Packaging Apparatus for Handling Pills and Associated Method

An automated packaging apparatus for depositing pills into a container, comprising:

• a rotary slat configured as a cylinder rotatable in a rotational direction about an axis extending longitudinally therethrough, the cylinder comprising a radially outward portion and an opposing radially inward portion, and defining a plurality of pill apertures therein, each pill aperture being adapted to receive a pill from a plurality of pills deposited into an interior space defined by the cylinder, the pills being received by the pill apertures from the interior space at a first angular position of the rotary slat;
• a negative pressure system in fluid communication with the pill apertures of the rotary slat, the negative pressure system being configured to apply a negative pressure to the pill apertures so as to retain the pills therein, as the rotary slat rotates about the axis from the first angular position to a second angular position;
• a removal system configured to interact with each of the pill apertures of the rotary slat, as the respective pill aperture is disposed at the second angular position, so as to remove the respective pill therefrom through the radially outward portion of the rotary slat;
• and
• a collection system disposed adjacent to the radially outward portion of the rotary slat about the second angular position, the collection system being configured to direct each pill removed from each respective pill aperture toward a container for deposition therein.