Medication organizing system

• US 7,828,148 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2004
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James B. Gibson
• Original Assignee: James B. Gibson
• Inventors: Gibson, James B.
• Primary Examiner(s): FIDEI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US10/860,205
• Publication Number:
  US 20040217038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,350 Days
• Field of Search: 206/528, 206/534, 206/530, 206/538, 206/459.5, 206/534.1, 206/539, 383/37, 383/39, 383/207, 383/209, 493/199, 493/223, 493/224, 493/229, 493/237, 534/59
• US Class Current: 206/534
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 67/04 Devices facilitating the insertion of articles or materials into bags , e.g. guides or chutes sack holders B65B67/12

Abstract

An improved medication organizing system for allowing patients to rapidly and easily prepare hermetically sealed dosage packages to set up their medication regime for a week, month, or longer period of time. The device includes seven hoppers to allow the patient to prepare a set of hermetically sealed medication packages for a given time for each day of the week. After being filled, each package in the set of seven packages is hermetically sealed simultaneously by simply loading the set into a sealing unit and pulling a lever. Sealing of the packages does not require manual manipulation of the individual packages by the user, such as would be required for medication organizers utilizing individual packages with zip-lock seals. The medication organizing system allows patients who lack manual dexterity, such as elderly patients, to easily prepare medication dosages for an extended period of time. The medication organizing system enables the preparation of small, easily transportable packages of medication that can be quickly and easily filled, sealed, handled, and reopened by any user, including the elderly.

Claims

1. A multi-compartmented container, comprising:

a rear wall defining a top rear edge, a bottom rear edge, a first rear side edge, and a second rear side edge;

a front wall defining a top front edge, a bottom front edge, a first front side edge, and a second front side edge, the front wall being disposed in overlapping relationship to the rear wall;

a plurality of lateral, heat-sealed seams extending between the top edges and the bottom edges at a plurality of positions between the first side edges and the second side edges, the plurality of scams connecting the rear wall to the front wall such that the rear wall defines a rear surface and the front wall defines a front surface;

a bottom seam connecting the rear wall to the front wall along the bottom edges;

seven packages defined between the first side edges and the second side edges by the plurality of lateral seams, the seven packages defining a linear arrangement;

seven openings defined between the front layer and the rear layer along the top edges, each of the openings corresponding to one of the seven packages between the plurality of lateral seams;

perforations through the rear wall and the front wall, the perforations being aligned with selected ones of the plurality of lateral seams, thereby permitting adjacent ones of the plurality of packages to be separated from one another;

printed characters on the front surface of each of the seven packages indicating days of the week;

ink receptive spaces on the front surface of each of the seven packages capable of receiving ink from a pen or marker; and

a plurality of check blocks on the front surface of each of the seven packages for marking a period of the day;

wherein each of the printed characters, the ink receptive spaces, and the plurality of check boxes provide indicia for dosage information, and

wherein the rear wall is transparent, permitting viewing of any contents in the seven packages.

2. The multi-compartment container of claim 1, further comprising:

a top seam connecting the rear wall to the front wall along the top edges.

3. The multi-compartment container of claim 2, wherein the top seam is a heat-sealed seam.

4. The multi-compartment container of claim 1, wherein the bottom seam is defined by a fold between the rear wall and the front wall.

5. The multi-compartment container of claim 1, wherein the bottom seam is a heat-sealed seam.

6. The multi-compartment container of claim 5, further comprising:

a gusset between the bottom edges and the bottom seam.

7. The multi-compartment container of claim 1, wherein the front wall comprises an inner layer and an outer layer and the rear wall comprises a single layer.

8. The multi-compartment container of claim 7, wherein the single layer and the inner layer comprise clear polyethylene and the outer layer comprises aluminum foil.

9. The multi-compartment container of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of U-shaped areas removed from the front surface of each of the seven packages to facilitate opening of the seven packages.

10. The multi-compartment container of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of tear notches disposed adjacent to the top edges to facilitate opening of the seven packages.

11. The multi-compartment container of claim 1, wherein the contents of at least one of the seven packages is a medication.

12. The multi-compartment container of claim 2, wherein the seven openings, prior to sealing at the top seam, are capable of being lifted onto and envelop seven nozzles.

13. A multi-compartmented container, comprising:

a rear wall defining a top rear edge, a bottom rear edge, a first rear side edge, and a second rear side edge;

a front wall defining a top front edge, a bottom front edge, a first front side edge, and a second front side edge, the front wall being disposed in overlapping relationship to the rear wall, at least one of the rear wall being wider than the front wall or the front wall being wider than the rear wall;

a plurality of lateral, heat-sealed seams extending between the top edges and the bottom edges at a plurality of positions between the first side edges and the second side edges, the plurality of seams connecting the rear wall to the front wall such that the rear wall defines a rear surface and the front wall defines a front surface;

a bottom seam connecting the rear wall to the front wall along the bottom edges;

seven packages defined between the first side edges and the second side edges by the plurality of lateral seams, the seven packages forming a linear arrangement;

seven openings defined between the front layer and the rear layer along the top edges, each of the openings corresponding to one of the seven packages between the plurality of lateral seams;

a plurality of tear notches disposed adjacent to the top edges to facilitate opening of the seven packages; and

a heat-sealable region on each of the seven packages between the top front edge and the tear notches whereby the front wall may be heat sealed to the rear wall to seal the seven packages closed.

14. The multi-compartmented container of claim 13, wherein the rear wall is transparent, permitting viewing of any contents in the seven packages.

15. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, further comprising:

perforations through the rear wall and the front wall, the perforations being aligned with selected ones of the plurality of lateral seams, thereby permitting adjacent ones of the plurality of packages to be separated from one another.

16. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, wherein the front wall comprises two layers.

17. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tear notches are U-shaped.

18. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, wherein the plurality of tear notches are V-shaped.

19. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, further comprising:

printed characters on the front surface of each of the seven packages indicating days of the week.

20. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, further comprising:

printed characters on the front surface of each of the seven packages indicating date and time of dosage information.

21. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, wherein the bottom seam is defined by a fold between the rear wall and the front wall.

22. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, wherein the bottom seam is a heat-sealed seam.

23. The multi-compartment container of claim 22, further comprising:

a gusset between the bottom edges and the bottom seam.

24. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, wherein the front wall comprises an inner layer and an outer layer and the rear wall comprises a single layer.

25. The multi-compartment container of claim 24, wherein the single layer and the inner layer comprise clear polyethylene and the outer layer comprises aluminum foil.

26. The multi-compartment container of claim 13, wherein the contents of at least one of the seven packages is a medication.