CN108137175B

CN108137175B - Storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products

Info

Publication number: CN108137175B
Application number: CN201680059565.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 哈迪·施密特-埃林格尔
Original assignee: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH
Current assignee: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2015-10-12
Filing date: 2016-09-05
Publication date: 2020-06-12
Anticipated expiration: 2036-09-05
Also published as: EP3156338B1; AU2016339738B2; ES2663811T3; CN108137175A; CA2995005A1; CA2995005C; WO2017063788A1; AU2016339738A1; EP3156338A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products. The storage container according to the prior art comprises a slot through which the restricting part of the restricting tool is guided. The slot must be adapted to the size of the medicament; also dust can escape through the slot. The storage container according to the present invention comprises: a housing (10) surrounding the receiving space (2), said housing having a cylindrical section (11) and a bottom surface (20) having a discharge opening (21); a sorting device (30) arranged in the cylindrical section (11) of the housing (10), said sorting device having at least one channel (31); and a limiting means (40) arranged completely within the housing (10) surrounding the receiving space (2), the limiting means having a fastening portion (41) and a limiting section (42), wherein the limiting section (42) is held above the discharge opening (21), and wherein the fastening portion (41) interacts with at least one fastening socket (15a, 15b) inside the housing (10) in order to fasten the limiting means (40) within the housing (10).

Description

Storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a storage container for a pharmaceutical product, and in particular to a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products.

Background

Modern automatic blister machines (blistering machines) comprise hundreds of storage and dispensing stations, according to the level of deployment, as disclosed for example in publication WO 2013/034504 a 1. Each of these storage and dispensing stations stores a plurality of drug portions of a particular drug and can dispense individual drug portions on demand. The pharmaceutical portions stored in the storage and dispensing station are individually combined and blisters for each patient using an automatic blister machine according to the ingestion time point prescribed by the doctor.

To combine the drug portions, the respective storage and dispensing stations are activated for dispensing one or more individual drug portions. When the storage and dispensing station is activated, the sorting device separates the individual pharmaceutical portions, which are transferred via the discharge opening to the guide device of the automatic blister machine. If applicable, the dispensed pharmaceutical product portions are fed by guide means through intermediately positioned collecting means into a packaging device which blister packs the individual or multiple pharmaceutical product portions according to the doctor's prescription.

In order to separate the pharmaceutical products stored in the storage containers in the storage and dispensing station, the sorting device comprises a rotor with a plurality of channels, which are generally located at the outer circumference of the rotor. With regard to the dimensions of the channels, the channels are adapted to the respective medicine portions to be separated in such a way that the medicine portions within the channels may only be one above the other, but not adjacent to each other.

To dispense a medicine portion from within the channel, the channel is moved over the discharge opening in the housing of the storage container, and the medicine portion disposed at the lowermost position within the channel slides or falls into the discharge opening. In order to avoid that additional medicine portions stored in or above the channel are also dispensed, the restricting portion of the restricting means in the area above the outlet opening is at least guided into or above the channel aligned with the outlet opening. The height of the restriction with respect to the channel is located in or above said channel in such a way that only one serving can be arranged below the restriction. If the restricting portion is guided into the channel to separate the lowermost medicine portion from the medicine portion located thereon, the boss separating the separate channel has a slot which receives the restricting portion when the rotor is rotated. If the restricting portion is guided over the channel, the restricting portion is typically only guided slightly above the upper end of the boss, thereby avoiding that additional medicament portions enter the channel when dispensing medicament portions.

In the known storage and dispensing station, the limiting section of the limiting means is guided from the outside through the housing slot into the storage container. A disadvantage in this embodiment is that dust generated when operating the storage and dispensing station can leave the storage container through the slot and contaminate the automatic blister machine.

Disclosure of Invention

For this reason, it is an object of the present invention to provide a storage container for a storage and dispensing station which minimizes contamination of an automatic blister machine in which the storage and dispensing station is used.

