Patent Application
20110284532
The present invention relates to a one piece re-closable unit pack such as blister pack and method of manufacturing the same. Further the said re-closable and lockable blister pack is optionally constructed to provide child resistant capability and/or unique identifiers to aid in establishing the authenticity and genuineness of a packaged product.
Packs such as blister packs that comprises of one or plurality of deformable protrusions formed in a flexible sheet with a closure for each of the protrusions are primarily but not exclusively used to packaged in products such as medicaments. Products in blister packs are either sold as such or are generally encased in a container for extra protection during transportation and handling. The container serves multiple purposes like providing protection to the blister pack(s), serve as a substrate to display product information and/or usage instructions, lockable provisions to serve as child resistant packs, etc. Further, establishing the authenticity and genuineness of a packaged product is essential as counterfeited products when consumed can cause grave harm to the end users.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,954,202 discloses a Paperboard blank for a self-contained, reclosable package. It relates to paperboard blanks which are used to form self-contained, reclosable packages. Structures of this type, generally, are comprised of one piece of paperboard that when folded act as an outer package when sealed and an innovative reclosable package after being opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,829 discloses a unit dose packaging system (UDPS) having a child resistant locking feature. The invention relates to a two piece paperboard package that houses a unit dose product on an internal slide card within an outer paperboard shell. This package may have one or more internal or external lock(s) that prevent the slide card from being pulled out without triggering some type of lock release mechanism. This package is focused around providing a child resistant, senior-friendly unit dose package that can be opened and closed numerous times and then finally disposed of.
There is an unfulfilled need in the market place for single piece re-closable packages especially blister packs that do not need additional encasing systems and are yet capable of being child resistant. Additionally, many clinical indications require the patient to take limited dosages and hence the packaging must be tailored to meet such a need so as to ensure patient compliance and also avoid wastage of the medicines, yet has the capability of being re-closable and also eliminating the need of additional carton/closure to encase/house the pack along with optional child resistant characteristics. Further, it is desirable to provide such single piece re-closable child resistant packs with unique identifiers to aid in establishing the authenticity and genuineness of a packaged product and for diverse applications including anticounterfeiting, pharmaco-vigilence in clinical trials, enhancing patience compliance, etc.
The main object of the invention is to provide a single piece re-closable unit pack such as blister pack and method of manufacturing the same.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a single piece re-closable unit pack such as a blister pack that requires the patient to take limited dosages to ensure patient compliance and also avoid wastage of the medicines
Further object of the invention is to provide a unit pack such that the portions of the same portions are held together when folded.
Other object of the invention is to provide a child safe yet senior friendly unit pack with a self enclosing/re-closing capability that eliminates the need of additional carton/closure to encase/house the pack for enabling/rendering child resistant characteristics.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide child resistant characteristics in a blister pack without using additional housing/enclosure/carton.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method of manufacturing the child resistant blister pack.
Yet another object of the invention is to use preferably same material of the blister for rendering child resistant characteristics.
Another object of the invention is to provide a uniquely identifiable package.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide at least two sets of identification information on the product package.
Another object of the invention is to detect and record access of the product package from the closure and communicate to the external device.
Another object of the invention is to enhance visibility of graphics/matter on the closure of the blister pack to the end user.
Yet another object of the invention is to optimally utilize unit pack for displaying graphics/matter/information related to the product/unit pack.
Thus one aspect of the invention provides a unit pack comprising:
A single piece re-closable unit pack comprising
a first layered structure wherein one or plurality of containment(s) are formed to contain product(s) wherein the said containment(s) up stand from first surface of the said first layered structure thereby creating one or plurality of corresponding opening/s on the second surface of the said first layered structure,
a second layered structure affixed to the unformed region of the second surface of the first layered structure
wherein portion of the second layered structure corresponding to the opening of the containment(s) is ruptured to remove the product,
at least two portions comprising the containment(s) wherein the region between the said portions is foldable;
optionally one or plurality of unformed portion/s;
wherein the said containment(s) of each of the said portions are disposed such that upon folding the said portions, containment(s) do not overlap;
engaging and corresponding receiving provision disposed on the said portion/s such that the said portions are held together when folded.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a single piece re-closable unit pack comprising
a first layered structure wherein one or plurality of containment(s) are formed to contain product(s) wherein the said containment(s) up stand from first surface of the said first layered structure thereby creating one or plurality of corresponding opening/s on the second surface of the said first layered structure,
a second layered structure affixed to the unformed region of the second surface of the first layered structure
wherein portion of the second layered structure corresponding to the opening of the containment(s) is ruptured to remove the product,
single portion comprising the containment(s) and at least one unformed portion wherein the region between the said portions is foldable;
engaging and corresponding receiving provision disposed on the said portion/s such that the said portions are held together when folded.
