Verification system for blister card packaging system

Abstract

To provide a verification system for a blister card packaging system, a method for verifying a blister card, and a blister card packaging system.SOLUTION: There is provided a verification system for a blister card packaging system. The verification system includes an electronic processor. The electronic processor is configured to capture a plurality of successive images of blisters of a blister card, display the images of at least a portion of the blister card for verification, receive a selection of a blister following displaying the images, and display the plurality of successive images in response to receiving the selection.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 509,365, filed June 21, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Field The present disclosure relates to a blister card packaging system. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a validation system for a blister card packaging system. [Background technology]

[0003] overview Pharmacies use several types of packaging to provide pharmaceutical products or drugs to consumers. The types of packaging can include strip packaging, blister cards, pill vials, etc. For individual customers of retail pharmacies, pill vials and strip packaging are most appropriate, while for corporate customers, such as nursing homes, palliative or hospice facilities, hospitals, etc., blister cards are widely used.

[0004] Currently, most blister cards are manually packed by pharmacists or pharmacy technicians. The blister cards are also manually verified during packaging. Automatic or semi-automatic blister card packaging machines do not have a robust verification system to verify that the blister cards are correctly packed. Instead, the packed blister cards must be manually inspected by a pharmacist before dispensing. Some automatic packaging machines may verify the medicine at an intermediate step before dispensing the medicine into the blister card. These automatic packaging machines use a pack at an intermediate step to temporarily hold the medicine while a camera captures an image of the medicine before it is packaged into the blister card. Some of the disadvantages of such intermediate verification systems are that the pack may have debris from the previous medicine, which may lead to cross contamination. In addition, because the image is captured before the medicine is dispensed into the blister card, the pharmacist may still need to verify the final packaging to ensure that all pills from the pack have been transferred to the blister card.

[0005] Therefore, there is a need for a verification system that overcomes the above-mentioned deficiencies of intermediate verification systems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One embodiment provides a validation system for a blister card packaging system, the validation system comprising an electronic processor configured to capture a plurality of successive images of blisters of a blister card, display the images of at least a portion of the blister card for validation, receive a selection of a blister following displaying the images, and display the plurality of successive images in response to receiving the selection.

[0007] Another embodiment provides a method of verifying a blister card, the method including capturing a plurality of successive images of blisters of a blister card, displaying the images of at least a portion of the blister card for verification, receiving a selection of a blister following displaying the images, and displaying the plurality of successive images in response to receiving the selection.

[0008] Yet another embodiment provides a blister card packaging system comprising an electronic processor configured to capture a plurality of successive images of blisters of a blister card, display the images of at least a portion of the blister card for verification, receive a selection of a blister following displaying the images, and display the plurality of successive images in response to receiving the selection. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1A-1C illustrate blister cards, according to some examples.

[0010] [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automated blister card packaging machine, according to some examples.

[0011] [Diagram 3] 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the automated blister card packaging machine of FIG. 2, according to some examples.

[0012] [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a universal feed cassette of the automated blister card packaging machine of FIG. 2 with a portion of the housing removed, according to some examples.

[0013] [Diagram 5] 5 is a top view of the universal supply cassette of FIG. 4 according to some examples.

[0014] [Figure 6] 5 is a perspective view of a cartridge and cartridge mechanism of the universal supply cassette of FIG. 4 according to some examples.

[0015] [Figure 7] 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the automated blister card packaging machine of FIG. 2, according to some examples.

[0016] [Figure 8] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the automated blister card packaging machine of FIG. 2, according to some examples.

[0017] [Figure 9A] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a packaging unit of the automatic blister card packaging machine of FIG. 2, according to some examples. [Figure 9B] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a packaging unit of the automatic blister card packaging machine of FIG. 2, according to some examples.

[0018] [Figure 10] 9A and 9B according to some examples.

[0019] [Figure 11] 11 is a perspective view of a packaging device of the packaging unit of FIGS. 9A to 10 according to some examples.