This object is achieved by a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products. The storage container for a storage and dispensing station for medicaments according to the invention comprises a housing enclosing a receiving space for a medicament portion, the housing having a circular cylindrical section and a bottom region, wherein the bottom region has a discharge opening for receiving a single medicament portion.

In the cylindrical section of the housing, a sorting device having at least one channel for receiving at least one pharmaceutical product is provided. Depending on the precise design of the sorting device, the channel may contain only one or more pharmaceutical product portions, wherein these pharmaceutical product portions may thus be positioned only one above the other within the channel.

Still further, the storage container includes a restraining means located entirely within the housing, the housing enclosing the receiving space, the restraining means having a securing portion and a restraining portion, and the restraining portion being retained over the discharge opening and preventing additional portions of the medication from entering the passageway aligned with the discharge opening, and wherein the securing portion works with at least one securing socket within the housing for securing the restraining means within the housing. The fastening socket may have any design as long as it is arranged to hold the restraining means securely in place. The design of the fastening portion of the restriction device is also arbitrary, as long as it is arranged to fix the restriction device itself in place in the housing. For example, the fastening portion and the limiting portion may relate to the same component of the reduction tool, but may also have different functions.

Due to the design and positioning of the restriction means according to the invention, the insertion of a slot through which the restriction portion can be guided into the housing can be omitted. Dust generated when operating the storage and dispensing station does not reach the outside; instead, the dust remains to a large extent inside the storage and dispensing station and can be collected before possible discharge to the outside.

Depending on the exact design of the at least one channel for accommodating the pharmaceutical product, the restriction portion may be located above an upper opening of the channel aligned with the receiving space. In this case, the channel is spatially designed in such a way that only one drug portion (one drug) can be located within the channel. If the channel is designed such that a plurality of medicine portions are located one above the other in said channel, the restricting portion of the restricting means is guided into the channel aligned with the discharge opening in such a way that the medicine portions located in the channel are separated, that is to say at least one medicine portion is located above the restricting portion and exactly one medicine portion is located below the restricting portion. The medicine portion located below the regulating portion is dispensed through the discharge port. However, since only the bottom portion of the medicament is dispensed and the restricting means prevents the additional portion of the medicament from sliding through and thus from entering, the additional portion of the medicament is prevented from entering the passageway. In such an embodiment, the boss of the sorting device defining the channel has a slot in which the restriction portion is guided.

Independently of which type of channel is used, it is always necessary to adapt the positioning of the restriction above or within the channel and to adapt the design of the channel itself to the size of the pharmaceutical product portion. In the known storage and dispensing stations, this is achieved by using sorting devices and housings (positioning of slots or restrictions) in the storage and dispensing stations adapted to the pharmaceutical product portions (design of the channels). This, however, has the disadvantage that a plurality of different constraining tools, sorting devices and housings are required. The storage and dispensing station according to the invention advantageously makes it no longer necessary to provide a plurality of housings, since the limiting means are completely moved into the housings.

In order also to avoid the use of different restraining means adapted to the design of the at least one channel, a preferred embodiment provides that at least one fastening portion of the restraining means works together with a fastening socket in the housing in such a way that the restraining portion of the restraining means can be fixed in a highly adjustable manner.

In order to secure the restraining means, the securing portion of the restraining means works with at least one securing socket in the housing. The fastening socket may be located at any point within the housing and the location of the fastening socket determines the precise design of the restraining means and in particular the precise design of the fastening portion of the restraining means. In a preferred embodiment, in which the limiting means are embodied in a particularly simple manner, this embodiment provides that at least one fastening socket is provided on the cylindrical section of the housing. The sorting device is also arranged in the cylindrical section of the housing, fixing the limiting section of the fastening tool in or above the channel, so that this spatial arrangement of the fastening socket makes possible a particularly simple-structured limiting tool.

As already indicated above, in a preferred embodiment, the restriction part, which provides the restriction means, may be fixed in a height-adjustable manner. To achieve this object, it is conceivable, for example, to provide the fastening socket with different fastening arrangements by means of which the fastening portion of the restraining means can work together with the fastening socket. Different fastening arrangements can be realized, for example, by means of latching means or the like which position the limiting section, depending on the exact design of the channel.

