Smart dispensing system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispensing system designed for dental applications, comprising an applicator with one or more reservoirs or cartridges containing dental material. The applicator integrates a dispensing mechanism and an outlet for controlled material delivery. It features a wireless communication device capable of receiving and transmitting information related to the reservoirs or cartridges to a remote device. The remote device, equipped with its own wireless communication and control unit, monitors the status and usage data of the reservoirs, and relays this information to a remote server. The system supports multiple communication protocols, such as RFID, NFC, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi, facilitating seamless data exchange between the applicator, remote device, and server. Additionally, the system enables real-time monitoring of cartridge states— including fill level, identification, expiry date, and usage history— and stock management by updating inventory data upon delivery. This integrated network enhances traceability, inventory control, and operational efficiency in dental material dispensing.

Description

[0001] Smart Dispensing System

[0002] The invention relates to a dispensing system for dental applications.

[0003] In the field of dental applications, dispensers are frequently used to dispense fluids, for example, adhesives, pastes or impression materials.

[0004] Such conventional dispensers can either be single-component dispensers with which a single component is dispensed, or they can be two-component or multi-component dispensers that are configured to dispense two or more components simultaneously.

[0005] Furthermore, such dispensers can either be designed as single use systems that are discarded after a single use, which can have a positive impact in connection with hygiene standards. Alternatively, they can be designed as multi-dose dispensers with which more than a single delivery of component can be enabled.

[0006] Depending on the precise field of application, a user can already choose from the above in accordance with their necessities.

[0007] Either way, especially in the dental sector where a great amount of different patients need to be treated, a high volume of dispensers and / or cartridges storing the material to be dispensed is needed.

[0008] This leads to an increase in organizational tasks, e.g. monitoring of a cartridge / dispenser stock, checking the filling level of the dispenser currently used, checking which component is currently stored in the cartridge / dispenser etc., for the users of such dispensers, i.e. for dentists and their staff.

[0009] It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a dispensing system with which the above mentioned drawbacks can be overcome and with which the workflow of the users of such dispensers can be positively influenced. This object is solved by the subject matter of independent claim 1 .

[0010] The dispensing system for dental applications according to the invention comprises an applicator for dental applications, wherein the applicator comprises a main body forming a housing. Said main body comprises one or more reservoirs or cartridges comprising a material stored therein, a dispense mechanism provided at least partly within the main body and an outlet configured to dispense the material from the one or more reservoirs or cartridges by means of said dispensing mechanism.

[0011] That is, according to the invention a dispenser is provided which can be either a singledose or a multi-dose dispenser. Furthermore, it is possible to both provide singlecomponent as well as multi-component dispensers, wherein either one can again be a single-dose or a multi-dose implementation.

[0012] The reservoir(s) or cartridge(s) can either be directly fitted into the main body of the dispenser or they can be attached to said main body via a correspondingly shaped adapter.

[0013] The applicator further comprises at least a first wireless communication device comprising a first receiver arranged at the applicator configured to receive at least information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges. Said information is stored at said respective reservoir or cartridge. Furthermore, the applicator comprises one or more transmitters of which at least one is configured to transmit data between the applicator and a remote device, with said at least one transmitter being configured to transmit said information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges to the remote device.

[0014] This way, the applicator according to the invention is able to receive, potentially store, and send information regarding the reservoir or cartridge. Such information can for example include information regarding the filling level of the cartridge, information as to what kind of component is stored in the respective cartridge and / or information regarding the expiry date of the material stored inside the cartridge. Furthermore, said information could also be directed to the applicator itself, for example to its current location or when, where and from whom it has last been used. Obviously, the above list is not complete but gives rather some examples.

[0015] In this connection it should be noted that the one or more transmitters may be part of the first wireless communication device.

[0016] Additionally, the dispensing system according to the invention comprises one or more remote devices each comprising a second wireless communication device comprising a second receiver and optionally a second a transmitter, with said second receiver being configured to receive said information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges and / or a delivery box thereof, and at least one controller configured to monitor the information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges and to cause the remote device to transmit said information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges to a remote server, optionally via a third communication device, with said remote device optionally being part of a terminal device.

