EP0554137A1 - Capsule or pill dispensing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispensing apparatus (1, 60) for medicinal products (2) in capsule or pill form, comprising a casing (3, 64) dispensing the medicinal products, and a removable loader (4, 75) capable of containing the medicinal products previously stored in the loader. The casing comprises means (7, 61) for driving the loader in a given sense, and optical detection means (39) arranged to detect the passage of a medicinal product at the moment when it leaves the casing, and which are connected to electronics means (40) for memory storage, computation and retrieval of data relating to the dispensing of the medicinal products. The loader comprises a plurality of transverse compartments (24) forming a continuous longitudinal chain, the loader and the orifice being arranged so as to allow the medicinal product to leave directly under gravity when it is dispensed. <IMAGE>

Description

The present invention relates to a dispensing apparatus for medicaments in the form of a capsule or pill, of the type comprising a medicament dispensing box and a removable charger capable of containing the medicaments previously stored in the charger, the casing comprising on the one hand means for drive of the charger in a determined direction, to bring each of the drugs successively, one by one, above an outlet orifice of the casing, and on the other hand optical detection means arranged near said orifice arranged to detect the passage of a drug at the time of its exit from the box and connected to electronic means of memorization, calculation and restitution of the data concerning the distribution of the drugs.

It finds a particularly important, although not exclusive, application in the field of controlling the intake of drugs by a user. This type of device is particularly advantageously used when approving a new medical treatment, recommended from new drugs.

A dispensing device of the type defined above is already known (WO 90/05684).

This device has drawbacks. It indeed requires a charger in the form of a wafer into which the drugs in the form of rigid pills, ejectable from said support or magazine by pressure.

However, such a design does not in particular authorize the distribution of less rigid drugs and / or the use of the same charger for dispensing drugs of substantially different shape.

The present invention aims to provide an apparatus which meets the requirements of practice better than those previously known, in particular in that it allows, with the same charger, to dispense medicaments having substantially different forms, which may as well be capsules. flexible than rigid pills, and this is simple and easy to implement.

Furthermore, the invention, which uses the known means of direct detection of the passage of the medicament when it leaves the casing before use, does not require the exercise of an external pressure constraint on the medicament itself to dispense the latter .

To this end, the invention provides in particular a pocket dispensing device for medicaments in the form of a capsule or pill of the type defined above, characterized in that the loader comprises several transverse compartments regularly distributed to form a continuous longitudinal chain, each compartment being open on the side of the outlet orifice, closed on the other side and suitable for storing a medicament, and in that the feeder and the orifice are arranged to allow the outlet of said medicament directly by gravity, during its distribution .

• l'orifice comporte une trappe de fermeture agencée pour s'effacer lors de la présentation d'un nouveau compartiment au-dessus de l'orifice et pour se refermer après passage du médicament. Une telle disposition permet notamment la protection des moyens optiques de détection contre la lumière et la poussière ;
• les compartiments sont formés par des alvéoles de forme tubulaire cylindrique ou sensiblement cylindrique, de diamètre compris entre de l'ordre de 8 mm et de l'ordre de 1,5 cm et de hauteur comprise entre de l'ordre de 5 mm et de l'ordre de 2,5 cm, avantageusement de hauteur de l'ordre de 2 cm ;
• le dispositif comporte des moyens de connexion à un système externe de traitement et de restitution de données ;
• les moyens d'entraînement comportent une roue dentée propre à guider et engrener pas à pas la chaîne de compartiments, par exemple via des moyens à cliquets ;
• le chargeur comporte au moins 20 compartiments et avantageusement de l'ordre de 30 compartiments ;
• le dispositif comporte des moyens de verrouillage du boîtier propres à empêcher l'enlèvement de la cartouche amovible, sans utilisation d'une clé, par exemple avant déroulement complet de la chaîne de médicaments. Une telle possibilité de verrouillage est utile lors du contrôle du suivi d'un traitement par un utilisateur, notamment lors des tests d'homologation dudit médicament ;
• les moyens de détection optique comprennent des moyens optoélectroniques comportant des premiers moyens d'émission d'un rayonnement visuel ou infrarouge et des seconds moyens de réception dudit rayonnement, lesdits premiers et seconds moyens étaient placés en vis à vis l'un de l'autre sur un canal de sortie de médicaments situé entre le plan comprenant les extrémités ouvertes de compartiments et l'orifice de sortie ;
• les compartiments et le couvercle du boîtier comprennent respectivement une paroi latérale externe au moins en partie transparente, de façon à permettre à un utilisateur d'observer le contenu des compartiments.

