Pharmaceutical Cap with Translucent Tamper Verification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current container caps for pharmaceutical vials lack a reliable method for users to determine if the cap has been previously opened, making it difficult to authenticate the product's integrity and authenticity, especially in the context of counterfeiting.

Innovation Solution

A cap design featuring a ferrule with a tamper evidence mechanism and an overseal button that includes a translucent portion for visual verification of damage and an identification portion for product information, allowing users to distinguish between first-time use and potential counterfeiting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the overseal button is made opaque and colored for product identification, then product type and concentration can be identified, but the user cannot see whether the tamper evidence mechanism is damaged

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduct identification informationVSAvoidtamper evidence verification

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The overseal button is divided into two functional segments: a colored opaque identification portion for product identification and a translucent portion for tamper evidence verification. This segmentation allows each portion to fulfill its specific function without interfering with the other, resolving the contradiction between product identification and tamper verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different portions of the overseal button have different optical properties: the identification portion is opaque and colored to provide product information, while the verification portion is translucent to allow visual inspection of the tamper evidence mechanism. This local differentiation of material properties enables both functions to coexist.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If the overseal button is made translucent and colorless for tamper verification, then the user can determine whether the tamper evidence mechanism is damaged, but there is no possibility to use color for identifying the type of pharmaceutical product

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetamper evidence verificationVSAvoidproduct identification information

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The overseal button is segmented into distinct functional zones: a translucent verification portion for tamper evidence inspection and a colored opaque identification portion for product identification. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing each function to be performed independently through its designated portion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The overseal button exhibits local quality variation where different regions have different optical properties. The verification region is translucent to enable visual inspection, while the identification region is colored and opaque to convey product information, thus resolving the contradiction between verification and identification functions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If a skillful re-arrangement of the overseal button is performed on a counterfeit container, then the overseal button remains arranged on the upper surface of the ferrule and gives the impression of authenticity, but the user cannot determine whether the tamper evidence mechanism is damaged or not

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecounterfeit resistanceVSAvoidproduct authenticity verification

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The tamper evidence mechanism is designed to be pre-damaged upon first removal of the overseal button, creating an irreversible state. This preliminary action ensures that any subsequent re-arrangement of the overseal button on a counterfeit container cannot restore the original intact state, allowing users to verify authenticity through the permanent damage indicator visible through the translucent portion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The irreversible damage to the tamper evidence mechanism, which initially appears as a loss or harm to the sealing system, is converted into a beneficial authentication feature. The permanent damage creates a visible indicator through the translucent portion that allows users to distinguish genuine first-use containers from counterfeit re-arranged containers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS10183791B2Cap for a container

Publication Date: 2019.01.22 F HOFFMANN LA ROCHE INC

AI summary

A cap for a container comprising a ferrule to be fixedly attached to the neck of the container, the ferrule comprising an upper wall and a tubular skirt extending downwardly from the upper wall; a tamper evidence mechanism connected with the ferrule; an overseal button removably arranged on top of the upper wall of the ferrule so as to at least fully cover the tamper evidence mechanism, the overseal button being connected to the tamper evidence mechanism such that upon first removal of the overseal button the tamper evidence mechanism is irreversibly damaged. The overseal button comprises at least one translucent portion arranged to extend over the at least one portion of the tamper evidence mechanism which is irreversibly damaged upon first removal of the overseal button.