Device and method for administering medicine

A device for administering medicine to a person includes a housing that supports an edible carrier. An element is disposed within the edible carrier for forming a recess within the edible carrier when the element and edible carrier are separated. The method includes the steps of forming the recess within the edible carrier, placing medicine within the recess, and administering the edible carrier and medicine combination to the recipient. The edible carrier provides lubrication and a pleasant taste to the person receiving the medicine. The housing may be in the form a spoon with the edible carrier sealed to the spoon.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

1. Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to devices and methods for administering medicine. Specifically, the disclosure relates to a device for forming a recess in an edible carrier wherein medicine is placed in the recess and the edible carrier combined with the medicine are delivered to the person who needs the medicine. The device is used to help adults and children who have difficulties swallowing pills and capsules

2. Background Information

Many adults and children have difficulties swallowing pills and capsules. This problem is of special concern in nursing homes and other health care facilities where a limited number of professionals have the responsibility to administer medicine to a large number of people. A single patient may need to take multiple prescriptions each day at different times. In this setting, repeated small delays in administering each item of medicine combine to significantly reduce the efficiency of the facility. Some patients with dry mouths or dry throats can generate a large delay in medicine delivery. Just a few large delays each day creates a significant impact on the efficiency of the facility. In an exemplary nursing facility of 100 residents taking medicine three times per day, a five minute delay in 50 percent of the medicine deliveries consumes over twelve hours of nursing time per day. This cost of medicine deliver is enlarged as more and more ailments are treated through prescriptions and when the nurse administering the medicine must ensure the resident has taken the medicine. The same costs are seen in hospitals. These industries thus desire an efficient mechanism and method for administering medicine to patients who have difficulties with swallowing pills in the traditional manner.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosure provides a plurality of different devices and different methods for administering medicine to a recipient.

In general, the device includes a housing that supports an edible carrier. An element is disposed within the edible carrier for forming a recess within the edible carrier when the element and edible carrier are separated. The method includes the steps of forming the recess within the edible carrier, placing medicine within the recess, and administering the edible carrier and medicine combination to the recipient. The method includes the steps of either adding the medicine to the edible carrier when the edible carrier is held within the housing or after the edible carrier is removed from the housing.

One exemplary configuration of the disclosure provides a housing that includes a base that holds the edible carrier and a cover that is releasably connected to the base. A probe element extends through the cover into the edible carrier. The portion of the probe element disposed within the base is substantially surrounded by the edible carrier. The edible carrier may be an edible gelatinous substance made from gelatin, water, and optionally sweetener, flavoring, and/or coloring. The user twists the probe element about its longitudinal axis to break any connection between the edible carrier and the probe element. The user may then pull the probe element straight out of the housing along the longitudinal axis of the probe element to define a recess in the edible carrier. The user then removes the cover and adds the medicine into the recess such that the medicine is substantially encapsulated by the material of the edible carrier. The user then squeezes the edible carrier from the base into a spoon or the recipient's hand wherein it can be placed on the user's tongue and then swallowed. The opening of the recess in the edible carrier should be directed towards the front of the recipient's mouth when the edible carrier is placed on the tongue. The edible carrier may be configured to have a pleasant taste and provides lubrication for the medicine.

Another exemplary configuration of the disclosure provides a housing that includes at least first and second portions that surround an edible carrier. A probe element is connected to the second portion of the housing such that when the second portion of the housing is removed from the first portion of the housing, the probe element is pulled from the edible carrier to define a recess within the edible carrier. The user may then insert medicine into the recess and administer the edible carrier to the recipient.

A further exemplary configuration of the disclosure provides a housing in the form of a spoon such that the housing itself may be used to administer the edible carrier and medicine to the recipient. The housing may thus include an elongated handle. The handle may include a recess or slot that helps the user load the medicine into the edible carrier.

The disclosure provides a housing member for the edible carrier that is deformable or crushable to assist the user in removing the edible carrier from the housing. The housing may be coated with a release layer that helps the edible carrier release from the housing.

The disclosure also provides a housing that carries the element such that the recess is formed in the edible carrier when the edible carrier is removed from the housing.

