Pharmacy packaging system

• US 10,427,809 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RxSafe LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RxSafe LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Holmes, William K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weeks, Gloria R
• Application Number:
  US13/836,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20130318931A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,391 Days
• Field of Search: 53462, 53255
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/02 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 Class Codes: B65B 2039/009 Multiple outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/02 Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material between opposed webs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1657 the picking arrangements using suction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/60 the storage containers or supports being rectilinearly movable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A system for storing and packaging pharmaceuticals includes a frame configured to store cassettes that contain pharmaceuticals and a cassette-moving assembly coupled to the frame. The cassette-moving assembly is operable to move relative to the frame to retrieve the cassettes from the frame. The system also includes a dispensing area positioned adjacent the frame to receive the cassettes from the cassette-moving assembly. The dispensing area is operable to selectively open the cassettes. The system further includes packaging equipment in communication with the dispensing area. The packaging equipment includes a feed stock roll for forming pouches. The packaging equipment is operable to fill the pouches with pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes in the dispensing area. The system also includes a control system including a processor. The control system is coupled to the cassette-moving assembly and the packaging equipment to control operation of the cassette-moving assembly and the packaging equipment.

Claims

1. A system for storing and packaging pharmaceuticals, the system comprising:

a frame configured to store cassettes that contain pharmaceuticals;

a cassette-moving assembly coupled to the frame, the cassette-moving assembly operable to move relative to the frame to retrieve the cassettes from the frame;

a dispensing area positioned adjacent the frame to receive the cassettes from the cassette-moving assembly, the dispensing area operable to selectively open the cassettes;

packaging equipment in communication with the dispensing area, the packaging equipment including a feed stock roll for forming pouches, the packaging equipment operable to fill the pouches with pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes in the dispensing area;

a control system coupled to the cassette-moving assembly and the packaging equipment to control operation of the cassette-moving assembly and the packaging equipment;

a chute connecting the dispensing area to the packaging equipment, the chute including a plurality of tracks, each track corresponding to one of the cassettes supported on the dispensing area; and

a receptacle supported by the packing equipment between the chute and the feed stock roll,

wherein the plurality of tracks converge to direct the pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes into the receptacle, and wherein receptacle directs the pharmaceuticals received from the plurality of tracks as a group into the pouches formed by the feed stock roll,

wherein the dispensing area is configured to simultaneously support more than one cassette.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing area is positioned generally above the packaging equipment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing area includes a motor, and wherein the motor is operable to selectively open the cassettes.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the control system is coupled to the motor to control operation of the motor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the feed stock roll of the packaging equipment is a first feed stock roll, wherein the packaging equipment includes a second feed stock roll, and wherein the first and second feed stock rolls together form the pouches.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the packaging equipment further includes a take-up roll, wherein the packaging equipment is operable to spool the pouches on the take-up roll after the pouches are filled.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is operable to receive a series of orders and to optimize the order in which the series of orders is processed.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the control system optimizes the order in which the series of orders is processed by minimizing movement of the cassettes between the frame and the dispensing area.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the control system optimizes the order in which the series of orders is processed by consecutively filling a series of pouches with pharmaceuticals for a particular location.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the chute extends downwards and outward from the frame.

11. A system for storing and packaging pharmaceuticals, the system comprising:

a storage unit including

a frame configured to store cassettes that contain pharmaceuticals, the frame including a front having an input port for loading cassettes into the storage unit, a rear, a first side extending between the front and the rear, and a second side extending between the front and the rear opposite the first side, and

a cassette-moving assembly coupled to the frame, the cassette-moving assembly operable to move relative to the frame to retrieve the cassettes from the frame, the cassette-moving assembly operable to move cassettes to the first side of the frame and to the second side of the frame;

a first packaging unit including

a first dispensing area positioned adjacent the first side of the frame of the storage unit to receive the cassettes from the cassette-moving assembly, the first dispensing area operable to selectively open the cassettes,

first packaging equipment operable to package pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes in the dispensing area, and

a first chute extending from the first dispensing area to direct the pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes toward the packaging equipment,

wherein the first dispensing area includes a first motor base, and wherein the first motor base is configured to simultaneously support more than one cassette; and

a second packaging unit separate from the first packaging unit, the second packaging unit including

a second dispensing area positioned adjacent the second side of the frame of the storage unit to receive the cassettes from the cassette-moving assembly, the second dispensing area operable to selectively open the cassettes,

second packaging equipment operable to package pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes in the dispensing area, and

a second chute extending from the second dispensing area to direct the pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes toward the packaging equipment,

wherein the second dispensing area includes a second motor base, and wherein the second motor base is configured to simultaneously support more than one cassette.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the storage unit, the first packaging unit, and the second packaging are separate units such that the first packaging unit and the second packaging unit can be moved away from the storage unit in a modular fashion.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first packaging unit includes a first cabinet that is separate from the frame of the storage unit, and wherein the first dispensing area, the first packaging equipment, and the first chute are supported by the first cabinet.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first motor base includes at least one motor to selectively open the cassettes.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first motor base includes a plurality of outlets, and wherein each outlet is associated with one of the cassettes supported on the first motor base.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first chute includes a plurality of discrete tracks, and wherein each track communicates with one of the plurality of outlets in the motor base to direct pharmaceuticals from the associated cassette toward the packaging equipment.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first packaging unit includes a plurality of cameras mounted to the motor base, and wherein each camera is positioned adjacent one of the plurality of outlets to capture an image of the pharmaceuticals being dispensed from the associated cassette.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the first packaging unit further includes a receptacle in communication with the first chute, and wherein the receptacle is positioned between the chute and the packaging equipment to collect the pharmaceuticals dispensed from the cassettes in the dispensing area.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the receptacle includes a shutter mechanism, and wherein the shutter mechanism temporarily stops the pharmaceuticals before the pharmaceuticals are packaged by the first packaging equipment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the shutter mechanism includes a finger that is movable between a first position, in which the finger blocks the pharmaceuticals from traveling out of the receptacle, and a second position, in which the finger is moved out of the way to allow the pharmaceuticals to travel toward the first packaging equipment.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the packaging unit includes a camera coupled to the receptacle, and wherein the camera is operable to capture an image of the pharmaceuticals within the receptacle.

22. The system of claim 11, wherein the packaging unit is a first packaging unit, and further comprising a second packaging unit that is operable independently of the first packaging unit, wherein the second packaging unit includes

a second dispensing area positioned adjacent the frame of the storage unit to receive the cassettes from the cassette-moving assembly, the second dispensing area operable to selectively open the cassettes,

second packaging equipment operable to package pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes in the second dispensing area, and

a second chute extending from the second dispensing area to direct the pharmaceuticals that are dispensed from the cassettes toward the second packaging equipment.

23. The system of claim 11, wherein the packaging unit includes a control system having a processor, and wherein the control system is coupled to the cassette-moving assembly of the storage unit and the packaging equipment of the packaging unit to control operation of the cassette-moving assembly and the packaging equipment.

24. The system of claim 11, wherein the first chute extends downward and outward relative to the first side of the frame, and wherein the second chute extends downward and outward relative to the second side of the frame.