[0017] That is, according to the invention the information regarding the one or more reservoirs or cartridges can be transmitted, i.e. sent, to at least one remote device which comprises means for receiving said information. Said means are implemented in the form of a second wireless communication device that comprises a second receiver for receiving the mentioned information.

[0018] In this connection it should be noted that the cartridge may for example be fitted with an RFID tag and the applicator with a corresponding RFID receiver and the two devices may communicate with each other, optionally via an additional receiver / transmitter configuration, with the applicator then communicating this information between the applicator and the cartridge / reservoir to the remote server or a terminal device. Also other types of communication protocols and devices can be used, such as Bluetooth or Wifi.

[0019] Optionally, the second wireless communication device can also comprise a second transmitter which can be configured to transmit data, for example, back to the applicator. This can for example be the case when the remote device does not only receive information from the applicator, i.e. the first wireless communication device, but also from a further source of information, e.g. a terminal device, such that for example the applicator can be automatically triggered with respect to the patient treated.

[0020] The optional second transmitter could further also be configured to transmit the information regarding the one or more reservoirs or cartridges to the remote server. Said remote server may further be configured to store and potentially process said information such that a user can for example access said information via a terminal device. In this connection it should be noted that the remote server can either be a standalone device or it can be part of a terminal device. That is, the remote server may be a separate device configured to receive, store and potentially process information which may then be sent to another device, namely the terminal device (laptop, smartphone etc.). Alternatively, the remote server can be a part of said terminal device, e.g. the computing part of said device.

[0021] Said information can be of various types. That is, it can include the current filling level of the cartridge, a dose count to monitor the amount of already dispensed component, the current location of the cartridge and / or the applicator itself, which practitioner has been using the applicator last, and a lot more.

[0022] According to another embodiment of the invention the applicator comprises an additional communication device including an additional receiver configured to receive information from the remote device and an additional transmitter configured to transmit information to the remote device.

[0023] That is, according to one embodiment of the invention, the first wireless communication device may comprise a first transmitter and a first receiver that are configured to communicate with the cartridge of the applicator, as well as an additional transmitter and an additional receiver that are configured to communicate with the remote device, thereby providing one wireless communication device for each component which the applicator may be supposed to exchange data with.

[0024] According to another aspect of the invention the remote device may further comprise a third communication device comprising a third transmitter configured to transmit information to said remote server and optionally a third receiver configured to receive data from the applicator, the remote server and / or a further device. According to this embodiment, the remote device can use a further transmitter to transmit data / information to a further device, for example the remote server and / or a terminal device.

[0025] Additionally, the third wireless communication device may further comprise a third receiver that is configured to receive data from the applicator and / or a further device such as a terminal device. This way, the third wireless communication device can be used by the remote device to communicate with a further device such as a terminal device and / or the applicator.

[0026] According to a further embodiment the first receiver may be configured to receive a signal different from a signal received by the second receiver of the remote device.

[0027] Alternatively, the first receiver may be configured to receive a signal that is the same as a signal received by the second receiver of the remote device.

[0028] That is, according to this embodiment of the invention the signal transmitted between the applicator and the remote device may either be the same or different than the signal transmitted between the reservoir or cartridge and the applicator itself.

[0029] The latter may be the case when the applicator itself comprises some sort of computing device that is configured to convert the signal received by the first receiver to a different signal that is then received by the remote device.

[0030] The first may conventionally be the case as it is easier to implement one single communication standard that may both be received by the first as well as the second receiver.

[0031] The first transmitter may further be configured to transmit a signal different from a signal transmitted by the third transmitter. This may be the case for example for a remote device that is configured to convert the signal coming from the first transmitter and received by the second receiver into a different signal that is transmitted by the third transmitter for example to the remote server and / r a terminal device.

[0032] According to a further embodiment of the invention the first and / or second communication device transmits and receives data using a different communication standard than the third wireless communication device.

[0033] One example for this may be an applicator that communicates with the remote device via an RFID communication while the remote device and the remote server communication via WLAN.

[0034] According to another embodiment of the invention the cartridge comprises a cartridge communication device comprising a cartridge receiver configured to receive information from the applicator and / or the remote device, and a cartridge transmitter configured to transmit information to the applicator and / or the remote device. This can be a preferable option when the applicator is reusable such that it comprises exchangeable cartridges that are replaced once they are used / empty. By comprising a cartridge communication device it can be ensured that the cartridge can communicate with the applicator and / or the remote device to for example enable identification of the cartridge (batch number etc.).

