Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
103~9'94
This invention relates to a device for the storage and distribution
of medicaments which has a receiving unit comprising parallel extending grooves
and a plurality of medicament containers arranged systematically in the grooves
which contain in separated compartments dosage units for a patient for one
period of time, and a visible surface provided with a label. This device
is particularly for use in hospitals, nursing homes or the like.
In Swiss Patent Specification 544546 trays for transporting a
plurality of medicament holders are described~which are so constructed that
the medicament holders can be stuck therein with gentle clamping engagement,
wherein the label plates bearing identification visibly extend upwardly
from the tray.
In such a tray, there can be arranged relative to each of these-
medicament containexs a depression for a cup to take the medicine.
In dispensing medicaments to patients in large hospitals, nursing
homes or the like there exists the danger that medicament will be exchanged
and the wrong drug dispensed to the patient or the dispensing being carried
out at the wrong point in time or with the wrong doce. In addition, in
modern therapy the patient is often prescribed at the same time a plurality
of both solid, liquid and powdery medicaments, which each have to be trans-
ported in closed dosage beakers. While with the previously known tabletsthere was only the possibility provided of a single dose beaker per patient,
this often gave rise to difficulties. Particularly it should be noted that
the drinking vessels such as dosage beakers must be arranged clearly visibly
relative to the respective medicament container and must be kept in their
correct arrangement. Corresponding considerations apply for the arrangement
of syringes which must be provided individually for each patient having re-
gard to their capacity, cannula thickness or the like. Furthermore there
are requirements in practice for standardising the transport units, i.e. the
trays, in order that these transport trays cannot~be simply put on transport
~0369~4
trolleys but can also be s'Lid without difficulty into medicament chests and
refrigerators. A further requirement consists in the fact that such trays
should be very stable and manufacturable at low cost.
The object of the invention is accordingLy to provide a device for
storage and distributing medicaments whereby the previously noted require-
ments are fulfilled in more satisfactory fashion.
The solution of this problem results according to the invention in
the creation of a device for storing and distributing medicaments which com-
prises a receiving tray with parallel extending grooves and a plurality of
lo medicament containers arranged systematically in the grooves which contain in
separate compartments the dosage units for a patient for a period of time and
which have a surface which can be provided with an inscription, and wherein
the tray has a receiving part connected to the grooves in which there are
arranged receiving devices for ampoules, syringes or dosage beakers or the
like each in alignment with a groove and limited by projections consisting
of continuous webs or a plurality of individual web parts or projecting
portions.
According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention
~he medicament container comprises a row of separate compartments for the
receipt of successively to be taken medicaments and a label plate running
paral'Lel to the longitudinal direction of the compartments and a transparent
firm'Ly sealing slid~ably arranged cover. Particularly for this, the compart-
ments of the medicament container have a prolongation for the receipt of long
medicaments such as ampoules, suppositories and large unpacked medicaments,
which extends over the region of the label plate.
In particular, the label plate of the medicament container which
runs parallel to the compartments forms with the compartments lying in a row
an inseparable unit that serves for the receipt of a label or adhesive label
on which the personal data of the patient and the medication belonging to the '
~036994
individual compartment can be entered. The container has a peripheral rim
bridging the compartments and the support plate on which the transparent cover
is slideably arranged which tightly seals the compartments and allows visual
checking of the individual compartments.
If the transparent cover of a filled medicament container is slid
away, the individual compartments of the container are freed according to the
sequence so that the dispensing and taking of the medicaments automatically
takes place in the correct sequence. The self-adhesive label provided on
the label plate allows rapid control of the correct arrangement of a medica-
ment container relative to the patient as well as a simple check of the medi-
cation so that an inadvertent exchange of medicament containers is excluded
and each patient in fact receives the medicament destined for him at the
right point in time and at the right dose.
me medicament containers are arranged in a systematic order on the
receipt tray so that the person charged with distributing the medicaments has
a clear view and with one issue of medicament can serve a plurality of patients,
without ha~-ing to go back to the preparation room. me medicament containers
are preferably so placed in the parallel grooves of the receipt tray lying
behind one another that the transparent cover of the medicament container
lies essentially perpendicularly on the receipt tray. The medicament con-
tainers are for this so put on the receipt tray that the compartments touch
the receipt tray and the label plate provided with the self-adhesive label
stands freely upwardly and has the action of an easily readable tab as in
card-indexes. In this way a plurality of medicament containers can be ar-
ranged so that they can all be viewed but take up only a small space.
The size of the medicament containers is determined inter alia by
the necessary measurements of the self-adhesive label for the date and medi-
cation of the patient. me predominantly administered medicaments such as
tablets have a size which allows satisfactory and handleable dimensions of
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1036994
the compartments and medicament containers.
The invention is further illustrat;ed by way of example with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 shows a perspective view of one embodiment of a tray
according to the present invention;
Figure 2 shows a further embodiment of the tray according to the
invention in plan view;
Figure 3 shows a sectional view of the tray according to the
invention;
Figure 4 shows a further embodiment of the tray according to the
invention in section;
Figure 5 shows a further embodiment of the tray according to the
invention in plan, and
Figure 6 shows a suitable medicament and ampoule container accord-
ing to the invention.
Referring to Figure 1 the tray for storage and distribution of medi-
caments according to the invention has grooves 3 extending parallel to its
longitudinal direction for the receipt of closed medicament containers 2,
which contain in separate compartments 1 to 5 the dcsage units for a patient~
for example per day and which are so placed in the grooves 3 that the indicia
bearing surface can easily be viewed. In each case the groove 3 passes into
a depression 15 in a reception part 4 which serves for the receipt of drinking
ampoules, syringes, dosage beakers or the like. As shown in Figure 1, these
depressions are surrounded by web or guide parts 15, the height of which coin-
cides with the surface of the part carrying the grooves 3. These guide parts
can however also be interrupted as e.g. is shown by the parts denoted 14 in
Figure ~.
In Figure 2 another embodiment of the reception part 4 is illustra-
ted in which the reception part 4 is constructed over large areas depressed
10369g4
relative to the surface of the part carrying the grooves 3 and wherein stand-
ing places 5 are provided for medicament beakers and longitudinal channels
6 for the receipt of large drink ampoules, syringes or the like, which are
surrounded in each case by projecting guide parts 14.
According to a particular embodiment the receiving part 4 is ex-
changeably set in an aperture of the tray 1.
Figure 3 shows in side section the part of the tray according to
the invention bearing the grooves 3. As is evident, in this embodiment an
upper part 7 is so connected by adhesion with a lower part 8 that the grooves
3 are under a certain tension and by means of this they give the tray an in-
creased rigidity and particularly bending resistance. In this fashion it is
also possible to provide that the grooves 3 constitute a resiliently elastic
seat for the receipt of the medicament containers.
The reference numeral la denotes a raised rim surrounding the tray.
Further it is shown in Figure 3 that the tray 1 has on its lower
side a guiding frame 9 by means of which lateral holding is possible on all
four sides of the tray in the carrier decks of transport trollies, medicament
chests, refrigerators or similar devices. These guiding frames are suitably
constructed in agreement with standard measurements of the carrier decks of
these hospital devices.
If desired in place of the above noted guiding frame 9 there can be
provided on the rear side of the tray a peripheral guide groove 11~ as shown
in Figure 4. If such a tray is slid into transport trollies, medicament
cases, refrigerators or s;m;lar devices in hospitals, in this case a carrier
bar 10 of these devices engages in the guide groove 11.
The raised rim la surrounding the frame (compare Figure 1) serves
to guarantee safe transport of the medicaments.
The upper part 7 and the lower part 8 are suitably connected to-
gether by slightly dissolving the contact surfaces with a solvent and pressing
103699~
them together in this dissolved state.
Suitably in this the grooves 3 extending the upper part up to the
surface of the lower part 8 and are connected firmly therewith at their
contact surfaces.
