Medication aids and methods for creating them

Abstract

The objective is to provide a medication dispensing aid that is easy to use and easy to manufacture. [Solution] The solution consists of a transparent or translucent sheet body 1 that is folded in half along a single fold line 2. The sheet body 1 comprises first and second sheet parts 3 and 4 of the same shape separated by the fold line 2, a drug delivery part 5 located at the tip end of the fold line 2 which is inserted into the user's mouth, and a drug holding part 6 located at the base end of the fold line 2 which is the other end of the fold line 2, and which holds the drug between the first and second sheet parts 3 and 4. The width W1 of the drug delivery part 5 in the direction perpendicular to the fold line 2 is smaller than the width W2 of the drug holding part 6 in the direction perpendicular to the fold line 2. The outer circumference of the drug delivery part 5 has no protrusions, and the outer circumference of the part of the drug delivery part 5 facing the fold line 2 at the tip end is an arc 5a.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a dosing aid used when taking medicine.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, powdered medicine received at a hospital or pharmacy may be delivered in a sealed bag. When taking the medicine, one end of the bag is torn open, and the medicine is put into the mouth through the opening. However, when one end of the bag cannot be neatly torn, the medicine may not be successfully put into the mouth. In particular, it is even more difficult for others to administer medicine to those who cannot take medicine by themselves, such as patients and infants.

[0003] Therefore, dosing aids as described in Patent Documents 1 to 3 have also been considered.

[0004] All of these are used after forming a three-dimensional shape by using fold lines or cuts on a flat sheet. In a flat state, they can be carried without taking up much space, and when in use, they can hold the medicine so that it does not spill.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] All of the above conventional dosing holders must create a three-dimensional shape by using fold lines or cuts during use. Some of them are difficult to assemble and have the problem of taking a long time to create.

[0007] Furthermore, if not properly prepared, the container could lose its shape during use, causing the medication to spill.

[0008] The objective of this invention is to provide a medication dispensing aid that is easy for both the user and others to use, and is also easy to manufacture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The first invention consists of a transparent or translucent sheet body folded in half along a single fold line, the sheet body comprising first and second sheet sections of the same shape separated by the fold line, a drug delivery section at the tip end of the fold line which is inserted into the user's mouth, and a drug holding section located at the base end of the fold line which is the other end of the fold line, and holding the drug between the first and second sheet sections, wherein the width of the drug delivery section in the direction perpendicular to the fold line is smaller than the width of the drug holding section in the direction perpendicular to the fold line, the outer circumference of the drug delivery section has no protrusions, and the outer circumference of the portion of the drug delivery section facing the fold line at the tip end is an arc The above width gradually decreases from the base end to the tip of the sheet body, and a recessed portion approaching the fold line is provided on the outer circumference of the sheet body in the boundary area between the drug input portion and the drug holding portion.

[0011] The 2 The invention provides a method for creating a medication aid, in which a rectangular sheet made of transparent or translucent resin is folded in half along a single fold line to maintain a state in which the first and second rectangular sheet parts overlap in a clear file, a rectangular template equivalent to the first and second sheet parts of the clear file is inserted between the first and second sheet parts, one long side of the rectangle of the template is aligned with the fold line, and then the first and second sheet parts are simultaneously cut along the guidelines displayed on the template, thereby creating a medication aid that is substantially the same shape as the figure enclosed by the guidelines, wherein the guidelines consist of a curve that connects a first point on or near one short side of the rectangle of the template to a second point on or near one long side of the rectangle of the template, the distance from the first point to the second point to one long side of the rectangle of the template gradually decreases, and has a recess in the middle of the length that approaches the long side, and has no protrusions.

[0012] The 3 The invention further includes guidelines on the pattern that are symmetrical to the guidelines with respect to a line passing near the midpoint of one of the longer sides of the rectangle in the pattern and perpendicular to that longer side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the first invention, the drug is held in a relatively wide drug-holding section, and the narrow drug-feeding section can be inserted into the mouth of the person taking the medication, so that the medication can be taken by oneself or administered to others without spilling.

