Customer specific packaging line having containers with tag means containing medication order information
US6317648A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 4, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 13, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 4, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P90/02
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
An automated packaging line for filling large and small orders, of one or more bottles, each bottle filled with a respective one of a plurality of different pharmaceutical tablets, in a single run. An intelligent data carrying puck carries each bottle, including therein information describing, among others, the bottle, the customer, the order, the pharmaceutical, the bottle size and label information. Puck handling stations (PHS) are dispersed throughout the line, to verify a number of operations implemented on the line and to reject a puck at the earliest opportunity, while permitting subsequent rejection by a subsequent PHS. The PHS units are substantially identical, with DIP switch modifying operation of the controlling software thereof to implement different features at different points on the line.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.