A gastrostomy device (100) comprises a gastrostomy tube (200), and an inflatable retaining element (300) coupled to the tube (200) at or near a distal end (205) of the tube (200). The retaining element (300) comprises an inner layer (310) made of polyurethane, PUR, and an outer layer (315) made of polyamide, PA.

This disclosure provides a visual analytical method of verifying dispensed pills. In a preferred embodiment, a camera captures one or more parameters of each pill as it travels along a dispense path. The camera stores the parameters, and a processor displays the parameters or evaluates whether the parameters are within a threshold limit for the dispensed pill. If the parameter is outside the threshold, the pill or the receptacle is separated and/or removed. If all the parameters are within the threshold, the pill is stored in a receptacle, and the images are processed and archived for future verification. The process is repeated for each pill in the dispenser. The system captures at least one verification image for every pill dispensed into the receptacle.

An apparatus for sorting pills has a body defining a plurality of receptacles. A slide plate is positioned on the body. The slide plate defines a first plurality of openings. The slide plate is slidable relative to the body about and between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the first plurality of openings are offset from respective receptacles of the plurality of receptacles so that the slide plate blocks the plurality of receptacles. In the second position, the first plurality of openings are aligned with respective receptacles of the plurality of receptacles so that pills can pass through the first plurality of openings and into the receptacles. A retaining plate retains the slide plate against the body. The retaining plate defines a slot, and the slide plate has a tab that extends through the slot and permits articulation of the slide plate.

Provided are a drug recognizing apparatus, a drug recognizing method, and a drug recognizing program capable of enhancing robustness of a master image in a case where a drug is recognized. The drug recognizing apparatus includes an illumination unit that illuminates a drug; an imaging unit that images the illuminated drug; a storage unit that stores a master image for each drug type; a drug position acquiring unit that acquires a position of the drug on the basis of a captured image obtained by the imaging unit; a master image generating unit that generates the master image from a drug area in the captured image; an updating determination unit that determines whether to update the master image on the basis of the position of the drug acquired by the drug position acquiring unit; and a registration unit that registers the master image in the storage unit in a case where it is determined that the master image is to be updated.

A medicine dosing device for delivering sequential doses of medication to a patient. The medicine dosing device includes a substantially transparent vessel for holding the medication therein. A visual dosing aid such as a dosing bar is present on a surface of the vessel. The visual dosing aid includes a plurality of dosing segments where each of the dosing segments identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to one of a plurality of medication doses to be sequentially provided to the patient. The visual dosing aid may be of a color or pattern that is correlated to at least one physical characteristic of the patient.

A medication administration guide having a card member with an elongated opening. A transparent housing with a plurality of pill receiving cells is affixed to the card member in the elongated opening. The guide has a closure flap positioned to enclose the individual cells after a representative pill have been placed in each. The closure flap has one edge permanently affixed to the card member adjacent the elongated opening and a second edge for being selectively affixed to the card member on the opposite side of the elongated opening to enclose the individual cells and contain the pills. Medication information is affixed adjacent to each well has a pill therein on the first side of the card member and contact information is affixed to the second side of the card.

This invention relates to a dosage management system that comprises a container including a box with an opening towards the top. The box has a first side with an opposing second side and a third side. The box has a pair of parallel grooves in the first side and second side and a tray inside the box. There is also provided a resilient sliding lid. The lid has two parallel opposing edges that slidingly engage the grooves. At least one of the edges and grooves has a catch and notch combination that engage when the lid is in a closed position. The grooves have a first incline or decline part connected to a substantially horizontal part which is again connected to a second incline or decline part. When opening the box, the lid is pushed down the lid then bending into the horizontal part, the notch and catch disengaging and the lid is moved to the third side to open the box. Closing the box is accomplished by pushing the lid back towards the closing position and the catch is urged into the notch due to the lid regaining its shape.

A drug dispenser assembly comprising: a drug dispenser for dispensing a drug in a dispense event; and a skinprint analyser configured to receive a skinprint, preferably a fingerprint, of a user. The skinprint analyser is further configured: to perform a verification test regarding the identity of the skinprint; to conduct a chemical analysis for the presence of a metabolite in the skinprint; and to produce data indicative of results of the verification test and the chemical analysis. The drug dispenser assembly further comprises an actuator configured to actuate a dispense event in the event that the results of one or both of the verification test and the chemical analysis meet one or more predetermined conditions.

Example embodiments relate to medication compliance alert devices. An example embodiment includes a method. The method includes capturing information about a medication label associated with a medication. The method also includes analyzing, by a first computing device, the information about the medication label to extract medication information. Further, the method includes generating, by the first computing device, a medication schedule for a corresponding patient associated with the medication. The medication schedule includes a dosage strength and dosage frequency. In addition, the method includes prompting, by a second computing device, the corresponding patient to take an amount of the medication corresponding to the dosage strength at a predetermined time according to the medication schedule. Still further, the method includes receiving, by the second computing device, an indication that the corresponding patient has taken the amount of the medication corresponding to the dosage strength.

An object matching device includes an acquiring unit, an extracting unit, and a determining unit. The acquiring unit acquires an image of an object to be matched with a character printed thereon. The extracting unit extracts a partial image of predetermined size including the character as a matching partial image from the image. The determining unit compares the matching partial image with a registration partial image acquired from an object to be registered and registered in advance, and thereby determines an identity of the object to be matched and the object to be registered.