Installation and method for individually tailored filling of blister packs with medication according to predetermined prescription data

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation and a method for the individually tailored filling of blister packs ( 25 ) with medication according to predetermined prescription data, the blister packs ( 25 ) having receiving compartments for respective medication administration units, said compartments being arranged in a matrix configuration in rows corresponding to a number of administration times during a day and columns corresponding to a number of days, for example weekdays. The installation comprises a plurality of medication filling stations, arranged one behind the other, for filling each blister pack ( 25 ) with the respective specified medication and a transport device ( 10 ) designed to transport the blister packs ( 25 ) individually one behind the other in a direction of travel alongside the medication filling stations ( 40 ). Each blister back ( 25 ) is individually guided in such a way that said pack only approaches those medication filling stations ( 40 ) that are required by the prescription data for a filling operation, bypassing the other medication filling stations, and is directly conveyed onwards to the next required medication filling station or to a position behind a preceding blister pack ( 25 ) that is currently at a medication filling station ( 40 ). The individual guiding of the individual blister packs without a fixed cyclic operation to only those medication filling stations required by the prescription data permits a more rapid passage of the individual blister packs through the installation and thus increased efficiency. In addition, the operation of the installation is not brought to a standstill as a result of maintenance work on an individual medication filling station.

1 . An apparatus for individually tailored filling of blister packs with medication according to predetermined prescription data, wherein the blister packs have receiving compartments for respective medication administration units, said compartments being arranged in a matrix configuration in rows corresponding to a number of intake times during a day and columns corresponding to a number of days, for example weekdays, comprising:
 a number of medication filling stations arranged one after the other for filling the blister packs with in each case a particular medication; and   a transport device for transporting the blister packs individually one after the other in a direction of movement alongside the medication filling stations, wherein each blister pack is guided individually in a manner such that said pack approaches only the medication filling stations required in each case according to the prescription data for a filling operation, bypassing the other medication filling stations, and is directly conveyed onwards to the next required medication filling station or to a position behind a preceding blister pack present at a medication filling station.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transport device is constructed as a magnetic track with a linear motor for driving the blister packs. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the transport device is constructed for transporting workpiece carriers, which are guided in a magnetic rail, for receiving the blister packs. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the transport device is constructed as a closed track on which the workpiece carriers are conveyed in a closed circuit, the blister packs being placed on the workpiece carriers before being filled and being removed again after the filling operation. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein in each case a column of a blister pack corresponding to a number of days is filled simultaneously in one working step. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein each filling station has a movable premetering cartridge for filling the blister packs. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a camera arranged above the transport device for visual checking of the correct filling of the blister packs according to the prescription data. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein in each case a plurality of filling stations are combined to form filling modules and a camera is arranged downstream of each filling module for visual checking of the correct filling of the blister packs. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further having a clean room region for creating clean room conditions during filling of the blister packs. 
     
     
         10 . A method for individually tailored filling of blister packs with medication according to predetermined prescription data, wherein the blister packs have receiving compartments for respective medication administration units, said compartments being arranged in a matrix configuration in rows corresponding to a number of intake times during a day and columns corresponding to a number of days, for example weekdays, the method comprising:
 conveying the blister packs individually one after the other in a direction of movement alongside medication filling stations arranged one after the other for filling the blister packs with in each case a particular medication, wherein each blister pack is guided individually in a manner such that said pack approaches only the medication filling stations required in each case according to the prescription data for a filling operation, bypassing the other medication filling stations, and is directly conveyed onwards to the next required medication filling station or to a position behind a preceding blister pack present at a medication filling station.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the blister packs are driven by means of a magnetic track with a linear motor. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein workpiece carriers for receiving the blister packs are provided, which workpiece carriers are conveyed in a closed circuit, the blister packs being placed on the workpiece carriers before being filled and being removed again after the filling operation. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein in each case a column of a blister pack corresponding to a number of days is filled simultaneously in one working step. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the blister packs are filled by means of a movable premetering cartridge. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10 , furthermore comprising the method step of visual checking of the correct filling of the blister packs according to the prescription data. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the blister packs are filled under clean room conditions. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 10 , comprising the method step of establishing and attaching a documentation carrier on the blister pack comprising information relating to the individual and/or information on the use of the medication packaged in the blister pack. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the sequence of the blister packs filled in succession is specified according to the requirements of the recipients of the filled blister packages.