Identification device

Abstract

 An identification device (10), particularly for the identification of persons such as babies or patients in hospital, is formed by a base sheet (11) of a computer-printable material, preferably a fibre cloth resistant to tearing, with spaced parallel perforated separation lines (14) extending laterally to form identification bands (15) between successive separation lines (14). Each band (15) has an identification region (16) on which information (17) can be printed by computer, and head (18) and tail (19) end regions between the identification region (16) and the opposed longitudinal edges (13) of the base sheet. An adhesive, such as a double-sided self-adhesive tape (20), is secured to the base sheet (11) in the region of the head ends (18) of the bands (15), with a backing sheet (21) attached to the other side of the tape (20). The tape (20) and backing sheet (21) have perforations (22) in register with the feeder holes (12) adjacent each longitudinal edge (13) of the base sheet (11). The bands (15) can be computer printed in the hospital ward with information (17) relating to the patient or mother and baby, and separated from the other bands (15) to be applied to the person concerned, thereby reducing the risk of different information (17) being written on the band (15) from that held in the ward's records.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to identification devices, and in particular to devices for the identification of persons. Even more particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to devices for the identification of persons entering a secure area, or patients in hospital such as babies immediately after birth and up to the time of leaving hospital and being taken home by their parents.

[0002] Devices of this type are known, and are used as security identification means or to identify patients to ensure that the treatment they receive matches their specified treatment, or alternatively in an attempt to avoid incorrect identification of babies leading to one mother taking home another mother's baby. A known device of this kind, known as a write-on ID band, comprises a strap of a tear-proof plastics material having an area on which information may be hand written such as a security cleared entrant's or patient's name or mother's and baby's names as the case may be, date of birth (and time in the case of a baby), location or hospital number and ward, and any other relevant information such as name of the event or consultant. The strap has head and tail ends, the head end having securable stud attached thereto, and the tail end having a plurality of spaced holes therein, whereby the strap may be passed around a limb of the entrant, patient, mother or baby and the stud then passed through an appropriate one of the holes before being secured in such a way as to prevent removal by hand. This forms the strap into a loop around the limb, which loop is of a size preventing the strap being passed over the hand or foot and thereby being removed from the entrant, patient, mother or baby. In the case of a mother and baby, straps with identical information may be placed on each of them for added security. Such ID bands are generally satisfactory, but errors can readily occur in the writing of the information on the bands. This can lead to the information on a band not matching the data in the hospital records relating to the relevant patient, mother or baby, and to the errors mentioned above. In addition the provision of the securable stud is relatively costly.

[0003] It is an object of the present invention to provide an identification device which minimises the risk of incorrect information being placed thereon. It is a further object of the invention to provide an identification device which is less costly than the above-mentioned type.

[0004] The invention provides an identification device comprising an elongate base sheet of a computer-printable material, the base sheet having spaced parallel separation lines extending laterally thereof to define an identification band between successive separation lines, each band having an identification region on which information may be printed by computer and head and tail end regions between the identification region and the opposed longitudinal edges of the base sheet.

[0005] The base sheet may have feeder holes therein adjacent each longitudinal edge, and may be of a natural or man-made sheet or fibre cloth material which is resistant to tearing, such as cotton, satin or nylon. The separation lines may be lines of perforations.

[0006] An adhesive may be applied to the base sheet in the region of the head ends of the bands, and a backing sheet may cover the adhesive. The adhesive may be applied in the form of a double sided self-adhesive tape having one side thereof secured to the base sheet and having the backing sheet attached to the other side. In either case the backing sheet, and in the latter case the tape, may have perforations in register with the feeder holes in the base sheet. The backing sheet may be a peel-off silicone set.

[0007] A plurality of lines may be printed on the base sheet to extend longitudinally thereof in the region of the tail ends of the bands, the lines being mutually parallel and spaced laterally of the base sheet.

[0008] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of an identification device in accordance with the invention,

Fig. 2 is a view on a lateral edge of the device of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view of an identification band taken from the device of Figs. 1 and 2 and applied to the wrist of a person.

[0009] Referring to the figures, there is shown an identification device 10 comprising an elongate base sheet 11 of a computer printable material with the characteristic feeder holes 12 adjacent each longitudinal edge 13. The base sheet is of a strong, tear resistant, fibrous cloth of man-made or natural fibre such as cotton, satin or nylon. Extending laterally of the base sheet 11 are a plurality of separation lines 14 in the form of lines of perforations. Between successive separation lines 14 is defined an identification band 15, and such bands 15 can subsequently be separated from each other by tearing along the lines of perforations 14. The base sheet 11 may be fed by means of the feeder holes 12 through a security or hospital ward's computer and printer (not shown) so as to have printed thereon in an identification region 16 of at least one band 15 the information 17 relating to an entrant, patient or mother and baby. In the latter case two successive bands 15 may be printed with identical information 17. The standard headings of the information 17 may be pre-printed on the base sheet 11 prior to the identification device 10 being fed to the computer, or may be printed by the computer at the time of printing the specific information 17 relating to the entrant, patient or mother and baby.

