AU725023B2 - Medication container - Google Patents

Description

ii WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 MEDICATION CONTAINER FIELD OF THE INVENTION THIS INVENTION relates to closable boxes and is more specifically concerned with a box for holding in each of several separate cavities doses of medication which a patient is to take at different times of day as prescribed by a doctor.

STATE OF THE ART One form of closable box for use by patients taking medication, is of parallelepiped shape and has shallow side walls. The underside of the box is closed by a removable card printed with details of the patient's medication and supported on an inturned lip of the side wall. A thin, flexible plastics tray which is formed with a rectilinear array of cavities representing different days of the week and different times of each day, is positioned above the card inside the box and its cavities are loaded with prescribed medication doses, in the form of tablets and capsules, to be taken by the patient at the times of the day denoted by the positions of the cavities in the tray. The box is closed by a hinged lid having seven transparent parallel sliders each corresponding to a different day of the week and located above a respective line of cavities in the tray corresponding to the times of the day when medication is to be taken.

At the commencement of each week, a patient is provided with a full box of medication.

The cavities containing the medication are individually accessed by the patent partially withdrawing the slider corresponding to the day in question, until the contents of the required cavity are uncovered. They may then be removed from the cavity by inverting the box, and taken by the patient.

There are a number of disadvantages associated with the box described. The medication is not sealed into the cavities so that moisture deterioration of them can occur. Also, the box, which is rather bulky, must be carried by the patient. Finally, there is always the risk that the sliders may be inadvertently opened too far so that the contents of the cavities spill out and mix with one another.

WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 2 A second form of box which partially overcomes some of the above disadvantages, is also of shallow parallelepiped shape and is closed at one end. It contains a sliding drawer. A thin plastics sheet integrally formed with a rectilinear array of cavities arranged in rows corresponding to the days of the week, and in columns corresponding to the times of the day when medication is to be taken, is fitted into the drawer. The required medication is loaded into the cavities of the tray which is then fitted into the drawer. This is then slid back into place inside the box and is held by a detent so that it cannot easily be withdrawn by the patient. One face of the box is provided with fingeroperable sliders which each register with a row of cavities significant of the times on a particular day of the week when the medication is to be taken. A patient uses the box by partially sliding out the slider corresponding to the day in question, to reveal the medication in the cavity which is to be taken at the time denoted by the cavity. He then inverts the box so that the medication spills out of the cavity into the palm of the hand so that it can be taken.

There are disadvantages with this form of box also, in that it is rather large to fit comfortably in a patient's pocket. It is also not hard to break the sliders when partially withdrawn. Additionally, the medication is not protected from ambient conditions in the cavities so that it can deteriorate. Furthermore, elderly frail people cannot easily manipulate the individual sliders with their fingers. Finally, the patient has to take a complete week's supply of medication with him at all times, as the medication dosages required at different times on a particular day, cannot be separated from the dosages required at other times once they are removed from their cavities in the box.

The above disadvantages have led to the development of a third arrangement designed to be more convenient to a patient. In this arrangement the patient is provided with a closable pocket pouch containing an array of seven, identical removable, rectangular boxes each marked with a different day of the week. The boxes are made of transparent plastics material and are equipped with sliding lids. Each box contains three partitions capable of being slid to different positions in the box in order to divide it internally into four cavities. Each cavity is marked on the side of the box with a particular time of the day and is filled with medication which is to be taken at that time of the day. Although this arrangement enables a patient to carry the WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 3 medication requirements for one day only which is much more convenient than carrying a complete week's supply at all times it still is not free from disadvantages.

One of the disadvantages is that the doses of medication are subjected to ambient conditions so that they can deteriorate. A second disadvantage is that the slider can easily be displaced to reveal the contents of more than one cavity. If the box is then inverted, some or all of the contents of the next cavity can be spilt out to add to the medication the patient is intending to take, with possibly disastrous consequences.

OBJECT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide an improved way of enabling a patient to select a prescribed medication for a particular time of day from a week§ supply of medications contained in a box.

