Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DEVICES AND METHODS FOR VERIFYING CAPPING OF VIALS IN
SYSTEM FOR DISPENSING PRESCRIPTIONS
Field of the Invention
100021 The present invention is directed generally to the dispensing of
prescriptions of pharmaceuticals, and more specifically is directed to the
automated
dispensing of pharmaceuticals.
Background of the Invention
10003 Pharmacy generally began with the compounding of medicines which
entailed the actual mixing and preparing of medications; Heretofore, pharmacy
has been, to a
great extent, a profession of dispensing, that is, the pouring, counting, and
labeling of a
prescription, and subsequently transferring the dispensed medication to the
patient. Because
of the repetitiveness of many of the pharmacist's tasks, automation of these
tasks has been
desirable.
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Some attempts have been made to automate the pharmacy environment. Different
exemplary approaches are shown in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,337,919 to Spaulding et
al. and U.S
Patent Nos. 6,006,946; 6,036,812 and 6,176,392 to Williams et al. The Williams
system conveys
a bin with tablets to a counter and a vial to the counter. The counter
dispenses tablets to the vial.
Once the tablets have been dispensed, the system returns the bin to its
original location and
conveys the vial to an output device. Tablets may be counted and dispensed
with any number of
counting devices. Drawbacks to these systems typically include the relatively
low speed at
which prescriptions are filled and the absence in these systems of securing a
closure i.e., a lid)
on the container after it is filled.
One additional automated system for dispensing pharmaceuticals is described in
some
detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,971,541 to Williams et al. This system has the
capacity to select an
appropriate vial, label the vial, fill the vial with a desired quantity of a
selected pharmaceutical
tablet, apply a cap to the filled vial, and convey the labeled, filled, capped
vial to an offloading
station for retrieval.
Although this particular system can provide automated pharmaceutical
dispensing,
certain of the operations may be improved. For example, the reliability of the
capping operation
may be improved. Also, the ability to accommodate multiple styles and sizes of
vials and caps
with a single mechanism may also be desirable. One proposed vial capping
station is described in
U.S. Patent No. 7,596,932. The capping station described therein utilizes a
rotating stage and an
elevating cap capturing unit that centers both the cap and the vial, then
attaches the cap by rotating
the stage (on which the vial is grasped) relative to the cap.
One potential shortcoming of an automated capping station is the inability of
such a
station to recognize and alert the system to an uncapped or incorrectly capped
vial. Thus, it may
be desirable to provide an automated capping station with the capability of
recognizing an
uncapped or incorrectly capped vial.
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Summary of the Invention
As one aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
method of verifying the securing of a twist-on closure on a container,
comprising the
steps of: positioning a container on a stage of an automated capping station;
bringing
a twist-on closure into contact with the container; relatively rotating the
closure and
the container; and detecting the nature of a physical relationship between the
closure
and the container to determine whether the closure is properly secured;
wherein the
detecting step comprises monitoring relative angular rotation of the container
during
the rotating step, wherein angular rotation outside a predetermined threshold
range
indicates an improperly secured cap; and wherein the rotating step comprises
maintaining the closure in a stationary position as the container is rotated.
As a second aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed
to a method of verifying the seating and securing of a twist-on closure on a
container,
comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a container on a stage of an
automated
capping station; (b) bringing a twist-on closure into contact with the
container; (c)
detecting the height of the closure as it rests on the container; (d)
responsive to step
(c), relatively rotating the closure and the container if step (c) indicates
seating of the
closure on the container is proper; and (e) detecting the nature of a physical
relationship between the closure and the container to determine whether the
closure
is properly secured.
As a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to
a method of verifying the seating and securing of a twist-on closure on a
container,
comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a container on a stage of an
automated
capping station; (b) bringing a twist-on closure into contact with the
container; (c)
detecting the nature of a physical relationship between the container and the
closure;
(d) responsive to step (c), relatively rotating the closure and the container
if step (c)
indicates seating of the closure on the container is proper; and (e) detecting
the
nature of a physical relationship between the closure and the container to
determine
whether the closure is properly secured; further comprising the step of
adjusting the
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closure relative to the container if step (c) indicates that the closure is
not properly
seated.
