Child resistant medical package

Abstract

The present invention relates to a medical package for enclosing pharmaceutical composition or medical devices, with at least three degrees of child protection means. The package cannot be crushed or perforated by a child, and is provided with opening means which physically hinder children from opening the package. The opening means are counter-intuitive, so that reading instructions is necessary in order to open the package.

Claims

1. A medical package comprising: a first portion for holding a carrier for a pharmaceutical composition or a medical device; a second portion, wherein said first and second portion are adapted to mutually engage upon folding and/or pressing of said second portion and said first portion onto each other, said second portion when engaged onto said first portion producing a rigid structure having a bursting strength between 1 and 1000 pounds per square inch (psi) and a compressive strength between 1 and 1000 pounds per square inch (psi) thereby providing a child resistant medical package that cannot be crushed or perforated by child handling; and two pairs of gripping elements, wherein said two pairs of gripping elements have the same shape and, wherein only one of said two pairs of gripping elements comprises at least two openers or opening elements that physically hinder children from opening said medical package.

2. The medical package according to claim 1, wherein said first and second portion are made from a single sheet foldable into a folded configuration and, wherein said first and second portion are pivotally connected to each other.

3. The medical package according to claim 1, wherein said first and second portions are made from separate sheets, wherein said first and second portions are pivotally connected to each other.

4. The medical package according to claim 1, wherein said first and second portions comprise members which mutually engage upon folding and/or pressing of said first and said second portions onto each other.

5. The medical package according to claim 4, wherein said mutual engagement comprises interlocking between said members, wherein said mutual engagement comprises an interference fit between said members and, wherein said members are members located on external surfaces of said first and/or second portions.

6. The medical package according to claim 4, wherein said members are protrusions extending out of the external surface of said first portion and depressions on the external surface of said second portion.

7. The medical package according to claim 1, wherein said first and second portions have members having complementary shapes so that members on said first portion are adapted to engage in an interference fit with members on said second portion when said first and said second portions are folded onto each other.

8. The medical package according to claim 1, wherein at least said first portion has a rim, said rim protruding out of said first portion, said rim being located at least partially around an internal peripheral edge of said first portion thereby when folded said rim is press fit with at least part of a side wall of said second portion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

(1) The medical package according to the invention will now be described in more detail with regard to the accompanying figures. The figures show one way of implementing the present invention and is not to be construed as being limiting to other possible embodiments falling within the scope of the attached claim set.

(2) FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its folded or closed state having two means for opening located on the longest and opposite sides of the medical package according to one embodiment of the invention.

(3) FIG. 3 shows schematically a 3-dimensional view of a medical package in its half-opened state according to some embodiments of the invention.

(4) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state where the two means for opening have different shapes according to some embodiments of the invention.

(5) FIGS. 7, 8 and 9 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed and opened state showing the locking mechanism according to some embodiments of the invention.

(6) FIGS. 10 and 11 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state where further gripping elements are not present a part from the one on the opening elements, FIG. 11, or the pair of gripping elements have different shapes, FIG. 10, according to some embodiments of the invention.

(7) FIGS. 12 and 13 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state having two means for opening located on the shortest and opposite sides of the medical package according to one embodiment of the invention.

(8) FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state where the correspondent two means for opening have different shapes according to some embodiments of the invention.

(9) FIGS. 17 and 18 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state and half-opened state according to some embodiments of the invention.

(10) FIG. 19 show schematically a 3-dimensional view of a medical package having more than two means for opening according to some embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

(11) The present invention provides a child-resistant box for storage of medicine and similar products or medical devices such as insulin pens, which is readily opened by an adult but is inaccessible to a child.

(12) FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its folded or closed state having two means for opening located on the longest and opposite sides of the medical package according to one embodiment of the invention.

(13) The child resistant medical package 1 has means for opening comprising at least two opening elements 2 on opposite sides of the first portion 3 of the medical package, which are complementary to apertures 4 on correspondent opposite sides of the second portion 5 of the medical package 1. These opening elements 2 when pressed, e.g. by an adult hand squeezing the two elements simultaneously, distort the first portion 3 and therefore allowing for the release of two hidden latches 6 and 7 (shown in FIG. 3), leading to the opening of the medical package as shown in FIG. 3.

(14) The hidden latches 6 and 7 may have the shape of flaps on the second portion or lid 5, which are lowered into grooves on the first portion or carrier 3 and fit under the side wall 40 of the lid 5, holding the medical package 1 shut. Once the opening elements 2 are squeezed, such as pressed inwards through apertures 4 arranged in pairs around the corners of the lid 5, the first portion 3 is distorted and the latches 6 and 7 are released. The spacing between the apertures 4 corresponds to the distance between a finger and the thumb of an adult.

(15) In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the medical package may comprise a blister package 8 held by the first portion 3 and contained inside the medical package 1. The medical package comprising the blister package may be formed by folding a single sheet according to some embodiments of the invention.

