US20220110831A1 - Pill pouch - Google Patents
Pill pouch Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20220110831A1 US20220110831A1 US17/410,929 US202117410929A US2022110831A1 US 20220110831 A1 US20220110831 A1 US 20220110831A1 US 202117410929 A US202117410929 A US 202117410929A US 2022110831 A1 US2022110831 A1 US 2022110831A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- pill
- receptacle
- pouch
- access feature
- opening
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J7/00—Devices for administering medicines orally, e.g. spoons; Pill counting devices; Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine
- A61J7/0007—Pill breaking or crushing devices
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
- A61J1/05—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes for collecting, storing or administering blood, plasma or medical fluids ; Infusion or perfusion containers
- A61J1/10—Bag-type containers
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61J—CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE
- A61J1/00—Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes
- A61J1/14—Details; Accessories therefor
- A61J1/1475—Inlet or outlet ports
- A61J1/1487—Inlet or outlet ports with friction fit, e.g. connecting tubes directly to a protruding port
Definitions
- Medications are administered in a variety of forms. Although a liquid preparation may be desirable in some situations, for some drugs a liquid preparation may not be available. It can therefore be necessary to administer a solid dosage form, such as a pill or tablet. In some situations, however, a medication must be administered via a feeding tube. In this case, a pill or tablet can be crushed or reduced to a fine powder to facilitate administering the pill or tablet through a tube. For many years a simple mortar and pestle tool has been used to crush and grind pills for such purposes. Although there have been advancements in pill crushing technology, current pill crushers typically rely on a crushing action to reduce pills to smaller particles.
- FIG. 1 is an example illustration of a pill preparation device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 2A-2D are side cross-sectional schematic views of the pill preparation device of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of the pill preparation device of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 is an example illustration of a pill preparation device in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 5 is an example illustration of a pill preparation device in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 6 is an example illustration of a pill preparation device in accordance with still another embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 7 is an example illustration of a pill pouch in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 8 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a cap and an opening of a pill pouch, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 9 is a top view of a cap of a pill pouch, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 10 is an example illustration of a pill pouch in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
- FIGS. 11A-11F illustrate the pill pouch of FIG. 10 in use, in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.
- the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.
- an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed.
- the exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained.
- the use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.
- adjacent refers to the proximity of two structures or elements. Particularly, elements that are identified as being “adjacent” may be either abutting or connected. Such elements may also be near or close to each other without necessarily contacting each other. The exact degree of proximity may in some cases depend on the specific context.
- a pill pouch can minimize or reduce pill or medication dust escaping and becoming airborne, which can also minimize or reduce inhalation by hospital personnel and/or other bystanders, such as patients or visitors.
- the potential for cross-contamination of medications can be minimized by the pill pouch.
- the pill pouch can include a receptacle to contain a pill.
- the receptacle can have an opening to receive the pill therein.
- the receptacle can be defined at least in part by a flexible side to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle.
- the pill pouch can also include an access feature associated with the receptacle to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been broken and/or crushed.
- a pill pouch can include a receptacle to contain a pill.
- the receptacle can have an opening to receive the pill therein.
- the receptacle can be defined at least in part by a flexible side to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle.
- the pill pouch can also include a sealing mechanism operable to alternately seal the opening and provide access to the receptacle through the opening.
- the sealing mechanism can have a groove and ridge configured to releasably interlock with one another.
- the pill pouch can include an access feature associated with the receptacle to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been broken and/or crushed.
- the access feature can be oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the access feature extends parallel to the flexible side.
- a pill pouch system in one aspect, can comprise a pill pouch including a receptacle to contain a pill.
- the receptacle can have an opening to receive the pill therein.
- the pill pouch can also include an access feature to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been broken and/or crushed.
- the system can comprise an extraction instrument coupleable to the access feature to remove the pill from the receptacle.
- the pill preparation device 100 can comprise a base 110 , which can be configured to rest on, or be rigidly coupled to, a support surface such as a table, bench, cart, counter, or other support surface.
- the base 110 can be configured to be mounted on a vertical support surface, such as a wall.
- the base 110 can include side walls 111 a , 111 b , end walls 112 a , 112 b , and a bottom (hidden from view).
- the base 110 can be configured to provide structural support for various components and features of the pill preparation device 100 .
- a base 110 can vary in form from that illustrated in the figures.
- a base can include a structural framework of beams, instead of walls, to provide suitable structural support for the various components and features of a pill preparation device as disclosed herein.
- the pill preparation device 100 can also comprise an anvil (hidden from view) supported by the base 110 , and a platen 130 coupled to the base 110 and movable relative to the anvil.
- the platen 130 can have a crushing surface (hidden from view) oriented toward the anvil and a rolling surface 132 on a side opposite the crushing surface.
- the base 110 can include an opening 113 configured to facilitate disposing a pill between the platen 130 and the anvil.
- a pill can be disposed in a pill pouch, and the opening 113 can be configured to receive the pill pouch in order to locate the pill between the platen 130 and the anvil.
- the pill preparation device 100 can include a lever arm 140 slidably coupled to the base 110 and rotatable about a pivot (represented by axis 141 ).
- a roller 150 can be coupled to the lever arm 140 and offset 142 from the pivot such that the lever arm 140 is operable to selectively position the roller 150 about the platen 130 , such as by translational and/or rotational movement in directions 101 and 102 , respectively.
- the lever arm 140 can be slidably coupled to the base 110 via a sliding mechanism 160 .
- the sliding mechanism 160 can include a carriage 161 that is translatable along a track 162 a , 162 b .
- the lever arm 140 can be pivotally coupled to the carriage 161 and movable along the track 162 a , 162 b to position the roller 150 at a desired location relative to the platen 130 .
- the sliding mechanism 160 can be configured to facilitate sliding or translational movement in any suitable manner.
- the carriage 161 and/or the track 162 a , 162 b can include a roller, bearing, wheel, or other device or feature to facilitate sliding or translational movement.
- the lever arm 140 can include extension members 143 a , 143 b disposed on opposite sides of the roller 150 .
- the extension members 143 a , 143 b can be configured to rotatably couple with the carriage 161 and pivot about the axis 141 .
- the lever arm 140 such as the extension members 143 a , 143 b , can be rotatably coupled to the carriage 161 via a bearing, bushing, or other suitable device or feature.
- the extension members 143 a , 143 b can also couple with and support the roller 150 , such via an axle 151 of the roller 150 .
- the roller 150 can include a bearing, bushing, or other suitable device or feature to facilitate rotational movement of the roller 150 relative to the lever arm 140 .
- the lever arm 140 can also include a handle 144 to facilitate maneuvering the lever arm 140 , and thus the roller 150 , by a user.
- the handle can comprise a grip enhancing feature or material to enable the user to effectively grip the lever arm 140 .
- the lever arm 140 can be configured to locate the handle 144 in a position that prevents interference between the user's hand and the base 110 , platen 130 , or other feature of the pill preparation device 100 during use, which can minimize risk of injury to the user.
- the handle can be offset 145 , such as by offsetting portion 146 a , 146 b , from a longitudinal axis of the extension members 143 a , 143 b to shift the handle 144 away from a potential interference between the user's hand and a component or feature of the pill preparation device 100 .
- the pill preparation device 100 can include a pill pouch attachment feature 170 a , 170 b .
- a pill pouch containing a pill can be disposed between the roller 150 and the rolling surface 132 of the platen 130 .
- the pill pouch attachment feature 170 a , 170 b can be configured to secure or couple the pill pouch to the platen 130 and properly position the pill about the rolling surface 132 to be broken up by the roller 150 and the rolling surface 132 .
- the pill pouch attachment feature 170 a , 170 b can comprise a protrusion to be received within a hole of the pill pouch.
- the pill preparation device 100 can also include a handle 114 coupled to the base 110 to facilitate stabilizing the pill preparation device 110 by a user during use.
- the handle 114 can comprise a grip enhancing feature or material to enable the user to effectively grip the handle 114 to stabilize the pill preparation device 100 .
- the handle 114 can be positioned by a support arm 115 extending from the base 110 .
- the pill preparation device 100 can include a lever arm securing mechanism to maintain the lever arm 140 in a stowed position, as shown in FIG. 1 , until further use.
- the lever arm 140 can be configured to have an interference with the handle 114 when in the stowed position, which can serve to maintain the lever arm 140 in the stowed position.
- the offsetting portions 146 a , 146 b can be configured to contact the handle 114 when in the lever arm 140 is in the stowed position, which can cause the handle 114 constructed of a resilient material, such as an elastomer, to compress due to the interference and hold the lever arm 140 in the stowed position until further use.
- the pill preparation device 100 can include a magnet 154 to act on the roller 150 or the lever arm 140 itself in order to maintain the lever arm 140 in the stowed position.
- FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate side cross-sectional schematic views of the pill preparation device 100 to show features hidden from view in FIG. 1 and to demonstrate operation of the pill preparation device 100 . Certain features have been omitted from these views for clarity.
- the pill preparation device 100 has the lever arm 140 in the stowed position illustrated in FIG. 1 , with the magnet 154 acting on the roller 150 to maintain the lever arm 140 in the stowed position at an end 103 of the pill preparation device 100 .
- the anvil 120 can be seen adjacent the bottom 116 of the base 110 .
- the platen 130 is supported by the base 110 and movable relative to the anvil 120 , in this case by a pivot 133 that provides for movement in a rotational degree of freedom.
- the platen 130 can be biased away from the anvil 120 by a spring 121 , which can have ends disposed in countersunk holes 124 , 134 in the anvil 120 and the platen 130 , respectively.
- the space provided by the countersunk holes 124 , 134 can accommodate the spring 121 when compressed to provide a range of motion of the platen 130 that permits the platen 130 to press against the anvil 120 .
- the platen 130 can be biased away from the platen 120 by any suitable biasing mechanism, such as a torsion spring associated with the pivot 133 , for example.
- a stop 117 can limit the range of motion of the platen 130 away from the anvil 120 and can therefore be configured to resist the biasing force acting on the platen 130 . Biasing the platen 130 away from the anvil 120 can provide a space 122 between the platen 130 and the anvil 120 , which can facilitate disposing a pill between these two components, such as via the opening 113 in the base 110 .
- the base 110 can also include features, such as feet 118 a , 118 b , to interface with a support surface.
- the feet 118 a , 118 b can comprise surface features and/or a material that enhances grip between the pill preparation device 100 and the support surface to prevent unwanted movement of the pill preparation device 100 relative to the support surface during use.