As a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed
to a method of verifying the securing of a twist-on closure on a container,
comprising
the steps of: positioning a container on a stage of an automated capping
station;
bringing a twist-on closure into contact with the container; relatively
rotating the
closure and the container; and detecting the nature of a physical relationship
between the closure and the container to determine whether the closure is
properly
secured; wherein the rotating step comprises maintaining the closure in a
stationary
position as the container is rotated.
3a
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Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method according to
the present
invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a pharmaceutical tablet dispensing system
according to
the present invention.
Figure 3 is a cutaway view of the system of Figure 2 illustrating the support
frame, the
container dispensing station, the carrier, and the closure dispensing station.
Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method of applying a
closure to a
filled vial according to embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the closure station of the system of Figures
2 and 3
showing the reception of a closure, with the elevator in an intermediate
position.
Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the closure station of Figure 5
showing the
centering of a closure.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of the closure station of Figure 5 showing the
elevator
capturing the closure.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of the closure station of Figure 5 showing the
elevator and
closure in a raised position.
Figure 9 is a perspective view of the closure station of Figure 5 showing the
receipt of a
filled vial on the main stage.
Figure 10 is a perspective view of the closure station of Figure 5 showing the
operating
of the clamps to center the filled vial.
Figure 11 is a perspective view of the closure station of Figure 5 showing the
lowering
of the elevator to deposit the closure on the filled vial.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of the closure station of Figure 5 showing the
rotation of
the main stage to secure the closure to-the filled vial.
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Figure 13 is a perspective view of the closure station of Figure 5 showing the
elevator in
the raised position and the dispensing carrier retrieving the filled, capped
vial from the closure
station.
Figure 14 is a flow chart illustrating operations of the capping station of
Figure 5 to
verify that a cap is properly seated on a vial.
Figure 15A is a side view of a vial with a properly seated cap.
Figure 15B is a side view of a vial with an improperly seated cap.
Figure 16A is a top view of the closure station of Figure 5 with the upper
stage removed
and showing the main stage in a first rotative position.
Figure 16B is a top view of the closure station of Figure 5 with the upper
stage removed
showing the main stage in a second rotative position.
Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter, in which
preferred
embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be
embodied in
different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set
forth herein.
Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be
thorough and complete,
and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
In the drawings, like
numbers refer to like elements throughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some
components
may be exaggerated for clarity.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms)
used herein
have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the
art to which this
invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those
defined in commonly
used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is
consistent with their meaning
in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized
or overly formal sense
unless expressly so defined herein.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular
embodiments only
and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the
singular forms "a", "an"
and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context
clearly indicates
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otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or
"comprising," when
used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations,
elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of
one or more other
features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups
thereof. As used
herein the expression "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or
more of the
associated listed items.
In addition, spatially relative terms, such as "under", "below", "lower",
"over", "upper"
and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one
element or feature's
relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the
figures. It will be understood
that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different
orientations of the device in
use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For
example, if the device
in the figures is turned over, elements described as "under" or "beneath"
other elements or
features would then be oriented "over" the other elements or features. Thus,
the exemplary term
"under" can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be
otherwise
oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially
relative descriptors used
herein interpreted accordingly.
Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for
brevity and/or
clarity.
As described above, the invention relates generally to a system and process
for dispensing
pharmaceuticals. An exemplary process is described generally with reference to
Figure 1. The
process begins with the identification of the proper container, tablets or
capsules and closure to be
dispensed based on a patient's prescription information (Box 20). A container
of the proper size is
dispensed at a container dispensing station (Box 22), then moved to a labeling
station (Box 24). A
printing station prints a label (Box 25) that is applied at the labeling
station (Box 26), after which
the container is transferred to a tablet dispensing station (Box 28), from
which the designated tablets
are dispensed in the designated amount into the container (Box 30). The filled
container is then
moved to a closure dispensing station (Box 32), where a closure of the proper
size has been
dispensed (Box 34). The filled container is secured with a closure (Box 36),
then transported to an
offload station and offloaded (Box 38).
