Abstract:
The invention provides a device for providing medicament use information including an affixable label selectively mountable to a portion of a medicament container. The affixable label has a perimeter. A plurality of preprinted lines are positioned on the affixable label. One of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to dosage of the medicament and a second of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to the type of medicament within the medicament container. The invention also provides a method of tracking a schedule of taking medicaments. The method includes completing information on a preprinted affixable label, placing the label on a portion of a medicament container, and placing a second label over the first label upon the occurrence of a predetermined condition.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application is a continuation-in-part of application No. ______, filed on Dec. 28, 2001, entitled “Method and System For Labeling and Scheduling Medicament Dosages.” 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a method and system for labeling and scheduling medicament (defined below) dosages. More particularly, the present invention relates to an affixable label mounted to a medicament container for providing medicament use information and methods of using the same.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    In today&#39;s world, people consume large amounts of medicaments to maintain and increase their health. As used herein, the word medicament includes any preventative, curative, or supplement substance that a person ingests or otherwise introduces into his or her body for health or well being purposes, regardless of clinically proven efficacy. With the large amounts of medicaments being consumed, it becomes difficult to remember a consumption schedule for each medicament. It is important for people to remember consumption schedules, especially when taking prescription medicaments. A person may become ill or even overdose on prescription medicaments if too little or too much medicament is consumed. Further, a person other than the person taking the medicament, such as a day care worker, nurse, or other individual, may be responsible for ensuring proper dispensing of the medicament. In response to this problem, numerous scheduling devices have been developed to ease the difficulty of remembering consumption schedules.  
           [0004]    Some scheduling devices have been designed from plastic or other material and attach to the exterior of a medicament container. Scheduling devices that attach to the exterior of medicament containers typically have many pieces and include a sliding or twisting member that highlights a date or time of day that the medicament should be consumed. However, scheduling devices attached to the exterior of the medicament containers are often bulky and can easily break. Pieces of the scheduling devices also protrude from the container and can snag other items or fall off of the container and be lost. Scheduling devices designed of plastic or other materials for attachment to medicament containers are also relatively expensive. Costs can add up quickly when purchasing these scheduling devices for each medicament container possessed by a consumer.  
           [0005]    Yet other scheduling devices have been used to ease the difficulty of remembering a medicament consumption schedule, such as, manually written schedules, which are separate from the medicament container. However, written schedules are often lost or misplaced.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Accordingly, there is a need for an improved medicament scheduling device. The invention provides a device for providing medicament use information including an affixable label selectively mountable to a portion of a medicament container. As used herein, the word affixable includes any adhesive or cohesive method of placing the label on a medicament container. The affixable label has a perimeter. A plurality of preprinted lines are positioned on the affixable label. One of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to the dosage of the medicament, and a second of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to the type of medicament within the medicament container.  
           [0007]    According to another aspect, the invention provides a device for providing medicament use information including an affixable label selectively mountable to a portion of a medicament container. The affixable label has a perimeter. A plurality of preprinted lines are positioned on the affixable label. One of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to a date, a second of the preprinted plurality of lines relates to a time, a third of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to the type of medicament, and a fourth of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to the dosage of the medicament.  
           [0008]    According to yet another aspect, the invention provides a device for providing medicament use information including an affixable label selectively mountable to a portion of a medicament container. The affixable label has a perimeter. A plurality of preprinted lines are positioned on the affixable label. One of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to the dosage of the medicament, and a second of the plurality of preprinted lines relates to the type of medicament within the medicament container. A timetable is positioned relatively near to the perimeter and includes a plurality of numbers and an AM or a PM indicator (“AM/PM indicator”). The plurality of numbers and the AM/PM indicator can selectively indicate times of a day that a medicament should be taken.  
           [0009]    According to yet another aspect, the invention provides a method of tracking a schedule of taking medicaments. The method includes completing information on a preprinted affixable label, placing the label on a portion of a medicament container, and placing a second label over the first label at a predetermined time or when the information changes. The act of completing information on the label can be accomplished before and/or after the label is placed on the medicament container.  
           [0010]    In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of tracking a schedule of taking a medicament. The method includes determining a schedule for taking a medicament, for example, based on a prescription or recommended dosage of a medicament manufacturer. Once the schedule is determined, it is translated or otherwise written or marked upon a first preprinted affixable label, the affixable label having a first side that includes a plurality of preprinted texts, at least two of the preprinted texts having an associated preprinted line, where a first of the at least two preprinted lines relates to a type of the medicament, and a second of the at least two preprinted lines relates to a dosage of the medicament, and a second side operable to be affixed to a portion of a medicament container. Preferably, translating the schedule includes marking at least some of the preprinted texts with at least one first mark to indicate at least one time of day the medicament is to be consumed.  
           [0011]    The method also includes marking at least some of the preprinted text with at least one second mark to indicate at least one time of day when the medicament was actually consumed, and placing a second label over the first label when a predetermined condition occurs.  
           [0012]    Other features of the invention are set forth in the attached drawings, detailed description, and claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a scheduling device of the invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a top view of a backing sheet or holding strip and a plurality of scheduling devices of FIG. 1.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a medicament container and the scheduling device of FIG. 1.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another alternate embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0018]    Before embodiments of the invention are explained, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. As used herein, the word consumer includes a consumer of a medicament and/or any person assisting the consumer in performing activities related to the consumption of the medicament (e.g., a day care worker, a nurse, and the like).  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 illustrates a scheduling device  20  embodying the invention. The device  20  has first side  21 , and a second side  22  operable to be affixed to a portion of a medicament container (discussed below). The device  20  also has an edge  23  of sufficient thickness (for example, the thickness of a sheet of copy machine/laser printer paper) to permit the device  20  to be peeled from a card, backer sheet, or similar surface. It is also useful that the edge  23  have sufficient thickness so that the device  20  may be grasped or lifted up with a finger or finger nail from a medicament container. The device  20  also has a perimeter  24 .  
         [0020]    The first side  21  includes preprinted text  32  and preprinted lines  36 . The text  32  may include date text  40 , time text  44 , medicament text  48 , dose text  52 , AM text  56 , PM text  60 , and heading text  64 , which in the embodiment shown takes the form of a time indicator. The date text  40 , time text  44 , medicament text  48 , and dose text  52  are followed by a date line  68 , a time line  72 , a medicament line  76 , and a dose line  80 , respectively. The time line  72  is followed by the AM text  56  and the PM text  60 . The AM text  56  is positioned above the PM text  60  (as shown in FIG. 1), but can be arranged in any orientation to the PM text  60 , such as, but not limited to, beside the PM text  60 , at an angle to the PM text  60 , and below the PM text  60 . The heading text  64  is positioned near the perimeter  24  and is aligned concentrically with the circular perimeter  24 , but may be positioned in any other location on the device  20  and still be within the scope of the invention. The consumer (not shown) manually writes information on the preprinted lines  36  relative to the text  32  preceding the preprinted lines  36 . For example, the date is written above the date line  68 , the time of day is written above the time line  72 , and either the AM text  56  or the PM text  60  is circled or otherwise highlighted depending on whether the time of day is in the morning or afternoon.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIG. 2, the device  20  is initially mounted to a backing sheet or holding strip  84  along with a plurality of similar devices  20 . In the preferred embodiment, the devices  20  are affixably mounted to the holding strip  84  and are aligned in linear rows and columns. Although the devices  20  are aligned in linear rows and columns, the devices  20  may be mounted to the holding strip  84  in any pattern and still be within the scope of the invention. The devices  20  can be removed from the holding strip  84  and mounted to a medicament container  88  (see FIG. 3).  
         [0022]    Referring to FIG. 3, the device  20  is mounted to a cap  92  of the medicament container  88 . Alternatively, the device  20  may be mounted to another location on the container  88  such that the device  20  is readily visible by a person. The affixable side of the device  20  affixably mounts the device  20  to the cap  92  such that no portion of the circular perimeter  24  of the device  20  protrudes beyond a perimeter  96  of the cap  92 . The device  20  has the circular perimeter  24  so that the device  20  is complimentary to circular caps. Although the device  20  has the circular perimeter  24  in the preferred embodiment, the device  20  can have a perimeter with any shape, and be complimentary to any shape of cap, and still be within the scope of the invention. Although FIG. 3 illustrates a single device  20  mounted to the container  88 , any number of devices  20  may be mounted to the container  88 . The devices  20  may be mounted consecutively on top of each other (which is preferred), replaced by removing an old device  20  and mounting a new device  20  in the same or a different location, and the like.  