THE INVENTION In accordance with one aspect of this invention a closable box contains a line of cavities for the respective reception of sealed, manually-openable cups containing prescribed does of medication and individually-removable from their respective cavities in the box which has, at its opposite sides, interfitting coupling members enabling the box to be coupled to similar boxes to provide an assembly of boxes arranged side-by-side with their upper sides coplanar and capable of holding several days supply of medication.

PREFERRED AND OPTIONAL FEATURES OF THE INVENTION Preferably the box is closed by a lid formed with windows registering with the interiors of respective cups and through each of which a finger may be inserted to rupture a foil sealing the cup beneath the window. The contents of the cup may then be removed by inverting the box. The lid may also serve to hold the cups in their respective cavities so that, if the lid is opened, one or more of the cups can be removed.

This arrangement enables a patient to access medication contained in the cups at the times required, and to remove individual cups so that the patient is able to take the medication he needs for a day, with him without having to carry around a complete WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 4 week's medication. Also, as the cups are sealed by a closure foil the medication in them is not exposed to ambient conditions until the foil is ruptured. This only occurs immediately prior to taking the medication.

Suitably the box has its lid hinged to one end and is capable of being clipped in its closed position to hold the cups in their cavities inside the box. The underside of the box may be provided with a removable skeletal frame into which a card can be fitted providing personal details of the patient. Conveniently the cavities containing the cups are open above and beneath the box and abutting surfaces on the cups and the box prevent the cups from dropping out of the underside of the box. A finger may then be pressed up through the underside of the cavity after removal of the frame, to dislodge a cup from its cavity, after the lid is opened.

The coupling members used to attach the boxes to one another in a side-by-side configuration with their upper surfaces coplanar, may take a number of different forms. In one arrangement a beaded tongue extends horizontally along one side of the box and can be slid into a complementary-shaped groove extending along the opposite horizontal side of the neighbouring box. Stops can be used to positively locate the two boxes with respect to one another, when the ends of the box are aligned.

In another arrangement, one side of the box is provided centrally with a spigot of elongated shape and having an end-portion undercut. The spigot has a longitudinal axis extending horizontally and is shaped to pass through a similarly-shaped elongated opening provided in the opposite side wall of the neighbouring box and having its direction of elongation extending vertically. The spigot has at least one end-portion undercut. The spigot of one box can then be passed through the opening of the neighbouring box when the two side walls of the respective boxes are moved towards one another while holding the boxes mutually at right-angles. The boxes can be turned into a common alignment to bring the undercut end-portion of the spigot behind the side wall of the neighbouring box so as to hold the two boxes together. Positive location of the two boxes with respect to one another can be assisted by providing complementary dimples and depressions on the two abutting side walls. Wedging or ramp surfaces may also be used around the inside marginal edge of the box opening to draw the side walls of the two boxes together as they are turned into a common alignment.

WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 In a further arrangement, the coupling members comprise elongated flanges extending along the side walls of the boxes and having interfitting parts formed in them which come together jig-saw fashion, when the boxes are placed alongside one another on a horizontal surface. Holding fixtures can be used to hold the boxes together securely once the flanges have been interfitted.

The cups may have a distinctive colour to indicate the times of day their contents are to be taken by the patient. In the preferred arrangement, each box contains a line of seven cavities each corresponding to the same time of each of the seven days when the medication in the cavity is to be taken. Thus each box contains cups of a single distinctive colour and the boxes themselves may be likewise coloured in the same way.

The foil used to close the cups may be common to one or more lines of cups and may be metal, such as aluminium foil, or plastics which is capable of being easily ruptured by finger pressure to provide access to the contents of a chosen cup. Plastics foil may be made easily rupturable by providing it with suitably shaped lines of weakness such as perforations.

