AU2016247481A1

AU2016247481A1 - Device for producing blister pouches

Info

Publication number: AU2016247481A1
Application number: AU2016247481A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Christoph Hellenbrand
Original assignee: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH
Current assignee: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH
Priority date: 2015-04-17
Filing date: 2016-04-15
Publication date: 2017-08-31
Anticipated expiration: 2036-04-15
Also published as: PT3081500T; CA2982714C; EP3081500B1; CA2982714A1; JP6720206B2; JP2018512925A; CN107531342A; DK3081500T3; CN107531342B; WO2016166271A1; EP3081500A1; AU2016247481B2; ES2661858T3

Abstract

A device for producing blister pouches has multiple supply containers (21) with portions of medication, dispenser devices (22) for the selective dispensing of medication portions (6) from the supply containers, and a collection device (3) for receiving the medication portions (6) and forwarding them to a blister packaging device (4). The blister packaging device (4) fills pockets (47) of a blister pouch with groups of received medication portions (6), wherein a group in one filled pocket (47) comprises one or more medication portions (6). An inspection buffer device, arranged between the collection device (3) and the blister packaging device (4), comprises a buffer device (5) for receiving the medication portions (6) forwarded by the collection device (3) and for temporarily storing at least one group of medication portions provided for filling a pocket, a sensor device (7) for detecting an image and/or predetermined characteristics of the temporarily stored group of medication portions (6), and an evaluation and control device which, based on the detected image and/or the detected predetermined characteristics, determines whether the temporarily stored group of medication portions (6) corresponds to a predetermined group of fillable medication portions, and which controls the buffer device (5) in such a way that this only forwards the temporarily stored group to the blister packaging device (4) if the temporarily stored group corresponds to the predetermined group.

Description

Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages

The invention relates to an apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, having a plurality of supply containers for making medication doses available, having dispensing apparatuses for selective dispensing of medication doses from the supply containers, and having a collection apparatus for picking up the medication doses dispensed by the dispensing apparatuses and passing the medication doses on to a blister packaging apparatus, wherein the blister packaging apparatus fills the received medication doses, by groups, into pockets of a tube blister package, wherein a group filled into a pocket comprises a medication dose or multiple similar or different medication doses.

The apparatuses of the type stated initially are used for packaging medications in blister packages, particularly for packaging medications in blister packages in a patient-individual manner. In this connection, the medications of a patient are packaged in correctly dispensed doses. A tube blister package is usually a chain of connected tube bags or pockets, wherein each bag or each pocket contains those medication doses (in other words film tablets, capsules or coated tablets) that a patient is supposed to take at a predetermined administration time. The tube blister packages are usually labeled with the name of the patient, the respective administration times, the medications contained in them, as well as with expiration dates and lot numbers.

For example, a tube blister package for a patient who is supposed to take a predetermined number and type of medications in the morning, at noon, and in the evening, in each instance, contains three tube bags or pockets for every day, so that a tube blister package intended for a week has 21 pockets, for example .

These tube blister packages are usually produced using automated equipment, as shown schematically in Figure 4. Such automated equipment contains a plurality of supply containers 21, where in this example, a plurality of medication doses of a 1 predetermined type of medication is contained in each supply container 21. Each supply container 21 is coupled with a dispensing apparatus 22 for selective dispensing of individual medication doses and forms a dispensing station 2 with it. The medication doses 6A, 6B, 6C exiting from the dispensing apparatuses 22 are caught by a catch funnel 3, for example, and dispensed to a blister packaging apparatus 4 at an exit opening of the catch funnel 3. A control apparatus of the automated equipment ensures that the medication doses 6 intended for being filled into a tube bag or a pocket 47 are dispensed from the corresponding dispensing stations 2 at approximately the same time, by means of controlling the related dispensing apparatuses 22, fall into the catch funnel 3, and are dispensed to the blister packaging apparatus 4 together. The blister packaging apparatus 4 forms a tube blister package from the packaging material 41 that is made available, where every time when a new pocket 47 is formed, the group of medication doses to be introduced into the pocket is introduced from the catch funnel 3 into the pocket 45, which is still open at the top, whereupon the pocket 45 is immediately sealed. This process is repeated for each pocket 45, 47, produced one after the other. The tube blister package produced in this manner is rolled up into a roll 48, for example.

