Blister sheet holder for the verification of the contents thereof

Embodiments of a holder for a blister sheet used to manage prescription pills are described herein. The holder solves the problem of limited space in filled blisters of a blister sheet during visual verification of the contents thereof by including a frame to receive the sheet in such a way that at least some of the blisters are positioned in close proximity to verification receptacles also provided on the holder to temporarily receive part of the blisters' content.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to pills management.

More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a blister sheet holder for the verification of the blister sheet's content.

It is known in the art of pills management and distribution to use container-defining sheet also called blister sheet. Such sheet includes cavities, arranged in line and columns, that represent moments in days and that can be filled with prescription pills for subsequent ordinate distribution to a user. The blister sheet is then sealed by a sheet that is inscribed with information pertaining to the pills in each cavity. The sealed blister sheet is such that, during distribution of the pills, each cavity can be conveniently detach.

In order to facilitate the filling and sealing operations by the professional, the blister sheet is mounted in a support or holder that is essentially provided to add stability to the blister sheet during these operations.

Examples of conventional blister sheet and support thereof are described in Canadian Patent No. 2,207,045, issued to Dispill Inc. in Jun. 1, 2009 and titled “Kit and Process for the Manufacture of a Set of Individual Pill Containers”.

In most jurisdictions, it is legally required that the pharmacist checks the content of the ampoules/blisters to ensure the adequacy of their filling. The conventional supports for blister sheets are not adapted to this duty of the professional pharmacists work.

Indeed, when a great number of pills are inserted in a single cavity, the professional has a hard time identifying and counting the pills therein. The professional checking the prescription in such a filled cavity is often forced to play hide and seek with the pills. This may lead to misidentification of pills and most of the time to a waste of time.

SUMMARY

An object of illustrated embodiments of a blister sheet holder is to provide means to improve the verification of the prescription pills contents in a blister sheet prior to its sealing.

Another object is to provide means to support a blister sheet and to ease the verification of its contents.

More specifically, the problem of limited space in filled blisters of a blister sheet during visually verifying the contents thereof is solved by using a holder to receive the sheet in such a way that at least some of the blisters are positioned in close proximity to verification receptacles provided on the holder to temporarily receive part of the blisters' content.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment, there is provided a blister sheet holder comprising:

a frame adapted for receiving a blister sheet; and

at least one verification receptacle adapted to receive part of a content of at least one blister of the blister sheet; the at least one verification receptacle being mounted to the frame in such a way as to be positioned in close proximity to the least one blister when the blister sheet is received in the frame.

The expression “blister sheet” is to be construed herein as a plurality of small containers assembled into a sheet, without restriction as to the material of the sheet or of the containers or how such a sheet is intended to be sealed or closed. The “blisters” should be construed herein as the containers included on the blister sheet.

The expression “receptacle” is to be construed herein to include a device, etching, engraving or groove portions of an object, or else, that is capable of receiving and holding one or more small objects, such as without restrictions medication pills.

Other objects, advantages and features will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of illustrative embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A holder10for a blister sheet12according to a first illustrative embodiment will be described with reference toFIGS. 1 to 2. According to the illustrated embodiment, the blister sheet12is of the type used for receiving and distributing prescription pills14.

The holder10comprises a frame16, two series of receptacles18integrally formed in the frame16and a foldable trestle20pivotably mounted to the frame16thereunder.

The frame16is generally rectangular in shape and defines a working surface21on the side thereof that includes the openings of the receptacles18. The working surface21of the frame16includes top22, bottom24and side portions26together defining a generally rectangular blister-sheet receiving opening28therebetween.

The configuration and size of the frame16is adapted to receive and support the blister sheet12. More specifically, the inner portion of the frame16includes a downwardly extending serrated flange30. The flange30is configured to receive the blister sheet12in a complementary way.

The flange30is provided with ridges32. The gap34between two of the ridges32defines a blister receiving portion. According to the illustrated embodiment, the blister sheet12includes a matrix of seven (7) rows by four (4) columns of blisters34and34′. The flange30includes ridges32on all its sides that are numbered and configured to complement the blisters34and34′. The frame30can of course be modified to accommodate a blister sheet having another configuration (not shown).

