Child-Resistant Medicament Package

Abstract

An individual blister pack includes an unsealed area formed along an edge, and a die cut slot is formed at an angle adjacent edges of the blister pack and communicates with the unsealed area. The die cut slot allows tearing of the corner of the blister pack, which exposes an easily accessible corner pull tab to allow an impenetrable polymeric film to be peeled away from the underlying foil such that medicament can subsequently be pushed through the foil for dispensing the medicament from the blister pack. The package, therefore, provides a tear-peel-push sequence of operation requiring the cognitive skills of an adult and yet allows an adult an easy manner by which to obtain a finger hold on the impenetrable film layer for peeling it from the blister pack.

1 . A child-resistant blister package comprising: 
 a first polymeric film defining a pocket for receiving a medicament therein;    an impenetrable polymeric film sealed to said first polymeric film for sealing a medicament in said pocket;    an unsealed area between said first polymeric film and said impenetrable polymeric film, said unsealed area extending along one edge of said blister pack; and    a die cut extending at an acute angle to adjacent edges of said blister pack and having only one end intersecting and extending into said unsealed area and an opposite end extending toward one edge of said blister pack adjacent said edge on which said unsealed area is located, wherein said package can be opened by tearing the die cut to remove a corner of the blister pack to expose a tab which can be gripped for peeling the impenetrable polymeric film from said package to allow a medicament to be pushed through the foil layer.    
     
     
         2 . The package as defined in  claim 1  wherein said die cut extends through said first polymeric film and said impenetrable polymeric film.  
     
     
         3 . The package as defined in  claim 2  wherein said die cut terminates before reaching said one edge.  
     
     
         4 . The package as defined in  claim 3  wherein said die cut extends from said unsealed area at an angle of about 45° to said one edge.  
     
     
         5 . The package as defined in  claim 4  wherein said unsealed area is curvilinear.  
     
     
         6 . The package as defined in  claim 5  wherein said unsealed area is a semicircle.  
     
     
         7 . A child-resistant blister package comprising: 
 a first polymeric film defining a plurality of spaced-apart pockets for receiving medicaments therein;    a foil layer coupled to said first polymeric film to enclose said pockets;    a laminate including an impenetrable polymeric film sealed to said first polymeric film for sealing medicaments in said pockets;    perforations formed through said first film and said laminate to allow separation of individual blister units;    a plurality of unsealed areas between said first polymeric film and said laminate and located between pairs of adjacent blister units; and    a die cut extending at an acute angle to adjacent edges of each blister unit and having only one end extending into said unsealed area and an opposite end extending toward one edge of said blister unit adjacent said edge on which said unsealed area is located, wherein said blister unit can be opened by tearing the die cut at the unsealed area to remove a corner of the blister unit to expose a tab which can be gripped for peeling the impenetrable polymeric film from said unit to allow a medicament to be pushed through the foil layer.    
     
     
         8 . The package as defined in  claim 7  wherein said die cut extends through said first polymeric film and said laminate.  
     
     
         9 . The package as defined in  claim 8  wherein said die cut terminates before reaching said one edge.  
     
     
         10 . The package as defined in  claim 9  wherein said die cut extends from said unsealed area at an angle of about 45° to said one edge.  
     
     
         11 . The package as defined in  claim 10  wherein said unsealed areas are curvilinear.  
     
     
         12 . The package as defined in  claim 11  wherein said unsealed areas are circular.  
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing a blister pack comprising the steps of: 
 heat sealing a polymeric film having a plurality of pockets containing medicaments therein with a laminate comprising a foil layer and an impenetrable film layer;    while heat sealing said film and laminate, forming unsealed areas between said film and laminate;    providing perforations between adjacent pockets for separating individual blister units from said blister pack; and    die cutting a slot extending from each unsealed area toward and edge of each blister unit at an acute angle to allow a corner of each blister unit to be torn away.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein said forming step comprises providing apertures in a heat sealing tool which prevents sealing of said polymeric film and laminate in the areas of said apertures.  
     
