Apparatus for the preparation of a unit dose of a medicine

Abstract

A method and apparatus for the preparation of a labelled unit dose of a medicine from a blister pack 10 comprises holding a portion of blister pack 10 and positioning it using a robotic arm 30 and cam

Description

BACKGROUND The provision of medicines in blister packs, phials, pouches and other forms is well-known. An example of a blister pack 10 is shown in Fig. 1. Typically, such packs 10 are formed of a plastic or aluminum backing sheet 5 moulded to form spaced depressions in the sheet, the depressions protruding to one side (for convenience generally called the back side in this specification, although this should not be construed as limiting). A tablet is disposed in each depression and a cover sheet (not shown), for example formed of aluminium foil, is bonded to the opposite (front) side. Each tablet is therefore formed in an individual cell 7. Of course, the medicament need not be formed as a tablet and it is possible to dispose more than one tablet etc in a cell. Typically, one or more blister packs 10 are included in a cardboard box, which is supplied to the pharmacy or patient. In a hospital pharmacy setting, packing or preparation machines are known for preparing unit doses and storing each unit dose separately. Typically, a unit dose is formed by cutting a cell from a blister pack in a first stage of a process. Figs. 2 and 3 show different forms of blister pack 10 that can be encountered and possible cutting lines 117,118,119 for cutting the blister pack 10 to form cut unit cells. Subsequently, in a second stage of the process, the cut unit cell is disposed in a bag or other pouch and the bag or pouch is labelled with information about the medicament in the cell, the manufacturing lot number, expiry date, optionally unique serial number, intended patient data and so on. Alternatively, in the second stage of the process a card is printed and the cut cell is attached to the card to form the unit dose. The unit doses are then stored in separate compartments in a drawer or other storage system for subsequent dispensing. For example, the details of a patient's prescription are entered into the system and, based on the prescription, the required unit doses are dispensed to a pharmacist or nurse, who then ensures they are given to the patient. However, there are problems with such prior art systems in that they require highly specialised equipment, which make manufacture and maintenance too expensive for use in all but large hospital pharmacy settings. Moreover, the design of current unit dose preparation apparatuses may compromise both speed and space requirements and often require specialised staff to operate, separate from maintenance considerations. SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is an intention of the present invention to address at least some of the problems associated with known unit dose preparation apparatuses. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for the preparation of a unit dose of a medicine from a blister pack, the blister pack having first and second sides and comprising a plurality of cells containing the medicine, the apparatus comprising: a holder for holding the blister pack, a label applicator for applying a label to a first side of the blister pack, and a cutter for cutting at least one cell from the blister pack, wherein the holder is configured to move a predetermined portion of the blister pack opposite the label applicator and the blade, the label applicator is configured to move towards the blister pack to apply a label to a first side of the blister pack, and the cutter is configured to move towards the blister pack to cut the at least one cell from the blister pack whereby there is formed a unit dose comprising a label attached to the at least one cell cut from the blister pack. Preferably, the holder is configured to move the blister pack between the label applicator and the cutter so that they are provided on opposite sides of the blister pack, and the label applicator and the cutter are configured to move towards each other to cut the at least one cell to form the unit dose. Preferably, the label applicator comprises an applicator block having a front surface configured to hold the label, the applicator block configured to act as a cutting block. Preferably, the cutter comprises a blade configured to abut the front surface or move adjacent side surfaces of the applicator block to cut the at least one cell from the blister pack. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a presser provided opposite the label applicator, wherein the holder is configured to move the blister pack between the label applicator and the presser so that they are provided on opposite sides of the blister pack, and the presser is configured to be reciprocally moved towards and away from the at least one cell, whereby the at least one cell can be held between the presser and the label applicator. Preferably, the presser comprises a resilient block configured to be pressed against the at least one cell. Preferably, the presser is adjacent the cutter in a direction perpendicular to the direction of reciprocal movement. Preferably, a distance of travel of the presser relative to the label applicator is controlled based on the size of the at least one cell. Preferably, the holder comprises a suction cup provided on a robot arm. Preferably, wherein the robot arm is configured to hold the blister pack by attaching the suction cup to the front of a predetermined cell of the blister pack. Preferably, the robot arm is configured to pick a selected blister pack from a container based on images from a camera and an Al model. Preferably, the portion of the blister pack held by the holder is changed during cutting and labelling of the blister pack. Preferably, the cutter comprises an L- or T-shaped blade. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a printer for printing information on the label based on at least one of previously stored information for the blister pack and patient information. Preferably, the apparatus further comprises an adhesive applicator for applying adhesive to at least one of label and the blister pack before the label is applied to blister pack. Preferably, the label is adhered to the blister pack using an adhesive formed in a predetermined pattern to allow easy opening of the cell after the label has been applied. Preferably, the label is positioned on the label applicator so that the cutter cuts at least a portion of the blister pack where the label is not attached. Preferably, the label is positioned on the label applicator so that the cutter cuts the label at a predetermined position. According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of preparing a unit dose of a medicine from a blister pack, the blister pack having first and second sides and comprising a plurality of cells containing the medicine, the method comprising: holding a predetermined portion of blister pack opposite a label applicator and a cutter; moving the label applicator towards the blister pack to apply a label to a first side of the blister pack, and moving the cutter towards the blister pack to cut the at least one cell from the blister pack, whereby there is formed a unit dose comprising a label attached to the at least one cell cut from the blister pack. Preferably, the label applicator and the cutter are provided on opposite sides of the blister pack, and the label applicator and the cutter are relatively moved towards each other to cut the at least one cell to form the unit dose. Preferably, the method further comprises moving a presser provided opposite the label applicator towards the at least one cell, whereby the at least one cell is held between the presser and the label applicator. Preferably, the step of moving the cutter is carried relative to the step of moving the label applicator such that the label applicator and the cutter contact the blister pack simultaneously. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 illustrates a known blister pack; Fig. 2 shows further examples of know blister packs and cutting lines for separating them into unit doses; Fig. 3 shows a further example of cutting lines for separating a blister pack into unit doses; Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of a unit dose preparation apparatus according to the present invention; Figs. 5A and 5B show alternative suction cup grippers for holding a blister sheet; Fig. 6 is a schematic representation of a unit dose cutting and labelling module according to the present invention; Fig. 7 is a side view illustrating the relationship between a blister pack, a label applicator, a label, a holding block and a cutter in use in the unit dose cutting and labelling module; Fig. 8 is a plan view illustrating the spatial relationship between the blister pack, the label applicator and the cutter in use in the unit dose cutting and labelling module; Fig. 9A is a front view of unit dose prepared by the unit dose preparation apparatus of the present invention; Fig. 9B is a front view of another unit dose prepared by the unit dose preparation apparatus of the present invention; Figs. 10A-C illustrate an example of how a label can be applied to the last unit dose obtained from a blister pack. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Fig. 4 shows a unit dose preparation apparatus 100 according to the present invention. The apparatus 100 comprises a plurality of containers 20A, 20B for holding blister packs 10,10B, a robot or cobot 30 for holding an individual blister pack 10, a unit dose cutting and labelling module 50, and a storage bin 60 for storing prepared unit doses 15. A user stacks predetermined blister packs 10A, 10B containing a known medicine in the respective holders 20A, 20B and enters details of the blister packs in a control system 10, for example, the type of medicine, the strength of the medicine (e.g. weight of active ingredient in a single pill in a cell 7), the use-by-date, the manufacturer and so on. Some of the information may be prestored in the control system 40 such that the user only needs to scan a barcode on the packaging containing the blister packs 10 to upload the desired information. Different holders may be provided for different blister packs and multiple holders may be provided. In this manner, the unit dose preparation apparatus 100 can prepare unit doses 15 of desired medicines as they are required on a just in time basis. A robotic arm 30 is used to pick individual blister packs 10 from the holders 20A, 20B. Preferably, the robotic arm 30 is that of a cobot (co-operative robot), which is able to work safely in the same space as a human. This reduces the need to provide casings or cabinets in the unit dose preparation apparatus 100 and allows human operators to work in the same space as the cobot arm 30 to fill the holders 20A, 20B even as individual blister packs are being picked. Preferably, the robotic arm 30 is a 6-axis robot arm with infinite rotation for the hand and has a reach of around 800 mm. As shown in Fig. 5A, the robotic arm 30 comprises a gripper 130 at the end of a rod 133 forming the arm 30. The gripper is preferably a suction cup 130, which allows the robot arm 30 to hold the flat side (front side) of a blister pack 10. In an alternative, shown in Fig. 5B, the suction cup 130' comprises flexible lips 131 and bellows 132. The flexible lips 131 and bellows 132 allow the suction cup 130' to conform to the outside of an individual cell 7 comprising a tablet 8, such that the cell may have any of a variety of different sizes and shapes, such as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It is preferred for the suction cup 130 to abut the flat side of the blister pack 10 for stability reasons. Holding the blister pack 10 on the back side with the flexible lips 131 and bellows 132 may result in a less stable and certain position of the blister pack 10 and there is a concern that gravity could cause the blister pack 10 to rotate out of the desired position. Therefore, it is preferred to hold the blister pack 10 on the flat side with a flat, more rigid suction cup without bellows, as shown in Fig. 5A. The blister packs 10 are stacked front side up in the containers 20A, 20B so that the cells 7 face downwards. The controller 40 controls the robot arm 30 to move over a predetermined cell 7 of the blister pack 10 so that the suction cup 130 attaches to the front of the predetermined cell 7 and the blister pack 10 is picked up by the front of that cell 7. The robotic arm 30 is controlled to move the blister pack 10 and hold it in position for labelling and cutting in the unit dose cutting and labelling module 50, discussed in more detail below. The prepared unit doses 16 are then stored in a suitable storage container 60. Although a simple bin is illustrated in Fig. 4, any suitable storage container can be used including, for example, a controlled cabinet with a plurality of drawers (not shown), each drawer including a plurality of compartments suitable for housing corresponding unit doses 15.In another example, a plurality of containers 20 are provided on a conveyor system (not shown) and the conveyor moves the desired container 20 into position for picking by the robot arm 30. Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the unit dose cutting and labelling module 50. In the following explanation, the description is presented using an orthogonal coordinate system of X, Y, and Z as needed. An Y direction is a moving direction of a label applicator, a cutter and a pressing block . A X direction is a moving direction of a blister pack into the unit dose cutting and labelling module 50. A Z direction is a height direction (a gravitational direction) perpendicular to the X direction and the Y direction. However, it should be appreciated that any orientation can be used, so that the Z direction is not the height direction, and that the directions need not be orthogonal. An arrow shown in the coordinate system points in a positive (+) direction and the opposite direction is the negative (-) direction. The unit dose cutting and labelling module 50 comprises a label applicator 210, a cutter 220, a presser 230, and a label provisioner 240. In short after printing a label 246, the label 246 is first held by the label applicator 210. A cell 7 on a blister pack 10 is held between the label applicator 210 and the presser 30. The label applicator 210 is then moved in the -Y direction and the presser 230 is moved in the +Y direction to sandwich the cell 7 between them. This process also straightens the blister pack, which typically will have a concave form as shown in Fig 1. Simultaneously or fractionally later, the cutter 220 is moved in the +Y direction to cut the cell 7 from the blister pack 10. By pressing the label applicator 210 onto the front side of the blister pack, the label 246 is applied to the cell to form a unit dose 15. The cutter 220 and presser 230 can then be moved back in the -Y direction and the label applicator can be moved back in the +Y direction to release the unit dose 15, which can drop for subsequent storage. In more detail, the label provisioner 240 may be sourced from a well-known labelling machine. A comprises a printer 242 for printing on blank labels 246 and a conveyor 248. Blank labels 246 are provided on a backing strip 245, which the conveyor 248 conveys past the printer 242 allowing it to print on the label all the desired information relating to the unit dose 15 which the label is to form a part of. The use of an ink ribbon for optimal printing quality (contrast and legibility over time) is preferred. The conveyor 248 includes a switch back section, which causes a label 246 to peel off the backing strip 245 and continue moving towards the label applicator 210. The label 246 is preferably paper based, providing environmental benefits and is sufficiently rigid that it can be successfully transferred to the applicator block 212. As discussed below, the label 246 may be larger than the cut cell 7. As such, it will not always be appropriate for the whole of the rear surface of the label 246 to be provided with an adhesive. Thus, the adhesive pattern of the label 246 must be selected to allow the label to hold the cut cell 7 and to allow the tablet 8 to be removed from the unit dose 15 easily. For example, adhesive may be omitted from an area of the label 246 (or an area of the label 246 may be cut out) to provide a line of weakness to allow easy deblistering. The label applicator 210 comprises an applicator block 212 mounted to a holder 216, which can be moved back and forth in the Y direction by a linear actuator 218, such as a piston. The applicator block 212 comprises a plurality of small suction holes 214, which are connected to a vacuum source (not shown). In an initial state, the vacuum source is switched off. Once a label 246 peeling off from the back strip 245 has travelled sufficiently far and faces the applicator block 212, the conveyor 248 is stopped and the vacuum source is switched on so that the label 246 is held to the front surface of the applicator block 246 by suction in a well-defined position. In order to enable the system to push the label 246 sufficiently far during the peeling off, it is possible to provide a small additional glue zone at the last part of the label 246, preferably using a glue that deactivates when in contact with the air. Alternatively, the cutter 220 may cut off the last part of the label 246 when cutting the cell 7 from the blister pack 10. The cutter 220 comprises a blade 222 and a holder 224, which can be moved in the Y direction by a linear actuator 226. The blade 222 is preferably an L-shaped blade comprising two legs 222a, 222b, which are aligned in the Y direction with corresponding edges 212A of the applicator block. The legs 222a, 222b of the blade can each have an angle with respect to the applicator block 212 to facilitate the cutting, where the heel of the L-shaped knife 222 hits the blister package 10 first. The legs on the cutter blade 222 and the edges of the applicator block 212 ensure proper shear cutting of the blister package material. In the case where the cutter 220 cuts off the last part of the label 246 when cutting the cell 7 from the blister pack 10, the cutter 220 device comprises an additional blade (not shown), in addition to the L-shaped 222, to cut the last part of the label 246 with the ancillary glue zone. The presser 230 comprises a resilient block 232 mounted to a holder 234, which can be moved in the Y direction by a linear actuator 226. The resilient block 232 is provided opposite to the applicator block 212. The presser 230 can have a foam block for the resilient block 232 to firmly hold the cell 7 while conforming to the cell shape. In this case a foam with closed cell structure is preferred to avoid 'suction effects' which could hold the cell 7 in place on the block 232 after cutting, which is not desired. In use, the robot arm 30 picks a selected blister pack 10 by a predetermined cell 7, for example the top left cell 7, which may be considered as the picking reference point. During this process, the controller 40 of the unit dose preparation apparatus 100 will be aware of various details of the blister pack 10, for example based on the information input when the blister packs 10 are loaded into the containers 20A, 20B or from reading the front of the blister pack 10, or from a combination of both. Preferably, the robot arm 30 is provided with a camera 140 and the system operates with an Al model to control this process. The container 20 may be a simple container that holds stacked blister packs 10 in place, or adjustable guides may be provided to accommodate different-sized blister packs 10. Tags 22 allowing identification and position of a container 20 may be provided on each container 20. For example, a fiducial marker (e.g. an Arllco tag), QR code or datamatrix may be applied to each container 20, as appropriate, to allow the system to determine the position and content of the container 20 using the camera 140. A machine vision system (potentially powered by artificial intelligence) allows to detect the precise position of the blister pack 10 in the container 20 and calculate the picking point. The use of the camera 140 on the robot arm 30 allows for a larger area to store multiple containers 20. Fast image acquisition and processing allows for increased throughput. The robot arm 30 then moves the blister pack 10 so that the first cell 7 to be cut is positioned between the applicator block 212 and the resilient block 232. Accurate positioning of the blister pack 10 may be achieved using machine vision and Al techniques. For example a 2D camera 160 may be positioned to view the back side of the blister pack 10 and hence view the cells 7 and determine their precise position. Viewing the back side is preferable as printed text on the front side makes detection by Al difficult and the pockets or cells 7 can be