It is clear that in this method of filling the bags of the tube blister package, various defects can occur. For example, medication doses to be filled in can be destroyed, for example film tablets can break or capsules can burst. Medication doses can be missing, or incorrect or superfluous medication doses can get into a pocket by mistake.

For this reason it is usual to subject the produced tube blister packages to a thorough inspection after their production. In this connection, the content of each individual pocket of a tube blister package is successively checked, in that - as shown schematically in Figure 4 - the roll of the wound-up tube blister packages is removed and passed to an inspection station 100, as a roll 101 to be inspected, and is unwound there, so that the individual blister pockets lie next to one another and can be guided past an optical inspection 2 apparatus having a camera 103. If a defect is found during this process, usually not only the pocket in question, with its contents, must be discarded, but rather the entire tube blister package must be discarded. The affected tube blister package is then produced once again. Alternatively, the content of the affected pocket could be repaired manually, which would lead to great effort and expenditure. If no defect is found in the inspection station 100, the properly filled tube blister package can be wound back up into a roll 102.

It is the task of the invention to avoid the aforementioned effort and expenditure of the new production or repair of a tube blister package if defective pocket filling is determined.

This task is accomplished, according to the invention, by means of an apparatus for the production of tube blister packages having the characteristics of claim 1.

The apparatus according to the invention for the production of tube blister packages has a plurality of supply containers for making available medication doses (in other words, for example, film tablets, capsules or coated tablets), and dispensing apparatuses for selective dispensing of medication doses from the supply containers. The supply containers can be, for example, of a first supply container type, which contains a plurality of similar medication doses of a predetermined type of medication and is coupled with a dispensing apparatus for selective dispensing of individual medication doses. In this connection, the dispensing apparatus can be part of a dispensing station that contains the supply container, for example. Alternatively or additionally, multiple supply containers of a second type can be provided, which each contain a medication dose or a few similar or different medication doses. Such supply containers are formed, for example, by small holding compartments of a supply magazine that can be filled manually and are disposed, in matrix-like manner, in horizontal rows and/or columns. The apparatus for the production of tube blister packages furthermore has a collection apparatus for picking up the medication doses dispensed by the dispensing apparatuses and for passing the medication doses on to a blister packaging apparatus. The blister packaging apparatus fills the 3 received medication doses, by groups, into pockets of a tube blister package, where a group filled into a pocket comprises one medication dose or also multiple similar or different medication doses. According to the invention, an inspection buffer apparatus is disposed between the collection apparatus and the blister packaging apparatus. The inspection buffer apparatus contains a buffer apparatus for picking up the medication doses passed on by the collection apparatus and for temporary storage of at least one group of medication doses intended for being filled into a pocket, a sensor apparatus for detecting an image and/or predetermined properties of the temporarily stored group of medication doses, and an evaluation and control device that determines, using the image detected by the sensor apparatus and/or the predetermined properties detected by the sensor apparatus, whether the temporarily stored group of medication doses corresponds to a predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in, and controls the buffer apparatus in such a manner that the latter passes the temporarily stored group on to the blister packaging apparatus only if the temporarily stored group corresponds to the predetermined group. The evaluation and control apparatus therefore determines whether the temporarily stored group, as the "actual group," corresponds to a predetermined group, as the "reference group."

Interposition of an inspection buffer apparatus, according to the invention, i.e. of an apparatus for buffering and checking a group of medication doses, makes it possible to check the correctness of the group of medication doses intended to be filled into a pocket even before it is filled in, and, if a defect is found, to prevent filling. The defective group can then be discarded, for example, and newly compiled in a subsequent step of repeated activation of the dispensing apparatuses. In this manner, it is prevented that an entire tube blister package must be newly produced or repaired because of a defectively filled pocket. It is true that the method of procedure according to the invention reduces the speed of production of the tube blister packages; however, it also 4 permits the production of tube blister packages that do not have to be inspected again subsequently.

