Method and packaging device for packaging discrete medicaments in bags

Abstract

A method for packaging discrete medicament in bags in a packaging device configured to form and fill bags in an elongate web, the method comprising the steps of: conveying the elongate web along a web trajectory; printing information related to discrete medicaments on the elongated web, the discrete medicaments being fed into the elongated web at locations where the information is printed on the elongated web; feeding a discrete medicament into the elongate web at a location of the associated printed information on the elongate web; inspecting the elongated web to determine whether there is a defect associated with the elongated web; and in response to detecting the defect, printing a defect indication or a defect symbol on the elongate web and forming an empty pocket at the location of the defect indication or the defect symbol.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application. The application date of the original application is June 22, 2022, the application number is 202280056922.7 (PCT / NL2022 / 050360), and the name of the invention is "Method and packaging device for packaging discrete drugs in bags". background

[0003] The present invention relates to a method and a packaging device for packaging discrete medicaments in bags. Such packaging devices are usually used to package a large number of bags with a small number of selected discrete medicaments, each of which will be administered to a patient at one time.

[0004] The filled bags are interconnected to form long strings. Prior art packaging devices are very reliable in producing large numbers of bags at high speeds, so that in practice, one human operator can handle many sequences, each sequence having one bag or a plurality of interconnected bags separated from a long string. Summary of the invention

[0005] A disadvantage of the known packaging device is that when the packaging device detects an error that may affect the quality of the bag or the drug content, an operator needs to be alerted to start intervention. During the intervention, the defective bag needs to be traced and discarded, which is very labor-intensive. When there is a small sequence between large sequences, there is a risk that the human operator misses the small sequence and the small sequence is still attached to the large sequence by mistake.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and a packaging device for packaging discrete medicaments in bags, wherein manual intervention can be performed effectively and efficiently.

[0007] Alternatively, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method and packaging device that facilitates manual processing of both small and large sequences.

[0008] The present invention provides a method for packaging discrete medicaments in bags in a packaging device configured to form bags in an elongated web and fill the bags.

[0009] The method comprises the following steps:

[0010] The long coil is conveyed along the coil track.

[0011] Printing information related to the discrete doses on the long web, the discrete doses will be fed into the long web at the location of the printed information on the long web,

[0012] feeding the discrete doses into the elongated web at locations of associated printed information on the elongated web,

[0013] inspecting the length of coil to determine if there are any defects associated with the length of coil, and

[0014] In response to detecting a defect, a defect indication or defect symbol is printed on the elongated web, and an empty bag is formed at the location of the defect indication or defect symbol.

[0015] When a long coil is formed according to the method of the invention and then processed by an operator, the operator immediately sees the presence of a defective bag from the defect indication or defect symbol on the empty bag. The operator can immediately trace the defective bag and discard it, for example by counting forward from the defect indication or defect symbol.

[0016] In an embodiment, the defect is a defective bag and printing a defect indication or defect symbol on the long web is performed upstream of the detected defective bag.

[0017] In an embodiment, the conveying of the elongated web along the web trajectory is accomplished by means of a web drive.

[0018] In an embodiment, printing the information on the elongated web is accomplished by means of a printer at a printing station.

[0019] In an embodiment, the packaging device comprises a conveyance monitoring device, preferably comprising an encoder, for monitoring the conveyance of the elongate web along the web trajectory for the step of inspecting the elongate web to determine if there are defects related to the alignment of the elongate web.

[0020] In an embodiment, the packaging device includes an inspection station along the coil trajectory for the step of inspecting the elongated coil to determine if there are any defects associated with the elongated coil.

[0021] In an embodiment, the inspection station comprises one or more of an inspection camera, an inspection sensor, an inspection photoelectric sensor, an inspection laser photoelectric sensor or an ultrasonic inspection sensor, and the inspection comprises inspecting the long web by means of the inspection camera, the inspection sensor, the inspection photoelectric sensor, the inspection laser photoelectric sensor or the ultrasonic inspection sensor.

[0022] In an embodiment, the method further comprises applying a heat seal in the elongated web to enclose the medicament that has been fed to the elongated web.

[0023] In an embodiment, the step of inspecting the elongated web to determine if there are defects associated with the elongated web comprises sensing a defective heat seal.

[0024] In an embodiment, the method further comprises applying a separating perforation line in the elongated web between the bags to be formed, and wherein the step of inspecting the elongated web to determine if there are defects associated with the elongated web comprises detecting a defective separating perforation line.

