Pharmacy Bottle Closure with Interchangeable Identification Rings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current pharmacy systems are complex and difficult for consumers, especially the elderly, to navigate due to chaotic presentation of information on prescription bottles, leading to misunderstandings and overwhelming multiple instructions and warnings.
Innovation Solution
A standardized pharmacy container system comprising bottles with identical necks and closures, along with interchangeable rings for easy identification and use across different sizes, simplifies information presentation and reduces inventory needs by using similar components across various bottle sizes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If multiple labels and instruction sheets are placed on the bottle, then comprehensive information is provided, but the presentation becomes chaotic and difficult for consumers to understand
Solution Approach 1:
The label information is segmented into distinct functional zones: a first label portion for patient information, a second label portion for instructions, and a third label portion for warnings. This segmentation organizes the chaotic information into manageable, clearly demarcated sections that are easier for consumers to process and understand while maintaining completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the label are assigned different visual qualities and positions optimized for their specific function. The patient information is placed in a prominent first portion, instructions in a second portion with specific formatting, and warnings in a third portion. This local differentiation of information quality and placement improves readability and consumer understanding without sacrificing information completeness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If different sized bottles are used for different prescriptions, then specific medication volumes are accommodated, but inventory complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The closure and ring components are designed with universal dimensions that allow them to function across multiple bottle sizes. The closure includes a body, threaded neck, and rim that can secure bottles of varying capacities, while the ring fits over the closure in a standardized manner. This universality enables a single closure and ring design to serve multiple prescription needs, significantly reducing inventory complexity while maintaining adaptability to different medication volumes.
3Device complexity
If standardized components are used across bottle sizes, then inventory complexity is reduced, but identification of specific bottles becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The ring component is designed to be available in multiple colors, allowing pharmacists and consumers to assign specific colors to different patients, medications, or prescription types. This color-coding system provides immediate visual identification of specific bottles without requiring unique structural features on each bottle size, thus maintaining inventory simplicity while enabling easy differentiation and identification of individual prescriptions.
Data Source
AI summary
A container includes a bottle, a closure, and a ring. The bottle includes a body, a neck extending away from the body and defining an opening, and a pair of opposed ledges. Threads extend around the neck. The ledges extend radially outwardly from the neck spaced from the body and the threads. Each ledge defines a surface facing away from the body and includes an extension extending from the surface. The closure is secured over around the neck. The closure is positioned on an opposite side of the surface of each ledge as compared to the body and includes internal ramps interfacing with the extensions to maintain the closure in place. The ring is positioned between the body and the ledges. The ring is entirely maintained below the surfaces of the ledges, and each ledge interacts with the ring to maintain the ring in place relative to the bottle.