US 11,672,738 B2
Apparatus and methods for dispensing oral transmucosal dosage forms
Casidy Domingo, San Mateo, CA (US); Edmond Chiu, San Francisco, CA (US); and Bradley Blackwood, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Vertical Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Alpharetta, GA (US)
Filed by AcelRx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2018, as Appl. No. 15/965,285.
Application 15/965,285 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2016/059577, filed on Oct. 28, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/248,837, filed on Oct. 30, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2018/0243169 A1, Aug. 30, 2018
Int. Cl. A61J 7/00 (2006.01); A61M 5/315 (2006.01); A61M 37/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61J 7/0076 (2013.01) [A61J 7/0053 (2013.01); A61J 7/0084 (2013.01); A61M 5/315 (2013.01); A61M 37/0069 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a housing defining an actuation pathway; and
a pusher, at least a portion of the pusher disposed within the actuation pathway such that a distal end portion of the pusher and a distal end portion of the housing define a volume configured to contain a drug-containing tablet, the pusher configured to move relative to the housing in a distal direction from a first position to a second position to expel the drug-containing tablet from the volume,
the actuation pathway being closed at the distal end portion of the housing when the pusher is in the first position, the pusher contacts a deformable portion of the distal end portion of the housing during movement of the pusher from the first position to the second position to deform the deformable portion of the distal end portion of the housing and produce an opening at the distal end portion of the housing such that the actuation pathway is open at the distal end portion of the housing when the pusher is in the second position,
the housing including a cantilevered portion at least partially disposed within the deformable portion when the pusher is in the first position, the cantilevered portion configured to limit lift or rotation of the drug-containing tablet with respect to the housing when the drug-containing tablet is expelled from the volume, the deformable portion configured to deform away from the cantilevered portion when the pusher is moved in the distal direction relative to the housing to produce the opening.