GB2328680A - Portable container for medical supplies - Google Patents

Abstract

A portable container 10 for medical supplies comprising an outer shell to protect the contents, and, within that outer shell, provision for the storage of medical instruments 12 and provision to accept a removable cassette 14 adapted to contain medical supplies (medicines, dressings, syringes, gloves, testkits etc.); in combination with at least two cassettes 14 adapted to contain consumable medical supplies, whereby the container can be used with one of the cassettes 14 stocked with consumable medical supplies, while the 14, other/another cassette 14 can be stored or replenished with consumable medical supplies. Each cassette 14, and removable modules within it, can have a transparent cover. Each cassette 14 can contain a set of index cards relating to medical consumables therein.

Description

PORTABLE CONTAINER FOR MEDICAL SUPPLIES The invention relates to a portable container for medical supplies. and to a method of using such a container.

tn particular, the invention relates to a portable container which has provision for a replaceable- cassette which is a small case stocked with medicaments. The invention also relates to a method of controlling the usage of emergency medical supplies dispensed or administered by doctors, the control being exercised by one or more professional pharmadsts or the like.

It is known for groups of medical practitioners to form emergency response services. These emergency response services arrange for a single nominated duty doctor to be available to deal with all the emergency calls from the patients of the group of doctors The single nominated doctors supplied with a standard emergency pack provided by the group. This standard emergency pack comprises a set of medical instruments (thermometers, stethoscopes etc); together with an agreed selection of medicaments.

The duty to take on the role of the 'single nominated doctor' is shared on a rota basis among doctors from the group forming the emergency response service.

Each time the standard emergency pack is taken out by a nominated doctor, it is liketytat a different selection of medicaments will be used by the particular nominated doctor who is on call.

When the single nominated doctor returns the standard emergency pack, he or she will have used a selection of medicaments appropriate to the circumstances of the emergency calls, and his or her particular professional reaction to the symptoms displayed on those emergency calls.

Some of the medicaments will have been used, and the others will remain unused in the standard emergency pack.

It is unlikely that the nominated emergency doctor, at the end of what may have been an arduous 'on call' duty, will have the time or the inclination to replace all the medicaments which he or she may have used. Such an activity would be more approprtate to the skills of a professional pharmacist. The result is that the standard emergency pack may be left deficient in the particular medicaments which might be deemed necessary for the emergency reaction prescribed by the next nominated doctor on the duty rota.

The invention is concerned with the reliable provision of a fully stocked standard emergency pack at all times.

The invention provides a portable container for medical supplies comprising an outer shell to protect the contents, and, within that outer shell, provision for the storage of medical instruments and provision to accept a removable cassette adapted to contain medical supplies (medicines, dressings, syringes, gloves, testkits etc.); in combination with at least two cassettes adapted to contain consumable medical supplies, whereby the container can be used with one of the cassettes stocked with consumable medical supplies, while the other/another cassette can be stored or replenished with consumable medical supplies.

The container may be used in combination with three or more (e.g. twenty) cassettes adapted to contain consumable medical supplies.

It is preferred that each cassette has within it individual removable modules for medical supplies.

It is further preferred that the cassette has at least two individual compartments to contain the removable modules so that different medical supplies have specific positions within the cassettes.

It is also preferred that the modules in each cassette are covered by or made of transparent material, so that the modules can be stocked with consumable medical supplies e.g. drugs, and the presence of the consumable medical supplies can be checked without opening the modules.

Preferrably the cassettes have transparent covers, thus to ensure that the prior use of the cassette is visible without checking the contents.

Advantageously there is within each cassette a set of index cards, each index card having details of a particular medical consumable (namelbatch number/expiry date) stocked within the cassette, and in this form it is preferred that the index cards are arranged in expiry order, and the earliest expiry date is visible from outside the cassette.

It is preferred that the part of the container having provision for the storage of medical instruments has specific positions for those instruments.

The invention includes a plurality of portable containers as described above, in combination with at least three cassettes adapted to contain consumable medical supplies, whereby two of the containers can be used with two or more of the cassettes stocked with medical supplies, while the other/another cassette can be stored or replenished with consumable medical supplies.

The invention also includes a method of distributing consumable medical supplies which comprises the steps of identically stocking at least two cassettes with consumable medical supplies and using these cassettes altemately in at least one portable container, so that while one cassette is in use e.g. on a doctor's call to meet M-eme'gency, the other can be replenished.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a system incorporating a portable container in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows a cassette to fit within the container of Figure 1, and Figures 3 and 4 show modules to fit within the cassette of Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows a doctor's medical instrument case (or doctor's bag) 10 witl r its lid 11 cspen. fffie case or bag can be regarded as a portable container for medical suppties.) The case 10 has a hard outer shell, to protect the contents within. The case has a base 12 with provision for the storage of standard medical instruments.

The tid ijis configured to accept a sealed cassette 14, which will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 2.

The complete system comprises at least one medical case 10 and at least two cassettes 14. In Figure 1 the system comprises four medical cases and six cassettes. The medical cases may be those of individual doctors. Following the invention, the cassettes are identical, and are stocked with a standard selection of medicaments as agreed by all the doctors in the emergency response service, Figure 2 shows a single cassette 14. The cassette 14 has a hinged transparent cover 15, and a tray 16 adapted to contain a selection of removable modules 17 containing drugs etc. Each module 17 has a breakable transparent seal 18, arid a label 19 identifying the contents of the module.

The cassettes have hinged covers so that they are capable of being sealed1 a broken seal suggesting that the cassette has been opened and used. The covers are preferably transparent so that any used modules inside can be easily identified.