- FIG. 2B illustrates the lever arm 140 moved in direction 101 a via the carriage 161 along the tracks 162 a , 162 b from the stowed position toward an end 104 of the pill preparation device 100 .
- the lever arm 130 can be slidable in a translational degree of freedom parallel to a working surface 123 of the anvil 120 .
- Such movement of the lever arm 140 can locate the roller 150 over the platen 130 in preparation to break up a pill disposed between the crushing surface 131 of the platen 130 and the anvil 120 , and/or on the rolling surface 132 of the platen 130 .
- the roller 150 which has a center of rotation that is offset 142 from the pivot 141 a , can be moved toward the platen 130 .
- a force 105 applied to the lever arm 140 tending to cause movement of the roller 150 toward the platen 130 can force the platen 130 toward the anvil 120 to facilitate breaking up a pill disposed between the crushing surface 131 and the anvil 120 .
- the location of the lever arm 140 and the roller 150 relative to the platen 130 can be adjusted in direction 101 as desired to provide an advantageous leverage when crushing a pill between the platen 130 and the anvil 120 .
- the offset 142 and/or the length of the lever arm 140 can be configured to provide adequate leverage for crushing and/or rolling a pill as disclosed herein.
- the crushing surface 131 of the platen 130 and/or the working surface 123 of the anvil 120 can include surface features, such as textures, to facilitate breaking up a pill.
- the base 110 can also include an opening 119 configured to accommodate the lever arm 140 when rotated to cause the roller 150 to move toward the platen 130 .
- the downward force 105 applied by a user to the handle 144 of the lever arm 140 can cause the end 103 of the pill preparation device 100 to lift up off of a supporting surface, which can create instability when using the pill preparation device 100 . Accordingly, the user can provide a downward force 106 on the handle 114 to prevent such an instable condition from occurring.
- FIG. 2D illustrates operation of the pill preparation device 100 when breaking up a pill disposed on the rolling surface 132 of the platen 130 .
- executing a crushing operation on a pill is useful to break up the pill into small chunks, but it is insufficient to break up the pill into a powder form that can be readily administered to a patient via a tube, such as a feeding or IV tube.
- performing a rolling operation on a pill can generally be effective to break up a pill into smaller pieces than is possible with a crushing operation, even to the extent of rendering the pill in a fine powder form following the rolling operation.
- one benefit of the pill preparation devices of the present disclosure is the ability to not only break up a pill by crushing, but to also provide the ability to break up a pill by rolling to achieve a fine powdered form of the pill that can be readily administered through a tube without clogging.
- movement of the lever arm 140 can cause movement of the roller 150 to facilitate breaking up a pill 107 disposed between the roller 150 and the rolling surface 132 .
- the lever arm 140 can be actively maneuvered back-and-forth and up-and-down to produce a desired rolling effect on the pill 107 until the pill 107 has been converted into a suitable consistency, such as a powder.
- a diameter 152 of the roller 150 can be selected to facilitate rolling over the pill 107 , with a larger diameter generally being more effective at overcoming chunks or other pill fragments than a smaller diameter.
- the platen 130 can be biased toward the roller 150 , such as by the spring 121 .
- the platen 130 can move in direction 108 as the roller 150 rolls over the pill 107 .
- the platen 130 can provide some “give” away from the roller 150 as the roller 150 moves against the pill 107 , which can facilitate rolling over the pill 107 when the roller 150 may otherwise be stopped or have difficulty in rolling over the pill 107 .
- the spring 121 can rebound to maintain the roller 150 in contact with the pill 107 .
- the spring 121 can be configured to provide a suitable amount of force to facilitate or enhance the rolling operation. This action provided by the spring 121 in conjunction with the selective positioning of roller 150 by the user manipulating the lever arm 140 can facilitate a fast and effective rolling of the pill 107 into a powder.
- the roller 150 and the rolling surface 132 can be used in a crushing operation, such that the roller 150 is not used to roll but, rather, to simply crush the pill 107 .
- the roller 150 can be used in any suitable manner to achieve a desired result.
- FIG. 3 illustrates a top schematic view of the pill preparation device 100 , with certain features omitted for clarity. Also included in the figure is a pill pouch 180 that can be configured to contain a pill, represented generally by reference number 107 as a plurality pills and/or pill fragments, chunks, and/or powder. In one aspect, the pill preparation device 100 and the pill pouch 180 can form a pill preparation system.
- the pill pouch 180 can include a receptacle 181 to contain the pill 107 .
- the receptacle 181 can comprise any suitable configuration, such as a rectangular configuration illustrated in the figure.
- the receptacle 181 can have an opening 182 to receive the pill 107 into the receptacle 181 as well as to dispense the pill 107 from the receptacle 181 .
- a closure or sealing mechanism 183 can be operable to alternately seal the opening 182 and provide access to the receptacle 181 through the opening 182 .
- the closure or sealing mechanism 183 can have a groove 183 a and ridge 183 b configured to releasably interlock with one another.
- the groove 183 a and ridge 183 b can be similar to those of the closure or sealing mechanisms commonly utilized with resealable zipper bags, such as Ziploc® bags. Any suitable number of grooves and ridges can be utilized in any suitable combination.
- the opening 182 can be sealed, such as with heat, to form a temporary or permanent seal.
- the pill pouch 180 can also include a tab 184 disposed on a side of the receptacle 181 , and a tab 185 disposed on an opposite side of the receptacle 181 .
- Each tab 184 , 185 can be configured to interface and/or couple with the pill preparation device 100 , such as via pill pouch attachment feature 170 a , 170 b , 171 a , 171 b .
- each tab 184 , 185 can have a hole 186 a , 186 b and 187 a , 187 b , respectively, to facilitate coupling with the pill preparation device 100 .
- the protrusions of the pill pouch attachment features 170 a , 170 b can extend through holes 186 a , 186 b of the tab 184 , respectively, and the protrusions of the pill pouch attachment features 171 a , 171 b can extend through or engage with holes 187 a , 187 b of the tab 185 , respectively.
- the pill pouch attachment features 170 a , 170 b , 171 a , 171 b can include a barb or hook to maintain engagement with the respective holes 186 a , 186 b and 187 a , 187 b of the pill pouch 180 .
- a pill pouch attachment feature can comprise a sharp tip to pierce a tab of a pill pouch.
- the tab can be devoid of a hole, as one is formed by the sharp tip upon penetration of the tab.
- the pill pouch attachment features 186 a , 186 b , 187 a , 187 b can be located on the platen 130 such that there will be no interference with the roller 150 as the roller 150 is manipulated about the platen 130 during use.
- the pill pouch attachment features 186 a , 186 b , 187 a , 187 b can be associated with the platen 130 in a manner that facilitates maintaining a position of the pill pouch 180 on the rolling surface 132 during use without interfering or inhibiting the operation of the roller 150 to break up a pill.
- a width 109 of the receptacle 181 can be roughly the same size as a width 153 of the roller 150 , which can maintain the pill 107 in a position to be broken up by the roller 150 .
- the configuration of the pill pouch attachment features 186 a , 186 b , 187 a , 187 b , the tabs 184 , 185 , and the receptacle 181 can serve to position the pill 107 on the rolling surface 132 of the platen 130 to facilitate breaking up the pill 107 by the roller 150 .
- the pill pouch 180 can include an access feature 188 , which can provide an opening to the receptacle 181 .
- the access feature 188 can facilitate placement of the pill into the receptacle and/or removal of the pill 107 from the receptacle 181 after the pill has been broken or crushed by the pill preparation device 100 .
- the access feature 188 can comprise a hole, a port, a slit, a breakable membrane, a luer connector, and/or any other suitable access feature.
- the access feature 188 can be configured to facilitate removal of the pill 107 from the receptacle 181 using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, a tube, a nozzle, a hypodermic needle, a hollow needle, and/or any other suitable device or mechanism for removing the pill from the receptacle, whether in a dry or a liquid solution form.
- an extraction instrument such as a syringe, a tube, a nozzle, a hypodermic needle, a hollow needle, and/or any other suitable device or mechanism for removing the pill from the receptacle, whether in a dry or a liquid solution form.
- the access feature 188 can facilitate the removal of air from the pill pouch 180 once a pill has been deposited in the receptacle 181 and the opening 182 has been closed to prevent the pill pouch from rupturing due to internal pressure develop while crushing and/or rolling the pill.
- Air can be removed through the access feature 188 using a syringe, for example.
- the syringe may remain with the pill pouch 180 throughout the crushing and/or rolling process and out of the path of the roller 150 , platen 130 , and/or anvil 120 .
- the syringe may be removed and the access feature can be sealed to prevent air from entering the pill pouch 180 .
- a liquid can be introduced into the receptacle via the access feature 188 , such as using a syringe, to form a liquid pill solution, which may be facilitated by shaking the pill pouch 180 to mix the contents.
- a solution can include particles in suspension and does not require that all materials are solubilized within a liquid vehicle.
- a liquid or liquid vehicle can be any type of pharmaceutically acceptable liquid known in the art.
- the liquid pill solution can be delivered directly to a patient from the extraction instrument, such as by depositing the solution from a syringe into a feeding tube.
- a closed pill preparation and delivery system can be facilitated by the pill pouch 180 that minimizes or reduces pill or medication dust escaping the pill pouch 180 , which can also minimize or reduce inhalation by hospital personnel and/or other bystanders, such as patients or visitors.
- the access feature 188 can be located or disposed at any suitable location about the pill pouch 180 and/or relative to the receptacle 181 .
- the access feature 188 can be located to facilitate access to all portions of the receptacle 181 , such as a corner, to facilitate removal of the pill 107 from the receptacle 181 following crushing and/or rolling of the pill using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, whether in a dry or a liquid solution form.
- the access feature 188 can be located to position the extraction instrument such that the extraction instrument will not interfere with crushing and/or rolling operations of the pill preparation device 100 when the extraction instrument is coupled with the pill pouch 180 during a crushing and/or rolling operation.
- the access feature 188 can be located at one end of the pill pouch 180 , as shown in FIG. 3 .
- the access feature 188 can be located substantially on a longitudinal axis of the pill pouch 180 (as shown in the figure), or off-axis, such as proximate a corner of the receptacle 181 .
- FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of a pill preparation device 200 in accordance with the present disclosure.
- the pill preparation device 200 is similar in many respects to the pill preparation device 100 illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 .
- the pill preparation device 200 illustrates a platen 230 that is movable relative to an anvil 220 in direction 209 , which represents a translational degree of freedom.
