Blister package with electronic content monitoring system

• US 20050122219A1
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intelligent Devices SEZC Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Devices Inc. (Heico Corporation)
• Inventors: Petersen, Michael, Wilson, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 7,113,101 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/568.100
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0436 resulting from removing a drug from, or opening, a container
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0481 working on a schedule basis
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/00 Decoration means, markings, information elements, contents indicators see also B65D5/4212, B65D33/004
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/10 Transponders
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/327 and forming several compartments

Abstract

A replicate can be secured to a blister package intended to contain articles, such as pills, and is used to record the removal of individual articles from the blisters. To remove an article from a blister one will usually press against the blister to push the article through a frangible closure seal, breaking the seal in the process. The replicate includes a backing sheet which carries a plurality of traces alignable with corresponding blisters so that when the article is removed from the blister it will not only break the seal but it will also break the corresponding trace. All of the traces are connected to an integrated circuit which may also be formed or provided on the backing sheet, as is a power source for the integrated circuit. The breaking of the trace is an event that is recorded in the integrated circuit for later accessability. The replicate may be secured to the blister package after the package has been produced by conventional form-fill-seal equipment. The individual traces can be formed into a grid of closely spaced traces so that alignment of the traces with the individual blisters is less critical. The replicates may be formed by printing or other conventional methods on a roll of lidstock. After forming the individual replicates are severed from the roll of lidstock for securement to a blister package.

Claims

1. A replicate for application to a blister package containing a plurality of articles, each in an individual blister such that each such article can be projected through a corresponding portion of the package and the replicate for removal from the package, said replicate including a frangible backing sheet, an integrated circuit on said backing sheet, a plurality of individual electrically conductive traces on said backing sheet, each of which is connected to said integrated circuit, a power source for the integrated circuit, and means for attaching said replicate to said package, each of said traces being positioned on said backing sheet so as to intersect a corresponding one of said blisters when said replicate is attached to said package, whereby when an article is projected from its blister through said replicate the corresponding trace is broken, so as to define an event that can be recorded by said integrated circuit.

2. The replicate of claim 1 wherein said integrated circuit includes a clock and a nonvolatile memory, whereby a time associated with each event can be recorded in said memory for retrieval at a later point in time.

3. The replicate of claim 1 wherein said power supply is integral with said integrated circuit.

4. The replicate of claim 1 wherein said integrated circuit and said traces are printed on said backing sheet.

5. The replicate of claim 1 wherein an adhesive is applied to said backing sheet for attachment of said replicate to said blister package.

6. The replicate of claim 1 wherein a cover sheet is applied to said replicate with said integrated circuit and said conductive traces sandwiched between said cover sheet and said backing sheet to create a laminated replicate.

31. The replicate of claim 1 wherein said traces define a grid pattern of intersecting sets of parallel such traces, said traces being positioned on said backing sheet so that more than one thereof will intersect each of said blisters when said replicate is attached to said package.

7. A method of manufacturing a replicate for application to a blister package of individual blisters each of which contains one of a plurality of articles, which articles are removed from the package by being projected through a corresponding portion of the replicate, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a roll of suitable frangible backing material;

continuously feeding said material to applicator means whereby an integrated circuit and a plurality of individual traces for each replicate are applied to one surface of said material, each trace being connected to a respective contact of said integrated circuit and said traces being positioned in a pattern related to the locations of the blisters in said package; and

severing said roll of material between adjacent pairs of replicates to create a plurality of individual replicates each of which can be applied to an individual blister package.

8. The method of claim 7 including the step of applying an adhesive to said material for securely attaching a replicate to a blister package.

9. The method of claim 7 including the step of applying a roll of suitable cover material to said first-identified roll of backing material before said severing step whereby said integrated circuits and said traces are sandwiched between two layers defined by said cover material and said backing material.

10. A blister package comprising:

a sheet of material having a plurality of openings therethrough;

a plurality of individual flexible blisters mounted to one surface of said sheet, each of said blisters being in registry with a corresponding opening;

an article located in each of said blisters;

a closure seal formed of frangible material extending across each said opening so as to hermetically capture the article in the corresponding blister;

a replicate secured to the opposite surface of said sheet, said replicate including;

a frangible backing sheet;

an integrated circuit on said backing sheet;

a plurality of individual electrically conductive traces on said backing sheet, each of which is connected to said integrated circuit;

a power source for the integrated circuit;

and means for attaching said replicate to said opposite surface;

each of said traces being positioned on said backing sheet so as to intersect a corresponding one of said closure seals when said replicate is attached to said package, whereby when an article is projected from its blister through said closure seal and said replicate the corresponding trace is broken, so as to define an event that can be recorded by said integrated circuit.

32. The blister package of claim 10 wherein said traces define a grid pattern of intersecting sets of parallel such traces, said traces being positioned on said backing sheet so that more than one thereof will intersect each of said blisters when said replicate is attached to said package.

11. A blister package comprising:

a sheet of material having a plurality of openings therethrough;

a plurality of individual flexible blisters mounted to one surface of said sheet, each of said blisters being in registry with a corresponding opening;

an article located in each of said blisters;

a closure seal formed of frangible material extending across each said opening so as to hermetically capture the article in the corresponding blister;

a replicate secured to said one surface of said sheet, said replicate including;

a frangible backing sheet;

an integrated circuit on said backing sheet;

a plurality of individual electrically conductive traces on said backing sheet, each of which is connected to said integrated circuit;

a power source for the integrated circuit; and

means for attaching said replicate to said one surface;

each of said traces being positioned on said backing sheet so as to intersect a corresponding one of said blisters when said replicate is attached to said package, whereby when an article is projected from its blister through said closure seal and said replicate the corresponding trace is broken, so as to define an event that can be recorded by said integrated circuit.

12. The package of claim 11 including a cover sheet through which said blisters project, said cover sheet being applied to said one surface of said backing material so as to capture said replicate between itself and said one surface of said backing material.

33. The blister package of claim 11 wherein said traces define a grid pattern of intersecting sets of parallel such traces, said traces being positioned on said backing sheet so that more than one thereof will intersect each of said blisters when said replicate is attached to said package.

13-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A blister package comprising:

a first flap, a second flap, and a spine hingedly attached to each of said first and second flaps;

a plurality of individual flexible blisters mounted to an inside surface of said second flap;

a plurality of openings extending through a rear surface of said second flap, each of said openings being in registry with a corresponding blister;

an article located in each of said blisters;

a closure seal formed of frangible material extending across each said opening so as to hermetically capture the article in the corresponding blister;

a replicate secured to said inside surface of said second flap, said replicate including;

a frangible backing sheet;

an integrated circuit;

a plurality of individual electrically conductive traces on said backing sheet, each of said traces being connected to said integrated circuit;

a power source for the integrated circuit; and

means for attaching said replicate to said second flap;

each of said traces being positioned on said backing sheet so as to intersect a corresponding one of said blisters when said replicate is attached to said second flap, whereby when an article is projected from its blister through said closure seal and said replicate the corresponding trace is broken, so as to define an event that can be recorded by said integrated circuit.

26. The package of claim 25 wherein said integrated circuit is provided on said backing sheet.

27. The package of claim 25 wherein said integrated circuit is provided on said first flap.

34. The blister package of claim 25 wherein said traces define a grid pattern of intersecting sets of parallel such traces, said traces being positioned on said backing sheet so that more than one thereof will intersect each of said blisters when said replicate is attached to said package.

28-30. -30. (canceled)