Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FIELD OF TE-IE INVENTION
This invention relates to a device for displaying pertinent medical
information about an
individual. More particularly the invention relates to a device for displaying
a sample of each solid
and encapsulated medicine which is prescribed for an individual. The samples
are labeled and are
arranged according to the time of day that the medicine is to be taken. The
device also has means
for displaying other pertinent medical information such as allergies, copies
of prescriptions and the
like
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Whenever an individual requires medical treatment, the medical practitioner
giving the
treatment will want to know what medication is being taken by the individual
and whether he or
she has any allergies. Except in medical emergencies where an individual is
not able to respond,
the individual will not be treated until he or she has given that information.
An individual may
have difficulty in doing so, particularly where he or she is elderly. The
elderly are frequently
taking relatively large numbers of drugs and are not always able to enumerate
them all when they
are asked to do so.
The consequences that result from lack of accurate information about medicine
being
taken by a patient can be serious. The medical practitioner may treat the
patient inappropriately
by, for example, prescribing the wrong medication. The practitioner may also
delay giving
treatment until he has verified the information given to him by the patient.
Whether the treatment
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is inappropriate or delayed, the consequences for the patient can be serious
and can result in
deterioration of his or her condition or even death.
I have invented a portable display that exhibits visually all the information
that a medical
practitioner requires concerning medication which is prescribed or being taken
by an individual. A
sample of each tablet or capsule being taken by an individual is visible and
beside each sample is a
label setting out its name and the required dosage. The samples are arranged
according to the time
of day that they are to be taken in order for the medical practitioner to
quickly and accurately
determine which medication has been taken at the time of the examination.
The portable display of my invention is useful not only to the medical
practitioner but to
the individual himself or herself or to a care-giver who is helping the
individual take the medicine.
Since there is a sample of each tablet or capsule being taken, the chances of
the individual taking
the wrong medicine are minimized even if the tablets or capsules are
accidentally mixed up in the
bottles where they are kept. Moreover should the bottle containing the
medicine be mislaid, the
chances that the individual will neglect to take the medicine are lessened
because what is being
taken will not correspond with all the samples set out on the display. Lack of
correspondence will
alert the individual or care-giver that a medicine has been omitted.
The dosage of each tablet or capsule is set out beside each sample on my
display to
minimize the chances of the individual taking too much or too little. Moreover
because the
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samples are arranged according to the time of day, the individual is less
likely to take the
medication more frequently than is prescribed because he or she has forgotten
that the medication
has already been taken that day.
SUMMARY OF THE ll~IVENT10N
Briefly the portable display of my invention comprises: a backing; a series of
compartments mounted to the backing, each compartment being adapted to receive
a separate
sample of a solid or encapsulated medicine and each having means for
displaying the name and the
dosage of the sample within the compartment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The portable display of the invention is described with reference to the
accompanying
drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the display mounted in the interior of a
holder;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the exterior of the holder;
Figure 3 is a side view of the compartments which form part of the display;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of the compartments;
Figure 5 is a plan view of the compartments; and
Figure 6 is an example of some of the information that the holder may contain.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of
the drawings.
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DESCRIPT10N OF PREFERRED EM130D1MENT
With reference to Figure l, the portable display of the invention is mounted
within a
holder, generally 10. The holder has two sides 12, i 4 which are
interconnected by a hinge or a
fold line 16. The holder is open in Figure 1 and as such displays the inside
walls of the two sides.
The inside wall of side 14 acts as a backing to which a number of compartments
or
pockets 18 are mounted. The compartments are arranged in parallel columns 20
and rows 22 and
each compartment is adapted to receive a separate sample or a solid or
encapsulated medication.
The solid medication may be a pill or tablet and the encapsulated medication
may be a capsule of a
liquid drug.
At the top of each column of compartments is printed, embossed or otherwise
identified
with the time of the day or a meal that is consumed at a particular time of
day. The first column
20a, for example, is headed by "morninglmatin" and the column 20b adjacent to
it is headed with
the meal consumed in the next time of the day, being "lunch/diner". Adjacent
columns are
identified with consecutive times of the day or meals.
Beside each compartment is a holder 24 for a label which identifies the name
of the
medication in the compartment and the dosage of that compartment. For example
a label might
read "Ativan ( 1 mg) '/z tablet". if the compartment is located in the first
column 20a for example,
the medication would be prescribed or taken in the morning and if it were
located in the second
column, the medication would be taken at lunch-time.
4
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The labels are held in position by a U-shaped retainers 26. Each retainer has
an upper or
inside edge which is spaced apart from the backing suf~'iciently to grip the
margin of a label that is
held by it.
The inside wall of side 12 serves as a backing for an number of envelopes 28
which have
openings for removable accommodation of cards of cardboard, paper or plastic
containing such
information as that set out in Figure 6 and other information pertaining to
the individual that
would be relevant to a medical practitioner. As well, copies of prescriptions
could be
accommodated in the envelopes.
A tongue 30 is attached to the outside edge of side 14 and one component of a
snap
fastener, such as a stud 32 is attached to that tongue. The other component of
the fastener, such
as a socket is attached to the outside wall of side 12, as illustrated in
Figure 2. The holder may
then be locked closed when not in use.
With reference to Figures 3 to 5, the compartments are formed by strips 40 of
molded
plastic having depressions 42 which receive tablets or capsules 44. The strips
are glued or
otherwise attached to the inner wall of side 14 An elongated narrow band 46 is
attached to each
side edge of the strips. The bands are separated from the strips by a space
sufficient for receipt of
the side margins of an elongated cover 48. The cover slides away to expose the
compartments so
that tablets or capsules can be added or removed from them.
It will be understood, of course, that modifications can be made in the
portable display
described herein without departing from the scope of the invention.