- a base 210 can include a slot 272 a , 272 b and the platen 230 can have a protrusion 273 a , 273 b configured to move within the slot 272 a , 272 b , respectively.
- the slot 272 a , 272 b and the protrusion 273 a , 273 b can be configured to constrain movement of the platen to a translational degree of freedom.
- the slot 272 a , 272 b and the protrusion 273 a , 273 b can be configured to provide a gap between the slots and the protrusions to facilitate some degree of rotational movement of the platen, as well.
- the protrusion 273 a , 273 b and/or the slot 272 a , 272 b can include a bearing, roller, wheel, or any other suitable device or feature to facilitate movement of the protrusion 273 a , 273 b within the slot 272 a , 272 b .
- the pill preparation device 200 can also include springs 221 a , 221 b configured to bias the platen 230 away from the anvil 220 .
- the anvil 220 forms a bottom of the pill preparation device 200 .
- the anvil 220 can be integral with the base 210 .
- the pill preparation device 200 can also include an extension 274 operable with the base 210 to facilitate stabilizing the pill preparation device 200 during use.
- the extension 274 can be configured to extend from an end 204 of the pill preparation device 200 to resist a downward force applied by a user to a handle 244 of a lever arm 240 , which can prevent an end 203 of the pill preparation device 200 from lifting up off of a supporting surface.
- the extension 274 can be fixed in position relative to the base 210 .
- the extension can be movable relative to the base 210 in direction 275 between a stowed position and an operational position (shown) for use of the pill preparation device 200 .
- FIG. 5 illustrates yet another embodiment of a pill preparation device 300 in accordance with the present disclosure.
- the pill preparation device 300 is similar in many respects to the pill preparation devices 100 and 200 illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 .
- the pill preparation device 300 includes multiple platens 330 a , 330 b .
- the platens 330 a , 330 b can be configured to provide different benefits.
- the platen 330 a can function generally as described with respect to the platen 130 of FIGS. 1-3
- the platen 330 b can function generally as described with respect to platen 230 of FIG. 4 .
- the platen 330 b Due to the ability of the platen 330 b to move vertically, the platen 330 b can be made relatively short and compact when compared to the platen 330 a and still provide a suitable space 322 b between the platen 330 b and an anvil 320 for receiving a pill through an opening 313 b in the base 310 .
- locating the platen 330 b toward an end 303 of the pill preparation device 300 can provide stability for the device when applying force to a lever arm 340 to break up a pill using the platen 330 b . Accordingly, the platen 330 b can be used primarily for crushing a pill between the platen 330 b and the anvil 320 .
- the pill can be disposed on the rolling surface 332 a of the platen 330 a for a rolling operation with the roller 350 , which may require less force than a crushing operation.
- the platen 330 a can be used primarily for rolling operations.
- the platen 330 a can be used to crush a pill that is relatively easy to crush, without resorting to the platen 330 b.
- FIG. 6 illustrates an additional embodiment of a pill preparation device 400 in accordance with the present disclosure.
- the pill preparation device 400 can include a base 410 , which can have a top portion that serves as an anvil 420 .
- the pill preparation device 400 can also include a lever arm 440 rotatably coupled to the base 410 .
- the lever arm 440 can be rotatable about axes 464 , 465 via a coupling member 466 .
- a platen 430 can be coupled to the lever arm 440 and configured to contact the anvil 420 to break up or crush a pill disposed between the platen 430 and the anvil 420 , such as by movement of the lever arm 440 about the axis 464 .
- the platen 430 can be coupled to the lever arm by a support member 435 .
- a roller 450 can also be coupled to the lever arm 440 and configured to contact the anvil 420 to roll and/or crush a pill disposed between the roller 450 and the anvil 420 , such as by movement about the axes 465 , 464 .
- the roller 450 can be disposed about the lever arm 440 , although other configurations are possible.
- the platen 430 and the roller 450 can be configured to simultaneously contact the anvil 420 to ensure that sufficient crushing and/or rolling force can be applied to a pill on the anvil 420 .
- the lever arm 440 can include a handle 444 to facilitate manipulation of the lever arm 440 by a user.
- a pill may be crushed by the platen 430 and the anvil 420 primarily by movement of the lever arm 440 about the axis 464 and rolled by the roller 450 and the anvil 420 primarily by movement of the lever arm 440 about the axis 465 .
- the platen 430 and the roller 450 can therefore be utilized as desired to achieve a suitable consistency of a broken up pill.
- FIG. 7 illustrates a pill pouch 580 in accordance with another example of the present disclosure.
- the pill pouch 580 is similar in many respects to the pill pouch 180 discussed above with reference to FIG. 3 .
- the pill pouch 580 can include a receptacle 581 to contain a pill, represented generally by reference number 507 as a plurality pills and/or pill fragments, chunks, and/or powder as a result of breaking up and/or crushing of the pill.
- the pill pouch 580 can also have an opening 582 to receive the pill prior to being crushed and/or broken up into small fragments or powder.
- the pill pouch 580 can optionally include a tab 584 disposed on a side of the receptacle 581 , and a tab 585 disposed on an opposite side of the receptacle 581 .
- Each tab 584 , 585 can be configured to interface and/or couple with a pill preparation device, such as via a hole 586 a , 586 b and 587 a , 587 b interfacing with pill pouch attachment features, as disclosed hereinabove.
- the pill pouch 580 can include an access feature 588 to facilitate removal of the pill 507 from the receptacle 581 after the pill has been broken and/or crushed.
- the access feature 588 is associated with a cap 590 , which is configured to at least partially block passage of material, such as the pill 507 , through the opening 582 .
- the opening 582 can be located or disposed at any suitable location about the pill pouch 580 and/or relative to the receptacle 581 .
- the opening 582 can be located to facilitate access to all portions of the receptacle 581 , such as a corner, to facilitate removal of the pill 507 from the receptacle 581 .
- the opening 582 can be located to position the access feature 588 to facilitate removal of the pill 507 from the receptacle 581 following crushing and/or rolling of the pill using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, whether in a dry powdered form or as a liquid solution.
- the opening 582 can be located to position the access feature 588 such that an the extraction instrument will not interfere with crushing and/or rolling operations of a pill preparation device when the extraction instrument is coupled with the pill pouch 580 during a crushing and/or rolling operation.
- the opening 582 can be located at one end of the pill pouch 580 , as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the opening 582 can be located off a longitudinal axis of the pill pouch 580 , such as proximate a corner of the receptacle 581 , as shown in the figure.
- a cap 690 can include the access feature 688 .
- the access feature 688 can include an opening 691 , a hole, a port, a slit, or any other suitable feature to provide a passageway into a receptacle of a pill pouch to facilitate forming and extracting a liquid pill solution, as disclosed hereinabove.
- the opening 691 can be formed at the time of use by penetrating a thin breakable membrane, such as a thin metal foil or polymer membrane.
- the access feature 688 can include a coupling feature 692 configured to couple with an extraction instrument, such as a syringe.
- the coupling feature 692 can comprise a luer connector to facilitate coupling with a syringe or other such device.
- the cap 690 can be configured to be disposed in, or over, an opening 682 of a pill pouch.
- the cap 690 can be configured to couple with features defining the opening 682 .
- the opening 682 can be defined, at least in part, by a coupling feature 689 a and the cap 690 can include a coupling feature 699 a to interface with the coupling feature 689 a of the opening 682 to secure the cap 690 about the opening 682 .
- the coupling features 699 a , 689 a can comprise a protrusion and a recess, threaded coupling features, interference fit features, press fit features, snap fit features, and/or any other suitable coupling features.
- the cap 690 can include a flange or lip 699 b to interface with a rim 689 b about the opening 682 to prevent the cap 690 from passing through the opening 682 and into a receptacle of the pill pouch.
- the cap 690 and the opening 682 can be of any suitable size and/or shape, as shown in the figure, the opening 682 and the cap 690 can interface with one another such that the cap 690 is rotatable relative to the opening 682 about an axis 693 .
- FIG. 9 illustrates one advantage of such a configuration.
- an access feature 788 associated with a cap 790 can be eccentrically located relative to a rotational axis 793 of the cap 790 relative to an opening of a pill pouch.
- the rotatable and eccentrically located access feature 788 can facilitate removal of a pill or liquid pill solution via an extraction instrument extending through the access feature into the receptacle.
- the access feature 788 can be positionable via rotation of the cap 790 to position the extraction instrument to reach portions of a crushed or broken pill or liquid pill solution that may be located in a corner of the pill pouch that may otherwise be inaccessible to the extraction instrument.
- FIG. 10 illustrates a pill pouch 880 in accordance with another example of the present disclosure.
- the pill pouch 880 is similar in many respects to the pill pouches discussed above.
- the pill pouch 880 can include a receptacle 881 to contain a pill.
- the pill pouch 880 receptacle 881 can also have an opening 882 to receive the pill prior to being crushed and/or broken up into small fragments or powder.
- the pill pouch 880 can include an access feature 888 associated with the receptacle 881 to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle 881 after the pill has been broken and/or crushed.
- a closure or sealing mechanism 883 can be operable to alternately close or seal the opening 882 and provide access to the receptacle 881 through the opening 882 .
- the closure or sealing mechanism 883 can have a groove 883 a and ridge 883 b configured to releasably interlock with one another.
- the groove 883 a and ridge 883 b can be similar to those of the closure or sealing mechanisms commonly utilized with resealable zipper bags, such as Ziploc® bags. Any suitable number of grooves and ridges can be utilized in any suitable combination.
- Flaps 882 a , 882 b can be included to facilitate accessing the opening 882 , such as by providing gripping surfaces for a user to open the closure or sealing mechanism 883 , such as by pulling the flaps 882 a , 882 b apart or away from one another.
- the opening 882 can be sealed, such as with heat, to form a temporary or permanent seal.
- the receptacle 881 can have any suitable configuration.
- the receptacle 881 can have edges or surfaces configured to facilitate removal of a broken and/or crushed pill from the receptacle 881 .
- the receptacle 881 can have adjacent edges 894 a , 895 a with an angle 896 a greater than 90 degrees between the adjacent edges to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle 881 by guiding the pill toward the access feature 888 , which can be intersected by the edge 895 a .
- the receptacle 881 can have adjacent edges 894 b , 895 b with an angle 896 b greater than 90 degrees between the adjacent edges to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle 881 by guiding the pill toward the access feature 888 , which can be intersected by the edge 895 b .