An advantageous further development of the apparatus according to the invention for the production of tube blister packages is characterized in that the buffer apparatus has a transport apparatus that picks up the medication doses passed on by the collection apparatus at a first location, and transports them to a second location, at which the sensor apparatus detects the image and/or the predetermined properties of the temporarily stored group of medication doses. Provision of the transport apparatus allows spatial separation of catch location (first location) and inspection location (second location), and permits simplification of the design. For this purpose, the transport apparatus can comprise suitable holding containers and means for moving the holding containers, which pick up the medication doses at the first location, until a respective group is complete, and then are transported to the second location, at which the sensor apparatus detects the image and/or the predetermined properties. The transport apparatus can, on the other hand, do without movement of containers, and instead comprise mechanical steering and or guide apparatuses, so that the arriving medication doses are caught at one location and steered to the second location by means of the steering apparatuses .

In the embodiment of the apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, in which the buffer apparatus has a transport apparatus, the transport apparatus passes the temporarily stored group on to the blister packaging apparatus if the temporarily stored group of medication doses corresponds to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in (in other words the actual group corresponds to the reference group).

In a further development of this embodiment, the transport apparatus transports the temporarily stored group back to the first location, in order to be able to supply the missing medication dose or the missing medication doses to the group there, if the temporarily stored group of medication doses does not correspond to the predetermined group of medication doses to 5 be filled in, because the temporarily stored group is missing one or more medication doses. This allows immediate correction of such a group before it is filled into the pocket of the tube blister package.

In a preferred further development, the transport apparatus discards the temporarily stored group if the temporarily stored group of medication doses does not correspond to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in, because the temporarily stored group contains incorrect, defective and/or superfluous medication doses. For example, the group is discarded in that it is transported to a waste container.

Preferably, the method of procedure of the return transport of the group to the first location if it is determined that medication doses are missing can be combined with the method of procedure of discarding the group if incorrect, defective or superfluous medication doses are found.

In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, in which the buffer apparatus has a transport apparatus, is characterized in that the transport apparatus comprises a horizontal conveyor that has at least one holding compartment that can be moved to the first location for picking up medication doses and to the second location for detecting an image and/or predetermined properties of the group, by means of the sensor apparatus. For example, the horizontal conveyor, which comprises a circulating conveyor belt, for example, can be moved in such a manner that a holding compartment is at first situated at a first location, at which it catches the medication doses. Afterward, the holding compartment is moved horizontally, in a first transport direction, to the second location, at which the sensor apparatus detects the image and/or the predetermined properties. If it is then found, for example, that the temporarily stored group ("actual group") corresponds to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in ("reference group"), then in this exemplary embodiment, the horizontal conveyor could be moved further in the first direction, to a third location, at which the holding compartment is emptied (for example tipped out), where the exiting medication doses are filled into a 6 pocket of the tube blister package that is still open. If, on the contrary, it is determined that the temporarily stored group of medication doses does not correspond to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in, because a medication dose or multiple medication doses are missing, the horizontal conveyor could move the holding compartment back in the opposite direction, to the first location. Here, missing medication doses could be added. Alternatively, it would also be conceivable that fundamentally, all defective temporarily stored groups of medication doses are transported back in the opposite direction, beyond the first location, to a fourth location, at which the defective groups are emptied into a waste container. The preferred use of the horizontal conveyor, particularly of a circulating conveyor belt, simplifies the design structure and control of the movement of the temporarily stored group from the first location to the second location and then to the blister packaging apparatus or to a waste container.

In an alternative apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, in which the buffer apparatus has a transport apparatus, the transport apparatus comprises a chute, the upper end of which is situated at the first location (at which the medication doses are taken over from the collection apparatus) and which has a catch apparatus for catching the medication doses that are sliding down at the second location. The caught medication doses can then be subjected to inspection (while they are sliding down or afterward). The catch apparatus is controlled by the evaluation and control device, in such a manner it releases the temporarily stored group to the blister packaging apparatus only if the temporarily stored group formed by catching the medication doses that are sliding down corresponds to the predetermined group. Provision of the chute also permits a simple design structure. The catch apparatus can comprise a releasable barrier, for example, which is disposed crosswise above the chute. The barrier can be configured in such a manner that it either guides the caught group of medication doses onto a first descending path that leads to the blister packaging apparatus, or to a second descending path that leads to a waste container. 7

In an advantageous further development of the apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, the sensor apparatus comprises a camera that produces an electronic image of the temporarily stored group of medication doses. The camera can be an optical camera, which produces an image of the emissions in the range of visible light and/or in the range of infrared light, for example. In addition, an apparatus can be provided, which irradiates the group of medication doses with visible light and/or with infrared light at predetermined frequencies.