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A system that can carry out this process is illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 and
designated
broadly therein at 40. The system 40 includes a support frame 44 for the
mounting of its various
components. The system 40 generally includes as operative stations a
controller (represented herein
by a graphics user interface monitor 42), a container dispensing station 58, a
labeling station 60, a
tablet dispensing station 62, a closure station 100, and an offloading station
66. In the illustrated
embodiment, containers, tablets and closures are moved between these stations
with a single carrier
68; however, in some embodiments additional carriers may be employed. With the
exception of the
closure station 100, which is described in detail below, each of the other
operative stations and the
conveying devices is described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 6,971,541 to
Williams et al.,
U.S. Publication Nos. 2008/0110921; 2008/0110555; U.S. Patent No. 8,016, 095;
and
U.S. Publication No. 2008/0283179.
Referring now to Figure 4, general operations of the closure station 100 are
illustrated in the
form of a flow chart. The closure station 100 can address situations that can
arise with prior art
systems in which a filled pharmaceutical vial may not be properly aligned with
a cap or closure in
order for the closure to be applied. According to embodiments of the present
invention, a closure is
centered along an axis at a first position (Block 80), then translated along
that axis to a second
position (Block 82). A filled vial or other container is then centered along
the axis (Block 84). The
centered closure is translated along the axis to a third position adjacent the
container (Block 86), and
the container is rotated relative to the closure about the axis to secure the
closure to the container
(Block 88). This method can assure that the closure and container are both
centered about the same
axis, which in turn can improve the reliability of the process of securing the
closure onto the
container.
Referring now to Figures 5-13, the structure and operation of the closure
station 100
(which is capable of carrying out the method described in Figure 4) is
illustrated. A detailed
explanation of the closure station 100 is set forth in,U.S. Patent No.
7,596,932, supra; its general
operation is set forth below.
As shown in Figure 5, the closure station 100 can begin in an intermediate
position, in
which a suction pad (not visible herein) or another securing component located
beneath a suction
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block 127 of an elevator 110 is located just above an upper stage 152. In this
position, the
closure station 100 is free to receive a closure (i.e., a cap for a vial)
from, for example, a closure
dispensing station similar to that shown in U.S. Patent No. 6,971,541 to
Williams et al., or one
similar to that shown in co-pending and co-assigned U.S. Patent No. 7,980,419.
In some
embodiments, the closure is automatically dispensed and travels down a chute
(not shown) to the
closure station 100. The gap between the suction pad and the upper stage 152
is such that a closure
can enter the upper stage 152, but cannot escape.
As shown in Figure 5, upon arriving at the closure station 100,'th.e closure C
is received
in the aperture 154 of the upper stage 152. The sloping surfaces 155 of the
upper stage 152 assist
in guiding the closure C as it exits the chute and urge the closure C to come
to rest in the
aperture 154.
Once the closure C has been deposited in the aperture 154 (the presence of the
closure C
can be determined in different ways, such as detection by a sensor located in
a closure delivery
chute, the passage of a predetermined period of time, or the like), the
controller 42 signals a drive
motor 134 to rotate the main stage 138 counterclockwise (from the vantage
point of Figure 5)
about an axis A2. Rotation of the main stage 138 causes, through an
intervening clutch
mechanism and gear assembly, clamps 146a, 146b, 146c (shown in Figure 6) to
rotate
counterclockwise so that they extend out from under the upper stage 152 and
their arcuate edges
face inwardly toward axis A2. Rotation ceases after each of the clamps 146a,
146b, 146c has
contacted the closure C; this can be determined based on a predetermined time
period, a torque
or position sensor, or the like. At this point the closure C should be
centered in the aperture 154
(Figure 6)..
Once the closure C is centered and rotation of the main stage 138 ceases, the
controller
42 actuates an elevator mechanism 115 to drive the elevator 110 downward
(Figure 7). The
elevator 110 ceases its downward movement when the suction cup positioned
beneath suction
block 127 contacts the closure C (movement of the elevator 110 ceases
responsive to position
sensors, force sensors, or the like). At this point the controller 42 signals
the suction source to
apply suction to the suction cup, thereby attaching the closure C thereto.
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After the closure C is attached to the suction cup (this can be verified with
a vacuum
contact switch or the like), the controller 42 activates the elevator
mechanism 115 to raise the
elevator 110, thereby translating the closure C along the axis A2 to a raised
position (Figure 8).