In advantageous embodiments of the invention, one and / or the other of the following arrangements are also used:

• the orifice has a closing hatch arranged to disappear when a new compartment is presented above the orifice and to close after passage of the medicament. Such an arrangement allows in particular the protection of the optical detection means against light and dust;
• the compartments are formed by cylindrical or substantially cylindrical tubular cells, with a diameter between about 8 mm and about 1.5 cm and a height between about 5 mm and on the order of 2.5 cm, advantageously on the order of 2 cm in height;
• the device comprises means of connection to an external system for processing and restoring data;
• the drive means comprise a toothed wheel capable of guiding and meshing step by step the chain of compartments, for example via ratchet means;
• the charger comprises at least 20 compartments and advantageously of the order of 30 compartments;
• the device comprises means for locking the casing capable of preventing the removal of the removable cartridge, without the use of a key, for example before the medication chain is completely unwound. Such a locking possibility is useful when controlling the monitoring of a treatment by a user, in particular during the approval tests of said drug;
• the optical detection means comprise optoelectronic means comprising first means for emitting visual or infrared radiation and second means for receiving said radiation, said first and second means were placed opposite one another on a drug outlet channel located between the plane comprising the open ends of compartments and the outlet port;
• the compartments and the cover of the housing respectively comprise an external side wall at least partially transparent, so as to allow a user to observe the contents of the compartments.

• la figure 1 est une vue de côté partiellement en coupe d'un premier mode de réalisation d'un appareil selon l'invention dont le boîtier est en partie ouvert ;
• la figure 2 est une vue latérale en coupe du chargeur de l'appareil de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de dessus partiellement éclatée de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 4 est un schéma électrique montrant les moyens de détection optique utilisés dans le mode de réalisation de l'appareil selon l'invention plus particulièrement décrit ici ;
• la figure 5 est une vue de côté partiellement en coupe d'un second mode de réalisation du dispositif selon l'invention ;
• la figure 6 est une vue de côté en coupe de la partie supérieure ou couvercle du boîtier du dispositif de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 7 est une vue de côté en coupe de la partie inférieure ou socle du boîtier de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 8 est une vue de côté d'un chargeur utilisé avec le dispositif de la figure 5.

The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of two particular embodiments given by way of non-limiting example. The description refers to the accompanying figures in which:

• Figure 1 is a side view partially in section of a first embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention, the housing is partially open;
• Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the charger of the apparatus of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a partially exploded top view of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 is an electrical diagram showing the optical detection means used in the embodiment of the device according to the invention more particularly described here;
• Figure 5 is a side view partially in section of a second embodiment of the device according to the invention;
• Figure 6 is a sectional side view of the upper part or cover of the housing of the device of Figure 5;
• Figure 7 is a sectional side view of the lower part or base of the housing of Figure 5;
• FIG. 8 is a side view of a charger used with the device of FIG. 5.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show a pocket dispensing device 1 for medicaments 2 in the form of a capsule or pill, comprising a casing 3 and a charger 4 removable from the casing, suitable for containing the medicaments stored one by one in said charger.

The housing comprises a base 5 and a cover 6. The base supports the means 7 for driving the charger.

The means 7 comprise a thick toothed wheel 8 pierced from end to end with an axial bore 9 comprising a first end bore part 10, a second cylindrical middle bore part 11 provided with notches 12 regularly distributed over the inner wall of said bore portion 11, and a third end bore portion 13.

The notches 12 are adapted to cooperate in a manner known per se with two pawls 14 secured to an axial tube 15 capped with a bell-shaped part 16 secured in rotation to the tube 15 with which it is for example screwed.

The axial tube 15 is fitted with gentle friction on a central cylindrical axis 17, itself connected with the base 5 by means of a fixing pin 18 inserted, for example, in the part tubular 18 ', itself cooperating externally with gentle friction with a socket 19 in the base 5, of complementary shape with the pin, as will be seen below.

The bell piece 16 is provided with a groove 20 in the upper part, arranged to cooperate with a parallelepiped pin 21 secured to a circular cup 22 external to the housing cover, for rotationally actuating the toothed wheel 8 in steps not, in a manner known per se, by means of the pawls.

