EP1740459B1 - Installation for filling packaging units with medicaments for patients according to the prescribed weekly requirements - Google Patents

Abstract

The unit has seven daily rows/columns with three hour of day compartments. A box-shaped lid (33), folded about an axis extending along an edge of a blank (13), runs at a right angle to parallel day rows/column areas. The lid can be folded from a position covering the blank to a position releasing an opening side of the blank. The unit has a configuration of printable fields for a patient and data related to medications.

Description

The invention relates to a system for automatically equipping packaging units of medicaments with the individual weekly requirements of numerous patient - corresponding administration units - capsules, tablets, dragees - of various medications, arranged in a by - day - day - and daytime - morning, noon, evening, night Sequence should be taken in accordance with a patient-related medical prescription by the respective patient, and with the other, mentioned in the preamble of claim 1, genus-defining features.

Packing units of the type corresponding to the prior art have been obviously used by the company Temmler GmbH in the Federal Republic of Germany in the form of medication cartridges and thus well known.

Such packaging units should be for patients who regularly need to take several different drugs, a help to not only forget the intake of important drugs and on the other hand, to have a reliable overview of what medications are already taken, an over-medication, the harmful could be avoided.

The "usual" placement of such cassettes "by hand" is very time consuming and practically only by highly qualified professionals sufficiently reliable feasible, which is associated with correspondingly high personnel costs.

In order to reduce such costs, a compact system suitable for hospital use is known [(IV / MEDI CO., LTD. 390-1, Shin Won Dong, Seo Cho Gu, Seoul, Korea)], the weekly requirement of Patients can be filled with appropriate medication by machine in a packaging unit, which also supports the adherence to the chronological order of the drug intake. Data entry of the patient and the data relating to the medical prescription are computer-controlled by separating the medicaments from a magazine containing up to 400 different medicaments in separate cassettes and the orderly packaging of the separated medicaments in tubular packaging units where necessary the medicines can be taken for further sorting. The patient-related selection of drugs and their packaging is serial, such that sets of medicines associated with different patients are obtained sequentially, i. H. with the selection of drugs for a patient is only started after the selection of drugs for a previously considered patient is completed.

The known system is associated with the disadvantage that the loading of a plurality of packaging units is associated with a relatively large amount of time, since the filling of a packaging unit can only be started after a previously to be filled need package is completely filled. For a - almost industrial - use in the field of pharmaceutical wholesaling, in which it would be necessary to create daily in the range of some 50,000 lying number of individual packaging units, the known system would not be suitable. Such a quantity requirement would not be meaningful coverable with the required reliability.

The US 6,318,051 B1 describes a method for automatic picking of medicaments from a multi-container supply station wherein preselected blister packs of the same kind are stacked in associated containers in the form of substantially vertical storage wells, a blister pack being displaced into a lateral removal position located outside the stack. An extraction unit associated with the storage shafts with a removal finger is positioned over the respective drug to be removed and moved down to a counter-bearing for removal of the withdrawal finger, so that the removed drug unit falls into a predetermined well of a drip tray.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a system of the type mentioned above, which allows to achieve a drastic increase in the number of dispensable individually different consumption packaging units, with a typical magnitude for a 24-hour operation of the plant a figure of 100,000 is to be regarded, of course, under the constraint, highest possible safety of the regulation conformity.

This object is achieved according to the principles of the invention by the features of claim 1 and in advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention by the features of the other claims.

Thereafter, in the placement system according to the invention the medication individually assigned output stations are provided on which a daytime or weekday-related placement "line by line" juxtaposed receiving compartments of the packaging unit, is feasible; Furthermore, a "longitudinal" transport device is provided, by means of which the packaging units in a predetermined transport direction can be transported sequentially to the different medication individually assigned output stations, which are hereafter provided in a multiplicity corresponding to the number of drugs and usable for equipping different cassettes;
the delivery of the drug administration units to the dispensing stations takes place by means of the medicaments of individually associated transverse conveyors, which are controllable in parallel to the dispensing of medicaments which are dispensed for the purpose of equipping a multiplicity of different packaging units; For this purpose, the longitudinal transport device and the transverse conveyors with respect to transport stroke and conveying capacity are coordinated so that per transport stroke of the packaging units and per delivery stroke of the cross-conveyors each row-wise placement of the receiving compartments is achieved, which expediently each takes place in synchronized shutdown phases of the longitudinal transport and drug delivery cycles; in the case of certain simple, regular filling patterns, a continuous feed is possible both for the "longitudinal" transport of the packaging units and, alternatively or additionally, for the transverse conveyance of the medicament; by means of an electronic control unit provided for controlling the dispensing stations, which generates the required control signals from a processing of information signals which contain the information about the patients and the respectively associated contents of the packaging units and the control unit in a strictly correlated with the cassette advancing movements and Patients unambiguously assigned sequence continuously supplied, the widest possible reliability of the correct placement of the packaging units with drugs can be achieved and a high temporal loading rate achievable, so that about every second from the plant ready stocked packaging units are removable, each corresponding to an individual medical prescription. The medicaments - tablets, capsules, dragees or the like - are arranged equidistantly on strip blisters, which are wound onto a supply roll and transport drives are arranged between the roll and the output stations, which, as seen in the transport direction of the blister sequentially arranged ejection units, means derer the drugs from the blister farms expelled and in the receiving compartments of the respective packaging units can be dispensed.

If, as provided in accordance with claim 2, data that can be processed in the control signals are provided in machine-readable form in a spatially fixed association with the respective packaging units, ie. H. can be transported with these and thus reach reading stations, which are assigned to the output stations, the assembly process is controlled in a simple manner in the manner of a sequencer, which manages with a relatively low data processing effort and accordingly operates quickly and reliably.

Here, an arrangement of an output station associated reading station is useful, which allows reading the data already before the cassette to be loaded has arrived at the respective output station.

The packaging units or the receiving compartments bordering parts thereof are expediently also provided with printable fields, on which by means of the output stations individually assigned and integrated in this integrated printing devices protocol information can be printed on the basis of which the assembly of the respective packaging unit can be followed in each case, for reasons the failure safety and any required fault analysis can be of great importance.

This type of drug storage of the system and realization of the drug output to the packaging units is particularly suitable for a modular design of the entire system, such that an extension of the system to a larger variety of drugs is readily possible and by inserting one of the new Medication types assigned unit can be done. Also, a "modular" division of the system into groups of output stations and their associated supply roles, for example, in groups of ten output stations or a parent grouping in which, for example, five such groups of ten are combined to form a parent modular unit, is readily possible, as far as so Control purposes, eg. B. from the viewpoint of achieving the most balanced loading times for all drug cartridges, advantageous.

Control technology, it is particularly advantageous if the ejection units of an output station are arranged equidistant among themselves, preferably so that the distance Lp of adjacent ejection units is an integer multiple of the distance lp adjacent Blisterhöfe the Streifenblister. In this design, the output stations can for the transport of the strip blister a z. B. realizable by means of a Maltese cross, simple stepper mechanism transport, which allows in functional connection with a pedometer in a simple way a reliable feed path control. It is understood that in combination with a suitably selected path measuring system, a continuous strip blister feed can be provided.

