阅读说明：本技术 用于药品的储存及分配站的储存容器 (Storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products ) 是由 迪特马尔·格罗斯 于 2019-05-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于药品的储存及分配站的储存容器。在已知的储存及分配站中,在分离期间形成的药品粉尘导致分离单元与储存及分配站的壁之间的摩擦增加。为了避免这种情况,储存及分配站包括壳体(10),该壳体包围容纳腔(2),该容纳腔包括引导部分(11),其中,该引导部分(11)的内壁(3)限定圆柱形引导腔和布置在该壳体(10)的引导部分(11)中的分离单元(40),该分离单元包括中心旋转轴线(DA),其中,该分离单元(40)具有主体部分(48)和多个突出部(42),其中,每个突出部(42)具有两个端部部分(45)和中间部分(46),并且在相邻突出部的每两个端部部分(45)之间形成一个药品管道(41),其中,突出部(42)的中间部分(46)凹进,并且每个突出部(42)的端部部分(45)支承在引导部分(11)的壁(3)上。(The present invention relates to a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products. In known storage and dispensing stations, the drug dust formed during separation causes an increase in friction between the separation unit and the walls of the storage and dispensing station. In order to avoid this, the storage and dispensing station comprises a housing (10) which surrounds a receiving chamber (2) comprising a guide portion (11), wherein the inner wall (3) of the guide portion (11) defines a cylindrical guide chamber and a separation unit (40) arranged in the guide portion (11) of the housing (10), the separation unit comprising a central rotation axis (DA), wherein the separation unit (40) has a body portion (48) and a plurality of projections (42), wherein each projection (42) has two end portions (45) and a middle portion (46), and one medicine tube (41) is formed between each two end portions (45) of the adjacent projections, wherein the middle portion (46) of the projections (42) is recessed and the end portion (45) of each projection (42) bears on the wall (3) of the guide portion (11).)

1. Storage container (1) for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical portions, having:

a housing (10), the housing (10) enclosing a receiving chamber (2) for a pharmaceutical product, the receiving chamber (2) comprising a guiding portion (11) and a bottom face (14), wherein an inner wall (3) of the guiding portion (11) defines a cylindrical guiding chamber and wherein the bottom face (14) has a dispensing opening (15),

a separation unit (40), the separation unit (40) being arranged in the guide portion (11) of the housing (10), the separation unit (40) comprising a central axis of rotation (DA), wherein the separation unit (40) has a body portion (48) and a plurality of projections (42), wherein each projection (42) has two end portions (45) and a middle portion (46), and a medicine conduit (41) is formed between each two end portions (45) of adjacent projections,

characterized in that the intermediate portion (46) of the projections (42) is recessed with respect to at least one of the end portions (45), and in that the at least one end portion (45) of each projection (42) is formed such that a side surface (451) thereof bears on a wall (3) of the guide portion (11).

2. Storage container (1) for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical portions according to claim 1, characterized in that the end portions (45) of the side surfaces (451) bearing on the wall (3) of the guide portion (11) are evenly distributed with all projections (42).

3. Storage container (1) for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical portions according to claim 1, characterized in that two end portions (45) of a projection (42) are formed such that the two end portions (45) bear on the wall (3) of the guide portion.

4. Storage container (1) for a storage and dispensing station of pharmaceutical portions according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the end portions (45) of the projections (42) bearing on the wall (3) of the guide portion (11) are evenly distributed on the separation unit (40).

5. Storage container (1) for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical portions according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the projection (42) has an anti-adhesion coating on a side surface (461) facing the wall (3) at least in the region of the intermediate portion (46).

6. Storage container (1) for a storage and dispensing station of pharmaceutical portions according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the separation unit (40) has a tapered surface (43), the tapered surface (43) comprising a plurality of recesses (44) aligned at the pharmaceutical conduit (41).

7. Storage container (1) for a storage and dispensing station of pharmaceutical portions according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the main body portion (48) has a setback (44a) above the pharmaceutical conduit (41).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products.

