2373results about "Small article dispensing" patented technology

The present invention relates to assisting patients in the taking of medication, and to assisting third parties in accumulating information regarding patient medication intake. The invention may be embodied a system including a portable medication monitor used in association with an instrumented medication package to provide intake data acquisition and patient support functions. The system may further be connected to a computer or computer network allowing information distribution between the medication monitor and third parties, such as physicians or pharmacists.

A dispensing container is provided, the container including an outer shell comprising a top, a bottom, sidewalls extending between the top and bottom, and two ends, at least one end being open; an inner tray, slidably received within the outer shell, comprising at least one storage compartment adapted for storage of a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed, and comprising at least one depressible detent, the detent comprising a raised surface that abuts the outer shell; wherein, in a closed configuration, the detent holds the inner tray within the outer shell, and wherein the at least one detent may be depressed by pressure to allow the inner tray to slide relative to the outer shell.

Disclosed is a package for storing a product, such as smokeless tobacco, which includes, inter alia, a container that has opposing upper and lower surfaces, and a container sidewall that extends between the upper and lower surfaces to define an interior for storing a plurality of products. The upper surface of the container has an apex intermediate a first region and a second region and the container sidewall defines an opening sized and configured to release at least one of the products. The package also includes an outer cover having an upper section and a cover sidewall depending from the upper section. The outer cover is configured to retain the container and selectively seal the opening. The container pivots about the apex to transition between open and closed positions.

The present invention includes dry powder inhalers and associated multi-dose dry powder packages for holding inhalant formulated dry powder substances and associated fabrication and dispensing methods. The multi-dose package can include a platform body comprising at least one thin piezoelectric polymer material layer defining at least a portion of a plurality of spatially separated discrete elongate dry powder channels having an associated length, width and height; and a metallic material attached to selected portions of the piezoelectric polymer material including each of the regions corresponding to the elongate dry powder channels to, in operation, define active energy releasing vibratory channels. In operation, the elongate channels can be selectively individually activated to vibrate upon exposure to an electrical input.The dry powder inhaler includes an elongate body having opposing first and second outer primary surfaces with a cavity therebetween and having opposing top and bottom end portions and a multi-dose sealed blister package holding a plurality of discrete meted doses of a dry powder inhalable product located in the cavity of the elongate body. The inhaler also includes an inhalation port formed in the bottom end portion of the elongate body, the inhalation port configured to be in fluid communication with at least one of the discrete meted doses during use and a cover member that is pivotably attached to the elongate body so that it remains attached to the body during normal operational periods of use and moves to a first closed position to overlie the inhalation port at the bottom end portion of the body during periods of non-use and moves to a second open position away from the inhalation port during periods of use to allow a user to access the inhalation port.

A system for managing delivery of pharmaceutical drugs is formed of a blister package that includes a plurality of cells arranged in a grid. Each of the cells is sealed by a breakable wall and holds a unit-dose of medication. A user gains access to the medication in a given cell by puncturing the breakable wall associated with the given cell. A severable conductor is positioned proximate to each breakable wall. The severable conductor associated with a given cell ruptures upon puncturing of the breakable wall associated with the given cell. A computer chip is electrically connected to the severable conductors. The computer chip senses the puncturing of each cell in the grid by monitoring the rupturing of each of the severable conductors. An RF transmitter is coupled to the computer chip. The RF transmitter sends information corresponding to usage of each of medications stored in the blister package to a remote information transceiver.

A blister pack (20) folded wallet has a mounting card (12), with a [hinged] spine segment (15), and an adhesive edge strip (16). Overlaid by a pre-formed blister pack (11), for mutual (edge) entrainment; a dedicated assembly machine entrains mounting cards and blister packs stored in respective magazines. Child resistance is available through cover latching and / or paper reinforced foil laminate (161), with through apertures (166) and perforations (163, 165) for selective localised paper patch (169) removal, over individual blister pockets (168).

A storage cartridge for dispensing biosensors used in the determination of an analyte in body fluid comprises a hollow body for housing a stack of biosensors having an open top, a flexible conveying member disposed over the open top of the body, the flexible conveying member having an aperture formed therein for receiving a biosensor from the stack of biosensors, a plate adapted to press the sliding conveying member against the open top to form a substantially moisture-impervious seal around the open top of the body and to permit the conveying member to slide between the plate and the open top, and means for biasing the stack of biosensors towards the open top.

A locking container has a tray with sidewalls, a shelf and a bottom with an elongated opening. A sliding lock and a spring are formed in the bottom opening. A lock flap is hinged to the shelf. A cover has a base glued to the tray bottom, a spine end and a top panel. A latch extension extends form the flap through holes in the shelf and top panel. Sliding the lock with a finger or thumb and lifting with fingers both side sections of the flap releases the latch extension and allows raising of the top panel. Articles are held in bubbles of an inner laminate on the panel.

A droplet actuator with cartridge is provided. According to one embodiment, a sample analyzer is provided and includes an analyzer unit comprising electronic or optical receiving means, a cartridge comprising self-contained droplet handling capabilities, and a wherein the cartridge is coupled to the analyzer unit by a means which aligns electronic and / or optical outputs from the cartridge with electronic or optical receiving means on the analyzer unit. According to another embodiment, a sample analyzer is provided and includes a sample analyzer comprising a cartridge coupled thereto and a means of electrical interface and / or optical interface between the cartridge and the analyzer, whereby electrical signals and / or optical signals may be transmitted from the cartridge to the analyzer.

