Claims for Patent: 4,735,805

Summary for Patent: 4,735,805

Title:	Bisectable drug tablet
Abstract:	A bisectable drug tablet having an elongated tablet body with a length greater than its width. The tablet body also has top and bottom surfaces with a concavity being provided in each thereof. A breaking groove is formed in at least one of the concavities and extends laterally across the width of the tablet at an apex of the one cavity. Thus, upon application of a downward pressure to either the top or bottom surfaces of the tablet, when the other of the top and bottom surfaces faces downwardly and the opposite longitudinal ends of the tablet rest on a support surface, the tablet will fracture along the groove, the fracture occurring irrespective of whether the breaking groove faces toward or away from the support surface.
Inventor(s):	Ni; Phillip F. (Mattawan, MI), Odar; Larry F. (Galesburg, MI)
Assignee:	The Upjohn Company (Kalamazoo, MI)
Application Number:	07/024,747
Patent Claims:	1. A bisectable drug tablet, comprising: an elongated tablet body having a length greater than its width, said body having top and bottom surfaces; first and second concavities, one each on said top and bottom surfaces, each concavity being equal in size and having parallel major and minor axes, said first concavity having a smooth and uninterrupted arcuate surface extending between the opposite longitudinal ends of said body, said opposite longitudinal ends of said body being of a thicker dimension than the thickness of said body measured at apexes of said concavities; a breaking groove formed in a second one of said concavities, said breaking groove extending laterally across the width of said tablet at an apex of said second cavity, so that upon application of downward pressure to one of said top and bottom surfaces, when the other of said top and bottom surfaces faces downwardly and said opposite longitudinal ends rest on a support surface, said tablet will fracture along said breaking groove, said fracture occuring irrespective of whether said breaking groove faces toward or away from said support surface. 2. The bisectable drug tablet according to claim 1, wherein said tablet body includes an elongated central body part of a finite and uniform thickness and having an outwardly facing, smooth and uninterrupted perimetrical surface extending parallel to a theoretical line through a geometric center of said table, said theoretical line extending perpendicular to said support surface when said opposite longitudinal ends of said tablet rest on said support surface; wherein each top and bottom surface of said central body part has an upstanding frustoconical-like part into each of the tops of which is provided said concavity, the depth of each of said concavities being less than the highest height dimension of said frustoconical parts; and wherein said breaking groove has a depth that extends from said apex of said second concavity to one of said top and bottom surfaces of central body part.