GB2260115A - Alarm devices for medicine containers - Google Patents

Abstract

An alarm device 10 for use with a medicine container to indicate time of dose taking 11 comprises a plastic housing 12, the housing being attached by projecting studs, or folding and welding a flexible strip, to a collar or ring around the medicine container neck. The housing has a compartment closed by a cover 17 and within which is located an integrated circuit timing mechanism, a battery and an acoustic alarm. The housing 12 may be colour coded and also carry an illuminated or other display element 19 which indicates the number of times per day that the alarm operates. The device may be adjusted by a button or buttons 20 (26 + 27 fig. 2) on the housing, such as a button to stop the alarm and/or one to change the frequency of operation of the alarm. <IMAGE>

Description

ALARM DEVICES FOR MEDICINE CONTAINERS Field of the Invention This invention relates to alarm devices for medicine containers and, in particular, to devices which will provide an indication as to when a patient is required to take his or her next dose of medicine.

As explained in my co-pending Application No. 9119793.9, there are people for whom medicines are prescribed and who, for one reason or another, may be uncertain as to when they last took their medicine or who may forget that it is time to take their next pill.

The invention described in said co-pending application accordingly comprises the provision of a medicine container for the storage of pills, tablets or capsules, said container having a base which includes a timing mechanism and an audible alarm operable under the control of the timing mechanism, the timing mechanism being such as to ensure operation of the alarm at predetermined regular intervals.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alarm device which can be used in combination with a medicine container, or which can be attached to a medicine container without affecting the integrity of the container.

Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for use with a medicine container, said device comprising a moulded plastic housing containing a timing mechanism, an audible alarm and a battery, the timing mechanism being such as to ensure operation of the alarm at predetermined regular intervals and the device also including a display element which provides an indication of the frequency of operation of the alarm, the housing being attached to a collar which can be fitted over the neck of the medicine container.

The housing may be provided with projecting studs which fit in apertures in a stem formed integrally with the collar.

The display element indicating the frequency of operation of the alarm may be in the form of a numeral moulded integrally with, and standing proud of, the housing. If, for example, the patient is required to take the medicine twice a day, the displayed numeral will be "2" and the alarm will operate twice per day, for example, at 9.00 a.m. and 9.00 p.m.

Similarly, if the user is required to take the medicine three times per day, the displayed numeral will be "3" and the alarm will operate three times per day, for example, at 9.00 a.m., 3.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m. Again, if the patient is required to take the medicine four times per day, the displayed numeral will be "4" and the alarm will operate four times per day, for example, at 9.00 a.m., 1.00 p.m., 5.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m.

To facilitate identification, the moulded housings will be colour coded, i.e. devices intended to provide for operation of the alarm twice a day will b of a different colour to those for which the alarm operates three times per day and they, in turn, will be of a different colour to those for which the alarm operates four times per day.

The moulded housings may be so shaped that they resemble tablets.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided an alarm device for use with a medicine container, as defined in accordance with the first aspect of the invention but in which the housing, instead of being attached to a collar, is attached to a ring which can be fitted over the neck of the container.

The housing may be formed integrally with a flexible strip which can be engaged with the ring. The ring is preferably formed of a resiliently deformable elastic material to facilitate fitment thereof over the neck of the bottle, and the flexible strip may be of polypropylene which is folded over the ring and then welded to itself to provide attachment thereof to the ring.

The display element may be in the form of an illuminated display showing a selected reference number which indicates the number of times per day the alarm is set to operate, i.e. the number of times per day the medicine is to be taken.

The device may also include an adjustment means in the form of a button located on the front of the housing and which can be pressed to change the time interval between successive operations of the alarm.

The device may further include a "STOP" button which, once the alarm is operating, can be pressed to cause the alarm to cease. The device may alternately include a button which can be pressed to change the number of times at which the alarm operates during a 24-hour period.

Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a perspective viw of a first form of device, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a second form of device.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments The device 10 shown in Figure 1 is for use with a standard medicine container in the form of a screw-top bottle 11. The device 10 includes a moulded plastics housing 12 and a collar 13 which is of such size that, when the cap 14 has been removed from the bottle 11, the collar 13 can be pressed down over the neck of the bottle 11 and will then be held resiliently in this position. As shown in Figure 1, the collar 13 is of flat annular form and is formed with a series of equiangularly spaced, radially extending slits 15 which facilitate the obtaining of a resilient fit of the collar 13 on the neck of the bottle 11.

The collar 13 is moulded integrally with a downwardly depending strip 16 which is connected to the rear of the housing 12 as, for example, by providing projections on the back of the housing 12 which snap into recesses formed in the strip 16. The front of the housing 12 includes an opening which is closed by a cover 17 snap-fitted in position.

