US4088864A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for forming outlet passageways in pills using a laser
Assignee: Alza Corp
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Filing: 1976-02-23
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Granted: 1978-05-09
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Expires: 1996-02-23
Abstract
Abstract A high speed process and apparatus are disclosed for forming outlet passageways of accurate, predetermined size in the walls of pills which dispense their contents by osmotically pumping said contents out said outlet passageways. The pills are moved in succession by an indexer past a passageway forming station where the pills are tracked seriatim at the velocity at which they are moving by an optical tracking system focused on the pill wall and into which a laser beam is directed. During the tracking the laser is fired and the laser beam is transmitted by the optical tracking system onto the wall of the moving pill, the laser power, laser beam dimensions and firing duration being such as to cause the laser beam to heat and pierce the pill wall, thereby forming said outlet passageway.
Inventors
- 👤 Felix Theeuwes
- 👤 Richard J. Saunders
- 👤 Wayne S. Mefford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-22 16:40
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61J; A61J3/00; A61J3/10; A61K; A61K9/00; A61K9/0002; A61K9/0004; B; B23; B23K; B23K26/00; B23K26/08; B23K26/083; B23K26/36; B23K26/38; B23K26/382; B23K2103/00; B23K2103/30; B23K2103/42; B23K2103/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
A process for forming outlet passageways of accurate predetermined size in the walls of pills which dispense their contents by osmotically pumping said contents out said outlet passageway comprising: (a) moving the pills in succession along a predetermined path at a predetermined velocity; (b) tracking the moving pills seriatim at said velocity with a laser of a wavelength which is absorbable by said walls by oscillating the optical path of the laser back and forth over a predetermined section of the pill path at said velocity; (c) firing the laser during said tracking, (d) adjusting the laser beam dimension at said wall, the laser power and the firing duration such that the laser beam is capable of piercing the wall; and (e) forming, with the laser beam, an outlet passageway 4 to 2000 microns in diameter in the wall.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
A process for forming outlet passageways of accurate predetermined size in the walls of pills which dispense their contents by osmotically pumping said contents out said outlet passageway comprising: (a) moving the pills in succession along a predetermined path at a predetermined velocity; (b) tracking the moving pills seriatim at said velocity with a laser of a wavelength which is absorbable by said walls by oscillating the optical path of the laser back and forth over a predetermined section of the pill path at said velocity; (c) firing the laser during said tracking, (d) adjusting the laser beam dimension at said wall, the laser power and the firing duration such that the laser beam is capable of piercing the wall; and (e) forming, with the laser beam, an outlet passageway 4 to 2000 microns in diameter in the wall.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1 wherein step (e) forms an outlet passageway 75 to 350 microns in diameter in the wall.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The process of claim 1 wherein in step (a) said path is circular and in step (b) said predetermined section of said path is about 1° of arc in length.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The process of claim 1 wherein said walls are formed of cellulose acetate, and in step (d) said wavelength is adjusted to 9 to 12μ, the laser power is adjusted to 1 to 100 watts, and the firing duration is adjusted to 0.1 to 10 milliseconds.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The process of claim 1 wherein step (d) further includes adjusting the laser beam such that it is diverging at its point of contact with the wall.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-05-08 | 1981-11-07 | 1982-05-09 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-05-08 | 1985-11-07 | 1986-05-09 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-05-08 | 1989-11-07 | 1990-05-09 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |