Systems and methods for dispensing pharmaceutical/medical product and branding pharmaceutical/medical containers

• US 7,765,776 B1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Medco Health Solutions Incorporated (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Leu, Chih-Jen, Rice, Dennis Wayne, McErlean, James G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Durand; Paul R
• Application Number:
  US11/873,953
• Time in Patent Office: 1,021 Days
• Field of Search: 532/35, 532/37, 532/49, 532/67, 532/845, 531/312, 531/313, 531/314, 534/67, 534/11, 534/75
• US Class Current: 53/467
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/26 by rotary conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/045 in bags
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/06 Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/20 for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents adding unpacking elements B65B61/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/26 for marking or coding completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 7/28 by applying separate preformed closures, e.g. lids, covers
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 1/026 and the article being moved out of its normal conveyance path towards the labelling head B65C1/028 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0081 Means for forming a label web buffer, e.g. label web loop
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0093 Devices switching between a peelable and a non peelable position
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/1876 and being transferred by suction means
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/44 by special means responsive to marks on labels or articles feed control in wrapping B65B
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 3/00 Closing bottles, jars or similar containers by applying caps caps per se B65D41/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

In some embodiments, containers can be, for example, labeled with a uniquely identifiable customer label. The labeled containers can be loaded into a carrier that caries containers. The carrier can be transported to and from various stations by a transport system. The container carrier can travel through, for example, a solid pharmaceutical dispensing system where all or some of the containers in the carrier can be filled with a specific quantity of pharmaceutical product. The carrier can be transported to a capping and branding station where the containers can be capped and branded. The caps can be pre-branded, blank, or a combination of pre-branded and blank. Where at least some of the containers are branded with blank caps, a carrier and/or container can be transported to a branding station that can brand caps with cap labeling information (e.g., logos, graphics, artwork, text, etc.) that can be specific to each cap.

Claims

1. A method for filling and branding at least one medication order comprising:

dispensing a medical product into at least one container corresponding to the at least one medication order;

electronically transmitting a first instruction to a container printing and labeling system based on first predetermined information to print a container label for the at least one container and affix the container label to the at least one container;

selecting cap branding information among a plurality of choices of third party branding information based on second predetermined information;

electronically transmitting a first instruction to a cap dispensing system to dispense a cap with the selected cap branding information from the plurality of choices of third party branding information;

electronically transmitting a second instruction to a capping system to close the at least one container with the cap with the selected cap branding information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one capped container comprises a plurality of capped containers and wherein some of the capped containers are capped with pre-branded caps.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of choices includes brandings from different third-parties.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of choices includes different third-party brands.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising carrying the at least one container in a carrier that carries a plurality of containers and selecting different cap branding information for different of the plurality of containers.

6. A medication dispensing and branding system for dispensing and branding at least one medication order comprising:

a filling system that fills containers;

a capping system that caps the containers;

a printing system that prints cap labels;

a cap labeling system that affixes the cap labels to caps;

a control system responsively connectable to the filling system, the capping system, the printing system, and the cap labeling system, that;

directs the filling system to dispense a medical product into at least one container;

directs the capping system to cap the at least one filled container;

selects cap labeling information among a plurality of choices based on customer information associated with the at least one capped container;

directs the printing system to print the selected cap labeling information on at least one cap label; and

directs the cap labeling system to affix the at least one cap label to the cap of a corresponding capped container of the at least one capped container based on customer information associated with the corresponding capped container;

wherein the at least one cap label is printed on an adhesive backed sheet and wherein the cap labeling system comprises;

a peeling system that peels the labels from adhesive backed sheets; and

a vacuum transfer system that lifts labels from the adhesive backed sheets by engaging the vacuum and releases labels by disengaging the vacuum;

and wherein the control system further;

directs the peeling system to peel the at least one cap label from the adhesive backed sheet;

directs the vacuum transfer system to pick up the at least one cap label from the adhesive backed sheet as the peeling system peels the at least one cap label;

positions at least one vacuum transfer pad of the vacuum transfer system and the corresponding container so that the at least one label touches the cap of the corresponding capped container; and

directs the at least one vacuum transfer pad to release the at least one label so that it is affixed to the cap of the corresponding capped container.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the at least one capped container comprises a plurality of capped containers and wherein some of the capped containers are capped with pre-branded caps and the pre-branded caps are not labeled by the labeling system after being capped on a container.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the cap labeling information is selected at least one of before dispensing the medical product and after dispensing the medical product.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the cap labeling information is selected at least one of before capping the at least one container and after capping the at least one container.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of capped containers are carried in a carrier that can carry capped containers of different heights such that the tops of the caps have the same vertical position.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a die cutting system that cuts at least one label out of adhesive backed sheets and wherein the control system further directs the die cutting system to cut a label out of the adhesive backed sheet so that the at least one cut-out label is not applied to a bottle-cap.