A preferred embodiment which is particularly simple in terms of construction provides that the at least one fastening socket has a cylindrical cavity and the fastening portion has at least one cylindrical guide portion, wherein the cylindrical guide portion is located in the cylindrical cavity of the fastening socket, wherein the depth of the cylindrical cavity is preferably the same as or deeper than the length of the cylindrical guide portion. This preferred embodiment provides sufficient flexibility for height adjustability of the restraining means.

In order to place or fix the restraining means in the housing in a particularly secure manner, a preferred embodiment provides that the fastening portion has a two-part design and each part works together with one fastening socket. In this context, it is particularly advantageous if both parts of the fastening portion are located at the outer end portion of the restraining means. In a broader sense, the U-shaped restraining means can be fixed in a particularly stable and secure manner in the housing.

As already indicated, the restricting portion of the restricting means may cover the channel aligned with the discharge opening from above or act into the channel to avoid that more than one medicament portion is transferred into the discharge opening. In a first alternative division, it is preferred that a resetting tool is located in the at least one fastening socket, which resetting tool pushes or pulls the limiting tool in the direction of the discharge opening, i.e. from above onto the upper surface of the boss located between the channels. Since a pressure or a pulling force is exerted on the reset means, the height adjustable limiting means ensures that the limiting portion does not "lift" from the ledge of the separation channel, which would cause the pharmaceutical portion to slide through.

Drawings

Two preferred embodiments of a storage container for a storage and dispensing station according to the invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIGS. 1a-1d show different views of a first embodiment of a storage container;

FIGS. 2a-2c show different cross-sectional views of the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows an additional cross-sectional view of the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the sorting apparatus removed;

FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of the sorting device in combination with a restriction tool;

FIG. 6 shows a detailed view of the restriction tool; and

fig. 7a and 7b show two sectional views of the second embodiment.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1a and 1b show two oblique views of a storage and dispensing station 1 according to a first embodiment of the invention with storage containers. Fig. 1c and 1d show a top view of the storage and dispensing station, wherein fig. 1d omits a sorting device 30 which is at least implicit in fig. 1a to 1 c. To provide a better overview, the cover is omitted in all views of the storage and dispensing station. The cover is typically a component of the housing. However, it is also conceivable to use a storage container without a lid.

The storage container according to the first embodiment includes a housing 10 which encloses a containing space 2 for medicine portions, and which has a cylindrical portion 11 at a bottom portion. The storage container (and housing 10) is sealed at the bottom by a bottom region 20 having a discharge opening 21 (seen in fig. 1 d). The bottom region 20 has a more central receptacle 22 which works with the sorting device 30. As can be seen from fig. 1c, the sorting device 30 is located within the cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10 and comprises a plurality of channels 31 for accommodating at least one serving. The channel 31 formed by the plurality of bosses 32 together with the central part 34 forms a rotor which is moved by a drive (not shown) located within the housing section 12. The boss 32 may be designed in one piece with the central part 34; however, it is also conceivable that the boss 32 is attached to the outer circumference of the central part 34 and, in this way, a channel is established at the outer circumference of the central part 34. As can be seen in particular from fig. 1b, the cylindrical section 11 of the housing 10 comprises two

convex surfaces

14a and 14b in which

fastening sockets

15a, 15b are formed, the convex surfaces and the fastening sockets being described in more detail in the subsequent figures.

Within the housing 12 below the storage container is placed a motor for moving the sorting device 30, as well as additional components of the storage and dispensing station, such as sensors for checking the dispensing of the pharmaceutical portions. The storage container may be disengaged from the bottom portion of the storage and dispensing station, for example, to fill the storage container with a new serving of medicine. In order to be able to better operate the storage and dispensing station (or only the containers if applicable), a handle 13 is provided in the front region.

