WO2012054957A1

WO2012054957A1 - Loading of blister sheets

Info

Publication number: WO2012054957A1
Application number: PCT/AU2011/001239
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerard Stevens
Original assignee: Manrex Pty. Ltd
Priority date: 2010-10-29
Filing date: 2011-09-28
Publication date: 2012-05-03

Abstract

Apparatus (14) for loading two blister sheets (10 and 11) with the same prescribed medication doses in the same blister cavities, has a support table (9) provided with parallel lines of apertures in its upper face for receiving respective blisters of two blister sheets arranged side-by-side in the same horizontal plane. A circular array of containers (5) can be indexed around its vertical axis to bring a selected container to a discharge position (7). A mechanism (12) operates to move the support table (9) horizontally about perpendicular axes so that a chosen blister cavity can be located beneath the discharge position (7). A doctor's prescription (1) is converted by an encoder (2) into a binary code (3) read by a code reader (4) forming part of the apparatus (14). A computer (8) controls the apparatus so that the required medication doses prescribed by a doctor are loaded into the cavities of corresponding blisters of the two blister sheets. The speed of loading two blister sheets which are to be identical, can thereby be reduced.

Description

LOADING OF BLISTER SHEETS Field of the invention

THIS INVENTION relates to enhancing the performance of automated apparatus for filling blisters of a blister sheet with medication doses prescribed by a doctor. State of the art

Automated apparatus known in the art typically has a number of separate containers each holding doses of a particular solid prescribed medication dose. One example of apparatus of this general type is described in detail in United States Patent Specification No. 7,426,814 (Knoth). The apparatus is automated to bring a0 container that is to deliver a particular dose into a chosen blister cavity, to a dose- discharge position overlying the blister cavity into which the dose is to be deposited. A mechanism on the apparatus then operates to release the required dose into the blister cavity. Coded information stored in a computer associated with the apparatus identifies the blisters on the blister sheet that are to receive the same medication doses

J5 and also the container from which the doses are to be obtained. A movable support carrying an inverted blister sheet and also controlled by the computer is moved to bring each of the blisters, in turn, to a loading position beneath the discharge position of the container. When all of the blisters requiring the same dose have been loaded, a fresh container storing a required but different dose is brought to the dose-discharge

2_Q position and the above sequence of events is repeated.

Although the automated apparatus enables blister sheets to be loaded with prescribed doses more quickly than loading them manually, each step in the loading sequence still takes a finite time to carry out. These steps comprise placing an inverted blister sheet on the support with each of its blisters locating in a respective aperture in the5 support; moving each selected container in turn at the dose discharging position; moving the support to bring a supported blister sheet in turn to the different positions necessary to locate the cavities of its blisters, in turn, to the loading position; selecting and moving the different containers required to load the blisters with the required doses, in succession to the dose-discharge position; and, finally lifting the loaded blister sheet from the support and replacing it with a fresh unloaded blister sheet. Object of the invention

An object of this invention is to provide loaded blister sheets more quickly. The invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for loading more than one blister sheet at a time with prescribed doses of selected medications, the apparatus having a single apertured support table for carrying at least two inverted blister sheets side-by-side with their blisters locating in respective apertures of the table, an array of containers each containing doses of a particular medication to be placed in chosen cavities of the two blister sheets, a mechanism for producing relative horizontal movement between the container array and the support table, and, a computer for identifying the medication dose next to be loaded into blister cavities of the two blister sheets and controlling said relative movement to allow the dose to be delivered in turn into corresponding blister cavities of respective blister sheets.

In accordance with a second aspect of the invention there is provided apparatus for loading blister sheets, including: a support table for carrying two or more blister sheets requiring loading with doses of prescribed medications; an array of containers containing respectively different medication doses; a drive for bringing a selected container to a dose-discharge position; a device for releasing a required dose from the selected container when at the discharge position so that it is received in a cavity of a blister on the support table; a drive mechanism for moving the support table relative to the dose-discharge position to locate the blisters of each sheet requiring the same medication doses in turn at the dose-discharge position; a reader for scanning a bar code obtained from a pre-arranged location; and, a computer for storing the information read from the bar code and controlling the relative positioning of the individual blisters with respect to the dose-loading position, whereby the blister cavities are loaded with their require medication doses prior to their removal from the support table. The pre-arranged location may, for example, be a medical prescription, a printed profile of the patient, or, a packing instruction.