[0014] In particular, the drug dispensing section has no protrusions on its outer circumference and its tip is curved, so there is no need to worry about injuring the inside of the user's mouth with protrusions.

[0015] Furthermore, because the sheet itself is transparent or semi-transparent, the movement of the medication held in the medication-holding section can be visually observed, preventing leftover medication.

[0016] Furthermore, the folded sheet is easier to store and carry compared to its three-dimensional shape, and can be placed, for example, inside a medication record book.

[0017] In addition Furthermore, the indented area serves as a guide when inserting the medication dispenser into the patient's mouth, preventing the sheet from being inserted too far or too far.

[0018] In particular, the width increases abruptly from the indented area towards the base, which helps prevent accidental over-insertion.

[0019] The 2 According to this invention, a transparent or translucent medication aid can be easily made using a clear file. It can simply be created.

[0020] Since the clear file has the sheet pre-folded in half, the operation of folding the sheet in half with a fold line can be omitted so as to maintain the state where the first sheet portion and the second sheet portion overlap each other.

[0021] The 3 According to the invention of, two dosing aids can be easily created using one clear file.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the dosing aid according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dosing aid according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the manufacturing procedure of the dosing aid according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mount used when creating the dosing support according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where the mount is sandwiched between clear files in the process of creating the dosing aid according to the embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] [Configuration of the Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

[0024] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the dosing aid according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the manufacturing procedure of the dosing aid, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mount, and FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state where the mount is sandwiched between clear files in the process of creating the dosing aid.

[0025] The dosing aid according to the embodiment is composed of a sheet body 1 formed by folding a single transparent or translucent sheet in half with a fold line 2, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0026] The sheet body 1 is made of a resin such as polypropylene and comprises first and second sheet sections 3 and 4 of the same shape, separated by fold lines 2.

[0027] In the sheet body 1, one end 2a of the fold line 2 serves as a drug delivery section 5 that is inserted into the user's mouth, and the opposite end 2b of the fold line 2 serves as a drug holding section 6 that holds the drug between the first and second sheet sections 3 and 4. Here, one end 2a of the fold line 2 is referred to as the tip end, and the other end 2b as the base end.

[0028] Furthermore, the width W1 in the drug dispensing section 5 in the direction perpendicular to the fold line 2 is smaller than the width W2 of the drug holding section 6.

[0029] The outer circumference of the drug dispensing section 5 does not have any protrusions, and the outer circumference of the part facing the fold line 2 at its tip is an arc 5a.

[0030] Furthermore, the boundary area 7 between the drug dispensing section 5 and the drug holding section 6 has a recessed portion 7a on its outer circumference that approaches the fold line 2 side. In Figure 1, the boundary area 7 is shown with shading, but in reality, it is transparent or semi-transparent, just like the other parts.

[0031] Furthermore, at the base end of the sheet body 1, hooking holes 3a and 4a are formed at the corners of the first and second sheet portions 3 and 4, which face the fold line 2, for attaching the sheet body 1 to a hook or the like (not shown).

[0032] [How to create] A medication dispenser consisting of the sheet body 1 described above can be made as follows.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, a clear file 9 made of transparent or translucent resin and a template 14 that fits inside the clear file 9 are prepared. For example, the clear file 9 is a commercially available A4 size clear file.

[0034] The clear file 9 is formed by folding a rectangular resin sheet in half along a fold line 10, maintaining an overlapping state between the rectangular first sheet portion 11 and the second sheet portion 12, with one of the shorter sides sealed by a linear adhesive portion 13.

[0035] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, pattern 14 is a rectangular piece of paper enclosed by a pair of short sides 15, 16 and a pair of long sides 17, 18, and has guidelines 19, 20 which will be explained in detail later. If clear file 9 is an A4 size clear file, then pattern 14 is an A4 size piece of paper.