Depending for example on the configuration of the blister sheet12, the ridges32and/or flange30can be omitted. In such a case, the peripheral edge of the frame16around the blister-sheet receiving opening28provides sufficient contact with the blister sheet to restrict its movement therein.

However, it has been found that providing ridges32that define blister-receiving portions and that are configured to receive the blisters34-34′ in a snugly-fit manner greatly improves the stability of the sheet12in the holder10.

The top edge36of the flange30is recessed with regards to the side portions26of the frame16and with top and bottom portions22and24so as to define a shoulder38that is configured to circumscribe the peripheral edge42of a blister-sheet12when it is received in the opening28. The top edge36and shoulder38further contribute to stabilizing a blister sheet12mounted in the opening28.

It has been found that an opening28that is circumscribed by i) a flange30that is complimentary to the blister arrangement of the blister sheet12and ii) a peripheral recess36around the flange to receive the peripheral portion of the blister sheet flange37yields a blister-sheet receiving opening28that both circumscribes and stabilizes the sheet12in the holder10. This has been found advantageous when a sealing sheet (not shown) is fixed onto the blister sheet12to seal the blisters' openings.

The top portion22of the frame16includes an elongated groove44adjacent the top portion of the shoulder38. The groove44is configured and sized to complement the top edge of the blister sheet12. According to the illustrated embodiment, the top edge of the blister sheet12is defined by a tab46that extends throughout the width of the sheet12and that ends with two hooks48.

In the present, the expressions “top” and “bottom” are used with reference to the frame16to help distinguish between the portion further away from the user during normal use of the holder10(“top”) and the portion nearest the user (“bottom”).

Each side portion26of the frame16includes a series of oval-shaped recesses that define the receptacles18. The receptacles18are positioned in two columns, one on each side26of the frame16. The number and positions of the receptacles18within a column is such that each receptacle18is registered with a corresponding row of blisters34-34′ on the sheet12.

Each recess18has a depth that increases from a first side50of the recess18adjacent the shoulder38towards the opposite side52of the recess. More specifically, the first side50is generally leveled with the upper portion of the shoulder38so as to be generally leveled with the top surface or flange37of a sheet12mounted in the opening38. A peripheral ridge54is provided all around each receptacle18except on the first side50thereof. The advantageous configuration of the receptacles18will be further explained hereinbelow with reference to the operation of the holder10.

Returning to the configuration of the working surface21, the configuration and size of the top portion22of the frame16can be adapted to the size of the sheet (not shown) used to seal the blister sheet. More specifically, the top portion22is dimensioned to support an overdimensioned portion of the sealing sheet at the top thereof. Such an overdimensioned portion is used to add information pertaining to the blister sheet contents.

The bottom portion24of the working surface21includes a second groove56for receiving and storing a pill sorting tool58. The bottom portion24further includes a recessed portion60contiguous to the groove56to ease manual access to the tool58in the groove56.

The bottom portion24is recessed relative to the side portions26so as to yield a shoulder62that extends over the width of the frame16. The shoulder62allows minimizing inadvertent intrusion of the tool58when it is moved in or out of the groove56.

Turning now toFIGS. 2-4, the trestle20will now be described in more detail.

The trestle20is in the form of an elongated C-shaped member that includes a rod64having a rectangular section for resting on a surface (not shown) and two connecting arms66that integrally extend from the rod perpendicularly therefrom. The distal ends of the arms66are provided with pivot pins68that allow detachably mounting the arms66in holes69provided under the frame16so as to allow pivotal movements of the arms relative to the frame16. The holes69are located in fins71that extends from the flange30adjacent the flange30under the top portion22of the frame16. The trestle66is therefore pivotally mounted to the frame16for movement between folded and deployed positions relative to the frame16.