Particularly suitable as ejection units are pneumatic Learcylinders which can be designed as single-acting cylinders equipped with return springs or else, depending on the force requirement in the alternative directions of movement, as double-acting cylinders.
Due to the features of claims 10 to 12, alternatively or in combination, realizable features of the strip blisters are specified, which enable secure transport and also enable a simple "automatic threading" of strip blisters to be used successively.

By the features of claims 13 and 14 configurations of the supply strip blisters are specified, which ensure a gentle output of the drugs from the blister farms by ejection by means of the ejection elements, since the by means of the ejection elements of the respective output station to be applied to the drugs "ejection" forces low can be kept. The comments made to the features of claims 11 and 12 applies mutatis mutandis to the design of the dispensing stations according to the features of claims 15 to 17, the advantage of which is to be seen in a particularly gentle and protected against wear and also against contamination treatment of the dispensed drugs.

By means of a device provided according to claim 18 for a common opening operation of release elements, both a constructive simplification of dispensing stations and a time-saving implementation of the dispensing of medication into the receiving compartments of the packaging units can be achieved.

In combination with drives, as indicated by the features of claims 19 and 20, simple incremental displacement sensor according to claim 21 can be used for path measurement or feed detection of the strip blister, their signals in combination with position sensors for edge markings of the strip blister, as according to the features Of claims 22 and 23 indicated, can be used to sufficiently precise position determinations for the motion control of the strip blister, for which purpose suitable edge markings can be obtained by means provided in accordance with claim 24 marking facilities of the plant itself. For this purpose, cutting stations according to claim 25 can be used.
According to claim 26 provided for functional verification, the security sensor devices can be realized in an advantageously simple arrangement and design according to claims 27 to 29.

Thanks to a modular structure of the assembly system according to the invention, such that their modules each include an output station, a cross conveyor, a supply roll for each strip blister and delivery drives and auxiliary drives and the required Wegmess- and monitoring sensors, it is by adding such modules for statistically often needed drugs readily possible, with relatively little effort "evenly" and needs-based placement systems according to the features of claim 30, preferably in the design according to claim 31 to realize.

Alternatively or additionally, a demand-based expansion of the capacity of a placement system according to the invention can also be represented according to the features of claim 32 with two or more transport systems for packaging units.

By means of a design of the placement system according to the features of claim 33, a continuous placement operation can also be realized with a uniformly continuous flow of medicament if the time requirement at the individual dispensing stations is different.

A particularly efficient production of weekly-requirement blisters as packaging units can be achieved in a preferred embodiment of the placement system according to the invention according to the features of claim 34.

Fig. 1

ein erstes Ausführungsbeispiel einer erfindungsgemäßen Anlage zur Bestückung von Verpackungseinheiten von Medikamenten in schematisch vereinfachter Draufsicht,

Fig. 2a

Details einer Ausgabestation der Anlage gemäß Fig. 1 im Schnitt längs der Linie II/II der Fig. 1, ebenfalls schematisch vereinfacht;

Fig. 2b bis 2e

verschiedene Phasen der Medikamenten-Ausgabe an der Ausgabestation gemäß Fig. 1 zur Erläuterung der Funktion der Anlage;

Fig.3a

Einzelheiten eines weiteren Ausführungsbeispiels einer erfindungsgemäßen Anlage in einer der Fig. 1 entsprechenden Darstellung;

Fig. 3b

eine schematisch vereinfachte Ansicht eines bei der Anlage gemäß der Fig. 1 oder 3a einsetzbaren inkremental arbeitenden Weggebers;

Fig. 4a

eine zum Wechseln von Streifenblister-Vorratsrollen geeignete Umschalteinrichtung in schematisch vereinfachter Seitenansicht;

Fig. 4b

eine zur Erzeugung von Markierungssignalen bei einer Anlage gemäß der Fig. 1 oder 3a geeignete Lichtschrankenanordung;

Fig. 5a

eine Antriebseinrichtung für den Transportantrieb eines Streifenblisters gemäß Fig. 4a;

Fig. 5b

und 5c je eine Führungseinrichtung der Umschalteinrichtung gemäß Fig. 4a;

Fig. 6a

bis 6d Einzelheiten der Streifenblister-Konfiguration zur Erläuterung ihrer Funktion;

Fig. 7a

eine weitere Gestaltung einer Ausgabestation einer Anlage gemäß Fig. 1 in einer der Fig. 2a entsprechenden Ansicht;

Fig. 7b

Einzelheiten eines Antriebes der Ausgabestation gemäß Fig. 7a und

Fig.7c

eine vereinfachte Schnittdarstellung einer ÜberwachungsLichtschranke für die Ausgabestation gemäß Fig. 7a.

Further details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawing. Show it:

Fig. 1

a first embodiment of a system according to the invention for the assembly of packaging units of medicaments in a schematically simplified plan view,

Fig. 2a

Details of an output station of the system according to Fig. 1 in section along the line II / II of Fig. 1 also schematically simplified;

Fig. 2b to 2e

different phases of medication delivery at the delivery station according to Fig. 1 to explain the function of the system;

3a

Details of a further embodiment of a system according to the invention in one of Fig. 1 corresponding representation;

Fig. 3b

a schematically simplified view of one in the system according to the Fig. 1 or 3a deployable incremental position encoder;

Fig. 4a

a suitable for changing strip blister supply rolls switching device in a schematically simplified side view;

Fig. 4b

one for generating marking signals in a system according to Fig. 1 or 3a suitable Lichtschrankenanordung;

Fig. 5a

a drive device for the transport drive of a strip blister according to Fig. 4a ;

Fig. 5b

and 5c each guide means of the switching device according to Fig. 4a ;

Fig. 6a

to 6d details of the striped blister configuration to explain its function;

Fig. 7a

a further design of an output station of a system according to Fig. 1 in one of the Fig. 2a corresponding view;

Fig. 7b

Details of a drive of the output station according to Fig. 7a and

7c

a simplified sectional view of a monitoring light barrier for the output station according to Fig. 7a ,

The in the Fig. 1 A placement system, generally designated 10, is intended for the filling of packaging units 11 with medicaments to be taken by a patient during the course of a week, these packaging units providing assistance to the patient should be that he, according to a medical prescription, a plurality of different drugs in prescription-appropriate dosage and temporal consequence takes, this nothing forgets and also can easily control what has been taken from him or must still be taken.

The packaging units 11 are designed in the manner of blister packs, in which a multiplicity of receptacles 12 of rectangular shape in the basic form are combined into a uniform transporting board 13 in a regular rectangular matrix configuration. According to a design as a so-called weekly blister, with which the weekly medication needs of a patient is provided, the transport board 13 comprises a total of twenty eight receptacles 12 of the same basic form, in the selected for explanation, special embodiment in a number of days of the week corresponding number of columns and in four Different hours of intake - morning, noon, evening and night - are arranged.

In the direction of the - four - lines and seen in the direction of the - seven - columns of the respective transport board 13, the receiving compartments 12 are each arranged equidistantly.