Each cassette contains a number of modules 17 of varying sizes, capable of being sealed witter a (preferably) transparent covering which can be broken to gain ass. Thus those modules which have been opened are capable of rapid identification. Each module has a label, identifying its contents. A module in this sense is a rectangular box, open at the top.

Each module contains one or more medicines or disposable items, described on a label fixed to the transparent covering. The medicines are in containers, usually prepacked by the manufacturers, and could be in the form of bottles, packets, ampoules, sachets or foil strips. Disposable products like syringes, injection swabs, needles or tongue depressors could be included in the modules.

One module (20 in Figure 2), contains a set of file cards, each of which has the name, batch number and expiry date of a drug contained in the cassette. These cards are in date order, with the earliest date uppermost, so that this expiry date is visible through the cover from outside the cassette. Thus any medicine that is about to expire can be easily identified and replaced.

In use, the system illustrated in figure 1 allows a group of doctors to supply a single nominated doctor with a standard emergency pack. The pack comprises ar case 10 and a cassette 14. After the pack has been used, the depleted cassette 14 may be removed and replaced with another fully stocked cassette. At intervals, the used cassettes can be restocked by a pharmacist. In this way a single nominated duty doctor can be supplied with a fully stocked standard emergency pack at all times.

Claims (1)

1/ A portable container for medical supplies comprising an outer shell to protect the contents, and, within that outer shell, provision for the storage of medical instruments and provision to accept a removable cassette adapted to contain medical supplies (medicines, dressings, syringes, gloves, testkits etc.); in combination with at least two cassettes adapted to contain consumable medical supplies, whereby the container can be used with one of the cassettes stocked with consumable medical supplies. while the other/another cassette can be stored or replenished with consumable medical supplies.

u A portable container as claimed in claim 1, in combination with three or more (e.g. twenty) cassettes adapted to contain consumable medical supplies. 31 A portable container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which each cassette has within it individual removable modules for medical supplies.

41 A portable container as claimed in claim 3 in which the cassette has at least two individual compartments to contain the removable modules so that different medical supplies have specific positions within the cassettes.

51 A portable container as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 in which the modules in each cassette are covered by or made of transparent material, so that the modules can be stocked with consumable medical supplies e.g. drugs, and the presence of the consumable medical supplies can be checked without opening the modules 61 A portable container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the cassettes have transparent covers, thus to ensure that the prior use of the cassette is visible without checking the contents.

71 A portable container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there is within each cassette a set of index cards, each index card having details of a particular medical consumable (name/batch number/expiry date) stocked within the cassette.

81 A portable container as claimed in claim 7 in which the index cards are arranged in expiry order, and the earliest expiry date is visible from outside the cassette.

91 A portable container as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the part of the container having provision for the storage of medical instruments has specific positions for those instruments.

10/ A plurality of portable containers as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in combination with at least three cassettes adapted to contain consumable medical supplies, whereby two of the containers can be used with two or more of the cassettes stocked with medical supplies, while the other/another cassette can be stored or replenished with consumable medical supplies.

Ill A method of distributing consumable medical supplies which comprises the steps of identically stocking at least two cassettes with consumable medical supplies and using these cassettes altemately in at least one portable container, so that while one cassette is in use e.g. on a doctor's call to meet an emergency, the other can be replenished.

121 A portable container for medical supplies substantially as hereinbefore described by way of example with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

131 A method of distributing consumable medical supplies substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Amendments to the claims have been flied as foüows CLAIMS 1 A system for controlled distribution of medical supplies for remote usage and dispensing, comprising a stock of at least two cassettes and a portable container for medical supplies, the portable container having an outer shell to protect the contents, and, within that outer shell, provision for the storage of medical instruments and provision to accept a removable cassette adapted to contain medical supplies (medicines, dressings, syringes, gloves, testkits etc.); in combination with at least two identical cassettes adapted to contain identical selections of consumable medical supplies, in which at least some of the consumable medical supplies are disposed in individual removable modules, whereby the container can be used with one of the cassettes stocked with consumable medical supplies, while the otherlanother cassette can be stored or replenished with consumable medical supplies.

21 A system as claimed in claim 1 in which the cassette has at least two individual compartments to contain the removable modules so that different medical supplies have specific positions within the cassettes.

31 A system as claimed in claim 2 in which the modules in each cassette are covered by or made of transparent material, so that the modules can be stocked with consumable medical supplies e.g. drugs, and the presence of the consumable medical supplies can be checked without opening the modules.

4/ A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the cassettes have transparent covers, thus to ensure that the prior use of the cassette is visible without checking the contents.

51 A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there is within each cassette a set of index cards, each index card having details of a particular medical consumable (namelbatch number/expiry date) stocked within the cassette.

6/ A system as claimed in claim 5 in which the index cards are arranged in expiry order, and the earliest expiry date is visible from outside the cassette.

71 A system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the part of the container having provision for the storage of medical instruments has specific positions for those instruments.

8/ A system comprising a plurality of portable containers as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in combination with at least three cassettes adapted to contain consumable medical supplies, whereby two of the containers can be used with two or more of the cassettes stocked with medical supplies, while the other/another cassette can be stored or replenished with consumable medical supplies.

9/ A method of distributing consumable medical supplies which comprises the steps of identically stocking at least two cassettes with consumable medical supplies and using these cassettes alternately in at least one portable container, so that while one cassette is in use e.g. on a doctor's call to meet an emergency, the other can be replenished.

10/ A portable container for medical supplies substantially as hereinbefore described by way of example with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

11/ A method of distributing consumable medical supplies substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.