EP3343521A1 - Storage container for a storage and dispensing station for drug portions - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a reservoir for a drug supply and delivery station.

Known storage containers comprise a housing (10) enclosing a receiving space (2) for medicament portions and having a circular-cylindrical section (11) and a separating device (30) rotatably arranged in the circular-cylindrical section (11) of the housing (10) and having a cylindrical main body (31). wherein the cylindrical main body (31) has an at least partially conical top surface (32) and a main body shell surface on which a plurality of projections (34) are formed, the channels (35) having a circumferential width K _B and a radial depth K _T define and whose outer contours define a circular cylindrical, of the channels (35) interrupted outer lateral surface (36). In known storage containers, there are occasional false levies because drug portions do not enter the channels. According to the invention, it is provided that centrally on the conical top surface (32) a projection (40) with a height V _H and an outer contour V _{AK is} arranged, wherein a maximum radial distance V _Amax between outer contour V _AK and outer lateral surface (36) smaller as the double circumferential width K _{B of} a channel (35).

Description

The present invention relates to a reservoir for medicaments, and more particularly to a reservoir for a drug delivery and delivery station.

Modern blister machines, such as those in the WO 2013/034504 A1 are disclosed, comprise, depending on the expansion stage of the blister machine, several hundred storage and dispensing stations. In each of these, a plurality of drug portions of a particular drug are stored, and on request, individual portions of medication can be dispensed. With the blister machines stored in the supply and dispensing stations drug portions are patient-individual according to the medically prescribed intake times compiled and blistered.

For assembling a plurality of medicament portions, corresponding supply and dispensing stations for dispensing one or more medicament portions are activated by means of a control device of the blister machine. To deliver a medication portion, a medication portion stored in the storage container is separated with a separating device of the storage and dispensing station and transferred via a dispensing opening to a guide device of the blister machine. About the guide device to be dispensed drug portion, optionally with the interposition of a collection device, a packaging device is supplied, which blisters individual or multiple drug portions.

The separating device arranged in a section of the storage container is usually designed in the form of a rotor. The outer circumference of the rotor is defined by a plurality of protrusions. Between each two projections are extending parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor extending channels educated. With regard to their width and radial depth, these are adapted exactly to the medicament portions to be separated. Therefore, in one channel, drug portions can only be arranged one above the other but not next to each other. Depending on the axial length of the channels, only one or more medicament portions can be accommodated therein.

About the singler defines a housing of the reservoir a receiving space for the drug portions to be separated. The separating device, or the central main body of the separating device, comprises a cover surface which adjoins the receiving space with the medicament portions to be separated. The top surface is usually conical in order to guide the medicament portions to the channel openings. Furthermore, a corresponding design of the top surface avoids that drug portions remain on this and are not available for isolation.

For dispensing a medicament portion, a channel which contains at least one deliverable medicament portion in the case of fault-free operation is rotated by means of a partial rotation of the singulator via the dispensing opening, the medicament portion falls by gravity out of the channel through the dispensing opening and is forwarded. In order to avoid that with appropriate alignment of a channel at the discharge opening a plurality of drug portions are delivered, retaining means are provided above or in the channel.

Despite the conical design of the top surface of the main body of the separating device, it may happen that drug portions on this top surface arrange such that they do not slip or get into a channel, a channel so absorbs no dispensed drug portion. This has the consequence that in a conventional dispensing operation (partial rotation of the singulator) no drug portion is delivered.

In order to avoid errors when putting together several drug portions, it is therefore necessary to use the actual delivery of a portion of medication to detect. If a false dose (non-delivery of a portion of medication) is detected, another delivery must be performed which delays the assembly of multiple portions of medication. Depending on the frequency of false deliveries, the speed at which a blister machine can assemble and dazzle medication portions is reduced.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a reservoir for storage and dispensing stations, in which the frequency of erroneous deliveries is reduced.

This object is achieved by a reservoir for storage and dispensing stations according to claim 1. The storage container according to the invention comprises a housing enclosing a receiving space for medicament portions with a circular cylindrical portion and a separating device rotatably arranged in the circular cylindrical portion of the housing with a cylindrical main body.

The cylindrical main body has an at least partially conical top surface and a main body shell surface, on which a plurality of projections are formed, the channels with a circumferential width K _B and a radial depth K _T define and their outer contours a circular cylindrical, usually interrupted by the channels outer Define lateral surface.

According to the invention, a projection with a height V _H and an outer contour V _{AK is} arranged centrally on the conical top surface, wherein the projection is designed such that a maximum radial distance V _Amax between outer contour V _AK and outer lateral surface is smaller than twice the circumferential width K _{B of} one Channel is.

