Patent Publication Number: US-2007120358-A1

Title: Patient wristband form

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      Not applicable.  
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
      Not applicable.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to a printable form, and more particularly, to a form having a wristband that includes a plurality of detachable labels which may be printed with information in a single pass through a printer. The form may also include an additional plurality of labels which are printed at the same time. Other parts of the form may also be printed at the same time.  
      It is a common practice in hospitals to identify each patent with a bracelet or band bearing the patient&#39;s name or other identification information. The band is generally secured around the wrist of the patient so that hospital personnel can properly identify the patient whether or not the patient is conscious. Although this has been an effective method of identifying patients, many hospitals have had problems correlating patient information on specimens, drug prescriptions, physician&#39;s orders, etc. Clerical errors in the handling of such routine matters can result in dispensing the wrong medicine to a patient, or otherwise producing errors in patient treatment.  
      Several approaches have been taken to improve the correlation of patient information to various hospital forms. For example, Falla U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,947 teaches a pre-packaged patient identification kit which includes a wristband, a specimen container, and a label for attachment to a patient&#39;s record, all of which have been provided with identical patient information. Weichselbaum et el U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,112, teaches a patient identification system in which an identification bracelet secured to a patient is used to dispense a series of tags which are magnetically coded with patient information. However, this requires the use of a tag reader as well as circuitry which is capable of decoding the information on the tag.  
      Huddleston U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,472, discloses an improvement over such systems. In the preferred embodiment of this patent, a form having a face ply adhered to a liner ply by a pressure sensitive adhesive includes both a plurality of labels bearing patient specific identification information and a wristband having patient specific identification information. The form is printed in one pass. The wristband is applied to the patient and the balance of the form is kept with the patient&#39;s chart. The labels are removed from the form and used, as required, to label various items, e.g. blood samples, as belonging to or being associated with the patient in some manner. The drawback here, however, is that the form bearing the labels may be removed from the patient&#39;s chart and may then become disassociated with the patent.  
      Schintz U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,048 discloses another wristband form. In the wristband disclosed in this patent, the elongate strip making up the wristband includes adhesive contact portions and one or more laterally placed adhesive winged detents. The winged detents can be folded over one or more parts of the elongate strip to provide enhanced durability. In one configuration, a multi-ply sheet is defined by an elongate strip formable into a wristband and an array of labels. The labels are die cut into a first ply adhesively removable from a second ply. The sheet can be either an individual cut sheet, part of a continuous fan-folded form or part of a larger continuous roll. The form can be fed into a conventional automated printer to facilitate the placing of printed indicia on the wristband and labels.  
      In Chadwick U.S. Published App. 20040237366, filed May 28, 2004, a further patient wristband and form is disclosed. In the Chadwick application, an identification bracelet for use in a hospital is made of a strip of material that is resistant to common solvents and that has adhesive on a single end of the side of the strip opposite the printed side. The bracelet may be made from material that is printable by an office laser printer or from material that is printable by an ink jet printer that uses water-soluble inks. In the latter case, the material permits high-resolution printing and renders the printing resistant to wear and to common solvents.  
      Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an identification system which includes a wristband as well as an accompanying series of labels or tags which can be efficiently provided with correlating identification information, and which can be easily dispensed and used for a variety of applications.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention meets those needs by providing a form which includes one or more wristbands as well as a series of detachable labels that are carried by the wristband or wristbands. The form is printed in a single pass through a printer to provide unique patient identification information on both the wristband or wristbands and on one or more of the labels. The wristbands may be peeled away from the form and attached to the patient&#39;s wrist. The labels are removed from the wristbands as needed and applied to hospital forms, containers of medicine, and the like. The form may be printed using a variety of printers, including mechanical impact printers, direct thermal printers, thermal transfer printers, ink jet printers, and laser printers.  
      In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a form having one or more detachable labels and a wristband comprises a printable face sheet having first and second major surfaces and having a pressure sensitive adhesive on at least a portion of one surface thereof. The face sheet includes first and second adjacent portions. The first portion of the face sheet is die cut to form a detachable wristband having first and second ends and first and second sides. The wristband is die cut to form one or more labels carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive which may be removed from the balance of the wristband. The second portion of the face sheet may be die cut to form a series of detachable labels.  
      The form also includes a liner ply having first and second major surfaces. The liner ply includes a release coating on at least a portion of one surface and is adhered to the pressure sensitive adhesive on the first or second surface of the face ply. Preferably, the liner ply is coextensive with the face ply. The first portion of the face sheet may comprise a top ply having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a pressure sensitive adhesive on the lower surface of the top ply. A lower ply has an upper surface and a lower surface, with the upper surface of the lower ply having a release coating thereon. The first major surface of the face sheet includes printed indicia thereon. The printed indicia are patient specific, and are printed on the plurality of labels on the wristband and on the detachable labels on the second portion of the printable face sheet.  
      In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the first and second portions of the face sheet are separated and may comprise different materials. For example, the first portion of the face sheet may comprise a polymer such as polyester and the second portion of the face sheet may comprise paper. In an alternative embodiment, the entire face sheet may comprise a single type of material, such as paper or a polymer.  
