Abstract:
A method and apparatus for dispensing a customized pharmaceutical mixture. In an embodiment of a method of the present invention, health information particular to a user of the mixture may be received interactively from the user, amounts of the components of the mixture to be dispensed may be determined based on the health information, and the amounts may be automatically mixed to produce the mixture. In an embodiment of an apparatus of the present invention, the apparatus may include a plurality of containers, that contain multiple pharmaceutical substances, and a controller that selects the containers containing the substances that make up the mixture, adjusts the amounts of the substances to be dispensed, and controls the amounts dispensed to produce the mixture. The apparatus dispenses these amounts based on health information particular to a user of the mixture. Accordingly, the user receives a customized pharmaceutical mixture.

Description:
RELATED DOCUMENTS  
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. provisional application No. 60/304,755, filed Jul. 13, 2001, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    Embodiments of the present invention relate to pharmaceutical dispensing devices and, more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for dispensing a customized pharmaceutical mixture for individual users, with potential use in a multi-user environment.  
           [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0005]    Various devices are known for dispensing different types of pharmaceutical substances. One problem with such devices in general is their inability to dispense substances that are customized in real time for individual users, with potential use in a multi-user environment. In such an environment, each user requires a unique mix of different pharmaceutical substances (e.g., nutritional supplements) based on various unique personal factors (e.g., age, gender, weight, daily level of physical activity, and current health status). Known devices are unable to provide each individual user, regardless of age, gender, or other factors, with a substance blend that is customized for said individual user.  
           [0006]    Instead, known dispensing devices are usually concerned with the act of dispensing different final composition pharmaceutical substances in their original form, without the ability for the user to change or otherwise customize the blend of different substances at the time it is dispensed. In this respect, known devices typically fail to take into account the unique personal factors of each user and thus, fail to mix a customized pharmaceutical substance mixture for individual users, with potential of being used in a multi-user environment, based on these factors.  
           [0007]    This is a concern in nutritional supplement dispensing, for example. Research shows widespread misuse of nutritional supplements, with users taking too much or too little or the wrong combination of nutritional supplements, thus, increasing the potential for resulting health risks. When taking a generic multi-vitamin, the individual user receives more or less of certain nutritional supplements than what is required by said user. Known dispensing devices do not correct this problem. Instead, known devices arbitrarily dispense the amounts of these and other pharmaceutical substances.  
           [0008]    For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,568,880 to DiBartolomeo discloses a compartmentalized vitamin dispensing system comprising of a plurality of dispensing tubes, and a plurality of dispensing knobs, each including a valve coupled below the dispensing tubes, each valve including a device to retain and dispense materials residing in the dispensing tubes upon turning of the knobs. And, U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,077 to Capotorto discloses a vitamin dispenser comprising of a plurality of slots for holding different types of vitamins, viewing windows for providing an indication as to when a particular type of vitamin should be refilled, and manual release levers for dispensing different types of vitamins when desired. These types of known devices, as in DiBartolomeo and Capotorto, cannot be customized for individual users, with potential use in a multi-user environment. In addition, these devices dispense whole tablets and have no mechanism for controlling the amount of a substance dispensed based on the unique factors (e.g., age, gender, weight, daily level of physical activity, and current health status) of each user.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,207,992 to Brown discloses a timed medicine dispenser comprising of a dispensing wheel having a plurality of medication storage compartments, and a timing mechanism for dispensing medicine on a timed basis for a patient to remind the patient to take the medication. U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,801 to Carlson discloses an automatic periodic drug dispensing system comprising of a clock mechanism, and a signal responsive paging device all of which are arranged to indicate when and which pharmaceutical preparation is to be taken. And, U.S. Pat. No. 3,968,900 to Stambuk discloses a timed medicant dispensing device comprising of an electrically operated device capable of holding first and second hollow plastic balls that contain predetermined numbers of tablets or capsules of first and second medicants, and dispensing the balls at timed intervals to a patient. These types of known devices, as in Brown, Carlson, and Stambuk, dispense substances arbitrarily, without taking into account the unique personal factors of each user and thus, fail to dispense a unique customized substance mixture for each user.  
