Abstract:
A device detects the removal of drugs from a drug blister pack. The device has a base for receiving the drug blister pack and a base surface which is configured for contact with the electrically conducting foil that doses the pockets of the blister pack. In the region of the pockets, the base has holes that are configured for the passage of the drugs present in the pockets, every hole being arranged in the region of one of the pockets. A coil is arranged in the region of each of the holes and extends around the respective hole, in particular exclusively the respective hole. A detector unit is provided which produces an electrical field and/or magnetic field in the region of one or more holes by one of the coils and analyzes the voltage or the current on at least one of the coils extending around the hole.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to an apparatus for detecting the removal of medicaments from a drug blister pack. 
     The incorrect use of drugs constitutes a great problem in practice. In the case of a correct diagnosis and an ideal therapy plan, the success of the therapy can be drastically reduced if the patient does not use the drug correctly. In the case of some medicaments, e.g. anticoagulants, incorrect use can even have life-threatening consequences. The sources of error are multifaceted in practice: patients do not take medicaments or take the wrong medicaments; they take the correct medicaments in doses which are too small or too large. The World Health Organization WHO estimates that every second patient does not follow the instructions on the information leaflet or instructions by the medical practitioner. Experts assume that every fourth hospitalization and many deaths in Germany—more than 40,000 per annum with “cardiovascular” indications alone—can be traced back to incorrect use of medicaments. The reliable detection of correct and regular medicament uptake by the patients is therefore desirable, at least for certain classes of medicaments, firstly for health reasons and secondly for insurance purposes. 
     The currently existing solution approaches for detecting the tablet removal from press-through blister packs only have very restricted suitability for the mass market and have not yet prevailed because they are too complicated in terms of handling and manufacturing. These methods are based on the idea of destroying electrical conductor paths, antenna structures, components of resistor networks, etc. by pressing out the tablets, which is easily detectable by electronics connected to these structures. To this end, these structures, such as conductor paths, antennas, resistor networks, etc., must either be integrated directly into the sealing foil of the blister pack or subsequently applied onto the sealing foil, for example in the form of an adhesive foil, which contains the aforementioned structures with precise fit for each blister pack. 
     Therefore, relatively small clinical studies are currently based on the approach with foils which contain the aforementioned structures and are retrospectively adhered with precise fit onto the lower side of standard blister packs. As a result of the targeted provision of predetermined breaking points in the foil, the latter is pressed through or ripped open together with the blister pack sealing foil within the process of removing the tablet, and the structure element assigned to the respective blister pack pocket or tablet, e.g. a conductor path, antenna, etc., is destroyed or made inoperable. By way of electronics assigned to the structure elements, e.g. which are electrically connected to the foil by a contact strip, it is possible to record the time of the tablet removal and what tablet was removed. 
     The main problem of these solution approaches is the fact that the detection of the tablet removal is based on the destruction of the foil with the structure elements which was adhered onto the blister pack with precise fit. Therefore, a new foil with structure elements is required for each blister pack, leading to a linear increase of the costs with the number of required medicament blister packs. The alternative approach of already integrating the structure elements into the blister pack sealing foil is considered by the medicament producers as requiring too much outlay from a production point of view, being too complicated from a regulatory point of view and being unacceptable in view of the costs for the medicament packaging. 
     A solution with a reusable detection element for monitoring the tablet removable would therefore not only be paid back very quickly in large studies or within the scope of mass use during routine, but would also render obsolete the production of highly specialized blister packs. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the invention to simplify the detection of the tablet removal and to provide an apparatus which enables the detection even if the tablet producer has not provided such a possibility. 
     The invention solves this problem in the case of an apparatus of the type set forth at the outset by way of the features of the main patent claim. 
     An apparatus according to the invention for detecting the removal of medicaments from a drug blister pack comprises a main body for accommodating the drug blister pack with a base area, which is embodied to rest against the electrically conductive, in particular metallic foil which seals off the pockets of the blister pack, wherein the main body has holes in the region of the pockets of the blister pack, said holes being embodied for the passage of the medicaments situated in the pockets of the blister pack. Furthermore, provision is made for
         each hole to be arranged in the region of one of the pockets in each case,   at least one coil to be arranged in the region of each hole, which coil surrounds the respective hole, in particular only surrounds the respective hole, and provision to be made of a detector unit, which generates an electric and/or magnetic field in the region of one or more holes by means of one of the coils and evaluates the voltage across or the current applied to at least one of the coils surrounding the hole, in particular only this hole.       

     By means of such an apparatus, it is easily possible to detect the removal of medicaments from the blister pack without the blister pack needing to have special features to this end. 