In another aspect of the invention a reader device is provided to identify and read the unique identification information on the said package.
In another aspect of the invention a reader means is provided to identify and read the unique identification information on the said package wherein the reader means is suitably able to detect the identification information relating to the product package and conveys the information or generates a signal in response to the information which is communicable to the external device. Suitably, the information is encoded and preferably is optical, electronic or magnetic wherein the reader means comprises of
one or more reading elements arranged to correspond to the position of each set of identification information on the package for reading the at least two sets of identification information;
wherein the said reader means is adapted to read a signal from the at least one identification feature of each of the at least two sets of identification
information arranged on or incorporated within different surfaces, sides or planes of the package, and wherein the reading device is configured such that it defines the spatial relationship between a first discrete area of the first set of identification information to be read and a second discrete area of the second set of identification information to be read, and determining, using the reading device, at least one characteristic of a property of the at least one identification feature of the first set of identification features, thereby obtaining a first signal, determining, using the reading device, at least one characteristic of a property of the at least one identification feature of the second set of identification features, thereby obtaining a second signal, using a processing unit to derive/form/generate at least one signature for the object, using said first and said second signals (and thereby inherently or explicitly the features' spatial relationship).
Features and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description and the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
One of the embodiments of the packs is depicted in
One of the embodiments of the packs, for the purpose of clinical conditions of patients needing limited doses, is depicted in
To hold both the portions together when folded, an engaging provision is provided in the form of a raised region/projection 7 in the vicinity of the said portion 10 wherein corresponding to raised region/projection 7 is provided with a receiving provision in the form of a recesses 8 to removably receive 7 on the other portion 20 such that when folded 7 is press-fitted in the recesses 8. Optionally the boundary of the portions 10 and 20 are defined by stiffners in the form of formed portion indicated as 9 in
Another variant of this embodiment is depicted in
Yet another embodiment is depicted in
An unformed portion/region 4 is disposed between the portions indicated as portion 10 of cluster of containment(s) of the formed cavities and unformed portion indicated by 20 and between the unformed portions indicated by 20 and 30 wherein the said portion 4 is adapted for fold/to facilitate fold such that the portions 10 and 20 and portions 10 and 30 are laid down/overlay on each other upon folding as shown in the
Yet another embodiment is depicted in
Another embodiment of the package is elaborated in
Another aspect of the invention wherein the package is adapted to fit engaging and corresponding receiving provisions is shown in
In another embodiment a reader means is provided to identify and read the unique identification information on the said package wherein the reader means is suitably able to detect the identification information relating to the product package and conveys the information or generates a signal in response to the information which is communicable to the external device. Suitably, the information is encoded and preferably is optical, electronic, magnetic or a combination thereof.
In one of the embodiment of the package system, a uniquely identifiable information and/or combination of information is provided on the package.
In yet another embodiment product package is provided with an identification tag for identifying the package for authentication. The tag comprises at least two sets of identification information, said at least two sets of identification information comprising a first set of identification information and a second set of identification information each arranged within a different surface, side or plane of the identification tag, and identification features of said first set of identification information and identification features of said second set of identification information are arranged at a fixed relative spatial position with respect to each other, said fixed spatial relationship being used for identifying the package system.
In yet another embodiment the identifiers are present in a tag on the product package wherein one identifier comprises a readable layer of randomly distributed material which is capable of encoding identification information, for example a conductive material, magnetized or magnetisable material, semiconductive particle and optically active particles; the second identifier suitably comprises optical information, for example a 1-D or 2-D bar code.