It is also conceivable that multiple images are produced successively at different lighting frequencies and/or at different viewing angles.

In a preferred further development of this apparatus, in which the sensor apparatus comprises a camera, the buffer apparatus has a mechanical separation apparatus that separates the medication doses of the temporarily stored group from one another before detection of the image (or the images), in such a manner that the medication doses do not reciprocally cover one another in the image (or in the images). This mechanical separation apparatus can comprise a shaker apparatus, for example .

In a further embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention for the production of tube blister packages, the sensor apparatus comprises a scale. The scale determines the total weight of the medication doses of a group. In this case, the evaluation and control device contains a memory that contains the individual weights of all the medication doses kept on hand in the apparatus. On the basis of the reference composition of the group, the evaluation and control device determines a reference total weight. This is then compared with the actual total weight detected by the scale.

In an embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention for the production of tube blister packages, the collection apparatus comprises a collection or catch funnel disposed below the medication supply container. In this connection, the exit openings of the dispensing apparatuses are disposed in such a manner that all the dispensed medication doses enter into the 8 collection funnel and reach its bottom within a predetermined time interval.

In an alternative embodiment, multiple supply containers of the first type, disposed one on top of the other, which contain a plurality of the same type of medication doses, in each instance, together with a related dispensing apparatus, in each instance, form a vertical column of dispensing stations, and multiple dispensing station columns are disposed next to one another in a plane (and thereby form a vertical matrix of dispensing stations). Here, the collection apparatus has a plurality of vertical guide shafts that can be moved horizontally past the dispensing station columns, which shafts have pickup openings at the levels corresponding to the vertical positions of the dispensing apparatuses, into which openings the dispensing apparatuses can dispense medication doses as a guide shaft moves past them, so that the medication doses move downward in the guide shafts and exit from a dispensing opening at their lower ends. In this connection, a collection container is disposed below the dispensing opening of each guide shaft, which container, together with the guide shaft, is moved horizontally, catches the medication doses of a group, in each instance, and then dispenses them to the inspection buffer apparatus, after the related guide shaft has been moved past the dispensing station columns.

In this last embodiment of an apparatus for the production of tube blister packages that has been mentioned, it is advantageous that the collection containers are additionally moved past below dispensing apparatuses of a plurality of supply containers of a second type, which each contain only one medication dose or a few similar or different medication doses, so that the individual medication dose or the few medication doses of one or more types of medication contained in the supply containers of the second type can be dispensed into a collection container that is moving past them. This increases the flexibility and the spectrum of the types of medications that can be filled into the pockets of the tube blister packages.

Advantageous and/or preferred further developments of the invention are characterized in the dependent claims. 9

In the following, the invention will be described in greater detail using the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings.

The drawings show:

Figure 1, a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention for the production of tube blister packages, in which the dispensing apparatuses of the supply containers dispense the medication doses into a common collection funnel, and in which the buffer apparatus has a horizontal conveyor;

Figure 2, a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention for the production of tube blister packages, in which the collection apparatus is formed by a plurality of horizontally moving guide shafts with collection containers moved along with them and below them, and in which the buffer apparatus comprises a horizontal conveyor; and

Figure 3, a schematic representation of an alternative buffer apparatus, in which the medication doses are moved on chutes .

Figure 4 shows a schematic representation of a known apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, in which the dispensing apparatuses of the supply containers dispense the medication doses into a common catch funnel, with a downstream inspection station for the wound-up tube blister packages that are produced.

Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a first preferred embodiment of an apparatus for the production of tube blister packages. The apparatus comprises a medication supply storage unit 1, which comprises a plurality of supply containers 21 for different medications. Each supply container 21 can hold a plurality of similar medication doses of a predetermined type of medication. Each supply container 21 has a dispensing apparatus 22 assigned to it, with which individual medication doses can be selectively removed from the supply container 21 and dispensed. The supply container 21 (also called a canister) forms a dispensing station 2, together with the dispensing apparatus 22. In some embodiments, the dispensing station 2 comprises a dispensing apparatus 22, fixed in place on an 10 assembly frame, which apparatus has a holder for a supply container 21 that can be set on. The supply container 21 can be manually removed from the dispensing station 2, in order to be refilled, for example. In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1, the dispensing stations 2 are disposed on a front side of a wall, for example, and this wall has openings through which the dispensing apparatuses 22 allow the medication doses to pass, so that the medication doses move downward into a catch funnel 3 behind the wall. In Figure 1, a medication dose 6A is shown schematically, which dose is falling downward behind the wall that holds the dispensing stations 2, into the catch funnel 3. A further medication dose 6B that has already fallen into the catch funnel 3 is sliding along the side wall of the funnel 3 to an exit opening. A third medication dose 6C, which has been dispensed by one of the dispensing apparatuses 22 at approximately the same time as the two other medication doses 6A and 6B, is shown in a position in which it is passing through the exit opening of the catch funnel 3.

