Pharmaceutical Packaging Hinged Portions for Regulatory Compliance

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current blister packs face challenges in providing cost-effective and convenient means of displaying relevant product information on each individual blister, as information often becomes detached when blisters are separated, necessitating a solution that meets regulatory requirements without compromising dose dispensing.

Innovation Solution

A pharmaceutical packaging design featuring a plurality of recesses with hermetically sealing layers and hinged portions that are selectively movable, allowing for additional space for information while minimizing alterations to existing systems, incorporating machine-readable and human-readable regions, such as RFID tags or barcodes, to provide detailed information on each dose.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If a label or leaflet is associated with the blister pack to provide product information, then information display is improved, but the information becomes detached when blisters are separated

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduct informationVSAvoidinformation association
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The label is divided into multiple portions, with each portion associated with a specific blister or cavity. This segmentation ensures that when blisters are separated, each blister retains its corresponding label portion with the relevant information, preventing information detachment while maintaining the ability to provide detailed product information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Loss of information

If additional space is provided for regulatory information on each blister, then information display is improved, but the overall packaging size increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregulatory informationVSAvoidpackaging area
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The label portions are arranged to extend beyond the immediate blister area in a spatial dimension, utilizing the available perimeter space around each cavity. This allows regulatory information to be displayed on each blister without significantly increasing the overall packaging footprint, as the label portions are integrated into the existing packaging structure rather than adding separate information carriers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If a hermetically sealing layer covers each recess, then product protection is improved, but the sealing layer interferes with information display

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontamination protectionVSAvoidproduct information
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The label portion acts as an intermediary element positioned between the hermetically sealing layer and the external environment. It is associated with the cavity structure rather than directly adhering to the sealing layer, allowing the sealing layer to maintain its protective function while the label portion provides the necessary information display surface without interference.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Adaptability or versatility

If the packaging structure is modified to meet new regulatory requirements, then compliance is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveregulatory complianceVSAvoidpackaging structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The label portion is designed as a multi-functional element that simultaneously provides product information display, maintains association with the blister during separation, and integrates with the existing packaging structure. This universal design allows the packaging to meet regulatory requirements without requiring fundamentally new manufacturing processes or complex structural modifications.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3277247B1Pharmaceutical packaging
Publication Date: 2022.01.12 TEVA NEDERLAND BV
  • EP3277247B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3277247B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3B

AI summary

The present invention is in the field of pharmaceutical packaging. It has been identified that new regulations require an increasing amount of information relating to medicaments to be provided with the individual dosage. In order to address this issue, a pharmaceutical packaging is provided according to the present invention. The packaging includes a plurality of recesses arranged to receive individual doses of medicament, a hermetically sealing layer sealing each of said recesses, and a plurality of hinged portions. Each hinged portion is associated with a respective recess and is selectively movable between a first position adjacent said hermetically sealing layer and a second position in which the hermetically sealing layer is exposed.