Electronic marking of a medication cartridge

• US 20060118612A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Original Assignee: Novo Nordisk A/S
• Inventors: Christoffersen, Lasse Wengel, Nielsen, Preben Mikael, Berggren, Bo, Erik Lennart
• Granted Patent: US 7,614,545 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/06 Ampoules or carpules syringe ampoules or carpules A61M5/28
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/12 with interchangeable cassettes forming partially or totally the fluid circuit
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6027 Electric-conductive bridges closing detection circuits, with or without identifying elements, e.g. resistances, zener-diodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/24 Ampoule syringes, i.e. syringes with needle for use in combination with replaceable ampoules or carpules, e.g. automatic ampoules or carpules A61J1/06
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 1/12 otherwise than by punching
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/067 Record carriers with conductive marks, printed circuits or semiconductor circuit elements, e.g. credit or identity cards also with resonating or responding marks without active components
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/065 for conductive marks
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 3/00 Labels, tag tickets, or similar identification or indication means medals or badges A44C3/00; making labels B31D1/02; sheets temporarily attached together B42F; labelling B65C; labels on record carriers G11B23/38, G11B23/40; Seals; Postage or like stamps

Abstract

The invention relates to a marking of cartridges, carpules or any kind of package. The marking can be in an electronically readable form while being transparent. Hereby a marking with improved security for avoiding reading errors which ensures a mandatory visual inspection of content is obtained. The transparent conductor can be in form of a polymer, an ITO and the like. These transparent conductors are used in an improved marking technique, which further improves reading security. The invention may e.g. be used in connection with medication delivery devices for self-treatment of a disease, e.g. diabetes.

Claims

1. A medium marked with a conductor forming a pattern of elements suitable for storing information about the contents of an item marked with the conductor, wherein the conductor is transparent.

2. A medium according to claim 1 wherein the medium is a cartridge, a capule, a package or a label.

3. A cartridge according to claim 2, wherein it is a cartridge (70) for use in treatment of a patient.

4. A medication cartridge (70) according to claim 3, wherein said item of information (725) is redundantly provided (725, 726) at least once by applying electrically insulating (7251) and electrically conducting (7261) areas corresponding to the relevant state of each bit of information in predefined positions on the surface of the cartridge (70).

5. A medication cartridge according to claim 2, wherein said item of information (725) is formed on a self-adhesive carrier (72) positioned on the surface of the cartridge (70).

6. A medication cartridge according to claim 4, wherien said cartridge (10) has an axis (11) of rotational symmetry.

7. A medication cartridge according to claim 6, wherein information carrying areas (103, 104;

105, 106;

115, 116) containing said item of information in its true and inverted forms, respectively, are positioned side by side in the direction of said axis (11) of symmetry of said cartridge (10).

8. A medication cartridge according to claim 7, wherein information carrying areas (101, 102;

110, 111, 112, 113, 114;

117, 118) containing said item of information in its true and inverted forms, respectively, are positioned side by side in the direction of a circumference of said axis (11) of symmetry of said cartridge (10).

9. A medication cartridge according to claim 8, wherein information carrying areas (721, 722, 723, 724, 725, 726, 727) containing said item of information in its true and inverted forms, respectively, appear alternatingly a multitude of times in a direction of a circumference of said axis (71) of symmetry of said cartridge (70).

10. A medication cartridge according to claims 4, wherein said item of information is provided in any of its binary forms by applying electrically insulating areas in predefined positions on the surface of an electrically conducting foil (36) positioned on said cartridge in such a way that an electrically insulating area (356, 367) is applied at those predefined positions representing one predefined binary state, and an electrically conductive area (357, 366)) is provided at those predefined positions representing the complementary binary state.

11. A medication cartridge according to claim 2 wherein the information is stored in a matrix.

12. A medication cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the matrix contains a sequence designating the starting point.

13. A medication cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the matrix is repeated.

14. A medication cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the matrix is repeated a whole number of times.

15. A medication cartridge according to claim 11, wherien the cartridge has means to ensure a certain orientation of the item.

16. A medication cartridge according to claim 11, wherein the matrix is put at a predefined distance from a terminal surface.

17. A medication cartridge according to claim 4, wherein said item of electronically readable information is provided on the cartridge in an optically readable form.

18. A cartridge, a carpule or a package according to claim 2, wherein the transparent conductor is a polymer.

19. A cartridge, a carpule or a package according to claim 18, wherein the polymer comprises poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrenedesulphonate (PEDOT-PPS) and/or polymers with networks of bis(ethylenedioxy)tetrathiafulvene or iodine or bromine salt thereof.

20. A cartridge, a carpule or a package according to claim 19, wherein the polymer comprises (α

-BEDO-TFF213, β

-BEDO-TFF213 and/or BEDO-TFF2.413

21. A cartridge, a carpule or a package according claim 2, wherein the transparent conductor is one or more thin layers of Indium Tin Oxide (ITO)

22. A cartridge, a carpule or a package according to claim 21, wherein Indium Tin Oxide layer(s) is mixed with one or more thin layers of silver.

23. A label marked with a conductor forming a pattern of elements suitable for storing information about the contents of the item, characterized in that the conductor is transparent

24. A label according to claim 23, wherein the label is transparent

25. A label according to claim 23, wherein there is text on the label.

26. A label according to claim 25, wherein the transparent conductor is covering at least a part of the text.

27. A process for producing a medium marked with transparent conductor comprising the steps of:

coating at least a part of a surface with a transparent conductor and patterning by etching.

28. A process according to claim 27, wherein the process further comprises a step of applying resist to the conductor

29. A process according to claim 28, wherein the process further comprises a step of removing the resist from the conductor.

30. A process according to claim 29, wherein the resist is removed with an alkaline solution, preferably a strong alkali solution.

31. A process according to claim 27, wherein the etching is performed with an acid and an oxidizing agent.

32. A process according to claim 31, wherein the etching is performed with hydrochloric acid and CuCl₂.

33. A method of providing an electronically readable item of information (725) on a medication cartridge (70), where said item of information (725) is redundantly provided, wherein the item is provided with a transparent conductor.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein said item of information (725) is provided at least once in a binary true (725) and inverted form (726).