Manufacturing Separable Pouches With A Center Cut Blade

• US 20100069213A1
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edge Medical Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Edge Medical Properties, LLC
• Inventors: Bradford, Russell, Luciano, Robert A. JR., Baker, Leslie, McElhany, Clay
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 493/238
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A system for manufacturing a plurality of separable pouches comprising a means for forming sealed pouches, a center cut blade and a means for segregating each sealed pouch with the center cut blade is described. The means for forming the sealed pouches includes placing a plurality of different tablets corresponding to different medications into each sealed pouch. The center cut blade includes a side cut on each end of the blade, a center cut in the middle of the blade, and at least one perforation cut between each side cut and the center cut. The means for separating each sealed pouch with the center cut blade provides each sealed pouch with a sealed top end, a sealed bottom end, and two sides, in which at least one side is also sealed.

Claims

1. A system for manufacturing a plurality of separable pouches, the system comprising:

a means for forming a plurality of sealed pouches, in which each pouch includes a plurality of different tablets corresponding to different medications;

a center cut blade that comprises,

a side cut on each end of the blade,

a center cut in the middle of the blade, and

at least one perforation cut between each side cut and the center cut;

a means for separating each sealed pouch with the center cut blade, wherein the sealed pouch includes a sealed top end, a sealed bottom end, and two sides, in which at least one side is also sealed; and

each sealed pouch joined to an adjacent pouch by at least two tearable ribbons, wherein each sealed pouch comprises,

a side cut on each side of the top end and bottom end of the sealed pouch,

a center cut on the top end and bottom end of the sealed pouch, and

at least one perforation between each side cut and the center cut.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least three perforations between each side cut and the center cut.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising at least four ribbons between each side cut and the center cut, wherein the first ribbon is disposed between the side cut and the first perforation, the second ribbon and third ribbon are each disposed between perforations, and the fourth ribbon is disposed between the third perforation and the center cut.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the center cut length is greater than the length of each side cut.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the center cut length is greater than the length of each side cut, the system further comprising at least three perforations between each side cut and the center cut, and at least four ribbons that are each disposed between two cuts that consist of the side cuts, the center cut or the perforation cuts.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a group of seven pouches that correspond to a seven day supply of medications.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a group of thirty filled pouches and one empty pouch, wherein, twenty-eight filled pouches corresponding to a four-week supply of medications that are adjacent to an empty pouch that provides a reminder to re-order medications that is adjacent to two filled pouches corresponding to a two-day supply of medications.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising thirty pouches that correspond to a thirty day supply of medications.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising thirty pouches that correspond to a thirty day supply of medications, wherein the thirty pouches are received by a foldable box that includes,

a top wall having one end fixedly couple to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front side wall and the top wall;

a back side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back side wall and the front side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front side-wall, the right-side wall, the back side, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front side wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, the left-side wall and the bottom wall;

a barcode associated with one of the pouches, wherein the barcode is associated with the prescription;

a label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the label includes a description of the medications and the barcode associated with the prescription;

wherein the cavity is configured to receive the plurality of filled pouches that are associated with the bar code; and

wherein one of the walls is configured to receive the label associated with the bar code.

10. A system for manufacturing a plurality of separable pouches, the system comprising:

a heated roller configured to seal each pouch, in which each pouch includes the plurality of different tablets corresponding to different medications, each sealed pouch includes a sealed top end, a sealed bottom end, and two sides, in which at least one side is also sealed;

a center cut blade configured to be affixed to the heated roller that separates each sealed pouch, the center cut blade comprises,

a side cut on each end of the blade,

a center cut in the middle of the blade, and

a plurality of perforation cuts between each side cut and the center cut; and

each sealed pouch joined to an adjacent pouch by a plurality of tearable ribbons, wherein each sealed pouch comprises,

a side cut on each side of the top end and bottom end of the sealed pouch,

a center cut on the top end and bottom end of the sealed pouch, and

a plurality of perforations between each side cut and the center cut.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising at least three perforations between each side cut and the center cut.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising at least four ribbons between each side cut and the center cut, wherein the first ribbon is disposed between the side cut and the first perforation, the second ribbon and third ribbon are each disposed between perforations, and the fourth ribbon is disposed between the third perforation and the center cut.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the center cut length is greater than the length of each side cut.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the center cut length is greater than the length of each side cut, the system further comprising at least three perforations between each side cut and the center cut, and at least four ribbons that are each disposed between two cuts that consist of the side cuts, the center cut or the perforation cuts.

15. The system of claim 10 further comprising a group of seven pouches that correspond to a seven day supply of medications.

16. The system of claim 10 further comprising a group of nine filled pouches and one empty pouch, wherein seven filled pouches corresponding to a seven day supply of medications are adjacent to an empty pouch that provides a reminder to re-order medications that is adjacent to two filled pouches corresponding to a two day supply of medications.

17. The system of claim 10 further comprising thirty pouches that correspond to a thirty day supply of medications.

18. The system of claim 10 further comprising thirty pouches that correspond to a thirty day supply of medications, wherein the thirty pouches are received by a foldable box that includes,

a top wall having one end fixedly couple to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front side wall and the top wall;

a back side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back side wall and the front side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front side-wall, the right-side wall, the back side, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front side wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, the left-side wall and the bottom wall;

a barcode associated with one of the pouches, wherein the barcode is associated with the prescription;

a label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the label includes a description of the medications and the barcode associated with the prescription;

wherein the cavity is configured to receive the plurality of filled pouches that are associated with the bar code; and

wherein one of the walls is configured to receive the label associated with the bar code.

19. A system for manufacturing a plurality of separable pouches, the system comprising:

a heated roller configured to seal each pouch, in which each pouch includes the plurality of different tablets corresponding to different medications, and each sealed pouch includes a sealed top end, a sealed bottom end, and two sides, in which at least one side is also sealed;

a center cut blade configured to be affixed to the heated roller that separates each sealed pouch, the center cut blade comprises,

a side cut on each end of the blade,

a center cut in the middle of the blade, and

at least one perforation cut between each side cut and the center cut; and

each sealed pouch joined to an adjacent pouch by a plurality of tearable ribbons, wherein each sealed pouch comprises,

a side cut on each side of the top end and bottom end of the sealed pouch,

a center cut on the top end and bottom end of the sealed pouch, wherein the center cut length is greater than the length of either side cut,

at least one perforation between each side cut and the center cut, and

at least two ribbons between each side cut and the center cut, wherein the first ribbon is disposed between the side cut and the first perforation and the second ribbon is disposed between the first perforation and the center cut.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a group of seven pouches that correspond to a seven day supply of medications.

21. The system of claim 19 further comprising a group of nine filled pouches and one empty pouch, wherein seven filled pouches corresponding to a seven day supply of medications that are adjacent to an empty pouch that provides a reminder to re-order medications that is adjacent to two filled pouches corresponding to a two day supply of medications.

22. The system of claim 19 further comprising thirty pouches that correspond to a thirty day supply of medications.

23. The system of claim 19 further comprising thirty pouches that correspond to a thirty day supply of medications, wherein the thirty pouches are received by a foldable box that includes,

a top wall having one end fixedly couple to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front side wall and the top wall;

a back side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back side wall and the front side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front side-wall, the right-side wall, the back side, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front side wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, the left-side wall and the bottom wall;

a barcode associated with one of the pouches, wherein the barcode is associated with the prescription;

a label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the label includes a description of the medications and the barcode associated with the prescription;

wherein the cavity is configured to receive the plurality of filled pouches that are associated with the bar code; and

wherein one of the walls is configured to receive the label associated with the bar code.