Pharmaceutical Packaging With Latent Heat Storage and Temperature Traceability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pharmaceutical packaging systems fail to ensure temperature stability and authenticity of pharmaceutical products throughout the transport and storage chain, making it impossible to verify compliance with temperature ranges and detect counterfeit products.
Innovation Solution
Integrate a latent heat storage material with a dimensionally stable carrier into the secondary packaging, which includes a phase-change material distributed in a matrix, providing temperature stabilization and mechanical protection, and incorporate a temperature sensor to monitor compliance and detect unauthorized openings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If temperature control modules are inserted into transport or freight packaging, then temperature stability during transport is improved, but it becomes impossible to determine whether the product was outside the specified temperature range before being placed in or after being removed from the transport packaging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent embeds a temperature indicator device within the secondary packaging (cardboard box) that contains the primary packaging. This nested structure allows the indicator to continuously monitor temperature history regardless of whether the product is in transport packaging or not, eliminating the information loss problem while maintaining temperature stability functions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a phase-change material as an intermediary between the product and the environment. This material undergoes visible changes (such as color changes in indicator strips) when temperature thresholds are exceeded, providing continuous temperature history information without requiring active electronic monitoring systems
2Device complexity
If conventional secondary packaging is used without temperature monitoring, then packaging simplicity is maintained, but it becomes impossible to detect counterfeit products or verify authenticity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates temperature-sensitive color-changing materials (such as liquid crystal strips or phase-change indicators) into the secondary packaging. These materials provide visual authentication features that are difficult to replicate, allowing consumers to verify product authenticity while maintaining relatively simple packaging structure
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite packaging structures combining conventional materials with specialized functional materials (phase-change materials, temperature-sensitive indicators). This composite approach enhances authentication capabilities and temperature monitoring functions while keeping the overall packaging design practical and manufacturable
3Temperature
If latent heat storage material is added to secondary packaging, then temperature stabilization is improved, but packaging volume and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses thin-film phase-change materials and flexible thermal insulation layers that can be applied directly to the inner surface of the secondary packaging or to the primary packaging. This approach provides effective temperature stabilization with minimal additional volume, as the thermal mass is distributed as thin layers rather than bulk material
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies thermal management materials selectively in critical areas where temperature control is most needed, such as around the primary packaging or at specific thermal bridge locations. This localized approach provides effective temperature stabilization while minimizing the total volume and weight of additional materials required
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures temperature stability and authenticity of pharmaceutical products by maintaining specified temperature ranges and detecting counterfeit products, enhancing consumer trust and compliance verification.
Implementation Method 1
the latent heat storage material contains a phase change material
Implementation Method 2
the latent heat storage material comprises a carrier material which is dimensionally stable at the use temperature and in which the phase change material is distributed or arranged
Implementation Method 3
the insulating sleeve is shaped to fit the primary packaging and lies flatly against it
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a packaging for pharmaceutical products, comprising a primary packaging (3) for receiving one or more doses of a pharmaceutical product and a secondary packaging designed as a cardboard box (1) in which the primary packaging (3) is housed, the primary packaging (3) is arranged in an insulating sleeve (2) comprising a latent heat storage material.