Advantage of the invention The invention enables some of the steps in the loading sequence outlined above to be reduced. Thus the overall speed of loading blister sheets requiring the same medication doses in the same blister cavities can be increased. This reduction in loading time is of consequence when a relatively large number of identical blister sheets are to be loaded with the same medication doses at the same blister positions. Preferred features of the invention

Suitably the operating program for the computer contains an algorithm which retains a container at a dose-delivery position until all of the blister cavities requiring a dose from that particular container have had the required dose delivered to them. This enables the speed of operation of the apparatus to fill the cavities of a blister sheet to be increased. A further increase in speed may be obtained by arranging for the algorithm to choose the order of presentation of containers at the dose-delivery position in a sequence which reflects the minimization of the time necessary to replace one container with another. Introduction to the drawing

The invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying block schematic and simplified flow diagram showing part of an automated apparatus for loading blister cavities of a blister sheet with doses of a prescribed medication.

Description and operation of the preferred embodiment

The complete apparatus to which the preferred embodiment of the invention is applicable, is shown and described in detail in the above-mentioned United States Patent Specification No. .7,426,814 B2 ( noth) hereby inserted by way of reference. As the preferred embodiment relates to a small part only of the complete apparatus, it can be illustrated and described in a greatly simplified way so that it is more easily understood and unnecessarily burdening the present text with superfluous description is avoided.

Block 1 of the drawing represents a written doctor's prescription setting out medication doses required by a particular patient on particular days and at specified times during a predetermined period such as a week. The doctor's prescription is manually converted at a block 2 into a binary bar code 3. The binary code also contains a great deal of information, such as the identity of the patient, which is not necessary to know for the purposes of understanding the embodiment of the invention now being described.

The bar code 3 is read by a reader 4 forming part of apparatus shown within the broken outline box 14 and which operates to load prescribed medication doses into similar blister cavities of respectively two identical blister sheets 10 and 11.

The apparatus within the box 14 contains an array of containers 5 each containing doses of a particular medication. In the example being described the containers 5 are arranged in a horizontal circle which can be indexed around its central vertical axis by a drive 6 to bring a selected container to a dose discharge position 7.

A computer 8 controls indexing of the circle of containers 5 about the axis of the circle in accordance with information read from the bar code 3 and other bar code information (not shown) associated with the containers 5 and identifying the nature and number of the medication doses initially contained within them. The container bar code information is also read a second time when a container is at the discharge position 7 so that it can be checked against the information stored in the computer and which records the number of times medication doses have already been withdrawn from the container. From this information the computer 8 can ascertain the number of medication doses still remaining in the container and alert an operator of the apparatus should the number of doses still available in the container be inadequate to meet the requirements of loading sequence yet to be performed..

If there are sufficient doses remaining in the container 5 to meet the requirements of the next loading sequence, a discharge mechanism (not shown) operates to release from the container 5 the required number of medication doses, as determined by the computer 8.

