Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a control apparatus which enables monitoring storage periods and useful lives of vaccines and ampoules used in veterinary medicine and human medicine.

Background of the Invention

The vaccines and ampoules used in human medicine and veterinary medicine should be stored and transported under proper temperature settings until their expiry dates. It is not possible for the user to know the storage conditions of the vaccines and ampoules. Vaccines and ampoules that are not stored in proper conditions lose their characteristics. In addition to that, in the case that vaccines and ampoules whose expiry dates written on their labels are changed by malicious persons are used after their expiry dates, the vaccine and the ampoule will not be able to fulfill its function. This situation poses a threat against human and animal health.

The USA patent document No. US2006208912, an application in the state of the art, discloses an electronic system which controls various household systems. There is also provided an alarm that controls temperature and warns the user when necessary.

The USA patent document No. US2004185316, an application in the state of the art, discloses a system which performs various operating parameter checks at a predefined schedule in a fuel cell system by means of a controller. Heat control is one of the controls performed by the microprocessor. In these controls data is detected by sensors. Summary of the Invention

The objective of the present invention is to realize a control apparatus which enables informing appropriateness of the storage conditions of vaccines and ampoules used in veterinary medicine and human medicine.

Another objective of the invention is to realize a control apparatus which allows recognizing the degraded vaccines and ampoules.

A further objective of the invention is to realize a control apparatus which enables determining the storage periods of vaccines and ampoules used in medicine.

Detailed Description of the Invention

A control system realized to fulfill the objective of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which,

Figure 1 is the perspective view of the vaccine bottle comprising the control apparatus. Figure 2 is the side view of the control apparatus. Figure 3 is the top view of the control apparatus.

The components in the figures are numbered individually where the numbers refer to the following:

1. Control apparatus

2. Vaccine bottle

3. Tape

4. Chamber 5. LED

6. Sensor 7. Microprocessor

The inventive control apparatus (1) essentially comprises at least one transparent plastic chamber (4) which serves as a container that holds the electronic circuit therein, at least one adhesive tape (3) that enables the control apparatus to be attached to the vaccine bottle (2), at least one sensor (6) that receives the necessary data from the vaccine bottle (2), at least one microprocessor (7) which compiles and interprets the outputs of the sensor (6), at least one LED (5) which operates according to the data of the microprocessor (7) and transmits warning information to the user.

The protective layer on the adhesive tape (3) is peeled off and the tape is adhered onto the vaccine bottle (2). The adhered control apparatus (1) is activated when lightly pressed and it is never deactivated. The temperature at which the vaccine or ampoule should be stored and the temperature tolerances and storage periods are recorded into the memory of the microprocessor (7). According to the information in the memory, the microprocessor (7) evaluates the data it receives from the sensor (6) and controls whether or not the vaccine or ampoule has degraded.

In case the microprocessor (7) in the control apparatus (1) determines that the vaccine or ampoule has degraded, the apparatus warns the user not to use the vaccine or ampoule by means of the flashing red light of the LED's.

The inventive control apparatus (1) can also operate such that the user is informed of whether or not the vaccine or ampoule has degraded according to the red or green light provided by the LED's (5) when the base of the control apparatus (1) is lightly pressed. The microprocessor (7) in the inventive control apparatus (1) can inform via radio frequency a central unit or computer about a vaccine or ampoule which has expired or about to expire.

It is not possible to interfere with the control apparatus (1) from outside and show the degraded vaccines or ampoules as in good condition.

Within the scope of this basic concept, it is possible to develop a wide variety of embodiments of the inventive control apparatus (1). The invention can not be limited to the examples provided herein; it is essentially according to the claims.