The cup 22, for example substantially circular, comprises an axis of rotation terminated by said lug, which passes through the cover 6 through a cylindrical opening with which the axis cooperates with gentle friction, in a rotary manner. A projecting part keeps the cup secured to the cover.

The charger 4 is for example made up of an endless chain 23 of compartments in the form of cells 24 in which the medicaments 2 are arranged.

More precisely, the chain 23 comprises for example thirty compartments in noria.

Each compartment is in the form of a cylindrical tube with an axis directed in the transverse direction (thickness) of the device. It is connected to the two adjacent compartments respectively by a flexible tongue 27, each compartment being open on one side 25 and closed on the other side 26 by a bottom constituted for example by a washer 28. The chain is for example made of plastic material flexible (elastomer), the housing being for example made of rigid plastic material such as PVC.

The base comprises a plate 29 for retaining the medicaments in their compartments, when the charger is turned over and put in place in the casing, and means 30 for guiding the chain to guide the latter during its rotation in all step by step around the housing.

To allow this rotation, the teeth 31 of the wheel 8 are of complementary shape to the external walls 32 of the compartments 24, that is to say substantially in the form of grooves of transverse axis relative to the housing, the internal parts 33 intermediate. between two adjacent teeth forming portions of cylindrical sectors.

The base comprises on the side of a longitudinal end, a thicker part 34, provided with a circular orifice 35 in the lower part, for the outlet of the drugs from the housing, with an internal diameter greater than or equal to the diameter of a compartment. This orifice is in connection with the lower plane 36 of the compartments of the charger 4 by means of a cylindrical channel 37 of the same diameter which opens on the other side onto a circular opening 38, always of the same diameter, in the plate 29 .

The channel and the orifices are therefore of sufficient size to allow the medication to pass easily and by gravity, from the compartment where it is stored to the outlet orifice 35.

The channel 37 is moreover provided with optical detection means 39, located near the orifice 35, arranged to detect the passage of a drug in the canal when it comes out of the housing.

The means 39 are connected to electronic means 40 for storing, calculating and restoring data concerning the distribution of the drugs. The means 40 are located in the central part 41 of the housing, integral with the base 5.

In the embodiment more particularly described here, with reference to the diagram in FIG. 4, the detection means 39 comprise opto-electronic means 42 for emitting light radiation towards the interior of the channel. These means 42 comprise a photo-emitter component 43, generally constituted by a light-emitting diode, associated with a current generator 44 supplied by a supply battery represented at 45, for example constituted by two 1.4 Volt batteries.

A circuit 46 allows for example to adjust the light intensity.

The optical detection means also comprise means 47 for receiving the light emitted by the means 42, located opposite the latter on the opposite side wall of the channel.

These reception means comprise a receiver 48, which can be a photodiode or a photocoupler represented by a transistor in FIG. 4. The base of the transistor is supplied by the photons emitted in the channel by the means 42, the transmitter / receiver circuit of the transistor being connected to microprocessor 49 for calculating and processing received signals.

The circuit 47 is also supplied by the generator 44 via a resistor 50 in a manner known per se.

In response to the light emission, the receiver 48 therefore transmits to the microprocessor 49 an electrical signal representative of the level of light received.

When a capsule 2 passes through the passage conduit 37, the quantity of light received changes, which thus has the effect of modifying the electrical signal transmitted by the receiver to the integrated circuit 49.

This integrated circuit is for example a NEC 75P008 microprocessor from the American company NEC Electronics programmed in a manner known per se.

The circuit 49 is moreover connected to a serial interface 50 RS 232 (CCITT standard) for connection to means (not shown) for external processing and restitution of the data known in themselves, for example possibly comprising a microcomputer.

The microprocessor 49 is also connected to a random access memory (RAM) for working and storing data 51, and possibly to a read only memory (ROM) not shown.

Display means, for example constituted by a liquid crystal screen 52, are provided and allow in particular, depending on the programming of the microprocessor 49, to display data related to the distribution of the drugs.

In the embodiment more particularly described here, a normally open switch 53 suitable for activating the operation of the dispensing device, and which automatically engages during rotation of the cup 22 is also provided. It limits the energy consumption of the device. Once the drug has been detected, for example after a determined time delay, the switch opens again.

FIGS. 5 to 8 show a second embodiment of an apparatus 60 according to the invention, the mechanical means 61 for driving the charger are integral with the cover 62, and not with the base 63 of the housing 64 as previously described .

