Methods and Apparatus for Dispensing Solid Pharmaceutical Articles

A method for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the method comprising:

• a) providing an apparatus including:
• 1) a housing defining:
• a hopper chamber to hold the articles;
• a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path therebetween;
• a drive jet outlet;
• and
• an agitation outlet;
• and
• 2) a gas source to provide a positive pressure supply gas flow, wherein the gas source is fluidly connected to each of the drive jet outlet and the agitation outlet;
• and
• b) providing the positive pressure supply gas flow from the gas source to each of the drive jet outlet and the agitation outlet to simultaneously generate, using the same gas source, each of a pressurized drive jet gas flow through the drive jet outlet and a pressurized agitation gas flow through the agitation outlet, wherein the drive jet gas flow conveys articles through the dispensing channel along the flow path and the agitation gas flow agitates articles in the hopper chamber.

An apparatus for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the apparatus comprising:

• a dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path therebetween;
• a housing defining a hopper chamber to hold the articles, wherein the hopper chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet of the dispensing channel, the housing including a floor and a divider wall configured to define, in the hopper chamber:
• a front region between the inlet and the divider wall;
• a rear region on a side of the divider wall opposite the front region;
• and
• a choke passage between the front and rear regions and between the divider wall and the floor;
• wherein a spacing between the divider wall and the floor is adjustable to adjust the size of the choke passage.