Interactive medication delivery system for pills

Claim 1

A system for dispensing medication that has been prepackaged in individual pockets along a strip, the system comprising a cassette including a housing, a supply reel in the housing for securing one end of the strip and holding the strip within the housing in roll form, and a take up reel for securing the opposite end of the strip, and a dispensing device including a dispensing mechanism, a drive mechanism including first and second drive gears and strip tensioning means between the first and second drive gears, and means for releasably installing the cassette upon the dispensing device with the supply reel engaging the first drive gear, the take up reel engaging the second drive gear, and the strip leading from the supply reel, through the dispensing mechanism, and to the take up reel, with the strip tensioning means contacting the strip for maintaining the strip in tension within the dispensing mechanism, the cassette further including strip holding means within the housing for holding the strip for contact with the strip tensioning means during the installation and including means for moving the strip holding means away from the strip after the installation, and control means for operating the drive gears of the dispensing device while the cassette is installed to advance the strip by winding the strip onto the take up reel while unwinding the strip from the supply reel and while moving the dispensing mechanism into contact with the strip for opening a medication pocket to expel the medication from the strip and out of the cassette.

Claim 2

A system for dispensing medication that has been prepackaged in individual pockets along a strip, the system comprising a cassette including a housing, a supply reel in the housing for securing one end of the strip and holding the strip within the housing in roll form, and a take up reel for securing the opposite end of the strip, and a dispensing device including a dispensing mechanism, a drive mechanism including first and second drive gears and strip tensioning means between the first and second drive gears, and means for releasably installing the cassette upon the dispensing device with the supply reel engaging the first drive gear, the take up reel engaging the second drive gear, and the strip leading from the supply reel, through the dispensing mechanism, and to the take up reel, with the strip tensioning means contacting the strip for maintaining the strip in tension within the dispensing mechanism, the cassette further including strip holding means within the housing for holding the strip for contact with the strip tensioning means during the installation and including means for moving the strip holding means away from the strip after the installation, and control means for operating the drive gears of the dispensing device while the cassette is installed to advance the strip by winding the strip onto the take up reel while unwinding the strip from the supply reel and while moving the dispensing mechanism into contact with the strip for opening a medication pocket to expel the medication from the strip and out of the cassette.

Claim 6

A system for dispensing medication that has been prepackaged in individual pockets along a strip, the system comprising a cassette including a housing, a supply reel in the housing for securing one end of the strip and holding the strip within the housing in roll form, and a take up reel for securing the opposite end of the strip, and a roller movable between a disengaged position away from contact with the strip and an engaged position contacting the strip to hold the strip in a predetermined path within the cassette housing between the supply and take up reels, a dispensing device upon which the cassette is releasably installed prior to use for removal after use, the dispensing device including a dispensing mechanism, a drive mechanism including a first drive gear, second drive gear, and idler roller means adjacent the dispensing mechanism, means operative, when the movable cassette roller is in its engaged position with the strip, to releasably receiving the cassette with the supply reel engaged by the first gear and the take up reel engaged by the second gear, the installation means being further operative, when the movable cassette roller is subsequently moved into its disengaged position with the strip, for releasably engaging the strip with the idler roller means for leading the strip through the dispensing mechanism with a desired degree of tension, and control means for operating the drive gears while the cassette is installed to advance the strip by winding the strip onto the take up reel, while unwinding the strip from the supply reel, and while moving the dispensing mechanism into contact with the strip that is engaged by the idler roller means for opening a medication pocket to expel the medication from the strip and out of the cassette.

Claim 7

A system for dispensing medication that has been prepackaged in individual pockets along a strip, the system comprising a cassette including a housing, a supply reel in the housing for securing one end of the strip and holding the strip within the housing in roll form, and a take up reel for securing the opposite end of the strip, and a roller movable between a disengaged position away from contact with the strip and an engaged position contacting the strip to hold the strip in a predetermined path within the cassette housing between the supply and take up reels, a dispensing device upon which the cassette is releasably installed prior to use for removal after use, the dispensing device including a dispensing mechanism, a drive mechanism including a first drive gear, second drive gear, and idler roller means adjacent the dispensing mechanism, means operative, when the movable cassette roller is in its engaged position with the strip, to releasably receiving the cassette with the supply reel engaged by the first gear and the take up reel engaged by the second gear, the installation means being further operative, when the movable cassette roller is subsequently moved into its disengaged position with the strip, for releasably engaging the strip with the idler roller means for leading the strip through the dispensing mechanism with a desired degree of tension, and control means for operating the drive gears while the cassette is installed to advance the strip by winding the strip onto the take up reel, while unwinding the strip from the supply reel, and while moving the dispensing mechanism into contact with the strip that is engaged by the idler roller means for opening a medication pocket to expel the medication from the strip and out of the cassette.