DETERMINATION OF PHARMACEUTICAL EXPIRATION DATE

• US 20030204359A1
• Filed: 04/29/2002
• Published: 10/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Blakley, Daniel Robert
• Granted Patent: US 6,691,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/130
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 9/007 Data loggers attached to transport containers for perishable products, e.g. food or medicines

Abstract

A temperature sensor coupled to a supply of medication measures the temperature of the medication. A real time clock circuit is programmed with a start date and controller integrated circuitry controls operation of the clock and temperature sensor. The controller is programmed with medication temperature profile data that is specific to the medication. The controller integrates temperature and time data with medication temperature profile data for the medication to calculate an expiration date that corresponds to a potency condition for the medication.

Claims

1. Apparatus for determining the expiration date of a medication, comprising:

a supply of medication in a container;

a temperature sensor operatively coupled to the container and capable of measuring the temperature of the medication to generate temperature data;

a programmable real time clock;

a controller programmed with medication temperature profile data specific to the medication, wherein the controller integrates temperature data and time data with medication temperature profile data to generate an expiration date of the medication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller accumulates temperature data and compares the temperature data to the medication temperature profile data according to a multiply and accumulate function to generate the expiration date.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 including a programming interface operatively connected to the controller so that time data and medication temperature profile data may be programmed into the controller.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including a display operatively connected to the controller for providing perceptible information corresponding to the expiration date.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container comprises a metered dose inhaler comprising a drop generator coupled to the supply of medication and the controller is configured for deactivating the drop generator in response to generation of an expiration date.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the expiration date comprises a date corresponding to a predetermined potency condition of the medication based on integration of temperature date and time data with medication temperature profile data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the expiration date comprises a date corresponding to the detection of a predetermined maximum temperature programmed into the medication temperature profile data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor comprises a temperature sensing integrated circuit in direct contact with the medication.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the temperature sensor comprises a temperature sensing integrated circuit in direct contact with the container.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container comprises a metered dose inhaler having a drop generator capable of expelling a dosage of medication through a mouthpiece.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is programmed for adjusting the dosage of medication expelled through the mouthpiece in response to integration of temperature data and time data with medication temperature profile data.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the controller is programmed for disabling the drop generator in response to an expiration date.

10. The apparatus of clam 1 including a temperature sensor configured for measuring ambient temperature.

14. A method of determining the expiration date of a medication, comprising the steps of:

(a) monitoring the temperature of the medication over time;

(b) accumulating temperature data generated in step (a);

(c) comparing the accumulated temperature data with medication temperature profile data specific to the medication;

(d) calculating an expiration date based on the comparison of the accumulated temperature data with medication temperature profile data.

15. The method of claim 14 where the expiration date corresponds to a potency condition of the medication.

16. The method of claim 14 where the expiration date corresponds to a temperature data in excess of a predetermined maximum temperature.

17. The method of claim 14 including the step of delivering a dosage of medication determined by the comparison of the accumulated temperature data with medication temperature profile data.

18. The method of claim 14 used with a medication delivery apparatus and including the step of disabling the apparatus in response to the calculation of an expiration date.

19. Apparatus for determining the expiration date of a medication, comprising:

a temperature sensor operatively connected to a supply of a medication such that the temperature sensor measures the temperature of the medication to generate temperature data;

a real time clock circuit programmed with a begin date;

a controller programmed with medication temperature profile data specific to the medication and configured for accumulating temperature data and calculating an expiration date based on comparison of the temperature data and medication temperature profile data.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 including a user-readable display, and wherein when an expiration date is calculated a expiration alert message is displayed the user-readable display.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the supply of medication is contained in a metered dose inhaler.

22. A medication delivery apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a mouthpiece;

a supply of medication carried in a container in the housing;

a temperature sensor operatively coupled to the container and configured for measuring the temperature of the medication to generate temperature data;

a programmable real time clock;

a programmable controller with medication temperature profile data specific to the medication, wherein the controller is programmed to calculate an expiration date of the medication.

23. The medication delivery apparatus of claim 22 wherein the controller integrates temperature data and time data with medication temperature profile data to generate the expiration date.

24. The medication delivery apparatus of claim 23 wherein the expiration date corresponds to a potency condition of the medication.

25. The medication delivery apparatus of claim 24 wherein the expiration date corresponds to a temperature date exceeding a predetermined maximum temperature.

26. The medication delivery apparatus of claim 22 including a drop generator configured for generating droplets of medication and expelling the droplets through the mouthpiece in response to activation of a switch.

27. The medication delivery apparatus of claim 26 wherein the controller is programmed to deactivate the switch in response to calculation of an expiration date.

28. A pharmaceutical container, comprising:

medication supply means for containing a pharmaceutical;

temperature sensor means for measuring the temperature of the pharmaceutical and for thereby generating temperature data;

real time clock means;

controller means with medication temperature profile data specific to the medication, the controller means configured for calculating an expiration date based on integration of temperature data and medication temperature profile data over time.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the temperature sensor means further comprises a temperature sensing integrated circuit.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the real time clock means further comprises a programmable real time clock integrated circuit.

31. The apparatus of claim 28 including medication delivery means for delivering a controlled dosage of the medication to a patient and wherein the controller means further comprises means for controlling the dosage of delivered medication.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the controller means is configured for deactivating the medication delivery means to prevent delivery of medication in response to calculation of an expiration date.