[0020] [Figure 12] 11 is a perspective view of a packaging plate of the packaging device of FIGS. 9A to 10 according to some examples.

[0021] [Figure 13] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a verification system for use with the automated blister card packaging machine of FIG. 2, according to some examples.

[0022] [Figure 14] 1 is a flowchart of a blister card validation method, according to some examples.

[0023] [Figure 15-1] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples. [Figure 15-2] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples.

[0024] [Figure 16A-1] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples. [Figure 16A-2] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples. [Figure 16B-1] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples. [Figure 16B-2] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples.

[0025] [Figure 17-1] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples. [Figure 17-2] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples.

[0026] [Figure 18-1] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples. [Figure 18-2] 14 illustrates a verification screen generated by the verification system of FIG. 13, according to some examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] Detailed Description Before describing any example, feature, aspect, or embodiment in detail, it is to be understood that the example, feature, aspect, or embodiment is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The example, feature, aspect, or embodiment can be practiced or carried out in various ways.

[0028] FIG. 1 shows an example of a blister card 100. The blister card 100 includes a blister sheet 110 having one or more blister compartments 120, for example, 28 to 32 blister compartments 120 depending on the configuration of the blister card 100. Each blister compartment 120 may receive (contain) one unit of medication or may contain multiple units of medication. Once the blister compartments 120 are filled, a label sheet 130 is applied to the back of the blister sheet 110 to seal the blister compartments 120. The label sheet 130 includes information about the blister card 100, including, for example, the name of the facility, the patient name, the medication name, the medication dosage, etc. The label sheet 130 includes a seal portion 140 that is aligned with each blister compartment 120, and a user can remove the packaged medication by tearing the seal portion 140.

[0029] In the example shown in FIG. 1, the blister card 100 is a standard 6 inch by 9 inch (approximately 15 cm by approximately 23 cm) card. In other examples, the blister card 100 may be other sizes. The blister card 100 may be used to load various amounts of pills for various time periods. For example, the blister card 100 may be used for a one week supply of pills (e.g., 7 pills), for up to a four week or month supply of pills (e.g., 28 to 31 pills), or more. In some examples, the blister card 100 is "pre-packed" with only one medication in some or all of the blister compartments 120. In other examples, the blister card 100 may contain two or more pills in the same blister compartment 120 or distributed among different blister compartments 120. In the illustrated example, the label sheet 130 is shown attached to the blister sheet 110, however, the label sheet 130 may be provided separately from the blister sheet 110. Whether the label sheet 130 is provided with the blister sheet 110 or provided separately from the blister sheet 110, the blister sheet 110 may be cold sealed or hot sealed after filling. In some examples, a barcode may be printed on the label sheet 130 to provide identification information. The barcode may be scanned to retrieve information about the blister card 100, such as those provided above. The barcode may be pre-printed before filling or printed after filling to uniquely identify the blister card 100. This barcode may later be used by a filling machine to identify the currently filled blister card 100.

[0030] 2 and 3 show an example of an automatic blister card packaging machine 200 that efficiently packages blister cards 100. In the example shown, the automatic blister card packaging machine 200 includes a universal supply cassette 205, a packaging unit 210, and a manifold 215 that connects the universal supply cassette 205 and the packaging unit 210. The universal supply cassette 205 and the packaging unit 210 are supported by a frame 220. The universal supply cassette 205 receives medication from a bulk canister and individually dispenses pills to the packaging unit 210. The automatic blister card packaging machine 200 includes a door 225 that provides selective access to the packaging unit 210.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the packaging unit 210 is movable toward and away from the automatic blister card packaging machine 200. This movement is along a first axis, generally in a front-to-back direction. The first axis may also be referred to as the Z-axis. However, in the illustrated example, the packaging unit 210 is also movable side-to-side within the automatic blister card packaging machine 200, as shown in Figures 12-14. This movement is along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. The second axis may also be referred to as the X-axis. Movement along the first axis is controlled by a first rail system 505 (shown in Figures 9A-10). Movement along the second axis is controlled by a second rail system 540 (shown in Figure 10). The packaging unit 210 moves back-to-back along the first axis and side-to-side along the second axis to position various openings under the manifold 215, as will be further described below.

