The Swiss company Ypsomed has designed the SmartPilot™—an electronic add-on for the YpsoMate® autoinjector—as an innovative means of assisting patients. An NFC-Label from Schreiner MediPharm applied to the injection aid serves as the communication interface. It connects the SmartPilot™ with the autoinjector and thus turns it into a smart tool for self-medication.

The technology behind this connected device is the interlinking of diverse sensors and the label with an embedded NFC chip, which Schreiner MediPharm adapted to YpsoMate®. The NFC chip identifies and authenticates the medicine and checks its expiration date. According to the prescribed therapy, the patient can be guided in real time through the injection process or feedback on the correct administration of the medicine can be transmitted. In addition, it is possible to store the entire injection history in detail—from the time and success of the injection to the patient’s well-being—and to share it with other stakeholders. The attending physician, for instance, is then able to use this information to adjust the continuing therapy plan.  

The integration of NFC technology, which has to ensure reliable reading, in a very small space posed the primary challenge in this label development. Subsequent ease of processing the label was another specified objective. The development cooperation with Ypsomed resulted in an innovative solution for pharmaceutical manufacturers who can provide patients with the SmartPilot™ as a valuable tool for optimally assisting them in their self-medication.