Machine and method for pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical-like product assembly

• US 20070193225A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (Glaxosmithkline Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Glaxo Group Limited (Glaxosmithkline Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bailey, Thomas, Glinecke, Robert, Simmons, Paul, Benditt, Ronnie, Brewerton, Nigel, Martini, Luigi, Finklemeier, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,771,334 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/281
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/06 into the form of pills, lozenges or dragees
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/10 into the form of compressed tablets tablet presses B30B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/04 Methods of, or means for, filling the material into the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

A method and apparatus for assembling a plurality of independently formed solid components is provided thereby forming a single delivery vehicle for a pharmaceutical or pharmaceutical-like product. The solid components can be held and fed to the apparatus via a plurality of magazines. Pusher rods and the like can be used for positioning each of the solid components. Where the components are connected via a bonding liquid, a sprayer is provided and compression pins or the like press the components with the bonding liquid together to form the final product. A rivet or other connection structure can also be used and driven through holes in each of the solid components to form the final product.

Claims

1. An apparatus for assembling a pharmaceutical product having at least three independently formed solid components, the apparatus comprising:

at least three component magazines each holding a plurality of said solid components;

a pusher assembly in communication with said at least three component magazines for positioning the solid components that are dispensed from said at least three component magazines; and

a connector assembly in communication with the pusher assembly for connecting the solid components from each of said at least three component magazines together.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least three component magazines are three component magazines.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the connector assembly comprises:

a sprayer that applies a bonding liquid to at least one of the solid components that are dispensed from each of said component magazines and one or more compression pins for pressing the solid components together.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said bonding liquid is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol, polyethylene glycol, glycerine, polyethylene oxide polymers, methylcellulose, methylcellulose derivatives, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, ethylcellulose, or any combinations or mixtures thereof.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the connector assembly comprises:

a rivet dispenser and a rivet driver in communication with said rivet dispenser, wherein said rivet driver positions a rivet in a hole in each of the solid components that are dispensed from each of said component magazines to provide a mechanical connection for the solid components.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said pusher assembly comprises a reciprocating pusher that retracts and releases components from said component magazines.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said sprayer comprises a solenoid pump that is operably connected to a supply of said bonding liquid, wherein said solenoid pump is actuatable to draw bonding liquid from said bonding liquid supply, and to pass it to a dispenser for application to at least one solid component.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said connector assembly comprises:

a confining bracket for receiving and confining the solid components in an aligned orientation, and

at least two opposed compression pins, each of the at least two compression pins to apply pressure to an opposed end of the aligned solid components.

9. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

a microprocessor;

at least one data collection device; and

an interface, wherein said microprocessor and said data collection device are in electronic communication with said interface.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said data collection device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) system and a bar code reader, wherein said RFID system and said bar code reader system are each independently in electronic communication with said interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said component magazines have RFID tags disposed thereon, said tags containing information about the solid components disposed within said component magazines, wherein said RFID system comprises an antenna, a module, and an interface, which are all in electronic communication with each other, and with said interface, and wherein said antenna reads said information from said RFID tags and communicates said information to said interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said bar code reader is in electronic communication with said interface, and wherein said bar code reader reads a bar code from a collection device placed in the front of said apparatus to collect said pharmaceutical product, and communicates said bar code to said interface.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said interface comprises a software program embedded therein, whereby said software program compares the information communicated from said bar code reader and said RFID system, to ensure that said component magazines are correct for placement within said apparatus.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said solid components are selected from the group consisting of circular and elliptical tablets.

15. An apparatus for assembling a pharmaceutical product having at least three independently formed solid components, the apparatus comprising:

at least three component magazines each holding a plurality of said solid components;

a track assembly in communication with said at least three component magazines for positioning the plurality of said solid components that are dispensed from said at least three component magazines; and

a connector assembly in communication with the track assembly for connecting one of the plurality of said solid components from each of said at least three component magazines together.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said at least three component magazines are three component magazines.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a pipette assembly that applies a bonding liquid to at least one of the plurality of said solid components.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said track assembly comprises a rotating track, rotating post, and a piston assembly, all operably connected to each other, so that upon rotation of said rotating track, said rotating post removes one of the plurality of said components from one of said component magazines, said one of the plurality of said solid components thereby being disposed on said piston assembly.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said track assembly further comprises a cam track that is operably connected to said piston assembly, so that upon rotation of said rotating track, said cam track alternatively lowers and raises said piston assembly.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said track assembly further comprises a pipette cam track that is operably connected to said pipette assembly, so that upon rotation of said rotating track, said pipette cam track alternatively lowers and raises said pipette assembly.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said connector assembly comprises a pusher blade that is operably connected to said cam track and said piston assembly, so that the pharmaceutical product is compressed under said pusher blade by said piston assembly after the plurality of said solid components have been collected from said component magazines.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a user interface that is operably connected to said at least three magazines, said track assembly, and said connector assembly, so that said user interface sets the number of said pharmaceutical tablets to be assembled.

23. A method of assembling a pharmaceutical product having at least three independently formed solid components, the method comprising:

supplying a separate one of said at least three solid components in a separate one of at least three component magazines,

dispensing said at least three solid components from said at least three component magazines;

positioning said at least three solid components that are dispensed from said at least three component magazines; and

connecting together said at least three solid components.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein:

said at least three independently formed solid components are three independently formed solid components, and said at least three component magazines are three component magazines.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising applying a bonding liquid to at least one of said solid components and pressing said solid components together.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising driving a rivet through a hole in each of the solid components to provide a mechanical connection for said solid components.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of applying the bonding liquid is effected by a solenoid pump.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said positioning of said solid components is effected by a reciprocating pusher that removes said solid components from said magazines, and aligns said components within a confining bracket.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of connecting together said solid components further comprises compressing opposing ends of said aligned solid components with compression pins.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising removing said tablet assembly from said confining bracket with said compression pins.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising collecting component data from said component magazines.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said component data is communicated through an RFID tag disposed on said component magazines, and wherein said RFID tag contains information about said solid components disposed within said component magazines.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising collecting data from a container that is employed for collecting the assembled pharmaceutical products.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said data collected from said container is communicated through a bar code disposed on said container, wherein said bar code contains information relating to the assembled pharmaceutical products.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising communicating said data collected from said component magazines and said data collected from said container to an interface.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising comparing said data collected from said component magazines and said data collected from said container.