Method and system of personalizing a pill tray

• US 9,980,881 B1
• Filed: 08/11/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altium Healthcare Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tri State Distribution Incorporated (Loews Corporation)
• Inventors: Miceli, David A., Miceli, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bousono, Orlando
• Application Number:
  US15/234,075
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• 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 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/74 for weight
• 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: A61J 7/0418 with electronic history memory
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0454 for dispensing of multiple drugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/245 provided with decoration, information or contents indicating devices, labels B65D81/366 takes precedence

Abstract

A pill tray includes a cover attached to a base portion that is operable to move between an open position and a closed position, the cover including an inside surface having at least a first slot adjacent a first end of the cover and a second slot adjacent a second end of the cover opposite the first end. A personalized information sheet is dimensioned and configured to be removably secured to the cover of the pill tray by inserting a first end of the personalized information sheet into the first slot of the cover and a second end of the personalized information sheet into the second slot of the cover such that the personalized information sheet is visible to a user when the cover is in the open position.

Claims

1. A pill tray comprising:

a base portion having a pill tray layout including a plurality of frequency sections and a plurality of sequence compartments within each frequency section;

a cover hingedly connected to a top end of the base portion such that the cover is operable to move between an open position and a closed position, the cover including an inside surface having at least a first slot adjacent a first end of the cover and a second slot adjacent a second end of the cover opposite the first end; and

a personalized information sheet dimensioned and configured to be removably secured to the inside surface of the cover of the pill tray by inserting, in a first direction, a first end of the personalized information sheet into the first slot of the cover and, at the same time and in the first direction, a second end of the personalized information sheet into the second slot of the cover such that the personalized information sheet can be slidably inserted into the inside surface of the cover in the first direction and slidably removed from the inside surface of the cover in a second direction opposite the first direction, and such that the personalized information sheet is visible to a user when the cover is in the open position by exposing the inside surface of the cover.

2. The pill tray of claim 1 further comprising an advertisement secured to the cover of the pill tray such that the advertisement is visible to the user when the cover is in the closed position.

3. The pill tray of claim 2 wherein the cover is composed of a clear plastic and the personalized information sheet is printed on a first side of a sheet material and the advertisement is printed on a second side of the sheet material such that the first side is visible to the user when the cover is in the open position and the second side is visible to the user when the cover is in the closed position.

4. The pill tray of claim 1 wherein the personalized information sheet includes indicia identifying the user of the pill tray.

5. The pill tray of claim 1 wherein the personalized information sheet includes a picture of the user of the pill tray.

6. A method of providing customizable personalized information to a user of a pill tray, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of personalized information to be displayed on a pill tray cover;

printing the selected personalized information on a personalized information sheet;

providing the pill tray to the user, the pill tray including a base portion and a cover hingedly connected to a top end of the base portion such that the cover is operable to move between an open position and a closed position, the cover including an inside surface having at least a first slot adjacent a first end of the cover and a second slot adjacent a second end of the cover opposite the first end; and

before or after the step of providing the pill tray to the user, removably securing the personalized information sheet to the inside surface of the cover of the pill tray by inserting, in a first direction, a first end of the personalized information sheet into the first slot of the cover and, at the same time and in the first direction, a second end of the personalized information sheet into the second slot of the cover such that the personalized information sheet can be slidably inserted into the inside surface of the cover in the first direction and slidably removed from the inside surface of the cover in a second direction opposite the first direction, and such that the personalized information sheet is visible to the user when the cover is in the open position by exposing the inside surface of the cover.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

transmitting the selected personalized information from a dispensing entity to a label supplier for performing the printing step; and

shipping the personalized information sheet to the dispensing entity for removably securing the personalized information sheet to the cover of the pill tray.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the selected personalized information includes a picture of the user of the pill tray.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the selected personalized information includes indicia identifying the user of the pill tray.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the cover is composed of a clear plastic and the personalized information sheet is printed on a first side of a sheet material and an advertisement is printed on a second side of the sheet material such that the first side is visible to the user when the cover is in the open position and the second side is visible to the user when the cover is in the closed position.