Medicine supply apparatus

• US 7,848,846 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Haraguchi, Manabu, Uema, Shinya
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/745,374
• Publication Number:
  US 20040134043A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,542 Days
• Field of Search: 221/19, 221/65, 221/123, 221/124, 221/258, 221 1-312 C, 221/7, 221 82- 86, 221/12, 221/9, 221/2, 221/8, 221/119, 221/121, 700231-244
• US Class Current: 700/243
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/309 Plastic type

Abstract

A medicine supply apparatus for filling medicines into containers has a plurality of reception compartments into which each of a plurality of medicines are to be respectively selectively fed by a user based on prescription data stored in a processor, a discharge apparatus for discharging the medicines from each of the reception compartments, and filling apparatus for filling the medicines discharged from the reception compartments into containers. An LED lamp is identifiably related to each of the plurality of reception compartments to indicate the reception compartment into which a particular medicine is to be fed based on the prescription data and a control device controls the discharge apparatus to discharge the medicine from the reception compartment and the filling apparatus.

Claims

1. A tablet packing apparatus with tablet cases that discharge medicine tablets down a chute to a hopper leading to packing machine comprising:

a plurality of reception compartments arranged in line into each of which at least one type of medicine tablet is to be respectively placed selectively, based on prescription data, said reception compartments being open on their upper side, arranged in a line and being movable;

discharge means for discharging medicine tablets from said reception compartments, respectively, to a hopper;

filling means for filling medicine tablets discharged from said hopper into containers;

a guide means comprising a visual display device associated with each of said plurality of reception compartments for prompting a user to add medicine tablets to said reception compartments;

a display panel; and

control means for controlling said discharge means, said guide means, and said filling means, wherein said control means,

energizes said visual display device associated with a reception compartment into which a type of medicine tablet should be placed and displays the quantity of the medicine tablet per dose on said display panel corresponding to the prescription data,

moves said reception compartments along a line to a discharge position,

controls said discharge means to discharge the medicine tablets to said hopper from each of said reception compartments as said reception compartment reaches said discharge position, and

controls said filling means to fill the medicine tablets discharged from said hopper into containers.

2. A tablet packing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide means selectively identifies said at least one reception compartment into which the medicine tablet should be placed, depending on the type of medicine tablet.

3. A tablet packing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said visual display devices of said guide means comprises a light emitting device.

4. A tablet packing apparatus according to claim 3 wherein each of said light emitting devices is an LED.

5. A table packing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a feeder motor for moving said plurality of reception compartments sequentially to said discharge position.

6. A table packing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said discharge means comprises a shutter that is opened upon each said reception compartment reaching said discharge position.

7. A table packing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said discharge means comprises a shutter that is opened upon each said reception compartment reaching said discharge position.