      In another embodiment of the invention, the form includes a printable face sheet having first and second major surfaces and having a pressure sensitive adhesive on at least a portion of one surface thereof. The face sheet is die cut to form a detachable wristband having first and second ends and first and second sides. The wristband includes a plurality of labels carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive which may be removed from the balance of the wristband. The form further includes a liner ply having first and second major surfaces. The liner ply includes a release coating on at least a portion of one surface thereof and is adhered to the pressure sensitive adhesive on the first and second portions of the face sheet.  
      In another embodiment of the invention, the form includes a face sheet which is die cut to form a plurality of detachable wristbands, with at least one of the wristbands being die cut to form one or more labels carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive, and with at least one or more of the wristbands having no labels. The face sheet may be die cut to provide an additional series of detachable labels.  
      In yet another embodiment, a form has a plurality of detachable wristbands. The form includes a printable face sheet which is die cut to form the wristbands. At least one of the wristbands is die cut to form a plurality of labels carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive. At least one of the wristbands has no labels. A liner ply includes a release coating on at least a portion of one surface.  
      In yet another embodiment, a printable face sheet is die cut to form a detachable wristband. The wristband is die cut to form one or more labels carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive. A liner ply includes a release coating on at least a portion of one surface thereof. The liner ply is adhered to the pressure sensitive adhesive on the face sheet. The liner ply is die cut to form a portion of the detachable wristband beneath the labels.  
      Accordingly, it is a feature of the present invention to provide a form having detachable labels and a wristband that may be easily provided with information by printing in a single pass through a printer. This and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a top view of the form of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of the form, taken along line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 ;  
       FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the top sheet of the form, taken generally along line  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 4  is a top view of another form of the present invention, incorporating a plurality of wristbands.  
       FIG. 5  is a top view of another form of the present invention, incorporating a two ply construction; and  
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional side view of the form, taken generally along line  6 - 6  in  FIG. 5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
      Referring now to  FIGS. 1, 2  and  3 , the form  10 , constructed according to the present invention, includes a wristband  12  having first and second ends  30 ,  32  and first and second sides  36 ,  38 . The form also includes a series of detachable labels  14 . The form is separated into a first portion  16 , which contains the wristband  12 , and a second portion  18 , which contains the labels  14 . As described more fully below, the wristband  12  is die cut to form a plurality of labels  39 . Labels  14  and  39  all carry adhesive coatings.  
      The first and second portions  16  and  18  of the form  10  are printed with correlating printed indicia  40 , indicated as patient information. By correlating indicia, it is meant that information printed on the first portion  16  is the same as, or in some way is related to, the information printed on the second portion  18 . For example, the first and second portions may be printed with various information relating to a specific patient, or with the same information. In either event, however, all of the information relates to the same patient.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the form  10  comprises a printable face sheet  22  having a first major surface  22   a  and a second major surface  22   b  and a liner ply  24  having a first major surface  24   a  and a second major surface  24   b.  In this embodiment, the face sheet  22  in the first portion  16  is comprised of a different material than the face sheet  22  in the second portion  18 . The face sheet in portion  18  may preferably be comprised of paper. The face sheet  22  in portion  16  is of a somewhat more complicated in construction. The first portion  16  of the face sheet  22  comprises a top polymer ply  42  having an upper surface and a lower surface, a pressure sensitive adhesive  44  on the lower surface of the top polymer ply  42 , and a lower polymer ply  46  having an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface of the lower polymer ply  46  carries a release coating  48 . Although both plies  42  and  46  in this embodiment are preferably a polymer sheet material, other embodiments may use paper plies or plies of other suitable materials. Further, the upper and lower plies may be made of the same material, or of differing materials.  
      As shown in  FIG. 2 , the face sheet  22  is adhered to the liner ply  24  by a pressure sensitive adhesive  28  included on a portion of the second surface  22   b  of the face sheet  22 . The liner ply  24  includes a release coating  26  on one surface to allow the portions of the face sheet  22  to be peeled away from the liner ply  24 .  
      As will be noted, the face sheet  22  includes printed indicia  40  thereon, the printed indicia being patient specific and printed on the plurality of labels  39  on the wristband  12  and on the detachable labels  14  on the second portion  18  of the printable face sheet.  22 . The printed indicia may also appear on the wristband  12 , as at  41 , and on the top sheet  22 , as at  43 , in areas that are not part of the labels  14  and  39 . Further, if desired, the printed indicia may also appear on other parts of the face form  10 . Other printed matter, unrelated to the patient information, may also appear on the form  10 .  
       FIG. 3  shows portions of the second surface  22   b  of the face sheet which include pressure sensitive adhesive  28 . As illustrated in this figure, the pressure sensitive adhesive  28  is included in first portion  16  around the periphery of wristband  12 , and preferably on the first and second ends  30 ,  32  of the wristband. As may be apparent, however, adhesive  28  may be included on only one of the ends  30 ,  32 , if desired. In second portion  18 , the pressure sensitive adhesive is included in the area containing the detachable labels  14 . The pressure sensitive adhesive may be full coated or pattern coated as desired. For example, the pressure sensitive adhesive may be pattern coated on the form in a striped pattern. A plurality of labels  14  are shown on the second portion  18 . It will be appreciated, however, that only a single such label may be provided, if desired. Similarly, a series of labels  39  are shown on the wristband  12 , but only a single label may be provided if the particular application calls for such a construction.  