[0025] In an embodiment, the method further comprises forming a tear, and wherein the step of inspecting the length of the web to determine if there are defects associated with the length of the web comprises detecting a defective tear.

[0026] In an embodiment, the elongate web comprises a foil forming a front side and a back side, the medicament being received between the front side and the back side.

[0027] In an embodiment thereof, the foil is folded back on itself, whereby the front side continues into the back side via a fold forming the bottom edge of the long web.

[0028] In an embodiment, the foil comprises a printable plastic.

[0029] In an embodiment, the step of printing a defect indication or defect symbol on the elongated web comprises printing a defect indication or defect symbol on the elongated web upstream of the defect.

[0030] The present invention further provides a computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor cause a packaging device to implement a method according to the present invention.

[0031] The present invention further provides a packaging device for packaging discrete medicaments in a bag, the packaging device comprising:

[0032] A coil drive for conveying the long coil along a coil track in a conveying direction,

[0033] a printing station for printing information on the elongated web, the information relating to discrete doses fed into the elongated web at the location of the printed information on the elongated web, and

[0034] a filling station configured to feed discrete doses of medicament into pockets formed in the elongated web,

[0035] an inspection station for detecting defects in long coils; and

[0036] A controller is provided for instructing the printing station to print a defect indication on the elongated web in response to detecting a defect in the elongated web.

[0037] In an embodiment, the defect is one or more of: a defective bag, a defective seal, a defective separation perforation, a defective tear, and a misalignment of the long web relative to one of the stations.

[0038] In an embodiment, the inspection station includes one or more of an inspection camera, an inspection sensor, an inspection photoelectric sensor, an inspection laser photoelectric sensor, or an ultrasonic inspection sensor.

[0039] In an embodiment, the packaging device further comprises a perforating station along the web trajectory for applying one or more separating perforation lines and / or tear lines in the long web.

[0040] In an embodiment thereof, the packaging device further comprises a sealing station for sealing the bags in the elongated web.

[0041] A second aspect provides a method for packaging discrete medicaments in bags in a packaging device,

[0042] wherein the packaging device is configured to form bags in the elongated web and fill the bags to contain the medicament,

[0043] wherein the packaging device comprises a coil drive for conveying the elongated coil on a coil track in a conveying direction and along the coil track in the conveying direction, the packaging device comprises a printing station and a filling station, wherein the printing station comprises a printer for printing information on the elongated coil, and wherein the filling station is configured to feed the discrete medicaments to the elongated coil,

[0044] The method comprises the following steps:

[0045] The elongated web is conveyed along the web path in the conveying direction by means of the web drive, whereby the elongated web passes the printing station and the filling station,

[0046] printing information on the elongated web by means of the printer, wherein the information printed on the elongated web relates to discrete doses subsequently fed into the elongated web at the location of the printed information on the elongated web, and

[0047] feeding the discrete doses into the elongated web at the filling station at the location of the associated printed information,

[0048] wherein a minimum sequence size of bags is set, wherein for a sequence of bags to be filled with a first amount of discrete doses below the minimum sequence size followed by a second amount of empty bags in the long web, information related to the discrete doses is printed for the bags to be filled, which are subsequently fed into the long web at the position of the printed information on the long web, wherein the sum of the first amount and the second amount is equal to the minimum sequence size.

[0049] In the method according to the invention, sequences smaller than the minimum sequence size can be easily identified by the second amount of empty bags.

[0050] In an embodiment, the printer prints information related to the empty state of the empty bag on the empty bag.

[0051] The present invention further provides a computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which instructions, when executed by a processor, cause a packaging device to implement the method according to the second aspect.

[0052] The present invention further provides a packaging device for packaging discrete medicaments in bags, wherein the packaging device is configured to form bags in an elongated web and fill the bags to contain the medicaments,

[0053] wherein the packaging device comprises a coil drive for conveying the elongated coil on a coil track in a conveying direction and along the coil track in the conveying direction, the packaging device comprises a printing station and a filling station, wherein the printing station comprises a printer for printing information on the elongated coil, and wherein the filling station is configured to feed the discrete medicaments to the elongated coil,

[0054] The packaging device further includes an electronic controller for controlling the packaging device, wherein the electronic controller includes a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the packaging device to package discrete doses in bags according to the steps of the method of the second aspect.