hard to see. Camera parameters may be adjusted and / or a 3D camera or multiple cameras may be used to avoid problems with parallax, depth of field and so on to ensure accurate positioning of the blister pack 10 relative to the label applicator block 212. Such techniques can also alleviate issues with bent or deformed blister packs 10, such as thermoformed blister packs 10, which are usually bent with the pills on the inside of the bend, and alu / alu blister packs. These issues can also be managed using a variety of other techniques including pushing the pack against glass or another flat surface to straighten them, and using a straightening mechanism either before picking or when the blister pack 10 is positioned by the robot arm 30 between the applicator block 212 and the resilient block 232. In this manner, with the use of vision and Al (such as SAM Al), the controller 40 can calculate or otherwise determine the cutting pattern and order of cutting and controls the robot 30 to position the blister pack 10 relative to the applicator block 232 such that the desired cutting lines 117,118,119 align with the corresponding edges 212A of the applicator block 212. Subsequently, the labelling and cutting operation is carried out. The cutting pattern and order of cutting can be determined in several ways, for example: • Using machine vision powered by artificial intelligence to detect the different cell centres on the blister package. The Al model can be any Al vision model trained on blister images or can be a combination of Al powered segmentation such as the Segment Anything Model (SAM) released for general usage by Meta® in combination with traditional image processing techniques • By means of a predetermined parameter file prepared in advance • Using a graphical user interface allowing the operator to draw the cutting pattern on the image of the blister pack 10 • Any combination of the above (e.g. operator interaction with Al guidance or Al proposing the cutting pattern with the possibility for the operator to adjust the pattern if needed). As shown in Fig. 8, the label 246 is transferred to the front surface 212B of the applicator block 212 so that they are aligned with one corner in common (in this case, the top left corner), but with a predetermined margin 'a', such as 2mm, between respective the edges 212A of the applicator block 232 on the one hand, and the corresponding corner edges of the label 246 on the other hand. In other words, the corner edges of the label 246 are set in from the corner edges 212A of the applicator block 212 by a predetermined amount 'a'. The label 246 is held in place by suction through the suction holes 214. In Fig. 8, the label 246 is larger than the applicator block 212. However, this is not particularly preferred and the applicator block 212 may be sized so that the whole of the label can be held against the applicator block 212. The presser 230 is omitted from Fig. 8 for ease of illustration. However, the only constraints on its size are that it is large enough to hold the area of the blister pack 10 from which the cell (or cells) 7 are being cut in place against applicator block 230. Preferably, the whole of the cell (or cells) 7 are covered by the resilient block 230. As shown in Fig. 7, the applicator block 212, the blade 222 and resilient block 232 are all moved in the Y direction to carry out the labelling and cutting operation. In a preferred sequence, the following steps may be carried out in order: Step 1: print label 246 and apply to applicator block 212; move blister pack 10 to next cutting position using robot arm 30 Step 2: move resilient block 232 to correct position against cell based on the height of the tablet 8 in the cell 7 or the height of the cell 7 itself so the cell 7 will be sandwiched between the resilient block 232 and the applicator block 212 with the correct amount of pressure. This may use an electric linear actuator with position control &requires knowledge of e.g. the pill height parameter Step 3: apply label 246 by moving the applicator block 212 to press the back side of the label 246 to the front side of the portion of the blister pack 10 to be cut; increase the pressure of the (preferably spring loaded) resilient block 232 on the cell 7 to ensure good adhesion of the label 246 Step 4: cut blister pack 10 by moving the L-shaped blade 222 to cut through the backing sheet 5 and the cover sheet 6 in order so that the blade slides against or in close proximity to the corresponding corner edges 212A of the applicator block 212 (shear cutting) Step 5: retract blade; retract resilient block; retract applicator block 212; optional air eject pulse through the applicator holes (to ensure the unit dose 15 does not remain stuck to the applicator 210); drop unit dose 15 in output bin 60 By carrying out the steps in this order, the resilient block 232 is first positioned to allow the cell 7 to be subsequently pressed against it by the applicator block 212 with sufficient force to apply the label and to prevent movement of the blister pack 10 during cutting. The material of the resilient block 232, its positioning relative to the applicator block 212 and the force with which they are pressed against one another are all selected to ensure that the cutting and labelling operation can be carried out without damaging the tablet 8 or otherwise deforming the unit dose 15. At any suitable time after the resilient block 232 has been positioned and the applicator block 212 moved to press the cell 7 against it, the vacuum holding the label 246 against it may be released. By transferring the label 246 to the applicator block 212 so that there is a gap 'a' between the edges of the predetermined corner of the label 246 and the cutting corner of the applicator block 246, it is possible to ensure that the label 246 is accurately affixed to the blister pack 10 for cutting. Moreover, in view of the gap, the blade 222 does not cut through the label 246. This reduces potential problems of jamming due to parts of the label 246 being caught between the blade 222 and the edges 212A of the applicator block 212. In addition, it prevents the blade 222 from coming into contact with adhesive from the label 246, preventing the spread of adhesive to unit doses 15 from a contaminated cutter 220, preventing the blade 222 and the edges 212A of the applicator block 212 from becoming gummed up, and reducing the need for maintenance. By sandwiching or gripping the cell 7 between the applicator block 212 and the resilient block 232, the cell 7 can be held in place during cutting. This ensures that cutting is carried out at exactly the correct place and ensures positional accuracy of the remaining blister pack 10 held by the suction cup 130 on the robot arm 30. By aligning the blade 222 with the edges 212A of the applicator block 212, it is possible to use the applicator block 212 as a cutting block or anvil to ensure accurate shear cutting and a highly compact unit dose cutting and labelling module 50 with few moving