         [0023]    In one embodiment, the device  20  is used each time medicaments are consumed by the consumer to inform the consumer of the last time the medicaments were consumed. A method of operation for the device  20  may include the consumer manually writing relevant information above each preprinted line  36  on the device  20 . The writing step may be accomplished while the device  20  is mounted to the holding strip  84 , or while the device is mounted to the container  88 . The device  20  is removed from the holding strip  84 , and affixably mounted to the cap  92  (or some other portion) of the medicament container  88 . At a later time, the consumer can refer back to the device  20  on the cap  92 , and be informed of the last time the medicaments were consumed.  
         [0024]    Referring to FIG. 4, an alternate embodiment of the invention, a scheduling device  100 , is illustrated. Many of the components in the alternate embodiment are similar to the components in the preferred embodiment. Therefore, like components will be given like reference numbers.  
         [0025]    The device  100  includes schedule text  104  and a time indicator in the form or a timetable  108 . The timetable  108  includes two sets of numbers  112  ranging from 1 to 12 and an AM/PM indicator in the form of AM text  116  and PM text  120 . The timetable  108  allows the consumer to indicate times of the day when the medicament needs to be consumed. The device  100  is affixably mountable to the cap  92  (or some other portion) of the medicament container  88 . In this alternate embodiment, the device  100  acts as a schedule and informs the consumer of the times of day that the medicaments need to be consumed. The device  100  only needs to be changed when the schedule changes, unlike the embodiment in which a new device  20  is mounted to the container  88  each time the medicament is consumed.  
         [0026]    Referring to FIG. 5, an alternate embodiment of the invention, a scheduling device  124 , is illustrated. Many of the components in the alternate embodiment are similar to the components in the previous embodiments. Therefore, like components will be given like reference numbers.  
         [0027]    The device  124  includes a timetable  128 , name text  132 , and a name line  136 . The timetable  128  includes two sets of numbers  140  ranging from 1 to 12 and an AM/PM indicator in the form of AM text  144 . The timetable  128  allows the consumer to indicate proposed times of the day when the medicament should be consumed. The timetable  128  also allows the consumer to indicate the actual times of day when the medicament is consumed. For example, times at which medicament are to be taken may be circled, and times at which the medicament are actually taken may be marked with an “X”, a “/”, or other mark. In the example shown, the timetable  128  of the device  124  is marked with circles at 7 AM, 11 AM, 3 PM, and 7 PM, indicating a schedule where a dose of the medicament is to be taken every four hours. As the consumer or individual takes the medicament, he or she marks the actual time the medicament was consumed with a “/”. In the example shown, 7 AM, 12 PM, 4 PM, and 8 PM are marked with a “/”, indicating that the consumer took the dosage as intended at 7 AM, likely forgot or missed the 11 AM scheduled dosage, and then continued to consume the remaining dosages for the day every four hours beginning at 12 PM.  
         [0028]    Indicating the proposed and actual times on the timetable gives the consumer a daily visual reminder of the time of day the medicament should be consumed, the time of day the medicament was consumed, and/or the time of day the medicament should have been consumed. The name text  132  and the name line  136  are aligned on the device  124  similarly to other texts and lines on previous embodiments. The name or initials of the consumer may be written above the name line  136  to indicate that he or she is supposed to consume the medicaments, and to eliminate any confusion that may occur between medicaments to be taken by different consumers. The device  124  is affixably mountable to the cap  92  of the medicament container  88 . The device  124  may be used for one predetermined amount of time, such as a 24-hour period, after which time the device  124  may be replaced or covered by another device  124 .  
         [0029]    Alternate embodiments of the device  20  can be derived from the embodiments described above and still be covered under the present invention. For example, the preprinted text  32  and lines  36  can be positioned anywhere on the first side  21  of the scheduling device  20 , and the name text  132  and name line  136  can be placed on any of the previous embodiments of the device. Additionally, the timetable may include a single set of numbers from 1 to 24 (i.e., military time), to reduce any confusion caused between AM and PM times. Also, the device  20  can be designed in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as oval, square, or rectangular. Other alternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are within the intended scope of the present invention. Thus, the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.