Automated solid pharmaceutical product packaging machine
First Claim
1. A method for dispensing solid pharmaceutical products to a product package having a plurality of cavities comprising the steps of:
- providing a template having a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities;
providing a temporary storage member having a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities;
selectively dispensing one or more solid pharmaceutical products from a plurality of different drug sources into each of said plurality of template cavities;
substantially simultaneously transferring the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of template cavities to said plurality of temporary storage member cavities; and
transferring the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of temporary storage member cavities to a further array of cavity locations, wherein the pharmaceuticals are transferred substantially simultaneously from a plurality of template cavities into a corresponding plurality of temporary storage member cavities which are located beneath the template; and
further wherein cavities of the template are being filled while the pharmaceuticals located in the further array of cavity locations are being transferred for further automated processing.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine simultaneously fills a plurality of product package templates in parallel with desired pharmaceutical dosing requirements. The templates are subsequently positioned over a temporary storage template having cavities for receiving solid pharmaceutical doses. A collector member is subsequently placed beneath the temporary storage template for receiving the pharmaceuticals which in turn is positioned over a solid pharmaceutical product package having a plurality of cavities which correspond to openings on the templates and wherein each of the templates fills a pharmaceutical package.
44 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method for dispensing solid pharmaceutical products to a product package having a plurality of cavities comprising the steps of:
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providing a template having a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities; providing a temporary storage member having a plurality of cavities corresponding to a plurality of product package cavities; selectively dispensing one or more solid pharmaceutical products from a plurality of different drug sources into each of said plurality of template cavities; substantially simultaneously transferring the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of template cavities to said plurality of temporary storage member cavities; and transferring the solid pharmaceutical products from said plurality of temporary storage member cavities to a further array of cavity locations, wherein the pharmaceuticals are transferred substantially simultaneously from a plurality of template cavities into a corresponding plurality of temporary storage member cavities which are located beneath the template; and
further wherein cavities of the template are being filled while the pharmaceuticals located in the further array of cavity locations are being transferred for further automated processing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An automated pharmaceutical product packaging machine for dispensing solid pharmaceuticals into a product package having a plurality of cavities comprising:
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a template comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to the plurality of cavities of the product package, wherein the plurality of cavities of the template are arranged in an array and the template receives pharmaceuticals transferred from dispensers; a temporary storage member, said temporary storage member comprising a plurality of cavities corresponding to the plurality of cavities of the product package for receiving pharmaceuticals from said template; and wherein pharmaceuticals are substantially simultaneously transferred from said template to corresponding cavities of said temporary storage member and from said temporary storage member to a further array of cavity locations, the pharmaceuticals being transferred substantially simultaneously from the plurality of template cavities into a corresponding plurality of temporary storage member cavities which are located beneath the template; and
further wherein cavities of the template are being filled while the pharmaceuticals located in the further array of cavity locations are being transferred for further automated processing. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification