Abstract:
A calculation aid is disclosed forming an integral part of a medication bottle. The calculation aid provides a reference chart for pediatric elixirs to assist in the accurate calculation of the weight-specific dosage for a child. The bottle includes parallel columns of patient&#39;s weights and rows of calculated quantity of elixir corresponding to the calculated dose. A movable indicator with an aperture allows selected viewing of the indicia.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 09/505,592, now U.S. Pat. No. 
     
    
     
         [0002]    FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to improvements in medicine bottles and more specifically, to a weight-specific dosage calculation aid for elixirs to provide a reference source on a medicine bottle for calculating doses of an elixir based upon an individual&#39;s weight.  
         DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART  
         [0004]    Currently, pediatric elixirs such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and decongestants/cough suppressants are packaged in bottles which have vague and wide ranges of dosing recommendations for children of different weights. For instance, some dosing recommendations on bottles are based on the child&#39;s age. However, pediatric elixir dosing is specifically to be based on weight as per the Physician&#39;s Desk Reference. This is especially critical in view of the significant variations of weights of children of the same age making age determination not only inaccurate, but most dangerous.  
           [0005]    Without a direct reference, even elixirs prescribed by a physician can lead to inappropriately low doses of a medication. For instance, when a child&#39;s physician instructs a child&#39;s guardian to deliver a certain amount of elixir to a child on a certain date, should the guardian continue to give the child the same amount of medication months later, the dosage will not be correct if the child&#39;s weight has changed. A child&#39;s weight can change quickly and if the guardian does not inform the physician of the weight change, the dosage will be improper. Continual adjustments in dosing, necessitated by the child&#39;s rapidly changing body weight, is important to ensure maximum therapeutic response to a medication. As a physician, it is not uncommon to hear a parent inquire as to why their child&#39;s fever has not gone down despite the use of medication prescribed four months earlier. Or more critically, why does my child&#39;s fever increase shortly after receiving a dose of the acetaminophen.  
           [0006]    Although there currently exist weight-specific dosage calculations presented on charts and pinwheels, they are not readily available to the general public. Even if available, the charts could present a confusing array of dosages that may not be understood by the general consumer. The Physician&#39;s Desk Reference may be used for the calculation but such a reference book is not typically purchased or understood by the average consumer.  
           [0007]    The use of bottle mounted or integrated indicators are known in the art but have a primary purpose to act as medication or dosage reminders.  
           [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,051 discloses a bottle located memory aid for use in indicating one in a sequence of predetermined times for dispensing medication.  
           [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,749,093 discloses a memory aid for use in reminding patients to take medicine that can accommodate different dosage schedules for the medicine.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,614 discloses an indicator showing weekday, date and time for taking a pill or other medicinal dose.  
           [0011]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,358,117 and 5,279,422 disclose bottle indicators having indicia circumferentially marked around the bottle representing the next time for taking medicine.  
           [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,912 discloses a time dial which indicates both when medication was last taken and when medication should be taken next.  
           [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,032 discloses a patient dosage regimen compliance cap which reminds a patient which dose was last take or which dose is yet to be taken and displays the number of medication units to take at each administration.  
           [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,753,189 discloses a medicine bottle cap having a dosage indicator to indicate the next dosage time or other information for the user. The indicator is moved incrementally from one location to another to indicate the time for the next dosage, following the removal of medicine from the bottle.  
           [0015]    Other dosage indicating closures for medicine bottles have been known and used in the past including: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,151,599; 3,355,067; 3,572,282; 3,960,713; 4,041,628;  
           [0016]    While the prior art is directed to memory aids to remind patients 1) what days to take their prescribed medications, 2) the number of times per day to take the medications, 3) when they took their last dose, 4) when they are to take their next dose, 5) the number of pills to take at each dosing interval, no prior art exists for a calculation aid to determine the exact weight specific dose of an elixir for a patient, of which children require the most specific determination due to their size and ever changing weight.  
