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(11) | EP 3 009 994 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Canister comprising a disc set, disc set and dispensing unit comprising the canister |
| (57) The invention relates to a canister, comprising: - at least two stacked disc sets, each disc set comprising a cylindrical housing and a disc rotatably arranged in the housing, each cylindrical housing comprising a bottom plate with a housing opening, wherein each disc has at least one opening for accommodating a split pill, wherein the housing opening of a disc set is offset in rotational direction with the housing opening of an adjacent disc set; and - an axis, extending through the center the discs, for simultaneously rotating the circular discs relative to the circular housing. The invention further relates to the disc set and a dispensing unit comprising the canister. |
[0002] Because of their health, many people require one or more types of medicine. As the number and/or types of medicines required increases, it is preferred to pre-pack such medicines, pills in particular, using medicine collection systems to collect the medicines, into medicine packaging system, to pack the collected pills into a package, and optionally to provide such a package with instructions on the use of the medicines inside the package.
[0003] Such medicine collection systems typically comprise canisters, the canisters comprising a reservoir of solid medicines. These reservoirs typically have a relatively large volume and are therefore typically preferred for pills which are of a standard size and/or are frequently used by a patient.
[0004] However, medicine collection systems may also be used to concurrently prepack medicines which may not be provided by such canisters, for instance because these medicines need to have a special preparation before packing, e.g. they need to be split because of their dosage. Currently, such pills are distributed in a separate tray with openings, in which the pills are located. Such trays are relatively large and refilling of such trays requires is cumbersome and typically requires temporary shutdown of the medicine collection system in which the canister is used, thereby reducing the efficiency of the medicine collection system as a whole.
[0005] It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a canister in which the above stated drawbacks are reduced or even obviated.
[0006] This object is achieved with a canister, comprising:
- at least two stacked disc sets, each disc set comprising a cylindrical housing and a disc rotatably arranged in the housing, each cylindrical housing comprising a bottom plate with a housing opening, wherein each disc has at least one opening for accommodating a split pill, wherein the housing opening of a disc set is offset in rotational direction with the housing opening of an adjacent disc set; and
- an axis, extending through the center the discs, for simultaneously rotating the circular discs relative to the circular housing.
[0007] The canister according to the invention allows the split pills to be stored in the at least one opening in the rotatable disc. The opening in the housing of the disc set is alignable with the at least one opening in the rotatable disc and simultaneously to at least one opening in the lower disc set. The split pills may be applied to the at least one opening in the upper disc, and may be distributed in the canister by stepwise rotation of the axis.
[0008] Preferably, the offset in rotational direction is larger than the offset in counter rotational direction, such that a split pill will have to travel along at least half the circumference of the cylindrical housing before being transferred to the lower disc set.
[0009] Preferably, the canister comprises more than two disc sets, more preferably with the same properties. In such a case, the disc set above the disc set is the previous disc set and the disc set below the disc set is the next disc set. In particular, the further next disc sets comprise housing openings offset in the same manner as described with the housing opening of the respective previous disc sets. Also preferably, the axis extends through the center of all discs. Due to the offset of the opening in the housings, the split pill will move from the previous disc sets to a next disc sets only after rotation of the disc around the axis.
[0010] The housing preferably comprises a circumferential side wall, enveloping the disc, to avoid contamination of the disc and its contents, which thereby decreases the chance of clogging.
[0011] Optionally, the canister may comprise checking means, for instance using light, to confirm that a split pill has been transferred to a lower or next disc, or to the exit of the canister upon rotation of the axis.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the canister according to the invention, at least one disc comprises more than one opening, wherein the openings distributed on the disc at an equal distance of each other along the circumference of the disc.
[0013] Discs with more than one opening allow more split pills to be stored inside the canister, and therefore decrease the frequency of maintenance to the canister for replenishment. When these openings are distributed on the disc at an equal distance of each other, this ensures that the discs may be rotated in the same amount to create a similar effect at each time. Preferably, the distribution of the openings on all discs is equal and the openings of the consecutive discs are aligned above each other for the same reason as well.
[0014] Preferably, the offset of the openings in the cylindrical housings of the disc sets is equal to the distance of two openings in the discs.
[0015] In another preferred embodiment of the canister according to the invention, the sets comprise connecting means, for fixing the position of adjacent housings of the sets relative to each other.
[0016] The provision of connecting means on the sets ensures that the adjacent housing stay in a fixed position and therefore reduces the chances of erroneous displacement of an opening in the cylindrical housing, which could impede the functioning of the canister.
[0017] Preferably, the connecting means comprise a protrusion, extending on one end of the cylindrical housing, and a notch arranged on the other end of the cylindrical housing, such that a protrusion of a disc set extends in a notch of an adjacent disc set.
[0018] A set of a protrusion and a notch on the consecutive disc sets allows for an easy and yet reliable connection of the disc sets which may be easy to take apart whenever required. In addition, protrusions and notches are easy to produce. It may be preferred if the housing has more than one notch and more than one protrusion, to increase the tightness of the connection.
