U.S. patent application number 12/110840 was filed with the patent office on 2008-12-04 for method of manufacturing packaging comprising pharmaceutical products.
This patent application is currently assigned to UHLMANN PAC-SYSTEMS GMBH & CO. KG. Invention is credited to Hans-Werner Bongers-Ambrosius, Siegfried Drost, Gunter Felk, Richard Mertens, Georg Pfau, Heino Prinz.
Application Number | 20080295460 12/110840 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38523451 |
Filed Date | 2008-12-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080295460 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Drost; Siegfried ; et
al. |
December 4, 2008 |
Method of Manufacturing Packaging Comprising Pharmaceutical
Products
Abstract
The method for producing a multi-day package containing various
drugs has the following steps. A bottom layer is formed with a
plurality of wells arranged in a pattern. A predetermined number of
different drugs are arranged in predetermined positions at various
dispensing stations of a filling device. The desired drugs are
picked in a controlled manner from their predetermined positions at
each dispensing station by at least one movable suction or gripper
device, and the drugs are placed in predetermined wells. Finally, a
sealing film is applied to the bottom layer to seal off the
wells.
Inventors: |
Drost; Siegfried; (Laupheim,
DE) ; Felk; Gunter; (Ulm, DE) ; Pfau;
Georg; (Laupheim, DE) ; Bongers-Ambrosius;
Hans-Werner; (Laupheim, DE) ; Prinz; Heino;
(Laupheim, DE) ; Mertens; Richard; (Laupheim,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JANSSON SHUPE & MUNGER LTD.
245 MAIN STREET
RACINE
WI
53403
US
|
Assignee: |
UHLMANN PAC-SYSTEMS GMBH & CO.
KG
Laupheim
DE
|
Family ID: |
38523451 |
Appl. No.: |
12/110840 |
Filed: |
April 28, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/452 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61J 1/035 20130101;
B65B 11/50 20130101; A61M 2207/00 20130101; B65B 5/103 20130101;
A61J 7/0084 20130101; B65B 5/105 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/452 |
International
Class: |
B65B 3/02 20060101
B65B003/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 3, 2007 |
EP |
EP 07 008 966.9 |
Claims
1. A method for producing a multi-day package containing various
drugs comprising the following steps: forming a bottom layer with a
plurality of levels arranged in a pattern; arranging supply-blister
sheets at various dispensing stations of a filling device, wherein,
at predetermined positions at each dispensing station, the
supply-blister sheets have supply-blister pockets to hold a number
of different medicaments, and wherein the pockets of the
supply-blister sheets are sealed by a temporary sealing film, which
is applied adhesively to the webs of the base layer between the
supply-blister pockets; partially removing the temporary sealing
film from the supply-blister sheet to release a predetermined
number of drugs to at least one suction or gripper device; picking
the desired drugs in a controlled manner from their predetermined
positions at each dispensing station by at least one movable
suction or gripper device, and placing the drugs in predetermined
wells; and applying a sealing film to the bottom layer to seal off
the wells.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the production of the
supply-blister sheet includes the following steps: forming a base
layer extending a considerable distance in the longitudinal and
transverse directions, as a result of which the plurality of
supply-blister pockets is obtained; and loading the drugs into the
supply-blister pockets.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the additional step
that, before the step of removing the temporary sealing film from
the supply-blister sheet, the supply-blister sheet is cut into
supply-blister sections, and the supply-blister sections are
arranged on rolls at the dispensing station transversely to the
transport direction of the multi-day package.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein several suction or gripper devices
are actuated individually in at least one dispensing station.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the suction or gripper devices are
arranged in correspondence with the pattern of the wells in the
multi-day package and are moved parallel to each other transversely
to the transport direction of the multi-day package.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one suction or
gripper device is monitored by means of a camera or by sensors.
7. The method of claim 1 comprising the additional step of
introducing perforations into the bottom layer and into the sealing
film between the wells.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority based on European patent
application EP 07 008 966.9, filed May 3, 2007.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The invention pertains to methods for producing multi-day
packages which contain various medicaments for several days and for
several administration times.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
[0003] The multiple blister pockets of conventional blister packs
are intended to hold a single type of medicament. A device for
filling these conventional blister packs is described in, for
example, DE 199 26 893 C2.