     In a preferred apparatus for detecting the removal of medicaments from a drug blister pack, comprising a main body for accommodating the drug blister pack with a base area, which is embodied to rest against the electrically conductive, in particular metallic foil which seals off the pockets of the blister pack, provision is advantageously made for the main body to have holes in the region of the pockets of the blister pack, said holes being embodied for the passage of the medicaments situated in the pockets of the blister pack,
         wherein each hole is arranged in the region of one of the pockets in each case,   wherein one transmission coil and at least two reception coils are arranged in the region of the holes in each case, said coils surrounding the respective hole, and   wherein the reception coils are assigned to one another in respect of the transmission coil and arranged in such a way that, in the case where the foil resting on the main body in the region of the respective hole is undamaged, in particular free from rips, the difference of the voltages induced in the reception coils as a result of an electric current in the transmission coil lies below a predetermined threshold.       

     A simple detection of the opening of a pocket of a drug blister pack, which can easily be carried out, is made possible as a result of this measure. 
     A possible development of the invention enabling a precise detection provides for a transmission coil to be present, said transmission coil surrounding at least one of the holes, in particular all holes, and for at least one reception coil to be arranged in the region of the holes in each case, said reception coil surrounding the respective hole, in particular only this hole. 
     A possible development of the invention enabling a detection of a rip with simple means provides for at least two reception coils to be arranged in the region of the holes in each case, said reception coils surrounding the respective hole, in particular only this hole. 
     A further improvement in the precision of the detection can be achieved if a separate transmission coil is present in each case for each of the holes. 
     The detection of a rip can be simplified further if the reception coils are assigned to one another in respect of the transmission coil and arranged in such a way that, in the case where the foil resting on the main body in the region of the respective hole is undamaged, in particular free from rips, the difference of the voltages induced in the reception coils as a result of an electric current in the transmission coil lies below a predetermined threshold. 
     An advantageous implementation of an automated detection can be obtained by virtue of a detector unit which activates the transmission coil and measures the voltages across the reception coils and which establishes the difference between the voltages across the reception coils and, in the case where the difference of the two voltages exceeds a predetermined threshold, and in this case emits a message which indicates the presence of a rip in the metal foil sealing the respective pocket. 
     A development of the invention with a simplified design provides for the detector unit to comprise the following:
         a control unit which activates the transmission coil,   a measuring unit which measures the voltages across the reception coil or across the reception coils,   a reference value storage for storing all measured voltages at an initial time, in particular after a new, undamaged drug blister pack was placed into the apparatus, and   a comparison unit for determining the removal of medicaments from the drug blister pack, said comparison unit establishing the difference in each case between the voltage stored by the reference value storage and the voltage currently established by the measuring unit and the comparison unit outputting a message in the case where this difference exceeds a predetermined threshold which indicates the presence of a rip in the metal foil sealing the respective pocket in the region of the reception coils.       

     A simple detection of rips can be achieved by virtue of the detector unit comprising the following:
         a control unit which activates the transmission coil,   a measuring unit which measures voltages across the reception coils and establishes the voltage difference of these measured voltages,   a reference value storage for storing all established voltage differences at an initial time, in particular after a new, undamaged drug blister pack was placed into the apparatus, and   a comparison unit for determining the removal of medicaments from the blister pack, said comparison unit establishing the difference in each case between the voltage difference stored by the reference value storage and the voltage difference currently established by the measuring unit and the comparison unit outputting a message in the case where this difference exceeds a predetermined threshold which indicates the presence of a rip in the metal foil sealing the respective pocket in the region of the reception coils.       

     A particularly simple embodiment of the invention provides for
         in each case one, in particular exactly one, separate coil surrounding the hole to be provided for each hole,   the detector unit to apply an electric voltage across the coil and measure the electric current flowing through the coil and, from this, establish the impedance of the coil and/or, if need be, the resistance and reactance of the coil, and   the detector unit to identify the exceeding of a predetermined impedance threshold and/or predetermined thresholds for the resistance and reactance of the coil and in this case output a message which indicates the presence of a rip in the metal foil sealing the respective pocket in the region of the coil.       

     In order to have the removal information available for further processing, provision can be made of a recording unit, which activates the detector unit at predetermined intervals and establishes the presence of rips in the foils sealing off the pockets of the blister pack and stores information in this respect in a storage and keeps it available for further queries. 
     A simple data interchange is ensured by virtue of
         a short-range radio module, comprising an antenna and a communication controller, being connected to the detector unit and   a storage, if a rip in the foil is identified, storing a message in this respect, in particular with the additional provision of a timestamp, wherein the detector unit is able to transfer information stored in the storage to an external data communications device.       

     An advantageous data interchange by way of RFID/NFC becomes possible if the short-range radio module is an RFID or NFC transponder, comprising a transponder antenna and a communication controller. 
     Here, for the simple and interference-free transfer to an external data communications device, provision is advantageously made for the transponder antenna to extend at least in part along the outer boundary of the main body of the apparatus. 
     Alternatively, the short-range radio module can also operate on the basis of a Bluetooth standard, wherein it has an antenna and a communication controller. 
     An advantageous evaluation of a pocket of a drug blister pack provides that provision is made for an excitation unit, which is connected to the transmission coil, and provision is made for two measuring units, which are connected to the reception coils, and the detector unit has a control unit, which actuates the excitation unit to excite the transmission coils and actuates the measuring units to measure the induction voltages across the reception coils, establishes the difference of the established induction voltages and outputs a signal in the case where the magnitude of the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold. 
     A simple evaluation of a multiplicity of pockets of a drug blister pack provides for a multiplexer for selecting a group, in each case comprising transmission and reception coils assigned to one another, to be connected to the detector unit, wherein the multiplexer has a common input for actuating the respective transmission antenna and two common outputs for obtaining the induction voltages obtained from the reception coils, wherein the common input is connected to the excitation unit and the common outputs are each connected to one of the measuring units, wherein the multiplexer has groups, each comprising two multiplex inputs and one multiplex output, which are addressable together and are each connected to the transmission and reception antennas, which are assigned to one another and arranged in the region of the same hole. 
     A particularly exact detection in the case of a simple design is achieved by virtue of the reception coils being arranged in symmetric fashion in respect of the holes and in respect of the transmission coil. 
     A simple design provides for the detector unit and the short-range radio module to be housed in a separate housing and the detector unit to be electrically connected by way of electric contacts, which are separable in a non-destructive manner, to the transmission antennas and reception antennas arranged at or in the main body. 
     What is furthermore particularly advantageous is an arrangement comprising an apparatus according to the invention and a drug blister pack with a number of pockets which are adjacent to the holes and in each case contain a medicament, and a foil sealing off the pockets, said foil being adjacent to the base area, wherein a group comprising a transmission coil and at least two reception coils in each case lies opposite each hole. 
     A plurality of preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in more detail on the basis of the following figures of the drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of an apparatus for detecting the removal of medicaments and a drug blister pack. 
         FIG. 2  shows the apparatus depicted in  FIG. 1 , with the drug blister pack inserted into the apparatus. 
         FIG. 3  shows the combination depicted in  FIG. 2 , comprising the apparatus and the drug blister pack, in a cross section. 
         FIG. 4  shows a detail from  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  shows a circuit and an arrangement of transmission and reception coils. 
         FIG. 6  shows the transmission and reception coils depicted in  FIG. 5  embedded in the apparatus for detecting the removal of medicaments. 
         FIG. 7  shows the field conditions in the region of a pocket of the medicament container in a sectional illustration. 
         FIG. 8  shows a section through the blister pack and the curve of the component of the field strength or flux density of the magnetic field generated by the transmission coil, or the component thereof normal to the foil of the blister pack. 
         FIG. 9  shows, in detail, the field conditions in the region of an unopened and undamaged drug pocket, and the actuation and the readout of the transmission and reception coils. 
         FIG. 10  shows, in detail, the field conditions in the region of an opened and ripped-open drug pocket and the actuation and the readout of the transmission and reception coils. 
         FIG. 11  shows a diagram of the voltage measurement values and the thresholds for the detection. 
         FIG. 12  schematically shows the electronic measurement or detection of the removal of medicaments. 
         FIGS. 13 to 15  show alternative coil arrangements with one transmission coil and two or three reception coils. 
         FIGS. 16 to 19  show apparatuses in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, comprising one or more common transmission coils and in each case two reception coils per hole. 
         FIG. 20  shows the field conditions in the region of a pocket of the medicament container in a sectional illustration in an apparatus as depicted in  FIGS. 16 to 19 . 
         FIG. 21  shows a diagram of the voltage measurement values and the thresholds for the detection. 
         FIG. 22  schematically shows the electronic measurement in the case of one of the embodiments of the invention depicted in  FIGS. 16 to 21 . 
         FIG. 23  shows a further embodiment of the invention with a single coil per hole. 
