Abstract:
A vial closing machine includes an indexed mechanism to facilitate movement of vial fixtures between a plurality stations—loading, filling, sealing, and unloading; integration of a filler and manifold system, to dispense a pharmaceutical product equally into each of the vials; an electrical enclosure containing a programmable logic controller or a series of timers to control filler, sealing mechanism, indexer movement; a moveable heat sealing device providing pressure against an opposing respective device which creates pressured system required for sealing process; a material flattener, attached to the moveable heat sealing device, used to pre-flatten a vial below a sealing area in order to create a reliable seal without damaging the integrity of the vial material; and a means for removing filled and sealed vials from vial fixture. The vial closing machine may be one of two types—a Ferris wheel design type or a stadium design type.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates generally to the field of heat-sealing apparatus and more particularly to a semi-automatic and automated heat-sealing process to effect high speed sealing of interconnected polymeric vials after filling each vial with a pharmaceutical product.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    As the pharmaceutical industry has grown, there has been a demand for vial closing machines to be compact and located at each pharmacy. Today&#39;s high-speed machines are physically too large for the pharmacy. Single stand-alone heat sealers are limited to manual or automatic vial entry, then filling, then sealing, then unloading all in a sequential order. Although some operations can take place concurrently such as loading and filling or loading and sealing, the basic current apparatus is a sequentially based operation.  
           [0005]    Previously, stand-alone machines such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,336,489, “Method and Apparatus for Impulse Sealing Polymeric Vials in Tandem” filed on Jun. 1, 2000, not only operate in a sequential manner, but also depend upon heater bars for the sealing operation and often toggle clamps are required for accurate positioning of the vials. The constant opening and closing of the toggle clamps promotes wear on these parts and therefore requires frequent replacement causing unnecessary downtime and expense.  
           [0006]    As production demands increase, so does the productivity of the apparatus. This requirement was initially addressed by increasing the size or length of the sealing machine such that more interconnected polymeric vials are positioned in tandem, and sealed in the same time period. Productivity was addressed with size. However, there is a need to produce a vial sealing machine with increased productivity without significantly increasing the overall size of the machine.  
           [0007]    Ultrasonic sealing has been used to close vials in the past, however one of the more prevailing problems using ultrasonic sealing is when the rounded or straight edge of an ultrasonic horn comes into contact with the vial material. Since the vial material is formed, it has an elasticity that will cause the material to form around the ultrasonic horn, thus creating burn holes into the vial material.  
           [0008]    Thus, there is a need to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art as discussed above, and in particular to provide a semi-automatic and automated heat-sealing process to effect high speed sealing of interconnected polymeric vials after filling each vial with a pharmaceutical product.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    An integrated indexed mechanical system is comprised of several stations including loading, filling, sealing and unloading. Each station is active concurrently with the all other stations. So, at the same time the filler station is filling each vial, the sealer is sealing each vial, operator is loading vials, and the machine is expelling filled and sealed vials. This turntable approach is formulated in the embodiment of a Ferris wheel type mechanism and also in a stadium type mechanism.  
           [0010]    The Ferris wheel type mechanism has each of the four stations positioned 90 degrees apart. Multiple sets of interconnected vials effect increased production rates.  
           [0011]    The Stadium type mechanism uses an inline approach such that loading, filling, and sealing is on one level and unloading is on a lower level. Multiple levels facilitate an increase in the number of vials filled and sealed within the same production rate. And as additional levels are added, the total number of filled and sealed vials increase without necessarily increasing the footprint size of the machine.  
           [0012]    Both machine design types are expandable. The Ferris wheel type expands by increasing the number of interconnected vial sets thus increasing the width of the machine. The Stadium type expands by increasing the number of levels for increased machine height, and/or increasing number of interconnected vial sets for increased machine width.  
           [0013]    The present invention provides a high speed heat sealing mechanism capable of exceeding the current vial productivity rate of approximately 60 vials per minute without increasing the relative size of the apparatus to produce filled and sealed vials. The present invention reduces maintenance and replacement parts, provides modularity, increases handling efficiency, maximizes quality, decreases overall cycle time, and increases machine safety. Further, the present invention increases throughput by coupling the integrated indexed mechanism to one or more automatic vial loading stations. The use of automatic vial loading stations enables the cycle time to remain constant even while the number of vials processed concurrently increases.  
