Medicament dispenser

• US 20030011476A1
• Filed: 08/23/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (Glaxosmithkline Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (Glaxosmithkline Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Godfrey, James William
• Granted Patent: US 7,151,456 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/572.8
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 15/009 using medicine packages with incorporated spraying means, e.g. aerosol cans pocket atomiser of the injector type A61M11/08
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3569 sublocal, e.g. between console and disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/60 with identification means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07758 arrangements for adhering the record carrier to further objects or living beings, functioning as an identification tag
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

There is provided a medicament dispenser comprising a housing (150), a medicament container (140), a dispensing mechanism for dispensing medicament from the medicament container and a radiofrequency identifier (110). The radiofrequency identifier comprises an antenna (105) for transmitting or receiving radiofrequency energy and an integrated circuit chip (101) connecting with said antenna. The radiofrequency identifier connects to said housing or said medicament container.

Claims

1. A medicament dispenser comprising

a housing;

a medicament container;

a dispensing mechanism for dispensing medicament from the medicament container; and

a radiofrequency identifier, In the form of a radiofrequency Identification tag comprising

an antenna for transmitting or receiving radiofrequency energy; and

an integrated circuit chip connecting with said antenna,

wherein said radiofrequency identifier connects to said housing or said medicament container.

2. A medicament dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is capable of transmitting or receiving radiofrequency energy having a frequency of from 100 KHz to 2.5 GHz.

3. A medicament dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the antenna is adapted to transmit or receive radiofrequency energy having a frequency of 125 KHz.

4. A medicament dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the antenna is adapted. to transmit or receive radiofrequency energy having a frequency of 13.56 MHz.

5. A medicament dispenser according to claim 2, wherein the antenna is adapted to transmit or receive radiofrequency energy having a frequency of 2.4 GHz.

6. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the radiofrequency identifier is on a carrier and the carrier is mountable on the housing or the medicament container.

7. A medicament dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the carrier is a flexible label.

8. A medicament dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the carrier is a rigid disc.

9. A medicament dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the carrier is a rectangular block.

10. A medicament dispenser according to claim 6, wherein the carrier is mouldable to the medicament container or housing.

11. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 6 to 10, wherein the carrier encases the radiofrequency identifier.

12. A medicament dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the carrier forms a hermetic seal for the radiofrequency identifier.

13. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 6 to 12, wherein the carrier comprises an insulating material.

14. A medicament dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the insulating material comprises a glass material, paper material or organic polymeric material.

15. A medicament dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the carrier comprises a ferrite material.

16. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 15, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a read only memory area.

17. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 16, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a write only memory area.

18. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 17, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a read/write memory area.

19. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 18, wherein the integrated circuit chip has a one-time programmable memory area.

20. A medicament dispenser according to claim 19, wherein the one time programmable memory area contains a unique serial number.

21. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 20, wherein the intergrated circuit chip has a preset memory area containing a non-changeable data item.

22. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 16 to 21, wherein the integrated circuit chip has plural memory areas thereon.

23. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 16 to 22, wherein any memory area contains data in encrypted form.

24. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 16 to 23, wherein any memory area is password protected.

25. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 15, wherein the integrated circuit has plural memory areas thereon including

(a) a read only memory area containing a unique serial number;

(b) a read/write memory area which can be made read only; and

(c) a password protected memory area containing data in encrypted form.

26. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 25, wherein said medicament container is an aerosol container.

27. A medicament dispenser according to claim 24, wherein said aerosol container comprises a suspension of a medicament in a propellant.

28. A medicament dispenser according to claim 27, wherein, said propellant comprises liquefied HFA134a, HFA-227 or carbon dioxide.

29. A medicament dispenser according to claim 28, wherein said aerosol container comprises a solution of a medicament in a solvent.

30. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 25, wherein said medicament container is a dry-powder container.

31. A medicament dispenser according to claim 30, wherein said dry-powder container comprises medicament and optionally excipient in dry-powder form.

32. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 27 to 31, wherein the medicament is selected from the group consisting of albuterol, salmeterol, fluticasone propionate, beclomethasone dipropionate, salts or solvates thereof and any mixtures thereof.

33. A medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 32, wherein the housing comprises a mouthpiece for inhalation therethrough.

34. A system for dispensing medicament comprising

a medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 33;

and

a reader for reading data from the radiofrequency identifier by transmitting radiofrequency energy thereto and receiving radiofrequency energy therefrom.

35. A system according to claim 34 wherein said reader is capable of reading individual and multiple radiofrequency identifiers simultaneously by differentiating between indvidual radiofrequency identifiers within the same antenna field.

36. A system according to either of claims 34 or 35, wherein said reader additionally comprises an electronic data management system with input/output capability comprising

a memory for storage of data;

a microprocessor for performing operations on said data; and

a signal output for outputting a signal relating to the data or the outcome of an operation on the data.

37. A system according to claim 36, additionally comprising a communicator for wireless communication with a gateway to a network computer system to enable transfer of data between the network computer system and the electronic data management system.

38. A system according to claim 37, wherein the communicator enables two-way transfer of data between the network computer system and the electronic data management system.

39. A system according to either of claims 37 or 38, wherein the data are communicable between the network computer system and the electronic data management system in encrypted form.

40. A system according to any of claims 37 to 39, wherein the communicator communicates directly with the gateway.

41. A system according to any of claims 37 to 39, wherein the communicator communicates with the gateway via a second communications device.

42. A system according to claim 41, wherein the second communications device is a telecommunications device, preferably a cellular phone or pager.

43. A system according to any of claims 37 to 42, wherein the network computer system comprises a public access network computer system.

44. A system according to any of claims 37 to 42, wherein the network computer system comprises a private access network computer system and the gateway is a secure gateway.

45. A system according to any of claims 37 to 44, wherein the communicator enables communication with a user-specific network address in the network computer system.

46. A system according to claim 45, wherein the user-specific network address is selected from the group consisting of a web-site address, an e-mail address, a file transfer protocol address and a data transfer protocol address.

47. A system according to any of claims 37 to 46, additionally comprising a a data input system for user input of data to the electronic data management system.

48. A system according to claim 47, wherein said data input system comprises a man machine interface (MMI).

49. A system according to any of claims 36 to 48, additionally comprising a display for display of data from the electronic data management system to the user.

50. A data communicator for use with a medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 33 comprising

a reader for the radiofrequency identifier capable of reading and writing data therefrom/thereto by transmitting radiofrequency energy thereto and receiving radiofrequency energy therefrom;

and

an electronic data management system with input/output capability comprising

a memory for storage of said data;

a microprocessor for performing operations on the data; and

a signal output for outputting a signal relating to the data or the outcome of an operation on the data; and

a communicator for communicating with a gateway to a network computer system to enable communication of the data between the network computer system and the microprocessor.

51. Kit of parts comprising a data communicator according to claim 50 and a medicament dispenser according to any of claims 1 to 33.