More specifically, Figure 5 shows the housing 64 closed. The means 61 are of similar design to the ratchet drive means of Figures 1 to 3, with the difference that they are suspended via an axis 65, to the cup 66 of actuation by the user.

FIG. 6 schematically shows the cover 62 provided with the drive means 61. The cover includes a part 67 for fixing a screw 68 (see FIG. 7) making it possible to secure the base and cover with one another.

Figure 7 shows the base 63 having on one side a part 69 adapted to cooperate with the end 70 of the axis of the motor means 61, when the cover is in place on the base. The base 63 also includes a receptacle 71 capable of containing the opto-electronic detection circuits 72 connected to the means 73 for transmitting and detecting radiation located on the outlet channel of the medicament.

The optical detection means 72 are for example of the same type as those described above with reference to FIG. 4.

The means for fixing the base to the cover provided above are also and for example actuable only and in a manner known per se by means of a key (not shown).

Figure 8 is a sectional view of a charger 75 usable in the embodiment described above. This charger is for example constituted by an endless chain of cylindrical compartments 76, attached to each other by means of a cord 77.

We will now describe the mode of use of the device according to the invention more particularly described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

The device according to the invention is advantageously a pocket device, that is to say that these dimensions are relatively reduced, for example forming part of a parallelepiped of 7 cm by 12 cm by 4 cm in height.

The housing is firstly opened, the cover 6 being detached from the base 5 to which it was fixed for example by means of a locking screw which, as we have seen, can only be actuated by means of a key lock determined.

The charger 4 is then extracted from the base on which it rests freely, by simple fitting on the one hand with the teeth of the wheel 8 and on the other hand around the part 30. The latter has a horizontal section whose contour is in the form of an ellipse portion, or substantially in the form of an ellipse portion.

The part 30, integral with the base is also hollow and contains the electronic means. It allows guiding with gentle friction by its external surface, of chain 4, a slight clearance of a few millimeters being for example provided between chain and guide.

The chain is made of relatively flexible material but having a rigid surface in the plane 36, which allows in particular a substantially frictionless sliding during the actuation of the rotation mechanism making it possible to bring the compartments 24 one by one, opposite the outlet 35.

The magazine 4 having been removed it is turned over so that the closed part of the cylindrical compartments 28 is downwards.

The charger is then filled with the drugs to be dispensed, for example thirty capsules placed successively in each of the compartments of a chain which can for example comprise forty compartments.

The base is then placed above the cartridge or chain of the charger, by simple interlocking, easily, then the base is returned to the operating position.

The capsules 2 therefore now rest on the plate 29. Advantageously, no capsule has been placed in the compartment which is placed from the outset above the orifice 35, because otherwise said capsule would fall by gravity and leave the housing .

The cover 6 is then fixed, the cup 22 being placed so that the lug 21 comes cooperate with the groove 20 of the bell 16. This is done by groping in a manner known per se.

Then the cover is locked with the base thanks to the fixing means described above (symbolized by an axis 80 in Figure 2).

The device is then ready to operate, the batteries (1.5 Volt batteries) described in the context of FIG. 4, being of course charged to allow the operation of the electronic part of the device.

In the embodiment more particularly described here with reference to FIG. 1, there is further provided a mechanical device 81 comprising a hatch 82 for closing the orifice 35. This hatch is placed in the base and actuated by means 83 .

For example, this hatch 82 is made in one piece with the means 83 which comprise a cylindrical tubular part 18 'fitted on the central axis 18 and integral in rotation with the bell 16, and therefore with the button 22 for driving the wheel.

The rotation of the button 22 drives the toothed wheel one notch through the ratchet device and at the same time opens the hatch 82.

The hatch then returns to the closed position at the same time as the pawl returns to the initial position, by means of a spring (not shown) placed in the base.

Other embodiments of the closure valve or hatch are of course possible. This can also be more simply placed at the opening 38 in the plate 29 opposite the orifice 35. However, such an arrangement does not allow permanent protection optical cells of the opto-electronic transmitter / receiver device 37 in the channel part at 37.

To dispense a capsule, the user turns the cup 22 with one step and thus brings a first compartment loaded with a capsule opposite the orifice 35 and the channel 37. Simultaneously the hatch 82 disappears.

