Special receptacle or package – For ampule – capsule – pellet – or granule – Structure for 'press-out' of content unit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-18
2002-02-12
Luong, Shian (Department: 3728)
Special receptacle or package
For ampule, capsule, pellet, or granule
Structure for 'press-out' of content unit
C206S534000, C206S539000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06345717
ABSTRACT:
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not Applicable.
REFERENCE TO A “MICROFICHE APPENDIX”
Not applicable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a packaging system, particularly for solid unit dosage forms such as pharmaceutical tablets, capsules, pills etc. (herein individually and collectively termed “tablets”).
2. Description of the Related Art
Blister packs are commonly used for containing tablets. Blister packs generally comprise a pattern of blisters formed in a sheet of substantially impermeable deformeable plastics material, each blister defining a cavity for the containment of a tablet, the open face of the blister being closed with a film cover, usually a thin, tearable metal foil or a peel-off film. The film cover can either be easily ruptured, or the film can be easily peeled away from the blister. In use either the blister is compressibly deformed so as to force the tablet therein out though a rupturable film, or else the film is peeled off and the tablet is removed from the cavity. Generally the deformeable material is a stiff but relatively flexible material such as a pastics material or a plastics material laminate or plastics material metal foil laminate.
Known blister packs have the disadvantage that they are difficult for users with weak or deformed hands, e.g. arthritic patients to use, because the plastic material is relatively flexible and therefore difficult to exert a compressive force against and tends to deform by flexing if pressure is applied to a blister to force a tablet out through a rupturable film. Also they easily crumple, curl or fold during use and thus become of untidy appearance. It is an object of the present invention to at least partly provide a solution to these problems.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention a blister pack is provided wherein the material between the blisters is reinforced to confer rigidity relative to flexing deformation of the blister pack.
The reinforcement according to the invention is such that the application of compressive force to a blister sufficient to force a tablet contained therein out through a rupturable film cover over the open face of the blister is insufficient to cause the material between the blisters to significantly deform.
By “significantly deform” it is understood that the pack will inevitably to some extent deform, but that the extent of deformation will be such that a user forcing a tablet out will experience sufficient rigidity of the pack to be able to force the tablet out against this rigidity, without the pack crumpling or bending by a flexing of the material between the blisters to an extent such that the blister pack crumples or bends rather than the contents of the blister being forced out. The term “flexing” herein denotes inter alia bending and folding of the pack out of the plane of the blister pack. The degree of reinforcing necessary to achieve this is determined in each case by practical considerations. Also by “significantly deform” is understood that the material between the blisters may temporarily deform elastically under the pressure applied to force the tablet out, but that the material will return substantially to its undeformed shape on release of the pressure, such that the reinforced pack does not become curled up through use. The term “rigid” herein includes more rigid against out of the plane of the slab folding and bending deformation under the application of folding or bending forces, relative to the relative flexibility of the thin sheet materials generally used for blister packs.
By means of the invention the blister pack is provided with sufficient rigidity that a user with weak or deformed hands can easily apply a compressive force to the blister against the rigidity, which is considerably easier than applying a compressive force to a blister pack made of flexible plastics material of known type, and also there will be less likelihood of the user dropping the pack during use.
In the invention the material is preferably reinforced by the combination of the blister pack, which may be a conventional known blister pack as presently widely used commercially, with a rigid support, alternatively or additionally by the introduction of structural elements such as ribs into the material between the blisters in the pack, alternatively the material between the blisters may be reinforced by a general thickening of the material to impart rigidity.
A first embodiment of the invention provides a combination of a blister pack and a substantially rigid reinforcing support for the blister pack, the support comprising a substantially planar slab of substantially rigid material having a pattern of holes passing completely through the thickness of the slab, the said holes being in a pattern corresponding to the blisters of the blister pack, the blister pack being in contact with the support such that each blister fits into a hole, each blister being accessible to a user via the hole.
In this embodiment the user can apply compressive pressure to the blister via the hole and thereby force a tablet out through a rupturable film cover over the open face of the blister. This first embodiment may also be used with blister packs having a peel off film over the open face of the blister.
In this first embodiment the support is preferably stuck to the deformeable material between the blisters, so as to prevent separation of the blister pack from the support during the application of compressive pressure to the blister. This first embodiment may also be used with blister packs having a peel off film over the open face of the blister, and by sticking of the material to the support, separation of the blister pack from the support during peeling off can be avoided. The rear face opening of the holes, i.e. on that face of the slab facing away from the film cover of the blisters, may be closed with a flexible film, e.g. to impart a neat appearance or to protect the blisters, which may be forced out by pressure on the flexible film.
A second embodiment of this invention provides a combination of a blister pack and a substantially rigid support for the blister pack, the support comprising a substantially planar slab of substantially rigid material having a pattern of holes in its surface, which pass only partly through the thickness of the slab, the said holes being in a pattern corresponding to the blisters on the blister pack, the blister pack being in contact with the holder such that each blister fits into a hole, the blister pack having a peel-off film cover over the open face of the blister.
In this second embodiment the support is preferably stuck to the deformeable material between the blisters, for the same reasons as for the first embodiment. Again, if the holes pass all the way through the slab, the rear face opening of the holes, i.e. on that face of the slab facing away from the film cover of the blisters, may be closed with a flexible film.
A third embodiment of this invention provides a combination of a blister pack and a substantially rigid support for the blister pack, the support comprising a substantially planar slab of substantially rigid material having a pattern of holes in its surface, which pass only partly through the thickness of the slab, the said holes being in a pattern corresponding to the blisters on the blister pack, the blister pack being in contact with the holder such that each blister fits into a hole, the blister pack having a rupturable film cover over the open face of the blister, the material of the slab being compressibly deformeable at least in the region of the holes, such that pressure can be applied to the slab on the reverse face to that on which the holes open, so as to thereby deform the said material and apply pressure to the blister, and so to force the tablet out through the rupturable film cover.
In this third embodiment the support is preferably stuck to the deformeable material between the blisters, for the same reasons as for the first embodiment.
The said ho
Dinner Dara L.
Kinzig Charles M.
Luong Shian
SmithKline Beecham plc
Venetianer Stephen
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