[0055] The various aspects and features described and shown in this specification can be applied separately wherever possible. These individual aspects, especially the aspects and features described in the attached dependent claims, can become the subject of divisional patent applications. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0056] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a feeder device and a packaging device for discrete medicaments according to an embodiment;

[0057] Figure 2 It is used to fill bags with discrete doses. Figure 1 A schematic isometric view of a packaging device;

[0058] Figure 3A is Figure 2 A side view of an elongated web of material being formed into bags in a packaging device is shown, and Figure 3B yes Figure 3A Close-up details of

[0059] FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C Shown by Figure 1 and Figure 2 A defective bag detection method performed by a packaging device; and

[0060] Figure 5 Shown by Figure 1 and Figure 2 A wrapper for executing small sequence processing methods. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] Figure 1 A feeder device 1 and a packaging device 20 for discrete medicaments 10 are shown. Discrete medicaments can be medicines or solid articles, products or substances for medical use, such as pills, tablets, capsules, etc. The medicaments are "discrete" in the sense that the medicaments can be distributed one by one, individually, separately or in dosage units. Discrete medicaments 10 each typically contain an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and an optional excipient. Discrete medicaments can be counted and administered to patients individually. Although the system relates to and discusses medicaments, the system and method can be applicable to other consumables (edible or inedible) that are discretely packaged.

[0062] The feeder device 1 comprises a frame 2 and a horizontally extending support disk 3, which supports a plurality of radially extending arrays 5, each array having a plurality of cans or feeder units 6. The feeder device 1 comprises an elongated collecting hopper 7 located below the support disk 3, which is connected to a position-controlled motor 4, such as a servo drive, on the frame 2 via a radially extending arm 9 to rotate around a vertical axis. The feeder units 6 can each be filled with a plurality of batches of different discrete medicaments. The feeder unit 6 is configured to discharge individual discrete medicaments, which are collected by the collecting hopper 7, which rotates below the discharged feeder unit 6 by means of the position-controlled motor 4. In this way, the selected discrete medicaments 10 are counted and collected to be administered to the patient at one time. The collecting hopper 7 merges into the hopper outlet 8 to supply the selected discrete medicaments 10 to the packaging device 20 for packaging each of the collected selected discrete medicaments 10 in a bag 150. The collecting hopper 7 comprises a hopper release valve (not shown) with an actuator at the hopper outlet 8 for controlled release of the collected selected discrete medicaments 10 .

[0063] The packaging device 20 is Figure 2 The packaging device 20 is configured to form bags 150 in the elongated web 100 and fill the bags. The packaging device 20 includes a web drive 23 for intermittently conveying the elongated web 100 through the packaging device 20 on a web track 22 of the packaging device 20 along a conveying direction T. The elongated web 100 is typically unwound from a stock reel 119. The elongated web 100 is also Figure 3A and Figure 3B Shown in.

[0064] The long web 100 comprises a printable plastic foil 101 which is folded back on itself, whereby the long web 100 comprises a front side 102 which continues into a back side 104 via a fold forming a bottom edge 103. Both the front side 102 and the back side 103 have a top edge 105 at the same height relative to the bottom edge 103.

[0065] Figure 3A and Figure 3B The elongated coil 100 is shown in a finished state in which the elongated coil is in a Figure 2 The end point of the coil track 22. Figure 2 As shown, during transport along the transport direction T through the packaging device 20, the long web 100 is subsequently provided with a heat seal 110. Figure 3B As best shown, the heat seal portion 110 includes an elongated front heat seal segment 111, an elongated rear heat seal segment 112, and an elongated top heat seal segment 113 between the front surface 102 and the rear surface 103. The front heat seal segment 111 and the elongated rear heat seal segment 112 extend parallel to each other and transverse to the bottom edge 103, and the top heat seal segment 113 extends between the front heat seal segment and the rear heat seal segment and extends parallel to and spaced apart from the top edge 105.

[0066] During transport through the packaging device 20, the long web 100 is then provided with a straight separation perforation line 120 between the heat seals 110. The separation perforation line 120 extends from the bottom edge 103 over half the distance between the bottom edge 105 and the top edge 105. In this example, the separation perforation line 120 extends over 70% of the distance between the bottom edge 105 and the top edge 105, but in other systems this distance may vary depending on the size, type, etc. of the foil used. Thus, a foil bridge 121 is formed between the separation perforation line 120 and the top edge 105.

[0067] During conveyance through the packaging device 20, the long web 100 is then provided with a tear 122, which starts at the separation perforation line 120 and extends transversely to the separation perforation line. The tear 122 extends at a height close to the top heat seal section 113 but below the top heat seal section relative to the bottom edge 103.