(16) The medical package may also not comprise a blister package or a carrier for pharmaceutical compositions or medical devices.

(17) FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state where the means for opening have different shapes according to some embodiments of the invention.

(18) Particular shapes of opening elements 9, 10 and 11 may have the advantage of being misleading towards the correct opening of the package for a child. Indeed the latches 6 and 7 are not visible thus it is not intuitive to determine that the opening of the medical package may be achieved by exerting pressure on the elements 9, 10 and 11.

(19) FIGS. 4 and 5 show also the presence of pairs of gripping elements 12 and 13 located on opposite sides of the medical package in correspondence to opening elements 9 and 10. Gripping elements 12 and 13 may be used to grip the lid 14 and 15 so as to open the package following arrows 16 and 17. In order to open the package an adult hand thus has to squeeze simultaneously the pairs of opening elements 9 or 10 so as to release the hidden latches hidden under the lid 14 or 15. At the same time by holding the lids 14 or 15 an adult hand may open the package by gripping the pairs of gripping elements 12 or 13 and pull following arrows 16 or 17 so as to achieve an opening as shown in FIG. 3.

(20) FIG. 7, show schematically a 3-dimensional view of a medical package in its closed state where two pairs of gripping elements 18, 19 and 20,21 are shown locate on the longest and opposite side of the medical package 22.

(21) The pairs 20, 21 cannot be seen due to the orientation of the 3-dimensional view, however they resemble the pair 18, 19.

(22) However, even if resembling each other, the two gripping elements of the pairs 18, 19 and 20, 21 have different functions. Gripping element 18 and 20 are opening elements. In order to open the medical package 22 and adult hand has to apply pressure on both opening elements 18 and 20 so as to distort the first portion 26 allowing the hidden latches 27 and 28 to be released. Hidden latches 27 and 28 may be located underneath the opening elements 18 and 20, therefore applying pressure on the opening elements 18 and 20 may allow the release latches 27 and 28 without distortion in the structure of the portion 26. In order to complete the opening following the release of the hidden latches 27 and 28, an adult hand should grip the gripping elements 19 and 21 so as to open the medical package 22 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. The opening elements 18 and 20 may comprise the latches 27 and 28 as shown in FIG. 9. Thus, opening may also be achieved by minimum distortion of the structure of the opening elements 18 and 20. The opening elements 18 and 20 may be comprised in the rim 29 of the carrier portion 26.

(23) The shape and/or appearance of the pairs of gripping elements 18, 19 and 20, 21 is advantageously the same. If not instructed, a user, or a child approaching the medical package would not be able to distinguish the different functions of the gripping elements as they have the same appearance. A child thus may be tempted to grip all the elements thus hindering the release of the hidden latches.

(24) FIGS. 10 and 11 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state where further gripping elements are not present a part from the one on the opening elements, FIG. 11, or the pair of gripping elements have different shapes, FIG. 10, according to some embodiments of the invention.

(25) FIGS. 12 and 13 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state having a pair of opening elements 24 and 25 located on the shortest and opposite sides of the medical package according to some embodiments of the invention.

(26) In this way a higher level of child safety is achieved as a child hand cannot simultaneously exert pressure on both opening elements located at a distance that is longer than the distance between the child thumb and one of the child four fingers when opened.

(27) FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state where the correspondent pairs of opening elements 37, 38 and 39 have different shapes according to some embodiments of the invention.

(28) The shapes may be misleading as counterintuitive towards the correct opening of the medical package.

(29) FIGS. 17 and 18 show schematically 3-dimensional views of a medical package in its closed state and while opening according to some embodiments of the invention.

(30) Upon applying pressure on the opening elements 31 and 32 the medical package is unlocked and can be opened.

(31) The medical package showed in FIG. 12-16 may follow the same opening steps as shown in FIG. 18.

(32) FIG. 19 show schematically a 3-dimensional view of a medical package having more than two means for opening according to some embodiments of the invention. For example the package 33 has three opening elements 34, 35 and 36.

(33) In some embodiments two or more finger-actuated latches or tool-actuated latches may be released in a certain sequence so as to allow opening of the medical package. It may be that two or more sets of latches may have to be released in a certain sequence so as to allow opening, thus requiring two adult hands to actuate the two or more set of latches.

(34) Although the present invention has been described in connection with the specified embodiments, it should not be construed as being in any way limited to the presented examples. The scope of the present invention is set out by the accompanying claim set. In the context of the claims, the terms comprising or comprises do not exclude other possible elements or steps. Also, the mentioning of references such as a or an etc. should not be construed as excluding a plurality. The use of reference signs in the claims with respect to elements indicated in the figures shall also not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. Furthermore, individual features mentioned in different claims, may possibly be advantageously combined, and the mentioning of these features in different claims does not exclude that a combination of features is not possible and advantageous.