By means of a generally designated 14, only schematically indicated longitudinal transport device, which may be implemented in the manner of a "linear" conveyor belt device, which has its own drive, or can be realized by means of a plurality of drives, the "direct" engage the transport boards 13, which are to be equipped with the medication transport boards 13 sequentially to along this transport means 14 arranged, a total of 16 designated output stations transportable. At each of these dispensing stations, a drug is dispensed, the medication dispensing at the respective dispensing station 16 being "line by line" such that during a stoppage phase the longitudinal transport device 14 each of the administration time - morning, noon, evening or night - associated with administration units in the respective administration days Monday and / or Tuesday, etc. to Sunday assigned receiving compartments 12 are entered.

The delivery of the medicaments to the dispensing stations 16 takes place in turn by means of the medications individually assigned, in each case designated 17 transverse conveyors, which are arranged in the transport direction of the transport boards 13 equidistant along the conveyor 14, wherein the distance between adjacent transverse conveyors 17th expediently equal to the width measured in the transport direction b of the transport boards 13 is selected and the boards 13 are in turn designed so that in a transport configuration of the boards 13, in which these with their transverse to the transport direction edges 18 / r and 18 / v directly to each other abut, the distance of each adjacent receptacle rows, one of which is the night-taking and the other of the morning revenue is the same as the distance between two adjacent each other within a board 13 rows of bins and the feed increment correspond t, with a z. B. clock-controlled feed of the transport boards 13 in the transport direction of the transport device 14 takes place. In a typical design of the transport boards 13, these are formed symmetrically with respect to their respective median longitudinal plane 19 which extends between the two inner banks of receptacles 12 associated with the midday and evening receptions and is perpendicular to the plane marked by the opening edges of the receptacles 12.

The medicaments individually associated transverse conveyor are realized by means of strip blisters 21 which are wound on supply rolls 22 and deducted from these. The supply rolls 22 are of - for the sake of simplicity not shown - recorded flat cassettes, the can also form the bearings in which the rollers, when the - interchangeable - cartridges are inserted into the system 10, are rotatably mounted.

The strip blister 21, to explain their now on the FIGS. 2a to 2e Reference is made, consist of strip-shaped plastic films 26 with hemispherical or trough-shaped farms 23 formed on one side, which are provided for receiving a respective tablet or a drug capsule. The farms containing the respective medicaments are covered with a cover strip 24, which in turn is foil-bonded to the plastic strips 26 forming the courtyards 23. The cover strip 24 may in turn be formed as a plastic strip, but is often also designed as a thin aluminum strip or metallized plastic strip, which is provided in the region of the yard openings with acting as predetermined breaking lines line embossing or functionally similar perforations therewith, the opening or the machine removal the drugs from the farms 23 facilitate.

The yards 23 are in the design example illustrated for explanation on the strip blisters 21 immediately "tight" -noneinander arranged to achieve the highest possible storage capacity per supply roll 22. Seen in the transport direction of the strip blister 21, which cross the seven receiving compartments each arranged in a time-of-day row receiving compartments 12, these are also dense, ie, each other immediately adjacent arranged so that between two adjacent storage compartments 12 remaining, in the transport direction of the weekly blister extending dividers are narrow against the transversely to the transport direction of the weekly blister measured clear width of the receiving compartment openings. In a typical design of the weekly blister transport boards 13, the periodicity length Lp of the row arrangement of the receiving compartments 12 of the transport board 13 measured transversely to the transport direction of the weekly blister 11 corresponds to three times the value Ip of the correspondingly measured periodicity length of the arrangement of the yards 23 of the strip blister 21 or another integer multiple of this periodicity length lp, preferably an odd-numbered multiple thereof.

In this vote periodicity lp and Lp of the strip blister 21 and the row arrangements of the receiving compartments 12 of the transport boards 13, it is always possible to "centrally" over each of the receiving compartments 12 to place a court 23 of the strip tray running along the receiving tray and in this central Arrangement the medicine contained in the courtyard 26 in the immediately below arranged receiving compartment 12 of the transport board 13 of the weekly blister 11 issue.

For output control of drugs from the strip blisters 21 in the receiving compartments 12 of the transport board 13 seven ejection plunger 27 up to the opening plane of the receiving compartments 12 of the transport board 13 are provided per output station 16 to the ejection actuation ever a pneumatic actuating cylinder 28 / 1 to 28/7 is provided.

The actuating cylinder 28 of the respective output station 16 are arranged with identical design so that their central longitudinal axes 29, which are also the central longitudinal axes of the ejector plunger 27, a perpendicular to the opening plane of the transport boards 13 and perpendicular to the transport direction of the transport boards 13 extending longitudinal center plane 31 (FIGS. Fig.1 ) of the respective output station.

For the purpose of explanation, it is first assumed that the actuation cylinders 28/1 to 28/7 can be actuated both individually at different times and simultaneously in several and in any desired combination. Furthermore, it is assumed that the actuating cylinder have a return spring 32, which the piston 33 of the respective actuating cylinder 28 and thus also the respective plunger 27 in its upper end position as Basic position urges, in which the respective actuating plunger 27 is disengaged from the respectively associated receiving compartment 12 of a transport board 13 to be equipped and its free end face 34, which expediently has a concave shape which is approximately complementary to the shape of the medicament to be ejected, for example; is arranged at a vertical distance from the outer sides of the Blisterhöfe 23, so that a strip blister 21 can be moved freely between a pickup transport board 13 and the above arranged actuating cylinders 28 of the output station 16 in its dispensing positions, which possibly a multiple back and forth Procedure of the strip blister 21 may require at the output station 16.

The need in this regard is given, for example, when a drug is not taken every day of the week, but for example, only Monday, Wednesday and Friday and should be avoided that are transported by the continuous transport of the respective strip blister medication beyond the output station and thereby either considerable effort to recover these drugs must be driven or their loss would be acceptable. In order to realize the appropriate output control in this case example with the lowest possible transport or time expenditure, it is expedient to proceed as follows:

For the explanation of the in the Fig. 2a illustrated configuration of an output station 16, in which all the courts of the strip blister 21, which are arranged as shown to the right of the courtyard 23, which is located below the plunger 27 of the leftmost, z. Including the yard itself, nor the delivery unit 17 to be provided at this dispensing drug delivery unit seen in the conveying direction of the strip blister 21, but all originally left of the below the plunger 27 of the " Mondays "Actuation Cylinder 28/1 arranged drug administration units have been previously issued.

In this "initial" configuration, the "monday" cylinder 28/1 is the first to be actuated, resulting in that in which, as shown in FIG Fig. 2a Drug contained on the leftmost court is dispensed into the underneath mounted "Montags" receptacle 12 of the transport board 13. After the plunger 27 of the ejection cylinder 28/1 is again disengaged from the transport blister 21, it is retracted so far in the direction of the arrow 36 "to the right" until the now furthest left, still containing a drug court 23rd is arranged below the plunger 27 of Wednesday associated ejection cylinder 28/3, which is operated thereon. For the next ejection cycle, the blister 21 is retracted until the now leftmost, still filled courtyard is located under the plunger of Friday associated output cylinder 28/5, whereupon this is actuated. After the most recent output operation, the strip blister 21 can remain in the position now occupied and transported in a subsequent output cycle in the most suitable starting position for this.

