1. A medication reminder apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a parallelepiped case;
an electric clock within the case;
a processor within the case, the processor communicating with the clock;
an electronic punch card reader within the case, the punch card reader communicating with the processor;
at least one punch card;
at least two columns on the punch card, each column comprising:
a medication identification;
at least one punch hole in the column below the identification, each punch hole read by the punch card reader;
a card slot within the case for card access to the punch card reader;
a thumb print recognition pad, the pad communicating with the processor;
powering means for the apparatus;
reminder means for signaling the punch card readings, the reminder means on an outside of the case,
whereby a user is reminded of which medications are to be taken when.
2. The invention in claim 1 wherein the clock is labeled with the 24 hours in a day.
3. The invention in claim 2 wherein the powering means for the apparatus is standard electric outlet voltage.
4. The invention in claim 2 wherein the powering means for the apparatus is a replaceable battery.
5. The invention in claim 2 wherein the powering means for the apparatus is solar power.
6. The invention in claim 3 wherein at least two medication wells are disposed on a top of the case, the wells for containing typical medicine bottles.
7. The invention in claim 4 wherein at least two medication wells are disposed on a top of the case, the wells for containing typical medicine bottles.
8. The invention in claim 5 wherein at least two medication wells are disposed on a top of the case, the wells for containing typical medicine bottles.
9. A medication reminder apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a parallelepiped case;
an electric clock within the case;
a processor within the case, the processor communicating with the clock;
an electronic punch card reader within the case, the punch card reader communicating with the processor;
at least one punch card;
at least two columns on the punch card, each column comprising:
a medication identification;
at least one punch hole in the column below the identification, each punch hole read by the punch card reader;
a card slot within the case for card access to the punch card reader;
a thumb print recognition pad, the pad communicating with the processor;
electrical powering means for the apparatus;
reminder tabs disposed on the exterior of the case, the reminder tabs for reminding a user which medications to take when;
a tab pivot pivotally mounting each reminder tabs to the case, each tab pivot corresponding to a medication identification on the punch card,
whereby each tab pivots downwardly when dictated by the punch card via the processor, thereby reminding a user of which medications are to be taken when.
10. The invention in claim 9 wherein the tabs are disposed on a side of the case.
11. The invention in claim 10 wherein each reminder tab further comprises a tab face, the tab face visible when the tab is pivoted downward;
a label on the tab face, the label corresponding to a medication on the punch card, the label indicating how many tablets are to be taken.
12. The invention in claim 11 wherein at least two medication wells are disposed on a top of the case, the wells for containing typical medicine bottles, each well disposed above a corresponding tab.
13. A medication reminder apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
a parallelepiped case;
an electric clock within the case, the clock visible from an exterior of the case;
a processor within the case, the processor communicating with the clock;
an electronic punch card reader within the case, the punch card reader communicating with the processor;
at least one punch card;
at least four columns on the punch card, each column comprising:
a medication identification, the identifications comprising one, two, three, and four;
punch holes in each column below the identification, one punch hole in the one column, two punch holes in the two column, three punch holes in the three column, and four punch holes in the four column, the punch holes read by the punch card reader;
a card slot within the case for card access to the punch card reader;
an electric motor within the case, the electric motor communicating with the processor;
a rack driven by the motor;
a pinion driven by the rack;
a camshaft in direct drive by the pinion;
at least four lobes on the camshaft, the lobes comprising:
a single lobe cam output;
a dual lobe cam output;
a triple lobe output;
a quadruple lobe output;
reminder tabs pivotally mounted on the exterior of the case, each tab corresponding to a medication identification on the punch card, the reminder tabs for reminding a user which medications to take when, the reminder tabs comprising:
a 1 daily tab driven by the single lobe cam output;
a 2 daily tab driven by the dual lobe cam output;
a 3 daily tab driven by the three lobe cam output;
a 4 daily tab driven by the four daily cam output;
a thumb print recognition pad, the pad communicating with the processor;
electrical powering means for the apparatus;
whereby each tab pivots downwardly when dictated by the punch card via the processor and the motor, thereby reminding a user of which medications are to be taken when.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A composition comprising:
a matrix comprising a hydrogel-forming polymer; and
comprised in the matrix, a microorganism selected from live, killed, attenuated and inactivated microorganisms, a surfactant and an adjuvant.
2. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the adjuvant is associated with at least a portion of the surfactant.
3. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the microorganism content is associated with at least a portion of the surfactant.
4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of said surfactant to the hydrogel-forming polymer is from 1:0.5 to 1:2.5.
5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer is selected from thermotropic hydrogel-forming polymers and combinations thereof.
6. The composition of claim 5, wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agar, agarose, pectin, carrageenan, and chitosan, and combinations thereof.
7. The composition of claim 5 wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer comprises, or is, gelatin.
8. The composition of claim 1 comprising chitosan.
9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the microorganism is a bacterium.
10. The composition of claim 9, wherein the bacterium is a bacterium expressing a colonisation factor.
11. The composition of claim 9, wherein the bacterium is enterotoxigenic E. coli.
12. The composition of claim 9, wherein the bacterium is Helicobacter pylori.
13. The composition of claim 9, wherein the bacterium is Clostridium difficile.
14. The composition of claim 9, wherein the bacterium is a Shigella.
15. The composition of claim 14, wherein the bacterium is selected from the group consisting of Shigella sonnei, Shigella boydii, Shigella dysenteriae and Shigella flexneri.
16. The composition of claim 1, wherein the microorganism is a virus or a fungus.
17. The composition of claim 1, which further comprises one or more antigens additional to the microorganism.
18. The composition of claim 1, wherein the adjuvant is, or comprises, an immunostimulator.
19. The composition of claim 18 wherein the immunostimulator is a T-cell activator or an activator, of an antigen-presenting cell or other immune cell.
20. The composition of claim 1, wherein the adjuvant is, or comprises, a ceramide.
21. The composition of claim 1, wherein the adjuvant is, or comprises, \u03b1-GalCer.
22. The composition of claim 1, wherein the adjuvant is, or comprises, a lipid molecule which stimulate natural killer T cells.
23. The composition of claim 1, wherein the microorganism consists of one or more unicellular microorganisms and the ratio of adjuvant to the aggregate amount of unicellular microorganisms (mg dry weight of adjuvant to 10\u030210 cells) is from 0.1-100 mg:10\u030210 cells.
24. The composition of claim 1, wherein the surfactant is a non-ionic surfactant.
25. The composition of claim 24, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of: macrogol esters; macrogol ethers; diblock copolymers; triblock copolymers; and amphiphilic polymers; and combinations thereof.
26. The composition of claim 24, wherein the surfactant comprises an alkyl chain which is unsubstituted or is substituted by a single hydroxy group.
27. The composition of claim 24, wherein the surfactant comprises a PEG chain.
28. The composition of claim 24, wherein the surfactant is, or comprises, a PEGylated fatty acid.
29. The composition of claim 24, wherein the surfactant is, or comprises, a PEGylated hydroxy fatty acid.
30. The composition of claim 24, wherein the surfactant is, or comprises, macrogol-15-hydroxystearate.
31. The composition of claim 1 which further comprises a cationic lipid.
32. The composition of claim 31, wherein the cationic lipid is selected from the group consisting of DOTAP and DOSPER.
33. The composition of claim 1, wherein the microorganism consists of one or more unicellular microorganisms and the ratio of surfactant to the aggregate amount of unicellular microorganisms (mg dry weight of surfactant to 10\u030210 cells) is from 10-200 mg:10\u030210 cells.
34. The composition of claim 1 which is in the form of a bead having a diameter of from 0.5 mm to 5 mm.
35. The composition of claim 34, wherein the bead has a diameter of from 1 mm to 2 mm.
36. The composition of claim 34, wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer is substantially dry and wherein the bead has a coating.
37. The composition of claim 36, wherein the coating comprises an active ingredient.
38. The composition of claim 36, wherein the coating is an immediate release coating.
39. The composition of claim 36, wherein the coating comprises a polymeric coating substance which is pH-independent in its dissolution profile.