- the angled edges 895 a , 895 b can cooperate to guide or funnel a broken and/or crushed pill toward the access feature 888 , although only a single angled edge or surface may suffice. It should be recognized that adjacent edges can intersect one another to form a “sharp” corner as illustrated in the figure, or such an intersection can form a “rounded” corner, as desired.
- the receptacle 881 can be defined at least in part by one or more flexible sides 881 a , 881 b to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle 881 .
- the flexible sides 881 a , 881 b can be opposite one another.
- the pill pouch 880 can be constructed of any suitable material to provide the one or more flexible sides 881 a , 881 b , such as any suitable plastic film (e.g., polyethylene) of any suitable thickness.
- the edges 894 a , 894 b , 895 a , 895 b can be formed by welding, such as hot sealing.
- portions 897 a , 897 b of the pill pouch 880 may be a remnant of the manufacturing process and can therefore be omitted from the pill pouch 880 if desired.
- the access feature 888 can be welded to the material forming the flexible sides 881 a , 881 b .
- the access feature 888 can include an access interface 888 a configured to facilitate removal of a pill from the receptacle 881 using an extraction instrument (e.g., a syringe, a tube, a nozzle, a hypodermic needle, a hollow needle, etc.).
- an extraction instrument e.g., a syringe, a tube, a nozzle, a hypodermic needle, a hollow needle, etc.
- the access interface 888 a of the access feature can therefore comprise an interface structure of a luer connector, a hole, a port, a slit, a breakable membrane, etc.
- the access feature 888 can be positioned to facilitate removal of a pill from the receptacle 881 following crushing and/or rolling of the pill using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, whether in a dry powdered form or as a liquid solution.
- the access feature 888 can include a valve 888 b that can be in a normally closed configuration, which can be opened by an extraction instrument, such as when coupled to the access feature 888 .
- the valve 888 b can be formed by a membrane 888 c having a slit 888 d or other such opening.
- the membrane 888 c can be configured to close the slit 888 d or opening when not engaged with an extraction instrument, and to open or enlarge the slit or opening when penetrated by an extraction instrument.
- the valve 888 b can maintain a seal for the pill pouch keeping pill materials from escaping the receptacle 881 while being broken and/or crushed.
- the valve 888 b can also facilitate the removal of air from the receptacle prior to breaking and/or crushing a pill, as well as the removal of the pill from the receptacle once the pill has been broken and/or crushed.
- the access feature 888 can include a human interface portion 888 e that can be configured to facilitate grasping by a human for manipulating the pill pouch 880 , such as during crushing and/or rolling of a pill. Accordingly, the human interface portion 888 e can be located in any suitable position about the pill pouch 880 and relative to other elements of the access feature 888 to facilitate grasping by a human. The human interface portion 888 e can also be of any suitable size to facilitate grasping by a human. In the example shown in FIG.
- the human interface portion 888 e can facilitate grasping by a user's index finger and thumb while at least a portion of an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, can be supported by the user's palm and/or other fingers while manipulating and maneuvering the pill pouch 880 , such as when crushing and/or rolling a pill.
- the human interface portion 888 e can include friction enhancing features (not shown), such as knurling, pebbling, texture, etc. to increase grip and reduce or minimize the likelihood of slippage when being grasped.
- the opening 882 and/or the access feature 888 can be located or disposed at any suitable location about the pill pouch 880 and/or relative to the receptacle 881 .
- various features of the pill pouch 880 can be configured and/or located to facilitate effective operation of a pill preparation device as disclosed herein.
- the closure or sealing mechanism 883 for the opening 882 and/or the access feature 888 can be located such that there will be no interference with the operation of a pill preparation device, such as with a roller as the roller is manipulated about a platen during use.
- the access feature 888 and the opening 882 can be disposed at opposite ends of the receptacle 881 , as shown in FIG. 10 .
- Such placement of these features can provide space for a pill preparation device roller to operate in breaking and/or crushing a pill in the receptacle without interference.
- the pill pouch 880 closure or sealing mechanism 883 and/or access feature 888 can be located about a side, an edge, and/or a periphery of the pill pouch 880 to facilitate proper operation of a pill preparation device during use, such as avoiding interference with or inhibiting the operation of a roller to break up a pill.
- the access feature 888 can be oriented such that a longitudinal axis 898 of the access feature 888 extends parallel to one or both of the flexible sides 881 a , 881 b , as in FIG. 10 .
- the longitudinal axis 898 of the access feature 888 can coincide with a longitudinal axis of the receptacle 881 or of the pill pouch 880 .
- the access feature 888 can be oriented such that the longitudinal axis 898 of the access feature 888 extends through the receptacle 881 and the opening 882 .
- orientations of the access feature 888 can facilitate a stable coupling of an extraction instrument (e.g., a syringe) with the pill pouch 880 such that a support surface, such as a table or a platen of a pill preparation device, can simultaneously support both the pill pouch 880 and the extraction instrument when coupled to one another.
- an extraction instrument e.g., a syringe
- a support surface such as a table or a platen of a pill preparation device
- the latter orientation in particular, can also facilitate breaking and/or crushing a pill in the receptacle 881 with a pill preparation device while the extraction instrument is coupled to the pill pouch 880 by positioning the extraction instrument such that the extraction instrument will not interfere with operation of the pill preparation device.
- the pill pouch 880 can optionally include one or more tabs disposed on sides of the receptacle, which can be configured to interface and/or couple with a pill preparation device, such as via a hole interfacing with pill pouch attachment features, as disclosed hereinabove.
- FIGS. 11A-11F illustrate the pill pouch of FIG. 10 in use in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.
- pills 807 a , 807 b can be deposited in the receptacle 881 of the pill pouch 880 via the opening 882 .
- An extraction instrument 899 such as a syringe, can be coupled to the access feature 888 , as shown in FIG. 11B . With the opening 882 closed, the extraction instrument 899 can remove air from the pill pouch 880 to prevent the pill pouch from rupturing due to the development of internal pressure while crushing and/or rolling the pills 807 a , 807 b .
- FIG. 11A illustrates the pill pouch of FIG. 10 in use in accordance with an example of the present disclosure.
- pills 807 a , 807 b can be deposited in the receptacle 881 of the pill pouch 880 via the opening 882 .
- An extraction instrument 899 such as a syringe, can be coupled to the access feature 888
- 11C illustrates the pills 807 a , 807 b as broken and/or crushed, such as by a pill preparation device of the present disclosure.
- the extraction instrument 899 was removed from the pill pouch 880 for breaking and/or crushing of the pills 807 a , 807 b .
- the valve (hidden from view) of the access feature 888 can maintain pill materials in the pill pouch 880 during crushing and/or rolling operations. It should be recognized, however, that the extraction instrument 899 may remain with the pill pouch 880 throughout a crushing and/or rolling process.
- the human interface portion 888 e of the access feature 888 can facilitate manipulation and maneuvering of the pill pouch 880 during crushing and/or rolling of the pills 807 a , 807 b , with or without the extraction instrument 899 coupled to the access feature 888 .
- a liquid can be introduced into the receptacle 881 via the access feature 888 using the extraction instrument 899 , to form a liquid pill solution 807 c , which may be facilitated by shaking the pill pouch 880 to mix the contents.
- the solution can be removed, withdrawn, or evacuated from the pill pouch 880 via the access feature 888 using the extraction instrument 899 , as shown in FIG. 11E .
- the extraction instrument 899 can be removed from the pill pouch 880 and the liquid pill solution can be delivered directly to a patient from the extraction instrument 899 , such as by depositing the solution from the extraction instrument 899 into a feeding tube.
- a liquid was introduced to form a liquid pill solution for ease of extraction and delivery, it should be recognized that a pill can remain in a dry or powder state or condition for removal from the pill pouch 880 . It should be recognized from the above description that the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a medication for a patient as well as a method for treating a patient with a medication.
- a method for preparing a pill for administration to a subject can comprise disposing a pill in a receptacle of a pill pouch via an opening of the pill pouch.
- the method can also comprise at least one of breaking up the pill and crushing the pill.
- the method can comprise removing the pill from the receptacle via an access feature.
- the method can further comprise removing air from the receptacle.
- the method can further comprise adding a liquid to the receptacle to form a liquid pill solution.
- removing the pill can comprise withdrawing the liquid pill solution with an extraction instrument.
Abstract
A pill pouch is disclosed. The pill pouch can include a receptacle to contain a pill. The receptacle can have an opening to receive the pill therein. The receptacle can be defined at least in part by a flexible side to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle. The pill pouch can also include an access feature associated with the receptacle to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been broken and/or crushed.
Description
- This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/937,813, filed Nov. 10, 2015, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,096,868, which is a continuation in part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/462,180, filed Aug. 18, 2014, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 9,180,071, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 61/869,933, filed on Aug. 26, 2013, and 61/976,308, filed on Apr. 7, 2014, each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
- Medications are administered in a variety of forms. Although a liquid preparation may be desirable in some situations, for some drugs a liquid preparation may not be available. It can therefore be necessary to administer a solid dosage form, such as a pill or tablet. In some situations, however, a medication must be administered via a feeding tube. In this case, a pill or tablet can be crushed or reduced to a fine powder to facilitate administering the pill or tablet through a tube. For many years a simple mortar and pestle tool has been used to crush and grind pills for such purposes. Although there have been advancements in pill crushing technology, current pill crushers typically rely on a crushing action to reduce pills to smaller particles.
- Features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is an example illustration of a pill preparation device in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 2A-2D are side cross-sectional schematic views of the pill preparation device ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a top schematic view of the pill preparation device ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 is an example illustration of a pill preparation device in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 5 is an example illustration of a pill preparation device in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 6 is an example illustration of a pill preparation device in accordance with still another embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 7 is an example illustration of a pill pouch in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 8 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a cap and an opening of a pill pouch, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 9 is a top view of a cap of a pill pouch, in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 10 is an example illustration of a pill pouch in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 11A-11F illustrate the pill pouch ofFIG. 10 in use, in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. - Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.
- As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.
- As used herein, “adjacent” refers to the proximity of two structures or elements. Particularly, elements that are identified as being “adjacent” may be either abutting or connected. Such elements may also be near or close to each other without necessarily contacting each other. The exact degree of proximity may in some cases depend on the specific context.
- An initial overview of technology embodiments is provided below and then specific technology embodiments are described in further detail later. This initial summary is intended to aid readers in understanding the technology more quickly but is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the technology nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
- Use of a typical pill crusher can lead to fine dust becoming airborne or remaining on the device after use, which can lead to cross-contamination of various medications and also pose a risk to the patient and practitioner. Thus, potential risk to patients can be reduced by minimizing the occurrence of tube occlusions and further eliminating or minimizing cross-contamination and unintended inhalation of medications by facilitating a closed pill preparation and delivery system.
- Accordingly, a pill pouch is disclosed that can minimize or reduce pill or medication dust escaping and becoming airborne, which can also minimize or reduce inhalation by hospital personnel and/or other bystanders, such as patients or visitors. In one aspect, the potential for cross-contamination of medications can be minimized by the pill pouch. The pill pouch can include a receptacle to contain a pill. The receptacle can have an opening to receive the pill therein. The receptacle can be defined at least in part by a flexible side to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle. The pill pouch can also include an access feature associated with the receptacle to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been broken and/or crushed.
- In one aspect, a pill pouch is disclosed that can include a receptacle to contain a pill. The receptacle can have an opening to receive the pill therein. The receptacle can be defined at least in part by a flexible side to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle. The pill pouch can also include a sealing mechanism operable to alternately seal the opening and provide access to the receptacle through the opening. The sealing mechanism can have a groove and ridge configured to releasably interlock with one another. In addition, the pill pouch can include an access feature associated with the receptacle to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been broken and/or crushed. The access feature can be oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the access feature extends parallel to the flexible side.
- In one aspect, a pill pouch system is disclosed. The system can comprise a pill pouch including a receptacle to contain a pill. The receptacle can have an opening to receive the pill therein. The pill pouch can also include an access feature to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been broken and/or crushed. Additionally, the system can comprise an extraction instrument coupleable to the access feature to remove the pill from the receptacle.
- One embodiment of a
pill preparation device 100 is illustrated inFIG. 1 . Thepill preparation device 100 can comprise a base 110, which can be configured to rest on, or be rigidly coupled to, a support surface such as a table, bench, cart, counter, or other support surface. In one aspect, the base 110 can be configured to be mounted on a vertical support surface, such as a wall. The base 110 can includeside walls end walls pill preparation device 100. Accordingly, the structures of thebase 110, such as the side and endwalls - The
pill preparation device 100 can also comprise an anvil (hidden from view) supported by thebase 110, and aplaten 130 coupled to thebase 110 and movable relative to the anvil. Theplaten 130 can have a crushing surface (hidden from view) oriented toward the anvil and a rollingsurface 132 on a side opposite the crushing surface. In one aspect, the base 110 can include anopening 113 configured to facilitate disposing a pill between theplaten 130 and the anvil. As discussed further hereinafter, a pill can be disposed in a pill pouch, and theopening 113 can be configured to receive the pill pouch in order to locate the pill between theplaten 130 and the anvil. - In addition, the
pill preparation device 100 can include alever arm 140 slidably coupled to thebase 110 and rotatable about a pivot (represented by axis 141). Aroller 150 can be coupled to thelever arm 140 and offset 142 from the pivot such that thelever arm 140 is operable to selectively position theroller 150 about theplaten 130, such as by translational and/or rotational movement indirections lever arm 140 can be slidably coupled to thebase 110 via a slidingmechanism 160. The slidingmechanism 160 can include acarriage 161 that is translatable along atrack lever arm 140 can be pivotally coupled to thecarriage 161 and movable along thetrack roller 150 at a desired location relative to theplaten 130. The slidingmechanism 160 can be configured to facilitate sliding or translational movement in any suitable manner. For example, in one aspect, thecarriage 161 and/or thetrack - The
lever arm 140 can includeextension members roller 150. Theextension members carriage 161 and pivot about theaxis 141. In one aspect, thelever arm 140, such as theextension members carriage 161 via a bearing, bushing, or other suitable device or feature. Theextension members roller 150, such via anaxle 151 of theroller 150. Theroller 150 can include a bearing, bushing, or other suitable device or feature to facilitate rotational movement of theroller 150 relative to thelever arm 140. - The
lever arm 140 can also include ahandle 144 to facilitate maneuvering thelever arm 140, and thus theroller 150, by a user. The handle can comprise a grip enhancing feature or material to enable the user to effectively grip thelever arm 140. In one aspect, thelever arm 140 can be configured to locate thehandle 144 in a position that prevents interference between the user's hand and thebase 110,platen 130, or other feature of thepill preparation device 100 during use, which can minimize risk of injury to the user. For example, the handle can be offset 145, such as by offsettingportion extension members handle 144 away from a potential interference between the user's hand and a component or feature of thepill preparation device 100. - In one aspect, the
pill preparation device 100 can include a pill pouch attachment feature 170 a, 170 b. As discussed in more detail hereinafter, a pill pouch containing a pill can be disposed between theroller 150 and the rollingsurface 132 of theplaten 130. The pill pouch attachment feature 170 a, 170 b can be configured to secure or couple the pill pouch to theplaten 130 and properly position the pill about the rollingsurface 132 to be broken up by theroller 150 and the rollingsurface 132. In one aspect, the pill pouch attachment feature 170 a, 170 b can comprise a protrusion to be received within a hole of the pill pouch. - The
pill preparation device 100 can also include ahandle 114 coupled to the base 110 to facilitate stabilizing thepill preparation device 110 by a user during use. Thehandle 114 can comprise a grip enhancing feature or material to enable the user to effectively grip thehandle 114 to stabilize thepill preparation device 100. Thehandle 114 can be positioned by asupport arm 115 extending from thebase 110. - In one aspect, the
pill preparation device 100 can include a lever arm securing mechanism to maintain thelever arm 140 in a stowed position, as shown inFIG. 1 , until further use. In one embodiment, thelever arm 140 can be configured to have an interference with thehandle 114 when in the stowed position, which can serve to maintain thelever arm 140 in the stowed position. For example, the offsettingportions handle 114 when in thelever arm 140 is in the stowed position, which can cause thehandle 114 constructed of a resilient material, such as an elastomer, to compress due to the interference and hold thelever arm 140 in the stowed position until further use. In another embodiment, thepill preparation device 100 can include amagnet 154 to act on theroller 150 or thelever arm 140 itself in order to maintain thelever arm 140 in the stowed position. -
FIGS. 2A-2D illustrate side cross-sectional schematic views of thepill preparation device 100 to show features hidden from view inFIG. 1 and to demonstrate operation of thepill preparation device 100. Certain features have been omitted from these views for clarity. As shown inFIG. 2A , thepill preparation device 100 has thelever arm 140 in the stowed position illustrated inFIG. 1 , with themagnet 154 acting on theroller 150 to maintain thelever arm 140 in the stowed position at anend 103 of thepill preparation device 100. Theanvil 120 can be seen adjacent thebottom 116 of thebase 110. Theplaten 130 is supported by thebase 110 and movable relative to theanvil 120, in this case by apivot 133 that provides for movement in a rotational degree of freedom. Theplaten 130 can be biased away from theanvil 120 by aspring 121, which can have ends disposed in countersunkholes anvil 120 and theplaten 130, respectively. The space provided by the countersunkholes spring 121 when compressed to provide a range of motion of theplaten 130 that permits theplaten 130 to press against theanvil 120. It should be recognized that theplaten 130 can be biased away from theplaten 120 by any suitable biasing mechanism, such as a torsion spring associated with thepivot 133, for example. Astop 117 can limit the range of motion of theplaten 130 away from theanvil 120 and can therefore be configured to resist the biasing force acting on theplaten 130. Biasing theplaten 130 away from theanvil 120 can provide aspace 122 between theplaten 130 and theanvil 120, which can facilitate disposing a pill between these two components, such as via theopening 113 in thebase 110. - The base 110 can also include features, such as
feet feet pill preparation device 100 and the support surface to prevent unwanted movement of thepill preparation device 100 relative to the support surface during use. -
FIG. 2B illustrates thelever arm 140 moved indirection 101 a via thecarriage 161 along thetracks end 104 of thepill preparation device 100. In one aspect, thelever arm 130 can be slidable in a translational degree of freedom parallel to a workingsurface 123 of theanvil 120. Such movement of thelever arm 140 can locate theroller 150 over theplaten 130 in preparation to break up a pill disposed between the crushingsurface 131 of theplaten 130 and theanvil 120, and/or on the rollingsurface 132 of theplaten 130. For example, when thelever arm 140 is rotated indirection 102 a about thepivot 141 a, theroller 150, which has a center of rotation that is offset 142 from thepivot 141 a, can be moved toward theplaten 130. As shown inFIG. 2C , aforce 105 applied to thelever arm 140 tending to cause movement of theroller 150 toward theplaten 130 can force theplaten 130 toward theanvil 120 to facilitate breaking up a pill disposed between the crushingsurface 131 and theanvil 120. The location of thelever arm 140 and theroller 150 relative to theplaten 130 can be adjusted indirection 101 as desired to provide an advantageous leverage when crushing a pill between theplaten 130 and theanvil 120. In one aspect, the offset 142 and/or the length of thelever arm 140 can be configured to provide adequate leverage for crushing and/or rolling a pill as disclosed herein. In another aspect, the crushingsurface 131 of theplaten 130 and/or the workingsurface 123 of theanvil 120 can include surface features, such as textures, to facilitate breaking up a pill. - The base 110 can also include an
opening 119 configured to accommodate thelever arm 140 when rotated to cause theroller 150 to move toward theplaten 130. Thedownward force 105 applied by a user to thehandle 144 of thelever arm 140 can cause theend 103 of thepill preparation device 100 to lift up off of a supporting surface, which can create instability when using thepill preparation device 100. Accordingly, the user can provide adownward force 106 on thehandle 114 to prevent such an instable condition from occurring. -
FIG. 2D illustrates operation of thepill preparation device 100 when breaking up a pill disposed on the rollingsurface 132 of theplaten 130. In general, executing a crushing operation on a pill, such as between theplaten 130 and theanvil 120, is useful to break up the pill into small chunks, but it is insufficient to break up the pill into a powder form that can be readily administered to a patient via a tube, such as a feeding or IV tube. In addition, performing a rolling operation on a pill can generally be effective to break up a pill into smaller pieces than is possible with a crushing operation, even to the extent of rendering the pill in a fine powder form following the rolling operation. Thus, one benefit of the pill preparation devices of the present disclosure is the ability to not only break up a pill by crushing, but to also provide the ability to break up a pill by rolling to achieve a fine powdered form of the pill that can be readily administered through a tube without clogging. - For example, movement of the