Background

Modern blister packaging machines, such as disclosed in WO 2013/034504 a1, comprise, according to the spreading level, hundreds of storage and dispensing stations for pharmaceutical products. Multiple drug servings of a particular type of drug are stored in each of these stations, and single or multiple drug servings may be dispensed upon request. With blister packs, the pharmaceutical products stored in the storage and dispensing station are collated and blister-packed individually by the patient according to the number of administrations prescribed by the doctor.

To order the drug portions, the respective storage and dispensing station is activated to dispense one or more discrete drug portions. Upon activation of the supply and dispensing station, the individual pharmaceutical portions are separated using a separation unit and transferred via a dispensing opening to a guide unit of the blister-packaging machine. The dispensed pharmaceutical portions (possibly with interconnected collecting units) are supplied to a packaging unit by means of a guiding unit, which blister packs the individual or multiple pharmaceutical portions according to the doctor's instructions.

The separation unit for separating the pharmaceutical product portions is usually of cylindrical form and is formed in a corresponding guide chamber of the storage container. On the circumference of the separating unit, a plurality of medicine lines are provided, via which medicine portions are supplied to a dispensing opening in the bottom face of the storage container. Between the individual medicine conduits, which are formed integrally with or detachably fixed to the main body of the separation unit, projections are formed. In a storage container according to the prior art, the protrusion has typically a side surface in the form of a circular arc, which is supported on the inner wall of the guide chamber, in which the separation unit is arranged (in the context of the present application the term "support" does not mean that one surface is in contact with the other surface over its entire extent, but that it is possible to form a small (annular) gap at least in cross-section.

A plurality of pharmaceutical portions are arranged in each storage container for the storage and dispensing station. During separation of the drug portions, the separation unit is rotated by a certain angle to supply the drug portions arranged in the drug tubing to the dispensing opening. Depending on the shape of the pharmaceutical product portions and the number of pharmaceutical product portions arranged in the storage container, they rub against each other and also against components of the storage container during separation. Therefore, exfoliation occurs in the medicine portion and a medicine dust is formed. This accumulates on all parts of the storage container, in particular on the wall of the guide section where the separation unit is arranged.

Due to the accumulation of the medicine dust, particularly on the wall of the guide portion, friction between the side surface of the protrusion and the wall increases, and therefore a lifting force will be applied to the rotation of the separation unit in the case where the medicine dust accumulation increases. Due to the uneven force to be applied for rotation of the separating unit, it is difficult to control the separating unit accurately, and thus incorrect dispensing may occur, which may result in incorrect sorting of the pharmaceutical portions.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a storage container for a storage and dispensing station in which such incorrect dispensing is avoided.

The object according to the invention is achieved by a storage container as claimed in patent claim 1. The storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical portions according to the invention comprises a housing enclosing a receiving chamber for the pharmaceutical portions, the receiving chamber comprising a guide portion and a bottom face, wherein an inner wall of the guide portion defines a cylindrical guide chamber and wherein the bottom face has a dispensing opening. In the storage container according to the invention, the separation unit having the central axis of rotation is arranged in the guide portion of the housing. The separation unit comprises a central body portion and a plurality of projections, wherein each projection has two end portions and a middle portion, and wherein one drug conduit is formed between each two end portions of adjacent projections.

The protrusion may be formed to be flatter than the main body of the guide unit with respect to the rotation axis, which facilitates the supply of the medicine components to the medicine conduit. According to the prior art, the outer side surface is usually in the form of a circular arc (relative to the central axis of rotation), so that the projection forms a kind of hollow cylinder (if the medicine conduit is omitted), the outer side surface of which bears against the inner wall of the guide portion.

The projections are formed in different ways in the reservoir according to the invention. According to the invention it is provided that the middle part of the protrusions is recessed with respect to at least one of the end parts, and that at least one end part of each protrusion is formed such that the outer face of at least one end part bears on the wall of the guide part (in the context of the present application the concept "bearing on … …" does not mean that one surface is in contact with the other surface over its entire extent, but that a narrow or small (annular) gap is formed at least in part, which gap enables the separation unit to rotate.