           [0010]    Furthermore, known diagnostic devices and methods are concerned with the act of diagnosing various illnesses and/or diseases present in a body, but are not designed to diagnose varying levels of pharmaceutical substances in the body with the use of a sample (e.g., blood, saliva, hair, or eye scan) in combination with a dispensing system. As such, pharmaceuticals administered to the user are not customized based on such a sample.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,026 to Schauss discloses a medical diagnostic analysis system comprising of a database containing a correlation of a plurality of diseases with a plurality of indicators associated with each such disease, a database including human experience test results associated with each indicator. An individual&#39;s test results are then compared with the second database data to determine presence levels for each indicator providing a method for correlating such factors with the various test indicators to identify therapeutic and/or contraindicated treatments and drugs. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,981,294 to Blatt, Mangan, Patel, and Allen discloses a device for blood separation in a diagnostic device comprising of a filter for separating red blood cells from a whole blood sample to form plasma. The filter includes a solid phase support and an agglutinin for red blood cells. The agglutinin is insoluble in the whole blood sample and is immobilized on the solid phase support. These types of known devices, as in Schauss and Blatt, et al, do not incorporate diagnostic samples in order to customize pharmaceutical mixtures for individual users, with potential use in a multi-user environment.  
           [0012]    Additional deficiencies with known dispensing devices include the inability of such devices to automatically monitor the amounts of substances dispensed, order substance refills, connect to a network to obtain substance information, updates, and other pertinent substance information, and collect and store relevant user data.  
           [0013]    Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a way to overcome the problems associated with pharmaceutical dispensing devices. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    The various features of the invention will best be appreciated by simultaneous reference to the description which follows and the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the interior of a dispenser in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 3 is a simplified flowchart of an embodiment of a method of the present invention for blending a customized pharmaceutical substance mixture for individual users. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]    Embodiments of the present invention include a method and an apparatus for dispensing controlled quantities of a customized pharmaceutical mixture for individual users based on various personal factors (e.g., age, gender, weight, daily level of physical activity, and current health status), with potential for being used in a multi-user environment. The customized pharmaceutical mixture may be comprised of nutritional supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, herbs, or medications, or any other pharmaceutical substance suitable for dispensing. The components of the mixture may be contained in individual compartments of a dispenser. The mixture may be dispensed in liquid, solid, powder, or gaseous form. Solid mixtures may vary in size and shape depending on the application. Examples include micro-capsule and pill sizes.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 illustrates an exterior view of an embodiment for a dispenser  100  in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG. 1, dispenser  100  may be comprised of a display screen  101  for viewing data stored in the dispenser  100  apparatus, a user interface  102  for inputting data into the apparatus, a drive interface  103  for transferring data between such apparatuses, a diagnostic device or outside network interface  104  for connecting a diagnostic device to dispenser  100  or connecting dispenser  100  to an outside network, a power supply interface  105  for providing power to dispenser  100 , a collection area  106  for retrieving the personalized mixed substance, and a handle  107  for safe handling of dispenser  100  and for the removal of the front face of dispenser  100 , providing access to the inside of dispenser  100 .  
         [0020]    The exterior of dispenser  100  may be colored with any color depending upon the desires of a particular purchaser.  
         [0021]    The user interface  102  may be comprised of any type or style of keyboard devices, including, but not limited to, a touch phone keyboard system or a computer keyboard system, any type or style of voice interface, e.g., a microphone, or any other interface capable of providing a mechanism for the user to interact with the dispensing apparatus.  
         [0022]    The drive interface  103  may accept any type of media, including, but not limited to, diskette, CD-ROM, or tape.  
         [0023]    Another embodiment of dispenser  100  may include a component, such as heat-sealing bags, to store personalized substances for travel.  
         [0024]    In an alternate embodiment, a diagnostic machine may be incorporated and connected to dispenser  100  via interface  104  to diagnose and quantify varying levels of pharmaceutical substance deficiencies or excess amounts in the body. The diagnosis may be accomplished through the analysis of an eye scan, breath, saliva, blood sample or any other such sample from the user. The diagnostic machine may use any diagnostic method to perform the analysis.  
         [0025]    In another embodiment, a blood device may be connected to dispenser  100  via interface  104  to determine the presence of at least one of a plurality of analytes in a sample of whole blood.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 2 illustrates an interior view of an embodiment for a dispenser  200  in accordance with the principles of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG. 2, dispenser  200  may be comprised of a plurality of containers  201 , each containing a different pharmaceutical substance, each container having microchip  210 , or any other type of keying mechanism, that stores data relevant for the substance enclosed in that container, each container being inserted into holding tray  211 , passageway(s)  202  carrying those substances to the collection area  106  of FIG. 1, an accumulator  204  for mixing the dispensed substance into a personalized mixture, a collection area  205  for retrieving the personalized mixed substance, a logic unit (processor)  206  for controlling all electronic process, plurality of cables  203  for carrying data between the processor  206  and the containers  201 , a cable  207  for carrying data between the processor  206  and the user interface  102  from FIG. 1, a cable  208  for carrying data between the processor  206  and a diagnostic device or outside network interface  104  from FIG. 1, and a cable  209  for carrying the power supply to the processor  206 .  