[0010] Between the identification region 16 of the bands 15 and the opposed longitudinal edges 13 of the base sheet 11 are head 18 and tail 19 end regions. Secured to the head region 18 is a double sided self adhesive tape 20 to which a backing sheet 21 is attached. The tape 20 and backing sheet 21 have perforations 22 in register with those 14 in the base sheet 11. Alternatively a layer of adhesive may be applied directly to the base sheet 11 and the perforated backing sheet 21 attached to the adhesive layer. The backing sheet 21 may be a peel-off silicone set, and the adhesive must have a sufficient bonding strength to prohibit the detachment of the base sheet 11 from the tape 20 or from itself after bonding. The adhesive may be a water based or acrylic adhesive. After a band 15 has been printed and detached from the base sheet 11, the band 15 is wrapped around a limb, e.g. a wrist 23, of an entrant, patient, mother or baby. The backing sheet 21 is removed, and the tail end 19 of the band 15 is secured to the adhesive tape 20 and hence the head end 18 of the band 15 to form a loop which is of a size so as to prevent the band 15 from being passed over the hand 24 of the entrant, patient, mother or baby. Any surplus tail end 19 of the band 15 may be cut off using the lines 25 marked thereon as a guide. The lines 25, which were part of those which extended longitudinally of the base sheet 11 and were mutually parallel and spaced laterally of the base sheet 11, now extend laterally of the band 15.

[0011] As alternative, but more expensive embodiments of identification device, the head 18 and tail 19 ends of a band 15 may be secured to each other by means of a securable stud as in the prior art case, or by means of a staple. In the former case a plurality of holes (not shown) would be provided in and spaced along each tail end 19, although such holes create weaknesses which may permit snapping of the band by a strong person.

[0012] By means of the invention an identification band may be applied to an entrant to a security zone, a patient, or a mother and baby which minimises the risk of wrong information being written on the band and avoids the possibility of such information being different from that held on the security or hospital ward's computer. Furthermore the risk of miss-reading badly written information is avoided. The possibility of a person altering or producing a false identification band is also avoided or at least minimised. With the preferred materials of the base sheet 11, the perforated edges will not damage or irritate the skin, as can occur with the plastics material of the known bands, and the preferred embodiments of the invention, incorporating adhesively bonding the head 18 and tail 19 ends of the band 15, provide less expensive identification bands, on which the information is more durable and water resistant, than the prior known writ-on ID bands.

Claims

1. An identification device (10) comprising an elongate base sheet (11) of a computer-printable material, characterised in that the base sheet 11 has spaced parallel separation lines (14) extending laterally thereof to define an identification band (15) between successive separation lines (14), each band (15) having an identification region (16) on which information (17) may be printed by computer and head (18) and tail (19) end regions between the identification region (16) and the opposed longitudinal edges (13) of the base sheet (11).

2. An identification device according to claim 1, characterised in that the base sheet (11) has feeder holes (12) therein adjacent each longitudinal edge (13).

3. An identification device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the base sheet (11) is of a fibre cloth material which is resistant to tearing.

4. An identification device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that an adhesive (20) is applied to the base sheet (11) in the region of the head ends (18) of the bands (15).

5. An identification device according to claim 4, characterised in that a backing sheet (21) covers the adhesive (20).

6. An identification device according to claim 5 when dependent on claim 2, characterised in that the backing sheet (21) has perforations (22) in register with the feeder holes (12) in the base sheet (11).

7. An identification device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterised in that the adhesive (20) is in the form of a double sided self-adhesive tape (20) having one side thereof secured to the base sheet (11) and having the backing sheet (21) attached to the other side.

8. An identification device according to claim 7 when dependent on claim 2, characterised in that the tape (20) has perforations (22) in register with the feeder holes (12) in the base sheet (11).

9. An identification device according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterised in that the backing sheet (21) is a peel-off silicone set.

10. An identification device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that a plurality of lines (25) are printed on the base sheet (11) in the region of the tail ends (19) of the bands (15), the lines (25) being mutually parallel and spaced laterally of the base sheet (11).

Drawing