Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A MEDICATION CARRIER
[0001] This invention relates to a system for discretely packaging a plurality
of quantities of
one or more fluid or solid substances, particularly, though not exclusively,
items of medication.
Such a system is devised to meet the needs of patients and carers in the safe,
accurate and
monitored dispensing of medication both in liquid and solid forms. Liquid
medication, apart
from the use of individual sachets or blisters, is conventionally supplied to
the patient or carer in
large containers from which individual doses are dispensed, usually into a
measuring spoon or
cup from which the patient takes the medicine. It is of the utmost importance
that the patient
should take an accurate dose of the correct medicine and that there should be
no risk of
confusion or of cross-contamination between patients should a large bottle of
medication be
used, perhaps improperly, to dispense the medication to different patients.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Such a system of accurately and conveniently packaged individual doses
of
medication, whether in liquid or tablet form, and which is more easily managed
in a safe and
convenient manner, thus substantially avoiding the aforementioned
difficulties, is described and
claimed in our co-pending patent application number 0719991.2. In that
application there is
described a container for discretely packaging a plurality of quantities of
one or more fluid or
solid substances, and comprising a tray having individual spaced compartments,
a plurality of
vessels individually removably received within the respective compartments and
adapted to
contain the substances to be packaged, and a flexible sheet sealingly attached
to and across
an otherwise open top of each vessel. The sheet is sealingly attached to and
across the entire
tray and all the vessels therein with perforations to permit selective removal
of the vessels
individually while at least some of the vessels are retained and remain
sealingly closed. The
flexible sheet may display printed matter identifying the content of each
vessel.
[0003] Individual vessels are removable from the tray while all of the
vessels, including those
removed, remain sealed by the flexible sheet, the perforations permitting easy
separation of
individual vessels. Thus, a patient can remove the vessels as and when
required from the tray
and then peel off the individual flexible sheet of that vessel in order to
reveal the medication
contained therein, whether it be in liquid or tablet form. Ideally, each
vessel contains the
medication needed to be taken at a particular time of day and since most
medication is taken
four times a day, the vessels are arranged in the tray in rows of four so that
the patient may
remove an individual vessel at the appropriate time.
[0004] While the system provides a convenient means of storing and dispensing
medication,
nevertheless a patient may not wish to carry the entire tray around with them
if, for example,
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they are intending to leave the premises for a day, perhaps when visiting
relatives or friends,
and so it is an object of the present invention to provide a temporary storage
and transporting
carrier such that a number of vessels may be removed from the tray and
temporarily contained
within a convenient carrier of reduced size when compared with the tray.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0005] According to the present invention, there is provided a medication
temporary storage
and transporting carrier comprising a carrier tray with a closable lid, the
carrier tray defining a
plurality of apertures each configured to receive one of a plurality of
individual sealed vessels,
each vessel of complementary lateral dimensions with a peripheral flange
adapted to rest upon
the carrier tray around one of said apertures with the body of the vessel
extending beneath the
carrier tray, the lid being closable over the carrier tray to retain the or
each vessel therein.
[0006] Closure means may be provided to retain the lid in its closed position
thus to retain the
or each vessel on the carrier tray.
[0007] The closure means may be a frictional peg and socket arrangement.
[0008] The closure means may be a lip and flexible catch arrangement.
[0009] The carrier tray may define four such apertures arranged in a single
row thus to carry
four such vessels side-by-side.
[0010] The carrier tray may define four such apertures arranged in pairs thus
to carry four
such vessels in two side-by-side pairs.
[0011] The carrier tray and lid may be made as a single piece from moulded
plastics.
[0012] The carrier tray and lid may be made as a single piece from paperboard.
[0013] In another aspect, the present invention provides medication storage
system
comprising a medication temporary storage and transporting carrier as defined
above and a
container for discretely packaging a plurality of quantities of one or more
fluid or solid
substances, and comprising a container tray having individual spaced
compartments, a plurality
of said vessels individually removably received within the respective
compartments and adapted
to contain the substances to be packaged, and a flexible sheet sealingly
attached to and across
an otherwise open top of each vessel, the sheet being sealingly attached to
and across the
entire container tray and all the vessels therein, perforations in the sheet
to permit selective
removal of the vessels individually while at least some of the vessels are
retained and remain
sealingly closed.