         [0027]    The plurality of containers  201 , used to store pharmaceutical substances, may be arranged in any order inside dispenser  200  and may be of different sizes and shapes. In addition, the plurality of containers  201  interfaces with the dispenser  200  apparatus through the use of the keying mechanism. The apparatus may use electrical keying, where a microchip  210  may be attached to each container  201 , and used to communicate between the said container and the apparatus after the said container is inserted into the holding tray  211 , mechanical keying, where a mechanical design may only allow a given container  201  to be inserted into a given position in the holding tray  211 , color coded keying, where containers  201  and their appropriate place in the holding tray  211  may be color coded with the same color, optical keying, where optical devices, e.g., bar codes, may be attached to the containers  201  and given positions in the holding tray  211  and the devices scanned and matched to indicate the given position of the containers  201  in the holding tray  211 , or other keying method. “Keying” prevents the user from inserting a container  201  into the wrong position in the holding tray  211 . In addition, “keying” enables the apparatus to continually monitor the location of any container  201  in the holding tray  211 .  
         [0028]    The substance dispensed from each container  201  may be measured by a precision measuring system to insure that the desired amount of said substance is dispensed from said container. By way of example only, a substance in the form of a powder may be measured and dispensed according to weight, a substance in the form of a liquid may be measured and dispensed according to volume, a substance in the form of a solid (e.g., micro-pellets) may be measured and dispensed according to count or weight.  
         [0029]    The passageway(s)  202 , used to carry substances to the collection area  106 , may take on any embodiment, including, but not limited to, hollow cables or troughs.  
         [0030]    The accumulator  204 , used to create a unique mix of the dispensed substance, may be any form to direct the mix to the appropriate location, and may be the shape of a funnel, for example, or any other accumulating or mixing device.  
         [0031]    The diagnostic device or outside network interface  104  may accept input from a diagnostic device or an outside network source and relay the input to the processor  206 .  
         [0032]    The handle  107  enables the removal of the front face of dispenser  200  providing easy access to containers  201  in order to replace depleted containers.  
         [0033]    Individual components, in their pure state or mixed, may be contained in individual containers  201  in dispenser  200 , with refills of said components available for purchase at a store or over a network. The replacement rate of individual containers  201  may depend on the rate of use of each component in the device in its respective container.  
         [0034]    The various components (e.g., vitamins, multi-vitamins, minerals, botanicals, herbals, health foods, dietary supplements, nutritional supplements, and pharmaceuticals) may be added to the predetermined mixture using accurate measuring mechanisms. The mixture may be dispensed for consumption in the form of a pill, liquid, or dropped into a cup in an alternative form.  
         [0035]    The mixture, comprising of the individual components stored in the apparatus, may be determined based on personal user factors, which also may be stored in the appropriate memory, that are input through the use of an interface such as a keyboard or a microphone. Each dispensed mixture may be based on the said unique factors and needs of individual users based on, in part, information input into the device by the user. An embodiment of the present invention may display labeling information for each component of a mixture.  
         [0036]    Another embodiment of the present invention may provide an accurate measure of the exact nutritional supplements each user requires on a daily basis, under varying personal physical conditions. Accordingly, each user may be able to obtain a personalized mixture, thus, preventing the problem of consuming too much or too little of a given substance, reducing the amount and variety of nutritional supplements consumers buy, and reducing consumer costs. Instead of purchasing an array of generic vitamins targeted at a broad consumer group, such as children, males, females, seniors, and athletes, each household according to an embodiment of the present invention may invest in supplements that apply to each individual household member&#39;s needs. Alternatively, a single user household, which may include single or multiple individuals, may apply a personalized pharmaceutical mixture to that household to meet the needs of the household.  
         [0037]    In addition, an embodiment of the present invention may allow a single or multiple users to replace numerous different nutritional supplement bottles with a single device, thus increasing shelf space and reducing the confusion of self-managing one&#39;s nutritional supplement needs and intake.  