In addition, the controller 42 signals the drive motor 134 to reverse
direction, which action
rotates the clamps 146a, 146b, 146c slightly clockwise toward their original
positions to release
the substantially centered closure C (Figure 8).
When the elevator 110 has completed its ascension (Figure 8), having
translated the
closure C along the axis A2 while maintaining it in a centered condition, the
closure station 100
is then free to receive a filled vial V from the carrier 68. The carrier 68
conveys the filled vial V
to the aperture 154 of the upper stage 152, deposits it there, and withdraws
(Figure 9). The
controller 42 then signals the drive motor 134 to rotate the main stage 138
counterclockwise. As
described above, this rotation rotates the clamps 146a, 146b, 146c
counterclockwise such that
they contact and substantially center the lower end of the filled vial V
(Figure 10). As a result,
both the closure C and the filled vial V are substantially centered by the
same components. This
should register the closure C and the filled vial V along the axis A2 for
subsequent securing of
the closure C on the filled vial V.
At the same time, the controller 42 activates the elevator mechanism 115 to
lower the
elevator 110 and translate the closure C along the axis A2 until the closure C
is in position just
above the top of the filled vial V (Figure 11). The main stage 138 continues
to rotate, and the
elevator 110 descends until the closure C encloses the perimeter of the upper
edge of the filled
vial V (movement of the elevator 110 continues responsive to position sensors,
force sensors, or
a combination thereof). The elevator 110 maintains a downwardly-directed force
to urge the
closure C against the upper edge of the vial V.
Once the closure C is in position for securing, the main stage 138 continues
its
counterclockwise rotation (with the closure C remaining stationary due to
friction between it and
the suction cup 128). Because the clamps 146a, 146b, 146c are clamped against
the vial V, they
are prevented from further counterclockwise rotation. The aforementioned gear
assembly and
clutch enable the main stage 138 (and the vial V clamped thereon) to continue
to rotate
counterclockwise. This counterclockwise rotation of the vial V relative to the
stationary closure
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C twists the closure C onto the vial V (see Figure 12). Rotation can be halted
based on a
predetermined time period, a position sensor, a torque sensor, or the like.
Once securing of the closure C is complete, the controller 42 signals the
suction source to
deactivate, activates the elevator assembly 115 to raise the elevator 110, and
activates the drive
motor 134 to rotate the main stage clockwise to release the clamps 146a, 146b,
146c from the
now-capped filled vial V. The controller 42 then signals the carrier 68
(Figure 13) to retrieve
the capped, filled vial V for subsequent operations (such as offloading).
Turning now to Figure 14, a flow chart illustrating operations for the
verification of the
application of a closure to a vial are shown therein. Initially, the closure
is positioned on the top
edge of the vial (Box 200). This step can be carried out by, for example,
lowering the elevator
110 so that the closure C is positioned atop the vial V as shown in Figure 11.
Because both the
vial V and the closure C are centered along the axis A2, in most cases the
closure C and vial V
should be positioned relative to each other such that the vial seats properly
(see Figure 15A).
However, in some instances the closure C may not seat properly (see Figure
15B). Thus, the
system 40 may determine, from the vertical position of the elevator 110,
whether the closure C is
properly seated (Box 202).
In some embodiments of the invention, the closure station 100 may include a
unit for
sensing the elevation of the closure C once it has moved onto the top of the
vial V (as described
above in connection with Figures 11 and 12). Typically, an unseated cap will
rest on the top of
the vial V at a greater height than will a seated cap (compare, for example,
Figures 15A and
15B). Thus, a unit that can detect the height of the closure C on the vial V
can determine
whether the cap is properly seated.
In one embodiment, a sensor can be associated with the elevator mechanism 115,
which
determines the height of the suction cap as it descends with the closure C
onto the vial V. For
example, as the elevator 110 descends with the closure C, it may press the
closure C onto the
vial V, and the height of the elevator 110 may be determined at the lowest
point during this step.
As an alternative, the system may detect the height of the elevator 110 at a
known force, which
would also be indicative of the state of the closure C relative to the vial V.