A horizontally-displaceable blister support table 9 is located beneath the level of the array of containers 5. It is formed with apertures in its upper surface coinciding with the positions of the blisters of the two inverted blister sheets 10 and 11 which are supported by its upper surface. The blister sheet 10 and 11 are arranged side-by-side in the same horizontal plane with their blisters protruding downwardly so that they fit snugly into respective apertures of the support table 9 when the blister sheet is lowered in the direction of the arrows Ά'. A positioning mechanism 12 associated with the support table 9 is controlled by the computer 8 to bring the cavity of a particular blister to be loaded with medication doses, beneath the discharge position 7. The container discharge mechanism is then operated by the computer 8 to release the required number of medication doses so that they fall into the blister cavity beneath. The apertures in the support table 9 in which the blisters locate, are arranged in a rectilinear pattern and in parallel lines. The mechanism 12 for positioning a required blister cavity beneath the discharge position 7 is arranged to displace the support table 9 horizontally along each of two perpendicular axes so that the same blister cavities of each of the two blister sheets 10 and 11 are placed in turn beneath the dose-discharge position. As the apertures are arranged in horizontal parallel lines the time taken to carry out filling of the blisters of two identical blister sheets is reduced as compared with the time it would take were each blister sheet to be positioned separately on the support table before having its blister cavities loaded with the prescribed medication doses. Also, the computer is arranged to have the container 5 at the discharge position until the particular dose it contains has been loaded into all of the blister cavities requiring that particular dose. Thus, instead of delivering doses to the blister cavities in the order in which they occur on the blister sheet, the addition of doses to the cavities occurs in the order of the positioning of the dose containers at the dose- discharge position. This saves time and also avoids unnecessary indexing of the containers through the dose-discharge position (7). It will be appreciated that it is easier and quicker to move the support table than the containers of the array.

Modification to the described embodiment

If preferred the apparatus may be arranged to move the array of containers in rectilinear fashion and to keep the support table stationary. It is also possible to have the array of containers movable horizontally in one direction while the support table is movable horizontally in a perpendicular direction. Also, although the embodiment of the invention described uses a circular ring of containers, these may equally well be arranged in another figuration such as in a horizontal line or in a matrix formation which results in a more compact assembly.

It is advantageous to program the computer with an algorithm which reduces the overall time required to complete the loading of all the blister cavities of a blister sheet. Thus, instead of loading the blister cavities in the order in which they occur on the blister sheet, the computer ensures that each required container remains at the dose-discharge position until all of the cavities requiring a dose from that particular container have had their doses delivered to them. In a refinement of the algorithm to increase the speed of loading, the order of selection of the containers to occupy the dose loading position reflects the distance between them. The time taken to replace one container with another at the dose-discharge position is thus kept to a minimum.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. Apparatus for loading more than one blister sheet at a time with prescribed doses of selected medications, such apparatus being provided with a single apertured support table for carrying at least two inverted blister sheets side-by-side with their blisters locating in respective apertures of the table, an array of containers each containing doses of a particular medication to be placed in chosen cavities of the two blister sheets, a mechanism for producing relative movement between the container array and the support table, and, a computer for identifying the medication dose next to be loaded into blister cavities of the two blister sheets and controlling said relative movement to allow the doses to be delivered in turn into corresponding blister cavities of respective blister sheets.

2. Apparatus for loading blister sheets, including: a support table for carrying two or more blister sheets requiring loading with doses of prescribed medications; an array of containers containing respectively different medication doses; a drive for bringing a selected container to a dose-discharge position; a device for releasing a required dose from the selected container when at the discharge position so that it is received in a cavity of a blister on the support table; a drive mechanism for moving the support table relative to the dose-discharge position to locate the blisters of each sheet requiring the same medication doses in turn at the dose-discharge position; a reader for scanning a bar code obtained from a pre-arranged location; and, a computer for storing the information read from the bar code and controlling the relative positioning of the individual blisters with respect to the dose-loading position, whereby the blister cavities are loaded with their require medication doses prior to their removal from the support table.

3. Apparatus as set forth in either Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the containers are arranged in a ring and the drive rotates the ring of containers in its own plane to bring a selected container to the dose-discharge position.

4. Apparatus as set forth in any one of the preceding Claims, in which the mechanism moves the support horizontally along rectilinear axes to bring the individual blisters beneath the dose-discharge position.

5. Apparatus as set forth in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the containers are arranged in a matrix array.

6. Apparatus as set forth in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the containers are arranged in a line.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the operating program for the computer contains an algorithm which retains a container at a dose-delivery position until all of the blister cavities requiring a dose from that particular container have had the dose delivered to them.

8. Apparatus as set forth in Claim 7, in which the order of presentation of containers at the dose-delivery position reflects the minimization of the time necessary to replace one container by another.