INTRODUCTION TO THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the first example of a box closed by a lid made of transparent plastics material and formed with a line of rectangular windows; FIGURE 2 shows the box of figure 1 with the lid open to reveal a line of cavities individually for the reception of respective closed medication cups respectively containing dosages of medication as prescribed by a doctor; FIGURE 3 is a side view of part of the box of figure 1 as viewed in the direction of the arrow in that figure; WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 6 FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the box of figure 1 coupled together with similar boxes to provide a box assembly, one only of the boxes in the assembly being illustrated with cups in its cavities; FIGURE 5 is an end view of the box assembly of figure 4, seen as viewed in the direction of the arrow in that figure; FIGURE 6 shows in sketches to different box assemblies arranged to provide a patient with medication doses to be taken respectively once to six times a day, the number of times being determined by the number of boxes in the assembly; FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a second example of an assembly of boxes attached to one another in a different manner to that described with reference to the first example; FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of one of the boxes used in the assembly of figure 7; FIGURE 9 shows in sketches to how the boxes of the assembly of figure 7 are assembled together, to enable a patient to take medication dosages respectively between once and five times a day; FIGURE 10 is a plan view of a third example of a box assembly in which an array of closed dosage cups containing doses of medication have their upper surfaces attached to an undersurface of a finger-rupturable, thin plastics sheet provided with lines of weakness, such as perforations, to enable the cups to be individually separated from the array and individually opened; and FIGURE 11 is a vertical section through the box assembly of figure 10 and taken in the direction and along the line indicated by the arrows X-1 in that figure.

Figure 1 shows a box 1 of transparent coloured plastics material closed by a windowed lid 2 hinged at its end 3 to the box which, as shown, contains seven cavities 10 (see Figure 2).

WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 7 Figure 2 shows the box with its lid 2 in the open position. The lid has a line of seven rectangular windows 9 each corresponding in position to one of the cavities, and a tab 4 is designed to be snapped into a rebate S provided at the opposite end of the box to the hinge, in order to hold thile lid closed. The box is provided with an integrally moulded rib 6 extending along one side and which has an enlarged rounded bead. A complementary groove 7 is provided on the opposite side of the box to enable a second box to be coupled to it by sliding the rib of the first box into the groove 7 of the second box.

The seven rectangular cavities 1 0 each correspond to a different day of the week. The days of the week are suitably inscribed alongside the cavities as shown in figure 4.

Referring to figures 2 and 3, the cavities 10 will be seen to be sockets of rectangular cross-section each able to accommodate a plastics sealed cup 11 of frusto-conical shape. Each cup 11 has an integral outwardly extending upper lip 12 which rests on the outer margin of the socket immediately beneath the lid 2. Polarising studs (not shown) associated with the undersides of the lips 12 ensure that a particular medication cup can only be fitted into a particular box 1 at a particular place.

Each of the medication cups 11 is filled by a pharmacist with a particular set of medication doses prescribed by a doctor. The information regarding the patient, the dosing time, and the doses contained in the cup 11, are recorded on aluiniun foil cover which seals the top of each cup and can be peeled from the lip 12 or ruptured by finger pressure, when the dosage is to be taken.

Figure 5 shows a set of five similar boxes coupled together by each having its rib 6 slid into the groove 7 of the neighbouring box. Each box, together with its lid 2, is made of a transparent coloured plastics material. The cups 11 containing dosages to be taken preferably have the same distinctive colouring. For example, the cups for use in the early morning may be coloured pink; the cups corresponding to the midday medication may be coloured yellow; the medication required in the late afternoon may be loaded into orange cups; and the medication to be taken last thing at night may be mounted in the fourth set of cups which are suitably coloured blue. A final white box containing white cups can be provided to enable medication different from the WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/0052 1 8 medications mentioned above, to be taken by the patient in a particular situation envisaged in a doctor's prescription.

A pair of side caps 1 5, 16 are respectively provided with a groove and a rib at the same height and which are complementary to the exposed groove 6 and rib 7 at the two sides of the assembly of boxes. These side caps are mated with the exposed groove and socket to complete the assembly and provide it with a neat appearance. Latching means (not shown) may be provided at the ends of the boxes to prevent them from being individually removed from the assembly and rearranged in a different order.

However, the likelihood of this occurring can be prevented by having the complementary ribs and grooves of the boxes at different levels which ensure that they can only be assembled together with their lids flush with one another, if a particular order of boxes is adhered to.

Figure 6 shows in sketches to a dosage box assembled with similar dosage boxes to provide dosages which are respectively to be taken daily, twice a day, three times a day, four times a day, five times a day, and finally six times a day.

