Storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceuticals

A storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceuticals is provided. The storage container includes a housing, which encloses a receptacle chamber having a guide section, wherein an inner wall of the guide section defines a circular-cylindrical guide chamber. A singulating unit is arranged in the guide section of the housing having a central axis of rotation. The singulating unit has a main section and multiple projections, wherein each projection has two end sections and a middle section. One pharmaceutical duct is formed between each two end sections of adjacent projections, wherein the middle sections of the projections are recessed and one or both end sections of each projection bear on the wall of the guide section. Gaps between the singulating unit and the inner wall allow pharmaceutical dust to fall through to avoid pharmaceutical dust formed during singulation causing increased friction between the singulating unit and the wall of the storage container.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceuticals.

SUMMARY

One or more embodiments provide a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical portions. The storage container includes a housing enclosing a receptacle chamber for pharmaceutical portions, the housing comprising a guide section and a bottom face, wherein an inner wall of the guide section defines a circular-cylindrical guide chamber and wherein the bottom face has a dispensing opening. The storage a singulating unit arranged in the guide section of the housing and having a central axis of rotation, the singulating unit comprising a main section and a plurality of projections, wherein each projection has two end sections and a middle section, and a plurality of pharmaceutical ducts, wherein each pharmaceutical duct is formed between two end sections of adjacent projections. The middle sections of the projections are recessed in relation to at least one of the end sections and at least one end section of each projection is formed such that its lateral surface bears on the wall of the guide section.

One or more embodiments provide a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical portions. The storage container includes a housing enclosing a receptacle chamber for pharmaceutical portions, the housing having a guide section having an inner wall defining a circular-cylindrical guide chamber and a bottom face having a dispensing opening. The storage container also includes a plurality of projections, each projection having two end sections and a middle section, wherein each pharmaceutical duct is formed between two adjacent end sections of adjacent projections. The middle section of each projection is recessed in relation to its corresponding end sections and each end section of each projection is formed such that its lateral surface bears on the wall of the guide section.

One or more embodiments provide a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical portions. The storage container includes a housing enclosing a receptacle chamber for pharmaceutical portions, the housing having a guide section having an inner wall defining a circular-cylindrical guide chamber and a bottom face having a dispensing opening. The storage container also includes a plurality of projections, each projection having two end sections and a middle section, wherein each pharmaceutical duct is formed between two adjacent end sections of adjacent projections. A first end section of each projection is formed such that it bears on the wall of the guide section, a second end section of each projection is formed such that it does not bear on the wall of the guide section, and the middle section of each projection is recessed in relation to the first end section of its corresponding projection.

The foregoing and other features, aspects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It is to be understood that the present disclosure includes examples of the subject technology and does not limit the scope of the appended claims. Various aspects of the subject technology will now be disclosed according to particular but non-limiting examples. Various embodiments described in the present disclosure may be carried out in different ways and variations, and in accordance with a desired application or implementation.

Modern blister packaging machines typically include, depending on the expansion level, several hundred storage and dispensing stations for pharmaceuticals. A plurality of pharmaceutical portions of a specific type of pharmaceutical are stored in each of these stations, and individual or multiple pharmaceutical portions can be dispensed on request. Using the blister packaging machines, the pharmaceuticals stored in the storage and dispensing stations are compiled and blister packed individually by patient according to the intake times ordered by the physician.

To compile pharmaceutical portions, corresponding storage and dispensing stations are activated to dispense one or multiple singulated pharmaceutical portions. Upon the activation of a supply and dispensing station, an individual pharmaceutical portion is separated using a singulating unit and transferred via a dispensing opening to a guide unit of the blister packaging machine. Through the guide unit, a dispensed pharmaceutical portion, possibly with a collecting unit interconnected, is supplied to a packaging unit, which blister packs individual or multiple pharmaceutical portions in accordance with the physician's instructions.