[0032] One exemplary blister card packaging machine is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 916,011, filed Sep. 29, 2022, entitled “AUTOMATIC PACKAGER FOR MEDICATIONS,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0033] 4 and 5, the universal supply cassette 205 includes a housing 230 having a plurality of cartridge slots 235 therein. A dispensing opening 240 is provided at the bottom of the housing 230. The dispensing opening 240 communicates with the manifold 215 of the automatic blister card packaging machine 200. In the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the universal supply cassette 205 includes up to 16 cartridge slots 235. In some examples, the cartridge slots 235 are arranged in a dual configuration (e.g., two vertically stacked rows) within the housing 230 such that a second row of cartridge slots 235 is provided above a first row of cartridge slots 235 to facilitate faster filling of the blister cards 100.

[0034] 5 shows a side view of a dual configuration of cartridge slots 235. In some examples, the universal supply cassette 205 may include only a single row of cartridge slots 235 or may include three or more rows of cartridge slots 235. The cartridge slots 235 are configured to receive cartridges 245. A plurality of cartridge mechanisms 250 are secured to the housing 230, one for each cartridge slot 235. When the cartridges 245 are received in the cartridge slots 235, they are connected to the cartridge mechanisms 250. The cartridge mechanisms 250 individually dispense medication from the cartridges 245 as described below. A dispensing opening 240 transfers the medication from the cartridges 245 to the packaging unit 210 for packaging.

[0035] 6, the cartridge 245 stores the medication during the dispensing process and includes a wheel 255 that transports the medication to the cartridge mechanism 250. The cartridge mechanism 250 includes a shuttle system 300, a camera system 305, and a motor assembly 310. The wheel 255 of the cartridge 245 is driven by the motor assembly 310. When the wheel 255 is driven, the wheel 255 singulates the medication stored in the cartridge 245 and delivers the singulated medication to the shuttle system 300. The shuttle system 300 includes a platform 315, a shuttle 320, and a shuttle driver 325. The platform 315 may be made of a transparent or translucent plastic material. An LED lighting system may be provided above and / or below the platform 315 to illuminate the contents when the camera system 305 of the cartridge mechanism 250 is capturing an image of the contents on the platform 315. The LED lighting system can emit visible or infrared light to illuminate the platform 315 .

[0036] The shuttle 320 can move laterally between the platform 315, over the drug reservoir of the cartridge 245, and over the conduit 330. The shuttle 320 transfers the drug from the platform 315 back to the cartridge 245 or to the conduit 330. The shuttle 320 is driven by a shuttle drive 325. The shuttle drive 325 can be a motor assembly, an actuator, or the like.

[0037] The camera system 305 includes a camera 335 and a mirror 340. The camera 335 is positioned on the rear of the cartridge mechanism 250. The camera 335 can be a still camera or a video camera that captures images of the contents of the platform. The mirror 340 is positioned directly above the platform 315 and tilted at 45 degrees so that the camera 335, positioned on the rear of the cartridge mechanism 250, can capture images of the platform 315. In other examples, the camera 335 may be positioned directly above the platform or in other configurations with or without the use of the mirror 340.