The arrangement and configuration of the projection causes no two in the area between outer contour V _AK and the circular cylindrical portion of the housing Pharmaceutical portions can lie flat radially next to each other on the top surface (provided that the channel width, as is common in the prior art, only slightly larger than the largest drug diameter).

A corresponding arrangement of two drug portions seems, especially in flat circular drug portions, to be the reason for Fehlabgaben because the radially juxtaposed drug portions due to their circumference are a plurality of drug portions and exert a corresponding pressure on the two radially juxtaposed drug portions, which As a consequence, the medicament portion adjacent to the housing can not enter a channel of the singulating device which is likewise adjacent to the housing.

By the maximum radial distance between the outer contour V _{AK of} the projection and the outer lateral surface is smaller than twice the circumferential width K _{B of} a channel, a misalignment-causing radial arrangement of two drug portions is avoided side by side, the drug portions can freely enter the channels.

The exact configuration of the projection is, in compliance with the criteria set out above, depending on the particular form of the drug portions to be separated. The outer contour of the projection is in turn dependent on the exact shape of the projection. The maximum radial distance between outer contour and outer circumferential surface can be uniform (for example in the case of a circular-cylindrical projection) or angle-dependent (in the case of a cylindrical projection with an angular base area). A cylindrical configuration of the projection is preferred, since such a projection is particularly easy to design in the production of the separating device.

In a preferred embodiment, it is provided that the projection has a circular base. This allows an at least partially circular cylindrical or conical projection. With appropriately trained Projections there is no risk that be damaged in the need for separation rotational movement on the outer contour drug portions.

As already stated, a cylindrical configuration of the projection is preferred. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the projection is at least partially perpendicular. At the transition conical top surface / protrusion, an arcuate transition may be provided which prevents, for example, the deposition of dust and / or drug residues.

In a preferred embodiment of the storage container, the projection has an at least partially conical top surface. A correspondingly formed top surface avoids the presence of a drug portion on this and directs the drug portions in the outer region of the singulator and towards the openings of the channels.

As stated above, the purpose of the projection is to prevent the arrangement of two portions of medication radially adjacent to each other. Depending on the exact configuration of the drug portions, it may be sufficient that the height of the protrusion is only a fraction of the radius of a drug portion.

In particular, however, when "flat" disk-shaped drug portions are to be singulated, it is preferred that the protrusion have a height V _H that is greater than one-half the radial depth K _{T of} a channel. This ensures that a drug portion does not slip at least partially on the projection at the appropriate pressure and so creates a radially adjacent arrangement of two drug portions on the top surface and the projection.

The channels for receiving medicament portions to be separated are usually open to the outer surface of the separating device, which is defined by the outer contours of the projections, and the Radial channel depth is adjusted to the maximum "height" of the drug portions.

In a preferred embodiment, which can be used in particular in the case of flat, disc-shaped medicament portions, an annular space is formed above the projections, which is bounded on the inside by the cylindrical main body, wherein the radial width of the annular space preferably corresponds to the radial channel depth.

The annulus supports the alignment of the drug portions for entry into the channels because, due to its configuration, the drugs can only enter in the orientation in which they also enter the channels. In the case of disc-shaped medicament portions, in particular, such an annular space makes sense, since otherwise the disc-shaped medicament portions can only pass with difficulty from the conical top surface into the channels.

As already mentioned, disc-shaped medicament portions regularly occur in that they are aligned with a flat side on the conical top surface. Whether the medicament portions are fixedly resting on the top surface or that it rotates away under the overlying portions of medication depends on the degree of filling of the reservoir.

At high filling level, the pressure of the overlying drug portions is large, movement to the channels or the annulus is hampered by the overlying drug portions. In order to assist a "tilting" of the disc-shaped medicament portions toward the channels or the annular space, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that a plurality of elevations are arranged on the conical top surface of the cylindrical main body, wherein it is particularly preferred that these elevations are radial aligned with the channels.

• Figuren 1a und 1b Schrägansichten der bevorzugten Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Vorratsbehälters zeigen;
• Figuren 1c und 1d Draufsichten auf die bevorzugte Ausführungsform des Vorratsbehälters zeigen,
• Figuren 2a-2d unterschiedliche Schnittansichten der bevorzugten Ausführungsform zeigen,
• Figuren 3a-3c verschiedene Ansichten einer Vereinzelungseinrichtung gemäß der bevorzugten Ausführungsform zeigen, und
• Figur 4 die Anordnung der Vereinzelungseinrichtung in einem kreiszylinderförmigen Gehäuseabschnitt zeigt.

