Medical containers equipped with RFID tags for remote identification
The integration of an RFID tag with an antenna forming part of the scale on medical containers addresses traceability issues by enhancing reading range and minimizing visual impact, ensuring reliable identification throughout the container's lifecycle.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-01-26
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-10
AI Technical Summary
Existing medical containers face issues with individual traceability due to removable or damaged unique identifier codes, contamination risks from printing methods, and limited reading range, which affect visual inspection and packaging accessibility.
Integrating an RFID tag with an antenna that forms, follows, or overlaps a portion of the scale on the medical container, using transparent substrates and thin chip/antenna designs to minimize visual impact and enhance reading range.
Enables efficient individual traceability from manufacturing to final use with minimal visual disruption and improved reading capabilities, ensuring reliable identification without compromising product appearance.
Smart Images
Figure 2026063377000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a medical container provided with an RFID tag and a method for manufacturing the medical container.
[0002] In the present application, the distal end of a component or device should be understood to mean the end farthest from the user's hand, and the proximal end should be understood to mean the end closest to the user's hand. Similarly, in the present application, the "distal direction" should be understood to mean the injection direction with respect to the medical container of the present invention, and the "proximal direction" should be understood to mean the direction opposite to the injection direction, that is, the direction towards the user's hand holding the container for the injection operation.
[0003] For example, a medical injection device such as a prefillable or prefilled syringe usually includes a hollow body or barrel that forms a container for a pharmaceutical product. This body includes a distal end optionally provided with a needle and a proximal end usually provided with a flange.
[0004] The need for individual traceability of medical containers, such as medical injection devices, from the manufacturing process of the medical container to its final labeling, final use, or disposal, is increasing.
[0005] For example, WO2017157784 describes a receptacle having a cylindrical side surrounded by a series of printed, machine-readable unique identifier codes. These printed unique identifier codes allow for the tracking of each receptacle along the supply chain. However, these unique identifier codes are printed on the outside of the receptacle and therefore can be removed or damaged, for example, during handling or use of the receptacle. Furthermore, the unique identifier codes cover part of the receptacle and therefore can affect the user's visual inspection process. Finally, inkjet printers are used to print identifier codes on the outside of receptacles. However, this printing method using ink can pose a risk of receptacle contamination. Moreover, if the receptacle is placed in a sealed package, for example, it may not have access to the printed unique identifier codes.
[0006] A pre-filled syringe containing an RFID tag positioned on the insertion section of a syringe plunger is known from document WO2019189451. Document US20060186204 discloses a coupled multi-frequency electromagnetic and optical communication system. Document US20060232413 discloses an RFID tag having an antenna including an optical code. Document US20180093042 discloses a sensor for determining the volume of the fill level.
[0007] In this context, the object of the present invention is to provide a device that alleviates the above-mentioned drawbacks by enabling efficient individual identification of medical containers with limited impact on visual inspection, limited impact on the manufacturing process, and an improved reading range.
[0008] A first aspect of the present invention is a medical container comprising a tubular barrel defining a reservoir for a pharmaceutical product, wherein the barrel comprises a scale having markings indicating an injected or remaining amount of the pharmaceutical product, the barrel further comprises an RFID tag, and the medical container comprises antennas that the RFID tag follows, or overlaps with, forming at least a portion of the scale.
[0009] Therefore, the medical containers of the present invention enable individual traceability of each medical container from the manufacturing process to the final use of the medical container. In fact, the RFID tags included in the medical containers of the present invention enable remote identification of the medical containers. The fact that the antenna forms, follows, or overlaps at least a portion of the scale allows for an increase in the length of the antenna, thereby improving the reading range. Furthermore, since the antenna is close to the scale, or may even form with or overlap with the scale, the impact on the side of the product, and therefore on visual inspection, is limited. The impact on the end user's product image is also limited.
[0010] It should be understood that, by an antenna forming at least a part of a scale, the antenna itself can be at least one part of the scale. Therefore, without an antenna, such a part of the scale does not exist. Note that an antenna can form a complete scale.
[0011] Alternatively, it should be understood that by an antenna extending from at least one portion of the scale, the antenna may extend adjacent to at least one of the aforementioned portions of the scale. As a result, the antenna may extend along the scale and / or intersect the scale at, for example, one or more tick marks, if any.
