Tablet dispensing container

• US 8,146,747 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edge Medical Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Edge Medical Properties, LLC
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert A. Jr., Bradford, Russell, Baker, Leslie, McElhany, Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): Fidei, David
• Application Number:
  US12/424,475
• Publication Number:
  US 20090321296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• Field of Search: 206/534, 206/528, 206/535, 206/540, 206/526, 206/459.5, 229/228, 229/232
• US Class Current: 206/534
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A foldable box holding a plurality of pouches is described. The foldable box comprises a lid, a cavity, a means for indicating the medications in each pouch, a means for associating the medications in the foldable box with a particular patient, a means for closing the box, and a means for recording that the medications in the pouch have been consumed. The lid is adjacent to a back wall that is rotatable along a first fold line. The bottom wall is adjacent to the back wall, two side walls, and a front wall that forms a cavity configured to receive a plurality of pouches. At least one pouch comprises a plurality of different tablets corresponding to a plurality of different medications that are for a particular patient.

Claims

1. A foldable box configured to receive a plurality of connected pouches, wherein each pouch comprises a plurality of different tablets associated with one or more prescriptions for a particular patient, the foldable box comprising:

a top wall having one end coupled to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front side wall and the top wall;

a back side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back side wall and the front side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front side-wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front side wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, the left-side wall and the bottom wall,

a strip of connected filled pouches that are received by the cavity of the foldable box, in which each pouch comprises the plurality of different tablets that are prescribed to be consumed during a dosage period;

a primary label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the label comprises a description of the plurality of different tablets and at least one barcode associated with the particular patient;

a secondary label that indicates the dosage period for the prescribed tablets to be consumed by the particular patient; and

wherein the strip and primary label are verified as being part of a patient order by the at least one bar code.

2. The foldable box of claim 1 wherein the primary label further comprises a description of precautions corresponding to the tablets associated with the particular patient.

3. The foldable box of claim 2 wherein the primary label comprises information about the plurality of different tablets including the precautions corresponding to each tablet associated with the particular patient.

4. The foldable box of claim 3 wherein the label comprises an expiration date for the prescription and a picture of each tablet that is prescribed to be consumed during a dosage period.

5. The foldable box of claim 1 wherein the removable lid on the front side wall extends to the top wall.

6. The foldable box of claim 1 wherein the secondary label comprises a bar code associated with the particular patient and the secondary label is configured to seal the foldable lid on the top wall.

7. A foldable box configured to receive a plurality of connected pouches, wherein each pouch comprises a plurality of different tablets associated with one or more prescriptions for a particular patient, the foldable box comprising:

a top wall having one end coupled to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front side wall and the top wall;

a back side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back side wall and the front side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front side-wall, the right-side wall, the back side, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front side wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, the left-side wall and the bottom wall;

a strip of filled pouches that are connected and received by the cavity of the foldable box, in which each pouch comprises a plurality of different tablets that are prescribed to be consumed during a dosage period;

a means for associating the pouches with the particular patient;

a primary label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the primary label comprises a description of the plurality of different tablets associated with a particular patient and the means for associating the pouches with a particular patient; and

a secondary label that includes the dosage period and the means for associating the pouches with the particular patient.

8. The foldable box of claim 7 wherein the primary label further comprises a description of precautions corresponding to the tablets associated with the particular patient.

9. The foldable box of claim 8 wherein the primary label comprises information about the plurality of different prescriptions including the precautions corresponding to each tablet associated with the particular patient.

10. The foldable box of claim 9 wherein the label comprises an expiration date for the prescription and a picture of each tablet that is prescribed to be consumed during a dosage period.

11. The foldable box of claim 7 wherein the removable lid on the front side wall extends to the top wall.

12. The foldable box of claim 7, wherein in the secondary label is configured to seal the foldable lid on the top wall.

13. A foldable box configured to receive a plurality of connected pouches, wherein each pouch comprises a plurality of different tablets associated with one or more prescriptions for a particular patient, the foldable box comprising:

a top wall having one end coupled to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front side wall and the top wall;

a back side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back side wall and the front side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front side-wall, the right-side wall, the back side, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front side wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, the left-side wall and the bottom wall;

a strip of filled pouches that are connected and received by the foldable box, in which each pouch comprises a plurality of different tablets that are prescribed to be consumed during a dosage period;

an integrated primary label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the integrated primary label comprises,

a name for each tablet associated with each prescription,

a picture of each tablet associated with each prescription,

a description of precautions corresponding to each tablet,

an expiration date for each prescription,

a means for associating the pouches with a particular patient; and

wherein the strip and primary label are verified as being part of a patient order by the means for associating the pouches with the particular patient; and

a secondary label that indicates the dosage period for the prescribed tablets to be consumed by the particular patient.

14. The foldable box of claim 13 wherein the removable lid on the front side wall extends to the top wall.

15. The foldable box of claim 13, wherein in the secondary label is configured to seal the foldable lid on the top wall.

16. The foldable box of claim 13, wherein the means for associating the pouches with a particular patient comprises a bar code.

17. The foldable box of claim 13, wherein the means for associating the pouches with a particular patient comprises a radio-frequency identification (RFID) component.