[0035] The remote server may further comprise a fourth communication device comprising a fourth receiver configured to receive information from the remote device and a fourth transmitter, with said fourth transmitter optionally being configured to transmit information related to the applicator to a terminal device. This way, the remote server may also be able to communicate with one or more of the other devices of the dispensing system, such as the remote device and / or the terminal device.

[0036] According to an aspect of the invention the first wireless communication device is configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal.

[0037] According to a further aspect of the invention the second wireless communication device is configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal.

[0038] In this connection it may also be noted that the third communication device may also be configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal.

[0039] Further, according to another aspect of the invention the fourth communication device may also be configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal.

[0040] As one can see from the above, all of the above mentioned wireless communication devices can be configured to communicate, i.e. to receive and / or transmit, different kinds of signals as listed above. In this connection it should be noted that it may be possible that some or each one of the wireless communication devices may be configured to exclusively receive and / or transmit one kind of signal. Equivalently, it can also be possible that some or each one of the wireless communication devices is configured to receive and / or transmit different kinds of signals as listed above.

[0041] According to a further embodiment of the invention the applicator comprises a measuring device configured to measure and / or monitor a current state of the one or more reservoirs or cartridges. Such a measuring device can be implemented in different kind of ways, for example as an optical measuring device configured to monitor the filling level of the reservoir or cartridge currently used or as a dose count configured to monitor the amount of already dispensed doses of component.

[0042] Additionally or alternatively the measuring device may also be configured to determine the current location of the one or more reservoirs or cartridges, respectively the applicator, by for example checking in to predetermined check points while communicating with the one or more remote devices.

[0043] In this connection it should be noted that said measuring device may further be configured to transmit said current state to the first receiver such that the remote device will be informed about said current state.

[0044] Different examples for said current state may be at least one of a filling level, identification information, location, user history, expiry date of the material stored in the reservoir or cartridge and / or more.

[0045] According to a further aspect of the invention the one or more reservoir or cartridges includes a radio frequency, RFID, tag as part of the first communication device. Such RFID tags respectively the RFID communication standard have proven to be comparatively easy and cost-effective to implement and easy to handle.

[0046] In this connection it should be noted that additionally the applicator respectively the first wireless communication device may comprise a barcode for easy identification of the respective applicator / cartridge.

[0047] It should further be noted that said RFID tag may be part of an additional receiver / transmitter configuration in the first wireless communication device that is configured to establish a communication between the cartridge / reservoir and the applicator itself. This can be the case when reusable applicators are used where the cartridges can be exchanged once they have been used on a patient and / or when they are empty.

[0048] According to another embodiment of the invention the remote server is further configured to receive further information, such as information related to a stock level of reservoirs or cartridges. According to this embodiment said remote server is further configured to monitor said further information, to compare said further information with the information related to the one of more reservoirs or cartridges and optionally to transmit said further information to a terminal device and / or the remote device.

[0049] That is, the remote server may be configured to serve as a control unit which is capable of comparing the current stock level of cartridges with the amount of cartridges that are currently used. It may further be possible for the remote server to transmit said comparison and / or the result of said comparison to a terminal device to inform the user of, for example, the necessity to order new cartridges and / or to bring new cartridges to a certain treatment room etc. There are generally no limits as to what kind of further information is received by the remote server and what it does with it.

[0050] Additionally or alternatively it may also be possible that said further information, such as information related to a stock level of reservoirs or cartridges, is directly sent to the remote device without first being processed by the remote server.

[0051] Hence, also the remote device may be configured to transmit said further information to a terminal device to inform the user of, for example, the necessity to order new cartridges and / or to bring new cartridges to a certain treatment room etc. There are generally no limits as to what kind of further information is received by the remote server and what it does with it.

[0052] According to a further aspect of the invention the dispensing system further comprises a terminal device configured to receive information from the remote device, with the terminal device optionally comprising the remote server and optionally further information such as information related to a stock level. That is, the terminal device may either be configured to receive information directly from the remote device or to receive information coming from the remote device via the interposed remote server. The first may be the case when the remote server is implemented in the terminal device such that the terminal device and the remote server are one unit.