[0012] It should be understood that, by an antenna overlapping at least a portion of the scale, the antenna is located on at least that portion of the scale and therefore extends over the outline of the scale.
[0013] In one embodiment, the RFID tag includes a chip, and the chip and antenna are mounted on a transparent substrate.
[0014] The substrate allows the chip and antenna to be kept together, and the transparency of the substrate is intended to further limit the impact on the visual inspection of the medical container.
[0015] In one embodiment, the substrate includes an adhesive for attaching the RFID tag to the barrel.
[0016] This allows for a limited impact on the manufacturing process.
[0017] In one embodiment, the RFID tag chip and / or antenna are formed by ceramic metal printing, metal printing or graphene printing, etching or stamping.
[0018] In one advantageous embodiment, at least the antenna of the RFID tag is formed directly on the outer wall of the barrel by graphene, metal, or ceramic metal printing. The chip of the RFID tag may also be formed by metal printing or graphene printing.
[0019] This enables extremely thin chips and antennas, and therefore further limits their impact on the external dimensions of medical containers.
[0020] Preferably, the RFID tag is an ultra-high frequency RFID tag (UHF-RFID).
[0021] Preferably, the antenna is a dipole antenna having two legs attached to the chip of the RFID tag, each of which forms, follows, or overlaps at least one portion of the scale.
[0022] Preferably, one of the legs extends proximal to the tip, and the other leg extends distal to the tip.
[0023] This improves the reading range.
[0024] In one embodiment, the RFID tag includes a chip that is not wider than the antenna.
[0025] This limits the impact on the visual inspection of the medical container. Therefore, the chip can be hidden by the scale that can be formed by the antenna.
[0026] In one embodiment, the scale is a scaled scale. Also, the antenna can have any of a straight line, or a sine, square, triangle, sawtooth, or pulse waveform.
[0027] Therefore, the antenna can form or overlap any of the graduations of the scaled scale.
[0028] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing the above-described medical container, the method including the step of forming a RFID antenna that forms, follows, or overlaps at least a part of the barrel scale.
[0029] In one embodiment, the method (i) attaching the antenna and chip of the RFID tag on a transparent substrate, for example, by printing, etching, or stamping; (ii) attaching the substrate on the outer wall of the barrel, preferably by an adhesive; (iii) storing a unique device identifier (UDI) in the RFID tag. and includes. In an alternative embodiment, the method (i) attaching at least the antenna of the RFID tag directly on the outer wall of the barrel, preferably by ceramic metal, metal, or graphene printing; (ii) storing a unique device identifier (UDI) in the RFID tag. and includes. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] The present invention and the advantages arising therefrom will become apparent from the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a side view of a medical container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a medical container barrel according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an RFID tag for a medical container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows different possible shapes of the antenna for an RFID tag on a medical container according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0031] Referring to Figure 1, a medical container 1, such as a pre-fillable or pre-filled syringe, according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown. The medical container can also be a vial, cartridge, or any medical container on which a volume scale may be implemented. The medical container 1 comprises a cylindrical barrel 10 defining a reservoir for containing a pharmaceutical drug. The barrel 10 has a distal end (not shown) that extends along a longitudinal axis A and may be in the form of a longitudinal distal tip defining a fluid passage that fluidly communicates with the reservoir. As shown in Figure 1, a cap 12 may cover the distal tip of the medical container 1 before use. The medical container 1 may also include a plunger rod (not shown) having a plunger stopper at its distal end for discharging the pharmaceutical drug contained in the reservoir. The barrel 10 may be made of glass or plastic material.
[0032] As shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2, the barrel 10 has a graduated scale 14 extending parallel to the vertical axis A. The graduated scale 14 includes graduation marks 140. The graduation marks 140 may indicate the remaining amount of pharmaceuticals in the reservoir or pharmaceuticals already injected during use of the medical container 1. The graduation marks 140 may be perpendicular to the vertical axis A and parallel to each other. Figure 142 showing volume may be placed adjacent to a particular graduation line 140.
[0033] Referring further to Figures 1 and 2, the medical container 1 further comprises an RFID tag 4, preferably a passive tag, positioned on the barrel 10. The RFID tag 4 is configured to enable remote identification of the medical container 1. The RFID tag 4 includes a chip 40 and an antenna 42. The chip 40 may include a unique device identifier (UDI) and memory for storing additional data such as a product code or batch number.
