Interactive control system for packaging control of contact lenses

An interactive control system constructed and arranged for controlling the automatic packaging of contact lenses in a contact lens fabrication facility, said interactive control system comprising:

• (a) testing means for determining whether contact lenses or contact lens packages is defective;
• (b) a first robot device arranged for periodically transferring an individual array of a first predetermined amount of discrete contact lens packages each containing a contact lens therein from a first station to an intermediate conveyor where said individual array is conveyed to a second station;
• wherein said robot device removes contact lens packages from said array that have been determined to be defective by said testing means prior to transfer to said intermediate conveyor and wherein said intermediate conveyor includes a means for consolidating the lens packages of said individual array transferred to said intermediate conveyor, said robot device enabling said consolidating means to consolidate said individual array of packages to ensure that a second predetermined amount of packages is available for transfer to said second station;
• and
• (c) a controller for initiating a time stamp for said individual array transferred from said first station and determining elapsed time data for each individual array and for generating position status data indicating a good array or a bad array of defective lenses for said individual array as it is conveyed to said second station, said controller shifting said elapsed time data and position status data for said individual array as it is conveyed on said intermediate conveyor for transfer to said second station.