For the - statistically significant - case that at an output station 17 each seven receiving compartments 12 are to be equipped with the output drug of this station 16, a simple way of output control is possible as follows:

For explanation, turn from the in the Fig. 2a illustrated configuration of output station 16 and strip blister 21. In the "initial" configuration given hereafter, all seven actuation cylinders 28/1 to 28/7 are actuated simultaneously to execute the ejection stroke of their ejector plungers 27 and thereafter are immediately actuated again to execute the retreat stroke into their illustrated basic position. The after Configuration of the strip blister 21 given in the execution of the ejection stroke is shown in FIG Fig. 2b shown. The respectively ejected administration unit - tablet or dragee - is now in one of the illustrated in the embodiment, four on the time of day related receiving tray lines of the transport board 13. After the further transport of the transport board 13 to z. B. a "day" step size of the amount b / 4 ( Fig.1 ) and further transport of the strip blister 21 with respect to the discharge station by a periodicity length of the yard arrangement results in the Fig. 2c illustrated configuration of the strip blister 21 with respect to the output station 16, in which again by common control of the actuating cylinder 28/1 the next on the time of day related receptacle line of the transport board 13 can be filled with one administration unit of the drug provided at the dispensing station. The configuration of the strip blister 21 given hereinafter is shown schematically simplified in FIG.

Renewed repetition of the aforementioned transport and indexing steps finally leads to the in the Fig. 2e illustrated configuration of the strip blister 21, which now a transport shift of the strip blister to those in the Fig. 2e With St designated transport path requires, so that again assumed as the starting position strip blister position is achieved, can be started again in the described output cycles.

Control signals for in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2a only schematically illustrated electromechanical feed drives 36, by means of which the strip blister 21 - transversely to the transport direction of the transport boards 13 - transportable to the individual, formed by the pneumatic output cylinder 28/1 to 28/7 output stations 16 and the cylinders are like deliverable and, if necessary, too limited backward movements are controllable and control signals for solenoid valves 37, by means of which the ejection cylinder 28/1 to 28/7 individually or to several, possibly all at the same time, with Pressure from a source of compressed air, not shown, can be relieved of pressure again and after execution of your working stroke and other control signals for electromechanical auxiliary drives 38, for transporting emptied blister sections and / or for tensioning the strip blister below the Ausstroßzylinder 28/1 to 28/7 are usable are generated by means of the output stations 16 individually associated electronic control units 41 which are controllable in the cycle of the feed-transport movements of the transport boards 13 in the signal generating operation, so that the operating phases of the electronic control units 41 are synchronized as it were by the transport cycle of the transport device 14 , The transport device 14 is expediently designed as a progressing device, with short transport phases and with respect to these much longer standstill phases, wherein in each case the next "line" per transport cycle - group of seven receiving compartments 12 - the delivery position below the output cylinder 28/1 to 28 / 7 of the respective output station 16 passes.

The electronic control units 41 of the dispensing stations 16 generate the control signals for the blister feed drives 36, the control valves 37 of the ejection cylinders 28/1 to 28/7 and for the respective auxiliary drives 38 of the dispensing station 16 from a processing of patient-related data in a machine-readable form a data carrier are stored, which is assigned to a transport board "fixed" and is carried by this as it were. The disk contains in a suitably coded form, z. B. as a binary number, the name of the drug to be issued at the mentioned output station 16. Through this information, the corresponding output station 16 is addressed as it were, ie prepared for an output cycle. Accordingly, in the Fig. 1 only schematically indicated read head 42 (i) with respect to its associated output station 16i [(i = 1 ... n, n = number of output stations of Appendix 10)] arranged so that between reading the information and Response of the output station 16 to be addressed (i) sufficient time is available for reliable processing of the information data.

In the particular embodiment chosen for illustration, the data carrier 43 on the one, according to Fig. 1 left, extending in the direction of transport transverse edge of the respective transport board 13. In addition to the identification of the respective medicament, data which also individualize the patient and the data containing temporal administration patterns are stored on the data carrier 43 in a machine-readable manner.

In the described arrangement of the reading head 42i and output station 16i, the time window within which the ejection cylinders 28/1 to 28/7 of the respective ejection station 16 are actuated is determined by the number of advancing steps of the conveyor 14 to which the read head 42 is earlier than the read head 42 each receiving tray line is passed as their receiving compartments are equipped at the output station with the respective drug.

The control of the feed movements of the strip blister 21 is explained for the embodiment chosen for explanation on the basis of the function of the control and drive elements involved thereon, the apparatus implementation hereafter the skilled person readily in many ways possible; Accordingly, attention should be given to apparatus details only insofar as they are specific to the assembly system 10 according to the invention.

The "response" - preparation of the assembly operation phase at a selected output station 16i - takes place in that the information signals to be processed by the electronic control unit 41i are already read into them by means of a read head 42i assigned to this electronic control unit 41i the to be equipped at the output station 16i transport board 13 still in the region of that output station 16 (i-1), which is located in front of the discharge station 16i in the direction of transport.

Already in this situation, if the output station 16i is not in turn still working in the loading operation, the loading operation for the still at the station 16 (i -1) located transport board 13 be prepared by the deductible from the supply roll 22i strip blister 21i in the for the Bestückungsvorgang suitable starting position is transported, for example, in the Fig. 2a position shown for the basis of the Fig. 2a to 2e described functional example a displacement of the strip blister 21 i by the distance St ( Figure 2e ) would require.

On the basis of the data read into the control unit 41 i, this generates the set of control signals which trigger the advancing and retracting movements of the strip blisters which are executed at the "line" traces assigned to the different intake times - morning, noon, evening, night and the data for the selection of the output cylinders to be activated. The output of the control signals representing these data is then clock-controlled by electrical signals which are generated continuously with execution of the advancing movements of the transport boards 13. Here, the different, within an output game of the output station 16i also be carried out in alternate directions feed movements are given by amount and direction.

To detect the executed in a given direction TransportWeges is a in the Fig. 3a shown schematically, generally designated 44 "incremental" Wegmeßsystem provided that emits a count pulse for each traveled in a given direction "small" Weginkrement to the electronic control unit 41i, which are summed depending on the direction of movement - forward / backward - with a positive or negative sign so that reached within an output game Sum is a measure of the case deducted length of the strip blister.

In the Fig. 3a is a simple realization of an incremental position measuring system indicated by the fact that along a marginal strip 46 of his movements to be followed strip blister 21 at a small distance δs consecutive "stroke" marks 47 are provided which are arranged on one or more only schematically arranged sensors 48 of a stationary Measuring head 49 pass by thereby triggering the generation of a count pulse. As edge markings 47 are optically recognizable in a simple manner perforations, but also from the magnetic tape technology known magnetic markers that can be detected with standard read heads and used to output incremental counts.

An appropriate for a placement system according to the invention incremental measuring system 51 may, like the Fig. 3b removable, alternatively, be designed as an "independent" functional unit that manages without marking measures on the respective strip blister 21.