A medication on demand dispenser. The dispenser provides patient access to medications prescribed to be available on an as-needed basis but with a prescribed minimum time interval between doses. The dispenser permits access to a single medication dose after each minimum time interval has elapsed. After a drug dose is presented to the patient, the dispenser prevents access to the next dose until the minimum time interval has elapsed.

Method for generating a label for a medication in which information about the medication is obtained and printed on the label in a hierarchical manner with more important information in a more prominent location or more prominent type relative to other less important information. The information may be divided into primary information and secondary information with the primary information being placed on the label before the secondary information. The label may be used in a container having a curved front wall, a planar rear wall, a substantially planar bottom wall and a cap engaging with the front and rear walls to seal the container. The rear wall is constructed with a device for removably received an information card containing information relating to the medication.

Present invention discloses a dispenser having means to dispense desired number of pills from a bulk supply of pills contained in the dispenser. The dispenser comprises of storage compartment having bulk supply of pills and having a discharge port emptying into counting compartment. The counting compartment contains first and second conveyors moving at first and second speed; wherein the second speed is greater than the first speed thereby enabling pill separation; the second conveyor discharges pills into dispensing compartment. Sensors are strategically placed along the conveyors to count pills discharged into dispensing compartment. A pill recovery system and apparatus is disposed inside the dispenser having means to recover pills remaining on conveyors upon completion of a dispensation cycle and deposit recovered pills back into the storage compartment for use in future dispensation cycles. A docking station having receptacles to accommodate dispenser is provided. Docking station has communication ports enabling two-way communication with personal computer. The dispenser has multiple security features including locking mechanisms at inlet and outlet; and internal circuitry that is responsive to the ‘disable’ electronic signal originating from dispenser's internal clock and remote server in communication link with the dispenser.

A container (10) includes a slidable tray (12) including a slot (34) and a locking sleeve (14). The locking sleeve (14) is formed by attaching a base (16) to a top (18). The tray (12) is made from a conventional blister package, with blisters (30) formed in a single layer plastic top for holding items (31). A backing sheet comprising a sealing paper or foil layer is used to secure the items (31) within the blisters (30). The tray (12) is placed on sliding guides (70) of base (16) so that a stop (54) extends through the slot (34) to prevent the tray (12) from sliding out of the sleeve (14). The base (16) includes detents (56) that engage with holes (36) to prevent the tray (12) from sliding. Manipulating a biaser (20), warps the part of the tray (12) between ribs (64) against the force of springs (48) and away from the base (16), which moves holes (36) away from detents (56), thereby allowing the tray (12) to slide within the sleeve (14).

A container adapted for dispensing a product is provided. The container includes an outer casing body for receiving a dispensing tray. The dispensing tray has an internal storage compartment for storage of a plurality of units of a product to be dispensed, and includes a cover portion defining at least one dispensing aperture through which a stored unit of product is accessible when the outer casing body is in a dispensing position. A sealing member is engaged with one of the outer casing body and the dispensing tray, and is configured to interact with the other of the outer casing body and the dispensing tray to form a seal about an outer peripheral portion of the dispensing tray when the outer casing body is in a closed and locked position. The container includes a locking mechanism that releasably locks the outer casing body in the closed and locked position.

Disclosed is a medication dispensing system comprising a container including at least two compartments each compartment including a cavity configured to contain at least one first medication, a covering over the cavity configured to break under pressure, and an elongate conductive element on at least a portion of the covering and configured sever upon breaking the covering. The medication dispensing system further includes one interrogator-readable RFID circuit operatively associated with the container and connected to the elongate conductive element of each of the at least two compartments, and one RFID circuit interrogator configured to interrogate the one RFID circuit and determine whether the elongate conductive element is severed on either on at least one of the at least two compartments.

The present invention is a unique prescription label, printed on one side that allows a consumer to check and verify the accuracy of the prescribed medication as well as to provide additional information on the medication container by increasing the usable size and area of the prescription label with an informational tab extending radially from the container, the present invention also provides a means for easy application of the prescription label onto the container by scoring the facing on the first portion and second portion of the label and scoring the backing of the second portion of the label in order to create an even fold between the two portions.

A personalized blister pack (20) for the automated packaging of an individually defined product composition, particularly drugs, of a defined person, particularly a patient, for a defined time period comprises a plurality of receiving compartments (22), each closed by a film (25), for the products of the product composition, wherein the receiving compartments (22) are each associated with a defined usage time within the defined time period and disposed in matrix form, comprising a number of lines for usage days and columns for usage times during the day, and a memory device (50) for storing the usage data of the products of the product composition of the defined person for the defined time period, comprising a device (58) for generating a usage reminder signal as a reminder of a defined product usage time based on the stored usage data. The blister pack (20) enables a fast, safe and inexpensive supply of the needs of the person for a defined time period, such as one week, and by means of the memory device, which may comprise a reminder function, supports the planned use of the products.