Systems and methods for removing medication from packaging

• US 8,157,125 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schiff, David
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/737,644
• Publication Number:
  US 20080257904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• Field of Search: 221 1-312 C
• US Class Current: 221/74
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 69/0058 Solid contents

Abstract

Improved solid pharmaceutical dispensing systems and methods provide direct transfer of doses from bulk blister packaging material. In a preferred embodiment, the invention comprises a positioning mechanism that alters the spacing between portions of a de-blister apparatus. The de-blister apparatus comprises a de-blister roller, cylinder or elongated cylindrical toothed gear which pushes against a first side of packaging material to remove individual doses from a conventional blister package. The apparatus may operate under manual or automatic control and preferably includes adjustable or movable package holding rollers which are preferably aligned with portions of packaging material between the rows of blister cavities at a side of the packaging material opposite the side at which the roller or cylinder is located. The de-blister apparatus enables the rapid removal of solid pharmaceutical or nutraceutical products from blister cavities and provides a convenient mechanism for altering the device in order to accommodate different sizes of packaging material.

Claims

1. A system for ejecting solid products contained within a blister package comprising:

a first rotating de-blister member secured to a housing;

a plurality of spaced apart package holding rollers or gear members rotatably secured adjacent to the first rotating de-blister member on an axial support, and

wherein a blister package is secured between the first rotating de-blister member and the plurality of spaced apart package holding members and further wherein the plurality of spaced apart package holding members are laterally displaceable across the axial support while the axial support is secured to the housing, such that a distance between adjacent ones of the package holding members may be altered to correspond with the spacing between rows of blister cavities of the blister package that is to be emptied, the package holding rollers or gear members each having a corresponding lateral displacement arm that is in contact with its corresponding roller or gear member and the lateral displacement arms being mechanically connected to one another so that adjacent ones of the lateral displacement arms move simultaneously together or apart in order to laterally displace the package holding rollers or gear members across the axial support.

2. The system for ejecting solid products contained within a blister package of claim 1, wherein first rotating de-blister member is an elongated toothed gear.

3. The system for ejecting solid products contained within a blister package of claim 1, wherein movement of a cam member laterally displaces the plurality of spaced apart package holding members.

4. The system for ejecting solid products contained within a blister package of claim 1, further comprising a hand crank secured to the first rotating de-blister member.

5. A method for ejecting solid products contained within a blister package comprising:

providing a rotating de-blister member secured to a housing and a plurality of spaced apart package holding members rotatably secured adjacent to the first rotating de-blister member, the plurality of spaced apart package holding members being affixed to an axial support,

moving a blister package between the first rotating de-blister member and the plurality of spaced apart package holding members thereby ejecting solid products contained within the blister package; and

laterally displacing the plurality of spaced apart package holding members across the axial support while the axial support is secured to the housing such that a distance between adjacent ones of the package holding members is altered to correspond with a spacing between rows of blister cavities of a blister package that is to be emptied, the package holding members each having a corresponding lateral displacement arm that is in contact with its corresponding package holding member and the lateral displacement arms being mechanically connected to one another so that adjacent ones of the lateral displacement arms move simultaneously together or apart in order to laterally displace the package holding members across the axial support.

6. The method for ejecting solid products contained within a blister package of claim 5, wherein first rotating de-blister member is an elongated toothed gear.

7. The method for ejecting solid products contained within a blister package of claim 5, wherein movement of a cam member laterally displaces the plurality of spaced apart package holding members.

8. The method for ejecting solid products contained within a blister package of claim 5, further comprising rotating a hand crank secured to the first rotating de-blister member to thereby move the blister package between the rotating de-blister member and the plurality of spaced apart package holding members.