The dispensing apparatuses 22 of all the dispensing stations 2 are controlled by a control computer of the apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, in such a manner that the medication doses of a group that is to be filled into a pocket of a tube blister package fall into the catch funnel 3 at approximately the same time, and leave the funnel through its exit opening.

At the exit opening of the catch funnel 3, the exiting medication doses are caught by a buffer apparatus 5. The buffer apparatus 5 comprises a horizontal conveyor belt 50, which runs over deflection rollers 52, and on the outside of which holding compartments are formed, using delimitation walls 51. The medication doses 6C, 6D exiting from the catch funnel 3 fall into a holding compartment formed on the conveyor belt 50 by the delimitation walls 51. As soon as a group of medication doses to be filled into a pocket of the tube blister package has collected in the holding compartment of the conveyor belt 50, the conveyor belt 50 is moved further (to the right in Figure 1), so that the medication doses 6E contained in the holding compartment get into the detection range of a sensor apparatus 11 7, which comprises a camera in the exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1. Here, the camera 7 of the sensor apparatus detects an image of the group of medication doses 6E and passes the image on to an evaluation and control device, which can be an integral part of the control computer of the apparatus for the production of tube blister packages. Further sensors can be disposed on the conveyor belt 50, for example photo eyes or other radiation detectors, which detect the other predetermined properties of the group of medication doses 6E and pass them on to the evaluation and control device. The evaluation and control device determines, using an image detected by the sensor apparatus or the predetermined properties detected by the sensor apparatus, whether the temporarily stored group of medication doses 6E on the conveyor belt 50 corresponds to a group of medication doses to be filled in, the properties of which are stored in a memory of the evaluation and control device. For example, the shape, the color, and the shine of all the medication doses stored in the supply containers 21 are stored in memory. At the same time, the evaluation and control device knows what groups of medication doses are successively supposed to be filled into the pockets of the tube blister package. From this information concerning the groups and the stored properties of the medication doses, the evaluation and control device can determine a reference image, which can be compared with properties of the image detected by the camera 7. For example, the evaluation and control device contains object recognition software that evaluates the image detected by the camera 7. As soon as the evaluation and control device has determined that the temporarily stored group of medication doses 6E corresponds to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in, the conveyor belt 50 is moved further, so that the group of medication doses can be passed on to a blister packaging apparatus 4. For example, the conveyor belt 50 is guided over a deflection roller 52, below which a catch funnel 40 of the blister packaging apparatus 4 is disposed. When the conveyor belt 50 runs over the deflection roller 52, the medication doses 6F fall into the catch funnel 40 and thereby get to the blister packaging apparatus 4. 12

Below the dispensing opening of the catch funnel 40, a pocket of a tube blister package, which pocket is open at the top, is formed by the blister packaging apparatus 4. This is done in that a strip of plastic film made available on a supply roller 41 is deflected by way of deflection rollers 42 and thereby folded to form a pocket that is open at the top, in the interior of a housing 43 of the blister packaging apparatus 4, where the two halves of the thermoplastic strip of film, which then lie against one another, are welded transverse to the transport direction, in order to thereby form the delimitations of the consecutive pockets. As soon as a pocket of the tube blister package that is still open at the top has been formed by means of the transverse welding, the group of medication doses 6F to be contained in the pocket is filled in. Subsequently, the pocket is welded at its top, in the longitudinal direction, so that the group of medication doses that has been filled in is enclosed.

Figure 1 schematically shows individual pockets 47 of the tube blister package, which are filled with groups of medication doses 6G. A group of medication doses 6G filled into a pocket 47 of a tube blister package can comprise, for example, an individual medication dose, i.e. a tablet, a capsule, or a coated tablet; it can also comprise multiple similar or different medication doses. The tube blister package produced in this manner is in turn deflected over guide rollers 42 and wound up into a roll 48.