The measuring system 51 acc. Fig. 3b has two parallel to parallel axes 52 and 53 freely rotatable rollers 54 and 56, which are arranged opposite to each other with a minimum force to the opposing edge strip boundary surfaces of the strip blister 21 are pressed and these are frictionally coupled with movement. The one, according to the illustrated embodiment, the upper roller 52 is connected via a flat peripheral teeth with a gear 57 of smaller diameter in positive engagement, which in turn is rotatably connected to an impeller 58, the wings 59 for the purpose of generating counts for interrupting light barriers or a position-dependent detuning of inductive sensor circuits can be used, whereby by the use of suitable ratios a quasi high-resolution division of the strip blister displacement path can be achieved in a variety of Weginkrementen, which are small in magnitude against the expansion of Blisterhöfe 23 in the transport direction.

By means of the circumferential toothing, with which the sliding roller 54 is supported on the edge strip of the strip blister 21, thanks to an ever-present flexibility of the blister material, a form-fitting engagement of the roller 54 with the strip blister 21 is achieved, which enables a precise path measurement.

The drive and guide rollers 60 and 61 of the feed drive 36, which are used for a temporary pulling, temporarily sliding strip blister drive, as well as the drive and guide rollers 62 and 63 (FIG. Fig. 2a ) of auxiliary drives 38 are expediently provided with "flat", ie radially only slightly expanded and also substantially edge-free formed serrations, which can enter due to an elastic deformability of the carrier material of the strip blister 21 in a quasi-positive engagement with this, the transport Reliability promotes.

If an incremental measuring system is used for position control and monitoring, it is necessary, from time to time, to set a defined, selected reference position for the selected arrangement and design of the incremental position measuring system used with a defined counter reading is to be able to generate characteristic display signal to be able to check on the basis of the occurrence of this signal, whether the measuring system has reached that count, which must be given at the detected by the signal position of the strip blister. In the event of a deviation, the occurrence of the positional characteristic signal may be used to "post-calibrate" the measurement system by setting the meter's counter to the positional characteristic value. Appropriately, a Such recalibration or verification automatically made always when the strip blister reaches the reference position.

In the illustrative embodiment shown, for the generation of the reference mark indication signal, a total of 64 ( Fig. 2a ) used in the interruption of the blister carrier, the position-characteristic reference signal is generated. This signal occurs as soon as a free transverse edge of the "spent" blister strip end portion, from which a spent end of the strip blister 21 has previously been cut by means of a cutting device designated 66, interrupts the sensor flux of the light barrier 64.

It is understood that suitable reference marks can also be set in other ways, for example by punching out a perforation hole "somewhere" at the edge of the blister carrier through which the sensor luminous flux of a light barrier can pass for the purpose of triggering a position indication signal. Also, prints that are optically detectable, or inductively detectable metal marks can be used appropriately as reference marks.

It is expedient if, as seen in the transport direction, the position of the strip blister 21 both before entering the dispensing station 16 and after emerging from the same found, d. H. can be used to output a "calibration" control signal.

The ability to detect the feed and any retracting movements of the strip blister 21 and to be able to control both in terms of magnitude and in terms of speed is in a by the detailed representation of the Fig. 4a Represented design of a loading device according to the invention to an automatic transition from a supply roll 22/1 used on a second supply roll 22/2, so that at an output station 16, which are associated with the two supply rollers 22/1 and 22/2, after exhaustion of the blister stock at the first used supply roll 22/1 on the use of wound on the second supply roll 22/2 strip blister supply can be passed without the To suspend assembly operation of the assembly system 10.

A designated thereto, generally designated 68 switching means here mediates the function that, as soon as the strip blister stock that can be deducted from the supply roll 22/1 is exhausted, is switched to peeling off the strip blister 21 of the second supply roll 22/2 and a common transport of both blister strips 21/1 and 21/2 is achieved, such that the free "rear" end 69 of the "spent" strip blister 21/1 and the free "start" end face 71 of the subsequently used strip blister 21/2 in Plant are brought together and, while the end portion of the exhausted strip blister 21/1 and the initial portion of the subsequent strip blister 21/2 are transported through the discharge station 16, held against each other until the transition to the second blister strip 21/2 is completed and thereafter, sufficient time is available to arrive at the considered output station 16 to exchange the "spent" supply roll 22/1 against a new supply roll, which is then available when the other supply roll 22/1 is exhausted.

A design of the switching device 68 suitable for implementing these functions is again explained on the basis of the functions of subunits of the switching device, by means of which a person skilled in precision engineering and control technology can implement the switching device 68, so that the explanation of design details seems unnecessary.

The switching device 68 essentially consists of a total of 72 designated "Y" -Führungungssystem, the two each one of the two Strip Blister 21/1 and 21/2 associated guide branches 73/1 and 73/2 and these each individually associated transport drives 74/1 and 74/2 includes, as well as one from the union of the two guide branches 73/1 and 73/2 forthcoming and continuing Guide branch 73/3, over which the deductible from the various supply rolls 22/1 and 22/2 strip blister strands can be transported by means of the Zustellantriebes 36 alternatively to the output station 16.

The transport drives 74/1 and 74/2 can be largely analogous to the delivery drives 36 and the further auxiliary drives 38 in terms of their design and the particular drive concept used; However, these transport drives 74/1 and 74/2 should be controlled so that they are at least temporarily operable at a higher transport speed than the respective subsequent feed drive 36, the transport speed of each strip blister used in the unified leadership branch 73/3 and in the following Delivery station 16 determines, so that the one strip blister end portion which has been deducted from the exhausted supply roll 22/1 or 22/2, subsequent initial sections of the strip blotter 21/2 or 21/1 to be threaded have reached the end portion of the united guide section 73/3 Stripe blaster "catch up", d. H. can be brought into contact with this, so that these stripe blisters continue as it were "uninterrupted" each other and in the output station 16, a gap in the used for equipping the drug cartridge 11 Blisterhöfe 23 is avoided.

In the embodiment chosen for explanation, the transport drives 74/1 and 74/2 have one on the "smooth" output side 76 of the strip blister 21/1 and 21/2, each arranged on guide element-free sections of the switching device 68, at a purely schematic indicated frame 77 freely rotatable about parallel to the axes of rotation of the supply rollers 22/1 and 22/2 extending axes 78/1 and 78/2 mounted rollers 79/1 and 79/2, which are pressed over the entire width of them pressed to them Strip blister 21/1 and 21/2 extend, and by means not shown electric motors drivable drive rollers 81/1 and 81/2, which are arranged opposite the rollers 79/1 and 79/2 opposite and to an edge strip of the rollers 79/1 and 79/2 opposite Hofseiten 82/1 and 82/2 of the strip blister 21/1 and 21/2 can roll off, with the drive rollers 81/1 and 81/2 in frictional or kraftformschlüssigem, essentially, that is apart from elastic deformations , slip-free engagement stand.

At the by the Fig. 5a reproduced - functional - design of the transport drives 74/1 and 74/2 whose drive rollers 81 are designed and arranged so that they attack only one of the two edge strips 83/1 and 83/2 of the respective strip blister 21, between which the Blisterhöfe 23rd The strip blisters 21 are each formed symmetrically with respect to their longitudinal center planes 84, which extend between the edge strips 83/1 and 83/2.

