GB2544673A

GB2544673A - Cup

Info

Publication number: GB2544673A
Application number: GB1701985.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Harland Games Robert
Original assignee: Ap Services (uk) Ltd
Current assignee: Ap Services (uk) Ltd
Priority date: 2013-01-16
Filing date: 2013-01-16
Publication date: 2017-05-24
Also published as: GB201300824D0; GB2509918B; GB2509918A; GB201701985D0

Abstract

A cup 10 consisting of a cup body 12 and a lid 14 which attaches to the upper end of the cup body 12, the lid 14 having a spout 32 with a grid 34 across the spout that supports a solid medicament to be delivered through the spout 32, characterised in that the lid 14 has an aperture 30 of at least 5 square millimetres in area, spaced from the spout 32 which allows sufficient airflow through the lid 14 for a substantially unrestricted flow of liquid from the cup body 12 through the spout 32. The aperture 30 may be up to 12.5 square millimetres in area and there may be a ratio of cross-sectional area between the spout 32 and the aperture 30 of between 20:1 and 30:1.

Description

CUP

The present invention relates to a cup for administering a medicament such as a pill. BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

It is known to provide a cup for assisting a patient with swallowing a pill in which an angled spout incorporating a grid is attached to the roof of an enclosed container. In use, water or another fluid is put into the container, and a pill is placed on the grid. The patient then tips the cup so that water exits via the spout. The pill is washed into the patient’s mouth with the water. The shape and size of the cup is important to ensure a good flow rate of liquid through the spout. The internal shape of the cup and its depth also affect flow rate through the spout and the efficiency of the cup as a pill taking device.

There is a problem in providing pills on a wet surface, for example, on a wet grid, some time before the pill is to be taken, because the pill may tend to dissolve onto the grid. Not only is the concentration of the tablet adversely affected, but the surface tension between the pill and the grid increases, thus increasing the risk that the pill will not move effectively off the grid through the spout.

In hospitals and care homes, in particular, there is a need to provide appropriate medication for a patient in association with the pill swallowing cup.

Also, an aperture is ideally provided within the lid, to allow an inward flow of air into the cup, thereby facilitating free flow of water through the spout. However, if the vent is not of sufficient size, the flow of water may still be impeded to some extent.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cup which reduces or substantially mitigates these problems.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a cup for administering a medicament comprising a cup body having an open end, a closed end and at least one side wall, and a lid for removably fitting over the open end of the cup body, the lid incorporating a spout and a grid disposed within the spout for supporting a medicament to be administered through the spout, characterised in that the cup body includes releasable attachment means disposed on a lower end of the cup body for releasably attaching the cup body to a supporting element.

By providing releasable attachment means on the body of the cup, the cup may be attached to a supporting element such as a tray or table. This reduces the risk that the cup will be knocked over or otherwise disturbed. The releasable attachment means is especially advantageous in an institutional setting, for example in a care home or hospital, where multiple cups may need to be transported by one person. Multiple cups may be releasably attached to, for example, a tray, and the tray can be carried around the institution. Cups can be detached upon delivery to individual patients.

It is also envisaged that the cup can be associated with a pill receiving area for placing a person’s pills, for example, in a care home or hospital. Where a patient must take multiple pills at one time, a pill administration system may be provided comprising a cup releasably attached to a container for holding pills. The container may have, for example, separate compartments for different types of pill, or compartments which each contain a set of pills to be taken at one time.

The releasable attachment means may include a spigot or recess for engagement with a corresponding recess or spigot of the supporting member. A projection or recess may be provided on the releasable attachment means for engaging with a corresponding recess or projection on the supporting element with a snap fit. A snap fit is advantageous because it provides substantial resistance against sideways forces being applied to the walls of the cup body. The snap fit therefore reduces the risk that the cup will be knocked over when it is attached to a support element.

The releasable attachment means may be a circular spigot. A circular spigot is advantageous, since it allows the cup to be secured to a supporting element in any orientation. This allows for effortless attachment and detachment of the cup from the supporting element, even by persons of limited manual dexterity.

It is envisaged that the cup body may have a substantially circular cross-section, having a single curved side wall.

The side wall of the cup body may include a circular upper portion where the lid attaches and a part circular lower portion. In other words, a lower portion of the side wall may have a flat surface. The flat surface of the side wall may be aligned with the spout, and this is found to improve the flow of liquid through the spout. In addition, the flat surface of the side wall together with the circular spigot provides an attachment means which provides two modes of attachment.

In a first attachment mode, a recess may be provided in a support element, the recess being in the shape of a circle with a truncated segment. The flat surface of the side wall of the cup corresponds with the truncated segment of the circle. The cup may therefore only be fitted within the support element in a particular orientation.

In a second attachment mode, a circular spigot may be provided in the support element, allowing rotation as described above.

The flat surface of the side wall, together with the circular spigot in the closed end of the cup body, combine to provide a releasable attachment means which either allows or denies rotation of the cup, depending on the nature of the support element. This is advantageous where a single person is responsible for preparing a large number of cups for use. A pill preparation station may comprise a tray having a plurality of recesses, each recess in the shape of a circle with a truncated segment. Multiple cup bodies may be attached to the pill preparation station, where they may be filled with fluid. Once fluid has been added to the cups, lids may be attached to the cup bodies. Because the cup bodies are all disposed in the same orientation in the tray, fitting the lids so that the position of the spout corresponds with the flat section of the cup body can be achieved quickly and easily. When the cups have been prepared and delivered to patients, they may be placed in a pill cup storage station, which might be for example built into a bedside table. The pill cup storage station includes a circular recess or spigot for attaching the pill cup in any orientation, with the above described advantages. A supporting element may be provided, and may incorporate a spigot or recess on its upper surface for engaging with the releasable attachment means on the cup body.

