Manufacturing separable pouches with a center cut blade

• US 9,245,304 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2009
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edge Medical Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Edge Medical Properties, LLC
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert A. Jr., Bradford, Russell, Baker, Leslie, McElhany, Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): Tawfik, Sameh
• Application Number:
  US12/424,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20100069213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,477 Days
• Field of Search: 534/15, 534/50, 531/312, 531/353, 535/50, 531/314, 838/35, 836/97, 836/992.1, 837/46
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A system for manufacturing a plurality of separable pouches comprising a means for forming sealed pouches, a center cut blade and a means for segregating each sealed pouch with the center cut blade is described. The means for forming the sealed pouches includes placing a plurality of different tablets corresponding to different medications into each sealed pouch. The center cut blade includes a side cut on each end of the blade, a center cut in the middle of the blade, and at least one perforation cut between each side cut and the center cut. The means for separating each sealed pouch with the center cut blade provides each sealed pouch with a sealed top end, a sealed bottom end, and two sides, in which at least one side is also sealed.

Claims

1. A system of manufacturing a plurality of separable pouches comprising:

a plurality of sealed pouches, in which a heated roller is configured to seal each pouch and each pouch includes a plurality of different tablets corresponding to different medications,

each sealed pouch includes a sealed top end, a sealed bottom end, and two sides, where at least one side is also sealed;

a center cut blade configured to be affixed to the heated roller that separates each sealed pouch, the center cut blade comprising;

a side cut on each end of the blade,

a center cut in the middle of the blade, and

a plurality of perforation cuts between each side cut and center cut;

wherein the plurality of sealed pouches comprises thirty filled pouches that are received by a foldable box that includes,

a top wall having one end fixedly coupled to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front-side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front-side wall and the top wall;

a back-side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back-side wall and the front-side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front-side wall, the right-side wall, the back-side wall, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front-side wall, the right-side wall, the back-side wall, the left-side wall and the bottom wall;

a barcode associated with one of the pouches, wherein the barcode is associated with the prescription;

a label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the label includes a description of the medications and the barcode associated with the prescription;

wherein the cavity is configured to receive the plurality of filled pouches that are associated with the barcode; and

wherein one of the walls is configured to receive the label associated with the bar code.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the filled pouches also include one empty pouch that provides a reminder to re-order medications.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein each sealed pouch includes a side cut on each side of a top end and a bottom end of the sealed pouch, a center cut on the top end and the bottom end of the sealed pouch, and at least one perforation between each side cut and the center cut.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising at least three perforations between each side cut and the center cut.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising at least four ribbons between each side cut and the center cut, wherein the first ribbon is disposed between the side cut and the first perforation, the second ribbon and third ribbon are each disposed between perforations, and the fourth ribbon is disposed between the third perforation and the center cut.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heated roller configured to seal each pouch.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the center cut length is greater than the length of each side cut.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the thirty pouches correspond to a thirty day supply of medications.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein twenty-eight filled pouches correspond to a four-week supply of medications, the twenty-eight filled pouches adjacent to an empty pouch that provides a reminder to re-order medications, the empty pouch further adjacent to two filled pouches.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein each pouch includes a printed date and a printed period.

11. A system of manufacturing a plurality of separable pouches comprising:

a plurality of sealed pouches, in which a heated roller is configured to seal each pouch and each pouch includes a plurality of different tablets corresponding to different medications,

each sealed pouch includes a sealed top end, a sealed bottom end, and two sides, where at least one side is also sealed;

a center cut blade configured to be affixed to the heated roller that separates each sealed pouch, the center cut blade comprising;

a side cut on each end of the blade,

a center cut in the middle of the blade, and

a plurality of perforation cuts between each side cut and center cut;

wherein the plurality of sealed pouches comprises seven filled pouches that are received by a foldable box that includes,

a top wall having one end fixedly coupled to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front-side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front-side wall and the top wall;

a back-side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back-side wall and the front-side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front-side wall, the right-side wall, the back-side wall, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front-side wall, the right-side wall, the back-side wall, the left-side wall and the bottom wall;

a barcode associated with one of the pouches, wherein the barcode is associated with the prescription;

a label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the label includes a description of the medications and the barcode associated with the prescription;

wherein the cavity is configured to receive the plurality of filled pouches that are associated with the barcode; and

wherein one of the walls is configured to receive the label associated with the bar code.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each sealed pouch includes a side cut on each side of a top end and a bottom end of the sealed pouch, a center cut on the top end and the bottom end of the sealed pouch, and at least one perforation between each side cut and the center cut.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising at least three perforations between each side cut and the center cut.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising at least four ribbons between each side cut and the center cut, wherein the first ribbon is disposed between the side cut and the first perforation, the second ribbon and third ribbon are each disposed between perforations, and the fourth ribbon is disposed between the third perforation and the center cut.

15. The system of claim 11, further comprising a heated roller configured to seal each pouch.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the center cut length is greater than the length of each side cut.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein each pouch includes a printed date and a printed period.

18. A method for manufacturing a plurality of separable pouches, comprising:

forming a plurality of sealed pouches;

sealing each pouch with a heat roller, in which each pouch includes a plurality of different tablets corresponding to different medications,

each sealed pouch including a sealed top end, a sealed bottom end, and two sides, where at least one side is also sealed;

wherein a center cut blade is affixed to the heated roller that separates each sealed pouch, wherein the center cut blade comprises;

a side cut on each end of the blade,

a center cut in the middle of the blade, and

a plurality of perforation cuts between each side cut and center cut; and

wherein each sealed pouch is joined to an adjacent pouch by a plurality of tearable ribbons, wherein each sealed pouch comprises;

a side cut on each side of the top end and bottom end sealed pouch,

a center cut on the top end and bottom end of the sealed pouch, and

a plurality of perforations between each side cut and the center cut;

receiving at least seven filled pouches in a foldable box that includes,

a top wall having one end fixedly coupled to the foldable box and an opposite end that provides a foldable lid;

a front side wall having a removable lid that is bordered by a plurality of perforations;

a right-side wall that abuts the front side wall and the top wall;

a back side wall that abuts the right-side wall and the top wall;

a left-side wall that is between the back side wall and the front side wall, the left-side wall configured to abut the top wall;

a bottom wall that abuts the front side wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, and the left-side wall;

a cavity defined by the front side wall, the right-side wall, the back side wall, the left-side wall, and the bottom wall;

a barcode associated with one of the pouches, wherein the barcode is associated with the prescription;

a label affixed to the foldable box, wherein the label includes a description of the medications and the barcode associated with the prescription;

wherein the cavity is configured to receive the plurality of filled pouches that are associated with the barcode; and

wherein one of the walls is configured to receive the label associated with the bar code.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of receiving further comprises receiving thirty filled pouches in the foldable box.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the thirty filled pouches include twenty-eight filled pouches corresponding to a four week supply of medications, an empty pouch adjacent to the twenty-eight filled pouches and providing a reminder to re-order medications, the empty pouch further adjacent to two filled pouches.