The cover 17 acts as a closure for a compartment within which are located a battery (of similar size to a watch battery), an integrated circuit timing mechanism and an acoustic alarm device in the form of a piezoelectric "bleeper" (all not shown). The cover 17 is formed with three parallel slots 18 which act as a vent to allow the emission of the audible alarm signal from the compartment.

At a position above the cover 17, the plastics material from which the housing 12 is formed is shaped to provide an embossing 19 in the form, in this instance, of the numeral "3" and the letter "X". This is to provide an indication that the medicament within the container is to be taken three times a day and that the alarm will operate three times a day at, for example, the specific times mentioned above.

The integrated circuit timing mechanism is such that it starts a cycle of operations from the time at which the battery is inserted. If, therefore, the alarm is required to operate at 9.00 a.m., 3.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., it will be necessary to insert the battery at 9.00 a.m.

The cover 17 also carries (optionally) a push-button 20 which can be pressed, once the alarm has been sounded, to cause the alarm to cease. Although, as described above, the alarm is set to operate three times a day, other frequencies are possible, for example, the alarm may be st to operate twice a day, in which case, the embossing 19 will include the numeral "2".

The colour of the plastics material from which the housing 12 and the cover 17 are formed may be varied in dependence of the frequency at which the alarm is to operate.

The person issuing the medicament will thus be able to select a housing of the appropriate colour, insert the battery and close the cover 17 before attaching the device 10 to the bottle 11.

In the second embodiment shown in Figure 2, the device 21 is again for attachment to a standard medicine bottle 11 and includes a moulded plastics housing 22 of appropriate configuration, a ring 23 which can be fitted around the neck of the bottle 11 when the cap 14 is removed and a connecting strip 24 serving to attach the housing 22 to the ring 23. The strip 24 can be a polypropylene strip which is welded to the rear of the housing 22 and is ten folded back on itself (as shown) so that it can be looped over the ring 23 and then welded to itself. The ring 23 can be formed, if required, of a material which is of an elastic nature so that it grips the neck of the bottle 11. Alternatively, as shown, the ring 23 may be a free sliding fit on the neck of the bottle 11.

The housing 22 contains, as before, a compartment within which are located an integrated circuit timing mechanism, a battery and an acoustic alarm in the form of a piezoelectric "bleeper". The timing mechanism can be set to operate the alarm at different numbers of times per day, the number of times at which the alarm operates per day being displayed on an illuminated screen 25. Adjustment of the number of times is effected by means of a push-button 26 which, for example, may be arranged to increase the set number by one each time that it is pressed and then, once the maximum number is reached, go back to its base number.

The housing 22 may also carry a stop button 27 which, once the alarm has been initiated, can be pressed to cause the alarm to stop. As an alternative to providing a "stop" function, the button 27 can be used to provide a time interval adjustment function. Thus, in this case, the button 26 will be pressed to change the number of times at which the alarm operates during a 24-hour cycle and the button 27 will be pressed to change the time interval, in hours, between successive operations of the alarm. It would thus be possible, for example, to set the device so that the alarm operates four times in a cycle with three-hour intervals between the cycles.

If the times period begins at 9.00 a.m., the times at which the alarm operates will then be 9.00 a.m., 12.00 a.m., 3.00 p.m.

and 6.00 p.m.

With both the embodiments described above, the alarm device can be fitted to a medicine container in such way that it does not affect the integrity of the container. In addition, once the course of medication has been completed and the container is empty, the device can be detached from the container without adversely affecting the device which can then, if required, be flitted to a further medicine container.

Claims (11)

Claims:

1. A device for use with a medicine container, said device comprising a moulded plastic housing containing a timing mechanism, an audible alarm and a battery, the timing mechanism being such as to ensure operation of the alarm at predetermined regular intervals and the device also including a display element which provides an indication of the frequency of operation of the alarm, the housing being attached to a collar which can be fitted over the neck of the medicine container.

2. A device as claimed in Claim 1, in which the housing is provided with projecting studs which fit in apertures in a stem formed integrally with the collar.

3. A device as claimed in either of the preceding claims, in which the display element is in the form of a numeral moulded integrally with, and standing proud of, the housing.

4. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the housing is colour coded.

5. A device as claimed in Claim 1, but in which the housing, instead of being attached to a collar, is attached to a ring which can be fitted over the neck of the container.

6. A device as claimed in Claim 5, in which the housing is formed integrally with a flexible strip which can be engaged with the ring.

7. A device as claimed in Claim 6, in which the ring is formed of a resiliently deformable elastic material and the flexible strip is of polypropylene.

8. A device as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 7, in which the display element is in the form of an illuminated display showing a selected reference number which indicates the number of times per day the alarm is set to operate.

9. A device as claimed in any one of Claims 5 to 8, which includes adjustment means in the form of a button located on the front of the housing and which can be pressed to change the frequency of operation of the alarm.

10. A device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes a "STOP" button which, once the alarm is operating, can be pressed to cause the alarm to cease.

11. A device for use with a medicine container substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.