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the storage container according to the invention will be described with reference to the drawing, in which

• FIGS. 1a and 1b Oblique views of the preferred embodiment of the reservoir according to the invention show;
• Figures 1c and 1d Show plan views of the preferred embodiment of the reservoir,
• FIGS. 2a-2d show different sectional views of the preferred embodiment,
• FIGS. 3a-3c show different views of a singulator according to the preferred embodiment, and
• FIG. 4 the arrangement of the separating device in a circular cylindrical housing section shows.

The FIGS. 1a and 1b show oblique views of a preferred embodiment of the storage container 1 according to the invention for a supply and dispensing station for drug portions. Figures 1c and 1d show plan views of the reservoir, wherein at Figure 1d a separating device 30, the at Figure 1c in plan view, is omitted. Both Figures 1b-1d is for better view of the interior of the reservoir, a cover 13, the at FIG. 1a to recognize, omitted.

The storage container 1 according to the preferred embodiment shown here comprises a housing 10 enclosing a receiving space 2 for medicament portions, which has a circular cylindrical portion 11 and a lower portion 12. The housing 10 includes a removable lid 13 and is bounded below by a bottom surface 20 having a drug port dispensing port 21 (see, in particular, FIG Figure 1d ). The bottom surface 20 has a further central receptacle 22, in which a cooperating with the singulator 30 coupling means 37 is arranged (see also Figure 1d ). In the embodiment shown here, the coupling means 37 is designed as a separate component, but it may also be integrally formed on the singulation device 30. This coupling means 37 cooperates with a drive, not shown, of the supply and dispensing station, by means of which the Separation device for providing separated drug portions is rotated.

The drive is not arranged in the reservoir itself, but in a (not shown) control unit of the supply and dispensing station in the embodiment shown. Usually, the reservoir is designed as a separate component with respect to the control unit, so that the reservoir for refilling or filling a new drug by means of a handle 14 can be removed, whereas the control unit usually remains on the blister machine.

Like this in Figure 1c can be seen, the singulator 30 is disposed in the circular cylindrical portion 11 of the housing. The singulator 30 comprises a cylindrical main body (see for example FIG. 3a ) having a conical top surface 32 and a main body shell surface on which are formed a plurality of protrusions 34 defining a plurality of channels 35. The outer contours of the projections 34 form a circular cylindrical, interrupted by the channels 35 outer surface adjacent to the housing wall of the circular cylindrical portion 11.

In the embodiment shown, the separating device is designed as a type of rotor, and due to the arrangement and configuration of the projections 34, the channels 35 are arranged on the lateral surface. In other embodiments, the channels may also be formed such that they are not open to the lateral surface of the singulation device.

The projections are integrally formed with the main body in the embodiment shown, alternatively, these projections can also be attached to the main body as separate components, so as to be able to adjust the singling device itself to different drug portions.

Like this in Figure 1c can be seen, on the conical top surface 32, a plurality of protrusions 39 are arranged, always adjacent to a channel 35. These protrusions 39 support a tilting of drug portions in channels 35, as will be described with reference to the following figures.

As FIG. 1b can be seen, a retaining means 15 is indicated on the circular cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10, said retaining means having a retaining portion which extends through a slot 16 in the circular cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10.

A storage and dispensing station comprising the storage container 1 according to the invention also comprises components which regulate or control the delivery or the separation of the medicament portions. The already mentioned drive for moving the separating device 30 and a (also not shown) sensor for checking the delivery of a drug portion are usually arranged in the control unit, not shown, but may also be part of the reservoir in alternative embodiments, and then usually in the lower Housing portion 12 of the reservoir are arranged.

Like this Figure 1c is indicated, the separating device comprises centrally on the conical top surface a survey 40, which will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures.

FIGS. 2a-2d show various sectional views of the embodiment of the inventive reservoir described in more detail here. The separating device 30 comprises a projection 40 centrally on the main body 31. The projection 40 is integrally formed with the main body 31, in other embodiments, the projection 40 may be formed as a separate component and be screwed onto the main body 31, for example. The projection 40 comprises a circular base and is in a central portion 42nd circular cylindrical formed parallel to the axis of rotation of the singulator.

The projections 34 are formed in two pieces in the embodiment shown and enclose a gap 34a in the axial direction. In this gap 34a engages a retaining portion 15a of the retaining means 15 a. The retaining means 15 is arranged on the circular cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10 such that the retaining portion 15a is always disposed above the discharge opening 21 (see in particular Figures 2c and 2d ). The aforesaid arrangement of the retaining portion 15a of the retaining means 15 ensures that medicament portions arranged above the retaining portion in a channel 35 are retained at the delivery opening 21 when a channel of the singulating device is aligned. Only the drug portion located below the retention portion is dispensed upon alignment of a channel at the delivery port.

The conical top surface 32 does not directly abut a surface of the projections 34, but the projections are offset downwards, so that over the top surfaces of the projections, an annular space 38 is formed, which inwardly through the cylindrical main body 31 and outwardly through the cylindrical Section 11 of the housing 10 is limited. This annular space facilitates the delivery of drug portions to the channels 35, as will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures.