The capsule falls by gravity directly and without any external action of the user through the orifice 38, the channel 37 and the orifice 35. The hatch then closes automatically as we have seen.

During its passage, the opto-electronic device registers a change in intensity in the quantity of light received by the receiver 48, which results in the recording of a signal at the level of the microprocessor which is then able to process it .

• médicament distribué :
• posologie :
• identification du patient :
• date du premier enregistrement :
• date du dernier enregistrement :
• nombre de gélules dans le distributeur :
• nombre de gélules restantes :
• nombre de gélules utilisées :
• nombre de prises manquantes :
• horaire moyen des prises :
• statistiques sur les variations par rapport aux horaires moyens et les délais entre prises, où sont notamment fournis la moyenne, la médiane, le maximum, le minimum et l'écart type de ces mesures.

This information is recorded and stored in RAM memory 51 and then recovered via output 50 to processing means not shown which can then perform, as required, operations for calculating mean, median, maximum, minimum values, deviation calculations type and in particular allow the establishment of a report card including for example the following information:

• drug dispensed:
• dosage:
• patient identification:
• date of first registration:
• date of last recording:
• number of capsules in the dispenser:
• number of capsules remaining:
• number of capsules used:
• number of missing sockets:
• average catch schedule:
• statistics on the variations compared to the average hours and the times between taken, where are provided in particular the average, the median, the maximum, the minimum and the standard deviation of these measurements.

Of course other information can be extrapolated and obtained, in a manner known per se.

It is in fact within the reach of the skilled person to adapt such means to a more specific dosage problem, simply by programming the microprocessor accordingly.

• celles où les compartiments comportent des parois transparentes, la paroi latérale du boîtier qui recouvre lesdits compartiments étant elle-même également transparente en totalité ou en partie, de façon à permettre à l'utilisateur d'observer le contenu du boîtier ;
• celles où des moyens d'émission d'un signal sonore rappellent à l'utilisateur le moment de prendre son médicament ;
• celles où le nombre de compartiments prévu est plus grand, par exemple soixante ou quatre-vingt compartiments.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments more particularly described. On the contrary, it concerns all variants and in particular:

• those where the compartments have transparent walls, the side wall of the housing which covers said compartments being itself also completely or partly transparent, so as to allow the user to observe the contents of the housing;
• those where means of emitting an audible signal remind the user when to take his medication;
• those where the number of compartments provided is greater, for example sixty or eighty compartments.

Claims (9)

Dispensing device (1, 60) for medicaments (2) in the form of a capsule or pill, comprising a casing (3, 64) dispensing medicaments and a removable charger (4, 75) suitable for containing said medicaments previously stored in said charger, said housing comprising: - means (7, 61) for driving the charger in a determined direction, for bringing each of the said drugs successively and one by one above an orifice (35) leaving the housing, - And optical detection means (39) disposed near said orifice, arranged to detect the passage of a medicament when it leaves the housing and connected to electronic means (40) for storing, calculating and restoring data on the distribution of drugs, characterized in that the feeder comprises several transverse compartments (24) forming a continuous longitudinal chain, each compartment being open on the side (25) of the outlet orifice, closed on the other side (26) and suitable for storing a medicament, and in this that the feeder and the orifice are arranged to allow the drug to exit directly by gravity during its distribution. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the orifice has a closing hatch (82) arranged to disappear when a new compartment is presented above said orifice and to close after passage of the medicament. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the compartments (24) are cells of cylindrical or substantially cylindrical tubular shape, with a diameter between about 8 mm and about 1.5 cm and a height between around 5 mm and around 2.5 cm, advantageously around 2 cm high. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means (50) for connection to an external system for processing and restoring data. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive means (7) comprise a toothed wheel (8) capable of guiding and meshing the chain of compartments, via ratchet means (12, 13, 14 , 15, 16). Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the charger comprises at least twenty compartments and advantageously of the order of thirty compartments. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means for locking the casing capable of preventing the removal of the removable magazine without the use of a key. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the optical detection means comprise opto-electronic means comprising first means (42) for emitting visual or infrared radiation and second means (47) for reception of said radiation, said first and second means being placed opposite one another on a drug outlet channel (37) located between the plane (36) comprising the open ends of compartments and the outlet orifice (35). Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the compartments (24) and the cover (6) of the housing (3) comprise an external wall at least partly transparent, so as to allow a user to observe the contents of the compartments.

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