lever arm 140, such as intranslational direction 101 and inrotational direction 102, can cause movement of theroller 150 to facilitate breaking up apill 107 disposed between theroller 150 and the rollingsurface 132. Thelever arm 140 can be actively maneuvered back-and-forth and up-and-down to produce a desired rolling effect on thepill 107 until thepill 107 has been converted into a suitable consistency, such as a powder. Adiameter 152 of theroller 150 can be selected to facilitate rolling over thepill 107, with a larger diameter generally being more effective at overcoming chunks or other pill fragments than a smaller diameter. In one aspect, theplaten 130 can be biased toward theroller 150, such as by thespring 121. This can cause theplaten 130 to move indirection 108 as theroller 150 rolls over thepill 107. For example, theplaten 130 can provide some “give” away from theroller 150 as theroller 150 moves against thepill 107, which can facilitate rolling over thepill 107 when theroller 150 may otherwise be stopped or have difficulty in rolling over thepill 107. Once a chunk or pill fragment has been overcome by theroller 150, thespring 121 can rebound to maintain theroller 150 in contact with thepill 107. Thus, thespring 121 can be configured to provide a suitable amount of force to facilitate or enhance the rolling operation. This action provided by thespring 121 in conjunction with the selective positioning ofroller 150 by the user manipulating thelever arm 140 can facilitate a fast and effective rolling of thepill 107 into a powder. In one aspect, theroller 150 and the rollingsurface 132 can be used in a crushing operation, such that theroller 150 is not used to roll but, rather, to simply crush thepill 107. Thus, theroller 150 can be used in any suitable manner to achieve a desired result. -
FIG. 3 illustrates a top schematic view of thepill preparation device 100, with certain features omitted for clarity. Also included in the figure is apill pouch 180 that can be configured to contain a pill, represented generally byreference number 107 as a plurality pills and/or pill fragments, chunks, and/or powder. In one aspect, thepill preparation device 100 and thepill pouch 180 can form a pill preparation system. - The
pill pouch 180 can include areceptacle 181 to contain thepill 107. Thereceptacle 181 can comprise any suitable configuration, such as a rectangular configuration illustrated in the figure. Thereceptacle 181 can have anopening 182 to receive thepill 107 into thereceptacle 181 as well as to dispense thepill 107 from thereceptacle 181. A closure orsealing mechanism 183 can be operable to alternately seal theopening 182 and provide access to thereceptacle 181 through theopening 182. In one aspect, the closure orsealing mechanism 183 can have agroove 183 a andridge 183 b configured to releasably interlock with one another. Thegroove 183 a andridge 183 b can be similar to those of the closure or sealing mechanisms commonly utilized with resealable zipper bags, such as Ziploc® bags. Any suitable number of grooves and ridges can be utilized in any suitable combination. In another aspect, theopening 182 can be sealed, such as with heat, to form a temporary or permanent seal. - The
pill pouch 180 can also include atab 184 disposed on a side of thereceptacle 181, and atab 185 disposed on an opposite side of thereceptacle 181. Eachtab pill preparation device 100, such as via pill pouch attachment feature 170 a, 170 b, 171 a, 171 b. For example, eachtab hole pill preparation device 100. In this case, the protrusions of the pill pouch attachment features 170 a, 170 b can extend throughholes tab 184, respectively, and the protrusions of the pill pouch attachment features 171 a, 171 b can extend through or engage withholes tab 185, respectively. In one aspect, the pill pouch attachment features 170 a, 170 b, 171 a, 171 b can include a barb or hook to maintain engagement with therespective holes pill pouch 180. In one embodiment, a pill pouch attachment feature can comprise a sharp tip to pierce a tab of a pill pouch. In this case, the tab can be devoid of a hole, as one is formed by the sharp tip upon penetration of the tab. - The pill pouch attachment features 186 a, 186 b, 187 a, 187 b can be located on the
platen 130 such that there will be no interference with theroller 150 as theroller 150 is manipulated about theplaten 130 during use. Thus, the pill pouch attachment features 186 a, 186 b, 187 a, 187 b can be associated with theplaten 130 in a manner that facilitates maintaining a position of thepill pouch 180 on the rollingsurface 132 during use without interfering or inhibiting the operation of theroller 150 to break up a pill. In one aspect, awidth 109 of thereceptacle 181 can be roughly the same size as awidth 153 of theroller 150, which can maintain thepill 107 in a position to be broken up by theroller 150. Thus, the configuration of the pill pouch attachment features 186 a, 186 b, 187 a, 187 b, thetabs receptacle 181 can serve to position thepill 107 on the rollingsurface 132 of theplaten 130 to facilitate breaking up thepill 107 by theroller 150. - As described in more detail hereinafter, the
pill pouch 180 can include anaccess feature 188, which can provide an opening to thereceptacle 181. In one aspect, theaccess feature 188 can facilitate placement of the pill into the receptacle and/or removal of thepill 107 from thereceptacle 181 after the pill has been broken or crushed by thepill preparation device 100. The access feature 188 can comprise a hole, a port, a slit, a breakable membrane, a luer connector, and/or any other suitable access feature. For example, theaccess feature 188 can be configured to facilitate removal of thepill 107 from thereceptacle 181 using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, a tube, a nozzle, a hypodermic needle, a hollow needle, and/or any other suitable device or mechanism for removing the pill from the receptacle, whether in a dry or a liquid solution form. - Thus, in one aspect, the
access feature 188 can facilitate the removal of air from thepill pouch 180 once a pill has been deposited in thereceptacle 181 and theopening 182 has been closed to prevent the pill pouch from rupturing due to internal pressure develop while crushing and/or rolling the pill. Air can be removed through theaccess feature 188 using a syringe, for example. In some cases, the syringe may remain with thepill pouch 180 throughout the crushing and/or rolling process and out of the path of theroller 150,platen 130, and/oranvil 120. In other cases, the syringe may be removed and the access feature can be sealed to prevent air from entering thepill pouch 180. After thepill 107 has been sufficiently crushed and/or rolled, a liquid can be introduced into the receptacle via theaccess feature 188, such as using a syringe, to form a liquid pill solution, which may be facilitated by shaking thepill pouch 180 to mix the contents. A solution can include particles in suspension and does not require that all materials are solubilized within a liquid vehicle. A liquid or liquid vehicle can be any type of pharmaceutically acceptable liquid known in the art. Once the liquid pill solution has been formed, the solution can be removed, withdrawn, or evacuated from thepill pouch 180 via theaccess feature 188 using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe. The liquid pill solution can be delivered directly to a patient from the extraction instrument, such as by depositing the solution from a syringe into a feeding tube. Thus, a closed pill preparation and delivery system can be facilitated by thepill pouch 180 that minimizes or reduces pill or medication dust escaping thepill pouch 180, which can also minimize or reduce inhalation by hospital personnel and/or other bystanders, such as patients or visitors. - It should be recognized that the
access feature 188 can be located or disposed at any suitable location about thepill pouch 180 and/or relative to thereceptacle 181. In one aspect, theaccess feature 188 can be located to facilitate access to all portions of thereceptacle 181, such as a corner, to facilitate removal of thepill 107 from thereceptacle 181 following crushing and/or rolling of the pill using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, whether in a dry or a liquid solution form. In another aspect, theaccess feature 188 can be located to position the extraction instrument such that the extraction instrument will not interfere with crushing and/or rolling operations of thepill preparation device 100 when the extraction instrument is coupled with thepill pouch 180 during a crushing and/or rolling operation. Thus, theaccess feature 188 can be located at one end of thepill pouch 180, as shown inFIG. 3 . In a particular aspect, theaccess feature 188 can be located substantially on a longitudinal axis of the pill pouch 180 (as shown in the figure), or off-axis, such as proximate a corner of thereceptacle 181. -
FIG. 4 illustrates another embodiment of apill preparation device 200 in accordance with the present disclosure. Thepill preparation device 200 is similar in many respects to thepill preparation device 100 illustrated inFIGS. 1-3 . Thepill preparation device 200, however, illustrates aplaten 230 that is movable relative to ananvil 220 indirection 209, which represents a translational degree of freedom. In this case, a base 210 can include aslot platen 230 can have aprotrusion slot slot protrusion slot protrusion protrusion slot protrusion slot pill preparation device 200 can also includesprings platen 230 away from theanvil 220. In this case, theanvil 220 forms a bottom of thepill preparation device 200. In one aspect, theanvil 220 can be integral with thebase 210. - The
pill preparation device 200 can also include anextension 274 operable with the base 210 to facilitate stabilizing thepill preparation device 200 during use. For example, theextension 274 can be configured to extend from anend 204 of thepill preparation device 200 to resist a downward force applied by a user to ahandle 244 of alever arm 240, which can prevent anend 203 of thepill preparation device 200 from lifting up off of a supporting surface. In one aspect, theextension 274 can be fixed in position relative to thebase 210. In another aspect, the extension can be movable relative to the base 210 indirection 275 between a stowed position and an operational position (shown) for use of thepill preparation device 200. -
FIG. 5 illustrates yet another embodiment of apill preparation device 300 in accordance with the present disclosure. Thepill preparation device 300 is similar in many respects to thepill preparation devices FIGS. 1-4 . Thepill preparation device 300, however, includesmultiple platens platens platen 330 a can function generally as described with respect to theplaten 130 ofFIGS. 1-3 , and theplaten 330 b can function generally as described with respect to platen 230 ofFIG. 4 . Due to the ability of theplaten 330 b to move vertically, theplaten 330 b can be made relatively short and compact when compared to theplaten 330 a and still provide asuitable space 322 b between theplaten 330 b and ananvil 320 for receiving a pill through anopening 313 b in thebase 310. In addition, locating theplaten 330 b toward anend 303 of thepill preparation device 300 can provide stability for the device when applying force to alever arm 340 to break up a pill using theplaten 330 b. Accordingly, theplaten 330 b can be used primarily for crushing a pill between theplaten 330 b and theanvil 320. Once the pill has been sufficiently crushed, the pill can be disposed on the rollingsurface 332 a of theplaten 330 a for a rolling operation with theroller 350, which may require less force than a crushing operation. Thus, theplaten 330 a can be used primarily for rolling operations. However, theplaten 330 a can be used to crush a pill that is relatively easy to crush, without resorting to theplaten 330 b. -
FIG. 6 illustrates an additional embodiment of apill preparation device 400 in accordance with the present disclosure. Thepill preparation device 400 can include abase 410, which can have a top portion that serves as ananvil 420. Thepill preparation device 400 can also include alever arm 440 rotatably coupled to thebase 410. In one aspect, thelever arm 440 can be rotatable aboutaxes coupling member 466. Aplaten 430 can be coupled to thelever arm 440 and configured to contact theanvil 420 to break up or crush a pill disposed between theplaten 430 and theanvil 420, such as by movement of thelever arm 440 about theaxis 464. Theplaten 430 can be coupled to the lever arm by asupport member 435. Aroller 450 can also be coupled to thelever arm 440 and configured to contact theanvil 420 to roll and/or crush a pill disposed between theroller 450 and theanvil 420, such as by movement about theaxes roller 450 can be disposed about thelever arm 440, although other configurations are possible. In one aspect, theplaten 430 and theroller 450 can be configured to simultaneously contact theanvil 420 to ensure that sufficient crushing and/or rolling force can be applied to a pill on theanvil 420. Thelever arm 440 can include ahandle 444 to facilitate manipulation of thelever arm 440 by a user. Thus, a pill may be crushed by theplaten 430 and theanvil 420 primarily by movement of thelever arm 440 about theaxis 464 and rolled by theroller 450 and theanvil 420 primarily by movement of thelever arm 440 about theaxis 465. Theplaten 430 and theroller 450 can therefore be utilized as desired to achieve a suitable consistency of a broken up pill. -