In contrast to known storage containers, it is provided according to the invention that the projection bears only against a small portion of the wall (or is slightly spaced from the wall) and possibly is guided by or over the wall, wherein it is provided according to the invention that this portion is an end portion which is adjoined by the medicine conduit. In the storage container according to the invention, only a small part of the side surface of the projection is thus supported on the wall of the guide portion, i.e. the sum of the above-mentioned end portions. It is important that the middle portion of the projections is "recessed" with respect to the end portions, i.e. not as far as at least one of the end portions of each projection extends towards the wall, seen in radial direction. In the middle part, a (wider) gap is thus provided between the wall and the middle part, compared to the end parts described above.

Precisely how this "gap" is geometrically formed depends on the outer face of the intermediate portion. Within the scope of the present invention, the concept of "gap" in the intermediate portion only means that the distance wall/side surface of the intermediate portion is larger than the distance wall/side surface of the end portion. If the intermediate portion is formed curved, this results in the gap between the wall and the intermediate portion being formed as a section resembling a hollow cylinder. Alternatively, the intermediate portion can also be embodied in relation to the wall like a secant, whereby the gap can furthermore have the form of a circular segment.

As a result of the corresponding design of the projections, the medicine dust generated during the separation can drip through the gaps in the region of the intermediate section and can thus be guided quickly to the bottom face, if the bottom face is designed correspondingly, to the receiving opening in the bottom face.

The drug dust can fall "unimpeded" through the gap between the wall and the middle portion of the projection, thereby reducing the accumulation and deposition of drug dust on the wall. Overall, the design of the protrusion according to the invention results in a reduced friction surface of the wall/separation unit, exerting less force for rotating the separation unit. It is important here that the force required to rotate the separation unit in the guiding section also only changes slightly when the formation of drug dust increases, since less drug dust is deposited on the walls. Since the force applied for rotation varies only slightly in the case of dust formation, the separating unit can be controlled and/or rotated more precisely. In the storage container according to the invention, the possibility of incorrect dispensing (e.g. due to incorrect alignment of the drug tubing at the dispensing opening) is reduced.

The design of the projection according to the invention has further substantial advantages. Although even according to the present invention it is not avoided that the drug dust will fall into the area of the drug tubing, the proportion of drug dust falling into the tubing is reduced with respect to the total amount of drug dust and, consequently, less drug dust moves (and passes) through the dispensing opening in the bottom face. According to the present invention, the entry of medicine dust into the blister packaging machine is thus avoided, which prolongs the cleaning interval due to the medicine dust, thereby reducing the downtime of the blister packaging machine.

Due to the shape of the projections, these projections always have two end portions, wherein each of these end portions abuts one of the medicine conduits. At least one of these end portions bears on the wall of the guide portion and thus has a larger "radius" than the recessed middle portion. The precise manner in which the second end portion is formed is not essential to the functioning of the invention. In contrast, it is important that the end portion bearing on the wall allows an even, impact-free, low-friction rotation of the separating unit in the guide portion, usually with three corresponding end portions (and possibly also with two already if they are correspondingly wide).

As described above, the deposition of the medicine dust also occurs in the storage container according to the present invention. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, it is provided that such end portions are evenly distributed in all projections: the outer face of the end portion bears against the wall of the guide portion. If only one such end portion is provided per projection, this means that these end portions (seen from the rotation axis outwards) are always arranged on the right or left side of the projection. Depending on the direction of rotation, the end portions supported on the wall (hereinafter referred to as "projecting" end portions; projecting "with respect to the intermediate portion") are then arranged "behind" or "in front of" the projection. In a "normal" separating operation, the direction of rotation is typically chosen such that the protruding end portion is "behind", i.e. the medicine conduit follows the end portion. If the direction of rotation is turned, the end portions are located "in front" of the projections, i.e. they follow the medicine conduit in the direction of rotation.