The singulating unit used for singulating pharmaceutical portions is typically in the form of a circular cylinder and is formed in a corresponding guide chamber of the storage container. A plurality of pharmaceutical ducts is provided on the circumference of the singulating unit, via which pharmaceutical portions are supplied to the dispensing opening in a bottom face of the storage container. Projections are formed between the individual pharmaceutical ducts, which are formed integrally with a main body of the singulating unit or are fastened detachably thereon. In typical storage containers, the projections regularly have a lateral surface in the form of a circular arc, which bears on an inner wall of the guide chamber, in which the singulating unit is arranged. In the context of this application, the term “bearing on” does not express that a surface contacts another surface over its entire extent, but rather that possibly a small (e.g., ring) gap is formed at least in sections. If one lays a surrounding line around the outer lateral surfaces of the projections, a circle results, the radius of which is only slightly smaller than the radius of the receptacle chamber. Typical singulating units thus have a circular footprint, excluding the pharmaceutical ducts.

A plurality of pharmaceutical portions is arranged in each of the storage containers for the storage and dispensing stations. During the singulation of a pharmaceutical portion, the singulating unit is rotated by a specific angle to supply a pharmaceutical portion arranged in a pharmaceutical duct to the dispensing opening. Depending on the shape of the pharmaceutical portion and the number of the pharmaceutical portions arranged in the storage container, they rub both against one another and also against the components of the storage container during the singulation. Spalling thus occurs in the pharmaceutical portions and a type of pharmaceutical dust forms. This accumulates on all components of the storage container, inter alia, also on the wall of the guide section in which the singulating unit is arranged.

As a result of accumulation of the pharmaceutical dust, in particular on the wall of the guide section, the friction increases between the lateral surfaces of the projections and the wall, and therefore an elevated force is to be applied for a rotation of the singulating unit in the case of increasing pharmaceutical dust accumulation. Due to the uneven force to be applied to rotate the singulating unit, it is difficult to control the singulating unit precisely, and therefore incorrect dispensing can occur, which can result in incorrect compilations of pharmaceutical portions.

It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a storage container for storage and dispensing stations in which such incorrect dispensing is avoided.

The disclosed storage container includes a housing, which encloses a receptacle chamber for pharmaceutical portions, including a guide section and a bottom face, wherein an inner wall of the guide section defines a circular-cylindrical guide chamber and wherein the bottom face has a dispensing opening. In the storage container according, a singulating unit having a central axis of rotation is arranged in the guide section of the housing. The singulating unit includes a central main section and a plurality of projections, wherein each projection has two end sections and one middle section and wherein one pharmaceutical duct is formed between each two end sections of adjacent projections.

In relation to the axis of rotation, the projections can be formed flatter than the main body of the guide unit, which assists the supply of the pharmaceutical portions to the pharmaceutical ducts. Typically, the outer lateral surface is generally in the form of a circular arc in relation to a central axis of rotation and the projections therefore form a type of hollow cylinder (excluding the pharmaceutical ducts), the outer lateral surface of which bears on the inner wall of the guide section.

The projections are formed differently in the storage container according to the disclosure. It is provided that the middle sections of the projections are recessed in relation to at least one of the end sections and the at least one end section of each projection is formed such that its outer face bears on the wall of the guide section. In the scope of this application, the concept “bears on” does not express that one surface touches another over its entire extent, but rather that possibly a narrow or small (e.g., ring) gap, which enables a rotation of the singulating unit, is formed at least in sections.

In contrast to known storage containers, it is thus provided that the projections only bear with a small section on the wall, or are spaced apart slightly therefrom, and are possibly guided by or on this wall, wherein it is provided that this section is an end section adjoined by a pharmaceutical duct. In the disclosed storage container, only a small part of the lateral surface of the projection thus bears on the wall of the guide section, namely the total of the above-mentioned end sections. It is essential that the middle sections of the projections are “recessed” in relation to the end sections, i.e., viewed radially, do not extend as far toward the wall as at least one of the end sections of each projection. In the middle sections, in comparison to the above-mentioned end sections, a wider gap is thus provided between the wall and the middle section.