     
         15 . A child-resistant tear-peel-push blister package comprising: 
 a first polymeric film defining a plurality of spaced-apart pockets for receiving medicaments therein;    a lidding including a foil layer and an impenetrable polymeric film selectively heat sealed to said first polymeric film for sealing medicaments in said pockets;    perforations formed through said first film and said laminate to allow separation of individual blister units;    a plurality of unsealed areas between said first polymeric film and said lidding and located between pairs of adjacent blister units; and    a die cut extending at an acute angle to adjacent edges of each blister unit and having only one end extending into said unsealed area and an opposite end extending toward one edge of said blister unit adjacent said edge on which said unsealed area is located, wherein said blister unit can be opened by tearing the die cut at the unsealed area to remove a corner of the blister unit to expose a tab which can be gripped for peeling the impenetrable polymeric film from said unit to allow a medicament to be pushed through the foil layer.    
     
     
         16 . The package as defined in  claim 15  wherein said die cut extends through said first polymeric film and said laminate.  
     
     
         17 . The package as defined in  claim 16  wherein said die cut terminates before reaching said one edge.  
     
     
         18 . The package as defined in  claim 17  wherein said die cut extends from said unsealed area at an angle of about 45° to said one edge.  
     
     
         19 . The package as defined in  claim 18  wherein said unsealed areas are curvilinear.  
     
     
         20 . The package as defined in  claim 19  wherein said unsealed areas are circular.  
     
     
         21 . The package as defined in  claim 15  wherein said polymeric film is a polyvinylchloride having a thickness of from about 7.5 to about 30 mils.  
     
     
         22 . The package as defined in  claim 21  wherein said impenetrable film is a biaxially oriented nylon film of from about 30 to about 60 gauge.  
     
     
         23 . The package as defined in  claim 22  wherein said foil layer is and aluminum foil having a thickness of from about 0.00035 inches to about 0.03 inches.  
     
     
         24 . The package as defined in  claim 22  wherein said lidding further includes a paper layer on a side of said impenetrable layer opposite said foil.  
     
     
         25 . A child-resistant blister package comprising: 
 a first polymeric film defining a pocket for receiving a medicament therein;    a foil layer enclosing said pocket;    a laminate including an impenetrable polymeric film sealed to said first polymeric film for sealing a medicament in said pocket;    an unsealed area between said first polymeric film and said laminate, said unsealed area extending along one edge of said blister pack; and    a die cut extending at an acute angle to adjacent edges of said blister pack and having only one end extending into said unsealed area and an opposite end extending toward one edge of said blister pack adjacent said edge on which said unsealed area is located, wherein said package can be opened by tearing the die cut to remove a corner of the blister pack to expose a tab which can be gripped for peeling the impenetrable polymeric film from said package to allow a medicament to be pushed through the foil layer.    
     
     
         26 . The package as defined in  claim 25  wherein said die cut extends through said first polymeric film and said laminate.  
     
     
         27 . The package as defined in  claim 26  wherein said die cut terminates before reaching said one edge.  
     
     
         28 . The package as defined in  claim 27  wherein said die cut extends from said unsealed area at an angle of about 45° to said one edge.  
     
     
         29 . The package as defined in  claim 28  wherein said polymeric film is a polyvinylchloride having a thickness of from about 7.5 to about 30 mils.  
     
     
         30 . The package as defined in  claim 29  wherein said impenetrable film is a biaxially oriented nylon film of from about 30 to about 60 gauge.  
     
     
         31 . The package as defined in  claim 30  wherein said foil layer is and aluminum foil having a thickness of from about 0.00035 inches to about 0.03 inches.  
     
     
         32 . The package as defined in  claim 31  wherein said laminate further includes a paper layer on a side of said impenetrable layer opposite said foil.