           [0014]    Moreover, the present invention provides a mechanism that pre-flattens the vial in an area within close proximity of sealed area. With this mechanism, burn holes are avoided. This mechanism and its use will substantially reduce this problem from occurring with other ultrasonic sealing applications for vial closing. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]    The subject matter that is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a side-view of an automated vial sealing machine of a Ferris wheel design type showing each of the four indexed stations according to the present invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a front-view of an automated vial sealing machine of a Ferris wheel design type showing relative position of stand alone or interconnected vials as it relates to FIG. 1 according to the present invention.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is an isometric full assembly view of an automated vial sealing machine of a Ferris wheel design type according to the present invention.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a front-view of an automated vial sealing machine of a Stadium design type showing each level of two levels such that the top of each level is for loading, filling, and sealing, and the bottom of each level is for expelling filled and sealed vials and for return of fixtures to loading station according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a side-view of an automated vial sealing machine of a Stadium design type showing relative and tandem position of each level as it relates to FIG. 4 according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is an isometric full assembly view of an automated vial sealing machine of a Stadium design type according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a strip of interconnected vials in accordance to the present invention.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8 is an exemplary schematic defining control logic used for machine operation of either Ferris wheel or Stadium design types according the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 9 is an isometeric full view of the automated vial sealing machine of a Ferris wheel design of FIG. 1, according to the present invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 10 is an isometeric full view of the automated vial sealing machine of a Stadium Wheel design of FIG. 6, according to the present invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 11 is an isometeric full view of an embodiment of a portion of the heating stack used with the designs of FIGS. 9 and 10, according to the present invention.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     Overview  
       [0027]    It should be understood that these embodiments are only examples of the many advantageous uses of the innovative teachings herein. In general, statements made in the specification of the present application do not necessarily limit any of the various claimed inventions. Moreover, some statements may apply to some inventive features but not to others. In general, unless otherwise indicated, singular elements may be in the plural and vice versa with no loss of generality. In the drawing like numerals refer to like parts through several views.  
         [0028]    The present invention, according to a preferred embodiment, overcomes problems with the prior art by providing an integrated indexed mechanical system comprised of several stations including loading, filling, sealing and unloading. Each station is active concurrently with the all other stations, and any of the stations may be automatic, manual or a combination of both. So, at the same time the filler station is filling each vial with a substance, the sealer is sealing each vial, an operator is loading vials, and the machine is expelling filled and sealed vials. This turntable approach is formulated in the embodiment of an indexed mechanism in the form of a Ferris wheel type mechanism and also in a Stadium type mechanism. The substance contained in each vial may be any liquid, powder, solid, or gas that is dispensable into a vial such as vitamins, pharmaceuticals, candies, food, beverages, whether organic or inorganic and equivalents. The vials may be made of plastic such as polymeric materials.  
         [0029]    Two exemplary embodiments are described in the present invention to meet the requirements of automatic or semi-automatic, a small footprint, a high throughput, and low maintenance. These two designs are described as the Ferris Wheel design and the Stadium Design.  
         [0030]    A first exemplary embodiment illustrating the Ferris Wheel machine design is now described. A more detailed description for this Ferris Wheel machine design follows. Turning now to FIG. 9, shown is an isometeric full view of the automated vial sealing machine of a Ferris wheel according to the present invention. The machine frame  902  is designed to sit on a counter top (not shown). A series of vials  112  are placed into a vial fixture  114  which are rotated in an orbital direction from station to station. The stations are various positions in the orbital path of this Ferris Wheel embodiment include loading, filling, sealing, and unloading. The front loading station  914  is positioned to enable easy loading of a plurality of vials  112 . It is important to note that all of the stations may be fully automatic, semi-automatic or manual. The automatic attachment is not shown for simplicity and is shown in FIG. 1 as more fully described below. In this exemplary embodiment there are four fixtures  114  mounted between two octagonal wheels  912 . A filler station  104  with distribution manifold  910  is used to fill each of the vials  112  with a predetermined amount of a substance. As the vial fixtures  114  rotate towards the interior of the machine, a sealing station  916  seals the top of the vials. Continuing in the same direction of rotation, an unloading station  918  is used to invert each vial fixture  114  for unloading as shown in FIG. 1 as described further below. An optional housing  908  for the electronics and controls  906  is situated on top of the machine as shown. The electronics are more fully illustrated in FIG. 8. A one-way clutch  904  is shown to make sure the Ferris Wheel only turns in one direction and this is especially important when the vials are being sealed against an anvil as further described below.  
         [0031]    A second exemplary embodiment illustrating the Stadium design is now described. FIG. 10 illustrates an isometeric full view of the automated vial sealing machine of a Stadium Wheel design according to the present invention. Like the Ferris wheel design, the machine frame  1002  is designed to sit on a counter top (not shown). A series of vials  112  are placed in the vial fixture  114 . In this example, the Stadium Design has two redundant levels, an upper level and a lower level. These levels run in parallel to permit higher throughput of the machine in the compact space. For each level a vial fixture  114  is rotated in an orbital direction from station to station. The stations include a loading station, a filling station, a sealing station, and an unloading station. The loading station  102 , the filling station  104 , and the sealing station  120  are placed side-by-side along the width of the machine. The unloading station  108  is placed at a bottom portion of each level the machine  108 . The filler station  104  with distribution manifold  1010  is used to fill each of the vials  112 . As the vials rotate towards the right side of the machine they are sealed and as the vials rotate towards the lower end of the machine, the vial fixture is inverted for unloading as shown in FIG. 4 described further below. A housing  1008  for the electronics and controls  1006  is situated on top of the machine as shown. The electronics are more fully illustrated in FIG. 8.  
         [0032]    Common to both of these machine embodiments of the Ferris Wheel and the Stadium, is sealing station  120  which includes a sealing apparatus as shown in FIG. 11. The sealing apparatus includes an ultrasonic horn  120 , a pre-flattener  124  and an anvil  122  for working in cooperation with the pre-flattener  124 . The area of the vials  112 , typically the top open end, are positioned in the vial fixture  114  between the horn  120  and the anvil  122 . This is more easily understood by referring to FIG. 1 below.  
       Details of Ferris Wheel Embodiment  
       [0033]    Now a more detailed description of each design and the electronics follows. Beginning with the Ferris wheel design, shown in FIG. 1 are four stations positioned  900  apart. Multiple sets of interconnected vials effect increased production rates. The Ferris wheel design type includes four indexed stations revolving about a center shaft  110 . Each station consists of vial fixtures  114  such that vial fixture  114  is contained within a long trough  128  with dividers separating each strip of interconnected vials. Circular rods  126  at each end of the trough  128  attach each trough to a set (first and second) of vertical wheel assemblies  130 , support the trough  128  and enable the trough to rotate to an upside-down position for unloading. Each station provides a different, albeit concurrent, function. Loading station  102  is for loading individual vials  112  or a strip of interconnected vials  112 . The Loading station  102  in one embodiment is automatic and uses a plunger  132  to push a vial  112  biased up against the wall  138  down through opening  134  as shown by direction  136  to be received in Loading stations  102 . It is important that in one embodiment, several vials are loaded at once in groups in Loading station  102  (not shown). This facilitates a higher throughput in the Loading station  102 . The vials are either joined as shown in FIG. 7 or separate. Filler station  104  is reserved for filling each vial by using a distribution manifold containing a filler mechanism  302  (shown in FIG. 3) located above the vial fixture  114  located at station  104  or filler mechanism  302  could be located at another location away from the Filler station. Sealing station  106  is where vials are sealed. In the preferred embodiment, the welding method used is ultrasonic welding, and as such, a moveable sealing device such as an ultrasonic horn  120  and material flattener  124  move horizontally against vials  112  towards an opposing sealing device such as anvil  122 . It should be noted that other means of sealing, such as heat sealing using a heated platen or impulse welding, could be used in place of the ultrasonic welding. The use of the material flattener  124  to pre-flatten the vial  112  below sealing area creates a better, more reliable seal without damaging the integrity of the vial material. When in position, the horn  120  is energized to ultra sonic levels of vibration, creating heat between the compressed walls of the vial  112 . While under pressure with heat, and subsequently without heat, (also known as cooling), the vial  112  is closed and sealed. Alternately, the ultrasonic horn  120  may be stationary and the anvil  122  may be mobile, or both anvil  122  and ultrasonic horn  120  could move together in an opposing motion. In the embodiment where both the anvil  122  and ultrasonic horn move together in opposing motion, it has been shown through experiments that the flattener  124  is optional and depends on how the vial is clamped or held during the sealing process.  