Precisely, how this “gap” is geometrically formed is dependent on the outer face of the middle section. In the scope of this disclosure, the concept of the “gap” in the middle sections merely means that the distance wall/lateral surface of the middle section is greater than the distance wall/lateral surface of the end section. If the middle sections are formed curved, this has the result that the gap between wall and middle section is formed like a segment of a hollow cylinder. The middle section can also be embodied in relation to the wall like a type of secant, whereby the gap then would rather have the form of a circular segment.

A corresponding design of the projections has the result that pharmaceutical dust arising during the singulation can trickle down through the gap in the region of the middle sections and is thus guided rapidly to the bottom face, where it can be guided to a receptacle opening in the bottom face if the bottom face is designed accordingly.

The fact that the pharmaceutical dust can fall “unobstructed” through the gap between wall and middle section of the projection has the result that less pharmaceutical dust accumulates and settles on the wall. In total, the design of the projections according to the disclosure causes a reduced friction surface of wall/singulating unit, thus the force to be applied to rotate the singulating unit is less. It is essential here that the force which is required for rotating the singulating unit in the guide section also only changes slightly upon increased pharmaceutical dust formation, since less pharmaceutical dust settles on the wall. Since the force to be applied for the rotation only changes slightly in the event of dust formation, the singulating unit can be controlled and/or rotated more precisely. The probability of incorrect dispensing (e.g., due to faulty alignment of a pharmaceutical duct at the dispensing opening) is reduced in the storage container according to the disclosure.

The design of the projections according to the disclosure has a further substantial advantage. While it is difficult to avoid that pharmaceutical dust will fall down in the region of the pharmaceutical ducts, the proportion of the pharmaceutical dust falling into the ducts is reduced in relation to the total quantity of the pharmaceutical dust, and therefore less pharmaceutical dust moves to and through the dispensing opening in the bottom face. Thus, the entry of pharmaceutical dust into the blister packaging machine is avoided, which lengthens the time intervals between cleanings because of pharmaceutical dust and thus reduces the shutdown time of the blister packaging machine.

Because of the shape of the projections, these always have two end sections, wherein each of these end sections adjoins one pharmaceutical duct. At least one of these end sections bears on the wall of the guide section, and thus has a greater “radius” than the recessed middle section. The precise way in which the second end section is formed is not essential for the functioning of the disclosure. Rather, it is essential that end sections bearing on the wall enable a uniform and impact-free, low-friction rotation of the singulating unit in the guide section, which is regularly the case with three corresponding end sections and also with two end sections if they are correspondingly wide.

As described above, deposits of pharmaceutical dust also occur in the storage container. In one or more embodiments, it is therefore provided that the end sections, the outer faces of which bear on the wall of the guide section, are distributed uniformly in all projections. If only one such end section is provided per projection, this means that these end sections (viewed outward from the axis of rotation) are always arranged on the right or left on the projection. Depending on the rotational direction, the end sections bearing on the wall (e.g., “projecting” end sections in short hereafter, the projecting in relation to the middle section) are then arranged “behind” or “in front” on the projection. In the “normal” singulating operation, the rotational direction is generally selected such that the projecting end sections lie “behind,” i.e., a pharmaceutical duct trails an end section. If one turns the rotational direction, the end sections lie “in front” at the projections, i.e., they trail a pharmaceutical duct in the rotational direction.

This allows for performing a cleaning of the wall of the guide section according to the disclosure, specifically by briefly rotating the singulating unit such that the projecting end sections lie “in front.” With corresponding formation of the end sections, adhering pharmaceutical dust can then be removed from the wall using the front edge of the end sections. This dust then falls through the ducts onto the bottom face.

In one or more embodiments, it is provided that both end sections of a projection are formed such that they bear on the wall of the guide section. A corresponding formation improves the supply of a pharmaceutical portion into the pharmaceutical duct. The above-described cleaning is then no longer possible, but a low-friction rotation of the singulating unit and a reduction of the introduction of pharmaceutical dust into the pharmaceutical ducts are still ensured, however.

