Label, a label system and method

• US 20020017784A1
• Filed: 07/13/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Safer Sleep Limited (Safer Sleep LLC)
• Original Assignee: Safer Sleep Limited (Safer Sleep LLC)
• Inventors: Matthew, Daniel J., Merry, Alan F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,685,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 283/81
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/0288 Labels or tickets consisting of more than one part, e.g. with address of sender or other reference on separate section to main label; Multi-copy labels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 283/90 Medical record

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement of pharmaceutical labels in a sheet and to a method of monitoring administration of the pharmaceuticals to a patient using those labels. The labels may include indicia to assist transferral of information and/or to a label including information to assist in the administration by infusion of a pharmaceutical to a patient.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical label sheet including a pre-selected arrangement of removable labels, wherein each of said labels is individually coded, and wherein the arrangement of labels, when in use, is adapted to provide the user with a system of recording pharmaceutical use.

2. The label sheet according to claim 1 wherein the pharmaceuticals are anaesthetic drugs.

3. The label sheet according to claim 1 wherein each label is colour coded.

4. The label sheet according to claim 1 wherein the labels are arranged in approximate order of anticipated pharmaceutical use and/or administration criteria.

5. The label sheet according to claim 1 wherein the sheet includes labels and a backing sheet and each of the labels is adhesively backed and can be removed from the backing sheet wherein the portion of the backing sheet beneath the label reflects indicia on the face of the label.

6. The label sheet according to claim 1 wherein said labels are each adapted to be applied to a pharmaceutical administration device.

7. The label sheet according to claim 1 wherein the labels are each adapted to be applied to a syringe.

8. A method of monitoring administration of pharmaceuticals to a patient, including the steps of:

(a) selecting a label sheet including a preselected arrangement of removable labels, on a backing sheet, each label being adhesively backed and including indicia on its face, and wherein the portion of the backing sheet beneath each label reflects the indicia on the face of the label;

(b) selecting a label from the label sheet including indicia on its face that corresponds to the pharmaceutical to be administered;

(c) applying the label to a pharmaceutical administration device;

(d) administering the pharmaceutical, and repeating at least steps (b) to (d) as necessary until the required administration of pharmaceuticals to the patient is complete.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein the label is applied to a syringe.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the labels include a bar code that corresponds to the pharmaceutical label and the method includes the step of scanning the bar code prior to, during or after the administration of said pharmaceutical.

11. A container including graduations thereon, the graduations being weight based and being indicative of the dilution required for a known amount of a specific pharmaceutical to be administered by infusion at a known rate from that container.

12. The container according to claim 11 wherein the container is a syringe.

13. The container according to claim 11 wherein the graduations are either integral with the container or have been applied by way of a label.

14. The container according to claim 11 wherein the graduations reflect a non-linear scale.

15. The container according to claim 11 wherein the graduations reflect the weight of patients in the approximate weight range of 140 kg to 28 kg and more preferably between 110 kg and 28 kg.

19. The label according to claim 17 wherein the label is adapted to receive a second label, the second label being adapted to be transferred from a drug container and to indicate the content of the drug container.

20. The label according to claim 18 wherein the label is adapted to receive a second label, the second label being adapted to be transferred from a drug container and to indicate the content of the drug container.

16. A method of administration of an drug to a patient by way of infusion, the method including the step of determining the required dilution of a specified amount of the drug, in a syringe of known dimension, by use of a label including dilution graduations based on patient weight.

17. A label including weight based graduations thereon, the graduations being indicative of a volume of diluent which needs to be added to a known amount of specific pharmaceutical, to produce the appropriate concentration for the pharmaceutical to be administered by continuous infusion, from a container of known dimensions.

18. An anaesthetic drug label, the label including weight based graduations and indicia specific to an anaesthetic drug, the weight based graduations being capable of accurately representing the dilution required for a specific amount of anaesthetic drug, for a specific infusion rate from an infusion container of specific dimensions.

21. A combination label including a primary label for attachment to a first container, the primary label including adhesive on a first side thereof and, on the second side thereof, suitable indicia to identify the content of the first container, and a secondary, removable label, the secondary label being adapted to be transferable to a second container and to include suitable indicia to identify the content of the first container once the secondary label has been transferred to the second container.

22. The combination label according to claim 21 wherein the suitable indicia on at least one of the primary or secondary labels includes a bar code.

23. A method of accurately labelling a second container into which the contents of a first container are to be transferred, the first container including a combination label according to claim 21 and the method including the steps of:

(a) transferring the contents, or part thereof, of the first container into the second container; and

(b) transferring the secondary label of the composite label from the first container to the second container.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the first container is an ampoule or vial, the second container is a syringe, and on the contents transferred is an anaesthetic drug.