Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02585827 2009-12-09
1 DISPOSABLE PILL COUNTING DEVICE
2
3
4 FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to health care, and more
6 particularly to a pill counting device and method for using the pill
counting device.
7
8 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
9 Among other things, pharmacies commonly supply pills and other
medication in prescription vials for holding their medication after the
patients leave
11 the pharmacy and their appointment with the doctor. Some patients when they
12 come to the pharmacy with their prescription scripts are in pain and wish
to take
13 their medication immediately in accordance with the doctor's signa which is
a Latin
14 term to label the prescription according to dose, route of administration
and
frequency of use. The only concern of the patients under these circumstances
is
16 that the medication will provide some relief from the pain which they
suffer and/or
17 cure the ailment.
18 Since the inception of the pharmacy, the tools that have been used to
19 fill the tablet/capsule prescription drug order has been the pill counting
tray and
spatula. These tools are based on technology which has been in existence for
more
21 than 80 years. However, these devices are still used today by the pharmacy
to
22 manually fill, accurately count and dispense the medication into the
prescription
23 vials.
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1 This process is repeated over and over again with the same pill
2 counting tray and spatula. There is no attempt to prevent the contamination
of the
3 next patient's medication by the medication of the previous patient.
4 However, many patients are allergic to some kinds of medications,
and it is possible for the patient's medication to become contaminated with
the
6 previous patient's medication and for the patient to sustain a serious
allergic
7 reaction without knowledge of the source of the contamination. The
contamination
8 could occur during the filling, counting and dispensing of the patient's
medication.
9 U.S. Pat. No. Des 342,572 discloses a pill counter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,649 to McCanney discloses a method and
11 apparatus for manually counting pills.
12 U.S. Pat. No. 3,169,643 discloses a main body portion which has a
13 platform surface and tapered side surfaces.
14 U.S. Pat. No. 4,121,722 discloses a counter including a bottom tray
having adjoining upstanding sides.
16 U.S. Pat. No. 2,952,369 discloses a pill counter having a bottom
17 which is flat and has the general shape of a truncated triangle.
18 U.S. Pat. No. 6,116,425 discloses a sorting tray which includes a
19 substantially planar sorting surface bounded by upwardly and outwardly
extending
sidewalls.
21 U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,785 discloses a tray member including a bottom
22 wall or base portion, a front wall, a rear wall a left side wall and a
right side wall.
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1 Many patients are not sure if they are allergic to such drugs as
2 penicillin or sulfa drugs. The only source of such an unidentified allergic
reaction is
3 that there has been a cross-contamination and evidenced by the patient's
4 complaints of nausea and vomiting or diarrhea. Alternatively, the patient
may simply
feel depressed or crossed tempered.
6
7 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
8 The present invention eliminates the drug cross-contamination
9 problem in the pharmacy environments. The present invention includes a
device
and method of pill dispensing in which the pill counting device is disposable.
The
11 disposable pill counting device includes a disposable pill counting tray
which may
12 have a built-in chute and a disposable spatula for directing the pills into
the
13 medication vial.
14 By virtue of the fact that the present invention relates to a disposable
pill counting device, the present invention is an effective device to prevent
the
16 allergic reaction of the patients caused by drug cross-contamination. With
the
17 present invention, the patients are assured of receiving substantially pure
18 medication from the pharmacy. It should be understood that the word 'pill'
can be
19 tablets, capsules or any other suitable type of pill medication which is
dispensed as
medication by the pharmacy.
21 By employing the disposable pill counting tray and disposable spatula
22 the drug cross-contamination and the resulting induced allergies can be
avoided.
23 The common medications that induce allergic reactions include antibiotics
and
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1 some heart disease medications; however, there are many other drugs that can
2 induce the allergic response. Consequently, the present invention is an
important
3 contribution to preventing these induced allergies.
4 The disposable pill counting tray and the disposable spatula are
simpler in construction, cost-effective and more versatile in operation than
other pill
6 counting trays and spatulas. The disposable pill counting tray and
disposable
7 spatula ensures safety for the patients. The disposable pill counting tray
and
8 disposable spatula provides a new and contamination free device for each
patient.
9 By virtue of the disposable aspect of the disposable pill counting tray and
disposable spatula, these devices can be used once and discarded.
