Patents by Inventor Van W. Hoskins

Van W. Hoskins has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Vacuum operated medicine dispenser
    Patent number: 5480062
    Abstract: A vacuum operated system for individually dispensing items of oral solid medicine from bulk storage to a user, where the medicine is dispensed under computer control, and the quantity and type of medicine is selected in advance by the user. The invention includes medicine dispensing equipment and a computer that provides a user interface. A plurality of storage containers arranged in a rotatable carousel or a rectilinear array may contain various pharmaceutical articles, or various types, dosages, ages, and lot numbers of medicines. The storage containers may be easily refilled by inserting modular refill cartridges into the storage containers. After a user enters certain data into the computer, the invention aligns a universal vacuum probe with the storage container that contains the desired items. The universal vacuum probe is lowered to the desired storage container and engaged with a container probe that is exclusive to that storage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1996
    Assignee: KVM Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Lisa W. Rogers, Thomas L. Kraft, John F. Berry, Scott A. Kelley, John A. Thompson, III, Clifford D. Ober, Michael C. Kuchar, Robert R. Mayer, Jr., Van W. Hoskins, Vincent C. Weido, Mark G. Henckel
  • Vacuum operated medicine dispenser
    Patent number: 5405048
    Abstract: A vacuum operated system for individually dispensing items of oral solid medicine from bulk storage to a user, where the medicine is dispensed under computer control, and the quantity and type of medicine is selected in advance by the user. The invention includes medicine dispensing equipment and a computer that provides a user interface. A plurality of storage containers arranged in a rotatable carousel or a rectilinear array may contain various pharmaceutical articles, or various types, dosages, ages, and lot numbers of medicines. The storage containers may be easily refilled by inserting modular refill cartridges into the storage containers. After a user enters certain data into the computer, the invention aligns a universal vacuum probe with the storage container that contains the desired items. The universal vacuum probe is lowered to the desired storage container and engaged with a container probe that is exclusive to that storage container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 11, 1995
    Assignee: KVM Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Lisa W. Rogers, Thomas L. Kraft, John F. Berry, Scott A. Kelley, John A. Thompson, III, Clifford D. Ober, Michael C. Kuchar, Robert R. Mayer, Jr., Van W. Hoskins, Vincent C. Weido, Mark G. Henckel