[0038] One exemplary cartridge 245 and cartridge mechanism 250 is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16 / 160,535, filed Oct. 15, 2018, entitled “UNIVERSAL FEED MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC PACKAGER,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0039] FIG. 7 illustrates one example of a manifold 215 for use with the automated blister card packaging machine 200. The manifold 215 serves to direct medications (e.g., pills, vitamins, etc.) from the universal supply cassette 205 to the packaging units 210. In the illustrated example, the manifold 215 includes eight separate tracks or channels 270. The number of channels 270 corresponds to the number of cartridge slots 235 (and thus cartridges) in each row of the universal supply cassette 205. Thus, in some examples, the manifold 215 may include fewer or more channels 270. Each channel 270 has a separate outlet that corresponds to one of the openings 575 (shown in FIG. 11 ) in the packaging units 210. As the medication is delivered from the universal supply cassette 205, the medication travels through the channels 270 of the manifold 215, through an outlet, and into one of the openings 575 in the packaging units 210.

[0040] Using the manifold 215, the cartridges 245 can simultaneously (or relatively simultaneously) release pills to fill a row (or column) of the blister compartments 120, and the packaging unit 210 can index along a first axis (i.e., the Z-axis) (or along a second axis (i.e., the X-axis)) to the next row (or next column) of the blister compartments 120, and the process can be repeated until all rows (or columns) of the blister compartments 120 are filled. In some examples, the cartridges 245 can release a single pill into each of the blister compartments 120. In other examples, the cartridges 245 can release multiple pills (e.g., two to eight pills, depending on the size of the blister compartments 120) into each of the blister compartments 120.

[0041] 8 shows another example of a manifold 215A for use with the automated blister card packaging machine 200. In the illustrated example, the manifold 215A includes two shared tracks or channels 270A that dispense medications to the packaging units 210 through a shared outlet. For example, four cartridge slots 235 (and thus cartridges 245) in one row of the universal supply cassette 205 share one half of the manifold 215A (i.e., the first channel 270A) to dispense medications through a first outlet, while four other cartridge slots 235 (and thus cartridges 245) in the same row of the universal supply cassette 205 share the other half of the manifold 215A (i.e., the second channel 270A) to dispense medications through a second outlet. In other examples, the manifold 215A may include a single shared track or channel that dispenses medications through a single outlet. Thus, the illustrated example of manifold 215 can direct pharmaceutical products to only two openings 575 (shown in FIG. 12) of packaging unit 210 at a time. However, packaging unit 210 can move left or right to align different openings 575 in a row of openings 575 with the shared outlet of manifold 215A.

[0042] Using the manifold 215A, only two of the cartridges 245 (e.g., one of the cartridges 245 associated with each shared channel 270A) can release pills. The pills are then delivered by the shared outlet into an associated one of the blister compartments 120 of the blister card 100. After filling an associated one of the blister compartments 120 of a row, the packaging unit 210 can then move along a second axis (i.e., the X-axis) to fill additional blister compartments 120 of the row. Once a row of blister compartments 120 is completely filled, the packaging unit 210 can index along the first axis (i.e., the Z-axis) to the next row of blister compartments 120 and the process can be repeated. Such a process may be used to deliver a single pill to each blister compartment 120 of the blister card 100. Alternatively, multiple pills may be delivered to each blister compartment 120 of the blister card 100. For example, two or more cartridges 245 associated with each shared channel 270A may simultaneously (or relatively simultaneously) release pills into the shared channel 270A to deliver multiple pills to a single blister compartment 120. Alternatively, each cartridge 245 may release more than one pill into the shared channel 270A. In some examples, the packaging unit 210 may not completely fill a row of blister compartments 120 before moving on to the next row. Instead, the packaging unit 210 may "zig-zag" along a first axis and a second axis to fill the blister compartments 120.

[0043] 5, cameras 275 are mounted at or near the junction of the conduit and manifold 215. Each camera 275 is associated with one of the cartridges 245 supported in the universal supply cassette 205. The cameras 275 are operable to capture images and determine whether the proper number and / or type of medications are being dispensed from the cartridges 245. The cameras 275 capture images of the medications exiting the universal supply cassette 205 and compare characteristics of the medications (e.g., color, outline, size, shape, printing, etc.) to stored images of known medications. In some examples, recognition software may be employed to automatically compare the images captured by the cameras to the stored images. In other examples, the captured images may be transmitted to a remotely located pharmacist or technician who analyzes the images and verifies that the correct number and type of medications have been dispensed. In a further example, the cameras 275 may be infrared sensors that do not identify a particular type of medication, but only detect whether an object (e.g., a pill) falls through the universal supply cassette 205.

