Apparatus for packaging individual medication doses and method for its operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016304228-A1
Application number	US-201514689160-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 17, 2015
Priority date	Apr 17, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

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; at least one guide and collection arrangement configured to pick up the medication doses dispensed by the storage and dispensing stations and to conduct the dispensed medication doses; a packaging station coupled with a control device and configured to:
receive the conducted dispensed medication doses;
form a strand of connected blister bags from a received packaging material; and
introduce the dispensed medication doses into the blister bags when forming the blister bags;
an optical detection device coupled with the control device and configured to optically detect characteristics of an individual blister bag of the strand; and an evaluation device coupled with the control device and configured to compare the characteristics detected for the individual blister bag with reference characteristics.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a marking device coupled with the control device, the marking device configured to mark individual blister bags.

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

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

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical detection device is disposed between the packaging station and the storage station.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a labeling and printing station coupled with the control device and configured to apply data predetermined in the control device to the packaging material in a predetermined arrangement.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the labeling and printing station is disposed upstream of the packaging station.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the labeling and printing station is part of the packaging station.

9 . 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.

10 . A method for operating an apparatus for packaging individual medication doses, the method comprising:
making order data available to a control device, wherein the order data relate to medication compilations, each medication compilation having at least one medication dose; dispensing medication doses of a medication compilation from a plurality of storage and dispensing stations based on the order data; conducting the dispensed medication compilations to a packaging station; applying data, by a labeling and printing station, at predetermined application locations of packaging material; forming a strand of connected blister bags by the packaging station from the packaging material; assigning the applied data to each connected blister bag; introducing the dispensed medication compilations into the blister bags while the blister bags are formed; conducting the strand to an optical detection device; detecting characteristics of a blister bag; comparing the detected characteristics of the blister bag with reference characteristics; triggering a reaction assigned to a deviation if a deviation between the detected characteristics and the reference characteristics is found; and placing the strand of blister bags in storage.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising deriving the reference characteristics from the order data.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising stopping the operation of the apparatus if a systematic deviation between reference characteristics and detected characteristics is determined.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the systematic deviation is based on a threshold number of consecutive defective blister bags.

14 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising continuing the operation of the apparatus even if a deviation between reference characteristics and detected characteristics is determined, if a threshold number of correct blister bags follow the deviation.

15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising marking a blister bag as being defective if a bag-related deviation between reference characteristics and detected characteristics is found.

16 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising indicating the order data assigned to a blister bag as being defective if a deviation between reference characteristics and detected characteristics is determined.

17 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing the order data for renewed processing if a deviation between reference characteristics and detected characteristics is determined.

18 . A method for operating an apparatus for packaging individual medication doses, the method comprising:
making order data related to medication compilations available to a control device, each medication compilation having at least one medication dose; dispensing medication doses of a medication compilation from a plurality of storage and dispensing stations based on the order data; conducting the dispensed medication compilations to a packaging station; applying data at predetermined application locations of packaging material; forming a strand of connected blister bags from the packaging material; introducing the dispensed medication compilations into the blister bags; detecting and comparing characteristics of a blister bag with reference characteristics; and triggering a reaction assigned to a deviation if a deviation between the detected characteristics and the reference characteristics is found.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the triggered reaction comprises stopping the operation of the apparatus if a systematic deviation between reference characteristics and detected characteristics is determined, wherein the systematic deviation is based on a threshold number of consecutive defective blister bags.

20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the triggered reaction comprises continuing the operation of the apparatus if a threshold number of blister bags having no deviation follow the blister bag having the deviation.

Assignees

• Carefusion Germany 326 Gmbh

Inventors

• Hellenbrand Christoph
• Jorritsma Minne

Classifications

• B65B1/02

  Machines characterised by the incorporation of means for making the containers or receptacles (from flat, folded, or tubular webs of flexible sheet material B65B9/00) · CPC title

• B65B57/04 Primary

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

• A61J1/035

  Blister-type containers (blisters in general B65D75/36) · CPC title

• B65B61/20

  for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents (adding unpacking elements B65B61/18) · CPC title

• B65B37/00

  Supplying or feeding fluent-solid, plastic, or liquid material, or loose masses of small articles, to be packaged (methods of, or means for, filling individual containers with such materials or articles B65B1/04, B65B3/04) · CPC title