parts. In step 5, the unit dose 15 is dropped in the output bin 60. The output bin 60 may be provided directly below the unit dose cutting and labelling module 50 so that as the applicator block 212 and the resilient block 232 are moved apart, the unit dose 15 is released and dropped directly into the storage bin. Alternatively, the vacuum need not be turned off directly after the label 246 is applied so that the cut unit dose 15 continues to be held against the applicator block 212 even after the applicator block 212 and the resilient block 232 are moved apart. The applicator block 212 may then be moved over the appropriate storage bin 60 and the vacuum stopped so the unit dose 15 only then drops into the bin 60. Alternatively, different storage bins 60 may be provided on a conveyor (not shown) under the unit dose cutting and labelling module 50, and the conveyor may be moved until the appropriate storage bin 60 is under the module, after which the unit dose 15 is dropped. This allows longer autonomy of the unit dose preparation apparatus 100 and the possibility to institute a Kanban system. In this case, a stack of cards may be provided and printed on, before being attached to or otherwise associated with the storage bins 60 for Kanban operation. The robot arm 30 may be used to handle this task. In addition, the storage bin 60 may be provided with a hinged cover (not shown), which the robot arm 30 may open and close to put unit doses 15 therein. Some blister pack configurations may involve some cutting (removal) of blister pack parts that do not hold a pill. These parts should preferably be dropped in a separate waste container. Examples are blisters with 'blind spots'. Thus, in another alternative, cut waste may be collected in separate bin 60. In this event, as the unit doses 15 are dropped, a sorter system (e.g., switching flap) may be used to sort the waste from the unit doses 15. It is envisaged that the unit dose preparation apparatus 100 be implemented using the following actuators and sensors, but it will be appreciated that not all these actuators and sensors are essential, and that any can be replaced by different actuators that offer the same or an equivalent function. Robot arm - 6 axis robot arm with infinite rotation for the hand, particularly preferred for ampoule handling (discussed below) Gripper - pneumatic: vacuum suction cup Label applicator / anvil - pneumatic piston (preferably fixed distance trajectory) - vacuum to hold labels Cutter (knifes) - pneumatic piston (preferably fixed trajectory + force) - preferably completely independent from resilient block Presser - resilient block preferably - linear actuator with motor (spindle / timing belt) preferred to correctly position the blister pack in the labelling / cutting plane before applying label - if required for ampoule labelling (lateral support during winding), - if no lateral support required for ampoule labelling: pneumatic foam block mounted on spring with linear characteristic (constant force independent of height of product) Sorter Flap - pneumatic piston (bang / bang) Conveyor belt - electric motor Blister Sandwicher if retained : electric spindle 2 / 3D camera on robot-arm for picking blister package from container 2D camera for blister positioning and process supervision - fixed set-up , distance camera to cutting plane is fixed - distance to reference glass plate = fixed -1 or 2 cameras may be provided Conveyor belt - bin detection using optical sensors The invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment and various changes could be made within the scope of the claims. For example, it is not necessary to use a suction cup 130 as the holder for picking the blister pack 10 and holding it in the unit dose cutting and labelling module 50. Rather, the grippers such as pincers may be used instead. In this case, the blister pack may be gripped at a predetermined reference point, such as the top left corner of the blister pack 10, away from any of the cells 7. The applicator block 212 is shown with its front surface 212B, which holds the label, oriented in a vertical plane. However, the components of the unit dose cutting and labelling module 100 may be oriented in any suitable direction. For example, it may be preferred that the front surface 212B is oriented in a horizontal plane. After the vacuum stops being applied to the suction holes 214, remaining vacuum in the holes in combination with lightweight pills or traces of glue on the applicator might cause the cut unit dose 15 to be held on the applicator block 212 after the resilient block 232 is retracted. A blower may be attached to the applicator block 212 so that air is blown from the suction holes 214 at an appropriate time. For example, after the label 246 has been applied to the portion of the blister pack 10 being cut, air may be blown through the holes 214 to ensure proper release of the label 246 from the face 212B of the applicator block 212. In the description above, the labels 246 are peeled off a backing sheet 245 or other substrate, but this is not essential and other means of transferring the label 246 to the applicator block 212 may be used. For example, a stack of labels may be provided and the label applicator 210 may move in the X or Z direction until the applicator block 212 is opposite the stack of labels 246 and then in the Y direction towards the stack to pick up a label 246 using suction. Where a backing sheet 245 is provided, the labels 246 may be provided as a roll or in a zig-zig stack. The labels 246 may be printed on demand using the printer 242 or they may simply be preprinted separately from the unit dose preparation apparatus 100 and then fed into the unit dose cutting and labelling module 50. The labels 246 in the foregoing description are provided with an adhesive, preferably in a preferred pattern, on their back surface (the front surface of the label 246 facing the front surface 212B of the applicator block 212 and the back surface of the label facing the front surface of the blister pack 10, that is the side on which the cover sheet 6 is formed). However, the labels need not be provided with an adhesive before transfer to the applicator block 212. Instead or as well, an adhesive may be applied to the label 246 after it has been transferred to the applicator block 212. In this case, a glue gun or the like may be used to apply the adhesive to the back surface of the label 246 and / or to the front surface of the blister pack 10, such that when they are brought together, the label 246 and cell 7 of the blister pack 10 are adhered. In the foregoing description, a gap 'a' is provided between edges of the label 246 and the edges 212A of the applicator block 212. However, this is not necessary and the label 246 may be transferred so that the edges of the label 246 and the edges 212A of the applicator block 212 are aligned or so that the edges of the label 246 extend past the edges 212A of the applicator block 212. In the embodiment, the edges 212A of the