[0014] Said peripheral flanges of adjacent vessels in said container tray may
be spaced apart
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whereby the sheet connects each vessel to the container around its entire
periphery.
[0015] The perforations may coincide with said peripheral flange so that,
after removal of a
vessel from the container tray, substantially none of the sheet overhangs said
vessel.
[0016] Alternatively, the perforations may overlap said peripheral flange so
that removal of a
vessel from the container tray involves breaking said perforations and
breaking the adhesion
between said overlap from the surface of the container tray, whereby said
overlap serves to
adhere said vessel to the carrier tray around said aperture. Said overlap may
comprise one or
more tabs, the perforations otherwise coinciding with said peripheral flange.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example
only, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a container for discretely packaging
a plurality
of quantities of one or more medications in fluid or solid form;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a temporary storage and transporting carrier
made in
accordance with the invention;
Fig. 3 shows the carrier with four sealed medication containers therein;
Fig. 4 is a view of the carrier and the containers, from beneath;
Fig. 5 shows the carrier with a closed lid to retain the containers;
Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 according to a second embodiment;
Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of the second embodiment;
Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of the second embodiment; and
Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 5 of the second embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Referring now to Fig. 1, a container for discretely packaging a
plurality of quantities of
one or more fluid or solid substances such as medication comprises a container
tray generally
indicated at 10 of a plastics material and formed to define side walls 11 and
an array of
individual preformed side-by-side compartments 12 each having a base 13 and a
common
upper platform 14 extending across the tray 10 between the compartments 12.
Removably
located within each compartment 12 is a vessel in the form of an individual
pot 17 for
containment of a substance to be packaged. Each pot 17 has an upper peripheral
flange 18
which, when the pot is located in the container tray, rests upon and is flush
with the platform 14.
The shape of the recess defined within each pot 17 is such as to have a curved
upper rim 19 at
least at one side. Opposite the curved rim 19 in each pot is a straight edge
20. The walls of
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each pot also conform to the shape of the upper rim. With all of the pots 17
in place a
pharmacist may place the appropriate medication in each pot either by using a
measured
pipette for liquid medication or by placing tablets or capsules into the pots
for solid medication.
[0019] To complete the container a flexible sheet 21 of a non-permeable
material having
perforations 22 is placed over the filled tray and sealed to the platform 14
and to the flange 18
of each pot 17. The perforations 22 coincide with the outer peripheries of the
pots 17, thus to
define individual sealed films 23, one across each pot. With the sheet in
place the pots may be
removed individually by pushing a pot upwards from the base 13 of its
associated compartment
12 thus breaking the perforation in the sheet 21 while maintaining the
integrity of the sealed film
23. The material of the container tray is such as to permit flexibility of the
base 13 to ease
ejection of the individual pots. However, the line of perforations could
overlap the outer
peripheries of the upper peripheral flange 18 to some extent so that, as well
as breaking the
perforations, at least some of the film must be peeled from the platform
surface 14 when a pot
is removed, leaving a tab of film overlapping the outer peripheral flange 18.
[0020] It will be appreciated that once a pot is removed, the sealed film 23
remaining on the
flange 18 can then be peeled off the peripheral flange of the pot, whereupon
the medication
can be taken. Where present, an overlapping tab of the film provides a
gripping point to assist
its removal from the pot. The curved rim 19 of each pot facilitates the taking
of liquid
medication. The regions of the flange 18 either side of the curved rim will
have sufficient
flexibility that they can be deformed to assist in release of the individual
sealed films 23.
[0021] In this manner therefore, individual pots can be removed whilst the
remainder are
retained and sealed on the container tray 10. The individual films 23 may be
printed, for
example, with a time and date and the contents of the associated pot and/or
the name of a
patient.
[0022] Referring now to Figs. 2 to 5, if a patient wishes to carry, in a more
convenient
manner, four such sealed pots, for example, when leaving home for the day to
visit relatives or
friends, there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a temporary
storage and
transporting carrier comprising a flat carrier tray 30 with a hinged and
closable lid 31. The
carrier is made from a single piece of moulded plastics.