To ensure a particularly smooth rotation of the singulating unit, it is provided in one or more embodiments that the end sections of the projections bearing on the wall of the guide section, independently of whether one or both projections are formed accordingly, are distributed symmetrically over the singulating unit. If three pharmaceutical ducts and thus three projections are provided, this means that the pharmaceutical ducts are each offset by a center point angle of 120° in relation to the axis of rotation.

To avoid an adhesion of pharmaceutical dust on the wall of the middle section of the projections, it is provided in one or more embodiments that the projections have an anti-adhesive coating at least in the region of the middle section on a lateral surface facing toward the wall.

To avoid pharmaceutical portions coming to rest on the main body of the singulating unit and to assist the supply of pharmaceutical portions into the pharmaceutical ducts, it is provided in one or more embodiments that the singulating unit has a conical surface comprising a plurality of depressions aligned at the pharmaceutical ducts.

To further assist the supply, the main section may have setbacks above the pharmaceutical ducts.

FIGS. 1aand 1bshow two perspective views of one or more embodiments of the storage container1for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceuticals. The storage container1is a part of the above-mentioned storing and dispensing station, wherein the storage container is typically detachably arranged on a dispensing station (not shown). Components can be arranged in the storage container or the dispensing station depending on the precise embodiment of the storage container according to the disclosure and of the dispensing station. As can be seen inFIG. 1b, which shows the storage container from below, in the embodiment shown it does not include a motor, but rather only a coupling part31, via which a singulating unit40(shown in greater detail in the following figures) can be coupled to a motor in the dispensing station.

The storage container1includes a housing10having a circular-cylindrical section11, which is adjoined on the bottom by a bottom section12. The bottom section12is connected to the upper part of the housing10via a handle13, by which the storage container1can be removed from a corresponding dispensing station. As indicated inFIG. 1b, a circular depression22, which is described in greater detail in the following figures, is arranged around the coupling part31.

FIGS. 2aand 2bshow top views of the storage container, wherein a cover4is omitted in both figures to illustrate the interior of the storage container1. As can be seen inFIG. 2a, a singulating unit40is arranged in a receptacle chamber2defined by the circular-cylindrical section11of the housing. The singulating unit40includes a central main section48and a plurality of projections42arranged on the main section48. These projections42can be integrally formed with the main section48, however, it is also possible that they are fastenable as detachable components on the main section48. One pharmaceutical duct41, via which pharmaceutical portions arranged in the storage container1can be supplied to a dispensing opening21(shown inFIG. 2b), is formed between each two projections42. The main section48of the singulating unit40is a conical surface43having four depressions44, which are formed radially at the ducts41and are to assist the supply of pharmaceutical portions to the pharmaceutical ducts41. As can be inferred fromFIG. 2a, the projections42are not formed as sections of a circular hollow cylinder, but rather are recessed or flattened in the middle section in relation to the axis of rotation, i.e., in these regions a gap exists between the projections42and the inner wall3of the circular-cylindrical section11of the housing. The precise design of the projections42in relation to the circular-cylindrical section11will be described in greater detail hereafter.

In the top view shown inFIG. 2b, the singulating unit40is also omitted and the bottom face20having a dispensing opening21and a circular depression22can be seen. Pharmaceutical portions arranged in the pharmaceutical ducts41are dispensed via the dispensing opening21upon alignment of a dispensing duct (not shown) at the dispensing opening21. The circular depression22is provided for accommodating pharmaceutical dust arising during the singulation of pharmaceutical portions. A circular opening24is provided in the middle of the bottom face20, in which a coupling unit30is arranged, via which the singulating unit40can be coupled to a drive (not shown), which is not arranged in the storage container1in the embodiment shown. The coupling unit30itself can be integrally embodied with the singulating unit40, but the singulating unit40and the coupling unit30are typically detachably connected to one another, to enable the rapid replacement of the singulating unit40without replacing the coupling unit30.