         FIG. 24  schematically shows the electronic measurement in the case of an embodiment of the invention depicted in  FIG. 23 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  depicts a first embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for detecting the removal of medicaments  23  from a drug blister pack  2 . The apparatus  1  comprises a main body  10  with an opening  101  for inserting the drug blister pack  2  into the main body  10 . At the position at which the pockets  21  of the blister pack  2  containing medicaments  23  are situated, the main body  10  of the apparatus  1  has a hole  12  in each case. Therefore, the pockets  21  lie directly opposite to the holes  12  such that the medicaments  23  situated in the pockets  21  of the blister pack  2  can be removed from the pockets  21 , out of the blister pack  2  and out of the apparatus  1  through the holes  12 . 
       FIG. 2  shows the drug blister pack  2  pushed through the opening  101 . 
       FIG. 3  depicts the combination of the apparatus for detecting the removal of medicaments  23  and the drug blister pack  2  in a side view.  FIG. 4  shows detail A from  FIG. 3 . Here, the region around the remaining pockets is embodied like in the region around the pocket  21  depicted in detail A. The pocket  21  constitutes a bulge in the drug blister pack  2 , in which the medicament  23  to be removed, which is embodied as a tablet  23  in the present case, is situated. The pocket  21  is covered by an electrically conductive foil  22  in the planar continuation of the body of the drug blister pack  2 , said foil sealing the pocket  21 , wherein the foil  22  contains at least one planar continuous, electrically conductive layer or consists thereof. Three coils, namely a transmission coil  13  and two reception coils  14 ,  15 , are situated in the region of the pocket. 
       FIG. 5  depicts the electronic and electrical components of the apparatus. Overall,  FIG. 5  shows ten groups  19   a  . . .  19   j  of transmission coils  13   a  . . .  13   j  and reception coils  14   a  . . .  14   j ,  15   a  . . .  15   j  assigned to one another. Each group  19   a  . . .  19   j  determines the opening of in each case one of the pockets  21  of the blister pack  2 .  FIG. 5  also depicts an electronic circuit  102 , which realizes a control unit  160  or detector unit  16  ( FIG. 12 ), and a voltage supply  103 . 
       FIG. 6  shows the apparatus with housing thereof, in which the transmission and reception coils  13 ,  14 ,  15 , depicted in  FIG. 5 , are arranged, in particular cast or printed. Furthermore,  FIG. 6  depicts an additional transmission antenna  191 , by means of which the data established in the context of the medicament removal can be transferred to an external data communications device. In the present exemplary embodiment, the transmission antenna  191  extends along the outer boundary of the main body  10  of the apparatus  1 . 
     In this configuration and in the case of an undamaged sealing foil  22 , the eddy currents IN induced in the electrically conductive layer of the sealing foil on account of the magnetic field generated by the transmission antenna  13  are distributed in a circular manner in the region of the pocket  21 , as depicted in  FIG. 9 . An induction voltage V A , V B  arises in each case in the two reception coils  14 ,  15  on account of the respective flux linkage, said induction voltages being established by the measuring devices  166 ,  167  and forwarded to a control unit  160 . 
       FIG. 7  shows the field and current distribution in the case of an unopened pocket  21  and undamaged foil  22  in the region of the pocket. In a sectional view,  FIG. 7  shows the arrangement of the transmission coil  13  and the two reception coils  14 ,  15 , which surround the hole  12  of the main body  10  of the apparatus  1 . Depicted above the hole  12  is the foil  22  which seals the pocket  21 . On account of the excitation in the transmission coil  13 , an undisturbed magnetic field B T  would arise in the region of the hole  12  if the foil  22  were absent. However, a counter-acting field B W  arises due to the eddy currents I W  induced in the foil  22 , said counter-acting field in superposition with the excitation field B T  producing a resultant field B res , which is substantially attenuated in relation to the original excitation field B T . 
       FIG. 8  shows a curve of the magnetic field generated by the transmission antenna  13 , e.g. the magnetic field strength H or the magnetic flux density B over the coordinate direction x and the apparatus  1  and the blister pack  2  in a cross section. The curve of the field strength H is symmetrical in respect of the hole  12 , i.e. the same magnetic field strength or flux density curve always prevails, irrespective of the position of the transmission antenna  13  from which the center of the hole  12  is approached. The induction voltage established at the reception antennas  14 ,  15  is in each case proportional to the integral under the respective flux density curve or the time derivative thereof. What emerges from  FIG. 8  is that the flux linked with the two reception coils  14 ,  15 , i.e. the integral of the flux density B, depicted in a hatched manner, over the area surrounded by the reception coils  14 , is equal in the case of an undamaged foil  22  of the blister pack  2  and, accordingly, the difference □V=(V A −V B ) of the two induction voltages V A , V B  across the reception coils  14 ,  15  equals zero. 