This provides the possibility of cleaning the walls of the guiding portion using an embodiment according to the invention, in particular by simply rotating the separating unit so that the protruding end portion is placed "in front". With the end portion formed accordingly, the front edge of the end portion can then be used to remove adhering drug dust from the wall. The dust then falls through a duct to the bottom surface.

In a further preferred embodiment, it is provided that the two end portions of the projection are formed such that they bear against the wall of the guide portion. The corresponding formation improves the supply of the pharmaceutical product into the pharmaceutical product conduit. Then, the above-mentioned cleaning is no longer possible, but a low-friction rotation of the separation unit is still ensured and the introduction of drug dust into the drug line is reduced.

In order to ensure particularly smooth rotation of the separating unit, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that the end portions of the projections, whether one or both projections are formed accordingly, are distributed symmetrically on the separating unit. If three drug conduits, and thus three projections, are provided, this means that the drug conduits are each offset by a centre point angle of 120 ° with respect to the rotational axis.

In order to avoid the adhesion of the medicament dust to the wall of the middle section of the projection, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that the projection has an anti-adhesion coating on the side surface facing the wall, at least in the region of the middle section.

In order to avoid that the pharmaceutical product stays on the body of the separating unit and assists in supplying the pharmaceutical product into the pharmaceutical product conduit, it is provided in a preferred embodiment that the separating unit has a conical surface comprising a plurality of recesses aligned at the pharmaceutical product conduit.

To further assist the supply, it is further preferred that the body portion has a setback above the drug conduit.

Drawings

In the following, preferred embodiments of a storage container for a storage and dispensing station according to the invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIGS. 1a and 1b show various diagonal views of a first preferred embodiment of a storage container according to the present invention;

fig. 2a and 2b show top views of a first embodiment according to the invention;

fig. 3a and 3b show two cross-sectional views of the first embodiment;

fig. 4a and 4b also show two cross-sectional views, orthogonal to the cross-sectional views shown in fig. 3a and 3 b;

fig. 5a to 5f show various views of a separation unit of a first embodiment of a storage container according to the invention;

fig. 6a and 6b show a top view of the separation unit of the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 shows a detail view of the separation unit;

fig. 8 shows a top view of a separation unit of the second embodiment;

fig. 9 shows a top view of a separation unit of the third embodiment; and

fig. 10 shows a top view of the separation unit of the fourth embodiment.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1a and 1b show two diagonal views of a preferred first embodiment of a storage container 1 for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceutical products. The storage container 1 according to the invention is part of the above-mentioned storage and dispensing station, wherein the storage container is usually detachably arranged on the dispensing station (not shown). The components may be arranged in a storage container or in a dispensing station, depending on the precise embodiment of the storage container and dispensing station according to the invention. As can be seen from fig. 1b, which shows the storage container from below, in the embodiment shown it does not comprise an electric motor, but only a coupling assembly 31, via which coupling assembly 31 a separation unit (shown in more detail in the following figures) can be coupled to the electric motor in the dispensing station.

The storage container 1 according to the first embodiment includes a housing 10 having a cylindrical portion 11, the bottom of the cylindrical portion 11 abutting a bottom portion 12. The bottom part 12 is connected to the upper assembly of the housing via a handle 13 with which the storage container 1 can be removed from the respective dispensing station. As shown in fig. 1b, a circular recess 22 is arranged around the coupling assembly 31, which circular recess 22 is described in more detail in the following figures.

Fig. 2a and 2b show a top view according to a first embodiment, wherein the lid 4 is omitted in both figures to illustrate the interior of the storage container. As shown in fig. 2a, the separation unit 40 is arranged in a receiving chamber defined by the cylindrical portion 11 of the housing. The separation unit 40 includes a central body portion 48 and a plurality of projections 42 disposed on the body portion 48. These tabs may be integrally formed with the body portion, however, they may also be fastened to the body portion 48 as a detachable component. Between each two projections 42 a medicine conduit 41 is formed, via which a medicine portion arranged in the storage container can be supplied to the dispensing conduit 21 (as shown in fig. 2 a). The main body portion 48 of the separating unit 40 comprises a tapered surface 43 having four recesses 44, which recesses 44 are formed at the conduit 41 in the radial direction and serve to assist in supplying the pharmaceutical product to the pharmaceutical product conduit. As has been deduced from fig. 2a, the protrusion is not formed as part of a circular hollow cylinder, but is recessed or flattened in the intermediate portion (with respect to the axis of rotation), i.e. in these areas there is a gap between the protrusion and the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 11 of the housing (the precise design of the protrusion with respect to the cylindrical portion will be described in more detail below).