         [0034]    The purpose of the flattener  124  is to pre-stress the vial, and not to seal the vial  112  when only the anvil  122  or the stack moves to seal the vial. The flattener  124  is made from any material including metal, ceramic, plastic, composite or a combination thereof and may be formed in a wide variety of shapes depending on the vial  112  and the geometries of the anvil  122  and fixtures to hold the vial  112  during the sealing process. The edge of the flattener is coming into contact with the vial  112  is rigid and can be any geometric shape including a straight edge, convex, a point which permits pre-stressing of the vial. When the flattener  124  is used with an ultrasonic means, then the flattener  124  may not touch the horn  120 . If another heating or welding means is used, then the flattener may or may not touch the sealing apparatus based on the selection of flattener material and whether or not the material would distract energy flow direction. For example, if the method of heat sealing uses a heated platen, and the flattener  124  is made of aluminum, then intimate contact would sink energy from platen to flattener, and the flattener  124  would become the heated platen, which would not be desirable.  
         [0035]    The sealing device described above for the ultrasonic horn  120 , anvil  122  and flattener  124  has several variations. For convenience, the term “stack” refers to an ultrasonic horn, ultrasonic sonotrode and ultrasonic booster. The stack is powered by an ultrasonic generator. If another means of welding is used, the stack and anvil are not applicable. For example, if an impulse sealing means is used, the sealing device is comprised of impulse sealing bar and anvil or impulse sealing bar against another impulse sealing bar.  
         [0036]    A sealing device and method, which has been found to be used advantageously in the present invention is disclosed in U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 10/0321,119 entitled “Method for Semi-Automatic Retrofit of Vial Closing Machines” filed on Dec. 31, 2001, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.  
         [0037]    Further in one embodiment several vials are sealed at once using a generator matched to each horn to permit sealing the vials simultaneously. Alternatively, a single generator may be sequenced to one or more horns. Each horn would seal a vial using the generator for a predetermined period of time, before the generator is sequenced to the next horn in the series. A single generator sequenced to a series of horns. A “sequencer” for a generator in this embodiment is available by DuKane. Still, in another embodiment, only a single horn and generator is used and moved quickly from vial-to-vial for sealing. After vials  112  are filled and sealed, the vial fixture  114  holding the vials  112  move through a roller wheel  116  which turns the vial fixture  114  upside down in Station  108  causing vials  112  to drop down through an unloading slide. When the vial fixtures move from Station  108  clockwise towards Station  102 , the vial fixtures  114  move through a roller wheel  118  similar to roller wheel  116 , acting as a mechanical cam device, which pivots the vial fixture  114  90°, or right side up, for sequence of operations to begin again by loading new vials  112  into vial fixture  114  at loading station  102 . FIG. 2 illustrates the location of filler station  104  as it relates to unloading station  108 . It is important to note that the exact number of stations is not important and a various number of stations are within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 3 illustrates an isometric front and side view of the Ferris wheel design type and illustrates relative position of distribution manifold  302  shown above trough of vial fixtures  114 . Machine controls consist of ultrasonic generator  308 , line filters, programmable logic controller, and other control devices and are located in the control section  304 . Ultrasonic mechanical components known as a stack  306  consist of a sonotrode, booster and horn. The stack  306  is encapsulated within an acoustic tile material rated specifically to reduce the noise associated with ultrasonic sealing.  
