FORM - 2
THE PATENTS ACT, 1970
(39 OF 1970)
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
(See Section 10)
TITLE OF INVENTION
"An Interactive Multifunctional System for Packaged-product Authentication and Real-time Product Dispensation Information"
(a) Bilcare Limited (b) a company registered under the companies Act 1956 and (c) having its office at 601 ICC Trade Tower, Pune 411 016, India
The following specification particularly describes the nature of the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a comprehensive system comprising of a primary device interacting with the user and working in conjunction with at least one other multifunctional device providing packaged-product authentication, registration, product dispensation and recording real-time product dispensation information, facilitating user compliance and optionally communicating product dispensation and user / product usage related information via the said primary device to external devices for information processing and management.
Background of the invention
Packaging is a major interface between a manufacturer and the user. Counterfeiting has become a growing social evil of disproportionate dimensions that needs to be tackled at multiple points of interactions in the marketplace. In this regard packaged-product authentication at the consumer end would play a significant role. Further consumer compliance is an area of concern especially with products related to healthcare as non-compliance with respect to prescriptions lead to secondary and tertiary effects that have grave consequences on a person's overall health and well being. There is therefore an urgent need to provide packaging that cannot be easily counterfeited and / or provide packaging solutions so that the consumer is able to easily identify counterfeits. In addition to packaged-product authentication, it is desirable to provide systems that facilitate product dispensation and real time recording of product dispensation to help a user to achieve compliance to a set consumption plan. Further devices automatically capturing real time product usage data and integrating the same into a healthcare system would enable online and off line assistance to a user as and when necessary.
Several efforts have been made in the past to provide partial solutions to the above-mentioned consumer needs.
US Patent 7249687 discloses a medicament dispenser. It comprises of a medicament dispenser for use with a medicament carrier having multiple distinct
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medicament doses carried and an internal mechanism for dispensing the distinct medicament doses carried by the medicament carrier. The mechanism comprises receiving means for receiving the medicament carrier; release means for releasing a distinct medicament dose from the medicament carrier on receipt thereof by the receiving means; an outlet, positioned to be in communication with the medicament dose releasable by the release means; indexing means for individually indexing the distinct medicament doses of the medicament carrier; and counting means for counting each time a distinct medicament dose of the medicament carrier is indexed by the indexing means. The counting means is a distinct electronic counter unit that is reversibly receivable by the medicament dispenser. This is a self contained single function packaging system that can record the product dispensation in real time but does not directly help the consumer to achieve compliance as per a prescription. Further there is no built in system for package authentication against counterfeiting nor does it have any communication system to integrate this device with any healthcare system.
US Patent Application 20060184271 discloses an automatic prescription pill dispensing unit using a cartridge in which prescription drugs are pre-loaded, preferably by a pharmacist, according to the user's medication regimen. This tamper-proof cartridge can only be unlocked by a pharmacist using a specially designed loading dock, or by inserting the cartridge into the user's dispensing unit. This invention has a very limited application as the consumer has to get to the phairmacy every time he has to get his cartridge refilled. There is no provision for product authentication or real time sensing and / or detection of the product dispensation. There is no provision for integrating such a system in any healthcare system.
US Patent Application 20050030163 discloses a medicine dispenser. It comprises of dispensing device for dispensing medication including a habitually used mechanism for being used habitually by a patient and a medication dispensing mechanism for dispensing medication at the times of the use of the habitually used device. This is a mere dispenser of a habitually used product such as a toothbrush with an alarm arrangement which is triggered by the toothrush removal reminding the user to take his medicine.
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This device does not have the capability of any package-product authentication and cannot form a part of any healthcare system.
EP1006982 discloses a medicament dispense sensing device to register the dispensing of medicaments comprising sensing devices located at the medicament side to detect the dispensing thereof. The device is comprised of a sheet-like envelope of a one-way material and being a continuous, foldable way adapted to enclose the medicaments. There is an electronic printed circuit applied on the envelope and is stretched over foldable areas of the sheet-like envelope. It is also operatively connected to the sensing devices and to an electronic unit. The sheet records the removal of the medicament as a result of the break in the electronic circuit. This has no capability for authentication of the product not can it provide a means for compliance.
Indian patent application number 171/mum/2006 discloses package-companion-user interactive system wherein an array of signal generating means and signal sensing means are provided in the companion device to receive and reflect signals generated by the signal generating means to sense presence/absence of product in the package. In this system it is essential to provide an array of signal generating means in the companion device working in conjunction with signal sensing means. In this device the said plurality of generated signal (by the signal generating means) is reflected to sense the presence / absence of product in the package. This system provides a means for package authentication using the companion device but is not capable of real time recording of the product dispensation time. In this system the companion device has to be equipped with fairly intricate electronics to perform all its designated functions making it bulky and cost ineffective for commercial operations. The actions that the consumer has to perform are too many including proper insertion of the package into the housing of the device followed by a set of sequential keyboard clicks making the operation cumbersome and user-unfriendly.
The Indian Patent Application 34/MUM/2006 discloses Interactive Smart Package - Associated Device for anti-counterfeit and compliance measures wherein there
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is a smart system comprising product package with signal generating means and an associated device that facilitates detection of the presence or absence of product/s in the package. This system also provides for package authentication using the companion device working in conjunction with some other external devices. This system too as in the case of Indian Patent Application Mum/171/2006, is not capable of real time recording of the product dispensation time.
It is desirable to provide a user friendly system that obviates the use of signal generating provisions on the unit dose package yet provides product dispensing, sensing and quantitatively recording the product removal from the package along with registration, authentication, communication capability with external device and compliance functions to provide comprehensive cost effective solutions to anti-counterfeiting and at the same time providing compliance assistance to the user.
Summary of the Invention
The main object of the invention is to provide a comprehensive system comprising of a primary device working in conjunction with at least one other multifunctional device providing packaged-product authentication, registration, product dispensation and recording real-time product dispensation information, facilitating user compliance and optionally communicating product dispensation and user / product usage related information via the said primary device to external devices for information processing and management.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system obviating the use of signal generating means that is provided corresponding to product containments in a unit dose package.
Yet another object of the invention is to obviate placement / insertion of the unit dose package in a companion device to sense presence / absence of the product in the package.
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Yet another object of the invention is to obviate a signal generating / reflecting means in the companion device to sense presence / absence of the product in the package.
Another object of the invention is to provide a system to sense, record and transmit real time product dispensing information to an external device and optionally authenticate the packaged-product.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a system to authenticate the packaged-product and optionally sense, record and transmit real time product dispensing information to an external device.
Yet another object of the invention is to identify and establish a package as an unauthentic package after the validity period / expiry period has elapsed and / or after the entire contents of the package have been dispensed
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a user friendly device with a system that dispenses the product from the unit dose package, records the real time product dispensation event and communicates the product and product dispensation information to external devices.
Thus in accordance with the invention the system providing effective solution to anti-counterfeiting and providing compliance assistance to the end user comprises of:
a unit dose package comprising one or plurality of containment/s adapted to receive product/s optionally with closure/s, chip or a randomized unique pattern / code or RFID means;
a system comprising
multifunctional device comprising
of a dose dispensing means, dose sensing means, communication means, user
interactive means, storage means, reader means;
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primary device comprising
a wired / wireless communication means adapted to receive information from
the said multifunctional device and optionally conveying the same to external
device/ s, a data storage means, data processing means, user interactive
means.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Features and advantages of this invention will become apparent in the following detailed description and the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 Schematic of the system (Sheet 1)
Figure 2 Schematic of the dispense-reader device (Sheet 2)
The Figure 1 illustrates the system configuration. It comprises of the primary device 1 that is adapted to interact with the user and work in conjunction with at least one multifunctional device 2. There can be plurality of the said multifunctional devices, the Figure 1 illustrates one such device as a representation. Further, in one of the embodiments the said primary device is capable of communicating with external devices (indicated by 3) by wired and / or wireless mode. The multifunctional device 2 is adapted to dispense, read and record the product information from the package 4 that is provided with a chip or randomized unique patterns / code or RFID means. The primary device 1 comprises of a wired / wireless communication means adapted to receive information from the said multifunctional device and optionally conveying the same to external device/ s, a data storage means, data processing means, user interactive means (not shown).