Figure 5 shows in plan a further embodiment of the tray according
to the invention in which the grooves 3 are constructed in such a fashion
that the medicament and ampoule containers 2 can be clamped by their small
side into the grooves 3. As well as this the grooves 3 have over a part of
their length depressions 12 for dosage beakers 13 so that according to choice
th0 medicament and ampoule container can be inserted in the normal position
or vertically in combination with additional dosage beakers.
As already noted above, in the reception part 4 the projections
can consist either of complete webs 15 or of a plurality of aligned individual
web parts or projections 14 which in each case constitute guidance for the
receipt of ampoules, syringes or the like and which can have as shown in
Figure 2 inclined or curved walls for engagement with individual dosage
beakers.
A medicament and ampoule container which can be inserted into the
grooves 3 of the tray according to the invention is shown for example in
Figure 6.
By the tray according to the invention the storage and distribution
of medicaments in straightforward and certain fashion is facilitated and at
the same time a substantial saving of space is achieved. Furthermore by
standardisation of the guiding devices on the underside of the tray, a plura-
lity of trays can be piled on one another in customary medicament chests,
refrigerators or the like.
In the medicament container according to the invention the compart-
ments destined to receive the medicaments are provided with prolongations
which in the fashion of a smaller adjoining space increase the volume of a
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compartment. The prolongation can have the form of a channel or chute which
branches from any point of the compartment. With a view to good use of the
space of a compartment it is however desirable if it branches from the edge
region of the compartment.
The prolongation which extends into the region of the label plate
remains on the one hand within the dimensions of a medicament container hav-
ing a handleable si~e and on the other hand does not adversely affect the
use of the label plate for its proper purpose. In this fashion it is possible,
while maintaining the handleable dimensions of the medicament container, to
put longitudinal medicaments such as large suppositories and ampoules into
the medicament container. Also if the end of the longitudinal medicament
extending into the prolongation is covered by an adhesive label applied to
the label plate, the content of the medicament container can still be deter-
mined without opening the transparent cover, since the remaining part of the
longitudinal medicament lies in the visible region of the compartment. The
device for dispensing medicaments according to the invention thus allows,
despite small exterior dimensions, a checkable storage of comparatively large
long medicaments such as large suppositories and ampoules.
If particularly long and high medicaments are to be stored in the
container, the prolongations suitably have the same depth as the compartment.
If however for storing the longitudinal medicaments the full height
- of the compartment is not needed, the prolongations may only be a fraction of
the depth of the compartments. The free end of the longitudinal medicament
projecting into the container in this case is located a certain distance above
the floor of the compartment so that the longitudinal medicament is easily
grasped or the space below the freely projecting end of the longitudinal medi-
cament can be used for depositing further medicaments such as tablets.
If the prolongations extend through the region of the label plate
up to the peripheral rim of the medicament container, there can be stored over-
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all long medicaments the length of which corresponds to the sum of the clearbreadth of the container and the width of the label plate.
If the label plate is constituted by a depressed area bordering on
the peripheral rim of the medicament container, which overlays the prolonga-
tions and a part of the compartments, then either with the same peripheral
measurements of the medicament containers medicaments in large sizes and
dimensions can be stored or with a same volume for storage of medicaments
smaller peripheral measurements of the medicament containers can be achieved.
In this embodiment, a part of the compartment is taken into the region of the
lo label plate.
If the prolongations and a part of the compartment are covered by
the label applied to the label plate, the label has a size which also gives
longer medications sufficient space.
.
Writing on the label after application to the label plate can have
certain difficulties associated therewith if the portion to be written on
lies over a prolongation or over a part of the compartment. A possible
necessary inscription of the label already applied to the label plate can
however be carried out without any difficulties if the label plate constituted
by the depressed area is covered with a ~preferably transparent foil on to
which the label is applied.
If the slideably arranged cover on the medicament container is a
sliding lid, which in closed condition extends over the container and is con-
stituted as a grip, then the container can also be opened with a small force.
Doubt over the correct sequence of compartments which are to be opened one
after another and of medicaments to be taken can be eliminated by providing
that the medicament container has an element which only allows the sliding
off of the sliding lid in one direction.
