Applaud efforts for innovative packaging that benefits patients

Packaging receives more than its share of bashing in the media, so it’s good that various competitions recognize packaging for a numerous array of benefits. My hat’s off to packages employing technology to benefit consumers, particularly when their health is at stake. Here are some recent examples of innovative packages in the healthcare sector:

• For those of us who sometimes forget to take our medications, or don’t recall if we’ve already taken them, a CNN article describes several emerging technologies that can help. Proteus Biomedical, for example, is developing a pill that contains medicine and a tiny sensor chip made of food and vitamin materials. The patient’s stomach acid activates the chip, which sends a signal to a waterproof skin patch worn by the person. When the person comes within 20 feet of his or her phone, data about heart rate, temperature, etc., is sent to Proteus for processing to help doctors treat patients. “Novartis AG recently invested $24 million in Proteus to secure licenses and options on the company’s drug-delivery technologies,” says the CNN story. It notes that the product should be on the market by next year.