Automated portable medication radial dispensing apparatus and method
US6439422B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 15, 1999 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 15, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA61J1/03
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A portable medication cartridge allows for both manual and automated dispensing of tablets or capsules of virtually all sizes through a radial dispensing apparatus. The cartridge may be sealed and encoded with medication and patient identification. A microprocessor controlled medication dispensing apparatus includes a cartridge magazine capable of holding a plurality of cartridges for the same or different patients. The portable medication dispensing apparatus and method detects patient identification data and activates a radial dispensing medication cartridge in response to verification of patient identification data. The radial dispensing medication cartridge may include, for example, a tablet tray having a plurality of tablet stalls with at least a partially open top and side. The tablet and tray accommodates different sizes and types of tablets or capsules. A temporary tablet retention band is removably attached to the table tray to keep the tablets tray from exiting the open side of the tablet tray until the tablet tray is suitably filled and later inserted into the dispensing medication cartridge. The medication is sequentially advanced and allowed to radially dispense throug…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.