      In addition to the arrangement shown, it should be appreciated that the pressure sensitive adhesive may be included in a number of other arrangements and patterns on the second surface of the face sheet  22 , as required by the application. It should also be appreciated that the arrangement of the labels and the wristband or wristbands on the form may be varied. For example, the form may contain labels of different sizes, it may contain more than one wristband, and it may contain a different number of labels. In the event that the form includes multiple wristbands, some of those wristbands may carry labels, while others do not. All of the wristbands have patient information, however, that relate to the specific patient.  
      The form of the present invention may be produced as a continuous web product, or as a sheet product (as shown in  FIG. 1 ). In either configuration, the form is capable of being fed through a printer and printed in a single pass to add indicia  40  simultaneously on the wristband or wristbands, and on some or all of the labels  14  and  39 . The printed indicia may include both non-variable information (i. e., information which does not change from label to label) such as the hospital name, and variable information (i. e., information which is unique or specific to an individual and which changes from label to label) such as the patient&#39;s name and identification number. The face sheet  22  may be printed using a number of different automated printing devices including impact printers, ion deposition printers, ink jet printers, laser printers, direct thermal printers, and thermal transfer printers. If direct thermal printing is used, an imaging coating must be provided on the face sheet of the form.  
      In use, the wristband is peeled away from the liner ply and secured around the patient&#39;s wrist by the pressure sensitive adhesive on the ends of the wristband  10 . The balance of the form  10  is attached to the patient&#39;s chart and accompanies the patient. The labels  14  on the form may be removed, as needed, and adhered to containers of medicine, doctor&#39;s orders, patient specimens, or other forms by means of the pressure sensitive adhesive on the second surface of the face sheet. Further, in the event that the form  10  is unavailable, one of the labels  39  may be removed from the wristband  12 , and applied to the sample bottle, medicine bottle, specific patient form, or used in some other fashion.  
      Reference is made to  FIG. 4  which illustrates another embodiment according to the present invention. The form of  FIG. 4  is similar to that of  FIGS. 1-3 , with the exception that it includes three wristbands, designated  12   a,    12   b  and  12   c,  rather than a single wristband. The form is separated into a first portion  16  that contains the wristbands  12   a,    12   b  and  12   c,  and a second portion  18  that contains the labels  14 . The wristbands  12   b  and  12   c  are constructed in the same manner as wristband  12  in  FIG. 1 . Wristbands  12   b  and  12   c  include labels  39 , each of which includes patient information  40 . Wristbands  12   b  and  12   c  may also include patient information which is not printed on one of the labels  39 . Wristband  12   a  includes no labels, but does bear patient information  40  which may be the same as or more extensive than the patient information included on wristbands  12   b  and  12   c  and labels  14 . In use, typically all three wristbands are applied to the patient&#39;s wrist, permitting access to a greater number of labels  39 , and also allowing more patient information or additional patient information to be included on wristband  12   a.  It will be appreciated that any number of wristbands may be provided in the form, with one or more of the wristbands including labels  39 , and one or more of the wristbands not including labels.  
      Reference is made to  FIGS. 5 and 6  which illustrate another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a printable face sheet  50  has first and second major surfaces  52  and  54  and a pressure sensitive adhesive  56  on at least a portion of one surface. The wristband form has a liner  57  of paper or polymer material with first and second major surfaces  58  and  60 . The face sheet  50  is die cut to form a detachable wristband  62  having first and second ends  64  and  66 . The wristband  62  is die cut to form one or more labels  68  carrying a pressure sensitive adhesive  56 . The labels  56  may be removed from the balance of the wristband  62 . The liner  57  includes a release coating  70  on at least a portion of one surface  58  which is adhered to the pressure sensitive adhesive  56  on the face sheet  50 . The liner  57  is die cut at  72  and perforated at  74  and  76  so that it can form a portion of the detachable wristband beneath one or more of the labels  68 . The release coating  70  may not cover the entire surface  58  of the liner  57 . Areas  78 , for example, may be left without the release coating such that the face sheet  50  securely engages the liner  57 .  
      In use, after the wristband is printed in a single pass through a laser printer, ink jet printer, impact printer, thermal printer, or other known printer. The form, which is illustrated as a continuous form although it may also be used as a sheet form, is then separated at perforation lines  74  and  76 . The liner portion  80  is then removed, revealing adhesive  70  therebeneath. The wristband may then be wrapped around the patient&#39;s wrist and be secured in place as the exposed adhesive  70  is brought into contact with the top surface  52  of the wristband at end  66 . As described previously with respect to the other embodiments, the labels  68  may then be peeled from the wristband and attached to forms and specimen containers, as needed, to identify them as associated with the patient wearing the wristband.  
      While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for purposes of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in the methods and apparatus disclosed herein may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.