[0036] Guideline 19 is a curve that connects a first point p1 located near one of the shorter sides 15 of the rectangle to a second point p2 located near one of the longer sides 17 of the rectangle, with the distance from the first point p1 to the second point p2 gradually decreasing. This curve (guideline 19) has a recessed portion 19a in the middle of its length that approaches the longer side 17. Furthermore, guideline 19 does not have any protrusions. In addition, multiple curves with different curvatures are displayed as dotted lines or the like at the position of the recessed portion 19a of guideline 19, and any of them may be selected as the recessed portion 19a.

[0037] In Figure 4, auxiliary lines 21 along one of the shorter sides 15 and auxiliary lines 22 along one of the longer sides 17 are shown as dotted lines, but these auxiliary lines 21 and 22 do not need to be shown. If auxiliary lines 21 and 22 are not present, the first point p1 will be located on or touching one of the shorter sides 15, and the second point p2 will be located on or touching one of the longer sides 17. The figure enclosed by these auxiliary lines 21 and 22 and the guideline 19 will be substantially the same shape as the outline of the sheet body 1 of the present invention.

[0038] Pattern 14 displays guideline 20 which is symmetrical to guideline 19, with respect to the axis of symmetry L, which is a dashed line passing near the midpoint of one of the longer sides 17 and perpendicular to the longer side 17. Guideline 20 maintains a positional relationship symmetrical to guideline 19. Therefore, on the side of guideline 20, there are also the first and second points p3 and p4 which are symmetrical to the first and second points p1 and p2 on the side of guideline 19, and auxiliary lines 23 and 24 which are symmetrical to auxiliary lines 21 and 22.

[0039] In Figure 4, reference numerals 19b and 20b indicate guidelines corresponding to the hook holes 3a and 4a formed in the sheet body 1.

[0040] Once you have prepared the clear file 9 and the pattern 14 as described above, place the pattern 14 between the first sheet portion 11 and the second sheet portion 12 of the clear file 9. Then, align one long side 17 of the rectangle of the pattern 14 with the fold line 10 of the clear file 9, and press the other short side 15 so that it aligns with the adhesive portion 13 (see Figure 5).

[0041] Next, cut the first and second sheet sections 11 and 12 simultaneously along the guidelines 19 and 20 shown on the pattern 14.

[0042] For example, two medication aids can be created by cutting from the short sides 15 and 16 toward the long side 17, as shown by arrows x and y in Figure 5. In this case, a medication aid with a closed base end of the sheet body 1 is formed from the guideline 19 side, and a medication aid with an open base end is formed from the guideline 20 side, as shown in Figure 1.

[0043] Note that the indentations 19a and 29a of guidelines 19 and 20 correspond to the indentation 7a of the sheet body 1. Here, by selecting and cutting one of the multiple curves with different curvatures shown as the indentation 19a in guideline 19, the depth of the indentations 19a and 20a (the distance from one of the longer sides 17) can be made different.

[0044] [Effects, etc.] As shown in Figure 2, the medication dispensing aid of this embodiment allows the medication 8 to be held in the medication holding part 6 by opening the first and second sheet parts 3 and 4 at the base end of the sheet body 1. In this state, if the medication dispensing part 5 at the tip is inserted into the mouth of the person taking the medication and tilted, the medication that slides out from the tip as shown by arrow A can be easily administered. In the sheet body 1, the medication dispensing part 5 is narrower than the medication holding part 6, making it easier to insert into the mouth.

[0045] Furthermore, since there are no protrusions on the outer circumference of the drug dispensing section 5 and the tip is curved 5a, there is no need to worry about injuring the inside of the user's mouth with protrusions or other objects.

[0046] Furthermore, since the sheet body 1 is transparent or semi-transparent, the movement of the medication held in the medication holding section 6 can be visually observed from the outside, preventing leftover medication.