       Details of Stadium Embodiment  
       [0039]    The Stadium type mechanism, an alternate embodiment of the present invention, uses an inline approach of a conveyor system such that loading, filling, and sealing is on the top of upper level  424  and lower level  426 , respectively, along a stationary raceway (conveyor track) and unloading is on the bottom of upper level  424  and lower level  426 , respectively, along a second stationary raceway (conveyor track). Multiple levels facilitate an increase in the number of vials filled and sealed within the same production cycle. As additional levels are added, the total number of filled and sealed vials increase without necessarily increasing the footprint size of the machine. The relative front and side view layout of the Stadium design type with two levels is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. A vial fixture  422  is a carrier or buggy that moves from station to station along a chain  410  for the upper level  424  and chain  412  for the lower level  426 . Movement of chain  410  and chain  412  around roller wheels  414  and  416  for the upper level  424  and roller wheels  418  and  420  for the lower level  426  is concurrent. Movement is from left to right. A set of interconnected vials  112  is loaded into vial fixture  422  at station  402  for upper  424  and lower  426  levels. After a predetermined cycle time, vial fixture  422  moves to station  404  where the vials  112  are filled. Filling is accomplished by using a filler pump  602 , and a distribution manifold  608  and  610  located above the vial fixture. 422  located at filler station  404  for upper  424  and lower  426  levels. Refer to FIG. 5 to see relative position of upper  424  and lower  426  levels. FIG. 5 also illustrates relative position of Camco indexer  502 , which is the indexable motor used to move vial fixture  422  from one station to the next. When vials  112  are filled, and after a predetermined cycle time, vial fixture  422  moves from the filling station  404  to sealing station  406  for upper  424  and lower  426  levels. At the sealing station  406 , ultrasonic horn  520  and material flattener  524  move horizontally against vials  112  towards anvil  522 . When in position, horn  520  is energized to ultrasonic levels of vibration, creating heat between the compressed walls of the vial  112 . Again, as with the Ferris wheel design, while under pressure with heat, and subsequently without heat, (also known as cooling), the vial  112  is closed and sealed. After vials  112  are filled and sealed, the vial fixture  422  moves along chains  410  and  412  and around roller wheels  416  and  420  such that vial fixture  422  returns to station  408  in an upside down position. While vial fixture  422  returns and is moved through three indexed return stations, the vials  112  drop from the vial fixture  422  to an unloading tray positioned to expel filled and sealed vials. Vial fixture  422  continues to move along chain  410  and  412  until vial fixture  422  moves about roller wheels  414  and  418  positioning vial fixture  422  in right side up position for loading at station  402 . The sequence of operation begins again. As shown in FIG. 4 there may be six vial fixtures  422  moving along chain  410  for upper level  424  and an additional six vial fixtures  422  moving along chain  412  for lower level  426 . The number of vial fixtures may be increased or decreased within the true scope and spirit of the present invention. For example, at the exact time when vials  112  are in vial fixture  422  at the filler station  404 , another set of vials  112  are in another vial fixture  422  at the sealing station  406 , and at the first indexed unloading station  408  directly below station  406 , and at the second indexed unloading station  409  directly below station  404 , and at the third indexed unloading station  407  directly below station  402 , and at the loading station  402  on each of the two levels. As shown in FIG. 4, each level is positioned such that the levels are in tandem as they relate to each other. Additional levels could be added in the same manner. It is important to note that the exact number of vial fixtures is not important and various number of vial fixtures are within the true scope and spirit of the present invention.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 6 illustrates an isometric front and side view of the Stadium design type and illustrates the relative position of each level as it relates the loading, filling and sealing stations. For this design the filling of each vial  112  is accomplished with a distribution manifold, which is located above the filling station  404  over each level. So, for a two level Stadium design type machine, there are two sets of distribution manifolds, one positioned above the upper level  424  and the other position above the lower level  426 . Since the Stadium design type  400  uses tandem positions for each stackable level, there is no interference created by having more than one manifold. There is an ultrasonic generator and stack  606  consisting of a sonotrode, booster and horn for each level. Each stack  606  is encapsulated within an acoustic tile material rated specifically to reduce the noise associated with ultrasonic sealing. Controls  604  for the Stadium design  400  are similar to those described for the Ferris wheel design  100  and will be discussed in detailin FIG. 8.  