         [0038]    An alternate embodiment may remind users when it is time to obtain refills of various pharmaceutical substances that comprise a given mixture, and may enable automatic refill orders.  
         [0039]    Another alternate embodiment may include flavoring components for the purpose of augmenting the flavor of the dispensed substance.  
         [0040]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, a customized pharmaceutical mixture may be dispensed to a user with a liquid supply. A dispensing apparatus may introduce and mix the components of the mixture into a liquid supply. The components of the mixture may be determined based on various personal factors of a user. Accordingly, the mixture having the predetermined components consistent with personal factor considerations then may be dispensed in liquid form to the user. The user may then receive the pharmaceutical mixture at any time the user accesses the liquid supply.  
         [0041]    Exemplary liquids that may comprise a mixture include water, orange juice, milk, and any other consumable liquid substance.  
         [0042]    Alternatively, a customized pharmaceutical mixture may be dispensed to a user with a gas or solid supply. Similarly, the components of the mixture may be introduced and mixed into a gas or solid supply and then dispensed to the user. The user may then receive the mixture at any time the user accesses the supply.  
         [0043]    Exemplary applications include dispensing pharmaceutical mixtures with a water supply to a household, school, or community.  
         [0044]    Another embodiment of the present invention may store information and produce reports allowing the user to keep track of the pharmaceutical substances used in a given time period. An alternate embodiment may also remind the user when to take a given substance. Each person in a household may be able to store their unique information and specific requirements.  
         [0045]    In another alternate embodiment of the present invention, processor  206  may include software that is updateable, for example, from a network or a disk. The updates may include information about new pharmaceutical substances or findings regarding such substances, their benefits, and recommended daily allowance levels. These updates may come from a pharmacy, a doctor, a pharmaceutical manufacturer, or any other source.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified flowchart of an embodiment of a method according to the present invention for blending a customized pharmaceutical substance mixture for individual users.  
         [0047]    First, each user inputs personal information (e.g., age, gender, weight, daily level of physical activity, and current health status) into the apparatus (box  300 ), with the use of a keyboard, a microphone, or other interface. The interface may be active, such that the user interactively inputs the personal information, e.g., the user types on a keyboard or speaks into a microphone. Alternatively, the interface may be passive, such that the apparatus retrieves the personal information from the user as the user waits passively, e.g., the apparatus scans the user&#39;s retina or fingerprints. In another alternative, the interface may receive the personal information from a floppy disk or a network. Each time a given user wishes to obtain a substance mixture, said user must identify himself or herself to the apparatus (box  301 ) with the interface. The apparatus retrieves information on said user (box  302 ) from its memory bank and evaluates said user information (box  303 ) against statistical tables with recommended daily allowance values to determine the content and amount of substance to mix for said user. The apparatus inquires whether the user has reached the daily limit for consumption of a given substance (decision point  304 ). If said user has reached the daily limit for the consumption of a given substance (box  305 ), the apparatus notifies the user and does not dispense the substance (box  306 ). If said user has not reached the daily limit for the consumption of a given substance (box  307 ), the apparatus prepares a customized substance mixture for said user (box  308 ) based on stored user information and dispenses said customized substance mixture for said user consumption (box  309 ). The apparatus then inquires whether a given substance is low or depleted (decision point  310 ). If a given substance is low or depleted (box  312 ), the apparatus notifies the user and request a refill of said substance (box  313 ). If no substance is low or depleted (box  311 ), no action is taken.  
         [0048]    The arrangement of the blocks of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 represents one possible sequence for the activities described therein, but should not be construed as limited to that particular sequence. Other sequences for these activities are possible and considered to be within the scope of the invention.  
         [0049]    The mechanisms and methods of embodiments of the present invention may be implemented using a general-purpose microprocessor programmed according to the teachings of the embodiments. The embodiments of the present invention thus also includes a machine readable medium, which may include instructions, which may be used to program a processor to perform a method according to the embodiments of the present invention. This medium may include, but is not limited to, any type of disk including floppy disk, optical disk, and CD-ROMs.  
         [0050]    It is to be understood that the structure of the software used to implement the embodiments of the invention may take any desired form, such as a single or multiple programs. It is to be further understood that the method of an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented by software, hardware, or a combination thereof.  
         [0051]    The disclosed embodiments are illustrative of the various ways in which the present invention may be practiced. Other embodiments can be implemented by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.