[0044] 9A and 9B, the packaging unit 210 includes a first rail system 505 and a packaging device 510. The first rail system 505 includes a first rail 515 and a first rail drive 520, and moves the packaging device 510 along the Z-axis of the automatic blister card packaging machine 200 (see also FIG. 10). In the illustrated example, the first rail 515 includes a fixed rail 525, a first movable rail 530, and a second movable rail 535. The fixed rail 525 is stationary and starts at the rear of the packaging unit 210, and extends, for example, up to one-third of the length of the packaging unit 210. The first movable rail 530 slides along the fixed rail 535, and extends the first rail 515 up to two-thirds of the length of the packaging unit 210. The second movable rail 535 slides along the first movable rail 530, extending the first rail 515 the full length of the packaging unit 210. The packaging device 510 is attached to the second movable rail 535 for movement therewith. The first rail 515 allows the packaging device 510 to telescope along the length of the packaging unit 210. The first rail drive 520 may be a motor assembly, actuator, or the like that drives the packaging device 510 using the first rail 515.

[0045] With reference to FIG. 9A, when the packaging device 510 is in the first position, it is within the automatic blister card packaging machine 200 and is inaccessible to the pharmacist and / or technician. A first rail drive 520 moves the packaging device 510 under the manifold 215 in the automatic blister card packaging machine 200 for filling the blister cards 100 placed in the packaging device 510. With reference to FIG. 9B, when the packaging device 510 is in the second position, it may still be within the automatic blister card packaging machine 200. However, at least a portion of the packaging device 510 is accessible to a user to withdraw the packaging device. When in the second position, the user may pull the packaging device 510 towards the user.

[0046] 10, the packaging unit 210 also includes a second rail system 540. The second rail system 540 includes a second rail 545 and a second rail drive 550 to move the packaging equipment 510 and the first rail system 505 along the X-axis of the automatic blister card packaging machine 200. The second rail 545 and the second rail drive 550 operate similarly to the first rail 515 and the first rail drive 520 to move the packaging equipment 510 and the first rail system 505 along the X-axis. Alternatively, in some examples, the second rail drive 540 moves the packaging equipment 510 and the first rail system 505 drives the packaging equipment 510 and the second rail system 540. In still other examples, different drive configurations may be used to move the packaging equipment in and out of the automatic blister card packaging machine 200.

[0047] 11 and 12, the packaging device 510 includes a packaging plate 555 and a packaging lid 560. The packaging plate 555 includes a blister opening 565 provided in a blister card storage portion 570. The blister opening 565 receives the blister compartment 120 of the blister sheet 110. In the illustrated example, the blister opening 565 is a through hole extending through the packaging plate 555. The packaging lid 560 is hinged to the packaging plate 555. The packaging lid 560 includes a top side and a bottom side opposite the top side. A medicament storage opening 575 extends from the top side to the bottom side of the packaging lid 560.

[0048] 13 is a block diagram of an exemplary verification system 400 of the automated blister card packaging machine 200. In the illustrated example, the verification system 400 includes an electronic processor 410, a memory 420, a transceiver 430, an input / output interface 440, a first verification camera system 450, a second verification camera system 460, an additional camera 470, a first rail drive 520, and a second rail drive 550. The electronic processor 410, the memory 420, the transceiver 430, the input / output interface 440, the first verification camera system 450, the second verification camera system 460, the additional camera 470, the first rail drive 520, and the second rail drive 550 communicate via one or more control buses and / or data buses (e.g., a communication bus 480). In some examples, the verification system 400 is part of the automatic blister card packaging machine 200 and resides within the frame 220. In other examples, the verification system 400 may be a separate device that is communicatively coupled to the automatic blister card packaging machine 200. In these examples, the components of the verification system may be distributed between the frame 220 and the separate device. The verification system 400 may be used with other blister card packaging machines and may include more or fewer components than those shown in FIG. 13 depending on the blister card packaging machine. In some examples, the verification system 400 may be used independently of or interoperably with the automatic blister card packaging machine 200 or other blister card packaging machines.

