Method and system for verification of product transfer from an intermediate loading cartridge to a multi-container blister pack

• US 8,943,780 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Walgreen Co. (Walgreens Boots Alliance Incorporated)
• Inventors: McGonagle, Sean, Pankow, Greg, Lewis, J. Randolph, Lee, Victor
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Robert
• Application Number:
  US12/130,489
• Time in Patent Office: 2,440 Days
• Field of Search: 533/96, 534/74, 53/55, 53/58, 534/95, 53/65, 532/49, 53/79, 535/10, 534/03, 534/07, 534/08, 534/32, 534/25, 534/26, 534/34
• US Class Current: 53/396
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/035 Blister-type containers blisters in general B65D75/36
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 1/22 by vibration
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 11/50 Enclosing articles, or quantities of material, by disposing contents between two sheets, e.g. pocketed sheets, and securing their opposed free margins apparatus or devices for forming pockets in or from sheets, blanks or webs B65B47/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2039/009 Multiple outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/007 Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/106 by pushers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 69/0041 by puncturing
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 69/0058 Solid contents

Abstract

A method of transferring a plurality of tablets of a product from a first blister card comprising a first plurality of blisters to a second blister card comprising a second plurality of blisters includes discharging the plurality of tablets from the first plurality of blisters of the first blister card. Then, each of the plurality of tablets are guided along one of a plurality of passageways defined by a transfer fixture positioned between the first blister card and the second blister card. Finally, the plurality of tablets are received in the second plurality of blisters of the second blister card. The method includes monitoring the selection and configuration of product loading cartridges to a filling machine and monitoring the transfer of product from an intermediate card to a blister card.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring and managing a transfer of product from a multi-cell intermediate loading cartridge to a multi-cell blister pack comprising:

indexing a plurality of intermediate loading cartridges by at least a first identifier indicative of a product contained in each intermediate loading cartridge, wherein each intermediate loading cartridge is labeled with the first identifier and each cartridge contains a plurality of cells that store a quantity of the product;

receiving an electronic product order for a blister pack at a first computing device, wherein the electronic product order requires multiple different products in the blister pack, and wherein the plurality of cells of each loading cartridge are disposed in an array such that at least a set of cells of each loading cartridge coincides with a set of cells of the blister pack;

identifying a product of one of the intermediate loading cartridges as an ingredient in the blister pack for the received electronic product order, wherein identifying includes determining a product identifier of an intermediate loading cartridge that corresponds to the product ingredient;

loading one intermediate loading cartridge selected from the plurality of indexed intermediate loading cartridges into a loading dock of a filling machine adapted to transfer product from the intermediate loading cartridge to the blister pack, wherein the first computing device is operatively coupled to the filling machine;

scanning the loaded intermediate loading cartridge to provide the computing device data indicative of the first identifier of the loaded intermediate cartridge; and

generating an indication by the computing device to initiate a release of content of the loaded intermediate loading cartridge based on whether the first identifier of the loaded intermediate loading cartridge corresponds to the electronic product order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic product order requires multiple different products in at least one cell of the blister pack.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising scanning the loaded intermediate loading cartridge to determine whether a cell of the intermediate loading cartridge contains a quantity of product, and generating the release indication based on the determination of existence of a quantity of product.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising scanning a cell of the loaded intermediate loading cartridge after initiation of release of content to determine whether product content is emptied from the intermediate loading cartridge.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising scanning at least one cell of the loaded intermediate card to provide data to the computing device indicative of a type of product contained in the cell and wherein generating the release indication is further based on whether the data on the product type corresponds to the electronic product order ingredient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising indexing a plurality of intermediate loading cartridges by a second identifier uniquely identifying a particular intermediate loading cartridge.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein indexing the plurality of intermediate loading cartridges comprises storing a paired listing of first and second identifiers for each intermediate loading cartridge in the computing device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating data indicative of a sequence of intermediate loading cartridges corresponding to a sequence of ingredient products based on the electronic product order.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising tracking a loading of a plurality of intermediate loading cartridges and generating an indication by the computing device to initiate a release of content of the loaded intermediate cartridge based on whether the loaded cartridge identifier corresponds to a current position in the sequence data.