FIGS. 3aand 3bshow a diagonal view and a side view of a section through the storage container1, wherein as can be inferred in particular fromFIG. 3a, the section cuts through the singulating unit40between the pharmaceutical ducts41. As can be inferred fromFIGS. 3aand 3b, a gap35, through which pharmaceutical dust can trickle down to the bottom face20, is provided between an inner wall3of the circular-cylindrical section11of the housing10and an outer lateral surface461of a middle section46(seeFIG. 5e) of a projection42. The precise structure of the projections42is described with reference to the following figures.

InFIGS. 3aand 3band all following figures, the gap35between the wall3and the outer lateral surface461of a middle section46of a projection42is shown exaggeratedly large to illustrate the disclosure. In reality, such a gap35is embodied narrower, wherein the precise dimensioning is dependent in particular on the shape of the pharmaceutical portions to be singulated. In the case of larger pharmaceutical portions, where larger quantities of pharmaceutical dust can possibly also be expected, the gap35can self-evidently be kept wider than in the case of very small pharmaceutical portions. It is essential that a corresponding gap35is provided, via which pharmaceutical dust can move past the singulating unit40to the bottom face20.

As can be seen inFIG. 3a, a slot55is introduced into the circular-cylindrical section11in the region of the bottom opening21, through which a retention section51of a retention device50is inserted. The retention section51prevents pharmaceutical portions arranged above the pharmaceutical duct41from being dispensed through the pharmaceutical duct41upon alignment of the pharmaceutical duct41at the dispensing opening21. Thus, only the pharmaceutical portion contained in the dispensing duct (not shown) upon alignment is dispensed.

FIGS. 4aand 4balso show two sectional views, wherein the section is guided orthogonally to that fromFIGS. 3aand 3b. It can also be seen on the basis ofFIGS. 4aand 4bthat a gap35is formed between the inner wall3of the circular-cylindrical section11and a lateral surface461of the middle section46of a projection42. As can also be inferred fromFIGS. 3a, 3b, 4aand 4b, the bottom face20is formed sloping toward the middle and comprises a depression22, and therefore pharmaceutical dust trickling down via the gap35can move into the depression22via the sloping bottom face. Furthermore, it can be inferred fromFIGS. 4aand 4bthat the lower face49of the singulating unit40is also formed diagonally, and therefore a gap37is formed between the bottom face20and the singulating unit40, via which pharmaceutical dust can move to the depression22. An interior wall32of the singulating unit40may receive at least part of the coupling part31. An interior wall bottom33may extend below the lower face49of the singulating unit40and into the gap37, further facilitating movement of the pharmaceutical dust to the depression22and blocking the pharmaceutical dust from contacting the coupling part31.

FIGS. 5a-5fshow various views of the singulating unit40, wherein the coupling part31of the coupling unit30is shown together with the singulating unit40. Firstly, the general structure of the singulating unit40is described on the basis ofFIGS. 5a-5d, details of the design of the projections42according to the disclosure are described with reference to the following figures. The singulating unit40includes four ducts41, which are defined by four projections42. The projections42may have an anti-adhesive coating52. The main body48extends beyond the projections42, i.e., a circumferential depression, which assists the supply of the pharmaceutical portions into the ducts41, is formed in the region of the projections42. The singulating unit40includes a conical upper face43having four depressions44, which are aligned at the pharmaceutical ducts41. Recesses47are formed in the main body48which, in cooperation with the depressions44, assist the supply of pharmaceutical portions into the pharmaceutical ducts41, are aligned at the depressions44and the pharmaceutical ducts41.

As can be inferred fromFIGS. 5eand 5f, the projections42each include two end sections45having lateral surfaces451and middle sections46having lateral surfaces461. It can already be seen inFIGS. 5eand 5fthat the projections42are not in the form of a circular arc in relation to the central axis of rotation, but rather the middle sections46are recessed in relation thereto, i.e., the radius is less in the case of the middle sections46than the radius in the case of the end sections45. This is explained in greater detail with reference to the following figures.