[0034] According to the present invention, the antenna 42 partially or completely forms, follows, or overlaps the graduated scale 14. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, the antenna 42 completely forms the graduated scale 14; that is, the antenna 42 is the graduated scale 14. In other embodiments not shown, the antenna 42 may be added to the barrel 10 such that the antenna 42 is adjacent to or overlaps with an existing graduated scale 14. The fact that the antenna 42 itself forms, extends along, or is on the graduated scale 14 or at least a portion of the graduated scale 14 allows for limiting the visual impact on the appearance of the medical container 1.
[0035] In embodiments not shown, for example, the medical container 1 may include existing scale marks 140, and the antenna 42 may extend parallel to the vertical axis A to connect the scale marks 140. In another embodiment (not shown), the antenna 42 may form only one or more scale marks 140.
[0036] In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2, the antenna 42 extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A of the medical container 1 and defines peaks perpendicular to the longitudinal axis A at predetermined intervals along the barrel 10. These peaks form the scale marks 140.
[0037] The antenna 42 shown in Figures 1 and 2 has a square wave that forms the graduated scale 14, but it is intended that any other form that defines the graduated marks 140 along the longitudinal axis A of the barrel 10 may be appropriate. For example, as shown in Figure 4, the antenna 42 may have a sinusoidal 44a, square 44b, triangular 44c, sawtooth 44d, or pulsed waveform. Alternatively, the antenna 42 may also be formed as a straight line extending along the longitudinal axis A, and the graduated marks 140 are not superimposed on or on the antenna 42. Alternatively, the graduated scale 14 may have a substantially ring shape designed around the outer wall of the barrel 10. Thus, the antenna 42 may follow the shape of such a ring-shaped graduated scale 14.
[0038] Referring to Figure 3, the RFID tag 4 may be in the form of a transparent wet inlay 6. Alternatively, the RFID tag 4 may be in the form of a dry inlay or a pressure-sensitive label. The RFID wet inlay 6 and RFID dry inlay may include a substrate 60 made of, for example, paper or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The RFID tag 4 may be placed on one side of the substrate 60. The RFID wet inlay and RFID dry inlay may further include at least one protective layer 62 on the upper surface of the RFID tag 4, such as silicone-treated paper. The protective layer 62 may be attached by an adhesive layer 64.
[0039] RFID wet inlays are described as "wet" because they include an adhesive backing 66 on the other side of the substrate 60 and a backing paper 68, such as a silicone liner. RFID wet inlays are similar to RFID stickers and are ideal for applications requiring "peel-and-stick" type tags. RFID dry inlays are described as "dry" because they do not have an adhesive backing. Pressure-sensitive labels are similar to high-tech stickers.
[0040] Please note that the RFID Inlay 6 is configured to withstand sterilization processes such as steam sterilization, electron beam sterilization, steam hydrogen peroxide sterilization, or EtO sterilization.
[0041] In one embodiment, the chip 40 and / or antenna 42 may be formed by ceramic metal printing, metal printing, or graphene printing. These may also be formed by etching or stamping, except when formed directly on the barrel 10. The ceramic metal, metal, or graphene printing may be formed on the RFID inlay 6 or directly on the outer wall of the barrel 10. If the chip 40 and / or antenna 42 are printed directly on the outer wall of the barrel 10, the RFID inlay 6 is not required, and more specifically, no substrate or adhesive other than the barrel itself may be required. Preferably, at least the antenna 42 is formed by metal printing, ceramic metal printing, or graphene printing.
[0042] The RFID tag 4 may be a low-frequency (approximately 30KHz~300KHz) RFID tag 4 (LF-RFID), a high-frequency (approximately 1~15MHz) RFID tag 4 (HF-RFID), or preferably an ultra-high frequency (approximately 400~1000MHz) RFID tag 4 (UHF-RFID). The RFID reader can read the LF-RFID tag 4 at a distance of approximately 10cm, the HF-RFID tag 4 at a distance of approximately 1 meter, and the UHF-RFID tag 4 at a distance of approximately 15 meters.
[0043] The RFID tag 4 may also be an HF-NFC (High-Frequency Near Field Communication) tag. Typically, the frequency is approximately 13.56 MHz. In this embodiment, for example, an NFC reader can read the HF-NFC tag from a distance of a few centimeters. Unlike HF-RFID, HF-NFC can be read by an NFC smartphone. In one embodiment, the RFID tag 4 is a dual-frequency tag that simultaneously includes HF-NFC and UHF RFID. For example, it can be read by both an NFC smartphone and a UHF reader.
