Card – picture – or sign exhibiting – Check – label – or tag – Fastener
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-22
2001-06-05
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Card, picture, or sign exhibiting
Check, label, or tag
Fastener
C040S661050, C040S306000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240668
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus to facilitate identifying containers. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus adapted to be secured to containers, for example, pharmaceutical containers, to distinguish the containers from other containers, e.g., identical containers, without the apparatus.
Pharmaceuticals are an important and beneficial development of modern life. Humans often take or ingest more than one pharmaceutical to treat different conditions. It is important that the correct pharmaceutical be selected, from the plurality of pharmaceuticals in the user's possession, to treat a specific condition. Taking a wrong or incompatible medication, for example, in the event of an acute attack, such as an asthma attack, can result in substantial detriment to, or even the death of, the user.
Pharmaceutical containers are frequently of the same size even though they contain quite different, and even incompatible, medications. Pharmaceutical containers often contain detailed written labels which are adhered or glued to the container prior to being provided to the user. Such labels identify, in detail, the pharmaceutical included in the container, the frequency of use, and, possibly, when such pharmaceutical is to be avoided. The glued on labels, noted above, clearly distinguish the pharmaceutical in one container from the pharmaceuticals in other containers.
However, there are circumstances which may prevent such glued on labels from providing information to distinguish one container from other containers. For example, in emergency situations, in the event of an acute attack, for example, such an attack which impairs the user, or in the event the user is visually impaired and/or in an unlighted environment, among other situations, the information on the glued on label may be inadequate to distinguish the containers.
It would be advantageous to provide a system for easily and rapidly distinguishing between containers, for example, pharmaceutical containers, even in situations where it is difficult, or even impossible, to read information from labels which are adhered to or glued on the containers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Apparatus to facilitate identifying a container, for example, a pharmaceutical container, have been discovered. The present invention provides for very quick, reliable and effective identification of a particular container relative to one or more other identical containers. The present apparatus is preferably other than a pre-existing label, that is other than a label adhered to, or glued or otherwise placed on the container prior to providing the container to the user. The container is provided with a very straightforward, easy to use and easy to recognize system to identify or distinguish individual containers, preferably without reading or even referring to the above-noted labels. Ultimately, the user of the pharmaceutical in the container is provided with an increased degree of comfort that the medication he or she is ingesting is the correct medication. Moreover, simply by allowing the user of a pharmaceutical to personally identify or distinguish the pharmaceutical containers he or she is using, for example, the container or containers including critically important medications, beneficially gives the user an increased sense of control and independence over the treatment of his or her conditions.
In one aspect, the present invention is directed to apparatus to facilitate identifying pharmaceutical containers. Such apparatus comprise at least one member adapted, and preferably sized, to be secured, for example, removably secured, to a pharmaceutical container, preferably other than adhesively. The member provides indication information effective to distinguish the pharmaceutical container when the member is secured thereto, preferably relative to an identical container without the member. Thus, the user of the pharmaceutical included in the container can secure the member or members on the container, for example, after having purchased or otherwise been provided with the pharmaceutical in the container. In so doing, the user has clearly distinguished this container, for example, relative to an identical container which does not have the same member or members secured to it.
In one embodiment, the member or members are adapted to be permanently secured to the pharmaceutical container, for example, by the pharmacist prior to providing the container to the user of the pharmaceutical. Such member or members, for example, located on the bottom of the container, such as a mating cup-like member, provide indication information to allow a positive identification of the contents inside the container other than by reading the conventional or original label affixed to the container, for example, by the pharmacist. Such member or members could, for instance, have tactile indication information and/or visual, e.g., color, indication information and/or audible indication information, such as from a user-activated sound making or synthesized speech device to audibly announce the indication information.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the apparatus comprises at least two members adapted to be secured to a pharmaceutical container and, together, to provide indication information effective to distinguish the pharmaceutical container when the members are secured thereto, preferably relative to an identical container without the members attached thereto.
Preferably, the member or members are further adapted to be removed from one container and reused by being secured to a different pharmaceutical container to distinguish the different pharmaceutical container, for example, relative to an identical container without the member or members.
The indication information provided by the member or members in accordance with the present invention may be any one or more pieces or bits of information which is recognizable by the user of the container as distinguishing that container from one or more other containers. Among the types of indication information that may be used are visual indication information, that is information that is recognized using the sense of sight, tactile indication information, that is information that is recognized using the sense of feel or touch, audible indication information, that is information that is recognized using the sense of hearing, smell indication information, that is information that is recognized using the sense of smell, and combinations thereof. Each of these types of indication information include many, many examples, all of which are included within the scope of the present invention.
To illustrate, visual indication information can involve, among other visually recognizable factors, color, transparency/opaqueness, visually recognized marking or markings and shapes and the like. Tactile indication information can involve, among other tactilely recognizable factors, texture, other surface features or structures, marking or markings which may not be completely or accurately visually recognizable and the like. Audible indication information can involve, among other audibly recognizable factors, mechanically created sound, electronically created sound, user activated sound, synthetically produced voice sounds and the like. Smell indication information can involve, among other smell recognizable factors, perfumed or otherwise scented members, “scratch and sniff” members and the like.
In one preferred embodiment, the indication information is recognizable by at least two, that is, two or more, senses. For example, the member used can have a specific color (visually recognizable), have a specific shape (tactically recognizable), be adapted to be rubbed against a surface to make a specific sound (audibly recognizable), and be made of a polymer including a specific fragrance (smell recognizable). Many forms of indication information are susceptible to “two sense”, e.g., visual and tactile, recognition. For example, size indication information and number, e.g., the number of members
Clawson Burrell E.
Weigl James
Knight Anthony
Pharcon Corporation
Stout, Uxa Buyan & Mullins, LLP
Uxa Frank J.
Williams Mark
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