The according to Fig. 4a to the Zustellantrieben 36 leading guide branches 73/3 of the "Y" Guiding 72 are, as shown in Fig. 5b immediately visible, each formed by a pair of "U" profiles 86/1 and 86/2, which, with their parallel legs 87/1 and 87/2 facing each other, are arranged so that the clear, "horizontal" Distance of their yoke legs 88, except for a required for the ease of displacement of the blister strip match the width of the strip blister 21 corresponds, said guide U-profiles 86/1 and 86/2 the edge strips 83/1 and 83/2 of Embrace strip blister on most of the edge strip width; the clear distance af the courtyard-side narrow end edges 89 of the courtyard-side U-profile leg 87/1 is sufficiently dimensioned that the Blisterhöfe 23 can not touch the guide profiles.

The "vertical" distance between the mutually parallel profile legs 87/1 and 87/2 of the guide U-profiles 86/1 and 86/2 is slightly, z. B. by 10% 20%, greater than the sum of the thicknesses of the guide edge strips 83/1 and 83/2 of the strip blister 21/1 and 21/2 and the Blisterhöfe 23 "down" final blister cover strip 91, so that although a smooth sliding of the Strip blister 21/1 and 21/2 is ensured in the horizontal unification guide branch 73/3 of the respective "Y" Guiding 72, an overlap of two Streifenblister in the region of an end portion of a disposed in the discharge station area strip blister with an initial portion of a "nachgeschobenen "Strip blister, however, is reliably excluded.

The structure of the guide branches 73/1 and 73/2 extending between the transport drives 74/1 and 74/2, on the one hand, and the junction 92 of the respective "Y" guiding system 72, on the other hand, is analogous to that of the merging section 73/3, instead of U-profiles, as in Fig. 5b for realizing the guide branch 73/3 leading directly to the output station 16, for the realization of the two "convergent", superimposed guide branches 73/1 and 73/2 also simple angle profiles 93 (FIG. Fig. 5c ), which are fastened on mutually facing sides of frame plates 94/1 and 94/2, which form housing elements of a switching device 68 formed as a functional module.

The construction carried out for the "Y" guidance system 72 also applies mutatis mutandis to a "vertical" connection guide designated overall by 96, by means of which the strip blister 21/1 removable from the one supply roll 22/1 is fed to the associated transport drive 74/1 of the switching device is, as well as for the according Fig. 4a "horizontal" connection guide 97, via which the removable from the second supply roll 22/2 strip blister 21/2 the associated transport drive 74/2 of the switching device 68 can be fed.

These connection guides 96 and 97 are expediently realized in the context of the switching device 68.

In the illustrated version of the switching device 68, the connection guides 96 and 97 are equipped with end sensors 98/1 and 98/2 shown schematically as photocells, which deliver an evaluable for controlling the system 10 output signal when the end of one of the respective Supply roll withdrawn strip blister 21/1 or 21/2 a barrier light beam releases - no longer shaded - or generate a characteristic of the interruption of the barrier light beam signal when the beginning of a deductible from the respective role strip blister shields the barrier light beam ,

These signals can be used for a calibration or verification of the displays of encoders, such as the z. B. based on the FIGS. 3a and 3b explained in the basic idea.

A suitable for detecting the position of a strip blister light barrier assembly 99 can also with the in the Fig. 4b schematically shown construction in which the barrier light beam 101 is released when it can pass through the gap between two blister yards 23, but by the Blisterhöfe itself is largely shadowed. By evaluating a sequence of detector output signals of this light barrier arrangement 99 in correlation to Weggeber output signals with an arrangement as based on the Fig. 3b described, are obtainable, the end of the strip blister 21/1 or 21/2 can be determined very accurately, of course, taking into account the geometric dimensions of the system 10 and its output stations 16th

In one in the Fig. 6a to 6d reproduced, typical design of strip blister 21, the courts 23, which receive the medication, as unilateral trough-shaped bulges 102 one of a transparent Plastic material existing strip 100 formed. These bulges 102 are z. B. achieved by deep drawing of the thermoplastically presupposable plastic material, wherein in the bulges a material weakening occurs such that the trough-shaped areas have a resilient, flabby consistency, so that they are easily deformed by means of the plunger 27 of the output cylinder 28, while the rest "even "Strip area, which forms the used for transport longitudinal edge strip 46 and the openings 103 of the courtyards 23 bounded, have a stiffer, bending elastic consistency. These openings are covered in ready-prepared strip blister 21 by a cover strip designated as a whole with 104, which is firmly bonded to the tub-forming, transparent plastic strip 100 after the drugs are inserted into the trough-shaped protrusions.

Also, the cover strip 104 is suitably made of a plastic material which is flexible in bending at the intended dimensions.

According to Fig. 6c For example, the cover strip 104 is narrower than the tub-forming plastic strip 100, but wide enough that the tub openings 103 are located entirely within the strip width of the cover strip 104. The cover strip 104 is provided with narrow longitudinal slots 106/1 and 106/2 and between these extending transverse slots 107, in each case in the region of its openings covering the trough openings 103, which in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the region of the respective opening 103 is that of FIG Fig. 6c detachable H-shaped slit image, which is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal center plane 108 of the strip blister 21 and in each case also symmetrically with respect to the transverse center plane 109 (FIG. Fig. 6b ) of the respective Blisterhofes 23.

The cohesive fixation of the cover strip 104 on the tub-forming plastic strip 100 is realized such that a solid cohesive connection between these two plastic strips only in the area Longitudinal strips 111/1 and 111/2 of the cover strip as well as in the region of transverse bands 112 of the cover strip 100, which extend between longitudinally adjacent blister yams 23.

As a result, each of the two offset by the transverse slot 107 rectangular wings 113/1 and 113/2, which cover coplanar, cover the trough opening 103, remain movable and, when the respective ejection cylinder is actuated, in the manner of a hinged door open ( Fig. 6d ), through which the respective drug emerge and in the case of a design of the plant as in the Fig. 2a represented in the arranged receiving compartment of the transport board 13 can be output.

In the course of the withdrawal of the ejector plunger 27 in its initial position, the two "door" wings 113/1 and 113/2 return to their starting positions due to their elasticity, in which they continue the transport of the strip blister 21, which is also in the field of output cylinders can be performed in U-shaped profile guide elements, as based on the Fig. 5b already explained, not hinder.

In contrast to the output station 16 according to Fig. 2a are at the output station 16 according to Fig. 7a , to the details of which reference is now made, collected from the strip blister 21 by means of the ejection cylinders 28/1 to 28/7 from the blister yards 23 medicaments 122 collected at an intermediate level above the transport board 13 before - preferably simultaneously - in the receiving compartments 12th the transport board 13 are delivered.

This intermediate level is determined by the arrangement of a generally designated 117 movable cover strip, which is arranged at a vertical distance from the blister strip 21 below the same and parallel to this immediately above the transport board 13 and in a not specifically illustrated transverse guide, which is analogous to the reference of the Fig. 5b is constructed, is transverse to the transport direction of the board 13 slidably.

