EP0117390A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for monitoring incremental environmental exposures of products that undergo progressive quality changes in response to environment stimuli
Assignee: Lifelines Technology Inc
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Filing: 1984-01-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-01-03
Abstract
Abstract A new process is disclosed for successively measuring the environmental exposure of environmental indicating devices. Environmental indicating devices that may be measured by the new process include devices that have at least one variable region of reflectivity and at least one non-variable region of reflectivity. Upon exposure to chemical, radiation or time-temperature stimuli, the reflectivity of the variable region relative to the reflectivity of the non-variable region is correlated to an incremental change in the environmental exposure of an indicator device based upon a preestablished relationship between the relative reflectivity and the incremental change in the environmental exposure of the device. The incremental change in the environmental exposure of the indicating device is then correlated to a remaining shelf-life or extent of processing value for a product that undergoes progressive quality changes upon exposure to environmental stimuli. Other information such as the identity of a product and/or of a material comprising the variable region of reflectivity may be read and determined by the correlation process.
Inventors
- 👤 Thaddeus Prusik
- 👤 Stephen Carl Fields
- 👤 Frederick Robert Grabiner
- 👤 Helmut Eckhardt
- 👤 Ronald Richard Chance
- 👤 Ray Henry Baughman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:54
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01K; G01K3/00; G01K3/02; G01K3/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 19
Claim 1
Independent Claim
195 words
A process for measuring the incremental environmental exposure of an indicator device which comprises the steps: a. measuring the reflectivity at specified wavelengths of at least one variable region of said indicator device, said variable region comprising an acetylenic compound having at least two conjugated acetylenic moieties which in response to environmental conditions undergoes incremental degrees of polymerization as said environmental exposure continues, with resultant incremental changes in reflectivity accompanying said incremental degrees of polymerization at said specified wavelengths; b. measuring the reflectivity at said selected wavelengths of at least one non-variable region of said indicator device, said non-variable region being unaffected by said environmental exposure; c. determining the reflectivity of said variable region relative to that of at least one non-variable region; and d. correlating said reflectivity of step c to an incremental change in the environmental exposure of said device based upon a pre-established relationship between said reflectivity of step c and the incremental change in the environmental exposure of said device; and correlating said incremental change in the environmental exposure to a remaining shelf-life or extent of processing value for a product that undergoes progressive quality changes upon exposure to environmental stimuli.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
195 words
A process for measuring the incremental environmental exposure of an indicator device which comprises the steps: a. measuring the reflectivity at specified wavelengths of at least one variable region of said indicator device, said variable region comprising an acetylenic compound having at least two conjugated acetylenic moieties which in response to environmental conditions undergoes incremental degrees of polymerization as said environmental exposure continues, with resultant incremental changes in reflectivity accompanying said incremental degrees of polymerization at said specified wavelengths; b. measuring the reflectivity at said selected wavelengths of at least one non-variable region of said indicator device, said non-variable region being unaffected by said environmental exposure; c. determining the reflectivity of said variable region relative to that of at least one non-variable region; and d. correlating said reflectivity of step c to an incremental change in the environmental exposure of said device based upon a pre-established relationship between said reflectivity of step c and the incremental change in the environmental exposure of said device; and correlating said incremental change in the environmental exposure to a remaining shelf-life or extent of processing value for a product that undergoes progressive quality changes upon exposure to environmental stimuli.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said wavelength is about 300 nm to about 850 nm.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 or 2 wherein said process includes determining the identity of a product by electro-optically scanning a product identification means of said indicator device and correlating said identity and said reflectivity of step c of claim 1 with said pre-established relationship and said useful shelf life value of step d of claim 1.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
63 words
A process in accordance with claim 3 wherein said process includes determining the identity of said acetylenic compound by electro-optically scanning an acetylenic compound identification means of said indicator device and correlating said identity of said acetylenic compound and said reflectivity of step c of claim 1 with said pre-established relationship and said useful shelf life value of step d of claim 1.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process in accordance with claim 4 wherein said product identification means and said acetylenic composition identification means may be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of bar codes, letters, numerals, or combinations thereof.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process in accordance with any previous claim wherein said environmental exposure is time-temperature exposure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
57 words
A process in accordance with any previous claim wherein said indicator device includes one variable region of reflectivity and four non-variable regions of reflectivity, with two non-variable regions of differing reflectivities being located adjacent to one side of said variable region and two non-variable regions of reflectivity being located adjacent to another side of said variable region.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
38 words
An environmental indicating device wherein said device includes at least one region of variable reflectivity and at least one region of non-variable reflectivity, with said variable region comprising an acetylenic composition having at least two conjugated acetylenic moieties.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
An environmental indicating device wherein said device includes at least one region of variable reflectivity and at least one region of non-variable reflectivity, with said variable region comprising an acetylenic composition having at least two conjugated acetylenic moieties.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
A device in accordance with claim 8 that includes a product identification means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
16 words
A device in accordance with claim 8 or 9 that includes an acetylenic composition identification means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
A product that undergoes progressive quality changes in response to environmental exposure having attached thereto the device of claim 8 or 9 or 10.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
17 words
A product in accordance with claim 11 that undergoes progressive quality changes in response to time-temperature exposure.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
162 words
A process for measuring the incremental environmental exposure of an indicator device which comprises the steps: a. measuring the reflectivity at specified wavelengths of at least one variable region of said indicator device, wherein said variable region undergoes incremental reflectivity changes upon exposure to environmental stimuli; b. measuring the reflectivity at said selected wavelengths of at least one non-variable region of said indicator device, said non-variable region being unaffected by said environmental exposure; c. determining the reflectivity of said variable region relative to that of at least one non-variable region; and d. correlating said reflectivity of step c to an incremental change in the environmental exposure of said device based upon a pre-established relationship between said reflectivity of step c and the incremental change in the environmental exposure of said device; and correlating said incremental change in the environmental exposure to a remaining shelf-life or extent of processing value for a product that undergoes progressive quality changes upon exposure to environmental stimuli.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
162 words
A process for measuring the incremental environmental exposure of an indicator device which comprises the steps: a. measuring the reflectivity at specified wavelengths of at least one variable region of said indicator device, wherein said variable region undergoes incremental reflectivity changes upon exposure to environmental stimuli; b. measuring the reflectivity at said selected wavelengths of at least one non-variable region of said indicator device, said non-variable region being unaffected by said environmental exposure; c. determining the reflectivity of said variable region relative to that of at least one non-variable region; and d. correlating said reflectivity of step c to an incremental change in the environmental exposure of said device based upon a pre-established relationship between said reflectivity of step c and the incremental change in the environmental exposure of said device; and correlating said incremental change in the environmental exposure to a remaining shelf-life or extent of processing value for a product that undergoes progressive quality changes upon exposure to environmental stimuli.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
60 words
A process in accordance with claim 13 wherein said process includes determining the identity of a product by electro-optically scanning a product identification means of said indicator device and correlating said identity and said reflectivity of step c of claim 13 with said pre-established relationship and said remaining shelf-life or extent of processing value of step d of claim 13.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
82 words
A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said variable region of reflectivity comprises an indicating material which undergoes reflectivity changes upon exposure to environmental stimuli, and wherein said process includes determining the identity of said indicating material by electro-optically scanning an indicator material identification means of said indicator device and correlating said identity of said indicating material and said reflectivity of step c of claim 13 with said pre-established relationship and said remaining shelf-life value of step d of claim 13.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process in accordance with claim 15 wherein said product identification means and said indicating material identification means may be the same or different and are selected from the group consisting of bar codes, letters, numerals, or combinations thereof.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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