10. A method of monitoring and managing a transfer of product from a multi-cell intermediate loading cartridge to a multi-cell blister pack comprising:

receiving an electronic product order for a blister pack at a first computing device coupled to a filling machine for loading the blister pack, wherein the electronic product order requires multiple different products in the blister pack;

selecting an intermediate loading cartridge for loading into a filling machine adapted to transfer product from the selected intermediate loading cartridge to the blister pack via a transfer fixture;

indexing a plurality of transfer fixtures by at least a first identifier indicative of a transfer configuration of the transfer fixture, wherein each transfer fixture is labeled with at least the first identifier;

identifying a transfer fixture for loading into the filling machine from the plurality of indexed transfer fixtures based on the selected intermediate cartridge and the electronic product order, wherein the electronic product order indicates a set of cell positions of the blister pack for the product;

loading a removable transfer fixture selected from a plurality of possible removable transfer fixtures directly between the intermediate cartridge and the blister pack into the filling machine, wherein the loaded transfer fixture guides release of product from the cells of the intermediate cartridge to a selected set of cells of the blister pack;

scanning the removable transfer fixture inserted into the filling machine to provide the computing device data indicative of the first identifier of the loaded transfer fixture; and

generating an indication by the computing device to initiate a release of content of the loaded intermediate cartridge through the transfer fixture based on whether the loaded transfer fixture identifier corresponds to the identified transfer fixture.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the electronic prescription order requires multiple different products in at least one cell of the blister pack.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the transfer configuration comprises a set of relations connecting an input cell position to an output cell position of the transfer fixture.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising changing the configuration identifier of the transfer fixture to reflect a change in a transfer configuration of the transfer fixture.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising scanning the loaded transfer fixture to generate data indicative of an actual transfer configuration of the loaded transfer fixture.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising scanning the product as the product passes through the transfer fixture during release of the product from the intermediate cartridge.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising tracking entry of product content into the transfer fixture by cell position of the loaded intermediate cartridge and tracking the exit of content from the transfer fixture by cell position of the blister pack and indicating an error when a relationship between input cell position and output cell position does not correspond with the transfer configuration of the transfer fixture.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a fourth sensor adapted to scan a cell of the selected intermediate loading cartridge to provide data indicative of whether the cell contains a quantity of product and wherein the computing device is further adapted to indicate an error based on the fourth sensor data.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a fourth sensor adapted to scan a cell of the selected intermediate loading cartridge to provide data indicative of a type of product contained in the cell and wherein the computing device is further adapted to indicate an error based on the fourth sensor data.

20. The system of claim 16, further comprising a fourth sensor adapted to scan a transfer passage of the transfer fixture to determine whether a product passes through the transfer passage and wherein the computing device is further adapted to indicate an error based on the fourth sensor data.

17. A system for monitoring and managing a transfer of product between an intermediate loading cartridge to a multi-cell blister pack comprising:

a plurality of intermediate loading cartridges, each containing a plurality of cells that store a quantity of product;

a multi-cell blister pack adapted to receive multiple different products,

a removable transfer fixture adapted to guide release of product from the cells of a selected intermediate loading cartridge of the plurality of intermediate loading cartridges to a selected set of cells of the blister pack;

a filling machine adapted to transfer product from the selected intermediate loading cartridge to the blister pack via the removable transfer fixture;

a computing device including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory contains program instructions for execution by the processor, wherein the first computing device is coupled to a plurality of sensors of the filling machine;

a first sensor adapted to scan the selected intermediate loading cartridge for use in the filling machine, wherein the first sensor provides first sensor data to the computing device indicative of a reference identifier of the selected intermediate loading cartridge;

a second sensor adapted to scan a transfer fixture for use in the filling machine, wherein the second sensor provides second sensor data to the computing device indicative of a reference identifier of the intermediate loading cartridge; and

a third sensor adapted to scan the multi-cell blister pack for use in the filling machine, wherein the third sensor provides third sensor data to the computing device indicative of a reference identifier of the multi-cell blister pack;

wherein the computing device is adapted to initiate a release of content of the loaded selected intermediate cartridge through the transfer fixture to the multi-cell blister pack based on the first, second, and third sensor data and an electronic product order received by the computing device.