[0053] Alternatively, it can also be the case that the terminal device and the remote server are separate devices such that the information coming from the remote device is first run through the remote server before being received by the terminal device.

[0054] In this connection it should be noted that said terminal device is configured to process said further information and to output, in particular to display, said processed information relevant to a user.

[0055] Said terminal device may for example be a laptop, a desktop computer, a smartphone, a tablet, a monitor, or anything the like.

[0056] According to a further embodiment the remote server is further configured to indicate to a user that information related to a stock level of reservoirs or cartridges indicating that the stock is close to the use by date and / or approaching a minimum threshold in order to indicate that the stock level needs refilling.

[0057] According to another embodiment the one or more remote devices are respectively configured to receive information from an incoming delivery of one or more reservoirs or cartridges in order to update a stock level. That is, the remote device can be configured to scan a new box of cartridges or reservoirs in order to update a stock level e.g. at the cloud and / or in order to inform a user about the new box for instance.

[0058] In this connection it is noted that the incoming delivery of one or more reservoirs or cartridges may comprise one or more pieces of information stored at said respective reservoir or cartridge and said stock level may be updated with said one or more pieces of information.

[0059] The invention is further described in connection with the embodiments depicted in the Figures, which show:

[0060] Fig. 1 a schematic pictogram of a dispensing system according to the invention; Fig. 2 a schematic pictogram of the dispensing system’s mode of operation according to the invention;

[0061] Fig. 3: an exemplary applicator according to the invention;

[0062] Fig. 4: another exemplary pictogram of a dispensing system according to the invention; and

[0063] Fig. 5: another schematic pictogram of the dispensing system’s mode of operation according to the invention.

[0064] Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 show schematic pictograms of a dispensing system DS according to the invention which comprises an applicator 10, a remote device 100, a remote server 200 and a terminal device 300 as well as a cloud C.

[0065] As indicated by the dashed lines in Fig. 1 the remote server 200 and terminal device 300 can either be separate devices, e.g. a Laptop (terminal device 300) and a server (remote server 200) or be integrated together in one common device (see Fig. 4).

[0066] According to Figs. 1 and 4 the applicator 10 can be a dispensing pen. However, also other known types of applicators are generally possible. The applicator according to Figs. 1 , 3 and 4 comprises a main body 12 that forms a housing and a cartridge 14 that is placed inside at least part of said main body 12.

[0067] According to Figs. 1 , 3 and 4 the cartridge 14 is fitted completely inside the main body 12. However, it is also possible for the cartridge 14 to only take up part of the main body 12 such that it extends beyond said main body 12.

[0068] Also, the cartridge 14 can either be replaceable such that one applicator 10 can be used with different cartridges (see Fig. 4) or the cartridge 14 can be placed permanently inside the main body 12 such that the whole applicator 10 needs to be replaced once the component stored inside said cartridge 14 is ejected as indicated in Fig. 1.

[0069] Furthermore, the applicator 10 comprises a dispensing mechanism 16, which is only depicted schematically in both Figs. 1 , 3 and 4, configured to dispense the component stored inside the cartridge 14 out of an outlet 18, e.g. a dispensing tip, arranged at the opposite end of the applicator 10 with respect to the dispensing mechanism 16.

[0070] It can further be seen in Figs. 1 , 3 and 4 that the dispensing mechanism can comprise a handle 17 with which the dispensing mechanism 16 can be triggered. Said dispensing mechanism 16 can be implemented in various ways which are commonly known.

[0071] By way of example, the dispensing mechanism 16 can be a mechanical mechanism using a ratio of a length the handle 17, can be pressed to a length a plunger (not shown) is pushed as a unit for dispensing from the applicator 10.

[0072] Further kinds of mechanical, electrical or even hydraulic dispensing mechanism 16 can be used.

[0073] Furthermore, according to the invention the applicator 10 comprises a first wireless communication device 20 that is arranged at the cartridge 14 respectively at the main body 12 of the applicator 10 in the near vicinity of the cartridge 14.

