Abstract:
A system for providing medication in an edible frozen form consists of a popsicle mold, a popsicle holder with a core stick, handle and drip guard, and a liquid mixture containing sweeteners, edible colorants, and flavorings which is individually mixed with medication for each popsicle in order to add a custom flavoring to mask the taste of the medicine and encourage consumption by children. The system also includes a mixing implement and storage for the mixing implement incorporated into the popsicle mold, writable and erasable areas on the mold where information particularly relevant to the medicine type, dosage and administration schedule can be written and then changed as needed, an erasable writing implement, and storage for the writing implement incorporated into the popsicle mold.

Description:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0001]    N/A 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to systems for making medicated popsicles in order to encourage children to consume prescribed or otherwise indicated medications. 
         [0003]    Children may be reluctant to take required medication for a variety of reasons. The inherent taste of the medication may be displeasing, the flavorings used to conceal the inherent taste of the medication may be displeasing or have negative associations, the color may be displeasing, the mouth feel of the liquid may be displeasing, or the child may simply distrust anything being served on a spoon. Alternate forms in which to serve medication, particularly ones that children will have strongly positive associations with, are clearly of value. 
         [0004]    Children generally like popsicles, which have the additional benefit of being soothing to sore throats. Medicated popsicles are an available retail item for a very limited number of medicines, and in a very limited number of flavors. Examples of these include freezer pops sold under the trademarks “Benylin” and “Pedialyte”. The former is available in only three flavors and the latter is available in only four flavors. These freezer pops also address only a narrow range of children&#39;s medicines. Further, a sick child may well be even more picky about what they&#39;ll eat than a healthy child, and the very limited number of flavors does not offer a sufficiently broad solution. 
         [0005]    There are also numerous commercially available home-made popsicle kits with molds and popsicle sticks or holders, where fruit juice or other edible liquids may be poured in and frozen in a home freezer. However, these juices and liquids generally do not include the sort of concentrated flavorings which may be needed to sufficiently disguise the taste of particular medications, or the sort of bright colors which children may associate with popsicles as a festive treat. These kits also do not include any means for labeling directly on the popsicle mold what sort of medication is contained, the concentration, the flavoring, or when the mixture was prepared or served. Further, the size popsicles produced by these kits are significantly larger in volume than what is needed to provide a dose of medication plus sufficient amounts of colorants and flavorings. 
         [0006]    There are several frozen medication mixture systems which bear discussion. For instance, U.S. Pub. No. 20080181934 entitled “Novel enhanced medicinal delivery system processes and products thereby especially useful for children” published Jun. 5, 2008, teaches the administering of medications particularly to children in the form of “gelatins and candies”. This publication also teaches the home mixing of medication with the modifying agents. The system further includes an embodiment wherein a dose of medication is combined with texturing, flavoring and sweetening agents and then frozen to be served as a medicated popsicle. However, there is an explicit requirement to include gel-type texturing agents thus complicating attempts at successful home formulation if additive concentrations are modified. Additionally, the publication does not teach anything about a suitable popsicle forming container, popsicle holder or means for recording data relevant to the medication dose. 
         [0007]    Another example of a medicated popsicle is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,468 entitled “Frozen aqueous solution with nutrients method of packaging and utilizing the same” filed Aug. 5, 1999 which teaches “a tasty means for taking a pre-measured dose of a medicine” which in all embodiments is pre-mixed. The storage and dispensing means taught is a “sealable plastic container” which is described as preferably a “releasably sealable long, slender plastic package” that is essentially a tubular bag made of flexible plastic film. The &#39;468 patent does not teach a reusable container for freezing a popsicle, nor popsicle holder or means for recording data relevant to the medication dose, nor does it teach the home mixing of conventional store-bought medication with flavorings, wherein the caregiver and patient can select the specific mixture of flavorings. 
         [0008]    Yet another example of a medicated popsicle is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,915 entitled “Frozen oral medication delivery system and method” filed Dec. 20, 1993 which teaches several embodiments of an “oral medication delivery system for administering . . . in a frozen form” thus producing and administering a medicated popsicle. These embodiments include a pre-mixed flavored medication requiring shaking to improve even dispersion immediately prior to freezing, and two embodiments of a pre-measured two part dose of powdered medicine and liquid to provide flavoring and sweetening, the two parts being mixed immediately prior to freezing. For all embodiments the use of a sealable container is taught, with various methods of unsealing. The &#39;915 patent does not teach a reusable container for freezing a popsicle, nor popsicle handle or means for recording data relevant to the medication dose, nor does it teach the home mixing of conventional store-bought medication with flavorings, wherein the caregiver and patient can select the specific mixture of flavorings. 
