DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE REMOVAL OF ITEMS PLACED IN COMPARTMENTS OF A BLISTER PACKAGE, IN PARTICULAR TO ASSIST A PATIENT IN FOLLOWING A PRESCRIBED PROGRAMME OF MEDICATION

• US 20110155602A1
• Filed: 08/17/2009
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Telecare Solutions, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Telecare Solutions, Ltd.
• Inventors: Gal, Catherine, Sterry, Graham
• Granted Patent: US 8,025,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 206/459.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/70 Audible labels, e.g. for pre-recorded info or messages
• 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: G01N 21/9508 Capsules; Tablets

Abstract

Described within is a device (1) for monitoring the removal of articles (3) contained in compartments (20) of a standard blister package (2), in particular to assist a patient in following a prescribed programme of drugs. The compartments (20) are covered with a rupturable cover (21). According to the invention, the removal of a drug (3) out of the blister package (2) is detected by photosensitive sensors located under the compartments (20), one per compartment. The device (1) includes an opaque frame support (11) comprising cavities (12) which accommodate said standard blister package (2) and covers the transparent faces of each compartment (20), which keeps light from the photosensitive sensors. Ambient light illuminates the photosensitive sensors when the cover (21) of a compartment (20) is torn and a drug (3) removed from the compartment (20).

Claims

1. A device for monitoring the removal of articles contained in compartments of a container of the type known as blister package, said blister package comprising a plurality of compartments containing each at least one article, characterized in that at least the bottom walls of said compartments (20) are transparent to daylight (λ

) and said compartments (20) are provided with an opaque rupturable cover (21) in order to render them accessible for article (3) removal, that said device (1) comprises a plate (10) supporting a body (11) comprising open cavities (12) adapted to receive said plurality of compartments (20) of said blister package (2), that the walls (110) of said cavities (12) located between said compartments (20) are opaque and the bottom walls of said cavities comprise at least a transparent region (111), that an array of photoelectric sensors (D) sensitive to daylight wavelengths (λ

) and delivering output electrical signals (V) is implemented on said support (10), one per compartment (20), each photoelectric sensor (D) being adjacent to said transparent region (111) such that the removal of an article (3) out of a compartment (20) authorizes daylight penetrating into said the cavity (12) receiving said compartment (20), illuminating the photoelectric sensor (D) associated to said cavity (12) and causing a change of the level of said output electrical signals (V″

), and in that said device (1) comprises detecting circuits (4) sensing said level change in order to monitor said removal of article (3).

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said blister package (2) is of a standard as-marketed type comprising a plastic housing including said plurality of compartments (20) and a cover (21) consisting in an opaque foil.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that said opaque foil (21) is a thin metallic foil.

4. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said photoelectric sensors (D) consist in an array photodiodes.

5. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that said array of photodiodes (D) are built in the so-called technology “

surface mounting device”

.

6. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that said detecting circuits sensing said change in said output electrical signals (V″

) delivered by said photoelectric sensors (D) are located in an electronic module (4) implemented on said plate (10) supporting said body (11).

7. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that said electronic module (4) comprises a data processing unit including a microprocessor and memory means.

8. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that said electronic module (4) further comprises a keyboard (5) to enter data and/or programming parameters, a LCD display unit (6) to display said data and/or parameters, a loudspeaker (8) to generate acoustic alarms, and means (7) connecting said device (11) to a remote site (9a) via a data transmission network (9) in order to send and/or receive data and/or programming parameters.

9. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that said blister package (2) comprises means storing data identifying its content and/or parameters associated to said articles (3) and that said electronic module (4) includes or is connected to a reader unit adapted to acquire said identifying data.

10. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that, said articles consisting in drugs (3), said blister package (2) comprising a plurality of compartments (20) and each compartment (20) being designed to hold at least one drug (3), said electronic detecting circuits (4) comprise means to sense the removal of said drugs (3), in order to assist a patient in following a prescribed regimen for taking drugs (3).

11. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that, said articles consisting in drugs (3), said blister package (2) comprising a plurality of compartments (20) and each compartment (20) being designed to hold at least one drug (3), said electronic detecting circuits (4) comprise means to sense the removal of said drugs (3), in order to assist a patient in following a prescribed regimen for taking drugs (3).

12. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that, said articles consisting in drugs (3), said blister package (2) comprising a plurality of compartments (20) and each compartment (20) being designed to hold at least one drug (3), said electronic detecting circuits (4) comprise means to sense the removal of said drugs (3), in order to assist a patient in following a prescribed regimen for taking drugs (3).

13. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that, said articles consisting in drugs (3), said blister package (2) comprising a plurality of compartments (20) and each compartment (20) being designed to hold at least one drug (3), said electronic detecting circuits (4) comprise means to sense the removal of said drugs (3), in order to assist a patient in following a prescribed regimen for taking drugs (3).

14. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that, said articles consisting in drugs (3), said blister package (2) comprising a plurality of compartments (20) and each compartment (20) being designed to hold at least one drug (3), said electronic detecting circuits (4) comprise means to sense the removal of said drugs (3), in order to assist a patient in following a prescribed regimen for taking drugs (3).

15. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that, said articles consisting in drugs (3), said blister package (2) comprising a plurality of compartments (20) and each compartment (20) being designed to hold at least one drug (3), said electronic detecting circuits (4) comprise means to sense the removal of said drugs (3), in order to assist a patient in following a prescribed regimen for taking drugs (3).

16. A device according to claim 7, characterized in that, said articles consisting in drugs (3), said blister package (2) comprising a plurality of compartments (20) and each compartment (20) being designed to hold at least one drug (3), said electronic detecting circuits (4) comprise means to sense the removal of said drugs (3), in order to assist a patient in following a prescribed regimen for taking drugs (3).

17. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that, said articles consisting in drugs (3), said blister package (2) comprising a plurality of compartments (20) and each compartment (20) being designed to hold at least one drug (3), said electronic detecting circuits (4) comprise means to sense the removal of said drugs (3), in order to assist a patient in following a prescribed regimen for taking drugs (3).