     If the foil  22  sealing the pocket  21  rips, the eddy currents induced in the foil  22  under the pocket  21  are distributed irregularly. 
       FIG. 10  depicts a current configuration of eddy currents I W  when the foil  22  has ripped in the region of the pocket  21 . Different voltages V A , V B  are induced in the two reception coils  14 ,  15  on account of the different alignment and size of the remains of the foil  22  which have arisen due to the rip, said different voltages being perceived via the voltage measuring devices  166 ,  167 . In this case, the control unit  160  detects a voltage difference □V and accordingly outputs a detection notification  173  indicating the detection of the ripping open or the removal of the medicament  23 . Particularly large, and therefore easily detectable, voltage differences arise due to, in practice, the foil remains, which arise after the foil  22  was ripped open, at least slightly or partly turning out of the plane of the foil  22  underneath the pocket  21 . As a result, the eddy currents induced in these foil remains also no longer flow in the plane of the foil  22 , leading to a complex three-dimensional distribution of the resultant magnetic field B res , which significantly deviates from the magnetic field distribution in the case of an undamaged sealing foil  22 . 
       FIG. 11  shows a diagram in which the difference □V=(V A −V B ) of the voltage measurement values V A , V B  at the two reception coils  14 ,  15  is plotted against time, wherein the foil  22  of the blister pack  2  is ripped open in the region of the reception coils  14 ,  15  or of the hole  12  at a time t R . The field conditions in the region of the reception coils  14 ,  15  change on account of the form of the rip, which never extends exactly symmetrically, and so a greater or smaller magnetic flux emanating from the transmission coil  13  is linked in each case with one of the reception coils  14 ,  15 . These circumstances can be established by the detector unit  16  depicted in  FIG. 12 . In the present case, the magnitude of the difference of the voltages V A , V B  at the reception coils  14 ,  15  increases from a first voltage difference value □V 1 , which is close to zero, to a voltage difference value □V 2 , which exceeds a predetermined threshold □V T . The presence of a rip in the foil  22  of the blister pack  2  can be deduced on account of this threshold □V T  being exceeded. 
       FIG. 12  depicts a detector unit  16 , by means of which the removal of a multiplicity of medicaments  23  can be detected from pockets in the same drug blister pack  2 . Here, the detector unit  16  comprises the control unit  160  and a multiplexer  161  for selecting the respective group  19   a  . . .  19   j , each comprising transmission and reception coils  13   a  . . .  13   j ,  14   a  . . .  14   j  and  15   a  . . .  15   j  assigned to one another. The multiplexer has a common input  163  for actuating the respective transmission antenna  13 . The voltage generator  162 , which is controlled by the control unit  160 , is connected to this connector. Furthermore, the multiplexer  161  has two common outputs  164 ,  165 , which are respectively assigned to one of the voltage measuring devices  166 ,  167 . The results of the voltage measurement are transferred from the voltage measuring devices  166 ,  167  to the control unit  160 . The control unit  160  furthermore sets by way of the multiplex control output  175  the respective group of transmission and reception coils  13   a ,  14   a ,  15   a  . . .  13   j ,  14   j ,  15   j  which are respectively addressed in order to establish whether the respective medicament  23  was removed from the respectively assigned pocket  21   a  . . .  21   j . In a group-encompassing manner, the multiplexer  161  in each case has two multiplex inputs  170   a ,  171   a  . . .  170   j ,  171   j  and one multiplex output  172   a  . . .  172   j , wherein each one of the groups is separately addressable in each case. The multiplex inputs and multiplex outputs, which are assigned to one another in groups  19   a  . . .  19   j , are each connected to transmission and reception antennas  13   a  . . .  13   j ,  14   a  . . .  14   j ,  15   a  . . .  15   j , which are assigned to one another and grouped and arranged in the region of the same hole  12 . 
     In order to detect whether the metallic foil  22  resting against the main body  10  in the region of the respective hole  12  is undamaged, in particular free from rips, the difference of the voltage induced in the reception coils  14 ,  15  as a result of an electric current in the transmission coil  13  is measured. If it lies below a predetermined threshold, the foil  22  can be considered to be undamaged in the region of the respective hole  12 . 
     The detector unit  16  measures the two voltages across the reception coils  14 ,  15  and determines the difference between the voltages across the reception coils  14 ,  15 . In the case where the difference in the two voltages exceeds a predetermined threshold, said detector unit outputs a notification which indicates the presence of a rip in the metal foil  22  sealing the respective pocket  21 . 
