Child-resistant medicament storage and distribution back card and sealed blister card

Abstract

A child-resistant medicament storage and distribution back card for senior-friendly and child-resistant distribution of a medicament. The back card is incorporated into a medication package where it protects the area of the package that is most susceptible to attacks on the integrity of the package. The back card has a card opening feature bounded by a perimeter that includes at least two cuts and at least two lands, often thought of as perforations. The cuts extend through the back card, and the lands connect the back card to the card opening feature. Each cut has a cut length and each land has a land length. The ratio of any land length to any cut length is between approximately 0.25 and approximately 0.80, which has been found to substantially prevent removal of the card opening feature from the back card by picking at any of the cuts with a fingernail

1 . A medication package ( 200 ) for distribution of a medicament, comprising: 
 a back card ( 100 ) having a front surface ( 110 ), a rear surface ( 120 ), and a card opening feature ( 130 ), wherein the card opening feature ( 130 ) has a perimeter ( 140 ) that includes at least two cuts ( 150 ), extending from the front surface ( 110 ) to the rear surface ( 120 ), and at least two lands ( 160 ), connecting the back card ( 100 ) to the card opening feature ( 130 ) across the perimeter ( 140 ), wherein each cut ( 150 ) has a cut length ( 150 ) and each land ( 160 ) has a land length ( 162 ) and the ratio of any land length ( 162 ) to any cut length ( 152 ) is between 0.25 and 0.80, thereby inhibiting the removal of the card opening feature ( 130 ) from the back card ( 100 ).    
     
     
         2 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the each cut length ( 150 ) is between approximately 0.020 inches (0.0508 cm) and 0.125 inches (0.3175 cm).  
     
     
         3 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the each land length ( 160 ) is between 0.015 (0.0381 cm) inches and 0.100 inches (0.254 cm).  
     
     
         4 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the each cut length ( 150 ) is between 0.020 inches (0.0508 cm) and approximately 0.125 inches (0.3175 cm) and each land length ( 160 ) is between 0.015 inches (0.0381 cm) and 0.100 inches (0.254 cm).  
     
     
         5 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 2 , wherein the each cut length ( 150 ) is substantially equal.  
     
     
         6 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 3 , wherein the each land length ( 160 ) is substantially equal.  
     
     
         7 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 4 , wherein the each cut length ( 150 ) is substantially equal and each land length ( 160 ) is substantially equal.  
     
     
         8 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter ( 140 ) is substantially circular in shape.  
     
     
         9 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter ( 140 ) is substantially oval in shape.  
     
     
         10 . The medication package ( 200 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the perimeter ( 140 ) is substantially rectangular in shape.  
     
     
         11 . A child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) for housing a medicament (M), comprising: 
 (a) a blister unit ( 400 ) having: 
 (i) a base layer ( 410 ) having a base layer perimeter ( 416 ), a base layer exterior surface ( 412 ), and a base layer interior surface ( 414 );  
 (ii) a blister layer ( 420 ) having a blister layer perimeter ( 426 ), a blister layer exterior surface ( 422 ), a blister layer interior surface ( 424 ), and including an article receiving blister ( 428 ), having a blister perimeter ( 429 ), formed therein, wherein the article receiving blister ( 428 ) is designed for holding the medicament (M); wherein  
 (iii) a portion of the base layer interior surface ( 414 ) is joined to the blister layer interior surface ( 424 ) thereby sealing the medicament (M) in the article receiving blister ( 428 );  
   (b) a front card ( 300 ) having a front card interior surface ( 320 ) and a front card exterior surface ( 310 ), wherein the front card ( 300 ) is formed to have a blister receiver ( 330 ) configured to cooperate with the blister unit ( 400 ) such that a portion of the article receiving blister ( 428 ) extends through the front card ( 300 ) from the front card interior surface ( 320 ) to the front card exterior surface ( 310 ); and    (c) a back card ( 100 ) having a front surface ( 110 ), a rear surface ( 120 ), and a card opening feature ( 130 ), wherein the card opening feature ( 130 ) has a perimeter ( 140 ) that includes at least two cuts ( 150 ), extending from the front surface ( 110 ) to the rear surface ( 120 ), and at least two lands ( 160 ), connecting the back card ( 100 ) to the card opening feature ( 130 ) across the perimeter ( 140 ), wherein each cut ( 150 ) has a cut length ( 150 ) and each land ( 160 ) has a land length ( 162 ) and the ratio of any land length ( 162 ) to any cut length ( 152 ) is between 0.25 and 0.80, thereby substantially preventing removal of the card opening feature ( 130 ) from the back card ( 100 ) by picking at any of the cuts ( 150 ) with a finger;    (d) wherein the blister unit blister layer ( 420 ) is adjacent to the front card interior surface ( 320 ), the blister unit base layer ( 410 ) is adjacent to the back card rear surface ( 120 ), and a portion of the front card ( 300 ) is joined to the back card ( 100 ) thereby fixing the blister unit ( 400 ) there between, and the front card ( 300 ), the blister unit ( 400 ), and the back card ( 100 ) are located so that the article receiving blister perimeter ( 429 ), the blister receiver perimeter ( 332 ), and the back card opening feature perimeter ( 140 ) substantially align such that dispensing of the medicament (M) requires application of a predetermined force to the article receiving blister ( 428 ) to force the medicament (M) to break through the base layer ( 410 ) and act upon the card opening feature ( 130 ) resulting in the card opening feature ( 130 ) tearing away from at least one land ( 160 ) thereby permitting passage of the medicament (M) through the back card ( 100 ).    
     
