Envelope apparatus for dispensing medications from drug files

• US 5,390,796 A
• Filed: 12/02/1993
• Issued: 02/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kerfoot Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kerfoot Corporation
• Inventors: Kerfoot, Franklin W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Foster, Jimmy G.
• Application Number:
  US08/160,178
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 206/459.5, 206/461, 206/466, 206/477, 206/484, 206/528, 206/534, 206/540, 206/538, 229/68, 229/247, 383/39, 383/106
• US Class Current: 206/534
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0076 Medicament distribution means with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/0086 Sheets combined with other articles
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69

Abstract

A dispensing-envelope apparatus consisting of a transparent and hermetically closed drug pocket for small medications or drugs mounted on the front side and lower half of the apparatus. The envelope is designed to pass through a computer-output printer for the reception of printed information or data on the front side and upper half of the apparatus. The printed information is located in an area above the pocket and includes file index information located on the top printed line of the apparatus. The top side of the pocket is closed by a semi-permanent closure with means for easy opening and for reclosing by humans or by machine. When open, the pocket may be filled with drugs by gravity. The drugs in the pocket are dispensed to a patient in accordance with the information provided on the apparatus.

Claims

1. A dispensing-envelope apparatus having a front side and a rear side and having top and bottom edges relative to gravity, said apparatus comprising,

a.) an opaque backing sheet which is adapted to receive printed means from a computer-output printer on said front side of said apparatus,

b.) a transparent upward-opening pocket on said front side of said apparatus attached to said backing sheet in an area near said bottom edge;

c.) printed means on said front side of said apparatus in an area near said top edge and above said pocket;

d.) said pocket having, relative to gravity, top, bottom, left, and right sides;

e.) said pocket having a height 30 to 60% of height of said apparatus;

f.) said pocket being permanently attached on said left, right, and bottom sides to said apparatus and providing said upward-opening pocket, relative to gravity, to store small items;

g.) said pocket being semi-permanently attached on said top side of said pocket, said semi-permanent attachment providing a complete closure of said pocket, totally enclosing and sealing a space in said pocket for said small items, said semi-permanent attachment providing means for opening said top side of said pocket to allow entry or removal of said small items into or out of said pocket;

h.) said apparatus having a thickness for facile feeding through a computer-output printer and for receiving said printed means on the said front side of said apparatus in an area located above said pocket;

i.) said printed means being oriented for human readability when said top side of said upward-opening pocket is oriented upward relative to gravity.

2. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said small items comprise unit drug dosages, or alternatively, bare medication pills.

3. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said printed means includes two fields comprising computer-output data, a first field including file index data and including the top line of said printed means being located within 0.6 inch of said top edge of said apparatus, and a second field located within 0.6 inch of said top edge of said apparatus, and a second field located below said first field, and comprising patient data, drug data, drug administration orders, and/or other computer-output data.

4. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means for opening said top side of said pocket is an indention downward of said semi-permanent attachment along approximately 12% of said top side, said indentation providing a small area between said top side of said pocket and said apparatus where a mechanical means or a human finger may be injected to open said top side of said pocket for reception or removal of said small items.

5. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said semi-permanently attached top side of said pocket is fixed to said backing sheet by a pressure sensitive adhesive.

6. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said printed means comprises machine readable data.

7. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said printed means comprises graphical data.

8. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said printed means comprises color data.

9. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said printed means comprises data printed during the manufacture of the envelope.

10. The dispensing-envelope apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said transparent pocket comprises:

a.) a first transparent flexible sheet having top, bottom, left, and right sides; and

b.) a second flexible sheet providing a greater height dimension than said first sheet, and providing an equal or greater width dimension than said first sheet;

c.) said opaque backing sheet providing a greater height dimension than said second sheet and an equal or greater width dimension than said second sheet;

d.) said second sheet being permanently attached to said opaque backing sheet, and being located within the lower 60% of the height of said opaque backing sheet,

e.) said first sheet being permanently attached to said left, right, and bottom sides to said second sheet for providing said upward opening pocket, said top side of said first sheet being located below the top side of said second sheet;

f.) said semi-permanent attachment of said pocket being located on the said top side of said first sheet between said first sheet and said second sheet, semi-permanently attaching the said top said of said first sheet to said second sheet, said means for opening said top side of said pocket affording separation of said second sheet from first sheet to allow entry or removal of said small items into or out of said pocket.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a.) a first semi-transparent flexible sheet;

b.) a second flexible and opaque backing sheet;

c.) said first sheet being divided into two sections wherein said first section is permanently attached on its four sides and, said second section being permanently bonded on three sides and said fourth side being semi-permanently attachable to said opaque backing sheet such that a pocket is formed which may be opened and closed via said fourth side,

d.) said first section having a surface and a plurality of locations for receiving data from an impact printer,

e.) whereby various medications can be placed and dispensed from said pocket which corresponds to said data pertinent to a particular patient and said pocket being resealable to allow multiple usage.