[0074] The first wireless communication device 20 comprises a first receiver 21 and a first transmitter 22 (see Fig. 2) with the first receiver 21 being configured to receive information regarding the cartridge 14, such as the type of component stored in the cartridge 14, the expiry date, the filling level etc.

[0075] According to Fig. 2 the first wireless communication device 20 can further comprise another receiver 2T and transmitter 22’ with said another receiver / transmitter configuration being configured to establish a communication between the cartridge 14 and the applicator 10 itself, while the first receiver 21 and the first transmitter 22 are further configured to establish a communication between the applicator 10 and a remote device 100. This may be the case for removable cartridges 14 that can be replaced once they are empty respectively have been used (as indicated in Fig. 2).

[0076] The first wireless communication device 20 can for example comprise an RFID and / or barcode tag 23 as part of said another receiver 21 ’ / transmitter 22’ configuration to enable easy and fast communication and / or identification. Said tag 23 can also be placed on the cartridge 14 such that it would potentially not be seen once the cartridge 14 is placed inside the main body 12 of the applicator 10.

[0077] For sake of completeness, Fig. 3 shows an embodiment where the tag 23 is placed on the outside of the main body 12. This can for example be the case with single use applicators 10 that are discarded after every use where the additional set of receiver 2T and transmitter 22’ is not needed. as already mentioned above the first transmitter 22 is configured to transmit said information to a remote device 100 which is explained in the following.

[0078] The dispensing system DS further comprises at least one remote device 100 that comprises a second wireless communication device 102 (see Fig. 2) which is configured to communicate with the first wireless communication device 20, or at least configured to receive information from the first wireless communication device 20 regarding the cartridge 14.

[0079] In this connection it should be noted that the dispensing mechanism DS may comprise more than one remote device 100 (see Fig. 4). This can be the case for example in places that have a rather big floor plans or other issues that may hinder wireless communication such that more than one remote device 100 is needed to enable a flawless communication between the one or more applicators 10 the remote device(s) 100.

[0080] Said second wireless communication device 102 comprises a second receiver 104 and optionally a second transmitter 106, with the second receiver 104 being configured to receive said information regarding the cartridge 14.

[0081] The second transmitter can be configured to transmit said information to the remote server 200 and / or the terminal device 300.

[0082] Furthermore, as one can see in Fig. 2, the remote device may also comprise a third wireless communication device 1 10 comprising a third receiver 1 12 and a third transmitter 114. Said third wireless communication device 1 10 can be configured to communicate with the remote server 200 and / or with the terminal device 300. In the case of such a third wireless communication device 110, the second transmitter 106 can for example also be configured to transmit the previously received information to the third wireless communication device 1 10 which then transmits said information to the remote server 200 and / or the terminal device 300.

[0083] Additionally, the second transmitter 106 can also be configured to transmit information back to the first receiver 21 in case the applicator 10 needs to be controlled automatically, for instance, or when the applicator 10 is capable of showing a user some kind of visual, tactile or audible information.

[0084] One can further see in Fig. 2 that the remote device 100 further comprises a controller 108 which is configured to control both the second wireless communication device 102 as well as the third wireless communication device 1 10.

[0085] Furthermore, the remote device 100 respectively the third receiver 1 12 can generally also be configured to receive further information, such as a stock level S of cartridges 14 (see Fig. 1 and 4). The remote device 100 can then be configured to compare the stock level S to the type of cartridge 14, respectively applicator 10, which is currently used to let a user know when the stock S of cartridges 14 is going run out, for example.

[0086] The remote server 200 respectively the terminal device 300 when these two form a single unit according to Fig. 2 comprises a fourth wireless communication device 202 comprising a fourth receiver 204 and a fourth transmitter 206. The fourth receiver 204 is configured to receive information from the second and / or the third wireless communication device 102, 1 10.

[0087] In this connection it is noted that the remote server 200 respectively the fourth receiver 206 could generally also be configured to receive the above further information, such as a stock level S of cartridges 14 to then be configured to compare the stock level S to the type of cartridge 14, respectively applicator 10, which is currently used to let a user know when the stock S of cartridges 14 is going run out, for example. That is, generally it could also be possible that said further information is first passed to the remote server 200 respectively the terminal device 300 before it is then sent to the remote device 100 for further processing. Therefore, as it can be seen in Fig. 3 the fourth transmitter 206 of the remote server 200 is configured to transmit information to the terminal device 300 when these two components are separate units which can then be configured to display said information, for example the information of the low stock of cartridges 14, to a user. It can further be possible that the terminal device 300 is not only configured to display said information but also configured to process said information and draw accordingly designed consequences, such as automatically ordering new cartridges 14.

