Automated solid pharmaceutical product packaging machine

• US 20070084150A1
• Filed: 04/05/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Medical Technology Systems Inc (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Siegel, Todd, Bagley, Stuart, Bagley, Anne
• Granted Patent: US 7,882,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/475
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets

Abstract

An automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine simultaneously fills a plurality of product package templates in parallel with desired pharmaceutical dosing requirements. The templates are subsequently positioned over a temporary storage template having cavities for receiving solid pharmaceutical doses. A collector member is subsequently placed beneath the temporary storage template for receiving the pharmaceuticals which in turn is positioned over a solid pharmaceutical product package having a plurality of cavities which correspond to openings on the templates and wherein each of the templates fills a pharmaceutical package.

Claims

1-10. -10. (canceled)

11. An automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine for dispensing solid pharmaceuticals into a product package having a plurality of cavities comprising:

a plurality of dispensers containing solid pharmaceuticals;

a funnel which receives pharmaceuticals from said dispensers;

a template comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to the plurality of cavities of the product package;

a temporary storage member said temporary storage member comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to the plurality of cavities of the product package for receiving pharmaceuticals from said template; and

wherein pharmaceuticals are transferred from said template to said cavities of said temporary storage member and from said temporary storage member to the product package.

12. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 11, wherein a bottom plate of said template includes a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of cavities and wherein said bottom plate is slidingly engaged with a remainder of said template to align said plurality of apertures with said plurality of cavities.

13. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 11, wherein a bottom plate of said temporary storage member includes a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of cavities and wherein said bottom plate is slidingly engaged with a remainder of said temporary storage member to align said plurality of apertures with said plurality of cavities.

14. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 11, further comprising a collector member comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities for receiving pharmaceuticals from said temporary storage member.

15. The automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine of claim 14, wherein a bottom plate of said collector member includes a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of cavities and wherein said bottom plate is slidingly engaged with a remainder of said collector member to align said plurality of apertures with said plurality of cavities.

16. A method for dispensing solid pharmaceutical products to a product package having a plurality of cavities comprising the steps of:

providing a template having a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities;

providing a temporary storage member having a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities;

selectively dispensing one or more solid pharmaceutical products from a plurality of different drug sources into a common funnel to place one or more solid pharmaceutical products from the plurality of different drug sources into each of said plurality of template cavities;

transferring the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of template cavities to said plurality of temporary storage member cavities; and

transferring the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of temporary storage member cavities to the product package cavities.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said template includes a bottom plate having a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of product package cavities and wherein said step of transferring the solid pharmaceuticals from said plurality of template cavities includes sliding said bottom plate relative to a remainder of said template to transfer the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of template cavities to said plurality of temporary storage member cavities.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of:

providing a collector member comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities; and

wherein the solid pharmaceutical products are transferred to said plurality of cavities of said collector member prior to transferring the solid pharmaceutical products to the product package cavities.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said temporary storage member includes a bottom plate having a plurality of apertures corresponding to said plurality of product package cavities and wherein said step of transferring the solid pharmaceuticals from said plurality of temporary storage member cavities includes sliding said bottom plate relative to a remainder of said temporary storage member to transfer the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of template cavities to said plurality of temporary storage member cavities.