Apparatus and method for instantly manufacturing a batch of customized dosage

• US 7,574,844 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2005
• Issued: 08/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: M/S KEI Vita Private Limited
• Original Assignee: M/S KEI Vita Private Limited
• Inventors: Kamineni, Shobana
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand; Paul R
• Application Number:
  US11/143,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 534/93, 534/15, 534/43, 531/47, 531/351, 532/39, 532/661, 539/00, 141101-107, 700/233, 700/239, 700/240
• US Class Current: 53/415
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/20 Arrangements for transferring or mixing fluids, e.g. from vial to syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/30 Printed labels
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/002 Compounding apparatus specially for enteral or parenteral nutritive solutions bottling liquids B67C
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/60 Mixing solids with solids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 29/40113 Conical, double-conicalor diabolo shapes
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 29/63 with fixed bars, i.e. stationary, or fixed on the receptacle
• 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: B30B 11/10 intermittently rotated
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 53/90 Capsules

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for instantly manufacturing a batch of customized pharmaceutical dosages are provided. A batch of customized pharmaceutical dosages is manufactured as per the requirements of an individual, which may depend on age, gender, health, lifestyle, disease, habits, etc. The ingredients or components of the customized pharmaceutical dosages are selected as per the requirement of the individual. These ingredients or components are mixed/blended to form a homogenous mixture. The requisite quantities of the homogenous mixture, based on the individual'"'"'s requirement, are then measured and converted to a desired final form, e.g., tablets, capsules or sachets. These tablets, capsules, etc., are then packaged and the packages are labeled.

Claims

1. A method for instantly manufacturing a batch of dosages of a pharmaceutical formulation, the pharmaceutical formulation being customized as per the specifics and requirements of an individual, the method comprising the steps of:

a. inputting the information about the specifics and requirements of the individual, the specifics and requirements of the individual including at least one of;

somatotype, lifestyle, health, and illness information;

b. generating process parameters and customized dosage parameters based on the inputted information relating to the specifics and requirements of the individual, the customized dosage parameters including parameters related to ingredients, dosage and duration, the process parameters including parameters related to measuring and drawing specified quantities of ingredients, ingredient-blending operation, measuring and drawing specified quantity of pharmaceutical formulation for the dosages;

c. selecting the ingredients based on the generated customized dosage parameters;

d. measuring and drawing the selected ingredients based on the generated process parameters;

e. blending the selected ingredients or components in a blender unit to obtain a homogeneous mixture, the blending comprising the steps of controlling at least one of;

(a) speed of rotation, (b) angle of rotation, and (c) number of rotations of the blending unit, as per the generated process parameters; and

f. dispensing the batch of customized dosages.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of automatic cleaning of various units used to manufacture the customized dosages for obtaining a residue free manufacturing unit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of dispensing the batch of customized dosages comprises the steps of:

a. measuring the homogeneous mixture for obtaining a single customized dosage;

b. converting the measured homogeneous mixture into a final form;

c. packaging the final form; and

d. printing labels on the packaged final form, the labels representing the composition of the dosages.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the final form of the customized dosage is tablet.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the final form of the customized dosage is capsule.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the final form of the customized dosage is sachet.

7. An apparatus for instantly manufacturing a batch of customized dosages of pharmaceutical formulations, the pharmaceutical formulations being customized as per the specifics and requirements of an individual, the system comprising:

a. a logic unit, the logic unit generating customized dosage parameters and process parameters depending upon the specifics and requirements of the individual, the specifics and requirements of the individual including at least one of;

somatotype, lifestyle, health, and illness information;

b. a microprocessor based control unit, the control unit controlling the manufacturing process based on the generated customized dosage parameters and process parameters;

c. a bin assembly, the bin assembly storing various individual ingredients that are required to manufacture the pharmaceutical formulations, in separate containers;

d. a blender unit, the blender unit receiving the required quantities of the ingredients from the bin assembly as per the generated customized dosage parameters and process parameters, wherein the blender unit is a dual blender comprising;

i. a first blender, the first blender having blades for blending the ingredients;

ii. a second blender, the second blender having blades for blending the ingredients;

iii. a movable support arm, the support arm connecting the first blender and the second blender, the support arm ensuring simultaneous functioning of the two blenders for a continuous operation, the support arm positioning the first blender and the second blender such that at a given time one blender receives and blends the ingredients, and the other blender connects to a conversion unit, and preparing a homogeneous mixture of the received ingredients by controlling at least one of;

the speed of rotation, angle of rotation, and number of rotations of the blender unit as per the generated process parameters;

e. the conversion unit converting the homogeneous mixture to a final form, the conversion unit being connected to the blender unit for receiving the homogenous mixture; and

f. a packaging and labeling unit, the packaging and labeling unit packaging the final form of dosages and printing labels on the packaging.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the conversion unit is a tablet conversion unit, the tablet conversion unit comprising:

a. a dosager assembly, the dosager assembly measuring and drawing the required quantity of the homogeneous mixture for a dosage from the blender unit;

b. a die for the tablet, the die receiving the homogenous mixture from the dosager assembly;

c. a punch assembly, the punch assembly punching the homogeneous mixture in the die of the table assembly to produce a tablet; and

d. a table assembly, the die being placed on the table assembly, the table assembly positioning the die for the dosager assembly operation and the punch assembly operation.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the conversion unit is a capsule conversion unit, the capsule conversion unit filling the customized dosages into capsules.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein the conversion unit is a sachet conversion unit, the sachet conversion unit filling the customized dosages into sachets.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 further comprising a cleaning unit for cleaning the dual blender unit, the conversion unit and all paths connecting various units of the system, the cleaning unit comprising:

a. air blower means for blowing air to remove the residues left in the dual blender unit, the conversion unit and the paths connecting the various units; and

b. a vacuum pump for suction of residue and transferring it into disposable bags.