Apparatus for packaging individual medication doses and method for its operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155603-B2
Application number	US-201514689160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2015
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus and method for packaging individual medication doses in blister bags includes a plurality of storage and dispensing stations, at least one guide and collection arrangement for picking up the medication doses and passing them on, or conducting them, to a packaging station, the packaging station forming a strand of connected blister bags from packaging material. Also included is a labeling and printing station for applying data to the packaging material, an optical detection device that optically detects characteristics of the individual blister bags of the strand, an evaluation device that compares the characteristics detected for an individual blister bag with reference characteristics, and a storage station that stores the strand of the blister bags in an ordered manner.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for packaging individual medication doses, comprising:
a plurality of storage and dispensing stations configured to dispense individual medication doses based on medication order data;
at least one guide and collection arrangement configured to pick up the medication doses dispensed by the plurality of storage and dispensing stations and to convey the dispensed medication doses;
a packaging station coupled with a control device and configured to:
receive, from the at least one guide and collection arrangement, the conveyed dispensed medication doses; and
form, from a received packaging material, a strand of connected blister bags by introducing the dispensed medication doses into the blister bags;

a labeling and printing station coupled with a control device and configured to apply, to the blister bags, data associated with the medication order data;
an optical detection device coupled with the control device and configured to optically detect 1) characteristics of an individual formed blister bag of the strand and 2) positions of the data on the blister bags;
an evaluation device coupled with the control device and configured to 1) compare the characteristics detected for the individual formed blister bag with reference characteristics based on the medication order data and 2) compare the positions of the data on the blister bags with predetermined arrangements; and
a marking device coupled with the control device and configured to mark at least one individual formed blister bag when a defect is detected on the at least one individual formed blister bag based on the comparison by the evaluation device,
wherein the control device stops operations of the apparatus when a systematic deviation between the positions of the data on the blister bags and the predetermined arrangements is detected based on the comparison by the evaluation device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a storage station configured to store the strand of the blister bags in an ordered manner.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the optical detection device is disposed between the packaging station and the storage station.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the labeling and printing station is part of the packaging station.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the evaluation device is configured to determine whether there is a deviation between the detected characteristics and the reference characteristics, and
the defect is detected based on the deviation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein when a number of individual formed blister bags in which the systematic deviation is detected based on the comparison by the evaluation device satisfy a predetermined number, operation of the apparatus for packaging individual medication doses is stopped.

Assignees

• Carefusion Germany 326 Gmbh

Inventors

• Hellenbrand Christoph
• Jorritsma Minne

Classifications

• B65B57/04 Primary

  and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of such material, containers, or packages · CPC title

• B65B9/08

  in a web folded and sealed transversely to form pockets which are subsequently filled and then closed by sealing · CPC title

• B65B57/02

  responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of binding or wrapping material, containers, or packages · CPC title

• B65B61/025

  for applying, e.g. printing, code or date marks on material prior to packaging · CPC title