Abstract:
The invention provides an improved bottle design for pharmacies and patients taking medications. The bottle system is comprised of a container including a generally planar front portion having a generally rectangular shape and a generally planar back portion space from the front portion. The back portion has a generally rectangular shape and generally faces away in an opposite direction from the front portion. The container also comprises a pair of side portions opposite to and spaced form each other, with each side portion extending between the front portion of the container and the back portion of the container. Each side portion comprises of a generally trapezoidal shape. The front portion and the back portion are configured for adhesive placement of a medication-related label on the front portion and the back portion of the container.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    USPTO PATENT APPLICATION No. 61/957,181 
         [0002]    FILING DATE Jun. 27, 2013 
         [0003]    CONFIRMATION NUMBER 7914 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0004]    NOT APPLICABLE 
       REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX 
       [0005]    NOT APPLICABLE 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Nearly everyone consumes prescription pharmaceuticals at one point in their lives. With a large amount of data being printed on the prescription bottle label, it has become increasing more difficult for the consumer of the prescription or the care taker of the patient to not only be aware of but also remember the various warning instructions, patient directives as to when to take the medicine, patient directives as to what to take (or not take) the medicine with, and other cautionary instructions specific to the medicine. 
         [0007]    With many patients now taking more than one prescription at any given period, patients can easily confuse what directions and warnings correspond with each medicine bottle. Highlighting these warning instructions at the time the bottle is opened is necessary and critical to the wellness of the patient. 
         [0008]    Older adults have more difficulty opening child resistant prescription pill bottles due to age related conditions such as Parkinson&#39;s Disease, joint pain, limited hand strength, a reduction in their motor skills, and reduced/impaired vision. Conventional pharmacy bottles, therefore, can be difficult to open as adults get older and their medical condition changes. Coupled with the potential for a hand or arm injury, opening a pill bottle can become a major inconvenience to a patient taking prescription medicine. 
         [0009]    Given the importance of ensuring the accuracy of labeling prescription pill bottles, the potential confusion amongst patients as to when and what their medicine should be taken with or without, no general uniformity in label design, and the difficulty for patients with arthritis and limited strength to open conventional pill bottles, the current confusion and challenges to open and close traditional pill bottles is neither acceptable nor safe. 
         [0010]    Individuals taking prescription medicine from a pill bottle have difficulty in taking the medicine as prescribed. Such a challenge stems from the poor labeling systems which currently attached to a round, cylindrical object known as a pill bottle. The round, cylindrical design is neither logical nor practical in allowing the intended patient to clearly and accurately read warning labels and potential side-effect disclosures from their medicine. Furthermore, the round, cylindrical nature of the current pill bottle forces the intended recipient of the medicine to have to twist and turn the bottle a number of times to read the most simplest of messages. The current poor design of prescription pill bottles is not safe, easy to read nor is it easy to open. 
         [0011]    The design of a round, cylindrical prescription pill bottle provided very limited leverage for the person opening the bottle. With no protruding points to grab, the individual opening the prescription pill bottle can get frustrated with the process of opening a poorly designed bottle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    Embodiments of the invention are directed to a pharmacy bottle system. In one embodiment, a prescription pharmacy bottle comprises a container including a generally planar front portion having a generally rectangular shape and a generally planar back portion space from the front portion. The back portion has a generally rectangular shape and generally faces away in an opposite direction from the front portion. The container also comprises a pair of side portions opposite to and spaced from each other, with each side portion extending between the front portion of the container and the back portion of the container. Each side portion comprises of a generally trapezoidal shape. The front portion and the back portion are configured for adhesive placement of a medication-related label on the front portion and the back portion of the container. 
       RELATED 
       [0013]    The present invention generally relates to medication dispensing, and particularly relates to a pill dispending assembly for dispensing pills. 
         [0014]    Prescription drugs are being prescribed and taken in an increasing rate of use. With many patients taking multiple drugs throughout the day and/or week, their ability to take each unique pill as directed by their physician has become increasingly more challenging. 