The disclosure provides a housing having a removable portion that is connected to an element that forms a recess within an edible carrier when the removable portion is removed from the housing. The removable portion may be a lid, a container half, or a peelable seal.

The edible carrier may be a traditional gelatin dessert composition. Alternatively, the edible carrier may be configured to be stable at room temperature for long periods of time. The edible carrier may be provided in different colors and favors. The edible carrier may be provided in different edible compositions.

The disclosure provides that a plurality of the devices may be connected and provided to the users in sheets, trays or rolls. The individual devices may be numbered with times, dates, names, room numbers, patient identification numbers, or consecutive numbering such that the user may conveniently use the devices with a plurality of recipients or so that a single recipient may track when the medicine has been taken. For example, the connected devices may be provided in an array of seven by three wherein the recipient needs to take medicine three times per day each day of the week.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

The exemplary device configurations depicted in the accompanying drawings are generally indicated by the reference numeral10. Each device10is used to provide an edible carrier12that is used to administer medicine to a recipient. The medicine20used with edible carrier12is a single or a plurality of dry pills, a single or a plurality of caplets, a single or a plurality of capsules, a single or a plurality of gel tabs, a powdered dose, or essentially any other form of medicine that may be placed in another carrier. The disclosure also provides methods for administering medicine to the recipient by using edible carrier12and methods of using device10.

Each configuration of device10includes a housing14that supports edible carrier12in a manner that allows edible carrier12to be readily removed from housing14. Housing14is provided in different shapes and sizes including a spoon-shaped housing and a pocket-shaped housing. At least a portion of an element16is disposed within edible carrier12for forming a recess18within edible carrier12when element16and edible carrier12are separated. The method includes the steps of forming a recess18within edible carrier12, placing medicine20within recess18, and administering edible carrier12and medicine20combination to the recipient. The method includes the steps of either adding medicine20to edible carrier12when edible carrier12is held within or on housing14or after edible carrier12is removed from housing14.

Edible carrier12is formed from an edible material that is easy to swallow and has a self-supporting body capable of defining recess18and maintaining its shape about medicine20for long enough for medicine20to be swallowed by the recipient. Edible carrier12may be provided in the form of an edible gelatinous dessert substance made from gelatin, water, and optionally sweetener, flavoring, and/or coloring. Edible carrier12may be formed a variety of the products sold by Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC under the Federally-registered trademark JELL-O®. Edible carrier12may be a traditional gelatin-based dessert composition. The amount of water used to form carrier12partially controls the density of the carrier. Edible carrier12may be configured to be stable at room temperature for long periods of time. Edible carrier12may be provided in different colors and favors. Edible carrier12also may be provided in compositions that are not gelatin-based such as an edible polymer-based substance. Edible carrier12may be configured to have a pleasant taste and provides lubrication for assisting the recipient in swallowing medicine20.

A first exemplary configuration of the device and method is illustrated inFIGS. 1-3wherein device10includes housing14that defines a cup-shaped base30that holds edible carrier12and a cover32that is releasably connected to base30. Cup-shaped base30may be formed from a thin plastic material and may be vacuum formed. In this form, base30is deformable such that the user can crush or pinch base30to squeeze or push edible carrier12from base30. The inner surface of base30may be coated with a material that helps edible carrier12slide from base30.

Cover32may be secured to base with an adhesive. Cover32may be a plastic, a coated paper, or a foil. Probe element16extends through cover32into edible carrier12. A portion of probe element16extends outwardly from cover32so that the user may grasp and twist probe element16about its longitudinal axis to break any connection between the material of edible carrier12and probe16. The user may then pull probe element16straight out of housing14through cover32along the longitudinal axis of probe element16to define recess18in edible carrier12as depicted inFIG. 2. The user then adds medicine to recess18either before or after cover32is removed. In this condition, medicine20is substantially encapsulated by the material of edible carrier12. The user then squeezes edible carrier12from base30or pushes the bottom of base30to eject edible carrier12into a spoon (FIG. 3) or the recipient's hand wherein it can be placed on the user's tongue and then swallowed. The opening of recess18defined by edible carrier12should be directed towards the front of the recipient's mouth when edible carrier12is placed on the tongue.