If the closure C is
misaligned, the height recorded for the elevator 110 will exceed a
predetermined range for an
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aligned closure C. If the vial V has tipped over or is absent, the height of
the elevator 110 will
be lower than the predetermined range. Thus, if the system 40 detects that
this height is outside
of the predetermined range, the system 40 can issue an alert to enable a
technician to address the
problem. In some embodiments, a misaligned or unseated closure C may simply be
recentered
and reapplied in the manner described above; in some instances, the vial V may
be rotated
slightly in an effort to reseat the closure C properly.
Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the height of the closure C may
be
determined in any manner suitable for measuring the height of an object. For
example, the
elevator mechanism 115 may include a motor that employs an encoder value homed
to a sensor
at the bottom of the elevator mechanism 115. Alternatively, any type of
position feedback
sensor, such as a potentiometer or binary sensor, may also be used. Other
alternatives will also
be known to those skilled in this art.
Moreover, in other embodiments another physical relationship between the
closure C and
the vial V may be assessed. For example, the angle of the closure C as it
rests on the vial V may
be determined, with an angle greater than a certain predetermined angle
signifying an unseated
closure C.
It should be noted that, although this technique has been illustrated in
connection with a
twist-on closure, it may also be suitable for use with a snap-on closure,
wherein the container and
the closure are moved relative to each other (i. e., snapped on) if the
initial seating verification
step shows proper seating of the closure in the container.
Returning to Figure 14, after the sensing of the closure alignment, the system
40 may
then attempt to apply the closure C to the vial V in the manner discussed
above (Box 204). Of
course, in some embodiments, relative rotation of the closure C and vial V may
be achieved by
rotating the closure C and maintaining the vial V in a stationary position.
As the closure C is being applied, the system 40 may determine whether the
closure C
has been properly secured (Box 206). Such a unit may monitor the magnitude of
torque required
to apply the closure C. In a typical securing step, as the vial V is rotated
relative to the closure
C, the torque required for rotation is relatively low. Once the closure C is
fully secured, the
torque required for rotation "spikes" significantly. In contrast, a closure C
that is not secured
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will not experience a torque spike. Thus, monitoring the torque level on the
drive motor 134 for
the main stage 138 can determine whether the cap is secured correctly. Those
skilled in this art
will appreciate that any number of techniques for measuring the torque of the
drive motor 134
may be used, including a conventional torque sensor, the monitoring of current
motor draw, or
the like.
As an alternative, the system 40 may monitor the position of the main stage
138. As
discussed above, the main stage 138 rotates (with the vial V clamped by the
clamps 146a, 146b,
146c - see Figure 16A) as the closure C remains stationary. Once the closure C
is completely
secured (i.e., it reaches the ends of its threads), the main stage 138 is no
longer able to rotate
(Figure 16B). In contrast, with an unsecured closure C, the main stage 138
continues to rotate.
Thus, monitoring the magnitude of rotation of the main stage 138 can determine
whether the
closure C is secured correctly. Those skilled in this art will appreciate that
any number of
techniques for measuring the position of the main stage 138, including
measuring position
feedback from the drive motor 134, may be employed.
It may also be possible for an improperly seated closure C to "lock" into
place, such that
relative rotation between the closure C and the vial V is inhibited. In such
an instance, the
magnitude of the relative angular rotation of the vial V and the closure C
would be less than a
predetermined threshold.
In other embodiments, another physical relationship between the closure C and
the vial V
(for example, the change in height of the closure C during the application
process) may also be
employed to determine proper securing of the closure C.
If the vial V is properly capped, it may be removed from the closure station
100 (Box
208), typically by the carrier 68, once the clamps 146a, 146b, 146c have been
released. If the
vial V is not securely capped, it can be removed and capped manually (Box
210), or in some
embodiments the controller 42 may attempt to re-seat and re-secure the closure
C in the manner
described above.
As shown in Figure 14, closure verification may utilize multiple steps and
techniques. In
the illustrated embodiment, both closure seating and closure securing are
employed. However,
in other embodiments, only one of these techniques may be employed.
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The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be
construed as limiting
thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described,
those skilled in
the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the
exemplary
embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and
advantages of this
invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included
within the scope of
this invention as defined in the claims. The invention is defined by the
following claims, with
equivalents of the claims to be included therein.
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