           [0017]    Thus, what is needed is a weight-specific dosage calculation reference on the elixir container that provides a convenient, user-friendly, immediately accessible way to assure that a child requiring an elixir will attain its maximal therapeutic effects by receiving the exact dose recommended for the child, given the child&#39;s weight. Conversely, a container mounted weight-dosage conversion reference will virtually eliminate the occurrence of children receiving inappropriately high dosages for their weight, mistakes which in some cases are potentially toxic or even lethal.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0018]    This invention is a weight-specific dosage calculation reference for use with a medicine bottle. The calculation reference employs narrow apertures on a vertically movable collar allowing a plethora of specific dosing recommendations inscribed on the side of a bottle.  
           [0019]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a label mounted reference for a specific elixir&#39;s previously calculated doses corresponding to specific pediatric patient weights. If the patient&#39;s weight falls between the specific weights on the label, the specific dosage may be interpolated or calculated.  
           [0020]    In an alternative embodiment, provided is a bottle mounted reference for a specific elixir&#39;s previously calculated doses corresponding to specific pediatric patient weights.  
           [0021]    Thus an objective of the invention is to provide accurate, calculated information as an integral part of the elixir bottle.  
           [0022]    Another objective of the invention is to eliminate the need for reference books, pinwheels, or the like disjointed materials that are used for calculation but do not form an integral portion of the bottle.  
           [0023]    Another objective of the invention is to provide a format available to the physician for providing specific dosages that need to be modified according to the weight of the child.  
           [0024]    Still another objective of the invention is to provide a specific dosage calculator that has application for adults, children, and pets.  
           [0025]    Another objective of the invention is to reduce the exposure of an inappropriately high dose of medication due to vague and wide ranges currently provided on most elixir bottles designed to address the average child&#39;s weight at a particular age.  
           [0026]    Another objective of the invention is to provide an elixir bottle with a simple scale and a vertically movable indicator to visually expose a proper dosage of elixir for a particular patient&#39;s weight.  
           [0027]    Yet still another objective of the invention is to provide a device that allows for calculating the proper dose of medication as the dosage pertains to the weight of an adult, child or pet.  
           [0028]    It is a further objective of this invention to promote proper dosing to maximize the therapeutic effects of a medication.  
           [0029]    Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0030]    [0030]FIG. 1 is a perspective of an elixir container illustrating the spread sheet portion of the inner label;  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 2 is a perspective of the outer member of the label showing apertures;  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 3 is a perspective of another modification of the vertical scale; and  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of the calculation aid of FIG. 3. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0034]    Although the invention will be described in terms of a specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications, rearrangements and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto.  
         [0035]    Now referring to FIG. 1, set forth is the preferred embodiment of the instant invention in which a calculation aid is used with medication bottle  10  having an open top and a closure or bottle cap  12  and a label  13  which includes an integral calculation reference chart. In the most basic form, the label  13  is made from two components carrying indicia, an inner component  14  used for descriptive information concerning the contents of the bottle, manufacturer, etc. and a spread sheet with different weights in one set of fields  15  paired with optimal dosing amounts in adjoining fields  16 .  
         [0036]    The outer component or sleeve  17  is slidable on the inner sleeve and has apertures for viewing of the calculation reference. Preferably the closure cap  12  is tamper-proof.  
         [0037]    The inner component  14  includes inscribed indicia set forth in a number of parallel columns. One column  15  contains various children weights in pounds in increasing amounts, a contiguous row  16  contains the previously calculated optimal dose appropriate for a specific weight in liquid measure. A second column  17  continues the weights in increasing numbers and a contiguous row  18  gives the dosage in liquid measure. There may be more or less rows of indicia.  