[0088] In this connection it should be noted that as already mentioned above the remote server 200 and the terminal device 300 can be one single device, i.e. the terminal device 300 may comprise the remote server 200 such that said server 200 is part of the terminal device 300 as can be seen in Fig. 1 (dashed line).

[0089] Said terminal device 300 can be one of a laptop, a desktop computer, a tablet, a smartphone, a monitor or anything the like.

[0090] It can further be possible that the remote device 100 receives said further information, such as the stock level S of cartridges 14 to then pass it on the applicator 10 and or the terminal device 300.

[0091] All of the above wireless communication devices 20, 102, 1 10, 202 can be configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal. It is also possible that some or each of said wireless communication devices 20, 102, 1 10, 202 is able to receive and / or transmit more than one type of signal.

[0092] In the case of the remote server 200 being part of the terminal device 300 it can also be possible that the information exchange between these two happens via electrical connection.

[0093] Furthermore, it can be possible that the third transmitter 1 14 transmits a signal that is different from the signal which is transmitted from the first transmitter 22 for example. This way, the type of signal can easily be chosen in accordance to its communication devices. As one can further see in Figs. 1 , 2 and 4, it is also possible to provide a cloud C to which certain information and data can be sent in order to easily store and access said information. It can be seen that said certain information can be sent to and / or retrieved from the cloud C by the remote device 100 which can then pass it on to the applicator 10 and / or the terminal device 300 respectively the remote server 200.

[0094] However, it should also be noted that generally each part of the dispensing system DS can be configured to send and / or retrieve information to / from the cloud C.

[0095] Furthermore, it can also be possible that further data D may be retrieved from the cloud C as it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 for example.

[0096] Hence, according to the invention it is possible to have a real time tracking of an applicator 10 respectively the cartridge 14 of the applicator 10 which may be continuously checked against other information such as a stock level S of cartridges 14.

[0097] Furthermore, it can also be possible to track other types of information regarding the applicator 10 and or the cartridge 14, such as which type of component is stored inside said cartridge 14, which user has been using the applicator 10 last, where has it been used or for which patient. There are generally no limits in what kind of information is supposed to be tracked and / or processed.

[0098] By connecting the applicator(s) 10 to one or more remote devices 100 which may then communicate with a server 200 and / or terminal device 300, the workflow of a user can be massively simplified as said user can 100% focus on what they are going to do, i.e. treating a patient, without needing to think of activities that are usually part of the job of a back office, such as ordering new material.

[0099] Fig. 4 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which the remote device 300 and the remote server 200 are included in one and the same device.

[0100] Moreover, Fig. 4 shows an example in which the applicator 10 has a communication receiver, such as an RFID reader (radio-frequency identification tag), and the cartridge 14, has a corresponding transmitter, such as an RFID tag. In this way, the information pertaining to the cartridge 14 installed at the applicator 10 can be read by the remote device 100 and forwarded to the stock management or stock level S for management of the precise stock level.

[0101] Fig. 5 shows a further schematic pictogram of the mode of operation of the dispensing system DS. In this example the cartridge 14 is able to wirelessly communicate not only with the applicator 10 but also with the remote device 100 as indicated by the lines indicated between the cartridge communication device 24 and the second wireless communication device 102 of the remote device 100, i.e. the cartridge receiver 25 is configured to receive information respectively data from the second transmitter 106 and the second receiver 104 is configured to receive data respectively information from the cartridge transmitter 26.

[0102] An exemplary mode of operation of the invention is further described in the following steps:

[0103] Generally, a set of consumables, i.e. applicators 10, is packed in a box. This box has an RFID label fixed on it, which contains information about the available consumable quantity, serial number, batch number, expiry date, etc..

[0104] In addition to this, each consumable 10 will also have an individual RFID label affixed to it. This label will contain the serial number, batch number, usage count, expiry date, etc., thereby representing the first wireless communication device 20.

