A. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to timing and alarm devices, and further relates to timing and alarm devices as applied to the field of medicine.
Many prescribed medicines need to be taken at regular times or time intervals so that a known percentage presence of the medicine can be maintained within the bloodstream. For instance, those medicines used to combat urinary tract infections, heart disease and in control of diabetes must all be taken at prescribed intervals. If such medicines are not taken at time intervals predetermined by the health practitioner, then the health of the patient could be seriously affected. To keep a medicine user as healthy as possible during times when he or she is not directly supervised by doctors or nurses, a convenient reminder is useful to indicate to the use when to self-administer medicaments prescribed by the health practitioner.
B. Prior Art
In the past there have been devices for recording how much medicine was taken in any given dosage or for indicating by a pre-set indicator dial time a dosage should be taken. Multipurpose timers are known which exist apart from the prescription bottle. However, the multipurpose timer's need for winding or time setting attentions is frequently forgotten by the medicine users and, not being incorporated into the container, are frequently not available for use at the time the timer is needed. As a result, most self-administered medicaments are ingested at an irregular schedule, often adversely affecting the efficacy of the medicament. In some instances the health and well-being of the patient are thereby adversely affected.
C. Objects of the Invention
It is an object of this invention to provide a combined medicament-timer mechanism for storing a medicament and indicating an elapsed time interval for administration of the medicament.
It is another object of this invention to provide a timer mechanism in conjunction with a medicament bottle or container which timer incorporates, in one embodiment, a mechanical clock escapement mechanism for timing a set time interval together with audible alarm means.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a timer and medicament bottle of the nature described in which the timer mechanism is an electronic device having a minimum of moving parts.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a timer mechanism for use with a medicament container in which the timer mechanism may be set for intervals usually encountered in the self-administration of medicaments to the patients of health practitioners.