Drug filling machine

• US 5,946,883 A
• Filed: 12/10/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yuyama Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yuyama Seisakusho
• Inventors: Yuyama, Shoji, Hamada, Hiroyasu
• Primary Examiner(s): Moon, Daniel B.
• Application Number:
  US08/988,383
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 206/459.5, 364/478.01, 364/478.04, 364/478.08, 364/479.01, 364/479.05, 364/479.11, 364/479.12, 364/479.13, 364/479.14, 53/131.2, 53/131.3, 53/131.4, 53/131.5, 53/53, 53/64, 53/65, 53/154, 53/155, 53/168, 53/171, 53/237, 53/238, 53/264, 53/281, 53/284.5, 53/505 , 53/506, 53/290, 53/319, 53/296, 53/297, 53/328, 53/330, 53/329.3, 53/329.5
• US Class Current: 53/154
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/46 using grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/06 and operating to control, or to stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/26 for marking or coding completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/164 Securing by heat-sealing
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/2878 by heat-sealing
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/06 supported individually on pivotally-mounted flaps or shelves
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1653 the picking arrangements being collecting buckets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1657 the picking arrangements using suction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/18 for washing or drying persons

Abstract

A drug filling machine has a plurality of feeders containing a plurality of different kinds of drugs. A plurality of drugs are discharged from one or some or the feeders into a vial. A sealing unit is provided for sealing the mouth of the vial with a transparent sheet. The sealing unit includes a sheet presser for pushing the transparent sheet into the mouth of the vial to form a sealing sheet having a tray-shaped section, a cutter for cutting the transparent sheet into a predetermined shape, and a heater for fusing the transparent sheet to the top end of the vial to seal the mouth of the vial.

Claims

1. A drug filling machine comprising:

a plurality of feeders storing different kinds of drugs;

a feeder drive unit for dispensing drugs, designated in a prescription, from selected ones of said feeders;

a plurality of vials for containing drugs designated for a patient, each of said vials having an opening which is closable with a cap;

a filling unit for supplying drugs, dispensed from said feeders by said feeder drive unit, into said vials;

a pusher unit for individually pushing a transparent sheet into each of said vials through said opening after said vials have been filled with drugs;

a cutter unit for cutting excess portions of said transparent sheet to form an inner lid for sealing the opening of each of said vials; and

a sealing unit for heat-sealing said transparent sheet to an inner peripheral wall of said vial near said opening, wherein said vials, which are filled and sealed, are supplied to a drug inspection station for inspection by pharmacy personnel.

2. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a printer unit for printing data to be read by pharmacy personnel and patients on the surface of said transparent sheet.

3. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cutter unit comprises:

a cutter for cutting said transparent sheet along an edge of said vial opening; and

a cutter for cutting said transparent sheet to form a print area protruding from the edge of said opening, said drug filling machine further comprising a printer unit for printing data to be read by pharmacy personnel and patients on the surface of said print area.

4. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a perforator unit for forming perforations along the boundary between said print area and the remaining portion of said transparent sheet heat-sealed to said inner peripheral wall of said vial.

5. A drug filling machine comprising:

a plurality of feeders storing different kinds of drugs;

a feeder drive unit for dispensing drugs, designated in a prescription, from selected ones of said feeders;

vials for containing drugs designated for a patient, each of said vials having an opening which is closable with a cap;

a stocker unit for stocking said vials separately according to size;

a manipulator unit for taking said vials out of said stocker unit;

an opening detector unit for detecting said opening of each of said vials taken out of said stocker unit;

a filling unit for supplying drugs, dispensed from said feeders by said feeder drive unit, into said vials;

a pusher unit for pushing a transparent sheet into each of said vials through said opening after said vials have been filled with drugs;

a cutter unit for cutting said transparent sheet to form an inner lid for sealing the opening of each of said vials; and

a sealing unit for heat-sealing said transparent sheet to an inner peripheral wall surface of each of said vials near said vial opening, wherein said vials, which have been filled and sealed, are supplied to a drug inspection station for inspection by pharmacy personnel.

6. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a label printer unit for printing data to be read by a patient on a label based on prescription information; and

a label sticker unit for sticking the printed label on an outer peripheral surface of each of said vials before being delivered to said drug inspection station.

7. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a feed unit for feeding the filled, sealed and capped vials;

an envelope print unit for taking envelopes out of a cartridge and printing patient data on said envelopes; and

an envelope opening unit for opening each of the envelopes; and

a means for putting said vials being fed by said feed unit into each of said envelopes through the envelope opening.

8. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a measuring unit for measuring the size of each of said vials;

a receiver unit for receiving data on a designated vial size;

a comparison unit for comparing the data received by said receiver unit with data received from said measuring unit to determine if these data match; and

an ejector unit for ejecting any vial measured by said measuring unit before being delivered to said filling unit if the data from said measuring unit and the data from said receiving unit do not match.

9. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a label printer unit for printing data to be read by a patient on a label based on prescription information; and

a label sticker unit for sticking the printed label on an outer peripheral surface of each of said vials before being delivered to said drug inspection station.

10. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a feed unit for feeding the filled, sealed and capped vials;

an envelope print unit for taking envelopes out of a cartridge and printing patient data on said envelopes; and

an envelope opening unit for opening each of the envelopes; and

a means for putting said vials being fed by said feed unit into each of said envelopes through the envelope opening.

11. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 8, further comprising:

a feed unit for feeding the filled, sealed and capped vials;

an envelope print unit for taking envelopes out of a cartridge and printing patient data on said envelopes; and

an envelope opening unit for opening each of the envelopes; and

a means for putting said vials being fed by said feed unit into each of said envelopes through the envelope opening.

12. A drug filling machine comprising:

a plurality of feeders for storing different kinds of drugs;

a feeder drive unit for selectively dispensing drugs designated in a prescription from at least one of said feeders;

vials of different sizes for containing drugs designated for a patient, each of said vials having an opening which is closable with a cap;

a stocker unit for stocking said vials separately according to the size;

a manipulator unit for removing said vials from said stocker unit;

an opening detector unit for detecting the opening of each of said vials removed from said stocker unit;

an erector unit comprising an erecting unit for erecting each of said vials with the vial opening up based on data received from said opening detector unit, and an erecting table;

a feed unit for feeding said vials from said erector unit to a subsequent station;

a filling unit for supplying drugs dispensed from said feeders by said feeder drive unit into said vials;

a pusher unit for pushing a transparent sheet into each of said vials through the vial opening after said vials have been filled with drugs;

a cutter unit for cutting said transparent sheet to form an inner lid for sealing the vial opening of each of said vials; and

a sealing unit for heat-sealing the inner lid to an inner wall of each of said vials near the vial opening, wherein said vials, filled and sealed, are supplied to a drug inspection station for inspection by pharmacy personnel.

13. A drug filling machine as claimed in claim 12, further comprising:

a measuring unit for measuring the size of each of said vials;

a receiver unit for receiving data on a designated vial size;

a comparison unit for comparing the data received by said receiver unit with data received from said measuring unit to determine if these data match; and

an ejector unit for ejecting any vial, measured by said measuring unit, before being delivered to said filling unit if the date from said measuring unit and the data from said receiving unit do not match.

14. A drug filling machine comprising:

a plurality of feeders storing different kinds of drugs;

a feeder drive unit for dispensing drugs designated in a prescription from selected ones of said feeders;

vials of different sizes for containing drugs for a patient, each of said vials having an opening which is closable with a cap;

a stocker unit for stocking said vials separately according to the size;

a manipulator unit for removing said vials from said stocker unit;

an opening detector unit for detecting the opening of each of said vials removed from said stocker unit;

an erector unit including an erecting unit for erecting said each of said vials with its opening up based on data from said opening detector unit, and an erecting table;

a feed unit for intermittently feeding said vials from said erector unit to subsequent units;

a filling unit for supplying drugs, dispensed from said feeders by said feeder drive unit, into said vials;

a label printer unit for printing data to be read by a patient on a label based on prescription information;

a label sticker unit for sticking the printed label on an outer peripheral surface of each of said vials;

a pusher unit for pushing a transparent sheet into each of said vials through the vial opening after being filled with drugs;

a cutter unit for cutting the transparent sheet so as to form a lid for sealing the vial opening of each of said vials; and

a sealing unit for heat-sealing the inner lid to an inner peripheral wall surface of each of said vials near the vial opening, wherein said vials, which have been filled and sealed, are supplied to a drug inspection station for inspection by pharmacy personnel.