This cover strip, with which at the respective output station 16 in a row juxtaposed receiving compartments 12 of the transport board 13 can be covered, has a to the cover strip ( Fig. 5b such as Fig. 6a to 6d ) of the strip blister 21 analog design with wing-shaped flaps bounded by H-shaped flaps 119/1 and 119/2, the periodicity Lp this periodic flap structure of the cover strip 117 of those of the receiving compartments 12 of the transport board 13 corresponds within a row of such subjects. A transport drive for the cover strip 117, which is not shown for the sake of simplicity, is designed such that the transport step size corresponds to the periodicity length Lp or a natural fracture thereof, and the transport is controlled from step to step such that the transverse slot 118 is at standstill of the cover strip 117 between the two cover wings 119/1 and / 119/2, which cover each one of the receiving compartments 12 at a standstill, in the respective "vertical" longitudinal center plane 121, in which also the transverse slot 107 of the strip blister cover strip arranged above in the dispensing position of the strip blister 21 runs.

In the illustrative embodiment, the periodicity length Lp of the cover strip 117 is twice the amount of the priority length of the strip blister 21.

In the design of the output station according to Fig. 7a For example, the drug delivery units 122 ejected from the respective yards 23 of the strip blister are initially "centered" on top of the cover strip 117 and are supported by the edges of the pivotable wings 119/1 and 119/2 of the cover strip 117 disposed on either side of the longitudinal center plane 121. The output of the medication 122 into the below the cover strip 117 arranged receiving compartments 12 of the respective Transport board 13 takes place in the illustrated embodiment by 90 ° pivoting in the representation of Fig. 7a hammer-shaped Austriebs elements 123, which consists of a in the right part of the Fig. 7a illustrated basic position in which they are received by receiving slots of a between the strip blister guide and the guide of the cover strip 117 extending housing block 124, in the left part of the Fig. 7 shown Austriebs position are pivotable, in which the drug 122 falls between the dispersed transverse edges 125/1 and 125/2 in the respective receptacle, after which the respective expulsion element 123 is pivoted back to its "vertical" basic position.

For the ejection operation of the expulsion elements 123, a common drive is provided in the embodiment chosen for explanation, which is realized by means of a double-acting pneumatic cylinder 126, by means of which a flat bar 127 on the housing block 124 back and forth; this flat bar 127 is provided with vertically extending guide slots 128, with which a driving pin 129 of the sprouting elements 123 is in a sliding-form-locking engagement, such that with the in the direction of the double arrow 131 of Fig. 7b taking "horizontal" forward and backward movements of the flat bar 128 in the direction of the double arrow 132 of FIG Fig. 7b extending 90 ° -Schwenkbewegungen the expulsion elements 123 can be achieved.

In order to check the function of the output station 116, the output cylinders 28/1 to 28/7 are individually assigned, in each case in total labeled 133 ( Fig. 7c ), whose respective optical axis 134 extends in the vertical longitudinal center plane 121 between the transverse edges 125/1 and 125/2 of the wing-shaped flaps 119/1 and 119/2 of the "lower" cover strip 117 and at a clear distance above the same, about half the diameter of the drug to be dispensed 122 equivalent.

The cover strip 117 is made of an elastic material, so that the hill-shaped flaps 119/1 and 119/2, after the medicament 122 is ejected downward, snap back into their original position, in which the flaps 119/1 and 119/2 coplanar again are arranged.

A suitable material may be an elastic plastic, wherein the cover strip 117 may additionally be metallized.

The cover strip 117 is a functional element of an as it were integrated into the system 10 device for function control and quality assurance and therefore may not be exposed to the risk of damage in turn. Accordingly, the cover strip is slidable - "renewable" - such that the dispensing station 16 is at least from time to time populated with a "new" cover strip portion, the cover strip being shifted in cycles by a periodicity length Lp, for example after the expiration of ten output cycles of the respective one Dispensing station, of course, as required to the effect that a conceivable by a damage of the cover strip in the output station area danger is excluded.

Inventive placement equipment, as previously explained, may be modified in a variety of ways. Variations not shown are e.g. the following:

For a variety of drugs required, multiple dispensing modules, each including a dispensing station and a supply roll, may be provided.

It is also possible a design of a placement system according to the invention such that of a blister supply roll a double output station is supplied, if in a placement system with two placement lines a supply roll sufficient to serve both placement lines, in which case the more frequently used drugs are supplied by a respective supply roll and one of these associated output station.

An expedient modification may also be that in the design with two transport lines, the matrix lines of the cassette arrangement are assigned to the times of the day and the sequence of days as it corresponds to the columns of the matrix arrangement of the parallel to be loaded pairs of transport boards 13. In this case, the dispensing station has eight ejection elements in the event that the daily division morning, noon, evening and night is given, in the case of the Fig. 1 to 7c described embodiments was represented by the matrix lines.

Claims (33)

1. Arrangement for filling packaging units with a plurality of medicaments, which in each case correspond to the weekly requirements of a plurality of different patients who have to take these medicaments in an ordered sequence according to date (day of the week) and time of day (morning, midday, evening, night time) corresponding to a patient-related medical prescription, in which the packaging units have receiving compartments for the medicament administration units - capsules, tablets, pills - arranged in a matrix configuration of lines and columns, which medicaments have to be taken in each case within the time spans of the respective patient identified by the arrangement of the compartments within the matrix, with the following features:

   a) delivery stations (16) individually associated with the packaging units (11) are provided, at which a line-by-line filling of all or only a proportion of selected compartments (12) automatically takes place;

   b) a longitudinal transporting device (14) is provided, by means of which the packaging units (11) can be transported in a predetermined direction sequentially to the delivery station (16) associated individually with the various medicaments;

   c) the feed of the medicament administration units to the delivery stations takes place by means of transverse conveying devices individually associated with the medicaments;

   d) the longitudinal transporting device (14) and the transverse conveying devices (36, 38) are matched to one another as regards transporting stroke and conveying capacity so that a sequential line-by-line filling of the receiving compartments (12) can be achieved per transporting stroke of the packaging units (11) in the column direction of the receiving compartment arrangement, and per conveying stroke of the transverse conveying devices in the line direction of the receiving compartment arrangement, the said filling taking place in each case in synchronised stoppage phases of the longitudinal transporting and transverse conveying cycles;

   e) to control the delivery stations (16) within the context of the medical prescription-oriented filling of the packaging units (11) with medicaments, an electronic control unit (41) is provided that generates the necessary control signals in this respect by processing information signals that contain information on the patients and on the contents of the packaging units associated in each case with the latter, which signals are continuously passed to the control unit (41) in a sequence unambiguously associated with the patient and synchronised with the forward feed movements of the packaging units (11),