As shown in Figure 6, the medicament container 100 has a lower part
20 and a slideable transparent sliding lid 110 on the lower part 20. The
10369194
lower part 20 of the medicament container lOO consists in the embodiment il-
lustrated of five compartments 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 lying in a row which
are characterised by order figures lt to ~. The medicament container can
however also have more or less than five compartments. It has however been
shown in practice that a medicament container with five compartments is a
very convenient si~e.
Each of the compartments has a prolongation 80 which begins in the
region of the edge of the compartment and extends up to the peripheral rim
of the lower part 20. The prolongation 80 has the form of a channel or a ,
chute, of which one side wall merges into the side wall of the compartment.
In the embodiment illustrated, the prolongation 80 has a lesser depth than
its respective compartment. However, embodiments can also be conceived in
which the prolongation 80 has the same depth as its respective compartment.
The lower part 20 has a label plate 90 in the form of a support
surface, which overlies the pro-ongations 80 and a part of the compartments
30 to 70. One cou7d also say that the label plate 90 is interrupted by the
prolongations 80 and a part of the compartments 30 to 70 for short distances.
The label plate which is constructed.in the form of a supporting surface is
somewhat sunken relative to the peripheral rim of the medicament container.
The sunken label plate 90 serves for the receipt of self-adhesive labels or
slide in labels 140.
The labels 140 applied to the label plate 90 serve for an ur~mbiguous
identification of the patient with his ward position and to characterise the
medication. The labels 40 are divided into five fields, which correspond to
the five compartments 30 to 70 of the medicament container, wherein the indi-
vidual fields of the labels lie opposite the respective compartments of the
container and as the container -is provided with the same corresponding order
numbers. Each field of the label contains the medication for the medicaments
storet in the respective compartment of the container. If the medicament con-
103~ 4
tainer for example is provided with six compartments~ the label 140 pre-
ferably has six fields. An optimal use of space of the medicament container
is obtained if the label 140 has a size corresponding to that of the label
plate 90 and extends up to the peripheral edge of the lower part. The label
140 can also be laid around the peripheral edge, whereby simultaneously good
anchorage of the label with the medicament container is achieved.
The lower part 2 of the medicament containers 100 has in front of
the compartment with order number 1l a rib 150 which serves as a stop for
the sliding lid 110. The rib 150 guarantees that the sliding lid 110 can
only be slid off or pulled off from the lower part 20 of the container 100
in a way in which the individual compartments are freed in the sequence of
the order numbers from 1~ increasing.
The sliding lid 110 has on its two longitudinal sides bent round
guide edges 120 which elastically engage the peripheral edges of the longi-
tudinal sides of the lower part 20. The sliding lid 110 with its elastically
constructed guide edges 120 seals not only the compartments 30 to 70 of the
container 100 ;-~but also hinders loss of the label 140.
If a label 140 already applied to the label plate 90 is to be
written on, difficulties can arise if the place to be written on lies over a
prolongation 80 or over a part of a compartment~ In order to enable writing
on a label 140 already located on the label plate 90, the label plate 90 can
be covered with a preferably transparent foil 130. The label 140 is then
applied on to the transparent foil which has sufficient stiffness and con-
stitutes a useable underlay for the label to be written on.
The label 140 which is applied to the label plate 90 or the trans-
parent foil 130 can be an easily removable self-adhesive label, which after
the medicaments stored in ~he medicament container have been taken can again
be pulled away from the label plate 90 or the transparent foil 130 and which
can be adhered by a second adherence to a temperature chart, the account sheet
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or the like. The label can in this fashion fulfill two purposes simultan-
eously. First it serves for dispensing the medicament to be taken and then
it constitutes a document for the actual receipt of the medicament by the
patient. The medication entered on the label thus only needs to be written
down once, which saves working time, and transfer errors on the temperature
chart, account sheet or the like are avoided.
The operation of the sliding lid 110 can be substantially facili-
tated if the sliding lid in the fully closed condition projects over the
lower part 20 or according to choice is provided with a gripping groove or
- 10 gripping edge.