applicator block 212 and blade 222 of the cutter are aligned. As such, the blade 222 can be moved through the entirety of the plane of the blister pack 10, that is, past the blister pack 10. As such, the applicator block 212 acts as a cutting block against which the blade 222 operates. This ensures that cell 7 comprising the unit dose 15 is properly severed and separated from the rest of the blister pack 10. However, this is not essential and the blade 222 may but against the front face 212B of the applicator block 212 instead. Again, the applicator block 212 acts as a cutting block. In this case, it is again preferred that a suitable margin or gap (in X and Z directions in Fig. 8) is provided between the label 246 and the blade 222. However, it is not necessary for the applicator block 212 to act as a cutting block. Instead, the blade 222 may be separated to be spaced apart from edges 212A of the applicator block 212 during cutting. In this case, a separate cutting block may be provided on the same side of the blister pack 10 as the applicator block 212 for the blade 222 to act against. Alternatively, a second blade may be provided on the same side of the blister pack 10 as the applicator block 212 and spaced apart from its edges 212A. In this case, the first blade 222 and the second blade act in unison, in the same manner as scissors, to cut the unit cell 7 from the blister pack 10. The corners between the side edges 212A and the front face 212B may also be sharp so that they act as a blade wording in tandem with the blade 222 of the cutter 220. In the foregoing description, the cutter 220 and the presser 230 are controlled to move independently in the Y direction. However, this is not necessary and they may be moved together. The cutter 220 and the presser 230 may also be formed as a unitary body or otherwise linked to one another. In this case, the plane of the resilient block 232 that meets the blister pack 10 may be provided closer to the blister pack 10 than the blade 222. In this case, the as the unitary cutter and presser are moved toward the blister pack 10, as the resilient block 232 is compressed against the blister pack 10, the blade 222 to continues to travel towards the blister pack 10 to cut it. In the foregoing description, the presser 230 moves first, followed by the applicator block 210, followed by the cutter 220. However, this is not essential. For example, all three components may be moved together so that they all meet the blister pack 10 at the same time. Any one component may meet the blister pack 10 before any other, to the extent that the label can be satisfactorily applied and the unit dose 15 cleanly cut. More generally, steps 1-5 described above need not be carried out in the order described and may be carried out in any suitable order, for example as set out in the preceding paragraph. However, it is preferred that the steps are carried out so that the label applicator 210 (applicator block 212) and the cutter 220 (blade 222) contact the blister pack 10 at the same time for at least part of the process. In addition, the cutter 220 and the label applicator 210 may be provided on the same side of the blister pack 10. In this case, the resilient block 232 may be edged with a rigid material to provide a surface for the blade 222 to act against. In this way, the resilient block 232 may act as a cutting block. Alternatively, a separate cutting block or blade may be provided around the resilient block against which the cutter may apply force. Although the block 232 used in the presser 230 has been described as a resilient block, preferably a foam block, this is also not essential. Instead, the presser may include a rigid shape that fits around the outline of individual cells 7 in the blister pack 10, with a space to accommodate a cell 7. In this way, the sheet or substrate 5, 6 of the blister pack 10 can be held in place without damaging the cell 7 or crushing the tablet 8. However, the use of a rigid shape is difficult in practice given the wide range of pi I l / cel I sizes, different shapes (oval, round etc) and available space between the cells and the use of a resilient block is preferred. It should also be appreciated that different sized labels may be applied to different blister packs 10 to form predetermined unit doses 15. Any desired ratio of size of label 246 to size of unit cell 7 may be used. For example, in the unit dose 15 shown in Fig. 9A, the label 246 is larger than the cut cell 10'. By contrast, in Fig. 9B the whole of the label 246 fits on the cut cell 10' to form the unit dose 15. It is not necessary to dispose the blister packs 10 in stacks in containers 20 before picking by the robot arm 30. Instead, they can be randomly arrayed in a bin and picked either at random or based on requirements using a smart vision system, for example by detecting the edges of the blister pack, reading information on the front sheet (foil) 6 of the blister pack or by reading a tag previously affixed to the blister pack 10. In the described embodiment, the trajectory of the robot hand (suction cup 130 at the end of the robot arm 30) is perpendicular to the blister packs 10. This may involve a long suction cup finger to avoid collision with the walls of the containers 20. This positioning of the robot arm 30 and suction cup 130 may create difficulties with labelling the final cell 7 of the blister pack 10 since the arm 30 and suction cup 130 may get in the way of one or more of the applicator block 212, the cutter blade 222 and the presser block 232 moving in the Y direction towards the blister pack 10. To address this problem, it is possible to apply the label 246 to the second last cell 7 without cutting, then reposition the blister pack 10 so the unit dose cutting and labelling module 50 (label applicator 210 and presser 230) can hold the label 246 applied to the second last cell 7, move the suction cup 130 to the second last cell 7, loosen the label applicator 210 and presser 230, rotate the blister pack 10 by 180°, label and cut the last cell 7, and release the second last tablet. An alternative solution is shown in Figs. 10A-C. Fig. 10A illustrates a blister pack 10 with three final cells 7 numbered 1, 2 and 3 to be cut in this order. The 'x' indicates that the blister pack 10 is held by the suction cup 130 opposite cell no. 2. The suction cup 130 can pick the blister pack 10 from the container 20 using this cell 7 or the suction cup 130 can be switched to this cell 7 at any suitable point in the process. Before cell no. 1 is cut and labelled, the robot arm 30 and hence blister pack 10 are rotated by 180° and moved so that cell no. 3 is opposite the applicator block 212 and the presser block 232. The label 246-1 is then applied to cell no. 3 without cutting. As shown in Fig. 10 B, the blister pack 10 is again rotated by 180° and moved so that cell no. 1 is opposite the applicator block 212 and the presser block 232. The label 246-2 is then applied to cell no. 1, which is held by the presser block 232 and the