FIGS. 6aand 6bshow the arrangement of the singulating unit40in the circular-cylindrical guide chamber provided by the guide section11having the inner wall3. Here, the singulating unit40includes four ducts41and four projections42. As can be seen inFIGS. 6aand 6b, the projections42bear with lateral surfaces451on the wall of the guide section11in the region of the end sections45, while in contrast a lateral surface461of a middle section46of a projection42does not bear on the wall3, but rather a gap35is formed between the lateral surface461and the wall3. The pharmaceutical dust arising during the singulation can move past the singulating unit40via this gap35to the bottom face20of the storage container1. As illustrated inFIG. 6b, the radius RMA (i.e., the distance of the lateral surface461to the central axis of rotation DA) is greater in the end sections45than the radius RMI in the middle sections46.

This is shown in detail inFIG. 7, where it can be clearly seen that the projections42bear on the wall3of the guide section11in the region of the end sections45, are then set back and leave a gap35open, through which the pharmaceutical dust can move to the bottom face20.

FIG. 8shows a top view of one or more embodiments of a singulating unit40, which is substantially formed corresponding to the above-described embodiment, with the exception that only three pharmaceutical ducts41are provided.

FIG. 9shows one or more embodiments of the singulating unit40, wherein both end sections45of a projection42also project in relation to the middle section46, i.e., the radius RMA in the case of the end sections45is greater than the radius RMI in the case of the middle sections46. Here, the middle section46is in the form of a circular arc in relation to the central axis of rotation and rises softly in the transition region to the end sections45. In one or more embodiments, the middle section46can also be formed in that it is not in the form of an arc, but rather a straight line is simply formed between the end sections45, which would result in a gap35having a different shape.

FIG. 10shows one or more embodiments of the singulating unit40. Here, only one of the end sections45of a projection42is projecting with respect to the middle section46, i.e., the radius RMA is only greater in the case of one of the end sections45than the radius RMI of the middle section46. The “other” end section45ais formed precisely like the middle section46in the embodiment shown, i.e., the lateral surface471is formed in the region corresponding to the lateral surface461of the middle section46.

During the singulation of pharmaceutical portions, the singulating unit40according to the embodiment shown is generally rotated clockwise, i.e., the projecting end sections45run “in front” of a pharmaceutical duct41toward the dispensing opening21, which is arranged below the right pharmaceutical duct41in the embodiment shown. During a rotational movement counterclockwise, the projecting end sections45trail the pharmaceutical ducts41. The edges of the projecting end sections45formed in the illustrated embodiment are suitable at the transition end section/pharmaceutical duct41of detaching pharmaceutical dust adhering to the wall3therefrom. Using a correspondingly designed singulating unit40, it is therefore possible by way of brief rotational movements counterclockwise to detach at least a part of the pharmaceutical dust adhering to the wall3therefrom and to supply it to the bottom face20and possibly a depression provided therein. In this manner, excess accumulation of pharmaceutical dust on the wall3can be avoided, and a continuous increase of the friction between singulating unit40and wall3is avoided.

It is furthermore ensured in the above-described embodiments by the design of the projections42according to the disclosure that the friction between the singulating unit40and the wall3is reduced in relation to known storage containers as a result of the reduced contact surface wall/lateral surface.

The word “exemplary” or the term “for example” is used herein to mean “serving as an example or illustration.” Any aspect or design described herein as “exemplary” or “for example” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects or designs. In one aspect, various alternative configurations and operations described herein may be considered to be at least equivalent.

It is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations or processes disclosed is an illustration of exemplary approaches. Based upon design preferences, it is understood that the specific order or hierarchy of steps, operations or processes may be rearranged. Some of the steps, operations or processes may be performed simultaneously. Some or all of the steps, operations, or processes may be performed automatically, without the intervention of a user. The accompanying method claims, if any, present elements of the various steps, operations or processes in a sample order, and are not meant to be limited to the specific order or hierarchy presented.