Device for monitoring the removal of items placed in compartments of a blister package, in particular to assist a patient in following a prescribed programme of medication

A device for monitoring the removal of articles contained in compartments of a container of the type known as blister package, said blister package comprising:

• a plurality of compartments containing each at least one article, wherein at least the bottom walls of said compartments are transparent to daylight and said compartments are provided with an opaque rupturable cover in order to render them accessible for article removal,
• said device comprises a plate supporting a body comprising open cavities adapted to receive said plurality of compartments of said blister package,
• the walls of said cavities located between said compartments are opaque and the bottom walls of said cavities comprise at least a transparent region,
• an array of photoelectric sensors sensitive to daylight wavelengths and delivering output electrical signals is implemented on said support, one per compartment, each photoelectric sensor being adjacent to said transparent region such that the removal of an article out of a compartment authorizes daylight penetrating into said the cavity receiving said compartment, illuminating the photoelectric sensor associated with said cavity and causing a change of the level of said output electrical signals;
• and wherein
• said device comprises detecting circuits sensing said level change in order to monitor said removal of article.