11 The disposable pill dispensing device eliminates a drug cross
12 contamination concerns of the community. Consequently, the disposable the
13 dispensing device provides an important contribution and solves the problem
of
14 unrecognized allergic reactions.
16 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
17 Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a traditional pill counting tray
18 and spatula which are both non-disposable;
19 Figure 2 illustrates a perspective view of another traditional pill
counting tray and spatula;
21 Figure 3 illustrates a perspective view of yet another non-disposable
22 pill counting tray with non-disposable spatula;
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1 Figures 4a - 4c illustrate cross-sectional views of a pill counting tray of
2 the present invention;
3 Figures 5a - 5f illustrate cross-sectional views of the pill counting tray
4 of the present invention;
Figures 6a - 6f illustrate cross-sectional views of the pill counting tray
6 of the present invention;
7 Figure 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a spatula of the present
8 invention;
9 Figure 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pill counting tray, the
spatula and a vial of the present invention;
11 Figures 9a - 9b illustrate perspective views of tray covers of the
12 present invention;
13 Figures 10a - 10c illustrate perspective views of the pill counting tray
14 of the present invention;
Figures 11a - 11c illustrate perspective views of the pill counting tray
16 of the present invention;
17 Figure 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the pill counting tray
18 with adhesive tape;
19 Figure 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the spatula of the
present invention; and
21 Figure 14 illustrates a perspective view of the counting tray of the
22 present invention.
23
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1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION
2 FIG. 4a illustrates a substantially flat disposable sheet 402 for forming
3 the disposable or single use pill counting tray 405, and the flat disposable
sheet 402
4 may be formed from disposable material such as reinforced nontoxic
paperboard,
cardboard, rigid paper or other suitable material. The disposable sheet 402
should
6 be safe to use in the pharmaceutical industry and may be approved by the
Federal
7 Drug Agency (FDA). FIG. 4a shows a substantially rectangle disposable sheet
402;
8 however, other shapes of disposable sheet 402 are within the scope of the
present
9 invention.
FIG. 4b illustrates a fold line 408 which is formed along the periphery
11 of the disposable sheet 402 and which is substantially parallel to the
edges of the
12 disposable sheet 402. The corner 412 of the disposable sheet 402 is punched
out
13 along the fold line 408 in order to form the folding sidewall 406. One
corner may
14 include a chute 407 which is formed by removing a portion of the disposable
sheet
402 along the diagonal of the corner. The chute 407 may not have sidewalls.
The
16 fold line 408 may be a weakened area such as a line of punches or formed by
17 coining to allow the folding sidewall 406 to be folded to an upright
position and held
18 upright by tape all around the sidewalls, substantially perpendicular to
the base 404.
19 The base 404 forms a substantially flat area for the pills to be dispensed
and
counted.
21 FIG. 4c illustrates that the folding sidewall 406 has been moved from
22 a first position substantially in the plane of the base 404 to a second
position
23 substantially perpendicular to the base 404 but may be outwardly sloping
for
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1 nesting. FIG. 4c illustrates that the chute 407 has no sidewall to allow the
pills to be
2 dispensed into the vial.
3 FIGS. 5a - 5c illustrates a pill counting tray 505 formed in a right
4 handed configuration to provide ease of dispensing pills by a right-handed
user. The
construction of the pill counting tray 505 is similar to the construction of
the pill
6 counting tray 405. FIG. 5a discloses a disposable sheet 502. FIG. 5b
illustrates the
7 base 504 to form a dispensing area, folding sidewall 506 defined by the fold
line 508
8 and the edge of the disposable sheet 502. The corner 512 on three sides have
9 punched out to allow the folding sidewall 506 to be joined. The chute 510 is
formed
in the lower right hand corner in order to facilitate a right-handed user.
FIG. 5d
11 illustrates a side view of the disposable sheet 502, and FIG. 5e
illustrates a side
12 view of the base 504 to form the dispensing area. FIG. 5f illustrates a
side view of
13 the pill counting tray 505.