Another exemplary configuration of device10is depicted inFIGS. 4-8wherein housing14includes at least first50and second52portions that surround edible carrier12. Probe element16is connected to second portion52of housing14such that when second portion52of housing14is moved with respect to first portion50, probe element16is pulled from edible carrier12to define recess18within edible carrier12. The user may then insert medicine20into recess18and administer edible carrier12to the recipient. Second portion52may be pivoted with respect to first portion50as depicted inFIG. 5. Second portion52also may be slid or rotated with respect to first portion50to move probe16to form recess18. Housing14may be formed from a release-coated thin plastic material that is readily deformable so that the user may eject edible carrier12from housing14with little effort.FIG. 7shows how one may squeeze edible carrier12to open recess18to accept medicine20.FIG. 8shows the edible carrier12removed from first portion50into a spoon for delivery to the person taking the medicine. Again, the opening of recess18is to be positioned so that it faces the front of the mouth when delivered to the person.

A further exemplary configuration of device10is depicted inFIG. 9wherein housing14is provided in the form of an integrated spoon such that a portion of the housing14itself may be used to administer edible carrier12and medicine20to the recipient. In this configuration, housing14is in the form of a spoon70with edible carrier12carried by the head72of the spoon70. Housing14includes an elongated handle74provided with ridges76for gripping. Probe element16extends from edible carrier12and may be aligned with housing14such as the handle74. In the exemplary configuration, handle74supports probe element16that extends from edible carrier12. This portion of probe element16is seated in a groove78defined by handle74and probe element16may be slid back and forth within this groove78. A seal80is disposed over edible carrier12and at least a portion of probe element16to protect edible carrier12until it is used. Seal80can be disposed just over the top of edible carrier12or disposed entirely around edible carrier12and spoon head72. Seal80is made from any of a variety of known sealing materials such as a plastic, a foil, or a treated or coated paper.

Probe element16is used to form the recess in edible carrier12as described above. The user twists or pivots probe16back and forth and pulls probe element16back along handle groove78or tilts it up away from handle74and pulls it out of edible carrier12. Once probe element16is removed, medicine20is placed in grove78and pushed into the recess defined in edible carrier12. The end of probe element16may be used to push the medicine into edible carrier12. Groove78helps position medicine20for loading into edible carrier12.

FIGS. 10 and 11depict a configuration wherein the spoon is sealed within a secondary seal84that protects the entire device10during storage and shipping. Seals84may be joined to form a roll or an array of devices10as shown inFIG. 12wherein a roll is configured for a week. Information86is provided on the end of the roll and each device is labeled with a day of the week.

FIG. 11depicts an alternative seal for the spoon head72wherein a tab88is defined by weakened areas of seal80. Tab88is pulled back to provide a grip that allows the remainder of seal80to be removed from the spoon. The weakened areas extend from one edge to another edge of seal80so that seal80is peeled all the way across edible carrier12before it is used to pull the remaining portion of seal80off of housing14. Tab88may be used with the sealing configurations ofFIGS. 9 and 10.

Another configuration of housing14includes one wherein probe16is not detached from housing14. In this example, probe16is disposed in edible carrier12until carrier12is removed from housing14. When removed from housing14, carrier12is slid off of probe16to form recess18.

Another configuration for each of these embodiments is wherein probe16is hollow to allow the material that forms edible carrier12to be introduced to housing through probe16.

A plurality of the devices10may be connected together to form a strip or array of devices10(shown for example inFIG. 12). These may be rolled for convenience. The individual devices10may be numbered with times, dates, names, room numbers, patient identification numbers, or consecutive numbering such that the user may conveniently use devices10with a plurality of recipients or so that a single recipient may track when the medicine has been taken. For example, devices10may be provided in an array of seven by three wherein the recipient needs to take medicine three times per day each day of the week.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes and are intended to be broadly construed. Moreover, the descriptions and illustrations are examples and the invention is not limited to the exact details shown or described. Throughout the description and claims of this specification the words “comprise” and “include” as well as variations of those words, such as “comprises,” “includes,” “comprising,” and “including” are not intended to exclude additives, components, integers, or steps.