If, however, the evaluation and control device determines, using the image detected by the camera 7 of the sensor apparatus, and, if applicable, using other predetermined properties determined by the sensor apparatus, that the group of medication doses 6E temporarily stored by the buffer apparatus 5 on the conveyor belt 50 does not correspond to the related predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in, then this group of medication doses 6E is not transported further in the direction of the blister packaging apparatus 4. Instead, the group of medication doses is either corrected, if it is found that medication doses are missing, i.e. it is filled up, or it is discarded, particularly if it is found that medication 13 doses are incorrect, missing, or superfluous. If the evaluation and control device can clearly determine, on the basis of the information from the sensor apparatus, whether and what medication doses in the group are missing, then the conveyor belt 50 is moved in the opposite direction (i.e. to the left in Figure 1), so that the holding compartment containing the incomplete group gets back below the exit opening of the catch funnel 3. Subsequently, corresponding dispensing apparatuses 22 are controlled in such a manner that the missing medication doses fall into the catch funnel 3, and from there get into the holding compartment on the conveyor belt 50 that is to be completed. Subsequently, the conveyor belt is moved to the right again, so that the camera 7 can once again detect an image of the supplemented group of medication doses 6E.

If, however, it is found that the group of medication doses 6E contains incorrect, defective (e.g. broken) and/or superfluous medication doses, the conveyor belt 50 is moved back so far to the left that the holding compartment on the conveyor belt is moved over the left deflection roller 52, so that the defective group of medication doses fall into a catch funnel 81 of a discarding apparatus 8. From there, the medication doses get into a waste container 82. The waste container thereby collects medication doses 6H and parts of medication doses 61 of the defective groups, which were discarded. After discarding of the defective group of medication doses, subsequently a new group of medication doses can be compiled for the same pocket of the tube blister package, and subjected to an inspection using the camera 7.

These procedures are repeated until a tube blister package having correctly filled pockets has been produced. A tube blister package produced in this manner subsequently does not need to be subjected to an inspection with regard to defective filling.

Figure 2 shows an alternative embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention for the production of tube blister packages. This embodiment contains dispensing stations 2, a buffer apparatus 5, a blister packaging apparatus 4, and a discarding apparatus 8, which do not differ from the 14 corresponding apparatuses of the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 1, so that these do not need to be described in any detail here. The apparatus according to Figure 2 differs from the apparatus according to Figure 1 only with regard to the method of how the medication doses dispensed by the dispensing apparatuses 22 of the dispensing stations 2 are passed on to the buffer apparatus. As in the exemplary embodiment according to Figure 1, in the embodiment according to Figure 2 the medication doses are also stored in supply containers 21. The dispensing stations 2, which consist of supply containers 21 and dispensing apparatuses 22, are controlled by the control computer of the apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, in the same manner, so that the medication doses to be filled in are dispensed. In this connection, however, the medication doses do not fall into a large, common collection funnel; instead, a guide shaft 90 is positioned adjacent to a vertical column of dispensing stations 2 disposed one on top of the other. The guide shaft 90 is a vertical guide shaft that is hollow on the inside and has a number of entry openings 93 disposed one on top of the other. When such a guide shaft 90 is positioned directly behind and adjacent to a vertical column of dispensing stations, the entry openings 93 are situated adjacent to the exit openings of the dispensing apparatuses 22 of the dispensing station column. The medication doses exiting out of the dispensing apparatuses 22 thereby enter into the vertical guide shaft 90 through the entry openings 93, and fall downward in the shaft. The guide shafts 90 are moved further, in the horizontal direction, from one vertical column to the adjacent column, in each instance, so that they are moved past all the columns of dispensing stations 2 during every cycle. With appropriate cycling of the dispensing of medication doses by the dispensing apparatuses 22, each dispensing station 2 can thereby dispense its medication doses into a specific guide shaft 90.

Furthermore, it is possible that when a column of dispensing stations 2 dispenses its medication doses into a first guide shaft 90, an adjacent column of dispensing stations 2 can dispense its medication doses into an adjacent guide shaft 90. 15

This allows collecting groups of medication doses in parallel, in terms of time, in different guide shafts 90.

