METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR MAKING UP PREPARATIONS

• US 20110168293A1
• Filed: 06/07/2005
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fresenius KABI Deutschland GmbH (Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: American Dispensing Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Van Vreeland, Sander Godfried, Dorpema, Jan Willem
• Granted Patent: US 8,201,592 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/9
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 2101/22 Mixing of ingredients for pharmaceutical or medical compositions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/452 using independent floating stirring elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/841 with component receptacles fixed in a circular configuration on a horizontal table, e.g. the table being able to be indexed about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/846 using stored recipes for determining the composition of the mixture to be produced, i.e. for determining the amounts of the basic components to be dispensed from the component receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/848 using data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the dispensing and mixing operations
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2117 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2207 Use of data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the computer programs, e.g. for manipulation, handling, production or compounding in mixing plants B01F33/848 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2209 Controlling the mixing process as a whole, i.e. involving a complete monitoring and controlling of the mixing process during the whole mixing cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2211 Amount of delivered fluid during a period
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7141 using measuring chambers moving between a loading and unloading position, e.g. reciprocating feed frames
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/7174 using pistons, plungers or syringes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/881 by weighing, e.g. with automatic discharge

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for filling a container (16) with a preparation consisting of a number of components, stored in a number of sub containers (1, 23), placed inside a housing (29). A robot, accommodated inside the housing (29), composes the preparation based upon a supplied prescription and places the sub containers (1,23) containing the components mentioned in the prescription one by one above the container (16) and makes flow out an amount of the respective component as specified by the prescription.

Claims

1. Method for filling a container with a preparation consisting of a number of liquid components, characterized in that the components are stored in a series of subcontainers, that on the basis of a supplied prescription a robot subsequently selects subcontainers containing the components mentioned in the prescription and, by making use of an actuator, dispenses an amount of a component from a selected sub container as, specified by the prescription into the container.

2. A method as in claim 1, characterized in that on each subcontainer an identification label is attached and that the robot reads the identification label with the aid of a reading device before the actuator is actuated.

3. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that after the actuator has been actuated the robot writes data to the corresponding identification label with a writing device.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that to each container an identification label is attached and that after making up the preparation the robot writes an identification to the identification label with the writing device.

5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that each container is weighed while being filled and/or after being filled.

6. A method according to claim 1 characterized in that after making up a number of preparations, the content of the subcontainers is read with the aid of the reading device and compared with the content of the subcontainers as expected by the robot.

7. A method according to claim 1 characterized in that the sub container is a hypodermic syringe, that the actuator is a pressing device and that before the actuator is actuated a stirring mechanism, present inside the hypodermic syringe is put into action.

12. An arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that the robot is provided with a weighing device, for determining a weight of a container.

14. An arrangement according to claim 7, characterized in that a sub container is a hypodermic syringe and the actuator comprises a pressing device.

15. An arrangement according to claim 14, characterized in that the arrangement is provided with drive means for a stirring device and that at least some of the hypodermic syringes are provided with a stirring device.

8. An arrangement for making preparations, comprising a number of subcontainers, filled with liquid components for the preparations and at least one container for receiving the components, characterized in that the arrangement is accommodated inside a closed housing and is provided with at least one actuator for dispensing components of the subcontainers into the at least one container.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the arrangement comprises a robot for operating the at least one actuator and for placing a container under an outlet of an actuator or for placing an outlet from an actuator above a container.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the subcontainers and the at least on container are each provided with an identification label and that the robot is provided with a reading device for reading an identification label.

11. An arrangement according to claim 10, characterized in that the robot is provided with a writing device for writing onto an identification label.

13. An arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the robot is provided with an input device with which a list of components for a container can be entered.