No-spill dosing from a spoon

Israeli generic pharmaceutical company Taro Pharmaceutical
Industries has been granted a US patent for a means of dosing
liquid medicines into a spoon without any spillages.

Syrups, elixirs, solutions, and suspensions are traditional dosage forms for oral medication. These liquid formulations are typically measured by pouring into a spoon, but this approach has the great drawback of spillage. The risk of spillage can also cause people to under-fill the spoon, leading to inaccurate dosage, according to the firm.

Moreover, with elderly people, children and the infirm, difficulty in filling a spoon with a liquid and bringing it to the mouth can be a serious impediment to administering the medicine. Solid formulations such as pills, tablets, and capsules are also difficult for children and for elderly, infirm people to swallow.

Taro​'s patent (No 6,656,482) covers light, water-soluble gels, which are easy to clean from a spoon bowl, and from any other surfaces which they may contact. The surface tensions of the formulations are sufficiently high to provide desirable spill-resistance, while allowing the product to be sufficiently free-flowing. It also covers the design of a squeezable container to dispense the medicine.

The liquid gel, made by combining a pharmaceutical active in a liquid base with a thickening agent, will stay on the spoon even if is turned 90 degrees or upside down, says the patent.

Taro launched a line of products based on this technology, called NoSpill, in the third quarter. The range is sold across the US under the ElixSure brand and includes medications for fever/pain, cough or congestion.

"An unpleasant struggle often develops when giving liquid medications to children, which can result in spills, stains and inaccurate dosages of medicine,"​ said Barrie Levitt, CEO of Taro's US division. "We believe that ElixSure's spill-resistant formulations may go a long way towards solving this problem."

Related topics Ingredients

Related news

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars