Blister package with electronic content monitoring system

Abstract

A replicate can be secured to a blister package intended to contain articles, such as pills, and is used to record the removal of individual articles from the blisters. To remove an article from a blister one will usually press against the blister to push the article through a frangible closure seal, breaking the seal in the process. The replicate includes a backing sheet which carries a plurality of traces alignable with corresponding blisters so that when the article is removed from the blister it will not only break the seal but it will also break the corresponding trace. All of the traces are connected to an integrated circuit which may also be formed or provided on the backing sheet, as is a power source for the integrated circuit. The breaking of the trace is an event that is recorded in the integrated circuit for later accessability. The replicate may be secured to the blister package after the package has been produced by conventional form-fill-seal equipment. The individual traces can be formed into a grid of closely spaced traces so that alignment of the traces with the individual blisters is less critical. The replicates may be formed by printing or other conventional methods on a roll of lidstock. After forming the individual replicates are severed from the roll of lidstock for securement to a blister package.