         [0041]    These compact integrated designs use either impulse sealing or ultrasonic sealing methods to heat-seal and close the vials. Impulse sealing cycle times may range from 10-30 seconds whereas ultrasonic sealing cycle times vary from 1-5 seconds. Machine productivity is equal to number of vials processed multiplied by number of cycles in one minute. So, for example, a 5 second cycle time produces 20 cycles per minute, and if each cycle is sealing 24 vials, then total production is 24 vials per cycle multiplied by 20 cycles per minute or 480 vials per minute. Ultrasonic sealing provides the quickest cycle time, thus can increase productivity by as much as 800% over conventional existing methods or heat sealing apparatus as disclosed to date.  
         [0042]    Both machine design types are expandable. The Ferris wheel type  100  expands by increasing the number of interconnected vial sets thus increasing the width of the machine. The Stadium type  400  expands by increasing the number of levels for increased machine height, and/or increasing number of interconnected vial sets for increased machine width.  
       Details of Vials  
       [0043]    [0043]FIG. 7 illustrates an example of vials  112  and illustrates how vials could be interconnected to form a strip of vials. A strip of vials may contain any number of vials  112 . FIG. 7 also illustrates relative regions A and B of a vial  112 . Region A is the region sealed. Medicines are filled into the vial  112  and pass from region A to region B. Fill level resides in region B. The vials can be loaded as a unit using Loading station  102  in one embodiment where the strip of vials forms one unit. In FIG. 1, the strip is not shown and the perspective would be perpendicular to the paper. Vials from several manufactures have been shown to be used advantageously with the present invention including vials manufactured and/or distributed by STAT, AVERY, LETCO, BMJ/Adept vials.  
       Details of Control Logic  
       [0044]    [0044]FIG. 8 illustrates exemplary control logic used to program the programmable logic controller of the control system used to manage the order of sequential and concurrent operations. The sequence of operations, as shown on the schematic, includes the following steps. Operator presses “Start” switch to begin operation. Relay  1  closes and is maintained. Index motor moves Indexer  1  to first station. After this first movement, Relay  5  is operated by the Microswitch  242  to close. Relay  5  energizes Relay  2  and Filler mechanism, holds if closed, and energizes Hydraulic Valve to move the Hydraulic Cylinder to prepare for heat sealing. At the end of Cylinder stroke, Microswitch  89  is closed, Relay  3  is energized and holds, and closes the Sealing Timer for Generator  1  and Generator  2  and Generator  3  (provided that these three Generator On/Off switches are closed). Sealing Timer starts and, when timer completes time cycle, Cooling Timer starts. After Cooling Timer completes, Relay  4  is energized which locks-in and also energizes the Cylinder&#39;s return stroke. Only when the Cylinder is in the return position will Microswitch  73  energize Relay  6 , which opens Relay  1 . This resets everything as well as the emergency STOP switch, if used. This system is foolproof because every action is consecutive, depending on the completion of the previous action. Pressing the Start Switch operates the Camco Indexer, Filler Pump, hydraulic cylinder, ultrasonic generators, cooling cylinder return, and Completion of Cycle. Operations are sequential. Filler circuit assures filling is completed before a cycle may continue. A safety feature is used to assure loading is completed before a cycle may continue.  
         [0045]    An optional loading slide (not shown) is added to both the Ferris wheel embodiment and the Stadium embodiments so as to assist an operator in quickly loading strips of vials without the automatic attachment.  
         [0046]    Moreover, an optional exit slide (not shown) to either of the embodiments described above for stadium and Ferris wheel is added. The exit slide gathers vials from the machine. The slide in one embodiment is motorized, as in a conveyor. In another embodiment, the slide works with gravity; and slide can expel vials either to a side of the machine or to front or back, or below machine.  
         [0047]    Although specific embodiments of the invention have been disclosed, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that changes can be made to the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation to the teachings of the present invention without departing from the central inventive concepts described herein. Furthermore, an embodiment of the present invention may not include all of the features described above. The scope of the invention is not to be restricted, therefore, to the specific embodiments, and it is intended that the appended claims cover any and all such applications, modifications, and embodiments within the scope of the present invention.