Vacuum tray-filling

Abstract

An apparatus for lifting a predetermined number of solid medicants from a supply location and depositing them in a packaging container comprised of one or more cavities in a predetermined orientation using a pressure differential across the medicants may include a head assembly including at least one of a substantially sealed enclosure or a hollow chamber having a plurality of apertures providing fluid communication between the at least one of the substantially sealed enclosure or the hollow chamber and the ambient air, the plurality of apertures spatially arranged to correspond with a plurality of cavities of a packaging container, the head assembly including a port having a coupling communicating with the at least one of the substantially sealed enclosure or the hollow chamber. The apparatus may also include a vacuum source in communication with said coupling at least one of directly or via a flexible tube.

1 . An apparatus for lifting a predetermined number of solid medicants from a supply location and depositing them in a packaging container comprised of one or more cavities in a predetermined orientation using a pressure differential across the medicants, the apparatus comprising:
 a head assembly including at least one of a substantially sealed enclosure or a hollow chamber having a plurality of apertures providing fluid communication between the at least one of the substantially sealed enclosure or the hollow chamber and the ambient air, the plurality of apertures spatially arranged to correspond with a plurality of cavities of a packaging container, the head assembly including a port having a coupling communicating with the at least one of the substantially sealed enclosure or the hollow chamber; and,   a vacuum source in communication with said coupling at least one of directly or via a flexible tube.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one valve is positioned at least one of inside or outside at least one of the head assembly, coupling, flexible tube, or vacuum source allowing an operator to at least one of temporarily decrease a flow of air between the at least one of the substantially sealed enclosure of the hollow chamber and the vacuum source or temporarily increase a flow of ambient air into a component of the apparatus. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a surface comprising the plurality of apertures is configured to be removed and replaced with a surface comprising a second plurality of apertures having at least one characteristic different from the plurality of apertures. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a surface may be at least one of removed or manipulated to allow access to an interior of a housing. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a handle is affixed to a surface of at least one of the head assembly or the coupling between the at least one of the substantially sealed enclosure or the hollow chamber and the flexible tube for manipulation of the head assembly in a manner which does not obscure the line of sight of an operator viewing the medicants through at least one of a transparent top plate or a transparent bottom plate. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the coupling communicating with the chamber and the flexible tube is configured to be used as a handle for manipulation of the apparatus by an operator. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least one solid or flexible covering is at least one of located upon the surface comprising the plurality of aperatures or extends into at least one aperture to substantially block the flow of air through said apertures.