12. The system of claim 6, wherein the peeling system has a bypass position and wherein the control system directs the peeling system to move to the bypass position if a cap label approaching the peeling system does correspond to customer information associated with a capped bottle that was to be labeled with the cap label.

13. The system of claim 6, wherein the vacuum transfer system comprises a plurality of vacuum belts including a plurality of vacuum transfer pucks, wherein the plurality of vacuum belts are in parallel.

14. The system of claim 6, wherein the plurality of capped bottles are carried in a bottle carrier, wherein the system further comprises a carrier lift platform, and wherein the carrier lift platform lifts at least one of the carrier and the plurality of capped bottles so that the caps of the plurality of bottles are positioned below the at least one vacuum transfer pad.

15. The system of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of capped bottles are carried in at least one bottle carrier, wherein the system further comprises a carrier lift platform, and wherein the carrier includes individual push rods that can raise individual ones of the plurality of capped bottles so that the caps of the plurality of bottles are positioned below the at least one vacuum transfer pad.

16. The system of claim 6, wherein the adhesive backed sheets comprise a label web that is advanced using rollers.

17. The system of claim 6, wherein the cap labeling information includes brand identifiers for third-parties.

18. The system of claim 6, further comprising:

a container labeling system that labels at least one container with customer information; and

wherein the control system further directs the bottle labeling system to label the at least one bottle with customer information.

19. A medication dispensing and branding system for dispensing and branding at least one medication order comprising:

a filling system that fills containers;

a container printing system that prints container labels;

a container labeling system that affixes the container labels to the containers;

a capping system that caps the containers;

a cap printing system that prints cap labels;

a cap labeling system that affixes the cap labels to caps;

a control system responsively connectable to the filling system, the container printing system, the container labeling system, the capping system, the cap printing system, and the cap labeling system that;

directs the filling system to dispense a medical product into at least one container;

directs the container printing system to print at least one container label for the at least one container;

directs the container labeling system to affix the at least one container label to the at least one container;

directs the capping system to cap the at least one filled container;

selects cap third party branding information among a plurality of choices based on predetermined information associated with the at least one capped container;

directs the cap printing system to print the selected cap third party branding information on at least one cap label;

directs the cap labeling system to affix the at least one cap label to the cap of the least one capped container based on predetermined information associated with the at least one capped container, wherein the at least one cap label is printed on a sheet, wherein the cap labeling system comprises

a vacuum transfer system that lifts cap labels by engaging the vacuum and releases labels by disengaging the vacuum;

and wherein the control system further;

directs the vacuum transfer system to pick up the at least cap one label from the sheet;

positions at least one vacuum transfer pad of the vacuum transfer system and the corresponding container so that the at least one cap label touches the cap of the corresponding capped container; and

directs the at least one vacuum transfer pad to release the at least one cap label so that it is affixed to the cap of the corresponding capped container.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising applying adhesive to at least one of the sheet, the at least one label, and the cap of the corresponding capped container.

21. A medication dispensing system for filling and branding at least one medication order comprising:

a dispensing system that fills containers;

a capping system that caps the containers;

a container printer system that prints on container labels;

a container labeling system that affixes the container labels to the containers;

a cap printing system that prints on one of cap labels and caps;

a cap labeling system that affixes the cap labels to caps;

a control system responsively connectable to said dispensing system, capping system, container printing system, container labeling system, cap printing system, and cap labeling system, that;

controls dispensing a medical product into at least one container corresponding to the at least one medication order;

electronically directs the container printing system to print at least one container label for the at least one container;

electronically directs the container labeling system to affix the at least one container label on the at least one container;

determines cap branding information among a plurality of choices based on predetermined information;

electronically directs to the cap printing system to print the selected cap branding information on at least one cap when printing is directly on the cap or on at least one cap label when printing is on the label;

electronically directs the cap labeling system to affix the at least one cap label to the at least one cap when printing is on the cap label;

electronically directs the capping system to close the at least one container with the cap containing the selected cap branding information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one capped container comprises a plurality of capped containers and wherein some of the capped containers are capped with pre-branded caps and the pre-branded caps are not printed on by the printing system after being capped on a container.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of choices includes brandings from different third-parties.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the plurality of choices includes different third-party brands.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one container is carried in a carrier that carries a plurality of containers and wherein the control system selects different cap branding information for different of the plurality of containers.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the labeling system affixes labels to caps for containers for which printing is on a label and the printing system prints cap branding information on caps for which printing is on a cap.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein different branding information is associated with different containers, the different containers filled with the same medical product.