Medication dosage regulation apparatus

• US 6,371,297 B1
• Filed: 07/13/2000
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Young Dae Cha
• Original Assignee: Young Dae Cha
• Inventors: Cha, Young Dae
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Mickey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohandesi, Jila M.
• Application Number:
  US09/615,789
• Time in Patent Office: 642 Days
• Field of Search: 206/528-539, 206/466, 206/459.1, 206/561, 206/438
• 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 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers

Abstract

A medication dosage regulation apparatus is provided for guiding the safe and reliable administration of medication in accordance with the prescribed procedure. The apparatus generally comprises a patient'"'"'s medication holder and a removable cover substantially enveloping that medication holder. The medication holder includes a plurality of compartments for respectively storing a plurality of medication doses to be administered in compliance with the prescribed procedure. The medication holder for the corresponding time and auxiliary indicia for guiding the user. The cover is marked with identification indicia pertaining to the intended recipient of the medication doses. In certain embodiments, the apparatus also comprises at least one overlay removably attached to the medication holder for bearing at least a portion of the time and auxiliary indicia.

Claims

1. A compliance dose pack apparatus for refillably containing and guiding the coordinated administration of multiple medications in accordance with respective predetermined time and dosage schedules therefor comprising:

(a) a medication holder having at least first and second sets of a plurality of openly accessible compartments for respectively storing a plurality of medication doses to be administered in time displaced and ingestion direction indicative manner, said first set of compartments refillably containing doses of a first medication type, said second set of compartments refillably containing doses of a second medication type, said medication holder including for each said compartment corresponding time indicia for delineating a predetermined administration time for the medication dose contained therein, said medication holder further including for each said compartment corresponding auxiliary indicia for delineating predetermined ingestion directive information pertaining to the medication dose contained therein, said medication holder having extending adjacent a peripheral portion thereof clinical indicia pertaining to an intended recipient transversely oriented relative to at least one of said time and auxiliary indicia; and

,

(b) a cover detachably receiving to substantially envelop said medication holder and thereby removably block access to said compartments, said cover being marked with identification indicia pertaining to the intended recipient of the medication doses.

2. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one overlay removably attached to said medication holder for bearing at least a portion of said time and auxiliary indicia, said overlay having formed therein a plurality of cutouts for maintaining open access to said compartments therethrough.

3. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein at least one said compartment of said medication holder is defined at least in part by a pouch.

4. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said medication holder includes a base surface, and at least one said compartment is defined at least in part by a recess formed into said base surface.

5. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said auxiliary indicia of said medication holder includes marks alerting a user to administer the medication dose with food;

without food on an empty stomach;

or, without regard to the ingestion of food.

6. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said compartments of said medication holder are arranged in an array having a plurality of rows and columns.

7. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein each said alerting mark of said auxiliary indicia of said medication holder is disposed adjacent a distinct column of said compartments.

8. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein one said time indicia is disposed adjacent each said compartment of said medication holder.

9. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said clinical indicia includes marks denoting blood test results for the intended recipient.

10. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 1 comprising a plurality of said medication holders, each said medication holder corresponding to a distinct calendar day.

11. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said cover includes a flexible sleeve member.

12. A compliance dose pack apparatus for refillably containing and guiding the coordinated administration of multiple medications in accordance with respective predetermined time and dosage schedules therefor comprising:

(a) a medication holder having an array of openly accessible compartments for respectively storing a plurality of medication doses to be administered in time displaced and ingestion direction indicative manner, said array defining a first set of said compartments refillably containing doses or a first medication type and a second set of said compartments refillably containing doses of a second medication type, said medication holder including for each said compartment corresponding time indicia for delineating a predetermined administration time for the medication dose contained therein, said medication holder further including for each said compartment corresponding auxiliary indicia for delineating predetermined ingestion directive information pertaining to the medication dose contained therein, said auxiliary indicia including marks alerting a user of a prescribed mode of administration, each said alerting mark being disposed adjacent a distinct column of said compartments, said medication holder having extending adjacent a peripheral portion thereof clinical indicia pertaining to an intended recipient transversely oriented relative to at least one of said time and auxiliary indicia; and

,

(b) a cover detachably receiving to substantially envelop said medication holder and thereby removably block access to said compartments, said cover being marked with identification indicia pertaining to the intended recipient of the medication doses.

13. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said modes of administration alerted by said alerting marks include administering the medication dose with food;

administering the medication dose without food on an empty stomach; and

, administering the medication dose without regard to the ingestion of food.

14. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said clinical indicia includes marks denoting blood test results for the intended recipient.

15. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein at least one said compartment of said medication holder is defined at least in part by a pouch.

16. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein said medication holder includes a base surface, and at least one said compartment is defined at least in part by a recess formed into said base surface.

17. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 12 further comprising at least one overlay removably attached to said medication holder for bearing at least a portion of said time and auxiliary indicia, said overlay having formed therein a plurality of cutouts for maintaining open access to said compartments therethrough.

18. A compliance dose pack apparatus for refillable containing and guiding a user to reliably administer a plurality of doses of multiple medication types in accordance with respective predetermined time and dosage schedules therefor comprising:

(a) a medication holder including;

(1) a base surface;

(2) an array of openly accessible compartments formed on said base surface for respectively storing a plurality of medication doses to be administered in time displaced and ingestion direction indicative manner, said array of compartments defining a first set of said compartments refillably containing doses of a first medication type and a second set of said compartments refillably containing doses of a second medication type; and

(3) at least one overlay removably attached to said base surface, said overlay having formed thereon for each said compartment corresponding time indicia for delineating a predetermined administration time for the medication dose contained therein, said overlay further having formed thereon for each said compartment corresponding auxiliary indicia for delineating predetermined ingestion directive information pertaining to the medication dose contained therein, said auxiliary indicia including marks respectively disposed adjacent distinct columns of said compartments for alerting a user of prescribed modes of administration including;

administering the medication dose with food, administering the medication dose without food on an empty stomach, and administering the medication dose without regard to the ingestion of food, said overlay having extending adjacent a peripheral portion thereof clinical indicia pertaining to an intended recipient transversely oriented relative to at least one of said time and auxiliary indicia; and

,

(b) a cover detachably receiving to substantially envelop said medication holder, said cover being marked with identification indicia pertaining to an intended recipient of the medication doses.

19. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein at least one said compartment of said medication holder is defined at least in part by a pouch.

20. The compliance dose pack apparatus as recited in claim 18 wherein said clinical indicia includes marks denoting blood test results for the intended recipient.

21. A method of guiding in coordinated manner the administration of multiple medications in accordance with respective predetermined time and dosage schedules therefor comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a medication holder having a plurality of openly accessible and refillable compartments for respectively storing a plurality of medication doses to be administered in time displaced and ingestion direction indicative manner,

(b) defining a first set of said compartments refillably containing doses of a first medication type and a second set of said compartments refillably containing doses of a second medication type;

(c) forming for each said compartment corresponding time indicia delineating a predetermined administration time for the medication dose contained therein;

(d) forming for each said compartment corresponding auxiliary indicia delineating predetermined ingestion directive information pertaining to the medication dose contained therein;

(e) forming to extend adjacent a peripheral portion of said medication holder clinical indicia pertaining to an intended recipient transversely oriented relative to at least one of said time and auxiliary indicia

(f) establishing a cover detachably receiving to substantially envelop said medication holder and thereby removably block access to said compartments, said cover being marked with identification indicia pertaining to the intended recipient of the medication doses, said cover being selectively displaceable relative to said medication holder to permit open access to at least a portion of said compartments for retrieval by the intended recipient of a selected one of the medication doses.