FIG. 7 illustrates apill pouch 580 in accordance with another example of the present disclosure. Thepill pouch 580 is similar in many respects to thepill pouch 180 discussed above with reference toFIG. 3 . For example, thepill pouch 580 can include areceptacle 581 to contain a pill, represented generally byreference number 507 as a plurality pills and/or pill fragments, chunks, and/or powder as a result of breaking up and/or crushing of the pill. Thepill pouch 580 can also have anopening 582 to receive the pill prior to being crushed and/or broken up into small fragments or powder. Thepill pouch 580 can optionally include atab 584 disposed on a side of thereceptacle 581, and a tab 585 disposed on an opposite side of thereceptacle 581. Eachtab 584, 585 can be configured to interface and/or couple with a pill preparation device, such as via ahole pill pouch 580 can include anaccess feature 588 to facilitate removal of thepill 507 from thereceptacle 581 after the pill has been broken and/or crushed. In this case, theaccess feature 588 is associated with acap 590, which is configured to at least partially block passage of material, such as thepill 507, through theopening 582. - It should be recognized that the
opening 582 can be located or disposed at any suitable location about thepill pouch 580 and/or relative to thereceptacle 581. In one aspect, theopening 582 can be located to facilitate access to all portions of thereceptacle 581, such as a corner, to facilitate removal of thepill 507 from thereceptacle 581. For example, theopening 582 can be located to position theaccess feature 588 to facilitate removal of thepill 507 from thereceptacle 581 following crushing and/or rolling of the pill using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, whether in a dry powdered form or as a liquid solution. In another aspect, theopening 582 can be located to position theaccess feature 588 such that an the extraction instrument will not interfere with crushing and/or rolling operations of a pill preparation device when the extraction instrument is coupled with thepill pouch 580 during a crushing and/or rolling operation. Thus, theopening 582 can be located at one end of thepill pouch 580, as shown inFIG. 7 . In a particular aspect, theopening 582 can be located off a longitudinal axis of thepill pouch 580, such as proximate a corner of thereceptacle 581, as shown in the figure. - As illustrated in
FIG. 8 , acap 690 can include theaccess feature 688. The access feature 688 can include anopening 691, a hole, a port, a slit, or any other suitable feature to provide a passageway into a receptacle of a pill pouch to facilitate forming and extracting a liquid pill solution, as disclosed hereinabove. In one aspect, theopening 691 can be formed at the time of use by penetrating a thin breakable membrane, such as a thin metal foil or polymer membrane. In addition, theaccess feature 688 can include acoupling feature 692 configured to couple with an extraction instrument, such as a syringe. Thus, in one aspect, thecoupling feature 692 can comprise a luer connector to facilitate coupling with a syringe or other such device. - In addition, the
cap 690 can be configured to be disposed in, or over, anopening 682 of a pill pouch. In one aspect, thecap 690 can be configured to couple with features defining theopening 682. For example, theopening 682 can be defined, at least in part, by acoupling feature 689 a and thecap 690 can include acoupling feature 699 a to interface with thecoupling feature 689 a of theopening 682 to secure thecap 690 about theopening 682. The coupling features 699 a, 689 a can comprise a protrusion and a recess, threaded coupling features, interference fit features, press fit features, snap fit features, and/or any other suitable coupling features. In one aspect, thecap 690 can include a flange orlip 699 b to interface with arim 689 b about theopening 682 to prevent thecap 690 from passing through theopening 682 and into a receptacle of the pill pouch. - Although the
cap 690 and theopening 682 can be of any suitable size and/or shape, as shown in the figure, theopening 682 and thecap 690 can interface with one another such that thecap 690 is rotatable relative to theopening 682 about anaxis 693. -
FIG. 9 illustrates one advantage of such a configuration. For example, anaccess feature 788 associated with acap 790 can be eccentrically located relative to arotational axis 793 of thecap 790 relative to an opening of a pill pouch. In one aspect, the rotatable and eccentrically located access feature 788 can facilitate removal of a pill or liquid pill solution via an extraction instrument extending through the access feature into the receptacle. For example, theaccess feature 788 can be positionable via rotation of thecap 790 to position the extraction instrument to reach portions of a crushed or broken pill or liquid pill solution that may be located in a corner of the pill pouch that may otherwise be inaccessible to the extraction instrument. -
FIG. 10 illustrates apill pouch 880 in accordance with another example of the present disclosure. Thepill pouch 880 is similar in many respects to the pill pouches discussed above. For example, thepill pouch 880 can include areceptacle 881 to contain a pill. Thepill pouch 880receptacle 881 can also have anopening 882 to receive the pill prior to being crushed and/or broken up into small fragments or powder. In addition, thepill pouch 880 can include anaccess feature 888 associated with thereceptacle 881 to facilitate removal of the pill from thereceptacle 881 after the pill has been broken and/or crushed. - A closure or
sealing mechanism 883 can be operable to alternately close or seal theopening 882 and provide access to thereceptacle 881 through theopening 882. In one aspect, the closure orsealing mechanism 883 can have agroove 883 a andridge 883 b configured to releasably interlock with one another. Thegroove 883 a andridge 883 b can be similar to those of the closure or sealing mechanisms commonly utilized with resealable zipper bags, such as Ziploc® bags. Any suitable number of grooves and ridges can be utilized in any suitable combination.Flaps opening 882, such as by providing gripping surfaces for a user to open the closure orsealing mechanism 883, such as by pulling theflaps opening 882 can be sealed, such as with heat, to form a temporary or permanent seal. - The
receptacle 881 can have any suitable configuration. For example, thereceptacle 881 can have edges or surfaces configured to facilitate removal of a broken and/or crushed pill from thereceptacle 881. In one aspect, thereceptacle 881 can haveadjacent edges angle 896 a greater than 90 degrees between the adjacent edges to facilitate removal of the pill from thereceptacle 881 by guiding the pill toward theaccess feature 888, which can be intersected by theedge 895 a. In addition, thereceptacle 881 can haveadjacent edges angle 896 b greater than 90 degrees between the adjacent edges to facilitate removal of the pill from thereceptacle 881 by guiding the pill toward theaccess feature 888, which can be intersected by theedge 895 b. Thus, in this case, theangled edges access feature 888, although only a single angled edge or surface may suffice. It should be recognized that adjacent edges can intersect one another to form a “sharp” corner as illustrated in the figure, or such an intersection can form a “rounded” corner, as desired. - The
receptacle 881 can be defined at least in part by one or moreflexible sides receptacle 881. In one aspect, theflexible sides pill pouch 880 can be constructed of any suitable material to provide the one or moreflexible sides edges portions 897 a, 897 b of thepill pouch 880 may be a remnant of the manufacturing process and can therefore be omitted from thepill pouch 880 if desired. In one aspect, theaccess feature 888 can be welded to the material forming theflexible sides access interface 888 a configured to facilitate removal of a pill from thereceptacle 881 using an extraction instrument (e.g., a syringe, a tube, a nozzle, a hypodermic needle, a hollow needle, etc.). Theaccess interface 888 a of the access feature can therefore comprise an interface structure of a luer connector, a hole, a port, a slit, a breakable membrane, etc. In one aspect, theaccess feature 888 can be positioned to facilitate removal of a pill from thereceptacle 881 following crushing and/or rolling of the pill using an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, whether in a dry powdered form or as a liquid solution. In one aspect, theaccess feature 888 can include avalve 888 b that can be in a normally closed configuration, which can be opened by an extraction instrument, such as when coupled to theaccess feature 888. Thevalve 888 b can be formed by amembrane 888 c having aslit 888 d or other such opening. Themembrane 888 c can be configured to close theslit 888 d or opening when not engaged with an extraction instrument, and to open or enlarge the slit or opening when penetrated by an extraction instrument. Thus, thevalve 888 b can maintain a seal for the pill pouch keeping pill materials from escaping thereceptacle 881 while being broken and/or crushed. Thevalve 888 b can also facilitate the removal of air from the receptacle prior to breaking and/or crushing a pill, as well as the removal of the pill from the receptacle once the pill has been broken and/or crushed. - In one aspect, the
access feature 888 can include ahuman interface portion 888 e that can be configured to facilitate grasping by a human for manipulating thepill pouch 880, such as during crushing and/or rolling of a pill. Accordingly, thehuman interface portion 888 e can be located in any suitable position about thepill pouch 880 and relative to other elements of theaccess feature 888 to facilitate grasping by a human. Thehuman interface portion 888 e can also be of any suitable size to facilitate grasping by a human. In the example shown inFIG. 10 , thehuman interface portion 888 e can facilitate grasping by a user's index finger and thumb while at least a portion of an extraction instrument, such as a syringe, can be supported by the user's palm and/or other fingers while manipulating and maneuvering thepill pouch 880, such as when crushing and/or rolling a pill. In one aspect, thehuman interface portion 888 e can include friction enhancing features (not shown), such as knurling, pebbling, texture, etc. to increase grip and reduce or minimize the likelihood of slippage when being grasped. - It should be recognized that the
opening 882 and/or theaccess feature 888 can be located or disposed at any suitable location about thepill pouch 880 and/or relative to thereceptacle 881. In one aspect, various features of thepill pouch 880 can be configured and/or located to facilitate effective operation of a pill preparation device as disclosed herein. For example, the closure orsealing mechanism 883 for theopening 882 and/or theaccess feature 888 can be located such that there will be no interference with the operation of a pill preparation device, such as with a roller as the roller is manipulated about a platen during use. In one aspect, theaccess feature 888 and the opening 882 (i.e., the closure or sealing mechanism 883) can be disposed at opposite ends of thereceptacle 881, as shown inFIG. 10 . Such placement of these features can provide space for a pill preparation device roller to operate in breaking and/or crushing a pill in the receptacle without interference. Thus, thepill pouch 880 closure orsealing mechanism 883 and/or access feature 888 can be located about a side, an edge, and/or a periphery of thepill pouch 880 to facilitate proper operation of a pill preparation device during use, such as avoiding interference with or inhibiting the operation of a roller to break up a pill. - In one aspect, the
access feature 888 can be oriented such that alongitudinal axis 898 of theaccess feature 888 extends parallel to one or both of theflexible sides FIG. 10 . In this case, thelongitudinal axis 898 of theaccess feature 888 can coincide with a longitudinal axis of thereceptacle 881 or of thepill pouch 880. In another aspect, theaccess feature 888 can be oriented such that thelongitudinal axis 898 of theaccess feature 888 extends through thereceptacle 881 and theopening 882. Such orientations of theaccess feature 888 can facilitate a stable coupling of an extraction instrument (e.g., a syringe) with thepill pouch 880 such that a support surface, such as a table or a platen of a pill preparation device, can simultaneously support both thepill pouch 880 and the extraction instrument when coupled to one another. These orientations can also facilitate simultaneous grasping of thepill pouch 880, such as by thehuman interface portion 888 e, and a coupled extraction instrument by a single hand of the user. The latter orientation, in particular, can also facilitate breaking and/or crushing a pill in thereceptacle 881 with a pill preparation device while the extraction instrument is coupled to thepill pouch 880 by positioning the extraction instrument such that the extraction instrument will not interfere with operation of the pill preparation device. - Although not illustrated, the
pill pouch 880 can optionally include one or more tabs disposed on sides of the receptacle, which can be configured to interface and/or couple with a pill preparation device, such as via a hole interfacing with pill pouch attachment features, as disclosed hereinabove. -
FIGS. 11A-11F illustrate the pill pouch ofFIG. 10 in use in accordance with an example of the present disclosure. As illustrated inFIG. 11A ,pills receptacle 881 of thepill pouch 880 via theopening 882. Anextraction instrument 899, such as a syringe, can be coupled to theaccess feature 888, as shown inFIG. 11B . With theopening 882 closed, theextraction instrument 899 can remove air from thepill pouch 880 to prevent the pill pouch from rupturing due to the development of internal pressure while crushing and/or rolling thepills FIG. 11C illustrates thepills FIG. 11C , theextraction instrument 899 was removed from thepill pouch 880 for breaking and/or crushing of thepills access feature 888 can maintain pill materials in thepill pouch 880 during crushing and/or rolling operations. It should be recognized, however, that theextraction instrument 899 may remain with thepill pouch 880 throughout a crushing and/or rolling process. Thehuman interface portion 888 e of theaccess feature 888 can facilitate manipulation and maneuvering of thepill pouch 880 during crushing and/or rolling of thepills extraction instrument 899 coupled to theaccess feature 888. As shown inFIG. 11D , after thepills receptacle 881 via theaccess feature 888 using theextraction instrument 899, to form aliquid pill solution 807 c, which may be facilitated by shaking thepill pouch 880 to mix the contents. Once theliquid pill solution 807 c has been formed, the solution can be removed, withdrawn, or evacuated from thepill pouch 880 via theaccess feature 888 using theextraction instrument 899, as shown inFIG. 11E . As illustrated inFIG. 11F , with the liquid pill solution contained within theextraction instrument 899, theextraction instrument 899 can be removed from thepill pouch 880 and the liquid pill solution can be delivered directly to a patient from theextraction instrument 899, such as by depositing the solution from theextraction instrument 899 into a feeding tube. Although in this example a liquid was introduced to form a liquid pill solution for ease of extraction and delivery, it should be recognized that a pill can remain in a dry or powder state or condition for removal from thepill pouch 880. It should be recognized from the above description that the present disclosure provides a method for preparing a medication for a patient as well as a method for treating a patient with a medication. - In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a method for preparing a pill for administration to a subject is disclosed. The method can comprise disposing a pill in a receptacle of a pill pouch via an opening of the pill pouch. The method can also comprise at least one of breaking up the pill and crushing the pill. In addition, the method can comprise removing the pill from the receptacle via an access feature. In one aspect, the method can further comprise removing air from the receptacle. In another aspect, the method can further comprise adding a liquid to the receptacle to form a liquid pill solution. In a particular aspect of the method, removing the pill can comprise withdrawing the liquid pill solution with an extraction instrument.
- It is noted that no specific order is required in the methods disclosed herein, though generally in one embodiment, method steps can be carried out sequentially.
- It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed are not limited to the particular structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but are extended to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
- Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
- As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. In addition, various embodiments and example of the present invention may be referred to herein along with alternatives for the various components thereof. It is understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives are not to be construed as de facto equivalents of one another, but are to be considered as separate and autonomous representations of the present invention.
- Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of lengths, widths, shapes, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
- While the foregoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the present invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the claims set forth below.
Claims (20)
1. A pill pouch, comprising:
a receptacle to contain a pill, the receptacle having an opening to receive the pill therein, wherein the receptacle is defined at least in part by a flexible side to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle; and
an access feature associated with the receptacle to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been at least one of broken and crushed.
2. The pill pouch of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle comprises a rectangular configuration.
3. The pill pouch of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle comprises an angle greater than 90 degrees between adjacent edges to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle by guiding the pill toward the access feature.
4. The pill pouch of claim 3 , wherein the receptacle comprises a second angle greater than 90 degrees between second adjacent edges, such that edges associated with the first and second angles intersect the access feature.
5. The pill pouch of claim 1 , wherein the access feature and the opening are disposed at opposite ends of the receptacle.
6. The pill pouch of claim 1 , wherein the access feature is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the access feature extends through the receptacle and the opening.
7. The pill pouch of claim 1 , wherein the access feature is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the access feature extends parallel to the flexible side.
8. The pill pouch of claim 1 , further comprising a second flexible side opposite the first flexible side.
9. The pill pouch of claim 1 , further comprising a sealing mechanism operable to alternately seal the opening and provide access to the receptacle through the opening, the sealing mechanism having a groove and ridge configured to releasably interlock with one another.
10. The pill pouch of claim 1 , wherein the access feature comprises a luer connector.
11. The pill pouch of claim 1 , wherein the access feature comprises a hole, a port, a slit, a breakable membrane, or a combination thereof.
12. The pill pouch of claim 1 , wherein the access feature is configured to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle using an extraction instrument.
13. The pill pouch of claim 12 , wherein the extraction instrument comprises a syringe, a tube, a nozzle, a hypodermic needle, a hollow needle, or combinations thereof.
14. A pill pouch, comprising:
a receptacle to contain a pill, the receptacle having an opening to receive the pill therein, wherein the receptacle is defined at least in part by a flexible side to facilitate breaking or crushing of the pill inside the receptacle;
a sealing mechanism operable to alternately seal the opening and provide access to the receptacle through the opening, the sealing mechanism having a groove and ridge configured to releasably interlock with one another; and
an access feature comprising a luer connector associated with the receptacle to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been at least one of broken and crushed, wherein the access feature is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of the access feature extends parallel to the flexible side.
15. The pill pouch of claim 14 , wherein the access feature further comprises a human interface portion to facilitate grasping by a user to facilitate manipulation of the pill pouch when breaking or crushing the pill.
16. The pill pouch of claim 14 , wherein the extraction instrument comprises a syringe.
17. A pill pouch system, comprising:
a pill pouch including
a receptacle to contain a pill, the receptacle having an opening to receive the pill therein, and
an access feature comprising a luer connector to facilitate removal of the pill from the receptacle after the pill has been at least one of broken and crushed; and
an extraction instrument coupleable to the access feature to remove the pill from the receptacle.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the extraction instrument comprises a syringe.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the extraction instrument comprises a tube, a nozzle, a hypodermic needle, a hollow needle, or a combination thereof.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the pill pouch further comprises a sealing mechanism operable to alternately seal the opening and provide access to the receptacle through the opening, the sealing mechanism having a groove and ridge configured to releasably interlock with one another.
Priority Applications (2)
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US17/410,929 US20220110831A1 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2021-08-24 | Pill pouch |
US18/094,004 US20230398036A1 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2023-01-06 | Pill pouch |
Applications Claiming Priority (5)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US201361869933P | 2013-08-26 | 2013-08-26 | |
US201461976308P | 2014-04-07 | 2014-04-07 | |
US14/462,180 US9180071B2 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2014-08-18 | Pill preparation device |
US14/937,813 US11096868B2 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2015-11-10 | Pill pouch |
US17/410,929 US20220110831A1 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2021-08-24 | Pill pouch |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US14/937,813 Continuation US11096868B2 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2015-11-10 | Pill pouch |
Related Child Applications (1)
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US18/094,004 Continuation US20230398036A1 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2023-01-06 | Pill pouch |
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US14/937,813 Active 2037-01-22 US11096868B2 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2015-11-10 | Pill pouch |
US17/410,929 Abandoned US20220110831A1 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2021-08-24 | Pill pouch |
US18/094,004 Pending US20230398036A1 (en) | 2013-08-26 | 2023-01-06 | Pill pouch |
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Families Citing this family (7)
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US9656022B1 (en) * | 2015-04-22 | 2017-05-23 | Ronald D. Russo | Enteral medication diluting syringe infuser |
WO2018115839A1 (en) * | 2016-12-19 | 2018-06-28 | Cambtek Limited | Improved Extraction Apparatus |
GB2551411B (en) * | 2016-12-19 | 2018-07-25 | Cambtek Ltd | Improved extraction apparatus |
CN110801929B (en) * | 2019-08-02 | 2024-03-26 | 中冶节能环保有限责任公司 | Hot broken device of slag |
CN112773711A (en) * | 2019-11-08 | 2021-05-11 | 杨松 | Closed broken medicine administration assembly and use method thereof |
CN113019646B (en) * | 2021-01-31 | 2022-11-22 | 广东腾越建筑工程有限公司 | Earth and stone building rubbish smashing device |
US20230138321A1 (en) * | 2021-11-01 | 2023-05-04 | Stephen Zemansky | Powdered antibiotic dispensing tool device |
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20160058662A1 (en) | 2016-03-03 |
US20230398036A1 (en) | 2023-12-14 |
US11096868B2 (en) | 2021-08-24 |
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