In the top view shown in fig. 2b, the separating unit is also omitted and the bottom face 20 with the dispensing opening 21 and the circular recess 22 can be seen. When the dispensing conduit is aligned at the dispensing opening, the drug portions arranged in the drug conduit 41 are dispensed via the dispensing opening. The circular recess 22 is provided for accommodating medicine dust generated during separation of the medicine portions. In the middle of the bottom face 20 a circular opening is provided, in which a coupling unit 30 is arranged, via which coupling unit 30 the separating unit can be coupled to a drive, which in the embodiment shown is not arranged in the storage container. The coupling unit itself can be embodied integrally with the decoupling unit, but the decoupling unit and the coupling unit are usually detachably connected to one another, so that a quick change of the decoupling unit is possible without the coupling unit.

Fig. 3a and 3b show a diagonal view and a side view of a section through a first embodiment of a storage container according to the invention, wherein, as can be inferred in particular from fig. 3a, the section is implemented in such a way that it passes through a separation unit 40 between medicine lines 41. As can be inferred from fig. 3a and 3b, a gap is provided between the inner wall 3 of the cylindrical portion 11 of the housing 10 and the outer side surface 461 of the middle portion 46 of the projection 42 (the precise structure of the projection is described with reference to the following drawings), through which the medicine dust can drip down to the bottom face 20.

In fig. 3a and 3b and all subsequent figures, the gap between the wall 3 and the outer side surface of the middle portion of the projection 42 is shown enlarged to illustrate the invention. In practice, such gaps are embodied to be narrow, wherein the exact dimensioning depends in particular on the shape of the pharmaceutical product portions to be separated. In the case of larger pharmaceutical portions, in the case where a larger amount of pharmaceutical dust may also be expected, it goes without saying that the gap can be kept wider than in the case of very small pharmaceutical portions. It is important to provide a corresponding gap through which the medicine dust can move past the separation unit to the bottom surface.

As can be seen in fig. 3a, a groove is introduced into the cylindrical portion in the region of the bottom opening 21, through which groove the retaining portion 51 of the retaining device 50 is inserted. The retention portion prevents a medicine portion disposed above the medicine conduit from being dispensed through the conduit when the medicine conduit is aligned with the dispensing opening; the medicine portions contained in the tubes are dispensed only when aligned.

Fig. 4a and 4b also show two cross-sectional views, wherein the cross-sections are orthogonal to the cross-sections of fig. 3a and 3 b. As can also be seen from fig. 4a and 4b, a gap is formed between the inner wall 3 of the cylindrical portion 11 and the side surface 461 of the middle portion of the protrusion. As can also be inferred from fig. 3a and 3b and fig. 4a and 4b, the bottom surface 20 is formed obliquely toward the middle and includes the concave portion 22, so that the medicine dust dropped through the gap can move into the concave portion 22 through the oblique bottom surface. Furthermore, as can be inferred from fig. 4a and 4b, the lower surface 49 of the separation unit is also formed diagonally, so that a gap is formed between the bottom surface 20 and the separation unit, through which the medicine dust can move to the recess 22.

Fig. 5a to 5f show various views of the separating unit of the first embodiment, wherein the coupling assembly 31 of the coupling unit is shown together with the separating unit 40. First, a general structure of the separation unit is described based on fig. 5a to 5d, and details of the design of the protrusion according to the present invention are described with reference to the following drawings. In the first embodiment, the separation unit includes four ducts 41 defined by four projections 42. The main body 48 extends beyond the projection 42, i.e. a circumferential recess is formed in the region of the projection which assists in supplying the pharmaceutical portion into the conduit 41. The separation unit 40 comprises a conical upper face 43 with four recesses 44, which recesses 44 are aligned at the drug conduit. A recess 44a is formed in the main body 48, the recess 44a cooperating with the recess 44 to assist in supplying the medicine portion into the medicine conduit 41, the recess 44a being aligned at the recess 44 and the medicine conduit 41.