     In order to enable communication with an external data communications device, the control unit  160  is connected to a short-range radio module  190  comprising an antenna  191  and a communication controller  192 . This short-range radio module can be an RFID or NFC transponder, as well as use an alternative wireless short-range communications technology, such as e.g. Bluetooth. Furthermore, the control unit  160  is connected to a storage  18 , wherein the control unit  160 , if the removal of a medicament  23  from one of the pockets is detected, in each case stores a message in this respect in the storage  18  and keeps it available for retrieval on the part of an external data communications device. 
     In particular, the detector unit  16  and the short-range radio module  190  can also be housed in a separate housing and the detector unit  16  is electrically connected to the transmission antennas  13  and reception antennas  14 ,  15  arranged on or in the main body  10  by way of non-destructively separable electric contacts. 
     Furthermore,  FIG. 12  depicts a recording unit  17 , which triggers the recording of the removal of medicaments at predetermined time intervals. The recorded values or messages which represent the removal of medicaments are stored in the storage  18 . 
       FIG. 13  depicts an alternative embodiment of the arrangement of transmission and reception coils. This special arrangement comprises a transmission coil  13  and three reception coils  14 ,  15 ,  15 ′, which all have a circular embodiment. The centers of the reception coils  14 ,  15 ,  15 ′ are situated on an equilateral triangle, the center of the transmission coil  13  lying at the centroid thereof. Furthermore, the edge  220  of the pocket  21  which is adjoined by the foil  22  has a concentric embodiment in respect of the transmission coil  13 . 
       FIGS. 14 and 15  show further alternative coil arrangements with one transmission coil  13  and two or three reception coils  14 ,  15 ,  15 ′, wherein the transmission coil in this case completely surrounds the reception coils. 
       FIG. 16  shows a further apparatus  3  in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention in more detail. Like the apparatus  1  presented above, this apparatus  3  also has a number of holes  32   a - 32   j  which are surrounded by a transmission coil  33  and reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j . However, in contrast to the apparatus  1  in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the apparatus  3  does not have one transmission coil  33   a  . . .  33   j  per hole  32   a  . . .  32   j , but only a single transmission coil  33  for all holes  32   a  . . .  32   j . The transmission coil  33  depicted in  FIG. 16  surrounds and encloses all reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j , the arrangement of which corresponds to the arrangement of the reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j  of the apparatus  1  in accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, i.e. two reception coils  34   a ,  35   a , . . . ,  34   j ,  35   j  assigned to one another are each arranged in the region of in each case one of the holes  32   a  . . .  32   j.    
       FIGS. 17 to 19  show minor modifications of the further apparatus  3 , which respectively comprise a plurality of transmission coils  33  instead of a single transmission coil  33 , with each transmission coil respectively surrounding a subset of the reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j , wherein all transmission coils  33  overall in each case surround all reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j  and each pair of reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j  assigned to one another is surrounded in each case by exactly one transmission coil  33 . 
       FIG. 20  shows an illustration analogous to  FIG. 8 , wherein a curve is depicted which shows the magnetic field generated by the transmission antenna  33 , e.g. in the form of the magnetic field strength H or the magnetic flux density B in the region of a hole  32 . However, the curve of the field strength H or the flux density B is not symmetrical in relation to the hole  32 . The induction voltage V A , V B  established at the reception antennas  34 ,  35  is in each case proportional to the integral under the respective flux density curve or the time derivative thereof. What emerges from  FIG. 20  is that the flux linked to the two reception coils  34 ,  35 , i.e. the integral of the flux density over the surrounded area, is not the same for both reception coils  34 ,  35  in the case of an undamaged foil  22  of the blister pack  2  and the difference of the two voltages V A −V B  across the reception coils  34 ,  35  accordingly does not equal zero. 
     If the foil  22  sealing the pocket  21  rips, the eddy currents induced in the foil  22  under the pocket  21  have a different distribution and the established voltage difference V A −V B  changes. 
       FIG. 21  shows a diagram in which the difference □V of the voltage measurement values V A , V B  across the two reception coils  34 ,  35  is plotted over time, wherein the foil  22  of the blister pack  2  is ripped open in the region of the reception coils  34 ,  35  or of the hole  32  at a time tR. A voltage difference □V which differs from zero already emerges in the case of an intact foil  22  as a result of the asymmetric arrangement, depicted in  FIG. 20 , of the two reception coils  34 ,  35  in relation to the transmission coil. This voltage difference □V in the case of an intact foil is buffer stored as reference voltage difference V init  and kept available for further comparisons. 