         [0015]    Although pharmacies can track how often prescriptions are filled, and can control an amount of pills given to a patient with dosing, they cannot ensure that the patient doesn&#39;t disregard a dosing schedule and ingest an excess quantity of pills at a given time. Pharmacies also cannot ensure that patients, caretakers or other people with access to patient medication do not misinterpret pill bottle label directions. Particularly in cases where patients have a known history of taking pills that require specific directions about the frequency of usage, time of day when to take the pill, avoidance directives (i.e. ‘do not drive or operate heavy machinery under the influence of this medication’), and therefore it is desirable to prevent those patients from engaging in the improper consumption of the drug. To date, pharmacies have relied on warning labels that are often limited in more effectively highlighting their importance of the warning. Secondly, such warning labels, due to the current design of pill bottles—wrap around a cylindrical pill bottle and create a vision challenge to effectively read such a warning. Such labeling systems do not effectively address any of the issues discussed above to prevent improper drug consumption, improper guidance on warnings from the pharmacy and/or drug company and improper highlights of potential side effects. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]    Embodiments of the invention will be described with respect to the figures, in which like reference numerals denote like elements, and in which: 
           [0017]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view of a pharmacy bottle system, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 2  is a plan view of a pharmacy bottle system, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 3  is a plan view of a pharmacy bottle system, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of a pharmacy bottle system, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 5  is a schematic illustration, including a plan view of a pharmacy bottle system, according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 6  is a schematic illustration, including a view of the threading which connects the cap to the bottle system. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0023]    In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as “top”, “bottom”, “front”, “back”, “leading”, “trailing” is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) described. 
         [0024]    Because components of the embodiments of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. 
         [0025]    Embodiments of the invention are directed to a pharmacy bottle system and label system that significantly enhances a consumer&#39;s experience in filling a prescription at a retail pharmacy. In one embodiment, a pharmacy bottle system is comprised of a container, including a label and/or set of labels, and a cap. The bottle container is sized and shaped to hold a medication from a prescription that can be in the form of a pill, gel tablet, powder, liquid or other forms of medication. The bottle container is unique in design by having the removable cap in the center of the container, with large and relatively flat surfaces along side the cap. The embodiment of the cap at the top and center of the bottle system creates leverage from the individual opening the container. This embodiment allows one hand to grasp the bottle system in a natural manner while the other hand simply opens the cap as it is designed to be opened. For individuals with limited hand strength or mobility, the embodiment of placing the cap at the center of the bottle device allows one to place the bottle system on a surface, hold in place with one hand and open the cap as it is designed to be opened. 
         [0026]    In another embodiment, next to the cap are large and relatively flat surfaces designed to provide space for warning labels, directives from the pharmacy and/or drug manufacturer to highlight specific instructions as to whom should be taking the medicine (known commonly as ‘the patient’), the frequency of the medication in which it should be taken, common side effects that should be highlighted to the patient, etc. 
         [0027]    In another embodiment, the large flat portion of the bottle system (e.g. the bottom portion or underside) is further differentiated from other bottle systems by having a large and flat panel that can adhere a pharmacy label (e.g. prescription related information.) This embodiment allows the consumer to read the pharmacy label with greater ease and clarity as the entire label is flat and planar. 
         [0028]    In one embodiment, the sides of the pharmacy bottle system contain slight protrusions which generally run along the outer edges (‘sides’) of the container. This embodiment provides the consumer with greater control of the pharmacy bottle system when it is being opening (e.g. affording grip for the hand and/or finger(s)), closed, or during other movements in which the consumer needs additional points of contact to control the bottle system. 
         [0029]    In another embodiment, the general design of the pharmacy bottle system allows it be stackable (e.g. stacking one pharmacy bottle atop another pharmacy bottle of similar size and scale.) This embodiment allows two or more bottles to take up less space than traditional bottles of similar size which have been historically cylindrical and round. 
         [0030]    These embodiments and other embodiments of the invention are described and illustrated in greater detail in association with  FIGS. 1-5 . 
         [0031]    As shown in in  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, pharmacy bottle system  1  is comprised of a bottle  2  with a cap  85  and collar  84  on each bottle  2 . Each bottle  2  comprises a container  3  and a label  61  or series of labels  61  and  62 . Container  3  comprises side portion  50 , bottom portion  11 , top portion  60 , leading end portion  20  and a trailing end portion  25 . 
