Methods and systems for labeling and loading pharmaceutical containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9937100-B1
Application number	US-201514918246-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Oct 20, 2015
Priority date	Oct 20, 2015
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A pharmaceutical order filling system receives pharmaceutical orders and uses a loading device to label containers and load the labeled containers onto a pallet. The loading device is configured with at least one container drop assembly that receives containers to be labelled and loaded onto the pallet and that is in communication with a label assembly configured to print and apply labels to the containers. The loading device also includes at least one loading rotary wheel configured to receive the labelled containers and hold the labelled containers in a pick position to be moved from the pick position to a predetermined position on the pallet. The loading device may be configured to accommodate multiple sizes of containers and to consolidate multiple sizes of labelled containers into a single loading rotary wheel for loading onto the pallet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pharmaceutical order filling system comprising:
an order processing device to receive a pharmaceutical order; and
a loading device communicatively coupled to the order processing device, the loading device comprising a container drop assembly and a label assembly,
wherein the container drop assembly comprises a container drop rotary wheel and is configured to receive a container into a pocket of the container drop rotary wheel from a container drop tube that terminates above the container drop rotary wheel, wherein the container drop rotary wheel is configured to rotate to one of several positions including an exit position and a label position,
the loading device further comprising a container conveyor configured to pull the container from the pocket of the container drop rotary wheel when the pocket of the container drop rotary wheel rotates to the exit position of the container drop assembly and to convey the container to the label assembly, and

wherein the label assembly is configured to print a label containing information associated with the pharmaceutical order and place the label on the container when the container drop rotary wheel is rotated to the label position.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the container drop assembly further comprises a sensor configured to determine whether the pocket of the container drop rotary wheel is empty.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the container drop tube is perpendicular to the surface on which the loading device is placed.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the label assembly further comprises a label wheel assembly configured to receive the container from the container drop assembly and a print engine configured to print the label.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the label wheel assembly comprises a label wheel, the label wheel comprising a pocket configured to receive the container,
wherein the label wheel is configured to rotate.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the label wheel assembly further comprises a wrap wheel configured to spin the container and press the label onto the container when the container is in the pocket of the label wheel.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the container conveyor is configured to pull the container from the pocket of the label wheel when the pocket of the label wheel rotates past an exit of the label assembly and to convey the container to a loading rotary wheel.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the loading rotary wheel is configured to receive the container from the container conveyor into a pocket of the loading rotary wheel, rotate the container retained within the pocket past a label reader configured to read the label on the container, and rotate the container retained within the pocket to a pick position after the label has been read by the label reader.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the loading device further comprises a robot arm, wherein the robot arm is configured to remove the container from the pick position to a designated position on a pallet, wherein the designated position is identified by a container identifier stored on an RFID tag of the pallet.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the loading device further comprises a lift configured to hold the pallet in position to receive the container.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the lift is configured to raise the pallet less than approximately 1 inch above a pallet conveyor.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the label is printed onto a label template, wherein the loading device further comprises a label reel/de-reel assembly configured to supply the label template to the label assembly.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the label reel/de-reel assembly comprises a motor-actuated unwind wheel and a motor-actuated wind wheel,
wherein the unwind wheel and the wind wheel are configured to pull the label template through the label assembly.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the label template comprises an adhesive portion and a backing,
wherein the label assembly further comprises a peel plate,
wherein the label template is configured to be pulled through the label assembly in a first direction along a first side of the peel plate as the adhesive portion is being printed and to be pulled around an edge of the peel plate after the adhesive portion has been printed, and
wherein the adhesive portion is configured to separate from the backing as the label template is pulled around the edge of the peel plate.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the label assembly further comprises a wrap wheel and a label wheel, the label wheel comprising a pocket configured to receive the container,
wherein the adhesive portion is configured to engage the container when the container is held in the pocket, after the adhesive portion has separated from the backing, and
wherein the wrap wheel is configured to spin the container after the adhesive portion has adhered to the container and press the adhesive portion onto the container when the container is in the pocket of the label wheel.

16. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an imaging device for imaging the container and measuring fill height of pharmaceuticals in the container to determine if the container is filled to a correct height.

17. A pharmaceutical order filling system comprising:
an order processing device to receive a plurality of pharmaceutical orders,
a dispensing device for dispensing pharmaceuticals into a container,
an imaging device for imaging the container and measuring fill height of pharmaceuticals in the container to determine if the container is filled to a correct height, and
a loading device coupled to the order processing device, the loading device comprising a container drop assembly and a label assembly,
wherein the container drop assembly comprises a container drop rotary wheel and is configured to sequentially receive a plurality of containers from a container drop tube,
the loading device further comprising a container conveyor configured to sequentially transport the plurality of containers to the label assembly,
wherein the label assembly is configured to sequentially print a plurality of labels, each label of the plurality of labels containing information associated with a unique one pharmaceutical order of the plurality of pharmaceutical orders, and to place each label of the plurality of labels on a unique one of the containers of the plurality of containers,
wherein the container conveyor is further configured to sequentially transport the plurality of containers labelled with the plurality of labels to a loading rotary wheel,
wherein the loading device further comprises a robot arm adapted to sequentially remove the plurality of containers labelled with the plurality of labels from the loading rotary wheel and place the containers onto a pallet according to a predetermined loading sequence, and
wherein the sequence in which the plurality of containers is transported to the loading rotary wheel corresponds to the predetermined loading sequence.

18. A pharmaceutical order filling system comprising:
an order processing device to receive a plurality of pharmaceutical orders,
a dispensing device for dispensing pharmaceuticals into a container,
an imaging device for imaging the container and measuring fill height of pharmaceuticals in the container to determine if the container is filled to a correct height, and
a loading device coupled to the order processing device, the loading device comprising a container drop assembly and a label assembly,
wherein the

Assignees

• Express Scripts Inc
• Express Scripts Strategic Dev Inc

Inventors

• Joplin Jonathan W
• Hoffman Robert

Classifications

• A61J3/00 Primary

  Devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms · CPC title

• B65C3/08

  to container bodies {(B65C3/065 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G06Q10/08 Primary

  Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management · CPC title

• B65C3/14

  the container being positioned for labelling with its centre-line vertical · CPC title

• B65B61/20

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