US 7670612B2

Summary of U.S. Patent 7,670,612 B2

Title: Multi-phase, multi-compartment capsular delivery apparatus and methods for using same

Assignee: INNERCAP Technologies Inc

Inventor: Fred H. Miller

Filing Date: March 19, 2004

Issue Date: March 2, 2010

Abstract:
A multi-phase, multi-compartment capsule is provided. The capsule may have a plurality of compartments (e.g., receiving chambers). Each compartment may have at least one ingredient. The ingredient may be a nutraceutical, a vitamin, a dietary supplement, a mineral or a combination thereof. The physical state of the ingredient in one compartment may be different from the physical state of the ingredient in another compartment. For example, one compartment may comprise a solid and another compartment may comprise a liquid. The ingredient in one compartment may also be different from the ingredient in another compartment. For example, one compartment may comprise vitamin E and another may comprise vitamin C.

Overview of Independent Claims

The patent contains two independent claims, claim 1 and claim 58. Below is a plain-language overview of what each claim protects.

Claim 1: This claim describes a multi-compartment capsule designed to hold at least two different ingredients. The key features are:

• There are at least two separate chambers within the capsule.
• The first chamber holds an ingredient in a "first physical state" (e.g., a solid, liquid, or gel).
• The second chamber holds a different ingredient in a "second physical state," which must be different from the first (e.g., if the first is a liquid, the second could be a solid).
• The ingredients in both chambers are from the group of nutraceuticals, vitamins, dietary supplements, or minerals.
• The ingredients in the two chambers must be different from each other.
• The capsule itself is a hard shell capsule.
• At least one of the ingredients is designed for immediate release.

In essence, claim 1 covers a hard-shell pill with at least two compartments that keep different health-related ingredients separate, where one ingredient is in a different physical form than the other (like a liquid and a powder), and at least one is meant to be absorbed quickly.

Claim 58: This claim is very similar to claim 1 but focuses on the combination of a vitamin and a mineral. The key features are:

• There are at least two separate chambers within the capsule.
• The first chamber contains at least one vitamin.
• The second chamber contains at least one mineral.
• The physical state of the vitamin formulation (e.g., liquid) is different from the physical state of the mineral formulation (e.g., solid).
• The capsule is a hard shell capsule.
• At least one of the chambers is designed for immediate release of its contents.

In essence, claim 58 specifically protects a multi-compartment hard-shell pill designed to deliver a vitamin and a mineral in two different physical forms (e.g., a liquid vitamin and a powdered mineral) for immediate absorption of at least one of them.

Litigation Search

A search of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) 2026 dockets for litigation involving patent 7,670,612 B2 yielded no results. There is no information to suggest current or recent appellate-level litigation regarding this patent.