[0004] In the treatment of patients with chronic diseases, however,
there is often room for improvement with respect to the patient's
ability to take his or her medicaments consistently in accordance
with the prescribed therapy. This is especially true when different
sets of tablets must be taken at different times of day. To provide
a memory aid which helps the patient take his or her medicaments
correctly and also to ensure a reliable overview as to which
medicaments have already been taken, DE 10 2004 034 024 A1
describes a blister pack in which the drug pockets are arranged in
a matrix divided into days of the week and administration times
with seven lines and at least three columns. The individual drug
pockets are designed as tub-like wells formed in a thin layer of
plastic, and all the tablets which are to be taken at a particular
time of day are put together in one of these wells. All the drug
pockets are covered with blister film, and the sections assigned to
the individual administration times are separated from each other
by perforations, so that the individual administration sections for
certain times of day and certain days of the week can be easily
separated from the rest of the pack.
[0005] A method for producing a packaging unit of this type to
accommodate the patient's medicaments for a week is known from, for
example, DE 10 2004 020 510 A1. Strip-like supply blister packs
containing the individual medicaments are wound up into rolls. At
various dispensing stations, the strips are conveyed over the
above-described packaging unit in the transverse direction, and
plungers are used to push the medicaments out of the strip-like
supply blister pack into the tub-like wells of the packaging unit.
The packaging unit, designed as a "one-week blister", is sealed as
a whole with sealing film.
[0006] The above-mentioned production method is relatively
cumbersome, however, because of the complicated mechanisms required
and the double packaging step of the tablets. The method is also
critical from a contamination standpoint, because, when the tablets
are pushed out by the plungers, tablet dust is created, which
settles on the plungers and in the tub-like wells.
[0007] Another production method is known from DE 10 2005 047 429
A1. Here a system for filling one-week blister packs is disclosed,
which is intended primarily for situations in which comparatively
small numbers of patients are involved (e.g., in clinical centers).
Standard commercial blister packs are stored in stacks in sector
magazines, each of which can be rotated to release a blister
holding the desired type of tablet. The blister pocket, from which
the tablet is to be taken, is then opened by punching out the
blister cap. The blister cap is then removed by a suction pipette
integrated into the punching tool, whereupon the suction pipette is
also used to remove the tablet from the blister pocket and to load
it into the one-week blister pack. The overall method is extremely
complicated.
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method
for producing a multi-day package holding various drugs, which
method excludes contamination and which can be carried out easily
and also very quickly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to an embodiment of the invention, the method for
producing a multi-day package with various drugs includes the
following steps: forming a bottom layer with a plurality of wells
arranged in a pattern; arranging supply-blister sheets with a
predetermined number of different drugs in predetermined positions
at various dispensing stations of a filling device, wherein the
supply-blister-pockets are sealed by a temporary sealing film,
which is applied adhesively to the webs of the base layer between
the supply-blister pockets; partially removing the temporary
sealing film from the webs of the base layer of the supply-blister
sheets; picking the desired drugs from their predetermined
positions by at least one movable suction or gripper device;
depositing the drugs in the predetermined wells; and applying a
sealing film to the bottom layer to seal off the wells.
[0010] Thus, a multi-day package containing various drugs is
produced in an especially simple manner, quickly, and without risk
of contamination, wherein the drugs are kept protected in the
supply-blister pockets even during long periods of storage.
[0011] The production of the supply-blister sheets preferably
comprises the following steps: forming a base layer extending a
considerable distance in the longitudinal and transverse
directions, as a result of which the plurality of supply-blister
pockets is obtained; and loading the drugs into the supply-blister
pockets.
[0012] It can be advantageous to cut the supply-blister sheet into
supply-blister sections before the step of removing the temporary
sealing film and to arrange the blister sections wound up on a roll
at the dispensing stations transversely to the transport direction
of the multi-day package. As a result, effective access to
individual, seldom-used tablets is possible. The supply-blister
sections are not necessarily limited to a single strip-like row of
supply-blister pockets but can have instead several supply-blister
pockets next to each other, so that the simultaneous removal of
medicaments from several supply-blister pockets by several suction
or gripper devices is possible not only transversely, but also
longitudinally to the transport direction of the multi-day
package.
[0013] To simplify quality control, the suction or gripper device
is preferably monitored by a camera or by means of sensors.
[0014] By means of the additional step of introducing perforations
into the bottom layer and into the sealing film between the wells,
the possibility is obtained of being able to separate individual
sections for specific administration times of specific days from
the multi-day package.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] Additional details, features, and advantages of the present
invention can be derived from the following description, which
makes reference to the attached drawings.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of a multi-day package
containing various drugs after the sealing film has been partially
removed;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view through the multi-day
package of FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the inventive method for producing
the multi-day package;
[0019] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an alternative to the inventive
method for producing the multi-day package;
[0020] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a filling device which can
be used in the inventive production method; and
[0021] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a filling device which can
be used in an alternative production method.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0022] FIG. 1 is a schematic top view of an example of a multi-day
package 1. The packaging unit 1 comprises several segments 3, each
of which is assigned to a certain time of day of a certain day of
the week and can hold several types of medicaments. The segments 3
are arranged in columns and rows and are preferably separated by
perforations 2, wherein, in the exemplary embodiment shown here,
the first row 4 stands, for example, for "Monday", the second row 5
for "Tuesday", etc. The division into columns corresponds to the
different administration times of the medicaments during the course
of a specific day of the week, wherein, for example, the first
column 6 is assigned to the administration time "morning", the
second column 7 to the administration time "noon", the third column
8 to the administration time "evening", and the fourth column 9 to
the administration time "night". It is also possible to package
medicaments for more than 7 or less than 7 days in the multi-day
package (e.g., a blister pack for a whole month) or to include only
certain administration times.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of part of an inventive
packaging unit 1 with several adjacent segments 3. The segments 3
are formed out of a bottom layer 11, into which relatively large
wells 10 are formed, each of which can hold several medicaments.
The bottom layer 11 consists preferably of PVC film, either
transparent or of any desired color, or it can consist of
polypropylene or a layer laminate with aluminum. The wells 10 can
also have a shape different from the tub-like form shown in FIG. 2
and can also be arranged in almost any regular or irregular
pattern, possibly a circular pattern, for example.
[0024] Each well 10 is closed by a sealing film 12, which is bonded
adhesively to the webs 14 of the bottom layer located between the
wells 10. Aluminum foil, paper-lined foil, or polypropylene film
can be used as the sealing film 12. The sealing film 12 has no
perforations in the areas where it covers the wells 10, so that a
secure and long-lasting seal is provided for the drug until it is
needed. The perforations 2 in the webs 14 of the bottom layer 11,
which form the boundaries of the wells 10, and those in the sealing
film 12 can be seen between the individual segments 3.
[0025] When the sealing film 12 is pulled from the webs 14 around a
well 10, it is therefore possible to access all of the medicaments
intended for a certain administration time at once. For this
purpose it is important for the sealing film 12 to be relatively
tear-proof.
[0026] The sealing film 12 can also be imprinted with a list of the
medicaments contained in the individual wells 10. It is also
conceivable that an additional hinged cover could be provided, on
which information about the medicaments is presented.
[0027] A flow chart of the inventive method for producing the
multi-day package is shown in FIG. 3.
[0028] First, wells 10 to hold the drugs are formed in a bottom
layer 11 (step 32). For this purpose, the bottom layer 11 is pulled
from a roll, possibly heated in a heating station, and then
provided with the wells 10 in a following forming station.
[0029] Then a predetermined number of different drugs are arranged
(step 34) in predetermined positions at various dispensing stations
of the filling station. The steps to be carried out for this
purpose in the case of the embodiment according to FIG. 3 are
explained in the following.
[0030] First, in step 35, a base layer of considerable size in the
longitudinal and transverse directions is formed, as a result of
which a large number of supply-blister pockets 16 is obtained. For
this purpose, the base layer is unwound from a roll, possibly
heated in a heating station, and provided with the supply-blister
pockets 16 in a forming station. Then the supply-blister pockets 16
are filled with drugs (step 36); the results are subjected to
quality control, and defective products are ejected. In the
following step 38, the supply-blister pockets 16 are closed by a
temporary sealing film, which is applied adhesively to the webs of
the base layer between the supply-blister pockets 16. For this
purpose, the temporary sealing film is unwound from a roll, applied
in a sealing station to the webs of the base layer between the
supply-blister pockets 16, and then cooled in a cooling
station.