         [0032]    Container  3  presents a unique combination of different shapes, surfaces, textures and features in one bottle  2 . First, bottle  2  lays flat on a support surface  9 , such as a countertop, table or shelf by placing surface edge  11  down on the support surface  9  to cause container  3  to extend upwardly from support surface  9 . In this orientation, spine portion  83  is considered top of the bottle  2  in conjunction with cap  85  (which covers a mouth of bottle  2 ) and side  11  is considered bottom of bottle  2 . This orientation of bottle  2  maximizes readability of label  62  and label  61  on container  3  and presents new and unique ways of handling a pharmacy bottle  2 . 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , label  30  is adhesively secured to container  3  in bottle system  2 . Bottle system  2  in container  3  allows for a flat label to be uniformly and directly applied to bottle container  3  without the need to adhere to a traditional curved surface. Such innovation is a marked improvement and measurable improvement over traditional pharmacy bottle systems. Plastic extensions  91  and  90  allow for the user to secure hold, grasp or otherwise handle bottle system  2  with ease to better secure bottle system  2 . Label  30  will generally be placed between leading edge  20  and trailing edge  25 . Label  30  will generally be placed between plastic edges  91  on each respective side of the bottle system—creating a smooth label along a generally smooth surface of bottom  11 . 
         [0034]    In one embodiment noted in  FIG. 2 , bottom portion  11  of container  3  defines a substantially planar surface that is rectangular shaped, thereby defining a generally flat and broad surface especially suited for reading information on label  30 . This unique embodiment allows the clear display of information on label  30  to be read without the need for turning or twisting a typical round or cylindrical bottle. This embodiment allows the entire primary pharmacy label to be read with ease. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , label  70  and label  75  are adhesively secured to container  3 . Label  70  and label  75  comprise a mechanism to display patient information, including patient name, drug information, retail pharmacy information, etc. which is distributed throughout the top portion  60 . 
         [0036]    Bottle system  2  comprises multiple distinct profiles, depending on the view taken of bottle system  2 , with each profile uniquely enhancing a patient&#39;s experience with bottle system  2 . In a view in which the consumer directly faces the bottle system  2  with portion  11  flat against table  9  or shelf  9 , the cap  85  will be centered between warning messages, additional directions for the patient, information from the pharmacy, the patients name, etc. appearing on adhesive label  70  and adhesive label  75 . 
         [0037]    Opening bottle  2  also creates a distinct and unique method not similar in scope to traditional cylindrical and round bottle systems. Since one hand can hold the generally rectangular bottle system  1 , the other hand can more easily open the cap  85  by either turning cap  85  or by holding cap  85  while simultaneously turning bottle system  1 . 
         [0038]    Accordingly, the combination of this distinctive design for the consumer coupled with the distinctive design for the pharmacy to attach adhesive labels generally used for patient information, drug information, directives, warning labels, etc. while simultaneously allowing the patient to open and close the bottle system  1  with limited strength and effort, presents a radically different pharmacy bottle. 
         [0039]    As further shown in  FIG. 4 , side portion  50  of container  3  is generally of a slight trapezoidal shaped, being interposed between top portion  60  and bottom portion  11 . The height of side portion  50  is generally greater as it nears the cylindrical area  83  and smaller as it gets nearer leading end portion  20  and trailing end portion  25 . 
         [0040]    In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 5 , which is of a plan view of the leading end portion  20  including the stem  83  and cap  85 , a radically and distinct embodiment is visible in the application of slightly protruding rails delineated as  91  and  90 . These two embodiments of  91  and  90  contribute to the patient being able to grip the bottle system more easily than with other bottle systems. Furthermore,  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 1  further embody the feature of  90  and  91 —which generally run along the generally trapezoidal side panels  50  on both equidistant panels  50  which are of generally the same size and shape. 
         [0041]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the leading edge side  20  is of generally the same size and shape as trailing edge  25 .  FIG. 5  further demonstrates the generally shape and size of bottle system  3 , including the prevailing rails  90  and  91  appearing on both side panel  50  of the bottle system  3 —which extend slightly from side panels  50 . 
         [0042]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the mouth  80  includes opening an elongated stem  83  and threaded design  81  for threadably engaging cap  85  to cover opening  80 .