   characterised in that the administration units - tablets, capsules, pills - are arranged equidistantly on the blister strips (21) that are wound on the storage roll (22) and can be withdrawn from the latter, that transporting drives for the transverse conveyance of the blister strips (21) are arranged between the storage rolls (22) and the delivery stations (16), and that the delivery stations (16), seen in the transporting direction of the blister strips (21), have ejection units (28) arranged in succession one after the other, by means of which the medicaments can be ejected from the blister wells (23) and delivered into the receiving compartments (12) of the packaging units (11).
2. Filling arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that within a spatially defined configuration relating to the packaging units (11), data carriers associated with the latter are provided, which contain the patient-related data in machinereadable form.
3. Filling arrangement according to claim 2, characterised in that reading stations (42) for the data carriers of the packaging units are provided at the delivery stations (16) and are integrated in the latter.
4. Filling arrangement according to claim 2 or claim 3, characterised in that the reading station (42) provided for a delivery station (16), seen in the transporting direction of the packaging units (11), is arranged at a delivery station (16) arranged upstream of the delivery station to be controlled.
5. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the packaging units (11) have printable areas on which label-type information, in particular on the procedures occurring at the delivery station, can be printed by means of printing devices associated, preferably individually, with the delivery stations (16).
6. Filling arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that the interspacing Lp of ejection units (28) adjacent to one another corresponds to an integral multiple of the interspacing Ip of adjacent blister wells (23) of the respective blister strip (21) .
7. Filling arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 6, characterised in that the ejection units (28) are designed as pneumatic linear cylinders.
8. Filling arrangement according to claim 7, characterised in that piston rods projecting from the housing of the pneumatic cylinders (28) are provided with tappet heads that have an approximately concave shape complementary to that of the medicaments to be ejected.
9. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the blister strips (21) have edge strips (83/1 and 83/2) running preferably on both sides of a strip-shaped middle region in which the blister wells (23) are arranged, the said edge strips being engaged by the drive devices (36, 38).
10. Filling arrangement according to claim 9, characterised in that U-shaped guide elements (86/1 and 86/2) that at least in sections surround the edge strips (83/1 and 83/2) of the blister strips (21) are provided for the transportation guidance of the latter, the said guide elements providing an interlocking guidance of the blister strips (21) on both sides of drive devices.
11. Filling arrangement according to claim 9 or claim 10, characterised in that the clear distance of the mutually parallel guide arms (87/1 and 87/2), of the U-shaped profiles (86/1 and 86/2) is less than double the thickness of the edge strips of the blister strips.
12. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterised in that the blister strips (21) have plastics strips (100) forming the wells (23) for the medicaments, as well as flexularly elastic cover strips (104) covering the well openings (103), which cover strips are provided in the region of the openings with embossings and/or perforations and/or narrow slits to facilitate the ejection of the medicaments.
13. Filling arrangement according to claim 12, characterised in that the embossings and/or slits have a H-shaped configuration, in which covering wings (113/1 and 113/2) staggered with respect to one another by means of a transverse slit (107) and staggered with respect to the edge strips (47) of the blister strip (21) by longitudinal slits (106/1 and 106/2), form cover flaps that open and close again in the manner of a pair of double doors.
14. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterised in that a guide for a movable cover strip (117) is arranged at a vertical distance (h) from the blister strip guide, at a level running parallel thereto between the blister strips (21) and the transporting guide for the packaging unit (11), which cover strip is likewise provided with embossings, perforations or slits facilitating the release of passage openings, as well as with a device (123, 126, 127) for actuating the opening of cover flaps bordered by such embossings, perforations and/or slits.
15. Filling arrangement according to claim 14, characterised in that the cover strip (117) arranged at the intermediate level has the same periodicity length Lp as the blister strip (21), and is independently further transported per delivery cycle that takes place at the respective delivery station, after completion of the cycle, by a defined stretch, preferably by a step corresponding to the periodicity length Lp.
16. Filling arrangement according to claim 14 or claim 15, characterised in that L-shaped or T-shaped release elements (123) that can swivel by at least 90° are provided, which can be swivelled from a base position, in which vertical passage channels of a housing block (124) that extend between the blister strip (121) and the guide for the cover strip (117) are released, into a position in which these channels are blocked and the medicaments are delivered into the compartments (12) of the respective packaging unit (11) arranged underneath the cover strip (117).
17. Filling arrangement according to claim 17, characterised in that a device is provided for a common opening actuation of the release elements (123).
18. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterised in that as drives for the transverse conveyance of the blister strips (21) pairs of rollers are provided, which are supported on at least one of the edge strips of the blister strip in a manner engaging with drive rollers and sliding rollers on the respective edge strip, and by force closure and/or self-closure effect the conversion of drive force into forward movement.
19. Filling arrangement according to claim 18, characterised in that drive elements are provided that are shaped in the manner of toothed pinions with smooth curved teeth, which on account of the elasticity of the blister material engage in an interlocking manner with the latter.
20. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterised in that in order to determine the path of the blister strips (21) incremental path transmitters (51) are provided, which count successively covered path sections of equal length.
21. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterised in that position transmitters detecting edge markings of the blister strips (21) are provided, which by means of their output signals display a defined position of the respective blister strip (21).
22. Filling arrangement according to claim 20, characterised in that cutting or stamping devices for producing the edge markings are provided, which are arranged at a defined distance from the delivery station (16) in the region of the blister guide devices.
23. Filling arrangement according to claim 21 or claim 22, characterised in that, seen in the transporting direction of the blister strips (21), in each case at least one marking device is provided on this side of the delivery station (16), and at least one marking device is arranged on the other side of the delivery station (16).
24. Filling arrangement according to claim 23, characterised in that, seen in the transporting direction of the respective blister strip (21), a cutting station (66) for separating the emptied end section of the blister strip (21) is arranged on the far side of the delivery station (16).
25. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 24, characterised in that sensor devices are provided that check whether medicaments are present, and detectors are provided that recognise that medicaments have been delivered.
26. Filling arrangement according to claim 25, characterised in that the detection of medicaments in the respective delivery station (16) takes place at the intermediate level, which is marked by the arrangement of the transportable cover strip (117), which covers in a controllably releasable manner the receiving compartments (12) of the respective transporting sheet (13).
27. Filling arrangement according to claim 25, characterised in that, seen in the transporting direction of the blister strip (21), sensors and/or detectors recognising the presence of medicaments in the blister wells (23) are provided on the near side and far side of the delivery stations (16).
28. Filling arrangement according to claim 21, characterised in that the sensors and/or the detectors are formed as light barriers.
29. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 28, characterised in that at least two delivery stations (16) are provided for medicaments whose statistical requirement is significantly higher than the average requirement.
30. Filling arrangement according to claim 29, characterised in that a plurality of delivery stations provided for the same medicament are in each case arranged immediately adjacent to one another.
31. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 30, characterised in that two - parallel - transporting systems are provided for packaging units, in which for statistically relatively infrequently required medicaments two delivery stations associated with the individual systems are arranged next to one another and can be supplied by means of a common transverse conveying device, whereas an individual transverse conveying device for supplying medicaments is associated with each of the statistically more commonly required medicaments.
32. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 31, characterised in that the longitudinal transportation of the packaging units takes place in groups, in which the packaging units making up a group are moved with the same transporting speed or with the same step sizes, though these speeds or step sizes may be different, and free buffer zones are provided between successive groups of packaging units, which permit the relative movement of the groups adjacent to one another.
33. Filling arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 32, characterised in that the packaging units provided for accommodating the medicaments each have a thermoformed part forming the receiving compartments, which part is fabricated by a thermoforming station forming the first workstation of a transporting stretch of the filling arrangement (10) and can be transported from there to the delivery stations of the arrangement, possibly after necessary post treatment.

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