[0023] Four, in-line, side-by-side apertures 32 are provided in the carrier
tray 30, each of
which, as can be seen, is of complementary shape and size to each of the pots
17 removed
from the container tray 10 and is therefore of complementary lateral
dimensions such that when
each pot is inserted into one of the apertures 32 its flange 18 rests upon the
carrier tray and is
substantially flush with the surface thereof. A frictional peg and socket
arrangement 33, 34 is
provided to retain the lid in a closed position when required.
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[0024] Fig. 3 illustrates the carrier with four pots 17 contained thereby with
the individual
sealed film 23 retaining the contents of the pots.
[0025] Fig. 4, which is an underneath view, shows how the body of each pot
extends beneath
the tray.
5 [0026] Fig. 5 shows the lid 31 in a closed position to retain the four pots
in the carrier.
[0027] Referring now to Figs. 6 to 9, in a second embodiment the carrier tray
30 and lid 31 of
Figs. 2 to 5 are replaced by a carrier tray 40 and lid 41 of different shape
to enable the four pots
to be carried as two side-by-side pairs rather than four in a single row. This
may be more
convenient for some users. Otherwise, the embodiment of Figs. 6 to 9 is
identical to that of
Figs. 2 to 5. Once again, a frictional peg and socket arrangement 43, 44 is
provided to retain
the lid in a closed position. If required, in both embodiments, the peg and
socket arrangement
may be replaced by a lip and flexible catch arrangement.
[0028] Where a peripheral overlap of the sealing film is provided beyond the
peripheral flange
18 of each pot, the adhesive on it may be employed to fix the pot temporarily
in the tray 30,40.
Such overlap may be complete around the entire periphery of each pot, or it
may be in the form
of one or more discontinuous tabs, most of the perforations otherwise being
coincident with the
peripheral flange of the pot.
[0029] Whilst the carrier tray is preferably made as a single piece from
moulded plastics,
nevertheless it may be made from paperboard so as to be disposable if
required.
[0030] It will be appreciated that a temporary storage and transporting
carrier made in
accordance with the invention is a convenient accessory for a patient who may
wish to carry a
smaller number of sealed pots as opposed to the entire container tray 10.
Whilst carriers
having capacity for four pots have been described and illustrated,
nevertheless other numbers
are envisaged, for example, just two pots may be sufficient for a short
period, say for half a
day's medication.
[0031 ] A temporary storage and transporting carrier for medication, in
accordance with the
invention, increases the likelihood of correct dosages of medicines to be
taken at the correct
time. Once a pot 17 has been removed from the carrier it is disposed of so
that patients and
carers can readily determine at any time, which doses have been removed.
[0032] The carriers may be manufactured in different colours thus to allow
family members
readily to distinguish individual medications without opening. However, the
carriers can be
manufactured in materials which are largely transparent so that the patient
and dosage
information printed on the individual films 23 may be read without opening the
lid.
[0033] While the invention has been described and illustrated in relation to
the temporary
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storage and transportation of medication, other substances may be contained
within the pots
and conveniently transported in a carrier of the invention.
[0034] Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words
"comprise" and
"contain" and variations of them mean "including but not limited to", and they
are not intended to
(and do not) exclude other moieties, additives, components, integers or steps.
Throughout the
description and claims of this specification, the singular encompasses the
plural unless the
context otherwise requires. In particular, where the indefinite article is
used, the specification is
to be understood as contemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the
context requires
otherwise.
[0035] Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties or
groups described
in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment or example of the
invention are to be
understood to be applicable to any other aspect, embodiment or example
described herein
unless incompatible therewith. All of the features disclosed in this
specification (including any
accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or all of the steps of any
method or process
so disclosed, may be combined in any combination, except combinations where at
least some
of such features and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is not
restricted to the
details of any foregoing embodiments. The invention extends to any novel one,
or any novel
combination, of the features disclosed in this specification (including any
accompanying claims,
abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the
steps of any
method or process so disclosed.
[0036] The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which
are filed
concurrently with or previous to this specification in connection with this
application and which
are open to public inspection with this specification, and the contents of all
such papers and
documents are incorporated herein by reference.
