Multiple pharmaceutical dispenser with accumulator

A pharmaceutical dispenser comprising:

• at least two pharmaceutical cartridges each having a barrel, the barrel having a cartridge interior, an open end and an accessible end, a piston within the barrel and a liquid within the cartridge interior between the piston and the accessible end;
• a body configured to house the cartridges therein;
• an accumulator/dispensing assembly mounted to the body and including an accumulator chamber fluidly coupled to the cartridge interiors;
• a piston driver for each said cartridge mounted to the body, the piston drivers each including a movable stem driver having a longitudinal axis and a stem, the stem driver including a stem drive element, the stem having a proximal end and a distal end which engages the piston, the stem drive element drivingly coupled to the stem so that movement of the stem drive element determines the amount of axial movement which is applied to the stem, and thus the piston, by the stem drive element so to determine how much of the liquid within the cartridge interior is forced into the accumulator chamber;
• the accumulator/dispensing assembly including means for dispensing liquid from the accumulator chamber;
• and
• each stem driver including:
• a telescoping knob axially slidably mounted to the proximal end of the stem drive element to be movable in a proximal direction from a collapsed position to an extended position and in a distal direction from the extended position to the collapsed position;
• means for biasing the knob in the proximal direction;
• means for retaining the knob in the collapsed position;
• and
• means for manually releasing the retaining means so to permit the knob biasing means to move the knob to the extended position for enhanced user access to the knob.

A pharmaceutical dispenser comprising:

• at least two pharmaceutical cartridges each having a barrel, the barrel having a cartridge interior, an open end and an accessible end, a piston within the barrel and a liquid within the cartridge interior between the piston and the accessible end;
• a body configured to house the cartridges therein;
• an accumulator/dispensing assembly mounted to the body and including an accumulator chamber fluidly coupled to the cartridge interiors;
• a piston driver for each said cartridge mounted to the body, the piston drivers each including a stem driver having a longitudinal axis and a stem, the stem driver including a rotatable dose screw, the stem having a proximal end and a distal end which engages the piston, the dose screw drivingly coupled to the stem so that rotary movement of the dose screw determines the amount of axial movement which is applied to the stem, and thus the piston, by the does screw so to determine how much of the liquid within the cartridge interior is forced into the accumulator chamber;
• the accumulator/dispensing assembly including means for dispensing liquid from the accumulator chamber;
• the dose screw having external dose indicator threads;
• and
• a dose indicator assembly, which indicates to the user the amount of each liquid is driven from the cartridges to the accumulator through the rotation of the dose screw, including:
• a frame movably mounted to the body;
• a follower, for each cartridge, slidably mounted to the frame, the follower having teeth which engage the dose indicator threads;
• a dose indicator, secured to each of the followers, movable along the frame so that as the dose screw rotates, the follower and dose indicator secured thereto move according to the rotary motion of the dose screw;
• means for biasing the dose indicator device towards a start position;
• and
• frame lifter means for moving the frame away from the dose screws so to disengage the followers from the external indicator threads allowing the dose indicator biasing means to move the indicators to the start position.

A pharmaceutical dispenser comprising:

• first and second pharmaceutical cartridges each having a barrel, the barrel having a cartridge interior, an open end and an accessible end, a piston within the barrel and a liquid within the cartridge interior between the piston and the accessible end;
• a body;
• a manifold/cartridge/accumulator assembly, removably mountable to the body to a fully inserted position, comprising:
• a manifold assembly to which the first and second cartridges are removably mounted;
• an accumulator/dispensing assembly secured to the manifold assembly and including an accumulator chamber;
• and
• the manifold assembly including a fluid pathway fluidly coupling the cartridge interiors to the accumulator chamber;
• a piston driver for each said cartridge mounted to the body, the piston drivers each including a locking collar element, a movable stem driver and an axially movable stem, the stem driver including a stem drive element, the stem having a proximal end and a distal end which engages the piston;
• means for automatically drivingly coupling the stem drive element to the stem only after the manifold/cartridge/ accumulator assembly is in the fully installed position, whereby movement of the stem drive element determines the amount of axial movement which is applied to the stem, and thus the piston, by the stem drive element so to determine how much of the liquid within the cartridge interior is forced into the accumulator chamber;
• and
• the accumulator/dispensing assembly including means for dispensing liquid from the accumulator chamber.

A pharmaceutical dispenser comprising:

• at least two pharmaceutical cartridges each having a barrel, the barrel having a cartridge interior, an open end and an accessible end, a piston within the barrel and a liquid within the cartridge interior between the piston and the accessible end;
• a body configured to house the cartridges therein;
• an accumulator/dispensing assembly mounted to the body and including an accumulator chamber fluidly coupled to the cartridge interiors;
• a piston driver for each said cartridge mounted to the body, the piston drivers each including a movable stem driver and a stem, the stem driver including a stem drive element, the stem having a proximal end and a distal end which engages the piston, the stem drive element drivingly coupled to the stem so that movement of the stem drive element determines the amount of axial movement which is applied to the stem, and thus the piston, by the stem drive element so to determine how much of the liquid within the cartridge interior is forced into the accumulator chamber;
• and
• the accumulator/dispensing assembly including means for dispensing liquid from the accumulator chamber.