Medicine packing apparatus

• US 8,983,654 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Sugimoto, Tomohiro
• Primary Examiner(s): WAGGONER, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US13/500,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20120239188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,597 Days
• Field of Search: 700/235, 700/240, 700/242, 534/11
• US Class Current: 700/240
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/025 for applying, e.g. printing, code or date marks on material prior to packaging
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/26 for marking or coding completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/067 the web advancing continuously B65B9/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for delivering and packing medicines are described. The systems and methods allows for understanding relations between the medicines and a production-history information piece even if the medicines are having different production-history information pieces while being of the same type. A medicine dispensing apparatus includes a medicine delivery means, a medicine preparation means, a packing means, and a control means capable of controlling operations from delivery of the medicine to packing of the medicine according to prescription data and further specifying a production-history information piece of the medicine delivered from the medicine delivery means. The medicine dispensing apparatus further includes a printing means for printing the production-history information pieces on a packaging sheet. When the medicine to be packed as one dose includes different production-history information pieces, while being of the same type, the medicines are packed separately into different packs based on their respective production-history information pieces.

Claims

1. A medicine dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of stockers, each of which stores a stock of medicines;

a sheet feeder that feeds a packaging sheet;

a medicine supplying device that supplies a dose of medicines to the packaging sheet;

a medicine passageway through which medicines are provided from the stockers to the medicine supplying device;

a medicine packing device that packs the dose of medicines into a package by sealing a portion of the packaging sheet; and

a controller that controls the sheet feeder, the medicine supplying device and the medicine packing device;

wherein when the dose of medicines contains a plurality of medicines that are a same kind but provided from different stockers, the medicine dispensing apparatus packs the medicines that are the same kind but provided from the different stockers into different packages.

2. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 1, the medicine supplying device comprising a plurality of chambers including a first chamber and a second chamber;

wherein a medicine is provided from one of the stockers to the first chamber of the medicine supplying device through the medicine passageway;

wherein when said one of the stockers becomes empty, the controller seeks an alternative stocker which stocks a same kind of medicines as that of the medicine that has been stored in said one of the stockers; and

wherein when the alternative stocker is found, a medicine is provided from the alternative stocker to the second chamber of the medicine supplying device through the medicine passageway.

3. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 2;

wherein the medicine supplying device supplies the medicine in the first chamber to the packaging sheet;

wherein the medicine packing device packs the medicine supplied from the first chamber into a package;

wherein the sheet feeder moves the packaging sheet;

wherein the medicine supplying device supplies the medicine in the second chamber to the packaging sheet; and

wherein the medicine packing device packs the medicine supplied from the second chamber into a package.

4. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 1;

wherein the controller compares the medicines provided to the medicine supplying device with a prescription datum and determines if there is a shortage of medicine in the medicine supplying device before the medicine supplying device supplies the dose of medicines to the packaging sheet.

5. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 4;

further comprising;

an input device through which prescription data is inputted; and

a memory that stores the prescription data inputted through the input device;

wherein the controller is accessible to the prescription data stored in the memory.

6. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 1, the medicine supplying device comprising:

a plurality of chambers, each of which accommodates medicines, the chambers aligned in circle;

a first opening; and

a second opening;

wherein medicines provided through the medicine passageway enters one of the chambers through the first opening;

wherein the chambers rotate around a rotational axis and the medicines are carried toward the second opening along with the rotation of the chambers; and

wherein the medicines exit the chamber through the second opening and are supplied to the packaging sheet.

7. A medicine dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a stocker that stores a stock of medicines;

a sheet feeder that feeds a packaging sheet;

a medicine supplying device that supplies a dose of medicines to the packaging sheet;

a medicine passageway through which medicines are provided from the stocker to the medicine supplying device;

a medicine packing device that packs the dose of medicines into a package by sealing a portion of the packaging sheet; and

a controller that controls the sheet feeder, the medicine supplying device and the medicine packing device;

wherein when the stocker has become empty and is refilled with a new stock of medicines after the medicines have begun to be provided to the medicine supplying device from the stocker, the medicine dispensing apparatus packs the medicine provided to the medicine supplying device before the stocker has become empty and the medicine provided to the medicine supplying device after the stocker has been refilled into different packages.

8. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 7, the medicine supplying device comprising a plurality of chambers including a first chamber and a second chamber;

wherein a medicine is provided from the stocker to the first chamber of the medicine supplying device through the medicine passageway;

wherein when the stocker is empty, the medicine dispensing apparatus notifies a user that the stocker is empty; and

wherein after the stocker is refilled with medicines, the medicine is provided from the stocker to the second chamber of the medicine supplying device through the medicine passageway.

9. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 8;

wherein the medicine supplying device supplies the medicine in the first chamber to the packaging sheet;

wherein the medicine packing device packs the medicine supplied from the first chamber into a package;

wherein the sheet feeder moves the packaging sheet;

wherein the medicine supplying device supplies the medicine in the second chamber to the packaging sheet; and

wherein the medicine packing device packs the medicine supplied from the second chamber into a package.

10. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 7;

wherein the controller compares the medicines provided to the medicine supplying device with a prescription datum and determines if there is a shortage of medicine in the medicine supplying device; and

wherein if there is the shortage of medicine in the medicine supplying device, the controller judges that the stocker is empty and makes the medicine dispensing apparatus notify a user that the stocker is empty.

11. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 7;

further comprising a printer that prints a manufacture information of a medicine on the packaging sheet;

wherein when a manufacture information of the medicine provided to the medicine supplying device after the stocker is refilled is different from a manufacture information of the medicine provided to the medicine supplying device before the stocker has become empty, the printer prints the different manufacture informations on the different packages respectively; and

wherein the printer prints an indication that said different packages constitute one dose or should be taken by a patient at a same timing.

12. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 11;

further comprising an input device through which a manufacture information on the stock of medicines is inputted; and

a storage device that stores the manufacture information;

wherein the input device accepts an input of a manufacture information on the stock of medicines when the new stock of medicines are refilled in the stocker; and

wherein the controller compares the manufacture information on the stock of medicines that have been refilled in the stocker with a manufacture information on the stock of medicines before the stocker has become empty.

13. A medicine dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a sheet feeder that feeds a packaging sheet;

a medicine supplying device that supplies a dose of medicines to the packaging sheet;

a medicine packing device that packs the dose of medicines into a package by sealing a portion of the packaging sheet; and

a controller that controls the sheet feeder, the medicine supplying device and the medicine packing device and that accesses to manufacture informations of the medicines;

wherein when the dose of medicines contains a plurality of medicines that are a same kind but that have different manufacture informations, the medicine dispensing apparatus packs the medicines that are the same kind but that have the different manufacture informations into different packages.

14. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a printer that prints manufacture informations on the packaging sheet;

wherein when the medicine dispensing apparatus packs the medicines that are the same kind but that have the different manufacture informations into the different packages, the printer prints said different manufacture informations on the packaging sheet separately.

15. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the printer also prints an indication that said different packages constitute one dose or should be taken by a patient at a same timing.

16. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the printer also prints a total number of said different packages that constitute one dose.

17. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the printer is placed at a place that is more upstream to the sheet feeder than the medicine packing device;

and

wherein the printer prints said different manufacture informations on the packaging sheet before the medicine supplying device begins to supply the dose of medicines to the packaging sheet.

18. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 17, the medicine supplying device comprising:

a plurality of chambers, each of which accommodates medicines, the chambers being aligned;

a first opening, through which the medicines enters one of the chambers; and

a second opening, through which the medicines exit the chamber;

wherein a number of chambers from the first opening to the second opening is larger than an assumed number of packages if the packages are assumed to be aligned from the printer to the medicine packing device.

19. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a memory that stores a print data;

wherein when the controller judges that the dose of medicines contains the plurality of medicines that are the same kind but that have the different manufacture informations, the controller deletes a print datum about the dose of medicines in the memory and generates a plurality of new print data containing different manufacture informations.

20. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the manufacture information comprises an information selected from the group consisting of a lot number, a manufacturing date, and an expiration date.

21. A medicine dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of stockers, each of which stores a stock of medicines;

a sheet feeder that feeds a packaging sheet;

a medicine supplying device that supplies a dose of medicines to the packaging sheet;

a medicine packing device that packs the dose of medicines into a package by sealing a portion of the packaging sheet;

a printer that prints manufacture information on the packaging sheet; and

a controller that controls the sheet feeder, the medicine supplying device, the medicine packing device and the printer, the controller has access to manufacture information of the medicines and a prescription datum to determine a number of medicines for one dose based on the prescription datum;

wherein;

a first stocker from the plurality of stockers attempts to supply a determined number of medicines to the medicine supplying device,

when a number of medicines supplied to the medicine supplying device is insufficient for the determined number of medicines, a second stocker from the plurality of stockers supplies a compensating number of medicines to the medicine supplying device,

the medicines supplied by the second stocker are the same kind as those supplied by the first stocker, and

the printer prints a manufacture information of medicine supplied by the first stocker and a manufacture information of medicine supplied by the second stocker on the packaging sheet that forms a package for the dose of medicines.

22. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 21, wherein the printer also prints an indication that the package having said different manufacture information constitutes one dose of medicines to be taken by a patient at the same time.

23. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 21, further comprising

a medicine passageway through which medicines are provided from one stocker to the medicine supplying device,

wherein the printer prints said different manufacture information on the packaging sheet after medicines are provided from the stocker to the medicine supplying device and before the medicine supplying device supplies the dose of medicines to the packaging sheet.

24. A medicine dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of stockers, each of which stores a stock of medicines;

a medicine supplying device that dispenses a dose of medicines;

a medicine passageway through which medicines are provided from the plurality of stockers to the medicine supplying device; and

a controller that controls the medicine supplying device and has access to a prescription datum to determine a number of medicines for one dose based on the prescription datum,

wherein;

a first stocker from the plurality of stockers attempts to supply a determined number of medicines to the medicine supplying device,

when a number of medicines supplied to the medicine supplying device is insufficient for the determined number of medicines, a second stocker from the plurality of stockers supplies a compensating number of medicines to the medicine supplying device,

the medicines supplied by the second stocker are the same kind as those supplied by the first stocker, and

the medicine supplying device dispenses the medicines provided by the first stocker and the medicines provided by the second stocker separately.

25. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a printer that prints manufacture information on a sheet,

wherein when the medicine dispensing apparatus dispenses separately the medicines that are the same kind but have different manufacture information, the printer prints separately said different manufacture information on the sheet.

26. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 25, wherein the printer also prints an indication that the separately dispensed products constitute one dose of medicines to be taken by a patient at the same time.

27. The medicine dispensing apparatus of claim 26, wherein the printer also prints a total number of the dispensed products that constitute one dose.

28. A method for dispensing a dose of medicines with a medicine dispensing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing a prescription datum;

determining a number of medicines for one dose based on the prescription datum;

attempting to obtain a determined number of medicines from a first stocker;

verifying whether a number of medicines obtained from the first stocker is sufficient for one dose of medicines;

obtaining a compensating number of medicines which are the same kind as those stored in the first stocker from a second stocker if the number of medicines obtained from the first stocker has been insufficient; and

dispensing the medicines obtained from the first stocker and the second stocker into separate receptacles.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of labeling each of said separate receptacles with their respective manufacturing information.