There are small collection containers 95 below the lower ends of the guide shafts 90, which are moved together with the guide shafts 90. The medication doses that fall down in the guide shafts 90 fall into these collection containers, so that the individual groups of medication doses can be successively collected in the chain of collection containers 95.

The dispensing stations 2 are disposed, for example, in a matrix of columns and rows, in a horizontal plane, where the guide shafts 90 move adjacent to this vertical plane of dispensing stations 2. In this connection, the guide shafts 90 are connected with transport belts 92, for example, which guide the guide shafts 90 in a plane behind the dispensing stations 2, at first, and then deflect them, so that the guide shafts 90 are brought back again and can be moved past the dispensing stations 2 once again. Deflection of the guide shafts 90, which are coupled with one another, is illustrated by an arrow 94. The collection containers 95 are also connected with one another to form a chain, and are moved in the horizontal direction at the same speed as the guide shafts 90. Here, too, deflection of the chain of collection containers 95 is illustrated with an arrow 96. In this connection, the collection containers 95 are preferably guided past the deflection point of the guide shafts 90 (farther to the right in Figure 2), where they can be emptied into holding compartments of the transport apparatus 50 of the buffer device 5.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a buffer apparatus 5', which does not use a conveyor belt, but rather a chute 55 for transporting the medication doses. The chute 55 is inclined in such a manner that the medication doses 6C exiting from the dispensing opening of the collection funnel 3 impact the highest point of the chute and from there slide downward, at first to a catch region, at which a barrier 56 prevents further sliding of the medication doses. The medication doses 6E that are sliding downward therefore collect above the barrier 56 and are then situated in a detection region 71 of the camera 7. The camera 7 in turn detects an image of the medication doses 6E 16 temporarily stored there, which image is passed on to the evaluation and control device. The evaluation and control device determines, using the image detected by the camera 7, whether the group of medication doses 6E temporarily stored in the catch region corresponds to a predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in. If this is the case, the barrier 56 is released in such a manner that the medication doses 6E move further on a subsequent chute 57, where the medication doses 6F then fall into a catch funnel 40 of the blister packaging apparatus 4 that has already been described in connection with Figure 1.

If, however, the evaluation and control device determines that the temporarily stored group of medication doses 6E does not correspond to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in, then the barrier 56 is released in a different manner, so that the medication doses 6E now get onto a different chute 58, from which they fall into a catch funnel 81 of a waste container 82.

Within the scope of the idea of the invention, numerous alternative embodiments are conceivable. Combinations of conveyor belts and chutes or alternative transport apparatuses can be used. The buffer apparatus 5 should preferably be configured in such a manner that the transport path between the first location, at which the medication doses are caught, and the second location, at which the sensor apparatus detects an image or predetermined properties of the medication doses, are as short as possible. The transport apparatus can also be structured so that if a defective group of medication doses is determined at the location of the sensor device, collection of a corrected replacement group of medication doses is immediately started at the first location, and that the defective group is discarded while the replacement group is being moved to the sensor apparatus. If, in the case of such an embodiment, the conveyor belt shown in Figures 1 and 2 is used, then a deflection device for the medication doses 6F that fall down there could be situated at the right end of the conveyor belt 50, i.e. at the right deflection roller 52, where this deflection apparatus either guides the falling medication doses 17 into the catch funnel 40 of the blister packaging apparatus 4 (if the group is correct) or into a catch funnel of a waste container (if the group is defective). 18