[0105] Upon receiving a new box for example in a dental office, the remote device 100, will scan the box via an RFID antenna and will add the items to the inventory system, i.e. the stock level S, by fetching the information from the RFID label. This information is stored in the remote device 100 and, at the same time, this data is transferred to the cloud C via Wi-Fi as mentioned below.

[0106] In this connection it is noted that the remote device 100 may have appropriate means to connect to the cloud C via Wi-Fi.

[0107] Upon bootup the remote device 100 can execute a client application, which connects with the cloud URL with credentials. It may further be possible that a shared access signature (SAS) authentication method is followed as per request. After successful connection with cloud C, a client application, for example an Azure client application, checks for any data to be sent to the cloud C.

[0108] If an open standard file format (JSON) data is available, the client application will send it to the cloud C and remove the JSON data from the storage.

[0109] Alternatively, if there is no connection to the cloud C, the client application tries to reconnect to establish connection with the cloud C such that after successful reconnection, the JSON data from the storage is sent to the cloud C.

[0110] Whenever the consumables, i.e. applicators 10, are used, the RFID antenna, i.e. first wireless communication devices 20, in the applicators 10 will scan the individual labels, fetch the information from the label, and store it in the applicator 10. At the same time, this usage information is communicated to the hub, i.e. the remote device 100, via low energy bluetooth (BLE).

[0111] The remote device 100 then communicates the consumed data to the cloud C via WiFi as already mentioned above.

[0112] The application software running on the computer accesses the cloud C via Wi-Fi and displays the results as mentioned below:

[0113] Once the remote device 100, i.e. the hub 100, sends the JSON data to a cloud application program interface (CLOUD API), said CLOUD API will receive the JSON data from the hub 100 and saves it into a database.

[0114] From said database INVENTORY API will fetch the data on a timely basis at a certain frequency (e.g. 5min, 10 mins) in order to show it at an inventory screen, a real time stock screen and a stock alert screens which are all shown in a dashboard.

[0115] Based on the inventory data in the database, REPORT API will generate weekly, monthly and / or yearly reports which are then further shown in said dashboard.

[0116] This way, a consumer and / or user can easily see in real time whether there are still enough applicators 10 left, when, where and who last used the applicators 10, wo which patient they belonged to, what product is stored in the respective applicators 10 and so on. Generally, there are no limits as to what kind of information is stored at the applicators 10, the transport boxes, the hub 100 and / or the cloud C.

[0117] Reference signs

[0118] 10 applicator

[0119] 12 main body

[0120] 14 reservoir or cartridge

[0121] 16 dispensing mechanism

[0122] 17 handle

[0123] 18 outlet

[0124] 20 first wireless communication device

[0125] 20’ additional wireless communication device

[0126] 21 first receiver

[0127] 2T additional receiver

[0128] 22 first transmitter

[0129] 22’ additional transmitter

[0130] 23 tag

[0131] 24 cartridge communication device

[0132] 25 cartridge receiver

[0133] 26 cartridge transmitter

[0134] 100 remote device

[0135] 102 second wireless communication device

[0136] 104 second receiver 106 second transmitter

[0137] 108 controller

[0138] 110 third wireless communication device

[0139] 112 third receiver 114 third transmitter

[0140] 200 remote server

[0141] 202 fourth wireless communication device

[0142] 204 fourth receiver

[0143] 206 fourth transmitter 300 terminal device

[0144] C cloud

[0145] D data

[0146] DS dispensing system

[0147] S stock level

Claims

Claims1 . A dispensing system for dental applications comprising: an applicator (10) for dental applications, wherein the applicator (10) comprises a main body (12) forming a housing, said main body (12) comprising one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14) comprising a material stored therein, a dispense mechanism (16) provided at least partly within the main body (12) and an outlet (18) configured to dispense the material from the one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14) by means of said dispensing mechanism (16), the applicator (10) further comprising at least a first wireless communication device (20) comprising a first receiver (21 ) arranged at the applicator (10) configured to receive at least information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14), with said information being stored at said respective reservoir or cartridge (14), and one or more transmitters of which at least one is configured to transmit data between the applicator (10) and a remote device (100), with said at least one transmitter being configured to transmit said information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14) to the remote device (100); and one or more remote devices (100) each comprising a second wireless communication device (102) comprising a second receiver (104) and optionally a second a transmitter (106), with said second receiver (104) being configured to receive said information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14) and / or a delivery box thereof, and at least one controller (108) configured to monitor the information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14) and to cause the remotedevice (100) to transmit said information related to the one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14) to a remote server (200), optionally via a third communication device (1 10), with said remote server (200) optionally being part of a terminal device (300).