The supporting element may include a recess or projection for engaging with the releasable attachment means with a snap fit. A peripheral projection may be provided around the circular spigot.

The supporting element may include a circular recess for receiving the circular spigot, the recess being undercut to receive the peripheral projection with a snap fit.

The supporting element may have a pill receiving portion. The pill receiving portion may be dished.

The pill receiving portion may be provided with a lid for retaining pills in the pill receiving portion. The lid may be attached to the pill receiving portion by means of a live hinge and fastened by a resilient latch.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a pill swallowing cup comprising a cup body having an open end, a closed end and at least one side wall, and a lid for removably fitting over the open end of the cup body, the lid incorporating a spout and a grid disposed within the spout for supporting a medicament to be administered through the spout, characterised in that an aperture is provided in the lid, spaced from the spout, the aperture being at least 5 square millimetres in area, for allowing sufficient airflow through the lid for substantially unrestricted flow of liquid from the cup body through the spout.

The aperture may be crescent shaped, or otherwise slotted and may be up to 12.5mm2.

The ratio of cross-sectional area of the spout to the aperture may be between 20:1 and 30:1, may be between 25:1 and 30:1, and may be around 28:1.

These ratios ensure sufficient airflow though the aperture to prevent any airlock in the cup, in use.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided a pill swallowing cup comprising a cup body, a lid adapted to be attached to an upper end of the cup body, the lid incorporating a spout with a grid disposed across the spout for supporting a medicament to be administered through the spout, characterised in that the cup body is a vessel having a base and a sidewall, the sidewall having a circular upper portion where the lid attaches and part circular lower portion.

The part circular lower portion may have a cross section in the form of a part circle and a chord connecting the ends of the part circle. A sloping surface may be provided between the part circular portion and circular portion internally of the cup. .

By having a circular upper end of the cup body, the lid can be fitted in any suitable position. Means may be provided for engaging the lid in a particular orientation, in particular with the spout aligned and adjacent the flat of the lower portion of the cup.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example only, to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view through the side of a pill cup according to the invention; and

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view through the pill cup of Figure 1, attached to a tray element.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring firstly to Figure 1, a cup to assist in the taking of a medicament, particularly a pill, is indicated generally at 10. The cup 10 includes a body 12, in the form of a vessel, and a lid 14 which clips onto the upper end of the body 12. The upper end of the body 12, indicated at 16, is circular in cross-section, whereas the lower end of the body 12 has a non-circular cross-section 18. The non-circular lower portion is provided with a flat 20 on a cord across the otherwise circular body 12. A sloping area 21 extends from the flat 20 to the circular area 16 at the upper end of the body 12.

The underside of the body 12 is provided with an undercut, in which a circular projection or spigot 22 is disposed. A peripheral projection or flange 24 extends around the side of the projection and forms a latch for engagement in a recess, described further below.

The distal upper end of the body 12 is also formed with a peripheral lip or flange 26, which is received in an undercut of the lid 14, such that the lid can be engaged with the body 12 with a snap fit. A lip 28 is formed to one side of the lid 14, which enables the lid to be removed from the body 12 with ease, by hand.

An aperture 30, which is crescent shaped, is provided through the lid 14 for enabling air to flow into the lid as described further below. The cross-sectional area of the aperture 30 is around 12.5mm2.

An angled spout 32 extends from the top of the lid, and angles from the periphery towards the centre. This enables liquid within the cup body to be drunk through the spout 32 without having to tilt the head significantly backwards. A grid 34 is provided across the base of the spout 32 onto which a pill can be placed. The sides of the spout 32 are internally splined 36 to reduce the surface tension of a wet pill against the side of the spout, to facilitate the flow of a pill through the spout.

The cross-sectional area of the spout is around 345mm2. This is sufficiently large to accept the majority of pills, but is not so large as to allow a flow of liquid through the spout which is too much to swallow at one time.

Referring also to Figure 2, a supporting element in the form of a tray or saucer 40 is shown attached to the lower end of the cup 10. The tray 40 extends around the periphery of the cup body 12 and a circular up-stand 42 defines a recess at its centre, into which the spigot 22 of the cup locates. An undercut or groove is provided in an inward facing wall of the up-stand 42, into which the peripheral projection on the spigot 22 engages with a snap fit. A dished pill receiving portion 44 is provided in an upper surface of the tray 40, into which a pill or pills 46 can be placed, before being administered using the cup 10. The underside of the dished area 44 may also form a foot 48 of the tray. Further feet 50 are disposed around the rest of the underside of the tray 40.

In an alternative arrangement, the dished area 44 is provided with a lid. The lid may be attached by means of a live hinge and fastened by means of a latch.

The cup 10 has the advantage of being able to be engaged with any suitably formed supporting element, such as a tray, saucer, work surface or bedside table top. The flow through the spout is enhanced by virtue of the air vent, combined with the internal shape of the cup, as defined by the flat in the lower portion of the body 12.

Claims

1. A pill swallowing cup comprising a cup body, a lid adapted to be attached to an upper end of the cup body, the lid incorporating a spout with a grid disposed across the spout for supporting a medicament to be administered through the spout, characterised in that an aperture is provided in the lid, spaced from the spout, the aperture being at least 0.5 square millimetres in area, for allowing sufficient airflow through the lid for substantially unrestricted flow of liquid from the cup body through the spout.

2. A pill swallowing cup as claimed in claim 1, in which the aperture is up to 12.5 square millimetres in area.

3. A pill swallowing cup as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the ratio of cross-sectional area of the spout to the aperture is between 20:1 and 30:1.