Determination of pharmaceutical expiration date

• Main Author: BLAKLEY, DANIEL ROBERT
• Format: Patent
• Language: Chinese; English
• Published: 01.11.2003
• Subjects: ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVEREDIN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; BABY COMFORTERS; CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS,e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES,DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICALPURPOSES; CONVEYING; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGINGPHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL ORADMINISTERING FORMS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MEASURING; MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PACKAGES; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; STORING; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; TESTING; TRANSPORTING

A temperature sensor (42) coupled to a supply of medication (16) measures the temperature of the medication. A real time clock circuit (40) is programmed with a start date and controller (24) integrated circuitry controls operation of the clock (40) and temperature sensor (42). The controller (24) is programmed with medication temperature profile data that is specific to the medication. The controller integrates temperature and time data with medication temperature profile data for the medication to calculate an expiration date that corresponds to a potency condition for the medication.