[0020] By providing an offset of the protrusion and the notch, with is most preferably adjusted to the offset between the openings in consecutive cylindrical housings, this allows easy individual disc sets to be connected to each other without having to check proper alignment of the housing openings in the cylindrical housings.
[0021] When the housing has more than one notch and protrusion, at least one set of a protrusion and the notch which is offset has dimensions different from the other protrusion(s) and notch(es).
[0022] In another embodiment of the canister according to the invention, the canister further comprises a housing with a dispensing opening, wherein the at least two stacked disc sets are arranged in the housing and wherein the housing opening of the lower most disc set is in line with the dispensing opening.
[0023] When providing the canister according to the invention with such a housing, the canister may be applied in all kinds of canisters in medicine collection systems, such as for instance the medicine collection system described in the application filed by the applicant on the same date.
[0024] The object of the invention is further achieved with a disc set, comprising:
- a cylindrical housing; and
- a disc rotatably arranged in the housing, each cylindrical housing comprising a bottom plate with a housing opening, wherein the disc has at least one opening for accommodating a split pill.
[0025] Disc sets with these properties may be used in canisters according to the invention and may be sold separately to adjust the volume of an existing canister to individual needs. These disc sets are preferably equipped to be used in one or more of the preferred embodiments of the canister described above. The disc preferably has an opening in the center for receiving the axis of an existing disc set.
[0026] The object of the invention is further achieved with a dispensing unit comprising a canister according to the invention and driving means for driving the axis for dispensing split pills.
[0027] The application of a canister according to the invention with driving means, such as a motor, allows the axis to be moved according to the needs in a medicine collection system. Preferably, such a motor is a step motor, rotating the axis in steps adapted to the offset between the disc sets and the distance between the at least one opening in one disc.
[0028] These and other elements of the invention will be further elucidated in the following figures.
Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a canister according to the invention.
Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of the disc sets of the canister of figure 1.
Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the disc sets of figure 2.
[0029] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a canister 1 according to the invention. The canister 1 has a housing 2 with a handle 3, which housing is arranged in a holder 4 of for example a medicine dispensing device. Inside the housing 2 a disc set 5 is provided.
[0031] Each disc set has a housing 6 and a disc 7 rotatably arranged in the housing 6. All discs 7 are arranged on the same axis 8, such that rotation of the axle 8 will cause simultaneous rotation of the discs 7.
[0032] The axle 8 has at the bottom end a coupling 9 for connection with driving means of for example a medicine dispensing device.
[0033] As can be seen in figure 1, each housing 6 has a protrusion 10 at the bottom and a notch 11 at the top. The protrusion 10 and the notch 11 of one housing 6 are offset in rotational direction, such that when stacking a number of housings 6, each next housing 6 needs to be rotated over some degrees relative to the previous housing 6.
[0034] Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the disc sets 5 of figure 2. The housings 6 each have a housing opening 12 in the bottom. Because of the relative rotation of subsequent housings 6, the housing openings 12 will be positioned on a helix shaped path.
[0035] The discs 7 each have a number of slots 13, in which a medicine part can be accommodated. By rotating the axle 8 in the opposite direction from the direction of the helix shaped path, a medicine part will be taken along over an almost full revolution, before it will fall via the housing opening 12 to the disc set 6, 7 below, where it again will pass an almost full revolution before it reaches the next housing opening 12. In this way, a medicine part will pass on each disc set level a full revolution.
1. Canister, comprising:
- at least two stacked disc sets, each disc set comprising a cylindrical housing and a disc rotatably arranged in the housing, each cylindrical housing comprising a bottom plate with a housing opening, wherein each disc has at least one opening for accommodating a split pill, wherein the housing opening of a disc set is offset in rotational direction with the housing opening of an adjacent disc set; and
- an axis, extending through the center the discs, for simultaneously rotating the circular discs relative to the circular housing.
2. Canister according to claim 1, wherein at least one disc comprises more than one opening,
and wherein the openings are distributed on the disc at an equal distance of each
other along the circumference of the disc.
3. Canister according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sets comprise connecting means, for
fixing the position of adjacent housings of the sets relative to each other.
4. Canister according to claim 3, wherein the connecting means comprise a protrusion,
extending on one end of the cylindrical housing, and a notch arranged on the other
end of the cylindrical housing, such that a protrusion of a disc set extends in a
notch of an adjacent disc set.
5. Canister according to claim 4, wherein the protrusion and the notch are offset in
tangential direction.
6. Canister according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising a housing with
a dispensing opening, wherein the at least two stacked disc sets are arranged in the
housing and wherein the housing opening of the lower most disc set is in line with
the dispensing opening.
7. Disc set, comprising:
- a cylindrical housing; and
- a disc rotatably arranged in the housing, each cylindrical housing comprising a bottom plate with a housing opening, wherein the disc has at least one opening for accommodating a split pill.
8. Dispensing unit comprising a canister according to any of the preceding claims 1 to
6 and driving means for driving the axis for dispensing split pills.