Source: https://patents.google.com/patent/US7191916B2/en
Timestamp: 2018-05-25 04:10:30
Document Index: 51612263

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 60', 'Application No. 2001120638', 'Application No. 04082553', 'Application No. 09056777', 'Application No. 11276548', 'Application No. 2000116748', 'Application No. 2000126272', 'Application No. 2001120639', 'Application No. 335513']

US7191916B2 - Device for dispensing fluid medicine - Google Patents
US7191916B2
US7191916B2 US10979686 US97968604A US7191916B2 US 7191916 B2 US7191916 B2 US 7191916B2 US 10979686 US10979686 US 10979686 US 97968604 A US97968604 A US 97968604A US 7191916 B2 US7191916 B2 US 7191916B2
US10979686
US20050133543A1 (en )
David W. Lennox
A dispensing device for fluid medicine includes a housing having an opening leading to an interior and a plastic dropper bottle at least partially disposed in the interior through the opening. The bottle has a container holding fluid medicine to be dispensed and a nozzle with an aperture in fluid communication with the container. The device may include a tilt switch, a closure switch, and other electronics that improve patient compliance.
This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/782,686, filed Feb. 19, 2004, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,814,265, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/452,372 filed Mar. 6, 2003.
The present invention is directed to a dispensing device for fluid medicine. The device includes a housing having an opening leading to an interior. The device also includes a plastic dropper bottle at least partially disposed in the interior through the opening. The bottle has a container holding fluid medicine to be dispensed and a nozzle with an aperture in fluid communication with the container.
In one aspect of the present invention, the device includes a printed circuit board disposed within the housing. The printed circuit board has a microcontroller and a switch in electrical communication with the microcontroller. The switch is capable of signaling the microcontroller when the device is oriented by a user so that the container is disposed generally above the nozzle.
In another aspect of the present invention, the device includes a closure, and a printed circuit board disposed within the housing. The printed circuit board has a microcontroller and a switch in electrical communication with the microcontroller. The switch is capable of sensing whether the closure is disposed on the device. The microcontroller activates a medicine dispensing recording mode of the device when the switch signals the microcontroller that the closure is not disposed on the device.
FIGS. 14–15 show exemplary reports generated from data collected from the device of FIG. 1.
The preferred embodiments of the present invention and their advantages are best understood by referring to FIGS. 1–15 of the drawings, like numerals being used for like and corresponding parts of the various drawings.
FIGS. 1–9 show a device 10 for dispensing a fluid medicine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Device 10 generally includes a housing 12, a plastic dropper bottle 14 that contains the fluid medicine to be dispensed and that is partially received within housing 12, a dropper bottle closure 16, a device closure 18, a lever 20, and a printed circuit board 22.
FIGS. 10–12 show a cradle 150 for use with device 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Cradle 150 has a top surface 152 having a port 154 for removably receiving a bottom surface 132 of device 10. Port 154 has a data connector 155 for operatively coupling with data connector 130 of device 10. Top surface 152 also has translucent LED windows 157 and 159. Cradle 150 also has a rear surface 156 having a data connector 158 for operatively coupling with a computer 160 via a cable 162, and a connector 164 for operatively coupling to a power source 166 via a cable 168. Data connector 155 may be any suitable data connector but is preferably a parallel data connector. Data connector 158 may be any suitable data connector but is preferably a serial data connector for operatively coupling with a data port (preferably a serial port) 167 of computer 160. Computer 160 is preferably a personal computer. Computer 160 preferably has or is operatively coupled to both a display 163 and a user interface 165. Display 163 preferably has touch screen capability. User interface 165 preferably includes a keyboard and a computer mouse. Computer 160 is preferably loaded with software that enables a physician or his or her staff to program device 10 and to obtain and display data from device 10. This software is preferably Windows®-based software and is most preferably Visual Basic available from Microsoft. Connector 164 is preferably an AC power connector. Power source 166 is preferably an AC power source, such as a conventional wall socket. The various electrical components of cradle 150 are mounted on and electronically connected via a printed circuit board (“PCB”) 170 in the conventional manner. PCB 170 has a red LED 172 disposed under LED window 157 and a green LED 174 disposed under LED window 159. Device 10, cradle 150, and computer 160 may electronically communicate via any suitable protocol. The preferred communication protocol is I2C.
a housing having an opening leading to an interior;
a plastic dropper bottle at least partially disposed in said interior through said opening, said bottle having a container holding fluid medicine to be dispensed and a nozzle with an aperture in fluid communication with said container; and
a printed circuit board disposed within said housing and having a microcontroller and a switch in electrical communication with said microcontroller, wherein said switch signals said microcontroller when said device is oriented by a user so that said container is disposed generally above said nozzle.
2. A dispensing device for fluid medicine, comprising:
a plastic dropper bottle at least partially disposed in said interior through said opening, said bottle having a container holding fluid medicine to be dispensed and a nozzle with an aperture in fluid communication with said container;
a printed circuit board disposed within said housing and having a microcontroller and a switch in electrical communication with said microcontroller, said switch sensing whether said closure is disposed on said device;
wherein said microcontroller activates a medicine dispensing recording mode of said device when said switch signals said microcontroller that said closure is not disposed on said device.
US10979686 2003-03-06 2004-11-02 Device for dispensing fluid medicine Active 2024-05-22 US7191916B2 (en)
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US7191916B2 true US7191916B2 (en) 2007-03-20
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Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:CLIFFORD, JULIA A.;MCCUNE, WILLIAM E.;ASHLIN, ROBERT W. JR.;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:016318/0925;SIGNING DATES FROM 20041110 TO 20050218