IES80144B2

IES80144B2 - A medical kit

Info

Publication number: IES80144B2
Authority: IE
Inventors: Garry Moore
Original assignee: Steripack Medical Limited
Priority date: 1997-07-14
Filing date: 1998-01-27
Publication date: 1998-06-03
Also published as: IES980048A2; IE980049A1; GB2327221A; GB9801911D0

Abstract

A medical kit 1 comprises a compartmented box 2 for storing medical equipment and medicines e.g. needles 28, 29 and syringes 30. It includes a shelf 7 having openings 21 that can be used for supporting a container in an upright position to facilitate dispensing of medicine from the container and in particular for drawing up medicine into a syringe. The box is preferably formed from a blank (Fig. 6) which includes integral partition panels 25, 26, 27 etc. A foam block with appropriate openings may be provided beneath the shelf as additional support for containers. Further features include a tamper evident seal on the box and a needle disposal bin 8 mounted in it.

Description

This invention relates to a medical kit, and in particular to a medical kit for the self administration of medicines by a patient in their own home.

French Patent Specification No. 2586354 discloses a medical kit for administering a medical injection. The kit has a moulded base with cavities for reception of a syringe, a medicine container and a sachet containing a fibrous pad with disinfectant.

French Patent Specification No. 2721498 discloses a medical kit for giving injections comprising a container having recesses for reception of a syringe, needles and antiseptic pad and an adhesive dressing. A needle disposal compartment is also provided in the container.

When a person is handling a syringe, there is always the danger of the person inadvertently stabbing or scraping themselves with the needle of the syringe. This is particularly so where non-medical persons are involved that have little or no experience of handling syringes. Also, the drawing of medicines for injection with a syringe from an ampoule or the like can present difficulties for those not practised in doing so.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome these problems and to provide a medical kit which allows the self-administration of medicine to be injected by a patient in their own home allowing the handling of the medicines and the use of syringes in a safe and simple manner.

According to the invention, there is provided a medical kit comprising a box having one or more compartments for - 2 reception of selected medical equipment and/or medicines and a work station having means to support a container to facilitate dispensing medicine from the container or collecting a sample in the container. For example, the work station may conveniently comprise means for supporting ampoules or other containers of medicine for drawing up medicine from the containers by a syringe for subsequent injection.

Conveniently, the medical equipment and/or medicines are those required for a particular course of treatment which may, for example, be carried out in the home.

The supporting means may comprise a panel or shelf having an opening or pocket for reception and support of the ampoule or other container. To facilitate use of ampoules, means may be provided for snapping off the head of the ampoule prior to mounting the ampoule in the support means.

To provide free access and ease of use of the work station, the work station is preferably located adjacent a side wall of the box with a cut-away slot, opening or groove being provided in the side wall at the work station. Thus, the work station is easily accessible by the user and convenient to use.

In another embodiment, means is provided beneath the shelf of the work station to engage and support a container. Said means may comprise a mounting block located beneath the support shelf, the mounting block having complementary slots associated with the openings in the shelf, each slot for reception of a container mounting in the associated opening. Alternatively, inwardly extending flaps may be provided at the opening to engage a side of a container mounted in the opening.

To facilitate manufacture and to minimise production costs, the box is preferably formed from a one-piece cardboard blank which is foldable from a flat manufactured panel into the desired box configuration.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the kit is for the administration of medicines or drugs by injection, and the box has a syringe storage compartment, a needle storage compartment and a medicine compartment. Preferably, the needles and syringes are each contained in sterile packs which are stored in their associated compartment.

In another embodiment, the box comprises a base, a front wall, rear wall and end walls upstanding on the base, and a number of partition walls upstanding on the base and sub-dividing an interior of the box into a number of separate compartments. Preferably, the compartments comprise a pair of needle storage compartments and a syringe storage compartment at a rear of the box and a main storage compartment at a front of the box, the work station being mounted at the front wall of the box and a cover hingedly mounted at an upper end of the rear wall and extendable forwardly from the rear wall over the top and front sides of the box.

Preferably, the cover has side flaps for engagement with the sidewalls and a locking flap at a free edge of the cover for engagement with an associated receiver slot at the bottom of the front wall.

Ideally, a Sharps bin is provided in the box for reception and safe disposal of used needles and syringes. For the sake of compactness, the Sharps bin may conveniently be located in the medicine compartment upon initial production of the kit and prior to storage of selected medicine in the medicine compartment. During use, the Sharps bin is removed from the kit and medicines can be conveniently and safely stored within the medicine compartment of the box.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the box is closed by a cover which is initially sealed in a closed position by a tamper evident seal. In addition to ensuring there is no unauthorised tampering with the kit prior to use, the tamper evident seal may conveniently provide information related to the kit such as the expiry date and lot reference numbers for easy traceability.

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a medical kit according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the medical kit; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the medical kit shown in a closed position; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a box of the medical kit, shown in an open position; Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating various components of the medical kit; Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank for forming the box of the medical kit; Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the blank partially assembled to form the box; Fig. 8 is a detail plan view showing an alternative construction of work station or the box; and Fig. 9 is a detail elevational view of the work station shown in Fig. 8 in use.

