ERROR REDUCTION IN BLISTER PACKAGING APPARATUS

• US 20130211582A1
• Filed: 07/04/2011
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Manrex Pty. Ltd. (Manrex Limited)
• Original Assignee: Manrex Pty. Ltd. (Manrex Limited)
• Inventors: Stevens, Gerard
• Granted Patent: US 9,493,255 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients

Abstract

An apparatus for reducing human error in loading prescribed medications automatically into blisters (18) of a blister sheet. The operator is provided with a manually-operated controller (15) with which the amount and nature of a particular medication dose can be selected. The operator uses the controller (15) to select the required dosage from a chosen container (13). Each container (13) has a first bar code (14) identifying the nature of the doses it contains. A second bar code is pre-printed on a header sheet (4) which is destined to be attached to the blister sheet after its blisters have been loaded. The second bar code contains information identifying the patient and the contents of the various blisters. A comparator (12) responds to a lack of coincidence between the first and second barcode, by flashing the screen to indicate to the operator that an error has been made.

Claims

1. Apparatus for loading blisters of a blister sheet with doses of prescribed medications to be administered to a patient, including:

software for storing a first bar code providing patient-specific data giving the identity of the patient and the nature of and quantity of prescribed medication doses to be administered;

equipment for printing a header sheet displaying the first bar code and which is to be applied to the blister sheet after it has been loaded with the prescribed medications;

containers respectively for storing medication doses of a particular type required by the patient;

a second bar code associated with each container and signifying the medication doses it contains;

a bar code reader identifying from the second bar code the selection of the container from which a prescribed medication dose is to be supplied;

a comparator which responds to a failure of coincidence between the first bar code and the second bar code;

a signal generator providing a fault signal if there is a failure of such coincidence; and

, circuitry for preventing the loading of the blister package until a fault indicated by the signal generator has been rectified.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, divided into two separate parts interconnected by a visual link extending between a position of display of the first bar code on one part of the apparatus, and a device on the other part of the apparatus for reading the first bar code.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 including a screen connected to display to an operator in one colour details of medications prescribed for a particular patient and obtained from the first bar-code information, and connections for altering the display of a particular medication on the screen to a different colour if coincidence is detected between the medication information contained in the first and second bar codes.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, in which the prescribed medication information relating to the contents of each blister is provided on the screen in the form of a list having each prescribed medication occupying a different line in the list.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the two parts are combined and the visual link is replaced by an electrical connection.