Device for the storage of solid and/or liquid and/or gaseous objects

• US 7,466,230 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2004
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hueck Folien GmbH (Flex Pack International NV)
• Original Assignee: Hueck Folien GmbH (Flex Pack International NV)
• Inventors: Rost, Henning, Bernds, Adolf, Clemens, Wolfgang, Bergsmann, Martin, Schmid, Günter, Treutlein, Roland, Halik, Marcus, Müller, Matthias, Gerlt, Axel
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehmood; Jennifer
• Application Number:
  US10/566,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20070267431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,604 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 340/573.1, 340/309.16, 368/10, 368243-249, 368250-260
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• 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

Abstract

A device for the storage of at least one of solid, liquid or gaseous objects. The device including at least one compartment that is configured to contain at least one object. The filling or emptying of the compartment triggers an electrically-readable signal. In one embodiment, the compartment may be mechanically modified and an electrically-readable signal is generated based on a corresponding mechanical change to the compartment. An electrical data memory with at least one memory cell is integrated into the device. The memory cell is assigned to the compartment. The memory cell is configured to adopt a value corresponding to the mechanical change to the compartment. The device also includes an analytical circuit for reading the data memory.

Claims

1. A device for storing of at least one of a solid, a liquid or a gaseous object, the device comprising:

at least one compartment configured to contain at least one object;

an electrical data memory including at least one memory cell having electronic components, the memory cell being assigned to the compartment;

wherein one of placing the object in the compartment or removing the object from the compartment triggers an electrically readable signal;

wherein the compartment is mechanically changeable for removal of the object from the compartment or placing the object in the compartment;

wherein the electrically readable signal is generated after a mechanical change of the compartment;

wherein the memory cell adopts a memory value after the mechanical change of the compartment; and

wherein the compartment forms an integral part of the electronic components of the memory cell.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises evaluation electronics for reading the memory value from the electrical data memory.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment includes an interconnect, the interconnect being part of the memory cell, and being configured to be substantially destroyed after the mechanical change of the compartment.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment forms a capacitance, the capacitance being substantially changed after the mechanical change of the compartment.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartment forms an inductance, the inductance being substantially changed after the mechanical change of the compartment.

6. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the evaluation electronics comprise a shift register for reading the memory value from the electrical data memory.

7. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the evaluation electronics comprise a terminal contact for voltage and a terminal contact for serial data transmission.

8. The device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an interface of the evaluation electronics, the interface having one or more contacts for providing data transmission; and

an external reader configured to provide data transmission through the one or more contacts of the interface.

9. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the evaluation electronics comprise a timer configured to generate information indicative of the time at which the compartment is mechanically changed.

10. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the memory cell or the evaluation electronics are integrated in a substrate of the device.

11. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the electrical data memory is a write once read only memory integrated in the substrate.

12. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least one of the data memory, the interconnect or the evaluation electronics are at least partly formed as-polymer electronics.

13. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the device includes an assembly of layers, at least one of the layers of the assembly of layers being configured to be used for forming an electrical function.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of active electrical components or passive electrical components are integrated in the assembly of layers.

15. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the substrate includes an aluminum layer the aluminum layer including the interconnect.

16. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the substrate includes printed-on organic compounds for realization of the interconnect.

17. The device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the device is a pack, the pack having one or more compartments formed therein, and having the data memory and the evaluation electronics integrated in a substrate of the pack.

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the substrate of the pack is configured to be a carrier for at least one of the interconnect or the evaluation electronics.

19. The device as claimed in claim 17, wherein the evaluation electronics are integrated in a chip having an integrated voltage source, the chip being attached to the pack.

20. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the device is a blister pack.

21. The device as claimed in claim 20, wherein the blister pack includes one or more blisters, each of the one or more blisters being configured to communicate with a memory cell.

22. The device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

an interface of the evaluation electronics, the interface being configured to provide data transmission; and

an external reader configured to provide data transmission with the interface.

23. The device as claimed in claim 2, further comprising the evaluation electronics being configured to store the time at which the compartment is mechanically changed.

24. The device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the active electrical components includes at least one of one or more transistors or circuits formed from the one or more transistors, and wherein the passive electrical components includes at least one of one or more diodes, capacitors, inductors or resistors or circuits formed from the one or more diodes, capacitors, inductors or resistors.

25. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the interconnect is integrated in a substrate of the device.