GB2266880A

GB2266880A - Blister package

Info

Publication number: GB2266880A
Application number: GB9210515A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neal Charles Bryant
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1992-05-16
Filing date: 1992-05-16
Publication date: 1993-11-17
Also published as: GB9210515D0

Abstract

A blister package comprises two card portions which are sealable one on the other by contact adhesive to enfold at least one blister strip, each card having apertures which in use register exactly with each other and with individual blisters. The card portions may comprise discrete cards or may be integrally joined with a fold line. The blisters may contain pharmaceutical tablets or capsules. The adhesive may be screen printed on the card and may be Latex based, or may be a film with a high tack adhesive on both sides. The package may have further folds or flaps to form a wallet (figure 4). <IMAGE>

Description

;iELF-SE;AL PHAPMACEUTICAL CLINICAL l < L B.LISTERcARD This invention relates to a self-sealing pharmaceutical clinical trial blistercard.

The pharmaceutical industry is required to test new and established drugs by carrying out controlled patient testing within a clinical environment. This involves packing a course of drug or drugs individually i.e. one course per patient in order that dispensing and administration may be closely monitored.

It is desirable that individual tablets and capsules are packaged in 'blisters' of foil and/or plastics, (Fig 1), and courses of tablets etc. are made up of the required number of blisters on a strip of material, (Fig la). This allows automated packing and close control of dispensing in terms of numbers dispensed and the inclusion of placebo or alternative drugs where required.

In order to improve the efficiency of the trial and the compliance of the patient blistercards have been developed to 'encapsulate' the strips of blisters by enfolding them between the two halves of a piece of cardboard, (Fig 2), onto which instructions can then be printed.

The two halves of board are traditionally stuck together thus'sealing the pack, by previously coating the inside with a heat activated adhesive, the folded pack is then heated via commercial heat-sealing equipment.

This method involved the use of expensive equipment, and the purchase of costly female formers to support the cards whilst heating. A further and more significant disadvantage is the time delay caused by this method of sealing, taking many times longer than the blistering process therefore a bottle-neck invariably occurs.

This invention replaces the heat activated glue with a cohesive adhesive requiring only contact and manual pressure to activate.

Three alternative types of adhesive are used in this invention; ...cont.

1. A Latex based adhesive, selected because it bonds only to itself.

2. A repositionable adhesive that can be screenprinted onto the Cardboard. an example of this is known in the printing industry as 'Dry-Stick'.

3. A high-tack adhesive which is applied to both sides of a carrier film which in turn is stuck to the cardboard via the adhesive itself on one side, exposing the remaining side.

The adhesives 2. and 3. requires a waxed release paper to be placed over them to be removed immediately prior to use.

The cards are printed on one side and one of the adhesives applied to the reverse before they are diecut to shape. The size and shape of the card will be dictated by the course of drugs and the size of the capsules or tablets in the trial and aesthetic requirements, however it is essential that on each half of the card there are sets of apertures, (Fig 2, A), that when the card is folded register exactly with each other and also with the configuration of blisters the card is intended to hold. This is to allow the blisters to protrude through the card on one side and, to allow the adhesive to make contact when the card is folded, and to expose the reverse of each blister to allow the tablet or capsule in the blister to be pushed out when required.

The overall design of the final pack can be varied infinitely as long as provision is made for the enfolding of the blisters as described above.This is not the case for a heat-seal card, for which design is restricted by the size of the heat-sealing apparatus.

...cont.

A Specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by wag of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 and la shows the blister which holds the capsules or tablets.

Figure 2 and 2a. show in principle the folding card to encapsulate the blisters Figure 3. shows in perspective the card, open without blisters, showing the flaps which fold together to form the finished enclosed package Figure 4. shows the closed package Figure 5. shows the profile of the pack that would be die-cut to form the finished construction.

The capsules are sealed into blisters comprising vacuum formed recesses, sealed with foil a number of blisters are formed on the same strip of material according to the requirements of the trial, (Fig la).

The strip(s) of filled blisters are placed onto the open card, face down so that the blisters protrude through the aperture the card is then folded and the adhesive is contacted to complete the seal.

to illustrate this in principle please see figures 2 and 2a The additional flaps are folded in to form a locking wallet to protect the blisters. The arrangement of these flaps can be varied for practical and aesthetic reasons.

Claims

1. A Blistercard that, by folding onto itself, or two separate halves of a card placed one on the other enfolds a tablet or tablets, capsule or capsules which have been previously packed into blisters at the same time sealing itself with the addition of pressure and contact with itself of an adhesive coating the inside of the folded card and not requiring heat, moisture or any agent, co-agent or reagent not present in the adhesive itself.

2. A Blistercard as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a Latex based adhesive is employed as the adhesive coating of the card that seals the pack.

3. A Blistercard as claimed in Claim 1 wherein an adhesive is Screen-printed onto the card with in order to seal it.

4. A Blistercard as claimed in Claim 1 wherein a film with a high-tack adhesive on both sides is permanently affixed to the card in order to seal it.

5. A Blistercard as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the construction and design of the card is extended to incorporate further folds and flaps in order to construct an enclosed wallet or carton to protect the contents.

6. A Blistercard as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the card is dinted in one or more colours with instructions for use of the card or the drug therein.

7. A Blistercard as claimed in any preceding claim wherein holes are cut in the card so as to register exactly with the top and reverse of any blisters containing tablets or capsules allowing removal of the tablet or capsule through the card by applying manual pressure to the blister thereby rupturing it.