2. The dispensing system according to claim 1 , wherein the applicator (10) comprises an additional communication device (20’) including an additional receiver (2T) configured to receive information from the remote device (100) and an additional transmitter (22’) configured to transmit information to the remote device (100).

3. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote device (100) further comprises a third communication (110) device comprising a third transmitter (1 14) configured to transmit information to said remote server (200) and optionally a third receiver (112) configured to receive data from the applicator (10), the remote server (200) and / or a further device.

4. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first receiver (21 ) is configured to receive a signal different from a signal received by the second receiver (104) of the remote device (100), or wherein the first receiver (21 ) is configured to receive a signal that is the same as a signal received by the second receiver (104) of the remote device (100).

5. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the transmitter is configured to transmit a signal different from a signal transmitted by the third transmitter (1 14).

6. The dispensing system according to one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the first and / or second communication device (20, 102) transmits and receives data using a different communication standard than the third wireless communication device (1 10).

7. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cartridge (14) comprises a cartridge communication device (24) comprising a cartridge receiver (25) configured to receive information from the applicator (10)and / or the remote device (100), and a cartridge transmitter (27) configured to transmit information to the applicator (10) and / or the remote device (100).

8. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote server (200) further comprises a fourth communication device (202) comprising a fourth receiver (204) configured to receive information from the remote device (100) and a fourth transmitter (206), with said fourth transmitter (206) optionally being configured to transmit information related to the applicator (10) to a terminal device (300).

9. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the first wireless communication device (20) is configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal; and / or wherein the second wireless communication device (102) is configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal.

10. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims 3 to 9, wherein the third communication device (1 10) is configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal.1 1. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims 8 to 10, wherein the fourth communication device (202) is configured to receive and / or transmit at least one of a RFID signal, a NFC signal, a QR code, a visual code, a Bluetooth signal, and / or a Wi-Fi signal.

12. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the applicator (10) further comprises a measuring device (24) configured to measure and / or monitor a current state of the one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14).

13. The dispensing system according to claim 10, wherein said measuring device (24) is configured to transmit said current state to the first receiver (21 ).

14. The dispensing system according to one of claims 12 or 13, wherein said current state is at least one of a filling level, identification information, location, user history, expiry date of the material stored in the reservoir or cartridge.

15. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more reservoir or cartridges (14) includes a radio frequency, RFID, tag as part of the first communication device (20).

16. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the remote server (200) is further configured to receive further information, such as information related to a stock level (S) of reservoirs or cartridges (14), and wherein said remote server (200) is configured to monitor said further information, to compare said further information with the information related to the one of more reservoirs or cartridges (14) and optionally to transmit said further information to a terminal device (300) and / or the remote device (100).

17. The dispensing system according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the dispensing system further comprises a terminal device (300) configured to receive information from the remote device (100) and optionally further information such as information related to a stock level (S), with the terminal device (300) optionally comprising the remote server (200).

18. The dispensing system according to claim 17, wherein said terminal device (300) is configured to process said further information and to output, in particular to display, said processed information relevant to a user.

19. The dispensing system according to one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the remote server (200) is further configured to indicate to a user that information related to a stock level (S) of reservoirs or cartridges (14) indicates that the stock is close to the use by date and / or approaching a minimum threshold in order to indicate that the stock level (S) needs refilling.

20. The dispensing system according to one of claims 1 to 19, wherein the one or more remote devices (100) are respectively configured to receive information from the delivery box comprising one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14) in order to update a stock level (S).21 . The dispensing system according to claim 20, wherein the incoming delivery of one or more reservoirs or cartridges (14) comprises one or more pieces of information stored at said respective reservoir or cartridge (14) and / or said delivery box and said stock level (S) being updated with said one or more pieces of information.

Images