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a medical kit according to the invention, indicated generally by the reference numeral 1. The medical kit 1 comprises a box 2 having a number of separate compartments, namely, needle compartments 3, 4, a syringe compartment 5 and a medicine compartment 6. A work station 7 for the preparation of medicines for injection is also provided. A Sharps bin 8 for the safe disposal of used needles and syringes is conveniently housed within the medicine compartment 6 prior to use.

The box 2 has a rectangular base 10 with an upstanding side wall on the base 10 comprising a front wall 11, rear wall 12 and end walls 13, 14. A cover 15 is hingedly connected at an upper end of the rear wall 12 and has a top cover panel 16. A front cover panel 17 is hingedly attached to the top cover panel 16 for extending downwardly over the front wall 11 to close a front of the box 2. A closing or locking flap 18 projects outwardly of the front panel 17 for engagement within an associated receiver slot 19 at a bottom of the front wall 11 to secure the cover 15 in a closed position.

The work station 7 comprises an inwardly extending panel forming a shelf 20 extending inwardly from the front wall 11 above the base 10. A plurality of ampoule receiving openings 21 are spaced-apart along the shelf 20 for reception and support of ampoules in an upright position to facilitate drawing up of medicines from the ampoules by the syringes. An ampoule snapper 22 is provided to break the head of the ampoule prior to standing the ampoule in a slot 21 of the work station 7. The ampoule snapper can conveniently be stored in one of the slots 21. A foam mounting block may be secured below the shelf 20, the mounting block having slots which align with the openings 21 for reception and support of the ampoules.

It will be noted that an opening is provided in the front wall 11 above the shelf 20 for easy access to the work station 7.

Internal dividing walls 25, 26, 27 upstanding from the base 10 divide a rear of the box 2 into the needle compartments 3, 4 and syringe compartment 5. Separate needle compartments 3, 4 are provided for monoject needles and drawing up needles 29. Syringes 30 are housed within the syringe compartment 5. All of the needles 28, and syringes 30 are contained within sterile packs to maintain sterility prior to use. If desired, autoinjectors may be provided.

Referring to Fig. 3, a tamper evident sealing strip 35 is mounted between the front cover panel 17 and the base 10. This sealing strip 35 may conveniently carry information such as a reference number, expiry date, lot number, pack identification or the like.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, it will be noted that the box 2 is formed from a one piece cardboard blank 40 which is shown in plan in Fig. 6. Thus, advantageously the box 2 is relatively easy and cheap to manufacture. Fig. 7 shows the blank 40 partially folded to form the box 2.

Referring to Figs. 8 and 9, there is shown an alternative construction for the work station 7. In this case, each of the slots 21 is formed simply by making a cross cut 50 through the shelf 20 to form flaps 51 which deflect downwardly when an ampoule 55 is pushed through the slot 21 to engage and support outer side walls of the ampoule 55.

In use, a patient will receive a kit 1, together with a medicine pack of the required medicines for a desired course of treatment. The patient can conveniently administer the medicines in their own home according to a protocol advised by their doctor. To administer the medicine, an ampoule is removed from the medicine pack and with the head of the ampoule snapped away, the ampoule is stood upright in a slot 21 of the work station 7. A needle and syringe are assembled and the patient can then draw up the medicine from the ampoule and inject the medicine according to instructions. After use, the needle and syringe are disposed in the Sharps bin 8 and the medicine pack is stored in the medicine compartment 6 of the kit 1 ready for further use as required.

It will be noted that the invention provides a useful medical kit for the self-administration of a course of medicine by a patient in their own home. The provision of the work station advantageously facilitates the handling of the medicines and use of the syringes in a safe and simple manner.

It will be appreciated that the arrangement of the compartments within the box may be varied according to specific requirements.

If desired a sample container may conveniently be mounted in a support slot at the workstation for reception of a fluid sample taken from a patient by means of a syringe.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims

1. A medical kit comprising a box having one or more compartments for reception of selected medical equipment or medicines, and a work station having means to support a container to facilitate dispensing medicine from the container or collecting a sample in the container, the supporting means comprising a shelf having one or more openings or pockets for reception of the container, the work station being located adjacent a side wall of the box with a cutaway slot, access opening or groove being provided in the side wall at the work station.

2. A medical kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein a mounting block is located beneath the support shelf, the mounting block having complementary slots associated with the openings in the shelf, each slot for reception of a container mounted in the associated opening.

3. A medical kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the box comprises a base, a front wall, rear wall and end walls upstanding on the base, and a number of partition walls upstanding on the base and sub-dividing an interior of the box into a number of separate compartments, the compartments comprising a pair of needle storage compartments and a syringe storage compartment at a rear of the box and a main storage compartment at a front of the box, the work station being mounted at the front wall of the box, and a cover hingedly mounted at an upper end of the rear wall and extendable forwardly from the rear wall over the top and front sides of the box, the cover having side flaps for engagement with the side walls and a locking flap at a free edge of the cover for engagement with an associated receiver slot at a bottom of the front wall.

4. A medical kit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the box is formed from a one-piece cardboard 5. Blank which is foldable from a flat manufactured panel into the desired box configuration.

5. A medical kit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings. CRUICKSHANK & CO.,