         [0009]    A need exists, therefore, for a system and method of delivering doses of medication in frozen popsicle form wherein the flavor of the medication is masked by flavors more pleasing to children, the size of the popsicle is suitable for a child&#39;s dose of medication, the included popsicle handles are easy and convenient to use, and the system includes convenient means for recording information including medication type, dosage and time of administering. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    In accordance with the present invention, a system for providing medication in an edible frozen form consists of a popsicle mold with at least one compartment for releasably holding a popsicle, a core stick for insertion into the compartment so that the popsicle may be frozen around the core stick, and a liquid mixture containing sweeteners, edible colorants, and flavorings which is individually mixed with medication for each popsicle in order to add a custom blend of edible colorants and flavorings to the medication. 
         [0011]    Further, the system preferably includes a handle and drip guard attached to the core stick, a mixing implement consisting of a rod, paddle, whisk, spoon or a functional combination of such forms, a storage means for retaining the mixing implement incorporated into the popsicle mold, a writable and erasable area on the mold where information particularly relevant to the medicine type, dosage and administration schedule can be written, an erasable writing implement, and a storage means for retaining the writing implement incorporated into the popsicle mold. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    A more complete understanding of the invention and its advantages will be apparent from the detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a prior art popsicle mold; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a Medifreeze popsicle mold with writing implement and mixing implement; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a Medifreeze popsicle holder; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a Medifreeze popsicle mold with popsicle holders inserted; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is an isometric view of popsicle frozen material on the popsicle holder. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a prior art popsicle mold  10  is composed primarily of a series of compartments  12  joined by a mold top surface  14 . The compartments  12  as shown are rectangular in cross section but many other compartment shapes are well known in the art and are viewed as being functionally equivalent. The compartments are tapered to facilitate easy release of the popsicles and for ease in manufacturing. The compartments  12  are filled with an edible liquid mixture, a core stick is inserted to facilitate manipulation of the popsicle, and the mold is placed in a freezer to freeze the mixture and produce a popsicle. The core stick generally is part of a popsicle holder which in some home-use products includes a discrete handle and a drip guard which may also act to position or register the popsicle holder in relation to the compartment. Some home-use popsicle molds use other means to position a core stick in relation to the compartment, including a cover sheet with holes for the core sticks to protrude through. Generally the popsicle mold and popsicle holder are made of injection molded plastic, although some popsicle molds available for home use have at least some components made from metals such as food-grade aluminum or stainless steel. 
         [0019]    A Medifreeze popsicle mold  20  is shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown, there are preferably four compartments  12  since pediatric medication is generally administered no more than four times in one day. Each compartment  12  is approximately 2 inches in depth and approximately 1.25 inches in width at the opening, tapering inwards towards the bottom of the compartment to facilitate removal of the frozen popsicle. While the compartment  12  as shown is a tapered cylinder, any shape that is practical to manufacture that will produce a usable popsicle can be seen as within the scope of the invention. The preferred volume of each popsicle is approximately in the range of 30 mL to 40 mL, although a volume range from 25 mL to 60 mL is within the scope of the invention. Smaller volumes than this range are impractical for adequately masking the flavor of a medication dose, and larger volumes than this range will produce a popsicle sufficiently large that a small child may have difficulty finishing it quickly enough. Large popsicles run the risk of partial waste and loss due to excessive melting and possibly breaking apart. Each compartment  12  has an erasable writing area  30  where information such as medicine type, medicine dose, flavoring type, date of freezing, date of administering and time of administering can be written. Since the writing area is erasable, this information can be continuously modified with each successive use of the mold  20 . Preferably, the erasable writing area  30  is formed directly into the body of the mold  20 . 
         [0020]    An erasable writing implement  22  is preferably included along with the mold  20 , and a writing implement holder  24  or other mechanical feature for storing the writing implement  22  is also preferably incorporated into the body of the mold  20 . As illustrated herein the writing implement holder  24  is formed into the top surface  14  of the mold  20 . The erasable writing implement  22  may be any suitable type of pencil, pen, crayon, marker or any other variety of writing or marking device whose marks can be repeatedly removed after being applied to the erasable writing area  30 . 
         [0021]    A mixing implement  26  is preferably included along with the mold  20 , allowing easy mixing of the medication and flavorings. The mixing implement  26  is preferably in the form of a spoon, although the form of a rod, paddle, whisk, spoon or any other form incorporating elements of one or more of these functional shapes is acceptable as a mixing implement  26 . A mixing implement holder  28  or other mechanical feature for storing the mixing implement  26  is also preferably incorporated into the body of the mold  20 . As illustrated herein the mixing implement holder  28  is formed into the top surface  14  of the mold  20 . 