[0049] In some examples, the electronic processor 410 is implemented as a microprocessor with a separate memory, such as the memory 420. In other examples, the electronic processor 410 may be implemented as a microcontroller (with the memory 420 on the same chip). In other examples, the electronic processor 410 may be implemented using multiple processors. Additionally, the electronic processor 410 may be implemented partially or completely as, for example, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc., and the memory 420 may be unnecessary or modified accordingly. In the illustrated example, the memory 420 includes a non-transitory computer-readable memory that stores instructions that the electronic processor 410 receives and executes to perform the functions of the verification system described herein. The memory 420 may comprise, for example, a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area and the data storage area may include a combination of various types of memory, such as read-only memory and random access memory.

[0050] The transceiver 430 enables wired or wireless communication between the verification system 400 and other devices over one or more communications networks. In other examples, the transceiver 430 may comprise separate transmitting and receiving components, e.g., a transmitter and a receiver.

[0051] The input / output interface 440 may comprise one or more input mechanisms (e.g., a touch screen, a keypad, buttons, knobs, etc.), one or more output mechanisms (e.g., a display, a printer, a speaker, etc.), or a combination thereof. The input / output interface 440 receives input from input devices actuated by a user and provides output to output devices with which the user interacts. In one example, the input / output interface 440 comprises a display 490 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) configured to display images captured and processed by the verification system 400.

[0052] The first verification camera system 450 and the second verification camera system 460 are configured to capture images of the blister card 100 during and / or after filling of the blister card 100. The first verification camera system 450 and the second verification camera system 460 are configured to capture images from both sides of the blister card 100 and the blister compartment 120. For example, the first verification camera system 450 comprises one or more first verification cameras 610 (see Figures 7 and 8) configured to capture images of the contents of the blister compartment 120 from an open end of the blister compartment 120 (e.g., from above the blister compartment 120). The second verification camera system 460 comprises one or more second verification cameras 620 (see Figures 7 and 8) configured to capture images of the contents of the blister compartment 120 from a closed end of the blister compartment 120 (e.g., from below the blister compartment 120). To capture images of the blister compartment 120, a first verification camera system 450 and a second verification camera system 460 may be positioned adjacent to the packaging unit 210 within the automated blister card packaging machine 200, as described further below. In some examples, the first verification camera system 450 and the second verification camera system 460 may be referred to together as camera systems 450, 460.

[0053] 7, the first verification camera system 450 may be located near the manifold 215. The first verification camera system 450 may include a plurality of first verification cameras 610 located near the junction of the manifold 215 and the packaging unit 210. The plurality of first verification cameras 610 may include one first verification camera 610 for each track of the manifold 215. The first verification camera 610 for each track may be located directly above the junction of the manifold 215 and the packaging unit 210. The first verification camera 610 for each track is configured to capture an image of the blister compartment 120 corresponding to the track from above the blister compartment 120. The first verification camera 610 may capture an image before and / or after one or more pills are released into the blister compartment 120. In some examples, the first verification camera system 450 and the corresponding plurality of first verification cameras 610 may be located elsewhere. In one example, the track of the manifold 215 may curve back towards the bottom end of the manifold 215 to direct the medication into the blister compartment 120. The first verification camera system 450 may be provided behind the manifold 215 just above the curved portion so that a number of first verification cameras 610 have a view of the blister compartment through the curved portion of the track. In some examples, the first verification camera system 450 may include more or fewer first verification cameras 610 than the number of tracks in the manifold 215. In these examples, the first verification cameras 610 or packaging unit 210 may be moved to capture an image from above the blister compartment 120.