The FIGS. 3a-3c show detailed views of the singulator 30 of the reservoir according to the invention. The singulator 30 comprises a cylindrical main body 31 having a conical top surface 32 and a main body shell surface on which are formed a plurality of protrusions 34 defining channels having a circumferential width K _B and a radial depth K _T. In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusions are formed integrally with the cylindrical main body 31. The outer contours the projections form a circular cylindrical, interrupted by the channels 35 outer circumferential surface 36 which in FIG. 3b is shown as a dashed circle.

Like it FIGS. 3a and 3c show, the projections 34 a circumferential annular gap 34 a, in which, as with reference to the FIGS. 2a-2d has been described, a retaining portion of a retaining means can intervene.

In the illustrated embodiment, the protrusions 34 are offset downwardly with respect to the conical top surface so that above the protrusions an annular space 38 is formed, which is inwardly of the main body shell surface and outwardly of the circular cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10 (see to FIG. 4 ) is limited.

On the conical top surface a plurality of protrusions 39 is arranged, which can support a tilting of a drug portion in a channel. This is Figure 3c indicated, in which a drug portion 5 is indicated, resting on a survey 39. Because of this survey 39, the flat designed drug portion with the "left" side is tilted into the annulus. The surveys thus ensure that portions of medication are arranged more quickly and easily in the annulus and finally the channels.

Centrally on the conical top surface, a projection 40 is further formed with a circular base and a vertical circular cylindrical portion 42 which terminates a part-conical top surface 43. In the embodiment shown, the vertical circular cylindrical portion 42 forms the outer contour V _AK / 41 of the projection 40. The outer contour 41 of the projection 40 causes the maximum radial distance V _Amax between the outer contour V _AK and the projections defined by the outer surface 36. In dependence from the configuration of the projection, this maximum radial distance may vary with the angle (for example, if the cylindrical portion is a square Base has) or even (as shown in circular cylindrical configuration).

In Figure 3c is still a coupling means 37 shown in the lower portion, via which the separating device 30 is coupled to a (not shown) drive, via which the separating means for separating medicament portions can be rotated stepwise. The coupling means 37 may be designed as a separate component or in one piece with the main body 31 of the separating device.

According to the invention, the aforementioned maximum radial distance is less than twice the circumferential width K _{B of} a channel 35 FIG. 4 can be seen, this has the consequence that no two drug portions 5 radially adjacent to each other flat on the conical top surface can arrange, which prevents jamming of the drug portions on the top surface.

Claims (9)

Storage container (1) for a supply and delivery station for medicament portions, comprising: a housing (10) enclosing a receiving space (2) for medicament portions and having a circular cylindrical portion (11), a separating device (30), which is rotatably arranged in the circular-cylindrical section (11) of the housing (10) and has a cylindrical main body (31), wherein the cylindrical main body (31) has an at least partially conical top surface (32) and a main body lateral surface wherein a plurality of projections (34) are formed which define channels (35) with a circumferential width K _B and a radial depth K _T and whose outer contours define a circular cylindrical outer surface (36) interrupted by the channels (35), characterized in that centrally on the conical top surface (32) a projection (40) having a height V _H and an outer contour V _{AK is} arranged, wherein a maximum radial distance V _Amax between outer contour V _AK and outer lateral surface (36) smaller than that double circumferential width K _{B of} a channel (35). Storage container (1) for a supply and dispensing station for medicament portions according to claim 1,
characterized in that the projection (40) is cylindrical. Storage container (1) for a supply and dispensing station for medicament portions according to claim 2,
characterized in that the projection (40) has a circular base. Reservoir (1) for a drug delivery storage and dispensing station according to claim 2 or 3,
characterized in that the projection (40) is formed at least partially perpendicular. Storage container (1) for a supply and delivery station for medicament portions according to one of claims 1 - 4,
characterized in that the projection (40) has an at least partially conical top surface (43). Reservoir (1) for a drug delivery storage and dispensing station according to any one of claims 1-5,
characterized in that the projection has a height V _H which is greater than half a radial depth K _{T of} a channel (35). Storage container (1) for a supply and dispensing station for medicament portions according to one of claims 1 - 6,
characterized in that above the projections (40) an annular space (38) is formed, which is delimited inside by the cylindrical main body (31). Storage container (1) for a supply and dispensing station for medicament portions according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that on the at least partially conical top surface (32) of the cylindrical main body (31) a plurality of elevations (39) are arranged. Storage container (1) for a supply and dispensing station for medicament portions according to claim 8, characterized in that the elevations (39) are aligned radially to the channels (35).

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