Medicament Dispenser

Abstract

A dispenser for medicaments having a base and an upstanding container for the medicament. The dispenser includes means for attachment of a record card and a detachable tear-strip for bearing data on date of purchase, etc.

Description

The invention relates to improvements in dispensers for use in dispensing predetermined dosages of medicaments particularly in hospitals, etc.

The usual practice for dispensing medication to patients in hospitals frequently depends upon constant checking of the patient's record and very often the memory of one or more nurses in charge of the patient. Too often, because of inadequate records or inattention, the patient is administered too much or too little medication and, in many instances, the wrong medication. The present invention seeks to overcome this situation by the containment of a particular patient's medication in dispensing containers to which is attached a clearly visible record of the patient's name, room number, prescribed medication, the intervals of administering, the medication administered and when. Known types of capsule, pill or fluid dispensers are lacking in that they do not carry, integrally attached thereto, all or some of the data above referred to and further, may have been found to lack means to prevent exposure of the contents to contamination or the escape of the contents should the dispenser be overturned. All of these objectionable characteristics of known types of dispensers are overcome by the use of the herein disclosed dispensers.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a self-closing dispenser of the character referred to.

Another object is to provide such a dispenser with novel means to attach identifying data thereto.

Another object is to provide a dispenser for medicaments with means to enable it to be firmly attached to a like dispenser.

Another object is to provide a medication dispenser with means to retain it in an upright position.

Another object is to provide a dispenser for medicaments which may be easily opened and from which the medicament can be removed easily and quickly.

Another object is to provide a dispenser for medicaments that is not expensive to manufacture and which is very efficient in its use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent with reference to the following description and accompanying drawing.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the dispenser, showing it closed.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1, showing it in open condition.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing two dispensers of the type shown in FIG. 1, attached together.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another form of medicament dispenser.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the FIG. 4 dispenser.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper extremity of the FIG. 5 dispenser, showing it in open condition.

Referring to the exemplary forms of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises a normally flat substantially rectangular upstanding body or container 11 integrally connected at its bottom edge with a horizontally disposed rigid base 12. The whole is fabricated from suitable plastic material such as, but not limited to, oriented polystyrene. Such material is readily molded by known techniques and it is self sustaining, relatively rigid, resilient and distortable.

The upstanding body or container 11 is comprised of spaced side walls 11a joined together along their vertical edges 13 and preferably having a pour-spout or other opening mechanism 14 centrally located along the top edge 15 of each wall. Preferably a tear-tab 16 is carried on the free top edge of one of the side walls and is adapted to bear data relating to the date of purchase and the purchase price of the contents. When the medication is to be removed, this tear-tab is adapted to be torn off and may be retained as a receipt for the purchase. It should be noted upon reference to FIG. 2, that the container 11 can be moved into an open condition by squeezing the vertical edges 13 toward one another to cause the side walls 11a to spread apart. The medication therein contained can then be removed and administered to the patient. When released, the container will close.

The container is provided at its juncture with the base 12 with one or more yieldable clips 17 which are provided for two purposes. As shown in FIG. 1, the clips can be utilized to retain a record card 18 upon which appears the patient's name, his room number, the name of the medication and the time intervals at which medication is to be administered, as well as any other pertinent data thought to be necessary. Upon reference to FIG. 3, it will be noted that the clips 17 may be utilized for joining two or more dispensers together in instances where the patient is to be administered two or more different medicaments. To facilitate such joining the base 12 has an upstanding rib 19 on one of its edges for engagement beneath the clips. In lieu of the record card 18, the top surface of the base 12 may be frosted or otherwise coated to permit record data to be entered directly thereon.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the container walls 11a are formed with outwardly offset portions 11b which serve to increase the capacity of the container and/or adapt it to accommodate a liquid medicament. This embodiment has a closure for the opening mechanism 14a in the form of a lip 20 that is integral with one side wall and which overlies the other wall. When the container is squeezed to open, the closure lip 20 will fold along a medial score line 21 so as to expose the pour spouts 14a. In other respects this embodiment is like the one previously described and like numerals are used to identify corresponding parts.

Although I have described preferred embodiments of the invention, in considerable detail, it will be understood that the description thereof is intended to be illustrative, rather than restrictive, as details of the structure may be modified or changed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, I do not desire to be restricted to the exact construction described.

Claims

I claim:

1. A dispenser comprising, in combination, a base, a substatially flat upstanding container integral with said base, said container having flexible substantially planular sidewalls and vertical side edges joining said walls and being open on its top edge, a pouring spout formed at the top edge of each wall, said base being of a width corresponding to the width of the container and of sufficient length to project beyond the side walls of said container to provide a firm support for the container, said container being openable upon application of pressure upon its vertical side edges in an amount sufficient to cause the side walls to bow outwardly away from one another, integral yieldable clips at the juncture of the base with one container wall and a rib on the free edge of the base adjacent to the other container wall adapted for engagement by the clips when two containers are stacked side by side.

2. The dispenser recited in claim 1, in which a pour spout is formed on the free margin of each side wall.

3. The dispenser recited in claim 1, in which a removable indicia bearing tear tab of a length co-extensive with the width of the container is formed integral with one of the side walls and projects upwardly therefrom.

4. The dispenser recited in claim 1, in which each side wall has an outwardly offset medial portion affording increased capacity.

5. The dispenser recited in claim 1, in which at least a portion of the surface of the base is provided with a coating adapting it to receive writings thereon.

6. The dispenser recited in claim 1, wherein one of the pouring spouts has a covering flap.

7. The dispenser recited in claim 1, in which yieldable clips are provided on the base to one side of the container.

8. The dispenser recited in claim 7, in which the yieldable clips are located at the juncture of the base with one container wall.

9. The dispenser recited in claim 7, in which there are two dispensers detachably joined by engagement of the base of one dispenser with the clips on the other dispenser.

10. The dispenser recited in claim 9, in which the base has means to be frictionally engaged by the clips.

11. The dispenser recited in claim 7, in which a record card is contained by said clips.