Although it is preferred to hinge the lid of the box at one end as shown in the drawing, it may be decided to hinge the lid to the box along one side or even to provide a lid which is slid into position to close the box.

Figure 7 shows an assembly of four boxes 20 moulded from transparent plastics material of different distinctive colours and each of the shape shown in figure 8. Each box 20 is of parallelepiped shape and is formed with a line of seven cavities 21 which are open at their upper and under sides 22 and 23, as shown in figure 9. The upper side of the box 20 is closable by a transparent strip-like lid 24 shown in figure 8 and formed with a line of seven rectangular windows 25. The size of the windows is such that they each locate above a respective cavity but they have slightly smaller dimensions so that the marginal edges of the lid around the windows holds in place in the cavities respective dosage cups 26, shown in figure 9, when the lid is closed.

Figure 7 shows the lid 24 in its open position from which it will be seen to be hinged to one end of the box 20 at 27, to enable the lid to be moved between open and closed positions. At its end opposite the hinge 27, the lid 24 is provided with a down-turned WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 9 tab 29 having a central detent 28 which locates within a complementary recess formed in an end wall of the box 20. The detent 28,is'able to hold the lid closed but can be manually sprung out of the recess 30 when it is required to open the lid 24.

Figure 9 shows the medication dosage cups 26 in more detail. They are made from rigid plastics material and are coloured in accordance with the time of day at which the medication in the individual cups is to be taken. The time of day is also preferably printed on the cup. Each cup 26 contains a number of tablets, apoules, capsules or other form of medication dose as prescribed by a doctor, and has its upper side sealed by a finger-rupturable aluminium foil 33 on which is printed the medication contained in the cup. A single strip of aluminium foil 33 is used to seal the cups 26 contained in one box 20. The seven cups of the box correspond to a particular time on seven days of the week when the medication is to be taken. These times are also marked on cups and the box and both are made of a particular distinctive colour. The under surface of the aluminium foil 33 covering the cups is bonded to their rims so that the cups can be loaded on a template with the doses of medication they are to contain, at one work station. The aluminium foil 33 on which the cup contents are printed can then be sealed on to the rims of the cups. The array of cups 26 can then be transferred as a unit to the box assembly which has been prepared in advance to accommodate them. The portions of the underside of the foil surrounding the cups 26 are finally cemented to the upper side of the box at positions between the cups so that the cups remain in their respective cavities if the box is inadvertently inverted when the lid is open.

Referring to figure 8, each of the boxes 20 has two longer side-walls 34 and respectively. Side-wall 34 is formed centrally with a vertically elongated socket 36 which opens into the interior of the box 20. The inside of the box side-wall may be formed around the marginal edge of the socket with a surrounding ramp surface (not shown). The other side wall 35 of the box is formed centrally with an elongated spigot 37 shown in figure 7 and sized to pass through the socket 37 when two boxes 20 have their adjacent sides presented to one another while the longitudinal axes of the boxes are held mutually perpendicular in parallel planes.

Opposite end portions of the spigot 37 are undercut and the width of the undercut is just equal to the thickness of the wall of the box and ramp surface of the neighbouring box 20. This enables two boxes to be attached securely to one another, WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 by passing the spigot 37 of one box through the socket 36 of the neighbouring box and then turning the two boxes so that their upper surfaces are brought into alignment.

This causes the undercut end-portions of the spigot to ride-up the ramp surfaces mentioned above, so as to pull the two sides of respective boxes tightly together. Their precise positioning with respect to one another is assisted by the positive location of dimples at opposite end-portions of one box side wall 34 in part-spherical depressions formed in the opposite end-portions of the side wall 35 of the neighbouring box Each of the boxes 20 has a skeletal frame 41 hinged at 42 to its end to which the lid 26 is also hinged. The frame 41 has an L-shaped lip 43 at its free end which snaps into a groove 44 provided in the lower portion of the opposite end wall of the box. The function of the frame 41 is to hold in place against the bottom of the box 20, a rectangular card 50 on which can be printed or otherwise displayed data relating to the identification of the patient. Although the card 50 normally covers the underside of the box 20, the cavities of the box can still be accessed from its underside by swinging the frame 41 away from it around the hinge. After opening the lid 26, a particular cup 26 can be removed upwardly from its cavity by applying finger pressure to the underside of its cavity. This causes a line of perforations 39 in the foil around the desired cup 26 to rupture so that it can be removed from the box. Adjacent cups continue to be held in place in the box by the adherence of the underside of the foil 33 to the upper surfaces of the box 20 between the cups 26.