Claims

Claims

1. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages, having a plurality of supply containers (21) for making medication doses available, having dispensing apparatuses (22) for selective dispensing of medication doses (6) from the supply containers, and having a collection apparatus (3; 90, 95) for picking up the medication doses (6) dispensed by the dispensing apparatuses (22) and passing the medication doses (6) on to a blister packaging apparatus (4), wherein the blister packaging apparatus (4) fills the received medication doses (6), by groups, into pockets (47) of a tube blister package, wherein a group of medication doses (6) filled into a pocket (47) comprises one medication dose (6) or multiple similar or different medication doses (6), characterized by an inspection buffer apparatus disposed between the collection apparatus (3; 90, 95) and the blister packaging apparatus (4), having: a buffer apparatus (5) for picking up the medication doses (6) passed on by the collection apparatus (3; 90, 95) and for temporarily storing at least one group of medication doses intended to be filled into a pocket, a sensor apparatus (7) for detecting an image and/or predetermined properties of the temporarily stored group of medication doses (6), and an evaluation and control device that determines, on the basis of the image detected by the sensor apparatus (7) and/or of the predetermined properties detected by the sensor apparatus (7) , whether the temporarily stored group of medication doses (6) corresponds to a group of medication doses to be filled in, and controls the buffer apparatus (5) in such a manner that the latter passes the temporarily stored group on to the blister packaging apparatus (4) only if the temporarily stored group corresponds to the predetermined group.
2. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to claim 1, characterized in that the buffer apparatus (5) has a transport apparatus (50) that picks up the medication doses (6) passed on by the collection apparatus (3; 90, 95) at a first location, and transports them to a second location, at which the sensor apparatus (7) detects the image and/or the predetermined properties of the temporarily stored group of medication doses (6).
3. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to claim 2, characterized in that the transport apparatus (50) passes the temporarily stored group on to the blister packaging apparatus (4) if the temporarily stored group of medication doses (6) corresponds to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in.
4. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to claim 3, characterized in that the transport apparatus (50) transports the temporarily stored group back to the first location if the temporarily stored group of medication doses (6) does not correspond to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in, because the temporarily stored group is missing one or more medication doses, so that the missing medication dose(s) can be supplied to the group there.
5. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the transport apparatus (50) discards the temporarily stored group if the temporarily stored group of medication doses (6) does not correspond to the predetermined group of medication doses to be filled in, because the temporarily stored group contains incorrect, defective and/or excess medication doses.
6. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to one of claims 2-5, characterized in that the transport apparatus comprises a horizontal conveyor (50) that has at least one holding compartment, which can be moved to the first location for picking up medication doses, and to the second location for detecting an image and/or predetermined properties of the group, by means of the sensor apparatus.
7. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to one of claims 2-5, characterized in that the transport apparatus comprises a chute (55), the upper end of which is situated at the first location and which has a catch apparatus for catching the medication doses that slide down, wherein the catch apparatus is controlled by the evaluation and control device in such a manner that it releases the temporarily stored group formed by catching the medication doses that slide down, passing the group on to the blister packaging apparatus (4), only if the temporarily stored group corresponds to the predetermined group.
8. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to one of claims 1-7, characterized in that the sensor apparatus (7) comprises a camera that detects an image of the temporarily stored group of medication doses (6).
9. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to claim 8, characterized in that the buffer apparatus has a mechanical separation apparatus that separates the medication doses (6) of the temporarily stored group, before the image is recorded, in such a manner that the medication doses (6) do not reciprocally cover one another in the image.
10. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to one of claims 1-9, characterized in that the sensor apparatus (7) comprises a scale.
11. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to one of claims 1 - 10, characterized in that the supply containers for making medication doses available comprise first supply containers (21), which each contain a plurality of the same medication doses of a predetermined type of medication, and/or second supply containers, which each contain only one medication dose or a few medication doses of one or more types of medications.
12. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to one of claims 1 - 11, characterized in that the collection apparatus comprises a collection funnel (3) disposed below the medication supply container (2).
13. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to claim 11, characterized in that multiple first supply containers (21), each stacked one on top of the other, each having a related dispensing apparatus (22), form a vertical column of dispensing stations (2), and multiple similar dispensing station columns are disposed next to one another in a plane, that the collection apparatus has a plurality of vertical guide shafts (90) that can be moved horizontally past the dispensing station columns, which shafts have pickup openings (93) into which the dispensing apparatuses (22) dispense medication doses when a guide shaft (90) moves past them, so that the medication doses move downward in the guide shafts (90) and exit at their lower ends, from a dispensing opening, and that a collection container (95) is disposed below the dispensing opening of each guide shaft (90), which container, together with the guide shaft (90), is moved horizontally, catches the medication doses of a respective group, and dispenses them to the inspection buffer apparatus after the related guide shaft (90) has been moved past the dispensing station columns.
14. Apparatus for the production of tube blister packages according to claim 13, characterized in that the collection containers are additionally moved past below dispensing apparatuses of the second supply containers, so that the individual medication dose contained in the second supply containers or the few medication doses of one or more medication types contained in them can be dispensed into a collection container that is moving past them.