As can be seen inFIG. 3, which illustrates the deployed position of the trestle20, each of its arms66includes a notch70that abuts onto the flange30and blocks the pivoting movement of the trestle20in its deployed position. The arms66then define an angle of about seventy (70) degrees with the frame16. This tilts the frame16to about ten (10) degrees. Such tilting of the frame16by raising its top portion22has been found to ease the filling and then content verification of the blisters34-34′. Moreover, tilting the arms66towards the flange30improves the stability of the holder10during its use.

The arms66of the trestle20are configured and sized so as to become an extension of the flange30under the top portion22of the frame16when the trestle20is tilted to its folded position (seeFIG. 4).

A holder according to another embodiment can be configured so that the trestle tilts the frame to a different angle than the one illustrated. According to still another embodiment, the trestle20is omitted. According to this last embodiment, the flange30or other portions or members under the frame16can be provided to raise the top portion of the frame relative the bottom portion thereof.

FIG. 5illustrates the holder10with a blister sheet12mounted thereinto. As mentioned hereinabove, the frame16can be modified to receive a blister sheet having a different configuration (not shown) then the one illustrated.

As can be seen inFIG. 6, the receptacles18are filled with a certain number of pills14that can have different colors, sizes and shapes, as determined for example by a prescription. The illustrated embodiment of a blister sheet12is configured with seven (7) rows, one for each day of the week, and four (4) column, each for a different moment in day, such as morning, lunch, dinner and night.

As is often the case for an elder, the morning and night prescriptions usually include an important number of pills14or bigger pills compared to other moments of the day. Using for example the tool58, the pharmacist or another authorized professional (both not shown), can transfer part of a blister34′ from a first or last column of the blister sheet12into the receptacle18which is adjacent thereof (see arrows72). This is illustrated inFIG. 6. As a person skilled in the art would appreciate, the verification process becomes easier in such a blister34′ that has been relieved of part of its content. Part of a blister34from the middle of the sheet12can also be transferred into one of the receptacles18during the verification step.

The risk of losing one of the pills14during the transfer from a blister34′ into the adjacent receptacle18is minimized by the close proximity of the receptacles18to adjacent blisters and by the side of the receptacle18adjacent the blisters being generally leveled with the blisters flange37. Also, the transfer back of pills from a receptacle18to an adjacent blister34′ is facilitated by the receptacle inner surface being smooth, i.e. free of any edge.

Since filling and sealing blisters are believed to be well-known in the art, those steps in the managing of a prescription will not be described herein in more detail for concision purposes.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the frame16is one-piece and results from a moulded process. Since such moulding processes are believed to be well-known in the art, they will not be described herein in more detail for concision purposes. The holder10can be made of a polymeric material such as polypropylene, abs (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), polystyrene plastic or of another material or combination of materials that provides rigidity to the frame16.

The receptacles18are not limited to be integral to the frame16. Also, the frame16can be assembled from parts and/or the receptacles18can be attached to the frame16. According to another embodiment, the receptacles are removably mounted to the frame.

It is to be noted that other modifications could be made to the holder10described hereinabove, for example:the blister sheet receiving portion28of the frame16is not limited to the rectangular shape and is generally configured to complement the peripheral shape of the blister sheets so as to prevent movement of the blister sheet relative to the frame;the receptacles are not limited to the illustrated oval shape. They can be round, rectangular, teardrop shaped, irregular, etc.;the receptacles are also not limited to having a smooth surface therein;the number, dimensions, and positions of the receptacles18are not limited to the illustrated embodiment. For example, the frame16can be modified to include verification receptacles above and below the blister-sheet receiving opening28. In the case of receptacles being provided above the blister-sheet receiving opening, such receptacles can be provided above the groove44;the holder is not limited to receiving a blister-sheet intended to receive pills therein. More generally, it can be used for receiving a blister-sheet that receives other small objects or matter whose number and/or nature require a verification.

It is to be understood that the holder for blister sheets is not limited in its application to the details of construction and parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described hereinabove. The holder is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced in various ways. It is also to be understood that the phraseology or terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation. Hence, although the holder for blister sheets has been described hereinabove by way of illustrative embodiments thereof, it can be modified, without departing from the spirit, scope and nature of the subject invention.