applicator block 212. The suction cup 130 is then moved from cell no. 2 to cell no. 3, to which the label 246-1 has been attached, as illustrated by the 'x' in Fig. 10B. Cell no. 1 is then cut off by the blade 222 as shown by the L-shaped dotted cutting line 280-1. Finally, as shown in Fig. 10C, the remaining part of the blister pack 10 is moved so that cell no. 2 is opposite the applicator block 212 and the presser block 232. Cell no. 2 is then labelled with label 246-3 and cut along L-shaped cutting line 280-2. This has the advantage that it is not necessary to hold the blister pack 10 only by the label in order to move the position of the suction cup 130. Rather, the blister pack 10 is held between the applicator block 212 and the resilient block 232 when changing the position of the suction cup 130. Thus, this arrangement may lead to improved positional accuracy. It should be noted that in this specification, a unit dose 15 is not limited to a single cell in a blister pack 10 and multiple cells 7 may be cut at the same time so that a unit dose comprises a plurality of cells 7 and hence tablets 8. It should be noted that the decision about how to cut a blister pack 10 into unit doses 15 can be carried out in a number of ways. Preferably, at least for simple shapes and patterns of cells 7 in blister packs 10, Al can be used to determine how to cut cells in real time. Specifically, the Al module can be programmed to cut the required number of cells (usually 1) for each unit dose 15 and with knowledge of the shape and dimensions of the blade 222, applicator block 212 etc, determine the most appropriate cutting positions and sequence. This avoids the need to preprogram the unit dose preparation apparatus 100 with cutting programs for each type of blister pack. For more complex blister packs, if needed a user may determine a cutting program via a GUI provided for the controller 40. For very complex blister packs 10, a support team may calculate a cutting program based on images from the blister pack 10 using the machine vision system (e.g. camera provided on the robot arm 30). In the present invention, the label applicator 210 applies the label to a blister pack 10 for forming a unit dose 15. However, the unit dose preparation apparatus 100 may also be designed to prepare other forms of unit dose 15, such as ampoules, phials, sachets and pouches. In the case of vials and ampoules, these may be picked from structured storage, with the suction cup gripping the head or bottom of vials. In this arrangement, bins may be prepared with vials in predetermined positions to obviate repositioning of the pick position. In this case, simple vision techniques can be used, with no depth vision required if the length of the vials is managed as parameter. A standard suction cup should suffice in most cases, with the possibility to swap suction cups and other grippers depending on the type of medicament being picked up (different sized vials, vials v blister packs etc). A flex gripper may also be a suitable option. Labelling may be carried out using same blister unit dose cutting and labelling module, but of course without cutting. The label is printed and conveyed by the applicator, and the vial is presented to the label at the right height. The foam pusher pushes the vial firmly against the label, the robot arm rotates the vial radially, and the label will be wrapped around the vial. The unit dose preparation apparatus 100 may also be configured to operate on sachets / pouches, which may again be picked using random bin picking using 2D camera and machine vision. The pouch can be directly presented to the label applicator and then dropped in the output bin 60. Flexible blister packages (e.g. for effervescent tablets) may be cut and labelled similar to standard blister packs, as described above. In this case, the cutting device may be oriented by 45° around the Y axis for better stability. In preferred embodiments, the label applicator 210, the cutter 220 and the presser 230 are all provided on a yoke, with the cutter 220 and the presser 230 being provided on an opposite arm of the yoke to the label applicator 210. This allows these components to be moved unitarily in one direction, for example in the X or Z direction, whilst moving independently in the Y direction. However, this is not essential and, in any event, it may be possible to move the individual components separately in directions other than the Y direction. It will be appreciated that some mechanism is required to set the positions of these components relative to one another in the X and Z directions for proper operation. The blade 222 (or blades) may have any desired shape. For example, the cutting edge of each blade may be angled in the direction of cutting so that so that the first portion of the blade to contact the blister pack is at the corner at the middle of the L-shape, or the opposite ends of the L-shapes may be the first to contact the blister pack. Instead of using blades per se, a stamp may be used instead. In this specification, a stamp is included within the definition of blade or blades. The blade may also be T-shape, the L-shape need not be at right angles, the blades may be shaped so that the edges of the unit dose 15 are curved and so on. The foregoing description has been given by way of example only and it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for the preparation of a unit dose of a medicine from a blister pack, the blister pack having first and second sides and comprising a plurality of cells containing the medicine, the apparatus comprising:a holder for holding the blister pack,a label applicator for applying a label to a first side of the blister pack, anda cutter for cutting at least one cell from the blister pack, whereinthe holder is configured to move a predetermined portion of the blister pack opposite the label applicator and the blade,the label applicator is configured to move towards the blister pack to apply a label to a first side of the blister pack, andthe cutter is configured to move towards the blister pack to cut the at least one cell from the blister pack whereby there is formed a unit dose comprising a label attached to the at least one cell cut from the blister pack.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holder is configured to move the blister pack between the label applicator and the cutter so that they are provided on opposite sides of the blister pack, and the label applicator and the cutter are configured to move towards each other to cut the at least one cell to form the unit dose.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the label applicator comprises an applicator block having a front surface configured to hold the label, the applicator block configured to act as a cutting block.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the cutter comprises a blade configured to abut the front surface or move adjacent side surfaces of the applicator block to cut the at least one cell from the blister pack.

5. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a presser provided opposite the label applicator, wherein the holder is configured to move the blisterpack between the label applicator and the presser so that they are provided on opposite sides of the blister pack, andthe presser is configured to be reciprocally moved towards and away from the at least one cell, whereby the at least one cell can be held between the presser and the label applicator.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the presser comprises a resilient block configured to be pressed against the at least one cell.

7. An apparatus according to claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the presser is adjacent the cutter in a direction perpendicular to the direction of reciprocal movement.

8. An apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein a distance of travel of the presser relative to the label applicator is controlled based on the size of the at least one cell.

9. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the holder comprises a suction cup provided on a robot arm.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the robot arm is configured to hold the blister pack by attaching the suction cup to the front of a predetermined cell of the blister pack.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the robot arm is configured to pick a selected blister pack from a container based on images from a camera and an Al model.

12. An apparatus according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the portion of the blister pack held by the holder is changed during cutting and labelling of the blister pack.

13. An apparatus according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cutter comprises an L- or T-shaped blade.

14. An apparatus according any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a printer for printing information on the label based on at least one of previously stored information for the blister pack and patient information.

15. An apparatus according any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an adhesive applicator for applying adhesive to at least one of label and the blister pack before the label is applied to blister pack.

16. An apparatus according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the label is adhered to the blister pack using an adhesive formed in a predetermined pattern to allow easy opening of the cell after the label has been applied.

17. An apparatus according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the label is positioned on the label applicator so that the cutter cuts at least a portion of the blister pack where the label is not attached.

18. An apparatus according any one of the preceding claims, wherein the label is positioned on the label applicator so that the cutter cuts the label at a predetermined position.

19. A method of preparing a unit dose of a medicine from a blister pack, the blister pack having first and second sides and comprising a plurality of cells containing the medicine, the method comprising:holding a predetermined portion of blister pack opposite a label applicator and a cutter; moving the label applicator towards the blister pack to apply a label to a first side of the blister pack, andmoving the cutter towards the blister pack to cut the at least one cell from the blister pack,whereby there is formed a unit dose comprising a label attached to the at least one cell cut from the blister pack.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein the label applicator and the cutter are provided on opposite sides of the blister pack, and the label applicator and the cutter are relatively moved towards each other to cut the at least one cell to form the unit dose.

21. A method according to claim 19 or claim 20, further comprising moving a presser provided opposite the label applicator towards the at least one cell, whereby the at least one cell is held between the presser and the label applicator.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the step of moving the cutter is carried relative to the step of moving the label applicator such that the label applicator and the cutter contact the blister pack simultaneously.27

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