Medication regimen communicator apparatus and method

• US 7,961,555 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lindsay Holt
• Original Assignee: Lindsay Holt
• Inventors: Holt, Lindsay
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit W
• Application Number:
  US12/826,415
• Publication Number:
  US 20100300348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 401/07, 401/10, 404/46, 116/298, 116/308, 283/1, 283/2, 283/3, 283/4, 283/115, 283/900, 368/10, 368/28, 368/41, 368/223
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 12/00 Accommodation for nursing, e.g. in hospitals, not covered by groups A61G1/00 - A61G11/00, e.g. trolleys for transport of medicaments or food service or tea-tables, trolleys or wagons A47B31/00; Prescription lists
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2203/70 with special adaptations, e.g. for safety or comfort
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A “medication communicator” chart is used as a teaching tool to educate patients and to schedule events corresponding to a prescribed medication regimen. The “medication communicator” chart includes a scheduling graph having the shape of a 12-hour or 24-hour analog clock. The scheduling graph is divided into regions corresponding to each hour of a day for scheduling event information. Fields, on the “medication communicator” chart, are receptive to labels communicating information corresponding to numerous medications in the medication regimen. Timing indicators may be applied to the regions of the scheduling graph to indicate consumption or application times of each of the medications.

Claims

1. A method for communicating a medical regimen to a patient, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

fixing, on the substrate, a circular chart depicting 12 or 24 regions;

fixing, on the substrate, a reference chart comprising a plurality of fields, each field thereof comprising an information region having a shape and size; and

providing a sheet comprising a plurality of sets of labels, each set thereof comprising

an information label selectively removable from the sheet and comprising a material adherent to the reference chart, the information label matching the shape and size of an information region of the reference chart,

a plurality of timing labels selectively removable from the sheet and comprising a material adherent to, and securing at least one selected timing label of the plurality of timing labels to, the circular chart, each timing label of the plurality of timing labels being distinguished from the information label by at least one of size and shape, and

a visual feature unique to the each set and shared by the information label and each timing label of the plurality of timing labels of the each set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the circular chart comprises a pie chart.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the fixing of the circular chart comprises printing the circular chart onto the substrate.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the fixing of the reference chart comprises printing the reference chart onto the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising printing, by a computerized printer, first information onto a first information label of a first set of the plurality of sets of labels.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

removing, after the printing, the first information label from the sheet; and

adhering the first information label to a first information region of a first field of the plurality of fields.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

removing from the sheet a first timing label of the plurality of timing labels of the first set; and

adhering the first timing label to one region of the circular chart.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

removing from the sheet a second timing label of the plurality of timing labels of the first set; and

adhering the second timing label to another region of the circular chart.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a software template facilitating the printing.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the first information identifies a specific medication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the circular chart is equally divided by lines into 12 or 24 regions.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a piece of paper.

13. A method for communicating a medical regimen to a patient, the method comprising:

providing a substrate;

fixing, on the substrate, a circular chart depicting 12 or 24 regions;

fixing, on the substrate, a reference chart comprising a plurality of fields, each field thereof comprising an information region and a frequency region, the information region and the frequency region being distinguished from one another by at least one of size and shape; and

providing a sheet comprising a plurality of sets of labels, each set thereof comprising

an information label selectively removable from the sheet and comprising a material adherent to the reference chart, the information label matching the shape and size of an information region of the reference chart,

a frequency label selectively removable from the sheet and comprising a material adherent to the reference chart, the frequency label matching the shape and size of a frequency region of the reference chart,

a plurality of timing labels selectively removable from the sheet and comprising a material adherent to, and securing at least one selected timing label of the plurality of timing labels to, the circular chart, each timing label of the plurality of timing labels being distinguished from the information label by at least one of size and shape, and

a visual feature unique to the each set and shared by the information label, the frequency label, and each timing label of the plurality of timing labels of the each set.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the circular chart comprises a pie chart.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the fixing of the circular chart comprises printing the circular chart onto the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the fixing of the reference chart comprises printing the reference chart onto the substrate.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising printing, by a computerized printer, first information onto a first information label of a first set of the plurality of sets of labels.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

removing, after the printing, the first information label from the sheet; and

adhering the first information label to a first information region of a first field of the plurality of fields.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

removing from the sheet a first frequency label of the first set; and

adhering the first frequency label to a first frequency region of the first field.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

removing from the sheet a first timing label of the plurality of timing labels of the first set; and

adhering the first timing label to one region of the circular chart.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

removing from the sheet a second timing label of the plurality of timing labels of the first set; and

adhering the second timing label to another region of the circular chart.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing a software template facilitating the printing.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the first information identifies a specific medication.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the circular chart is equally divided by lines into 12 or 24 regions.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the substrate comprises a piece of paper.

26. The method of claim 13, wherein the frequency label of each set of the plurality of sets of labels specifies at least one day.

27. A system for communicating a medical regimen to a patient, the system comprising:

a substrate;

a circular chart fixed to the substrate and depicting 12 or 24 regions;

a reference chart fixed on the substrate and comprising a plurality of fields, each field thereof comprising an information region having a shape and size; and

a sheet comprising a plurality of sets of labels, each set thereof comprising

an information label selectively removable from the sheet and comprising a material adherent to the reference chart, the information label matching the shape and size of an information region of the reference chart,

a plurality of timing labels selectively removable from the sheet and comprising a material adherent to, and securing at least one selected timing label of the plurality of timing labels to, the circular chart, each timing label of the plurality of timing labels being distinguished from the information label by at least one of size and shape, and

a visual feature unique to the each set and shared by the information label and each timing label of the plurality of timing labels of the each set.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the circular chart comprises a pie chart.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the circular chart is equally divided by lines into 12 or 24 regions.