MODIFICATION OF SECOND EXAMPLE In an unillustrated modification of the boxes just described, their longer side-walls are respectively provided with profiled projections shaped to interfit with one another in jig-saw fashion, when two of the boxes are moved together in a direction perpendicular to their top faces. A suitably shaped stop can be provided to limit the movement of the boxes when they are moved together, so that they can only be moved together a sufficient distance to bring their upper faces into a coplanar alignment. In a further unillustrated example, connectors in the form used to connect Lego (trade mark) blocks together are as used as the coupling members.

Such connectors utilise complementary spigots and sockets which interfit with a snap action.

WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 11 DESCRIPTION OF THIRD EXAMPLE In the description of the example shown in figures 10 and 11, parts corresponding to those of earlier figures have the same reference numerals but they are in the hundred series. In this way unnecessary repetition of description is avoided.

An assembly of boxes 120 is held together by the boxes individually having on their longer sides 134, 135 interfitting spigots and sockets as shown in figure 8.

An array of open cups 126 which are to be loaded with medication do~ss are placed in a suitable template (not shown) and the loading is carried out by a pharmacist (as in the case in the earlier examples already described). The upper rims of the cups are then coated with a thin layer of adhesive which will adhere to an aluminium metal foil 133.

The metal foil, which has been prior printed at the positions of each cup with a list of its contents, is then placed over the array of cups 126 so that it adheres to their upper rims. A thin transparent plastics support sheet 60 which is provided with lines of weakness formed by perforations or in some other manner, has its underside coated with an adhesive which also adheres to the foil 133, and is placed over the top of the foil and pressed down. When the adhesive hardens, the foil, the sheet and cups forms a unitary unit. The advantage of the plastics sheet 60 is that it imparts a degree of rigidity to the foil and cups, and allows them to be handled easily without risk of the foil 133 being inadvertently torn or ruptured.

The perforation lines 61 on the plastics sheet are arranged in a lattice with each cup being located in the centre of its own interstice in the lattice. A further cruciform of perforations extends across each of the interstices.

The combination of foil, sheet and closed cups is removed from the template and placed in a box assembly which has meanwhile been prepared to provide one cavity in the box for each of the cups. A thin layer of adhesive covers the wall portions of the box surrounding each cavity. When the combination is placed with the cups in the cavities of the box,and pressed down, the underside of the aluminium foil adheres to the tops of the wall portions in order to prevent subsequent removal of the combination from the box assembly.

WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 12 The assembly is completed by a transparent lid 124, having windows 125, and the skeletal frame 141 with its profile card attached to the underside of the box assembly.

USE OF THE THIRD EXAMPLE The closed box assembly can be carried around by the patient with little risk of damage to the foils closing the boxes as these are protected by the plastics covering sheet. If the patient wishes to take the medication in a particular cup, he can press downwards with the finger through the corresponding window. The cruciform of perforations allows the plastics sheet to rupture by finger pressure which also bursts the foil beneath. This gives access to the contents of the cup which can then be tipped into the patient's palm.

If the patient wishes to separate one o the cups from the array for later use while keeping it closed, the skeletal frame and the lid are moved to their open positions and the patient can then press upwardly with finger pressure against the underside of the chosen cup. This bursts the plastics sheet and underlying foil along its perforation line disposed around the periphery of its interstice in the lattice, to allow the cup to be dislodged upwardly out of the box.