     
         12 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 11 , wherein the each cut length ( 150 ) is between 0.020 inches (0.0508 cm) and 0.125 inches (0.3175 cm).  
     
     
         13 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 11 , wherein the each land length ( 160 ) is between 0.015 inches (0.0381 cm) and 0.100 inches (0.254 cm).  
     
     
         14 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 11 , wherein the each cut length ( 150 ) is between 0.020 inches (0.0508 cm) and approximately 0.125 inches (0.3175 cm) and each land length ( 160 ) is between 0.015 inches (0.0381 cm) and 0.100 inches (0.254 cm).  
     
     
         15 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 12 , wherein the each cut length ( 150 ) is substantially equal.  
     
     
         16 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 13 , wherein the each land length ( 160 ) is substantially equal.  
     
     
         17 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 14 , wherein the each cut length ( 150 ) is substantially equal and each land length ( 160 ) is substantially equal.  
     
     
         18 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 11 , wherein the perimeter ( 140 ) is substantially circular in shape.  
     
     
         19 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 11 , wherein the perimeter ( 140 ) is substantially oval in shape.  
     
     
         20 . The child-resistant sealed blister card ( 30 ) of  claim 11 , wherein the perimeter ( 140 ) is substantially rectangular in shape.  
     
     
         21 . A blister card ( 30 ) for housing a medicament (M), comprising: 
 (a) a blister unit ( 400 ) having: 
 (i) a base layer ( 410 ) having a base layer perimeter ( 416 ), a base layer exterior surface ( 412 ), and a base layer interior surface ( 414 );  
 (ii) a blister layer ( 420 ) having a blister layer perimeter ( 426 ), a blister layer exterior surface ( 422 ), a blister layer interior surface ( 424 ), and including an article receiving blister ( 428 ), having a blister perimeter ( 429 ), formed therein, wherein the article receiving blister ( 428 ) is designed for holding the medicament (M); wherein  
 (iii) a portion of the base layer interior surface ( 414 ) is joined to the blister layer interior surface ( 424 ) thereby sealing the medicament (M) in the article receiving blister ( 428 );  
   (b) a front card ( 300 ) having a front card interior surface ( 320 ) and a front card exterior surface ( 310 ), wherein the front card ( 300 ) is formed to have a blister receiver ( 330 ) configured to cooperate with the blister unit ( 400 ) such that a portion of the article receiving blister ( 428 ) extends through the front card ( 300 ) from the front card interior surface ( 320 ) to the front card exterior surface ( 310 ); and    (c) a back card ( 100 ) having a front surface ( 110 ), a rear surface ( 120 ), and a card opening feature ( 130 ), wherein the card opening feature ( 130 ) has a perimeter ( 140 ) that includes at least two cuts ( 150 ), extending from the front surface ( 110 ) to the rear surface ( 120 ), and at least two lands ( 160 ), connecting the back card ( 100 ) to the card opening feature ( 130 ) across the perimeter ( 140 ), wherein each cut ( 150 ) has a cut length ( 150 ) between approximately 0.020 inches and approximately 0.125 inches and each land ( 160 ) has a land length ( 162 ) between 0.015 inches and 0.100 inches, and the ratio of any land length ( 162 ) to any cut length ( 152 ) is between 0.25 and 0.80, thereby substantially preventing removal of the card opening feature ( 130 ) from the back card ( 100 ) by picking at any of the cuts ( 150 ) with a finger;    (d) wherein the blister unit blister layer ( 420 ) is adjacent to the front card interior surface ( 320 ), the blister unit base layer ( 410 ) is adjacent to the back card rear surface ( 120 ), and a portion of the front card ( 300 ) is joined to the back card ( 100 ) thereby fixing the blister unit ( 400 ) there between, and the front card ( 300 ), the blister unit ( 400 ), and the back card ( 100 ) are located so that the article receiving blister perimeter ( 429 ), the blister receiver perimeter ( 332 ), and the back card opening feature perimeter ( 140 ) substantially align such that dispensing of the medicament (M) requires application of a predetermined force to the article receiving blister ( 428 ) to force the medicament (M) to break through the base layer ( 410 ) and act upon the card opening feature ( 130 ) resulting in the card opening feature ( 130 ) tearing away from at least one land ( 160 ) thereby permitting passage of the medicament (M) through the back card ( 100 ).