         [0022]    The flavorings are preferably provided in premixed sealed packets, each containing a mixture of natural sweeteners, flavors and colors. Each flavor packet contains an individual dose for flavoring one popsicle. While a limited number of flavors may be provided in premixed form, in use the different premixed flavors may be combined in varying proportions to produce a far larger number of flavor combinations, thus further broadening the appeal of the medicated popsicles to children. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a popsicle holder  40 .  FIG. 5  shows an entire popsicle  50  consisting of a popsicle holder  40  and frozen material  52 . The popsicle holder  40  preferably comprises a handle  44 , a core stick  42  with a retainer  48 , and a drip guard  46 . The core stick  42  and retainer  48  serve to anchor the frozen material  52  in place. The core stick  42  as shown extends approximately 1 inch into the frozen material, and the retainer is approximately centered within the volume of the frozen material. The handle  44  is formed as an open oval with internal dimensions preferably about 1.5 inches wide and 2.5 inches long to provide an easy grip for a child&#39;s hand. The drip guard  46  is preferably about 1.5 inches in diameter with an angled lip to retain any drips from the melting frozen material  52 . If the compartment  12  is a shape other than round, the drip guard  46  is preferably of a shape to match that of the compartment  12 . The retainer  48  may be any feature or features which produce a suitable mechanical interference between the core stick  42  and the frozen material  52 , without interfering with the consumption of the frozen material  52 . 
         [0024]    The entire Medifreeze popsicle system is shown in  FIG. 4  with the popsicle holders  40  inserted into the compartments  12  in the mold  20 . Preferably the system includes mechanical features to align the popsicle holders  40  with the compartments  12  in order to produce popsicles symmetrically formed around the core sticks  42 . Such mechanical features are well known in the art and include but are not limited to ridges, recesses, walls, pins, slots and tabs. 
         [0025]    The Medifreeze popsicle system is used as follows: A dose of medication is measured into one compartment  12 . Up to four doses can be measured out at once, assuming all four compartments  12  are empty. The contents of a flavor packet is then poured into the compartment  12  and mixed with the medication using the included mixing implement  26 . The mixing implement  26  is then cleaned and put back in the mixing implement holder  28 . A popsicle holder  40  is placed on top of the compartment  12  with the core stick  42  submerged in the liquid mixture. The type and dose of medication are recorded on the erasable writing area  30  for that compartment  12  using the writing implement  22  which is then returned to the writing implement holder  24 , and the mold  20  is placed in a freezer. This procedure can be followed for each empty compartment  12 . When the liquid mixture is frozen and the popsicle  50  is ready to be administered, the time of administration is recorded on the erasable writing area  30 . When the popsicle mold  20  is ready for cleaning and reuse, the written information is erased from the erasable writing areas  30 . 
         [0026]    Preferably the popsicle mold  20 , the popsicle holder  40  and the mixing implement  26  are made from an inexpensive and readily available injection molded plastic such as polyethylene or polypropylene, although any injection moldable food-grade, freezer-safe polymer can be used. Preferably the erasable writing area  30  is formed by molding in texture to selected portions of the popsicle mold  20 . 
         [0027]    An alternate embodiment of the popsicle mold has removable compartments, thus permitting separate freezer storage of the popsicles without having to remove the popsicles from the mold compartments. 
         [0028]    Another alternate embodiment of the popsicle mold has erasable writable areas on removable compartments. 
         [0029]    Yet another alternate embodiment of the popsicle mold has erasable writable areas on the popsicle holders. 
         [0030]    A further alternate embodiment of the popsicle mold and popsicle handle uses metal or other non-polymer materials for at least portions of the components so long as they are food-grade and freezer safe. 
         [0031]    Still another alternate embodiment of the popsicle mold provides more or fewer than four compartments. 
         [0032]    Yet another further alternate embodiment of the Medifreeze popsicle system uses replaceable erasable inserts for the writing areas. 
         [0033]    An additional alternate embodiment of the Medifreeze popsicle system uses replaceable inserts for the writing areas. 
         [0034]    Still another further alternate embodiment of the Medifreeze popsicle system uses an elongated core stick as the popsicle holder, without any discrete handle or any drip guard. 
         [0035]    Still yet another further alternate embodiment of the Medifreeze popsicle system incorporates permanent text adjacent to or within the erasable writable areas, where this permanent text preferably includes data field titles such as medicine type, medicine dose, flavoring type, date of freezing, date of administering and time of administering. 
         [0036]    Having described herein illustrative embodiments of the present invention, persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate various other features and advantages of the invention apart from those specifically described above. It should therefore be understood that the foregoing is only illustrative of the principles of the invention, and that various modifications and additions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the appended claims shall not be limited by the particular features that have been shown and described, but shall be construed also to cover any obvious modifications and equivalents thereof.