[0068] The elongated web 100 defines a printable area 117 on the front side 102 within the heat seal 110. Behind the printable area 117, the elongated web 100 forms a sealed enclosure between the bottom edge 103 and the heat seal 110 to contain and preserve the selected discrete medicaments 10.

[0069] After conveyance through the packaging device 20, the long web 100 can be manually divided by tearing the separation perforation line 120 and then tearing the foil bridge 121 to obtain a bag 150 or a series of interconnected bags 150. The separated bag 150 can be manually opened by tearing the top heat seal section 113 (starting at the tear 122).

[0070] like Figure 2 As shown, the packaging device 20 includes a printing station 30, a filling station 40, a sealing station 50, a perforating station 60 and an inspection station 70 in series. The printing station 30 includes a printer 31, which is configured to print text and symbols on a printable area 117 of the elongated web 100. The filling station 40 includes an opener 41 below the hopper outlet 8, which is configured to open the front 102 and the back 103 of the elongated web 100 at the top edge 105 to receive the selected discrete medicaments 10. The sealing station 50 includes two L-shaped heat sealing dies 51, which are movable or driven in a symmetrical manner transverse to the elongated web 100 in the direction A by means of a schematically shown die drive 52 to form a top heat seal section 113 and a rear heat seal section 112 of one bag 150, and a front heat seal section 111 of the next bag 150. The perforation station 60 comprises two perforation mechanisms, here shown as anvils 61, which are movable or driven in a symmetrical manner transversely to the long web 100 in direction B by means of anvil drives 62, shown schematically, to form a separation perforation line 120 and a tear 122 between two bags 150. The inspection station 70 comprises an inspection camera 71 or an inspection sensor or an inspection (laser) photoelectric sensor, or an ultrasonic inspection sensor or other sensing / detection device for detecting defects in the long web 100. Defects are, for example, bad printing, errors or absence of heat seals 110, separation perforations 120 or tear 122, or misalignment of the long web 100 in the conveying direction T.

[0071] The packaging device 20 comprises a transport monitoring device, in this example an encoder 72 having a monitoring wheel against the elongated web 100, to monitor the transport of the elongated web 100 along the transport direction T. The transport monitoring device can be part of the inspection station 70, or a separate device. The encoder 72 can be used as an additional or alternative inspection sensor to inspect the elongated web 100 in terms of misalignment or misalignment of the position of the elongated web 100 relative to the movement applied by the web drive 23.

[0072] like Figure 1As schematically shown in FIG. 1 , the feeder device 1 and the packaging device 20 include a common electronic controller 80, which is connected to the feeder unit 6, the position control motor 4, the hopper release valve, the web drive 23, the printer 31, the die drive 52, the anvil drive 62, the inspection camera 71 and the encoder 72. The electronic controller 80 includes an electronic processor and a tangible non-transitory memory for storing instructions, program codes or software, which when executed by the processor enables the controller 80 to control the actuation of these parts. In particular, the controller 80 is programmed to communicate with the inspection camera 71 (or other sensors, such as the encoder 72) and / or form an electronic vision / inspection system with the inspection camera to detect defects in the bag 150 to be formed.

[0073] The electronic controller 80 is programmed to execute a normal processing method, a defect detection method, and a small sequence processing method.

[0074] In order to execute Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the normal processing method schematically shown in FIG. 1 , the electronic controller 80 is programmed to control the position control motor 4 of the feeder device 1 to repeatedly bring the collection hopper 8 under specific feeder units 6 and control these feeder units to release discrete medicines 10 to count and collect the selected discrete medicines 10. The electronic controller 80 is programmed to control the web drive 23 to feed the long web 100 from the raw material reel 119 into the packaging device 20 and convey it along the conveying direction T. The electronic controller 80 is programmed to control the printer 31 to repeatedly print dedicated information on the printable area 117 of the bag 150 to be formed, such as the patient's name and the specifications of the selected discrete medicines 10 in the bag 150 to be formed. At the subsequent filling station 40, the selected discrete medicines 10 are fed between the opened front side 102 and the back side 103, wherein the received selected discrete medicines match the dedicated information on the printable area 117.

[0075] The electronic controller 80 is programmed to control the heat sealing die 51 at the subsequent sealing station 50. In the previous cycle, the heat sealing die 51 has formed the front heat seal segment 111. The electronic controller 80 is programmed to actuate the heat sealing die 51 to move against the long web 100 in direction A and return to complete the entire heat seal portion 110 and form the front heat seal segment 111 of the next selected discrete medicament fed by the hopper outlet 8. The electronic controller 80 is programmed to control the actuation of the perforated anvil 61 to move against the long web 100 in direction B and return to form the separation perforation line 120 and the tear 122 to define a bag 150, which contains the selected discrete medicament and has matching dedicated information on the printable area 117. The electronic controller 80 is programmed to detect defects in the formed bag 150, and continue the process in the absence of defects to form a long string of interconnected bags 150. These bags can then be processed by a human operator or another machine or robot.

