Pharmacy packaging system and pouch
AssigneeRxsafe LLC
InventorWilliam K. Holmes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pouch and an automatic packager for packaging medications into the pouch. One embodiment provides a pouch for containing a plurality of medications. The pouch includes a plurality of discrete compartments, each containing a sub-batch of medications. The pouch also includes serrations at opposite ends of the pouch to separate the pouch from adjacent pouches. The pouch further includes a continuous identifier that spans multiple compartments to give an appearance of one continuous pouch. The plurality of discrete compartments are separated by seals, but not serrations. The continuous identifier includes a border within the opposite ends of the pouch.
Claims20
A pouch for packaging a plurality of medications, the pouch comprising:
- a plurality of discrete compartments, each compartment including a sub-batch of medications;
- serrations at opposite ends of the pouch to separate the pouch from adjacent pouches;
- and
- a continuous identifier that spans a subset of the plurality of discrete compartments to provide an appearance of one continuous pouch.
An automatic packager for packaging medications, the automatic packager comprising:
- a cartridge for dispensing the medications;
- a packaging unit receiving the medications dispensed from the cartridge;
- and
- an electronic processor electrically coupled to the cartridge and the packaging unit, the electronic processor configured to
- determine medications in a batch of medications,
- determine whether the batch of medications is to be divided based on the medications in the batch of medications,
- divide the batch of medications into a plurality of sub-batches of medications in response to determining that the batch of medications is to be divided,
- create, using the packaging unit, a pouch including a plurality of discrete compartments corresponding to the plurality of sub-batches of medications, and
- fill, using the packaging unit, the plurality of discrete compartments with the plurality of sub-batches of medications.
A method for packaging medications using an automatic packager, the method comprising:
- determining, using an electronic processor of the automatic packager, medications in a batch of medications;
- determining, using the electronic processor, whether the batch of medications is to be divided based on the medications in the batch of medications;
- dividing, using the electronic processor, the batch of medications into a plurality of sub-batches of medications in response to determining that the batch of medications is to be divided;
- creating, using a packaging unit of the automatic packager, a pouch including a plurality of discrete compartments corresponding to the plurality of sub-batches of medications;
- and
- filling, using the packaging unit, the plurality of discrete compartments with the plurality of sub-batches of medications.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.