In yet another embodiment at least two sets of identification information is provided on the product package and/or said layered structures. In another variant of this embodiment unique identifying information is suitably included on the package in the form of oriented or orientable particles and may relate to for example, the manufacturer of the package or to an individual. Preferably the identification information comprises information derived from a magnetic field and/or an electric field and optionally optical or magneto-optical information. In yet another variant of this embodiment nano/micro particulate materials and/or material composites with measurable material metrics are used on the package for identification information.
In a preferred embodiment, the product package suitably comprises a substantially non-magnetic host material having pores, wherein at least some of the pores contain a substantially magnetic material which is codeable to encode identification information for identifying the product package or a unit dose package. The product package may comprise a substantially electrically-insulating host material having pores, wherein at least some of the pores contain a substantially electrically-conducting material which is codeable to encode identification information for identifying the unit dose package. Desirably, the electrically-conducting material is connectable to a voltage source.
In yet another embodiment the package system is provided with a means to detect disengagement of the engaging provision from the corresponding receiving provision of the package to monitor and/or record of package and/or product access from the package system. In another variant of this embodiment the package system is provided with a wired/wireless communication means capable of interacting with external/remote device/s.
In another embodiment a sensing means in the form of embedded system is adapted to fit on the said package system to detect disengagement of the engaging provision from the corresponding receiving provision of the package to monitor and/or record of package and/or product access from the package system. The said sensing means comprises of signal generating provision/s, data processing means, data logging and storing means configured with a communication means an optional communication switch, a power source, optional audio signal generating means, an oscillator (Real time clock) wherein the said signal generating means gets activated upon disengaging the said package from the package holding provision. The activation of the signal generating provision may be done by various means such as electronic, mechanical, optical, visual. In a specific embodiment, visual display and the audio signal generating means is provided to alert the user of the time and date of the products to be consumed and also provides quantitative information about the number of products in the package. As the user disengages the package from the closure a signal from the said signal generating provision is sent to the said data processing means wherein the time & date of product dispensed is logged into the data logging provision of the said data processing means. Using the optional communication feature, the user may transfer the logged data to an external device by optionally embedded the communication switch.
In one of the variants said logged data in the said data processing is transferred/transmitted via communication means to an external device/s with the aid of RF wherein the said logged data to be transferred is superimposed on the RF field, generated by the RF circuit. In yet another variant of this embodiment the said logged data in the said data processing means is transferred/transmitted via communication means to the said external device/s using an IR link wherein the said logged data to be transferred is in the form of coded pulses or frequency. In yet another variant of this embodiment the said logged data in the said data processing means is transferred/transmitted via communication means to the said companion device through wired and/or any direct contact methods such as I2C, SPI, serial or parallel communication but not limited to these. In yet another variant of this embodiment the data is transferred using wireless communication means such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zeegbee, Wi-Max, GPRS, GSM, Wibree but not limited to it.
Thus it is evident from the present invention that the synergistic operational combination of the said package and combination of first layered structure in which one or plurality of enclosed spaces containment(s) are formed to contain the product(s) wherein the said containment(s) up stand from first surface of the said first layered structure defining one or plurality of corresponding opening/s in a second surface of the said first layered structure, second rupturable layered structure that encloses the said containment wherein portion of the enclosing layered structure corresponding/superimposed to the containment portion is ruptured/removed while removing the product wherein the said second layered structure is secured/bonded/affixed/attached to the unformed portion of the second surface of the first layered structure (to enclose the said openings to seal the products in the upstanding containment(s)) along with a unformed portion/region disposed between the portion of the formed cavities wherein the said portion is adapted for fold/to facilitate fold of the first and second layered structure provides self enclosing/re-closing capability that eliminates the need of additional carton/closure to encase/house the pack providing provision for holding portions of the package along with optional child resistant characteristics.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2597/MUM/2008 | Dec 2008 | IN | national |
| 1389/MUM/2009 | Jun 2009 | IN | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IN2009/000578 | 10/15/2009 | WO | 00 | 8/10/2011 |