         [0038]    As shown in FIG. 1, the printed weights and comparable dosing amounts are oriented to be read vertically about the longitudinal axis of the bottle. An alternative form of presentation would present the information in the fields at a 90 degree angle. The weights may be in increasing order or decreasing order. The weights and liquid measures may be metric or English or both or combinations thereof. Further, the inner label may be omitted and the information may be embossed on the bottle  10 .  
         [0039]    The outer member  17  is a frictional collar  19 , preferably of a plastic material, which has a row of apertures, as shown in FIG. 2. The collar  19  is formed in a tubular ring shape with a diameter approximating the diameter of the bottle to which it is applied. The width of the outer member is approximately the same as the height of the indicia in the rows on the chart. As shown in FIG. 2, there are two apertures  20  and  21  with one indicator  22 , in the form of an arrow-heads formed in contrasting colors. The indicator  22  links the pair of apertures and directs the user to read the information appearing in the apertures together. In FIG. 2 there are three pair of apertures shown, apertures  20  and  21  are linked by indicator  22 , apertures  40  and  41  are linked by indicator  42 , and apertures  50  and  51  are linked by indicator  52 . There may be one pair, two pair or more pairs of apertures linked by indicators. The indicators expose the contiguous rows of dosages as the collar is moved vertically along the columns of weights. The collar may be made without apertures and the circumferential edge of the collar acts as an indicator between rows.  
         [0040]    The ring may be slightly elastic to permit assembly and to prevent inadvertent movement, to mis-align the apertures and indicia, without undue binding between the inner label  13  and the outer ring  17 . The outer member may include structure to increase the adhesion between the user&#39;s fingers and the outer ring  17 . This structure could include areas of roughened or cross-hatched surface  23  on the outer ring. Alternatively, the outer ring may have a raised ridge  24 . As shown, both the roughened area and the ridge are present.  
         [0041]    The calculation aid, as it is weight specific and not patient specific, can be mass distributed on over-the-counter medications as opposed to requiring a pharmacist to set and permanently fix or secure it to denote a specific patient&#39;s needs.  
         [0042]    The calculation reference functions by the sliding movement of the plastic collar  19 . An individual advances the collar to display the child&#39;s weight in the first aperture  20 . In turn, the dosage in appropriate units of measure is displayed in the linked aperture as shown by the indicator  21 .  
         [0043]    Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, an elixir container  30  has an inner label  31  containing dosage indicia  32  in particular units of measure. The dosage indicia is spatially arranged on the inner member in relation to the appropriate weight of the patient for that dosage. An outer member  33  has a column  34  of specific weights that would cause the amount of dosage to change. The outer member  33  is connected to the inner member  31 , except in the area of the column  34 . Between the inner and outer member there is a movable tab  35  vertically slidable in the disconnected tube  36  the column. The tab  35  may be translucent or solid. The outer member  33  is transparent in the area of the tube  36 . The tab has an aperture  37  and an indicator  38  used to indicate the patient&#39;s weight. When the indicator  38  is set on the patient&#39;s weight, an aperture  37  on the tab  35  visually frames the appropriate dosage located on the inner member  31 . Of course, the indicia may be reversed with the dosage on the tab and the weight on the inner member. The tab may be transparent also, with a line as an indicator. As shown, the tab moves vertically in relation to the longitudinal axis of the bottle. In FIG. 4 a series of tubes  36  permits a greater range of weights and dosages.  
         [0044]    In another embodiment, both the dosage amounts and the weights may be located on the inner member. The outer member is entirely transparent and attached to the inner member between associated columns of weights and dosages. The tab slides in the tubular openings to expose the dosage associated with a particular weight.  
         [0045]    The calculation aid employs indicia directed to a specific medication of a specific concentration. This strict condition comes with the understanding that different weight dose conversion factors are required: a) when the same medication is manufactured at a different concentration, b) when relating to different medications altogether. As a general precaution, the medication name and concentration is to be inscribed upon the container, so that its user can verify that the inscribed calculations do, in fact, relate to the medication within the bottle to which it is attached.