40. The composition of claim 36, wherein the coating comprises ethyl cellulose.
41. The composition of claim 34, wherein the bead comprises a controlled release coating.
42. The composition of claim 34, wherein the bead comprises an enteric coating.
43. The composition of claim 1 which further comprises an immune-enhancing nutrient.
44. The composition of claim 43, wherein the immune-enhancing nutrient is one or more nutrients selected from vitamin A, a vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin E, a carotenoid, iron, manganese, selenium and zinc.
45. The composition of claim 1, wherein the microorganism comprises, or is, a combination of intact and fragmented microorganism cells.
46. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is an oral dosage form.
47. The composition of claim 46, wherein the dosage form is selected from the group consisting of a capsule, a tablet, a sprinkle and a sachet.
48. An oral dosage form comprising a population of beads of claim 34.
49. The dosage form of claim 46 comprising a first population of said beads and a second population of said beads different from those of the first population.
50. A composition comprising:
a surfactant;
a microorganism selected from live, killed, attenuated and inactivated microorganisms;
an adjuvant comprising \u03b1-GalCer, and
a hydrogel-forming polymer in which the surfactant, the microorganism and the adjuvant are included.
51. The composition of claim 50, wherein the composition comprises a matrix comprising the hydrogel-forming polymer; and wherein the surfactant, the microorganism and the adjuvant are included within the matrix.
52. The composition of claim 51 wherein at least a portion of the adjuvant content of the composition is present in the surfactant.
53. The composition of claim 51 wherein at least a portion of the adjuvant and the microorganism content of the composition is present in the surfactant.
54. The composition of claim 50, wherein the surfactant is a non-ionic surfactant.
55. The composition of claim 54, wherein the surfactant is selected from the group consisting of: macrogol esters; macrogol ethers; diblock copolymers; triblock copolymers; and amphiphilic polymers; and combinations thereof.
56. The composition of claim 54, wherein the surfactant comprises an alkyl chain which is unsubstituted or is substituted by a single hydroxy group.
57. The composition of claim 54, wherein the surfactant comprises a PEG chain.
58. The composition of claim 54, wherein the surfactant is, or comprises, a polyglycol esters of fatty acids.
59. The composition of claim 54, wherein the surfactant is, or comprises, a PEGylated hydroxy fatty acid.
60. The composition of claim 54, wherein the surfactant is, or comprises, macrogol-15-hydroxystearate.
61. The composition of claim 50, wherein the weight ratio of said surfactant to the hydrogel-forming polymer is from 1:0.5 to 1:2.5.
62. The composition of claim 50, wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer is selected from thermotropic hydrogel-forming polymers and combinations thereof.
63. The composition of claim 50, wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer is selected from the group consisting of gelatin, agar, agarose, pectin, carrageenan, and chitosan, and combinations thereof.
64. The composition of claim 50 wherein the hydrogel-forming polymer comprises, or is, gelatin.
65. The composition of claim 50, wherein the microorganism is a bacterium.
66. The composition of claim 65, wherein the bacterium is selected from the group consisting of enterotoxigenic E. coli, Helicobacter pylori, Clostridium difficile, and a Shigella.
67. The composition of claim 50, wherein the microorganism consists of one or more unicellular microorganisms and the ratio of adjuvant to the aggregate amount of unicellular microorganisms (mg dry weight of adjuvant to 10\u030210 cells) is from 0.1-100 mg:10\u030210 cells.
68. The composition of claim 50, wherein the microorganism consists of one or more unicellular microorganisms and the ratio of surfactant to the aggregate amount of unicellular microorganisms (mg dry weight of surfactant to 10\u030210 cells) is from 10-200 mg:10\u030210 cells.
69. The composition of claim 51 which is in the form of a bead having a diameter of from 0.5 mm to 5 mm.
70. The composition of claim 69, wherein the bead has a diameter of from 1 mm to 2 mm.
71. The composition of claim 69, wherein the bead further comprises a coating.
72. The composition of claim 71, wherein the coating is an immediate release coating.
73. The composition of claim 71, wherein the coating comprises a polymeric coating substance which is pH-independent in its dissolution profile.
74. The composition of claim 71, wherein the coating comprises ethyl cellulose.
75. The composition of claim 71, wherein the coating comprises a controlled release coating.
76. The composition of claim 71, wherein the coating comprises an enteric coating.
77. The composition of claim 50, wherein the composition is an oral dosage form.