[0076] Electronic controller 80 is programmed to check, verify or monitor the transport of lengthwise web 100 with encoder 72 while powering web drive 23 to detect relevant errors such as misalignment of lengthwise web 100 relative to the motion imparted by web drive 23 .

[0077] The electronic controller 80 is programmed to respond to errors originating from other devices or modules of the feeder device 1, such as the feeder unit 6, the position control motor 4 and the collecting hopper 7 (eg, the hopper release valve).

[0078] In order to execute FIG. 4A to FIG. 4C In the defect detection method shown, the electronic controller 80 is programmed to detect defects in the formed bags 150a to 150k with the help of an inspection camera 71 or an inspection sensor, or an inspection (laser) photoelectric sensor, or an inspection laser photoelectric sensor, or an ultrasonic inspection sensor or any other applied sensing / detection device (such as an encoder 72).

[0079] like Figure 4AAs shown, a defect is detected in the first bag 150a, such as a bad print in the printable area 117, an error or absence of the heat seal 110, an error or absence of one of the separation perforations 120 between which the first bag 150a is formed, and / or an error or absence of the tear 122, and / or a misalignment or misplacement of the position of the long web 100 relative to the movement imposed by the web drive 23. The latter may be caused, for example, by an operator accidentally pulling the end of the long web 100, whereby the printable area 117 becomes misaligned with the filling station 40. The electronic controller 80 is programmed to control the printer 31 to print a defect symbol 180j on the printable area 117 of the upstream bag 150j to be formed (in this example, on the ninth bag 150j). The electronic controller 80 is programmed to pause the feeding of the selected discrete dose by the feeder 1, whereby the ninth bag 150j remains empty. Then, the human operator who manually processes a string of interconnected bags 150 is visually warned: manual intervention is required, especially the first bag 150a of the bad is discarded. In some embodiments, when these bags are subsequently processed by the robot, such a defect symbol 180j will also warn the machine or robot that performs subsequent processing to discard such bags.

[0080] like Figure 4B Normal processing continues as shown, or as Figure 4C As shown, when an error is detected, defect detection and error symbol printing are continued for the second bag 150b and the third bag 150c.

[0081] Information about the error may be stored in the memory of the controller 80 and / or presented to a human operator or a robotic operator to indicate which bags 150 are affected. For example, the operator may be informed of the number of bags 150b to 150h between the ninth bag 150j and the defective first bag 150a and / or the number of bags 150a to 150c that are affected.

[0082] In order to execute Figure 5In the illustrated small sequence processing method, the electronic controller 80 is programmed to pause the printer 71 printing and the feeder device 1 feeding the medicament when the amount of each sequence bag 150 is below the set minimum sequence value. In the illustrated example, the minimum sequence value is five bags 150. The electronic controller 80 is programmed to form a first sequence, which includes only the first bag 150a and the second bag 150b, both of which contain their selected discrete medicaments 10 and matching dedicated information on the printable area 117, followed by an empty third bag 150c, an empty fourth bag 150d, and an empty fifth bag 150e. The empty bags 150c, 150d, 150e may be unprinted or may receive an alternative mark that identifies the empty bags 150c to 150e as empty or different from the filled bags 150a, 150b. Thereafter, a second sequence containing five or more bags 150f to 150k is formed.

[0083] The systems and methods according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter may also be operated using various special purpose computers and control systems, communication devices, networks and / or digital / logic devices. Each of these in turn may be configurable to utilize a suitable computing / controller device that may be manufactured with, loaded with, and / or invoke some storage device and then execute instructions that will cause the computing / controller device to implement the methods according to aspects of the disclosed subject matter.

[0084] Although the description relates to medicaments, tablets, etc., the devices and methods can be used to dispense other types of solid discrete articles for separation and packaging.

[0085] It should be understood that the above description is included to illustrate the operation of the preferred embodiment and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention. Based on the above discussion, many variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art, which will still be encompassed by the spirit and scope of the invention.