[0031] Then the large supply-blister sheet thus produced is cut
into individual supply-blister sections (step 40). The cutting of
the supply-blister sheet into separate supply-blister sections
comprises preferably the cutting of the supply-blister sheet in the
longitudinal direction by means of a longitudinal cutter. In the
longitudinal cutter, the supply-blister sheet is cut in the
direction in which the supply-blister sheet is traveling. The cuts
are made preferably by circular knives mounted on a shaft. This
shaft will usually be located underneath the supply-blister sheet.
Above the supply-blister sheet there is a shaft on which a round
disk is mounted opposite each of the circular knives. The cut edge
is formed between the circular knife and the round disk. Hold-downs
press the supply-blister sheet from above against the guide to
ensure a straight cut. The longitudinal cutter is usually driven by
a motor and a toothed belt.
[0032] As a result, supply-blister sections are produced from the
supply-blister sheet, and these sections are then wound up into
rolls. A supply-blister section can be in the form of a strip, but
it can also have several supply-blister pockets 16 adjacent to each
other in the transverse direction. After that, the supply-blister
sections are unwound from the roll, and the temporary sealing film
is removed (step 42).
[0033] Then the medicaments are picked up in a controlled manner by
means of at least one mobile suction or gripper device 50 and
placed in the wells 10 (step 44).
[0034] FIG. 5, which shows a schematic diagram of a filling device
for the inventive method, illustrates an example of a suction
device 50 which can move in the transverse direction. In this
schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment, the suction device 50
is a suction arm, which can move vertically and which is driven by
a control unit (not shown). The device is designed to pick up
individual tablets from the supply-blister pockets 16 from which
the sealing film 12 has previously been removed and to place them
in the individual desired wells 10 formed in the bottom layer 11.
Movement in the transverse direction along a rail 52 is also
conceivable, but any other guided movement which can be controlled
by the control unit can be used here.
[0035] It is also possible to use several suction arms 50 in
parallel, which are actuated separately, in order to place several
tablets in the wells 10 simultaneously. The bottom layer 11 is
preferably transported in interval fashion, and the multi-day
package I will be filled with the individual tablets row by row. If
several suction arms 50 are present, it is also possible to fill
several rows or segments 3 simultaneously. For this purpose it can
also be advisable for the suction arms 50 to be movable in the
transport direction of the multi-day package as well.
[0036] A camera 54, which is installed in the area of the suction
device and which preferably moves along with it, serves to monitor
both the suction process and the correct placement of the tablets
in the wells 10 of the bottom layer 11. Other sensors are also
suitable for monitoring the picking and placing of the tablets.
[0037] The last step is the sealing of the multi-day package with
the sealing film 12 (step 46).
[0038] In addition to the inventive method, the arrangement 34 of a
predetermined number of drugs in predetermined positions at other
dispensing stations of the filling device can occur in a different
way which is shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 6.
[0039] In this case, the holders of a sorting plate 56 arranged in
correspondence with the pattern of the wells 10 in the multi-day
package are filled with drugs. This variant is especially effective
when several suction or gripper devices 50, which can be arranged
above the sorting plate 56 in correspondence with the pattern of
the holders, are actuated individually at the dispensing station,
and when a large number of these drugs is to be loaded into each
multi-day package. The placing of the drugs onto the sorting plate
56 is preferably accomplished by means of a vibrating chute. To
ensure that all of the holders of the sorting plate 56 are filled,
a brushing movement with a brush device 58 is then preferably
carried out, which also takes care of removing excess tablets from
the sorting plate 56.
[0040] By means of the filling device shown in FIG. 6, where, for
reasons of clarity the sorting plate 56 is shown reduced in size
and where only two suction devices 50 of the matrix arrangement of
suction devices 50 corresponding to the pattern of wells 10 in the
multi-day package are shown, it is therefore possible to pick the
medicaments from the sorting plate 56 in any desired pattern and to
place them in the corresponding wells 10 in the multi-day package,
whereupon the empty holders are refilled.
[0041] It is possible to apply the inventive and the alternative
embodiment of the method in combination, that is, at different
dispensing stations of the same filling device.
[0042] Thus, in an especially simple and rapid manner, a multi-day
package for various medicaments is created, in which the
medicaments are sorted by administration times.
* * * * *