As can be seen from fig. 1d, the cylindrical section 11 of the housing 10 provides, in the region of the

convex surfaces

14a, 14b, two

fastening sockets

15a and 15b which extend vertically in the convex surface in a cylindrical manner. In the embodiment shown, the surface shell of the cylindrical fastening socket is designed as a blind hole extending in a circular manner, wherein there is an opening towards the cylindrical section 11 of the housing. The fastening part 41 of the restraining means, the presence of which can only be guessed from fig. 1c, is fixed in these

fastening sockets

15a, 15 b.

In alternative embodiments, fastening sockets may be provided in other areas of the housing, for example at the upper opening of the housing 10, or at the cover (not shown in the figures shown).

As can already be seen from fig. 1b, the limiting means, which are merely hidden in fig. 1c, do not protrude from the housing 10 with its cylindrical section 11, i.e. are located completely within the housing 10.

Fig. 2a shows a partial transverse section through the storage and dispensing station with storage containers according to the first embodiment, wherein the housing 10 with the cylindrical section 11 is partially cut away and in this way the central sorting device 30 can be seen.

The sorting device 30 comprises a central member 34, on the outer circumference of which a plurality of bosses 32 are provided, by the positioning and design of which a plurality of channels 31 are defined at the circumference of the central member 34. As has been seen from fig. 2a, the bosses 32 are each separated by a slot 33 at the same height, into which a limiting portion 42 of the limiting means is guided. The fastening socket 15a is formed in the convex surface 14a of the cylindrical section 11 of the housing 10, into which the cylindrical portion 43a of the fastening part 41a of the restraining means is guided. By the specific design of the fastening socket 15a and of the cylindrical guide portion 43a of the fastening portion, the limiting tool is mounted in a height-adjustable manner when the depth of the fastening socket and the length of the cylindrical guide portion are appropriately selected, so that the limiting portion 42 of the limiting tool can be adapted to the height of the slot 33 in the boss 32. This enables the same restriction tool to be used with a plurality of different sorting devices. Due to the specific placement and fixation of the restraining means it is furthermore not necessary to provide different storage containers for medicines having different sizes, since the insertion slit in the housing of the storage container is no longer required (the position for inserting the slit in the known storage container depends on the size of the medicine portions to be stored).

Fig. 2b further shows a sectional view, in particular through the cylindrical section 11 of the housing 10 and through a section of the sorting device located within the cylindrical section 11. As can be well seen from this illustration, the bosses 32 are designed in such a way that they are attached at the inner circumference of the cylindrical section 11 so as to form a defined channel 31 between the two bosses. In addition, in the illustration it can be seen that two

fastening sockets

15a, 15b are located within the

convex surfaces

14a, 14b of the cylindrical section.

Fig. 2c shows a further sectional view, in which only parts of the housing 10 and the cylindrical section 11 are cut away, so that the precise embodiment of the sorting device 30 and its positioning in the cylindrical section 11 of the housing can be seen. As already described with reference to fig. 2a, each boss 32 comprises a slot 33 for receiving a limiting portion 42 of a limiting means 40. The limiting means 40 is guided in a height-adjustable manner into the two

fastening sockets

15a, 15b by means of two cylindrically designed

guide portions

43a, 43b, which are located at the two fastening

portion parts

41a, 41 b.

Fig. 3 shows a further sectional view of the storage and dispensing station 1 according to the invention with a first embodiment of a storage container. In this embodiment, a rear section of the housing 10 is cut away having a cylindrical section 11 and a bottom housing part 12, which is not part of the storage container according to the invention. In this embodiment, again two

cylindrical guide portions

43a, 43b of two fastening

portion parts

41a, 41b of the guide means are shown. For example, in this figure it can be seen that the guide 50 is located below the discharge opening 21, where the medicine portions are dispensed, through which the dispensed medicine portions are for example thrown into the guide device. In addition, it can be seen in fig. 3 that the restricting portion 42 of the restricting means is (temporarily) located above the channel 31' aligned with the discharge opening 21.