[0044] Referring to Figure 2, where the RFID tag 4 is a UHF-RFID tag 4, the antenna 42 may be a dipole antenna 42 having two legs 420 attached to the chip 40. Each of the legs 420 follows, overlaps, or forms at least part of the graduated scale 14 or the entire graduated scale 14. Preferably, one of the legs 420 extends proximal to the chip 40 and the other leg 420 extends distal to the chip 40.
[0045] Depending on the frequency used (UHF, HF, LF, NFC), different designs of the antenna 42 are possible. For example, if the RFID tag 4 is HF-RFID or NFC-RFID, the antenna 42 may have a substantially ring shape and thus may form one of the scale lines on the graduated scale 14.
[0046] In one embodiment, the RFID tag 4 includes a chip 40 that is no wider than the antenna 42, so that the chip 40 can be hidden within the scale pattern thanks to its small size. For example, the chip 40 may be about 1 mm wide. The antenna 42 and chip 40 are typically the thickest elements of the RFID tag 4, but are thin enough to add a limited extra layer to the RFID inlay, with a maximum RFID inlay thickness of up to 0.5 mm, preferably less than 0.4 mm, and ideally less than 0.3 mm.
[0047] The present invention also relates to a method for manufacturing the above-described medical container 1, the method comprising the step of forming an RFID antenna 42 that forms, follows, or overlaps at least a portion of a graduated scale 14 of a barrel 10.
[0048] In one embodiment, the method includes the step of attaching the antenna 42 and chip 40 of the RFID tag 4 onto a transparent substrate 60, for example, by printing, etching, or stamping. In this first step, the antenna 42 may first be attached onto the substrate 60 by printing, etching, or stamping, for example, and then the chip 40 may be added onto the substrate 60 to hold the antenna 42 and bond to the antenna 42. Furthermore, the method includes the steps of attaching the substrate 60 containing the RFID tag 4 onto the outer wall of the barrel 10, preferably by adhesive, and storing a unique device identifier (UDI) in the RFID tag 4.
[0049] In an alternative embodiment, the method includes the steps of attaching the antenna 42 and the RFID tag 4 chip 40 to the outer wall of the barrel 10, preferably by metal or graphene printing, and storing a unique device identifier (UDI) in the RFID tag 4.
Claims
1. A medical container (1) comprising a tubular barrel (10) defining a reservoir for a pharmaceutical product, wherein the barrel (10) is provided with a scale (14) having markings indicating the injected or remaining amount of the pharmaceutical product, the barrel (10) further comprising an RFID tag (4), the RFID tag (4) comprising an antenna (42) that forms at least a portion of the scale (14) by connecting to existing scale marks (140) on the scale (14), and the antenna (42) being modified in design according to the type of RFID tag (4).
2. The medical container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the RFID tag (4) includes a chip (40), and the chip (40) and the antenna (42) are mounted on a transparent substrate (60).
3. The medical container (1) according to claim 2, wherein the transparent substrate (60) is provided with an adhesive (66) for attaching the RFID tag (4) to the barrel (10).
4. The medical container (1) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the RFID tag (4) includes a chip (40) and / or an antenna (42) formed by ceramic metal printing, metal printing, or graphene printing, etching, or stamping.
5. The medical container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the barrel (10) is provided with an antenna (42) of the RFID tag (4) formed by ceramic metal printing, metal printing, or graphene printing directly on its outer wall.
6. The medical container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the RFID tag (4) is an ultra-high frequency RFID tag (4).
7. The medical container (1) according to claim 1, wherein the antenna (42) is a dipole antenna (42) having two legs (420) attached to the chip (40) of the RFID tag (4), each of the legs (420) forming at least a portion of the scale (14) or overlapping at least a portion of the scale (14).
8. The medical container (1) according to claim 7, wherein one leg portion (420) extends proximal to the tip (40) and the other leg portion extends distal to the tip (40).
9. The medical container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the RFID tag (4) includes a chip (40) that is not wider than the antenna (42).
10. The medical container (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the antenna (42) is a straight line, or has a sinusoidal, square, triangular, sawtooth, or pulsed waveform.