Abstract:
A wristband particularly suited for infants, has separate printable tag that may be threaded onto a wristband to provide a widened axial segment for clean printing and scanning of a barcode. The bar code is positioned to extend along the wrist so as to remain relatively flat on a wrist that may be a small as an adult&#39;s thumb.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application 60/671,340 filed Apr. 14, 2005 and hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
       [0002]     --  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention is related to identification wristbands and the like and, in, particular to a patient identification wristband tag suitable for pediatric use.  
         [0004]     Wristbands are commonly used within a hospital to ensure that patients are correctly identified for medical treatment. A computer-controlled printer, tied to a patient record system, may be used to print identification information directly on the surface of the wristband or on a label that may be affixed to the wristband.  
         [0005]     Some hospitals print a barcode, unique to the patient, onto the wristband, which may be scanned at the time medication is provided to the patient, either to automatically dispense the proper medication from a cart, or to ensure the proper medication container is selected by scanning a similar barcode on that container. Frequently in hospital environments patient identification wristbands are removed from the patients and require recreation and reapplication of a band with identifying patient information.  
         [0006]     When barcodes are printed around the circumference of the wristband, curvature of the wrist, particularly for infants, can interfere with reliable scanning of the barcode. The curvature of the wristband can obscure portions of the barcode, cause crimping of the bar code, and prevent the entire bar code from being positioned within a scanning plane. Shrinking the size of the bar code to fit on small wristbands may not be possible because of limits in printer and scanner resolution and may be impractical because of the susceptibly of small barcodes to damage or dirt.  
         [0007]     One solution to the problem of barcodes on wristbands for infants is to align the barcode along the axis of the wrist. Normally, this requires a wider than usual wristband that can interfere with movement by the infant, or the introduction of a wide section on the wristband to support the necessary length of the barcode. The latter type of wristband can be difficult to manufacture, and thus more expensive, and when printed directly by a printer, may require a special carrier for supporting the wristband during the printing process and a special type of clasp that is compatible with being passed through a printer. Special wristbands for infants can create problems in ordering and stocking wristbands in a hospital.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The present invention provides a wristband having a separate printable tag that may be threaded onto a wristband and which is suitable for providing a widened axial segment for clean printing and scanning of a barcode. When fully assembled, the bar code is positioned perpendicularly to the patient&#39;s appendage. The tags may be supplied on a roll or sheet, easily fed through a printer for printing multiple tags in a single pass for a single patient, and then removed as needed by means of perforations or partial die-cuts in the roll or sheet. The tags accept standard wristband straps and allow a single width of strap to be used with both infants and adults. The tags may be flexibly manufactured from a material that has high tensile strength and is non-absorbent, resistant to substances common to a health care environment, non-crimpable, hygienic, printable, able to be cut with rounded, non-irritating edges, latex free and not necessarily the same material used in the wristband straps. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view of an infant&#39;s wrist showing placement of a wristband strap on the infant securing a tag of the present invention;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a set of tags attached together on a carrier for printing showing die cuts defining the tags and slots within the tags and showing an example printing applied by a printer; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the tag when assembled to a standard wristband by threading the wristband through slots on either side of the tag prior to use on a patient. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0012]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the present invention provides a wristband  10  having a wristband strap  12  of standard design that may pass around the wrist  11  of the infant such as may be as small as the size of an adult thumb. The wristband strap  12  may include a clasp  30  such as an adhesive, snap, or crimp-type connector well known in the art and a tongue end  32  received by the clasps to form the wristband strap into a loop about the wrist  11  of adjustable diameter to accommodate wrists  11  of different sizes conforming closely to the wrist  11  preventing accidental removal. The clasp  30  and tongue end  32  attach to each other in a way so as to normally require cutting of the wristband strap  12  to remove the wristband  10 , however, the tag  14  may be reused with another wristband strap  12 , and affixed to the same patient. Suitable wristband straps  12  are well known in the art and available from a number of commercial suppliers.  
         [0013]     In the present invention, the wristband strap  12  holds a tag  14  that provides a widening along an axis  16  of the wrist  11  increasing a visible area for printed information  20  and increasing a substantially planar axial length upon which to print an axially oriented barcode  22 .  
         [0014]     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the tags  14  may be preferably manufactured of a strong, flexible and printable material  24  such as Valeron Strength Material, a white high-density polyolefin film material currently used for hunting tags, and available from ITW Company having a place of business in Houston, Tex. Multiple tags  14  may be cut from a single sheet or roll of material  24  using a die cutting process making a cut about a periphery  26  of the tags  14  while providing small uncut segments so as to hold the tags  14  into the sheet of material  24  until used.  
         [0015]     The material  24  around each tag  14  serves as a carrier for printing the tags  14  in a standard printer such as a thermal printer (not shown), for example, the Blaster Advantage, a thermal printer manufactured by Cognitive Solutions, Inc. of Golden, Colo. After printing of multiple tags  14 , the tags  14  may be broken free for use. A hole  36  may be placed in the material  24  outside of the area of the tags  14  to allow the multiple tags  14  carried by the material  24  to be attached to a patient chart or the like.  
         [0016]     Referring still to  FIG. 2 , each tag  14  may generally be rectangular in shape with rounded corners  15  and die cut slots  28  at two opposing sides of the rectangle flanking the printed information  20  of the tag  14  applied by the printer. The slots  28  may be completely die cut, and removed, or may be slits, for example in a C shape, having no removable center portion or chad. In one embodiment, the tags may be 1 inch wide and 1.75 inches long with the slots  28  separated by 1.19 inches.  
         [0017]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , after individual tag  14  is broken free, the wristband strap  12  may be threaded through the slots  28  to pass beneath the surface of the tag  14  so as not to obscure the printed information  20 .  
         [0018]     The slots  28  allow the wristband strap  12  to conform closely to the wrist  11  of the patient while providing some looseness of the tag  14  that can permit increased patient wrist mobility and comfort. The two slots  28  ensure that the tag  14  does not loosely dangle from the patient as may catch or be torn off, increasing patient safety.  
         [0019]     The printed information  20 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , may include a barcode  22  arranged to extend perpendicularly to the axis of separation of the slots  28 , so as to lie along the axis  16  of the wrist  11  when a wristband strap  12  is threaded through the slots  28 . The printed information  20 , such as includes the barcode  22  may include the patient&#39;s name, a Medical Record Number, Visit Number, and date of birth or other patient information desired by the hospital.  
         [0020]     A single tag  14  may be used with wristband straps  12  having different lengths suitable for different patients, or can be used with a longer wristband strap  12  that can be cut in length based on patient size requirements.  
         [0021]     It will be understood herein that the term “wristband” generally applies to bands for the arm or leg of a patient.  
         [0022]     It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims.