Connected sensor substrate for blister packs

• US 10,089,445 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2016
• Issued: 10/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cuepath Innovation Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cuepath Innovation Inc.
• Inventors: Lesau, Victor Gusev, Spogreev, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US15/202,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20170004284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 206531, 206534
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2200/30 Compliance analysis for taking medication
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/367 and forming several compartments
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/54 Cards, coupons, or other inserts or accessories opening devices B65D75/70
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A blister pack for dispensing medication comprises a substantially flat backing, blisters formed on the backing, breakable resistive traces, conductive traces, a power source for applying electrical power to the traces, and a controller. The blisters and the backing form cavities for containing the medication, and each blister is coupled with another blister to form pairs of blisters. Resistive traces are applied to the backing under each blister. For each pair of blisters, the resistive traces under a first blister of the pair of blisters is connected in parallel by the conductive traces with the resistive traces under a second blister of the pair of blisters. The controller detects breakage of the resistive traces under the blisters for each pair of blisters by measuring the voltage across the resistive traces under each pair of blisters, and communicate the status to a remote server for instant analysis and reporting to parties of interest.

Claims

1. A blister pack for dispensing medication, the blister pack comprising:

a substantially flat backing;

a plurality of blisters formed on the backing, wherein the blisters and the backing form cavities for containing the medication, wherein each blister is coupled with another blister to form pairs of blisters, and wherein the pairs of blisters are arranged into two zones of blisters;

a plurality of breakable resistive traces, wherein one or more of the resistive traces are applied to the backing under each blister and are configured to be broken when the blister is ruptured;

a plurality of conductive traces applied to the backing, wherein for each pair of blisters, the one or more resistive traces under a first blister of the pair of blisters, having a first total resistance, is connected in parallel by the conductive traces with the one or more resistive traces under a second blister of the pair of blisters, having a second total resistance, wherein a ratio between the second total resistance and the first total resistance is between approximately 1.55 and 1.7 to 1, and wherein the resistive traces and the conductive traces under the pairs of blisters within each of the two zones of blisters are electrically connected to each other;

a power source for selectively applying electrical power to the resistive traces and the conductive traces for each of the two zones of blisters; and

a controller for detecting breakage of the resistive traces under the blisters for each pair of blisters within each of the two zones of blisters by measuring the voltage across the resistive traces under each pair of blisters.

2. The blister pack of claim 1, wherein the one or more resistive traces under the first blister are connected in series.

3. The blister pack of claim 2, wherein the one or more resistive traces under the first blister are connected in series by one or more of the conductive traces.

4. The blister pack of claim 1, wherein the one or more resistive traces under the second blister are connected in series.

5. The blister pack of claim 4, wherein the one or more resistive traces under the second blister are connected in series by one or more of the conductive traces.

6. The blister pack of claim 1, wherein the ratio between the second total resistance and the first total resistance is approximately 1.6 to 1.

7. The blister pack of claim 6, wherein the second total resistance is approximately 80 kΩ

and the first total resistance is approximately 50 kΩ

.

8. The blister pack of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pads for connection with said controller, wherein the pads are connected to the pairs of blisters by the conductive traces.

9. The blister pack of claim 8, wherein each pad is connected to two pairs of blisters.

10. The blister pack of claim 1, wherein the controller is located on the backing.

11. The blister pack of claim 8, further comprising a spine attached to the backing, wherein the pads are located on the spine and wherein the conductive traces extend from the backing onto the spine.

12. The blister pack of claim 11, wherein the controller is located on the spine.

13. The blister pack of claim 1, wherein the resistive traces and the conductive traces are printed on the backing.

14. The blister pack of claim 13, wherein the resistive traces are printed using carbon ink.

15. The blister pack of claim 13, wherein the conductive traces are printed using conductive silver ink.

16. The blister pack of claim 1, further comprising a controller module for housing the controller.

17. The blister pack of claim 16, wherein the controller module is adapted to transmit data comprising data on breakage of the resistive traces under the blisters.

18. A blister pack for dispensing medication, the blister pack comprising:

a substantially flat backing;

a plurality of blisters formed on the backing, wherein the blisters and the backing form cavities for containing the medication, wherein the blisters are arranged in a grid comprising columns, wherein each blister is coupled with another blister in an adjacent column to form pairs of blisters, and wherein the pairs of blisters are arranged into two zones;

a plurality of breakable resistive traces applied to the backing, wherein for each blister, one or more of the resistive traces are applied to the backing under the blister to form a subcircuit, and wherein the resistive traces are configured to be broken when the blister is ruptured;

a plurality of conductive traces applied to the backing, wherein for each pair of blisters, the subcircuit under a first blister of the pair of blisters, having a first total resistance, is connected in parallel by the conductive traces with the subcircuit under a second blister of the pair of blisters, having a second total resistance, to form a pair of subcircuits, wherein the conductive traces extend from the ends of each pair of subcircuits, wherein a ratio between the second total resistance and the first total resistance is between approximately 1.55 and 1.7 to 1, and wherein the pairs of subcircuits within each of the two zones are electrically connected to each other;

a power source for selectively applying electrical power to the subcircuits for each of the two zones; and

a controller for detecting breakage of the resistive traces under the blisters for each pair of subcircuits within each of the two zones by measuring the voltage across each pair of subcircuits.

19. The blister pack of claim 18, wherein the ratio between the second total resistance and the first total resistance is approximately 1.6 to 1.

20. The blister pack of claim 19, wherein the second total resistance is approximately 80 kΩ

and the first total resistance is approximately 50 kΩ

.

21. A substrate for application on a blister pack comprising blisters, the substrate comprising:

a plurality of breakable resistive traces applied to the substrate, wherein for each of the blisters, one or more of the resistive traces are applied to the substrate under the blister to form a subcircuit, wherein each subcircuit is coupled with another subcircuit to form pairs of subcircuits, wherein the pairs of subcircuits are arranged into two zones, and wherein the resistive traces are configured to be broken when the blister is ruptured;

a plurality of conductive traces applied to the substrate, wherein for each pair of subcircuits, a first subcircuit is connected in parallel by the conductive traces to a second subcircuit, and wherein the conductive traces extend from the ends of each pair of subcircuits;

a power source for selectively applying electrical power to the subcircuits for each of the two zones; and

a controller for detecting breakage of the resistive traces in the subcircuits for each pair of subcircuits within each of the two zones by measuring the voltage across each pair of subcircuits;

wherein for each pair of subcircuits, the first subcircuit has a first total resistance and the second subcircuit has a second total resistance; and

wherein the ratio between the second total resistance and the first total resistance is between approximately 1.55 and 1.7.

22. The substrate of claim 21, further comprising an adhesive first surface for application of the substrate on the blister pack.

23. The substrate of claim 22, further comprising a second surface, wherein the resistive traces and the conductive traces are applied to the second surface.

24. The substrate of claim 21, wherein the ratio between the second total resistance and the first total resistance is approximately 1.6.

25. The substrate of claim 24, wherein the second total resistance is approximately 80 kΩ

and the first total resistance is approximately 50 kΩ

.

26. A system for tracking medication use, the system comprising:

a blister pack for dispensing medication comprising;

a substantially flat backing;

a plurality of blisters formed on the backing, wherein the blisters and the backing form cavities for containing the medication, wherein each blister is coupled with another blister to form pairs of blisters, and wherein the pairs of blisters are arranged into two zones of blisters;

a plurality of breakable resistive traces, wherein one or more of the resistive traces are applied to the backing under each blister and are configured to be broken when the blister is ruptured;

a plurality of conductive traces applied to the backing, wherein for each pair of blisters, the one or more resistive traces under a first blister of the pair of blisters, having a first total resistance, is connected in parallel by the conductive traces with the one or more resistive traces under a second blister of the pair of blisters, having a second total resistance;

a power source for selectively applying electrical power to the resistive traces and the conductive traces for each of the two zones of blisters;

a controller for detecting breakage of the blisters by detecting breakage of the resistive traces under the blisters for each pair of blisters within each of the two zones of blisters by measuring the voltage across the resistive traces under each pair of blisters; and

a transmitter for transmitting data regarding breakage of the blisters;

wherein a ratio between the second total resistance and the first total resistance is between approximately 1.55 and 1.7 to 1; and

wherein the resistive traces and the conductive traces under the pairs of blisters within each of the two zones of blisters are electrically connected to each other

a gateway comprising;

a gateway receiver for receiving the data; and

a gateway transmitter for transmitting the data; and

a server comprising;

a server receiver for receiving the data; and

an analysis module to compare the data with a predetermined schedule for medication use to determine adherence with the schedule; and

a communications module for sending notifications regarding the adherence with the schedule.