AU2004296938A1

AU2004296938A1 - Packaging

Info

Publication number: AU2004296938A1
Application number: AU2004296938A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Matthias Lau
Original assignee: Sentronic GmbH Gesellschaft fuer Optische Messsysteme
Current assignee: Sentronic GmbH Gesellschaft fuer Optische Messsysteme
Priority date: 2003-12-08
Filing date: 2004-12-07
Publication date: 2005-06-23
Also published as: JP2007521193A; WO2005056391A2; US20070272582A1; EP1802538A2; WO2005056391A3

Description

VERIFICATION OF TRANSLATION INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION NO. PCT/DE2004/002733 I, Dr. Monica Koch, of Alte Allee 47, 81245 Munich, Germany, am the translator of the document(s) attached and I state that the following is a true translation to the best of my knowledge and belief. Signed: Dated: 19 June 2006 Package [0001] This invention relates to packages for substances or mixtures of substances, in particular perishable goods such as foods or drugs. [0002] It is intended to open up possibilities for checking the content of the package without destroying the latter. For example, a possibility should be provided for check ing foods which are contained in packages as to whether they can still be consumed or their state has deteriorated such that they can result in damage to organisms. [00031 It is hitherto customary to print expiration dates on packages or to take sam ples of the ingredients out of a package at certain places and subject them to a subse quent external analysis. In the last-named case it is necessary to open the package or at least make a small opening which cannot always be completely closed after sampling. 100041 It is therefore the problem of the invention to propose a possibility for checking the state of substances or mixtures of substances contained in packages with out destroying the package. [00051 According to the invention, an optically readable sensitive element is there fore contained within the package. [00061 The optically sensitive element used here may be a sensitive layer or mem brane alone or such a membrane or layer attached to the sensitive element. 10007] Thus, such a membrane or layer can change its layer thickness, refractive in dex, scattered light properties as well as spectral properties in the UV, VIS, NIR, IR through corresponding physical and/or chemical state changes within the package, but also time-dependently, and the particular change then be used as a measure of the par ticular state. [00081 By optical means for example, one or simultaneously several such changes can be determined by means of interferometry, spectroscopy but also by surface plas mon resonance.

-2 [0009] Layer thickness changes can occur for example dependently on concentra tion. Tb us, an oxygen concentration, the hydrocarbon concentration, the hydrogen concentration or water contained within the package can affect the layer thickness, for example by reversible swelling. [00101 In some cases, however, a temperature- or pressure-dependent change can also lead to layer thickness changes. [00111 It is also possible to use per se known membranes or layers containing or exhibiting one or more dyes or selective markers. Such dyes or markers can luminesce, for example, and a state-dependent change in intensity, phase or decay time of lumi nescence can be used as a measure of the state of substances or mixtures of substances contained in packages. [00121 For example, it is known that certain luminescence dyes luminesce to vary ing degrees under the influence of oxygen in dependence on the concentration thereof or the oxygen partial pressure, or the luminescence decay time behavior changes ac cordingly, so that this can be utilized with an optical detector from outside upon simul taneous or sequential irradiation with a light source emitting light in a wavelength range exciting luminescence. [00131 The invention can also be used to detect changing pH values within the package. [00141 It is possible to immobilize or fix a sensitive membrane or layer directly onto the inner wall of the package, possibly using for example a transparent adhesive film wbich can be bonded into the package. [00151 The membrane or layer can also be attached or fixed on a separate element which is for example fixed in a frame, and said frame can in turn be connected to the package. 100161 In some cases, and with suitable substances or mixtures of substances con tained in packages, it is also possible to simply insert sensitive elements into the pack age.

-3 [00171 Further, the sensitive element can be directly part of the package, for exam ple by bonding or welding, or be the package itself. [00181 For detection by optical means, at least a partial area of an inventive package should be transparent for the measurement procedure, for example optically in the cor responding wavelength range, or have a transparent window. This permits for example a color change occurring because of a fault or a leak in the package to be readily rec ognized from outside. [00191 The layers or membranes can be provided with optical, mechanical or chemical protective layers to prevent undesirable influences on the layers or mem branes. 100201 Such protective layers should if possible be permeable to substances to be detected, which can be achieved for example by accordingly thin metal layers. Such thin metal layers, preferably consisting of noble metals, particularly preferably of sil ver, provide protection from extraneous light and moisture, but are still sufficiently permeable to many gases if accordingly thin, [00211 Further, information can be applied. It can comprise for example calibrating data, batch numbers. [0022] Said information can also be transmitted by a radio frequency identification (RFI) chip mounted on the membrane/layer. [00231 Extending the membrane/layer by an integrated, compact evaluation unit permits direct processing of the measuring signals. Said evaluation unit can be sup plied with energy or transfer the signals (measuring data/control commands) for ex ample by means of electromagnetic waves. [00241 With aggressive media, protective layers of PTFE or PTFE-based layers can be formed on membranes or layers. [0025] Further, protective layers can advantageously be made of dielectric material. For example, a SiO2 sol-gel is to be stated here.

