Multi-dose filling machine

An apparatus for transferring a plurality of tablets of a product from a first plurality of corresponding blisters disposed on a first blister card to a corresponding second plurality of blisters disposed on a second blister card, the apparatus comprising:

• a flat top plate disposed in a first generally horizontal plane and defining a plurality of inlet apertures, each inlet aperture for receiving at least one of the plurality of tablets from a corresponding blister of the first blister card;
• a flat bottom plate disposed in a second generally horizontal plane that is parallel to the first plane of the top plate, the bottom plate defining a plurality of outlet apertures, each outlet aperture for directing at least one of the plurality of tablets into a blister of the second blister card;
• and
• a plurality of passageways extending between the inlet apertures and the outlet apertures, the plurality of passageways adapted to transfer the plurality of tablets between the plurality of inlet apertures and the plurality of outlet apertures, wherein
• each of the plurality of passageways having a central axis that is disposed at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to the first plane and the second plane in order to generate friction between the plurality of passageways and the plurality of tablets when the plurality of tablets are transferred therethrough.

An apparatus for transferring a plurality of tablets of a product from a plurality of blisters of an intermediate blister card to a plurality of blisters of a multi-dose blister card, the apparatus comprising:

• an actuator;
• a press plate operably coupled to the actuator and adapted for displacement between a first position and a second position to force the plurality of tablets out of the plurality of blisters on the intermediate blister card;
• and
• a transfer fixture disposed opposite the press plate from the actuator, the transfer fixture comprising a top plate, a bottom plate, and a plurality of feed tubes extending between the top plate and the bottom plate, the top plate disposed in a first generally horizontal plane, the bottom plate disposed in a second generally horizontal plane that is parallel to the first plane, the plurality of feed tubes defining a plurality of passageways arranged and configured to transfer the plurality of tablets from the plurality of blisters of the intermediate blister card to the plurality of blisters of the multi-dose blister card, each of the plurality of passageways having a central axis that is disposed at an angle less than ninety degrees relative to the first and second planes such as to generate friction between the feed tubes and the tablets when the tablets are transferred through the passageways.