[0047] Furthermore, since the boundary area 7 is provided with a recessed portion 7a, when inserting the drug delivery portion 5 into the patient's mouth, the recessed portion 7a serves as a guide, preventing the sheet body 1 from being inserted too far or too far. In particular, because the width changes significantly on the proximal end side of the recessed portion 7a, it is possible to prevent accidentally inserting the drug delivery portion 5 too far.

[0048] Furthermore, this medication aid can be used for both powdered and tablet medications.

[0049] Since the sheet body 1 of the above embodiment maintains a folded state, it is easier to store and carry compared to a three-dimensional shape, and can be placed, for example, inside a medication record book.

[0050] Furthermore, if the sheet body 1 is made of a resin sheet, it can be washed after use and reused. The washed sheet body 1 can also be hung on hooks using the hanging holes 3a and 4a to dry.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the medication dispensing aid of the present invention can be created more easily by using a clear file 9 with the first and second sheet portions 11 and 12 already folded and a template 14 with guidelines 19 and 20 displayed on it.

[0052] By utilizing the adhesive portion 13 of the clear file 9, a medication aid with a sealed proximal end can be created, but the adhesive portion 13 may be removed when cutting.

[0053] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first point p1 and the second point p2, which are the ends of the guideline 19, are set as neighbors of one short side 15 and one long side 17, respectively. However, the first point p1 and the second point p2 may be set on the short side 15 and the long side 17, respectively. [Industrial applicability]

[0054] It is particularly useful when administering medication to patients who have difficulty taking it on their own. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1 Sheet body, 2 Fold line, 3,4 Sheet section, 5 Drug input section, 6 Drug holding section, 7 Boundary area, 7a Recessed section, 8 Drug, W1, W2 Width 9 Clear file, 10,11 Sheet portion (of the clear file), 14 Pattern, 15,16 Short side, 17,18 Long side, 19,20 Guideline, 19a,20a Indentation (of the guideline), p1,p3 First point, p2,p4 Second point, L Axis of symmetry

Claims

1. It consists of a transparent or translucent sheet that is folded in half along a single fold line. The sheet body described above is The first and second sheet sections, which are of the same shape and are separated by the above-mentioned fold lines, At the tip end, which is one end of the fold line mentioned above, is the drug delivery section that is inserted into the user's mouth, The device comprises a drug holding section located on the base end side, which is the other end of the fold line, and which holds the drug between the first and second sheet sections, from the drug input section described above. In the drug input section, the width in the direction perpendicular to the fold line is smaller than the width in the drug holding section in the direction perpendicular to the fold line. The outer circumference of the above-mentioned drug dispensing section shall not have any protrusions, and the outer circumference of the portion facing the fold line at the tip side of the drug dispensing section shall be an arc. The above width gradually decreases from the base end to the tip of the sheet body, and a recessed portion approaching the fold line is provided on the outer circumference of the sheet body in the boundary area between the drug input portion and the drug holding portion. Medication administration aid.

2. In a clear file in which a rectangular sheet of transparent or translucent resin is folded in half along a single fold line, maintaining a state where the first and second rectangular sheet portions overlap, a rectangular template equivalent to the first and second sheet portions of the clear file is inserted between the first and second sheet portions. A method for creating a medication aid that is approximately the same shape as the figure enclosed by the guidelines, by aligning one of the longer sides of the rectangle of the above pattern with the above fold line, and then simultaneously cutting the first and second sheet parts along the guidelines shown on the above pattern, The above guidelines A curve is formed by connecting a first point on one of the shorter sides of the rectangle of the pattern or its vicinity to a second point on one of the longer sides of the rectangle of the pattern, with the distance from the first point to the second point gradually decreasing toward one of the longer sides of the rectangle, and having a recess in the middle of the length that approaches the said longer side, without any protrusions. How to create a medication administration aid.

3. The method for creating a medication dispensing aid according to claim 2, wherein the pattern further displays guidelines that are symmetrical to the guidelines with respect to a line passing near the midpoint of one of the longer sides of the rectangle in the pattern and perpendicular to that one longer side.

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