-4 f0026] Further, it is possible to construct protective layers from optically reflective or absorbent lacquer layers, preferably based on synthetic resin lacquers or acrylic lac quers. [00271 It is also possible to dispose a plurality of such layers one above the other. [0028] A calibration of the sensitive elements can be done when the package is be ing closed by adjusting specific pressures, a vacuum and a corresponding excess pres sure bei rig adjustable. [0029J It is also possible to perform a selective supply of a calibrating gas of known gas com position or supply of calibrating liquid or a temperature variation for calibra tion. [00301 Calibration can also already be done before the sensitive element is incorpo rated into the package. For this purpose it is possible to use an external calibrating module in which defined changes of the measurand, for example defined pressure changes, can be adjusted. [00311 The inventive solution can be used to carry out a monitoring of the sub stances or mixtures of substances contained in packages repeatedly over long time pe riods, without there being any possible influence of the environment from outside into the package. [0032] The monitoring can correspondingly be carried out over the entire transport and storage chain up to the final consumer, so that increased consumer protection is attainable. [0033] It is unnecessary to take samples from the package, and no corresponding additional sampling elements are required for this purpose. [0034] For detection of the state it is possible to use per se known, preferably opti cal, measuring technology, which can for example be placed against a transparent area of the particular package from outside.

-5 {0035] It is thus possible that a suitable optical system with a light source whose light is guided for example by a flexible optical waveguide is placed against the par ticular package from outside and the light of the light source directed onto a membrane or layer, and an optical change occurring on or in the layer can be directed onto an op tical detector for example by said optical waveguide or a further optical waveguide. [0036] A measuring head from which excitation light and/or reflected or emitted light can be directed onto the optical detector should be so formed that the influence of scattered light is at least reduced or constant.

Claims

1. A package for substances or mixtures of substances, characterized in that the package contains an optically sensitive element.

2. The package according to claim 1, characterized in that a sensitive membrane or layer is present on the sensitive element or is the sensitive element.

3. The package according to claim I or 2, characterized in that the membrane or layer is subject to specific layer thickness changes, scattered light changes, changes of optical refractive index, spectral changes.

4. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the layer thickness changes can be measured by the method of interferometry, sur face plasmon resonance, spectroscopy.

5. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the layer thickness change is effected dependently on concentration, i.e. the oxygen concentration, hydrocarbon concentration, hydrogen concentration, H 2 0 content, or dependently on temperature or pressure.

6. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the membrane or layer contains one or more dyes or selective markers.

7. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that state changes within the package are detectable by surface plasmon resonance, spec troscopy or luminescence changes on membrane or layer.

8. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a marker or dye is changeable dependently on concentration (pH, 02) or depen dently on temperature or pressure.

9. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that detec tion is effected through the package without damaging the same. -7

10. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the membrane or layer is applied directly to the inner side of the package.

11. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the membrane or layer is fixed to an adhesive film adapted to be bonded into the package.

12. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the membrane or layer is connected to the package on/in a transparent element which is also fixable in a frame.

13. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the sensitive element is inserted into the package.

14. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a cali bration of the sensitive layer or membrane can be effected upon closing by vac uum or excess pressure, supply of gas, supply of calibrating liquid and/or tem perature variation.

15. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a cali bration can be effected by external calibration before incorporation into the pack age.

16. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that an external calibrating module is adapted to be calibrated by pressure changes.

17. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a sen sitive membrane or layer has optical, mechanical and/or chemical protective layer(s) applied thereto.

18. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that pro tective layer(s) are formed of permeable metal, dielectric, PTFE or PTFE-based layers. -8

19. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that pro tective layer(s) are formed of reflective and/or absorbent lacquer layers, in par ticu tar based on synthetic resins and/or acrylic.

20. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the package is transparent to electromagnetic waves or has a window transparent to electromagnetic waves.

21. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a membrane/layer indicates a fault or leak by color change without additional measuring technology.

22. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the sensitive element can detect multiparameters.

23. The package according to claim 22, characterized in that the multiparameters are dependent on concentration, pressure, moisture or temperature.

24. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a sen sitive membrane or layer has at least one piece of information applied thereto,

25. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a sen sit ive membrane or layer has at least one radio frequency identification (RFI) chip applied thereto/thereon.

26. The package according to claim 25, characterized in that information is stored and retrievable by electromagnetic waves in the RFI

27, The package according to either of claims 24/25, characterized in that the infor mation comprises calibrating data, batch information and identifications.

28. The package according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the membrane/layer has a signal evaluation unit present thereon. -9

29. The package according to claim 28, characterized in that measuring data, control messages are transferable by means of electromagnetic waves and/or and the en ergy supply is thus effected.