     If a rip is created in the foil  22  at the time t R , there is also a change in the field conditions in the region of the reception coils  34 ,  35  such that a greater or smaller magnetic flux emanating from the transmission coil  33  is linked with one of the reception coils  34 ,  35  in each case. These circumstances can be established by the detector unit  360  shown in  FIG. 22 . In this case, the magnitude of the difference □V of the voltages V A , V B  across the reception coils  34 ,  35  from the reference voltage difference □V init  increases or decreases to a greater or smaller voltage difference value. In order to detect such deviations, the established voltage difference values are compared to two thresholds □V min  and □V max . If the respective voltage difference value □V is situated within the interval defined by the two thresholds □V min , □V max , the foil  22  of the blister pack  2  is considered to be intact; otherwise the foil  22  is considered to be ripped and a corresponding message is output. 
       FIG. 22  shows the electronic measurement or electronic determination of a rip by means of an apparatus  3  in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention, wherein the presented measurement substantially corresponds to the measuring apparatus depicted in  FIG. 12 .  FIG. 22  depicts a detector unit  36 , by means of which the removal of a multiplicity of medicaments  23  from pockets  21  of the same drug blister pack  2  can be detected. Here, the detector unit  36  comprises the control unit  360 , which controls the progress of the measurement. The transmission coil  33  is connected directly to the voltage generator  362 , which is controlled by the control unit  360 . 
     The detector unit  36  furthermore comprises a multiplexer  361  for selecting the respective group  39   a  . . .  39   j , respectively comprising reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j  and  35   a  . . .  35   j  assigned to one another. The multiplexer  361  has two common outputs  364 ,  365 , which are respectively assigned to one of the voltage measurement units  366 ,  367 . The results V A , V B  of the voltage measurement are transferred from the voltage measuring devices  366 ,  367  to the control unit  360 . 
     The control unit  360  furthermore sets by way of the multiplex control output  375  the respective group of reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j , which are respectively addressed in order to establish whether the respective medicament  23  was removed from the respectively assigned pocket  21   a  . . .  21   j . In a group-encompassing manner, the multiplexer  361  in each case has two multiplex inputs  370   a ,  371   a  . . .  370   j ,  371   j , wherein each one of the groups  19   a  . . .  19   j  is separately addressable in each case. The multiplex inputs, which are assigned to one another in groups  19   a  . . .  19   j , are each connected to reception coils  14   a  . . .  14   j ,  15   a  . . .  15   j , which are assigned to one another and grouped and arranged in the region of the same hole  12 . 
     In order to improve the detection accuracy, it is possible, prior to the actual detection of rips with each one of the individual reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j , to establish the size of the respectively induced voltage V A , V B  in the case of an undamaged or original blister pack  2  with an intact foil  22  if a predetermined AC voltage is applied across the transmission coil  33 . The voltage values V A , V B  established by the individual reception coils  34   a  . . .  34   j ,  35   a  . . .  35   j  or the difference □V init  of the voltages of in each case two reception coils  34   a ,  35   a , . . . ,  34   j ,  35   j  assigned to one another are stored in a reference value storage  397  in this case and kept available for a subsequent comparison. 
     In order to detect whether the metallic foil  22  resting against the main body  30  in the region of the respective hole  32  is undamaged, in particular free from rips, the difference □V of the voltages applied in the reception coils  34 ,  35  is measured. Subsequently, a comparison unit  396  is used to compare the measured difference □V with the reference voltage difference □V init  stored in the reference value storage  397  for the respective reception coils. Alternatively, the comparison unit  396  can also compare the measured difference □V with the difference □V init  of the reference voltage measurement values established for the respective reception coils in the reference value storage  397 . If the voltage difference □V differs from the reference voltage difference □V init  by a predetermined threshold, a rip counts as detected. To this end, as depicted in  FIG. 22 , the established voltage difference □V and the reference voltage difference □V init  are respectively compared to one another by the comparison unit  396 . If the voltage difference □V lies within an interval around the reference voltage difference ΔV init  with the upper limit V max  and the lower limit V min , the foil  22  in the region of the respective hole  32  is considered to be undamaged; otherwise, it is considered to be ripped. 
     In order to enable communication with an external data communications device, the control unit  360  is connected to a short-range radio module  390 , which comprises an antenna  391  and a communication controller  392 . This short-range radio module can be an RFID or NFC transponder, as well as use an alternative wireless short-range communications technology, such as e.g. Bluetooth. Furthermore, the control unit  360  is connected to a storage  38 , wherein the control unit  360 , if the removal of a medicament  23  from one of the pockets is detected, in each case stores a message in this respect in the storage  38  and keeps it available for retrieval on the part of an external data communications device. 