In one of the embodiments of the multifunctional device for the blister package comprises of:
a first movable elongated member hinged to a second optionally movable elongated member
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wherein the said first member has a protrusion at the end opposite to the hinged end under the surface that faces the second elongated member; a reader means adapted to read and acquire information from the said randomized unique pattern /code or chip of the package, communication means, data storage means, user interactive means; the said second member comprises of a opening disposed at the end opposite to the hinged end corresponding to the protrusion of the first member, optional conduit / passage following the said opening, an outlet to the said conduit / passage;
sensing means disposed on the said first elongated member or in / along the said conduit / passage;
wherein the said package when positioned between the said members allows the location of the product containment of the package below the protrusion of the said first member;
thereby on application of appropriate force on the end provided with protrusion of the said first elongated member, dispensing the product from the containment of the package optionally into the conduit / passage through the said opening of the said second member;
wherein the said sensing means senses and records the real time product dispensation.
Figure 2 illustrates details of the said multifunctional device for blister package. It comprises of first and second elongated members 10 and 20 respectively that are hinged at one end (30). The end that is opposite to the hinged end of the first elongated member is provided with a protrusion 11 under the surface facing the second elongated member as shown in the figure. Corresponding to the said protrusion, there is positioned an opening 13 on the second elongated member 20 as shown in the Figure. A passage / conduit 14 is disposed below the said opening is provided with outlet provision (not shown). In one of the embodiments the said passage / conduit is optional. In other embodiment, the product sensing
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means (not shown) is disposed in the said conduit 14 to sense the dispensation of the product. In another embodiment the said conduit / passage is removable and detachable from the said second member 20. This is preferably used when the unit dose is in the powder form. In another embodiment, the sensing means is disposed near the protrusion 11.
The first member is provided with a reader 12 that is used to read, acquire the information from the chip or randomized pattern / code of the package. Further, the first member 10 is adapted to fit communication means, data storage means, user interactive means (not shown) that are configured with the said sensing means.
In one of the embodiments the dose sensing means is based on mechanical Trigger. In one of the variants of this embodiment the dose sensing means is a lever switch. In another variant it is Micro Push Button. In yet another variant, it is a cam switch.
In one of the embodiments the dose sensing means is based on Optical switch. In one of the variants of this embodiment the said dose sensing means is Reflective LED _ Transistor. In another variant it is LDR (Light Intensity ). In yet another variant it is Color. In yet another variant it is Optical Encoder that includes Circular Disc. In yet another variant it is Optical Encoder based on linear detection.
In one of the embodiments the dose sensing means is based on Material Detection such as detecting sugar coating or Specific metal.
In another embodiment the dose sensing means is a Pressure Sensor.
In another embodiment the dose sensing means is based on Resistance measurement.
In yet another embodiment the dose sensing means is an Accelerometer based on velocity Measurement.
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In one of the embodiments the said multifunctional device is adapted to fit on a package that is in the form of a bottle or pouch wherein the closure of the said package is removed. Further the said device dispenses product from the package wherein the device comprises of a dose dispensing means, dose sensing means, communication means, user interactive means, storage means, reader means. In one of the variants of this embodiment the said device comprises of a movable element that activates the said product sensing system upon dispensing of the product from the package.
In one of the embodiments the said multifunctional device communicates with the said primary device using modes such as RF, IR, wired and / or direct contact using protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART or combination thereof.
Thus it is evident that the system comprising of a primary device working in conjunction with at least one multifunctional device provides packaged-product authentication, product dispensation and recording of real-time product dispensation information, facilitates user compliance and communication of product dispensation and user / product usage related information via the said primary device to external devices for information processing and management. Further such a synergistic functioning of the multifunctional device that functions as a reader, dispenser, sensor and recorder working in conjunction with the primary device obviates need of the use of signal generating means on the package corresponding to product containments as well as the signal sensing means within the device.