[0086] List of Reference Numerals

[0087] 1 Feeder device

[0088] 2 Framework

[0089] 3 Support plate

[0090] 4 Position Control Motor

[0091] 5 Radially Extended Array

[0092] 6 Feeder unit

[0093] 7 Collection hopper

[0094] 8 Hopper outlet

[0095] 9 arms

[0096] 10 Discrete Potion

[0097] 20 Packaging device

[0098] 22 Coil track

[0099] 23 Coil drive

[0100] 30 Print Station

[0101] 31 Printer

[0102] 40 Filling stations

[0103] 41 Opener

[0104] 50 Sealing Station

[0105] 51 Sealing die

[0106] 52 Stamping Driver

[0107] 60 Piercing Station

[0108] 61 Perforated anvil

[0109] 62 Anvil Driver

[0110] 70 Checkpoint

[0111] 71 Check Camera

[0112] 72 Encoder

[0113] 80 Electronic Controller

[0114] 100 Long Coil

[0115] 101 Foil

[0116] 102 Front

[0117] 103 bottom edge

[0118] 104 Back

[0119] 105 top edge

[0120] 110 Heat sealing department

[0121] 111 front heat sealing section

[0122] 112 Post heat sealing section

[0123] 113 Top heat sealing section

[0124] 117 Printing Area

[0125] 119 Raw Material Scroll

[0126] 120 Separation Perforation Line

[0127] 121 Foil Bridge

[0128] 122 Rip

[0129] 150 bags

[0130] 180 Defect Symbol

Claims

1. A method for packaging discrete medicaments in bags in a packaging device, in, The packaging device is configured to form bags in the elongated web and fill the bags to contain the medicaments, wherein the packaging device comprises a coil drive for conveying the elongated coil on a coil track in a conveying direction and along the coil track in the conveying direction, the packaging device comprises a printing station and a filling station, wherein the printing station comprises a printer for printing information on the elongated coil, and wherein the filling station is configured to feed the discrete medicaments to the elongated coil, The method comprises the following steps: The elongated web is conveyed along the web path in the conveying direction by means of the web drive, whereby the elongated web passes the printing station and the filling station, printing information on the elongated web by means of the printer, wherein the information printed on the elongated web relates to discrete doses subsequently fed into the elongated web at the location of the printed information on the elongated web, and feeding the discrete doses into the elongated web at the filling station at the location of the associated printed information, wherein a minimum sequence size of bags is set, wherein for a sequence of bags to be filled with a first amount of discrete doses below the minimum sequence size followed by a second amount of empty bags in the long web, information related to the discrete doses is printed for the bags to be filled, which are subsequently fed into the long web at the position of the printed information on the long web, wherein the sum of the first amount and the second amount is equal to the minimum sequence size.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The printer prints information related to the empty states of the empty bags on the empty bags.

3. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: Printing information on the elongated web is accomplished at a printing station.

4. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein: The packaging device comprises a conveying monitoring device for monitoring the conveying of the elongated coil along the coil track.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: The transport monitoring device includes an encoder.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The packaging device includes an inspection station along the coil trajectory, the inspection station being used to inspect the elongated coil to determine whether there are defects associated with the elongated coil.

7. A method according to any preceding claim, further comprising applying a heat seal in the elongate web to enclose a dose of medicament which has been fed to the elongate web.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising applying separating perforations and / or forming tears in the elongated web between the bags to be formed.

9. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor cause a packaging device to implement the method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A packaging device for packaging discrete medicaments in bags, wherein: The packaging device is configured to form bags in the elongated web and fill the bags to contain the medicaments, wherein the packaging device comprises a coil drive for conveying the elongated coil on a coil track in a conveying direction and along the coil track in the conveying direction, the packaging device comprises a printing station and a filling station, wherein the printing station comprises a printer for printing information on the elongated coil, and wherein the filling station is configured to feed the discrete medicaments to the elongated coil, The packaging device further comprises an electronic controller for controlling the packaging device, wherein the electronic controller comprises a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the packaging device to package discrete doses in bags according to the steps of the method described in any one of claims 1-8.

11. The packaging device of claim 10, further comprising an inspection station for inspecting the elongated web to determine if there are any defects associated with the elongated web.

12. The packaging device according to any one of claims 10-11, further comprising a conveying monitoring device for monitoring the conveying of the long coil along the coil track.

13. The packaging device according to claim 12, wherein: The transport monitoring device includes an encoder.

14. The packaging device according to any one of claims 10-13, further comprising a perforation station along the web trajectory for applying one or more separating perforation lines and / or tear lines in the long web.

15. The packaging device according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising a sealing station for sealing the bags in the elongated web.

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