive means in the housing, coordinately actuating the gear means and the counter, for automatically driving the gear means to feed the single dosage length of drug tape to the dispenser site;
• a clock in the housing for measuring time intervals over which the drug tape is to be dispensed;
• a controller in the housing, operably connected to the drive means and the clock;
• a display on the front wall of the housing, communicating with the controller to display the number of remaining doses, the dosage and the times at which the drug is to be dispensed;
• and
• a cutter disposed proximate to the dispenser site for severing single dosage lengths of drug tape from the supply of drug tape.

A drug dispensing system comprising:

• (a) a drug dispenser comprising:
• a housing for a drug tape roll;
• means for feeding said tape from said roll;
• and
• means for cutting preselected lengths from said roll in tape receiving relationship with said roll;
• and
• (b) a drug tape roll housed in said housing characterized by being capable of being fed from a roll and cut at preselected lengths providing a predetermined medicament dosage, having a tensile strength of at least about 250 psi, a thickness of from about 2 to 20 mil, from about 0.01 to 2 mg drug/mm.sup.3 and less than about a 5% dimensional change due to ambient variations in temperature and humidity.

A drug dispensing system, comprising:

• (a) a portable drug dispenser comprising:
• a housing capable of containing a drug tape roll;
• means for feeding said tape from said roll;
• and
• means for cutting preselected lengths from said roll, said means for cutting being located in tape-receiving relationship with said roll;
• and
• (b) a drug tape roll housed in said housing characterized by being capable of being fed from said roll and cut at preselected lengths to provide a predetermined medicament dosage.