Communication Tag for Medication Device Authentication

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Counterfeit medication products pose safety concerns for patients and manufacturers, as they can be unsafe to consume and may not provide the necessary treatment, leading to potential harm and damage to the reputation of genuine manufacturers.

Innovation Solution

A medication delivery device equipped with a housing, a reservoir for medication, an actuating button for injection, and a label with a communication tag (such as RFID or NFC) that, when accessed by a mobile device, launches a web browser to access a URL for verification and tracking purposes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a communication tag is added to the medication delivery device for verification purposes, then the ability to verify authenticity is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthenticity verificationVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses a communication tag (RFID, NFC, or QR code) that contains a copy of verification data about the medication delivery device. This copy allows mobile devices to query authenticity without requiring complex verification systems in the device itself, thus improving reliability while minimizing the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The communication tag acts as an intermediary between the medication delivery device and the verification system. It stores and transmits verification data to mobile devices, which then communicate with servers to perform actual authenticity verification. This intermediary approach allows the device to remain relatively simple while enabling comprehensive verification capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If communication tags are added to track possession and prevent counterfeiting, then patient safety is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecounterfeit riskVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs communication tags that can be inexpensive and single-use or limited-use. These tags contain verification data that can be read by mobile devices and then discarded or deactivated, providing cost-effective protection against counterfeiting without requiring expensive reusable systems. The low cost of these tags makes them economically viable for widespread use in preventing counterfeit medication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Data Source

PatentUS20250157613A1Communication tag for a drug product

Publication Date: 2025.05.15 ELI LILLY & CO

AI summary

A medication delivery device is provided having a housing comprising a reservoir sized sufficiently to hold medication, an actuating button for initiating an injection of the medication, and a label affixed on at least a portion of the housing. The label comprises a communication tag configured to, when accessed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to launch a web browser configured to access a uniform resource locator (URL). The mobile device is configured to receive data from a communication tag disposed on the medication delivery device and verify and/or authenticate an aspect of the medication delivery device or track possession of the medication delivery device based on the received data.