     In particular, the detector unit  36  and the short-range radio module  390  can also be housed in a separate housing and the detector unit  36  is electrically connected to the transmission antennas  33  and reception antennas  34 ,  35  arranged on or in the main body  30  by way of non-destructively separable electric contacts. 
     Furthermore,  FIG. 22  depicts a recording unit  37 , which triggers the recording of the removal of medicaments at predetermined time intervals. The recorded values or messages which represent the removal of medicaments are stored in the storage  38 . 
       FIG. 23  shows a further apparatus  4  in accordance with a third embodiment of the invention with a single coil  43   a  . . .  43   j  per hole  42   a  . . .  42   j . The respective coil  43  serves both as transmission coil and as reception coil. By determining the respective inductance or impedance of the coil  43 , which, in addition to the coil geometry, also depends substantially on the media situated in the region of the coil  43 , it is possible to establish whether the foil  22  of the blister pack  2  is ripped in the region of the coil  43 . 
       FIG. 24  schematically shows the electronic measurement in the case of an apparatus  4  depicted in  FIG. 23 . The depicted apparatus  4  substantially corresponds to the measurement apparatus depicted in  FIG. 12 . It is possible to detect the removal of a multiplicity of medicaments  23  from pockets  21  of the same drug blister pack  2  using the detector unit  46 . In this case, the detector unit  46  comprises the control unit  460 , which controls the progress of the measurement. 
     The detector unit  46  furthermore comprises a multiplexer  461  for selecting the respective coil  43   a  . . .  43   j . The multiplexer  461  has a common bipolar output  463 , which is connected to the voltage generator  462 . A current measuring device  466  is arranged in one of the connection lines between the voltage generator  462  and the common input  463  of the multiplexer  461 . Both the voltage  462  across the voltage generator  462  and the current established by the current measuring device  466  are fed to the control unit  460 . 
     The control unit  460  furthermore by way of the multiplex control output  475  sets the respective coil  43   a  . . .  43   j  which is addressed in each case to establish whether the respective medicament  23  was removed from the respectively assigned pocket  21   a  . . .  21   j . The multiplexer  461  has respectively bipolar multiplex connectors  470   a  . . .  470   j , wherein each coil  43   a  . . .  43   j  is separately addressable in each case. 
     In order to improve the detection accuracy, it is possible, prior to the actual detection of rips with each one of the individual coils  43   a  . . .  43   j , to establish the magnitude of the respective impedance of the coil  43   a  . . .  43   j  in the case of an undamaged or original blister pack  2  with an intact foil  22 . The voltages applied across the individual coils  43   a  . . .  43   j  and the currents respectively established by the current measuring device  466  are related to one another and the established impedance, e.g. with the real and imaginary part thereof or with the magnitude and phase thereof, is stored in a reference value storage  497  as a reference impedance for a subsequent comparison. 
     In order to detect whether the metallic foil  22  resting against the main body in the region of the respective hole  32  is undamaged, in particular free from rips, the impedance of the respective coil  43   a  . . .  43   j  is determined and the impedance established thus is compared by a comparison unit  496  with the reference impedance stored in the reference value storage  497 . The respective deviation of the real part and of the imaginary part or of the phase and magnitude is established and compared to a threshold value. If the deviation exceeds the threshold value, the assumption is made that the metallic foil  22  of the blister pack  2  is ripped and a corresponding message  473  is output. 
     In order to enable communication with an external data communications device, the control unit  460  is connected to a short-range radio module  490  comprising an antenna  491  and a communication controller  492 . This short-range radio module can be an RFID or NFC transponder, as well as use an alternative wireless short-range communications technology, such as e.g. Bluetooth. Furthermore, the control unit  460  is connected to a storage  38 , wherein the control unit  460 , if the removal of a medicament  23  from one of the pockets is detected, in each case stores a message in this respect in the storage  38  and keeps it available for retrieval on the part of an external data communications device. 
     In particular, the detector unit  46  and the short-range radio module  490  can also be housed in a separate housing and the detector unit  46  is connected to the antennas  43   a  . . .  43   j  arranged on or in the main body by way of non-destructively separable electric contacts. 
     Furthermore,  FIG. 24  depicts a recording unit  47 , which triggers the recording of the removal of medicaments at predetermined time intervals. The recorded values or messages which represent the removal of medicaments are stored in the storage  48 . 
     One or more measurement frequencies in the frequency range between 100 Hz and 100 MHz are used in all embodiments for actuating the coil.