MODIFICATIONS OF THIRD EXAMPLE In an unillustrated modification of the third example, the assembly of boxes respectively corresponding to the different days of the week, is replaced by an assembly in which one of the boxes has at least two lines of cavities for the reception of respective cups and each line has its own lid. The two-line box is provided with coupling members as above described at its longer sides, to enable it to be attached to other boxes which may contain one or more lines of cavities. It is also within the scope of the invention to have a single wide box containing a rectilinear array of cavities sufficient to provide a patient with one week's supply of medication doses, and having side coupling members.

In a further modification of the third example, the closures to the cups are provided by respective areas of a plastics foil or sheet which takes the place of the aluminium foil referred to earlier. The plastics sheet is cemented directly to the rims of the cups WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 13 after they have been filled with the prescribed medication doses and the combination of sheet with attached cups is then transferred to a box or box assembly of the required size. the plastics sheet used in this modification is provided with lines of weakness as previously described to enable it to be ruptured by finger pressure at the positions of the cups so that the patient can gain access to the contents of any of the cups individually. Also other lines of weakness enable the plastics sheet or foil to be severed around the individual cups so that the patient can remove them from the box or box assembly, as required, without actually opening them until they are needed.

Claims (14)

1. A closable box containing a line of cavities for the respective reception of sealed, manually-openable cups containing prescribed doses of medication and individually removable from their respective cavities in the box which has, at its opposite sides, interfitting coupling members enabling the box to be coupled to similar boxes to provide an assembly of boxes arranged side-by-side with their upper sides coplanar and containing several days supply of medication.

2. A box as claimed in Claim 1, closed by a lid formed with windows registering with the positions of the interiors of respective cups and through which a finger may be inserted to rupture a foil closure to the cup and so gain access to the medication within it.

3. A box as claimed in claim 2, in which the lid is shaped to hold respective cups in their cavities.

4. A box as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the lid is hinged at one end to the box and can be latched in its closed position on the box.

A box as claimed in any one of the proceeding claims, having a hinged skeletal frame clipped to the underside of the box for the retention of a removable card providing personal details of the patient.

6. A box as claimed in claim 5, in which the cavities open through the upper and undersides of the box which is shaped to prevent the cups from being removed from beneath the cavities.

7. A box as claimed in any one of the proceeding claims, in which the coupling members include a beaded tongue extending along one side-wall of the box, and a complementary groove into which the tongue can be slid, extending along the opposite side-wall of the box.

8. A box as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, in which the coupling members include a spigot of elongated shape in the centre of a one side-wall of the box, the spigot WO 99/02118 PCT/AU98/00521 having its longitudinal axis arranged perpendicularly to the longer dimension of the side-wall and having at least one end portion undercut; the opposite side-wall of the box having a central elongated opening into which the spigot can be inserted, the direction of elongation of the opening being at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the spigot so that when two boxes are moved together side-by-side and at right angles to one another, the spigot will pass through the opening and its undercut portion will latch behind the side wall of the neighbouring box when the two boxes are turned to bring their upper surfaces into coplanar alignment.

9. A box as claimed in any one o the preceding claims, in which the positive location of two boxes in a side-by-side relationship is assisted by the inter-engagement of a dimple provided on one side wall with a depression provided in the contiguous side wall.

A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, assembled side-by-side with other similar boxes to provide a box assembly in which each box provides a line of at least seven cavities corresponding to the days of the weekand,the cups provided for the cavities of each box have distinctive colours denoting a particular time of the day when their contents are to be taken by a patient, the cups and cavities being polarised.

11. A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, containing more than one line of cavities.

12. A box as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, containing a week's supply of medication in a rectilinear array of cups located in respective cavities, the cups being closed by a single finger-rupturable foil areas of which seal the medication in the respective cups.

13. A box as claimed in claim 12, in which the foil is made from aluminium on which is printed the contents of the individual cups and is attached to the underside of a transparent plastics cover strip provided with lines of weakness to enable the cups to be manually detached from one another and also the contents of the individual cups to be accessed.

14 A closable box as claimed in claim 1, arranged and adapted to be used substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings. A closable box as claimed in claim 14, modified substantially as described. July 2000 MANREX PTY. LIMITED By: (Appl cant's Patent ttorney) o *9 t 9 o* oo