As can be seen in fig. 5e and 5f, each projection 42 comprises two end portions 45 having side surfaces 451 and a middle portion 46 having side surfaces 461. It can already be seen in fig. 5e and 5f that the projections do not appear in the form of circular arcs with respect to the central axis of rotation, but that the intermediate portions are concave with respect to the central axis of rotation, i.e. the radius of the intermediate portions is smaller than the radius of the end portions. This will be explained in more detail with reference to the following figures.

Fig. 6a and 6b show the arrangement of the separation unit 40 in a cylindrical guide chamber provided by the guide portion 11 having the inner wall 3. In the first embodiment shown, the separation unit comprises four ducts 41 and four projections 42. As can be seen in fig. 6a and 6b, in the region of the end portion 45, the projection bears by means of a side surface 451 on the wall of the guide portion 11, whereas, in contrast, a side surface 461 of the middle portion 46 of the projection does not bear on the wall, but forms a gap between this side surface and the wall. The medicine dust generated during the separation process can move to the bottom surface of the storage container through the separation unit via the gap. As shown in fig. 6b, the radius RMA (i.e., the distance of the side surface from the center rotational axis DA) in the end portion 45 is greater than the radius RMI in the intermediate portion 46.

This is shown in detail in fig. 7, where it can be clearly seen that in the area of the end portion 45 the protrusion bears on the wall of the guide portion and then retracts and leaves a gap opening through which the medicine dust can move to the bottom surface.

Fig. 8 shows a top view of a second embodiment of a separation unit which is formed substantially corresponding to the first embodiment, except that only three drug conduits 41 are provided. The rest of the description corresponds to the first embodiment.

Fig. 9 shows a third embodiment of the separating unit, wherein in this embodiment also the two end portions of the protrusion protrude with respect to the middle portion, i.e. the radius RMA in the case of the end portion 45 is larger than the radius RMI in the case of the middle portion 46. In the embodiment shown, the intermediate section is in the form of a circular arc relative to the central axis of rotation and rises gently in the transition region to the end sections. In an alternative embodiment, the intermediate portion may also be formed not as an arc, but simply as a straight line between the end portions, which would result in a gap having a different shape.

Fig. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the separation unit. In contrast to the above described embodiments, in the present embodiment only one end portion of the protrusion protrudes with respect to the intermediate portion, i.e. the radius RMA in the case of one of the end portions is only larger than the radius RMI of the intermediate portion. The "other" end portion 47 is formed exactly similarly to the intermediate portion in the illustrated embodiment, i.e. the side surface 471 is formed in a region corresponding to the side surface 461 of the intermediate portion.

During separation of the medicine portions, the separation unit according to the illustrated embodiment is typically rotated clockwise, i.e. the protruding end portion extends "in front" of the medicine conduit towards the dispensing opening (in the illustrated embodiment, the dispensing opening is arranged below the right medicine conduit). During the counter-clockwise rotational movement the protruding end portion 45 follows the medicine tubing. The edge of the protruding end portion 45 formed in the shown embodiment is adapted to be at the transition end portion/medicine conduit for removing medicine dust adhering to the wall from the wall. Thus, with a correspondingly designed separation unit, at least a part of the medicine dust adhering to the wall can be removed from the wall by a short counterclockwise rotational movement and supplied to the bottom surface and the recesses possibly provided therein. In this way, an excessive accumulation of drug dust on the wall can be avoided and a continuous increase of friction between the separation unit and the wall is avoided.

Furthermore, in all four embodiments, by further ensuring the design of the projection according to the invention, friction between the separation unit and the wall is reduced with respect to the storage container according to the prior art due to the reduction of the contact surface wall/side surface.