Blister Pack Locking Mechanism for Secure Medication Disposal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unused pharmaceutical products can be misused or diverted due to inadequate disposal methods, with existing solutions like 'take back' programs being costly and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A pharmaceutical product supply system featuring a container with a mechanical lock that secures a blister pack receiver, preventing removal once activated, to ensure secure disposal by locking the pack within the container.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a mechanical lock is provided between the container and the pharmaceutical product receiver to prevent removal, then security against misuse is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is segmented into separate functional components: a locking member with a projection element and a receiver with a corresponding aperture. This segmentation allows each component to be simple in design while collectively providing secure locking functionality, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The projection of the locking member fits within the aperture of the receiver, creating a nested configuration where the locking element is contained within the receiving structure. This nested design provides effective locking with minimal additional components, achieving high security without proportionally increasing device complexity.
2Reliability
If the mechanical lock is configured to be permanently retained in its activated state, then security against diversion is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The locking mechanism is designed to be activated once and permanently retained in its locked state, performing the security function in advance and maintaining it without further intervention. This preliminary action ensures that once the pharmaceutical product is disposed of, the locking mechanism permanently prevents any subsequent access or diversion.
3Reliability
If the projection extends through the aperture to lock the pharmaceutical product receiver, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking function is extracted into a separate, simple projection element that extends from the locking member through the aperture of the receiver. This extracted element provides the essential locking action without requiring complex mechanisms, achieving high security with minimal structural complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A pharmaceutical product supply in the form of a container (e.g., secondary packaging) and a pharmaceutical product receiver (e.g., primary packaging) is disclosed. The pharmaceutical product receiver may include a plurality of pockets or receptacles, and may be disposed within the container. Pharmaceutical product may be enclosed within one or more of these receptacles. The pharmaceutical product receiver may be locked to at least some degree within the container to facilitate disposal of the pharmaceutical product supply, for instance at a time when some of the pharmaceutical product may have been removed from the pharmaceutical product receiver but prior to utilizing all of the pharmaceutical product originally provided with the pharmaceutical product receiver.