Fig. 4 shows a further sectional view, wherein in this illustration the sorting device within the cylindrical section 11 of the housing 10 is omitted to show the spatial arrangement of the restriction portion 42 of the restriction means within the cylindrical section. It can be seen in particular that the restriction 42 is positioned above the discharge opening 21, and that when the sorting device is rotated, the channel is rotated above the discharge opening 21 and often covers or separates the channel in this way. In the center of the base region 20, a receptacle 22 for the sorting device 30 is shown, which is designed in such a way that the sorting device 30 is rotated by a motor (not shown) via the receptacle 22.

Fig. 5 shows a detailed view of the interaction between the restraining tool 40 and the sorting apparatus 30. As can be seen, the limiting portion 42 of the limiting means 40 is guided into the slot 33 of the boss 32 and prevents the pharmaceutical product portions located in the receiving space above the sorting device 30 from entering the channel section located below the limiting portion 42 at two channels located between the two guiding

portions

43a, 43b shown in the figures. In this way, the extra medicine portions are prevented from slipping through.

Fig. 6 shows a detailed view of the limiting means 40 with a central limiting section 42, at the outer end of which two fastening

part parts

41a, 41b are located, which in turn have

cylindrical guide sections

43a, 43b, respectively, which can be guided into

corresponding fastening sockets

15a, 15b on the cylindrical section 11 of the housing.

Figures 7a and 7b show two perspective views of a storage and dispensing station according to a second embodiment of the invention having storage containers. The second embodiment substantially corresponds to the first embodiment with the difference that the boss 32 does not have a slot for guiding the restricting portion 42 of the restricting means 40, but the restricting means 40 is guided on the upper side of the boss 32 and in this way at least prevents another pharmaceutical product from entering the channel 31', which is aligned with the discharge opening 21. Further details regarding the fixing and placement of the restraining means correspond to those of the first embodiment, so that a repeated detailed description may be omitted here.

Claims

1. A storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) for pharmaceutical products, comprising:

-a housing (10) enclosing a receiving space (2) for a pharmaceutical product, the housing having a cylindrical section (11) and a bottom region (20), wherein the bottom region has a discharge opening (21); and

-a sorting device (30) located within the cylindrical section (11) of the housing (10), the sorting device having at least one channel (31) for containing at least one pharmaceutical product;

the storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) of pharmaceutical products is characterized in that it further comprises:

-a restraining means (40) located entirely inside the housing (10) that surrounds the accommodation space (2), the restraining means having a fastening portion (41) and a restraining portion (42),

wherein the restriction (42) remains above the discharge opening (21) and prevents additional portions of the medicament from entering a channel (31') aligned with the discharge opening (21), and

wherein the fastening portion (41) works with at least one fastening socket (15a, 15b) in the housing (10) for fixing the restraining means (40) in the housing (10).

2. Storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) for pharmaceutical products according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one fastening portion (41) of the constraining means (40) works with the fastening socket (15a, 15b) inside the housing (10) so that the constraining portion (42) of the constraining means (40) can be fixed in a height-adjustable manner.

3. A storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) of medicines according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said at least one fastening socket (15a, 15b) is located at the cylindrical section (11) of the casing (10).

4. A storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) for pharmaceutical products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said at least one fastening socket (15a, 15b) has a cylindrical cavity and said fastening portion (41) has at least one cylindrical guide portion (43a, 43b) located within said cylindrical cavity of said fastening socket (15a, 15 b).

5. A storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) for pharmaceutical products according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fastening portion (41) has a two-part design and each of the fastening portion parts (41a, 41b) works with one fastening socket (15a, 15 b).

6. A storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) for pharmaceutical products according to claim 5, characterized in that the two fastening part parts (41a, 41b) of the fastening portion (41) are located at an outer end section of the restriction portion (42).

7. A storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) for pharmaceutical products according to claim 6, characterized in that a resetting means is located within the fastening socket (15a, 15b), which resetting means pushes the limiting means (40) in the direction of the discharge opening (21).

8. A storage container for a storage and dispensing station (1) for pharmaceutical products according to claim 4, characterized in that said cylindrical cavity is deeper than the length of said cylindrical guiding portion (43a, 43 b).