14 FIG. 6 illustrates a pill counting tray 605 formed in a left handed
configuration to provide ease of dispensing pills by a left-handed user. The
16 construction of the pill counting tray 605 is similar to the construction
of the pill
17 counting tray 505. FIG. 6a discloses a disposable sheet 602. FIG. 6b
illustrates the
18 base 604 to form a dispensing area, folding sidewall 606 defined by the
fold line 608
19 and the edge of the disposable sheet 602. The corner 612 on three sides
have
punched out to allow the folding sidewall 606 to be joined. The chute 610 is
formed
21 in the lower left hand corner of the pill counting tray 605 in order to
facilitate a left-
22 handed user. FIG. 6d illustrates a side view of the disposable sheet 602,
and FIG.
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1 6e illustrates a side view of the base 604 to form the dispensing area. FIG.
6f illustrates a
2 side view of the pill counting tray 605.
3 FIG. 7 illustrates a spatula 714 which may be formed from a disposable
4 material such as reinforced nontoxic cardboard, rigid paper or other
suitable material. The
spatula 714 should be safe to use in the pharmaceutical industry and may be
approved by
6 the Federal drug agency (FDA).
7 FIG. 8 illustrates a system including the disposable pill counting tray 805
8 being used in conjunction with the disposable spatula 814. More
particularly, FIG. 8
9 illustrates the pills 816 positioned on a disposable base 804 of the
disposable pill counting
tray 805. The disposable spatula 814 moves or slides the pills 816 into an
opening 820 of
11 the vial 818. The disposable spatula 814 includes a hook to remove the
cotton insert from
12 the pill bottle.
13 FIG. 9a illustrates additional elements of the system including a tray
cover
14 922 which could be constructed from clear plastic or any other suitable
material to cover the
pill counting tray. The edge 921 of the tray cover 922 may be outward sloping
in order to
16 prevent contamination of the disposable pill counting tray 405. FIG. 9b
illustrates several
17 tray covers 922 which have been stacked and nested together for convenient
storage.
18 FIG. 10a illustrates an additional pill counting tray 1005 which could be
19 constructed from a disposable cardboard sheet or from plastic or other
suitable material.
The pill counting tray 1005 is substantially U-shaped, as viewed in a plan
view, including a
21 first arm 1022 and a second arm 1024. The first arm 1022 could be used as a
staging area
22 for pill preparation while the second arm 1024 could be used as a
dispensing area
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1 for the pills. The connecting area 1026 which connects the first arm 1022
and the
2 second arm 1024 could be used as a pill pouring surface. This provides a
3 convenient and separate area for various functions. The pill counting tray
1005
4 includes sidewall 1006 including seven side walls around the periphery of
the pill
counting tray 1005 except for an opening to accommodate the chute 1007.
6 FIG. 10b illustrates that the sidewall 1006 is slightly outward sloping
7 so that the pill counting tray 1005 can be stacked/nested with another pill
counting
8 tray 1005.
9 FIG. 10c illustrates a tray cover 1028 to cover the pill counting tray
1005 to keep the pill counting tray 1005 free from contaminants and to keep
the pills
11 from falling out.
12 FIG. 11a illustrates another embodiment of the present invention and
13 illustrates the pill counting tray 1105 which includes a first arm 1122, a
second arm
14 1124 and a connecting area 1126 to connect the first arm 1122 and the
second arm
1124. The second arm 1124 extends beyond the end of the first arm 1122. The
first
16 arm 1122 can serve as a staging area for pills, and the second arm 1124 can
serve
17 as a dispensing area for dispensing the pills with the connecting area 1126
serving
18 as a pill pouring area for pills.
19 FIG. 11b illustrates stacked/nested pill counting tray 1105. The
sidewall 1106 of the pill counting tray 1105 is slightly outward sloping in
order that
21 the pill counting tray 1005 can be stacked/nested with another pill
counting tray
22 1005.
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1 FIG. 11 c illustrates a tray cover 1128 to cover the pill counting tray
2 1105 to keep the pill counting tray 1105 free from contaminants and to keep
the pills
3 from falling out.
4 FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment disclosing a pill counting tray
1205 including single-sided adhesive tape 1230 or double sided adhesive tape
for
6 adhering the pill counting tray 1205 to a surface for the user or for
attaching
7 sidewalls together.
8 FIG. 13 illustrates a spatula 1332 which could be constructed from
9 disposable materials such as paperboard, cardboard, or plastic and any other
such
suitable material.
11 FIG. 14 illustrates a pill counting tray 1405 which may be constructed
12 from plastic and can be stacked or nested.
13