[0054] 8, the first verification camera system 450 may be located near the manifold 215A. In this example, the first verification camera system 450 may include two first verification cameras 610, one for each track 270A of the manifold 215A. Alternatively, the first verification system 450 may include a single verification camera with visibility to both tracks 270A. The track 270A includes a curved portion near the bottom end of the manifold 215A. The track 270A curves inwardly from the manifold 215A. The first verification camera 610 is located near the junction of the manifold 215A and the packaging unit 210 and directly above the curved portion of the track 270A such that the first verification camera 610 has a view of the blister compartments 120 through the curved portion of the track 270A. The first verification camera 610 is configured to capture an image of the blister compartment 120 corresponding to the trajectory 270A from above the blister compartment 120. The first verification camera 610 may capture images before and / or after one or more pills are released into the blister compartment 120. In some examples, the first verification camera system 450 and corresponding multiple first verification cameras 610 may be located elsewhere.

[0055] 10, the second verification camera system 460 may be located below the packaging unit 210 in the automated blister card packaging machine 200. The second verification camera system 460 may comprise one or more second verification cameras 620 configured to capture images of the blister compartment 120 from below the packaging equipment 510. Thus, the first verification camera system 450 and the second verification camera system 460 are configured to capture images of the blister compartment 120 from the top and bottom of the blister card 100 during and / or after filling of the blister card 100. In some examples, the second verification camera system 460 and the corresponding one or more second verification cameras 620 may be located elsewhere, for example on opposite sides of the packaging equipment 510.

[0056] In some examples, the first verification camera system 450 and the second verification camera system 460 may also incorporate lights (e.g., flashlights) that illuminate the blister compartments 120 when taking images. These lights may be activated when the cameras 610, 620 capture images of the blister compartments 120. In some examples, the first verification camera system 450 is configured to capture images of the individual blister compartments 120 from above during filling, while the second verification camera system 460 is configured to capture images of the entire filled blister card 100 from below after filling. In other examples, both the first verification camera system 450 and the second verification camera system 460 are configured to capture images of the individual blister compartments 120 from above and below, respectively, during filling. In yet other examples, both the first verification camera system 450 and the second verification camera system 460 are configured to capture images of the entire blister card 100 from above and below. In yet another example, both the first verification camera system 450 and the second camera verification system 460 are configured to capture images of a portion (e.g., a row or column) of the blister card 100 from above and below. Additional cameras 470 include camera 275 and camera system 305.

[0057] FIG. 14 is a flow chart illustrating one exemplary verification method 1400 of the blister card 100. The method 1400 is performed using the verification system 400 and can be used to verify the filling of the blister card 100 using the automatic blister card packing machine 200, another blister card packing machine, or during manual filling. The method 1400 includes (at block 1410) capturing successive images of blisters of the blister card 100 using the camera systems 450, 460. The successive images may be captured during filling of the blister card. For example, the successive images may show the blisters after successive layers of medication have fallen into the blisters. In one example, capturing the successive images includes capturing a plurality of images from above the blister compartment 120 using the first verification camera system 450. In some examples, the electronic processor 410 controls the first verification camera system 450 to capture one or more images for each blister compartment 120 in the blister card 100. In some examples, the consecutive multiple images of blister compartment 120 are a collection of one or more images captured for each blister compartment 120 .

[0058] In some examples, one or more images are captured after each medication falls into the blister compartment 120. For example, when the blister compartment 120 is formulated to hold three pills, three images of the blister compartment 120 are captured, one after each pill falls. In some examples, one or more images are captured after each pill falls into the blister compartment 120. The electronic processor 410 may divide the pills falling into the blister compartment 120 into multiple falls, each fall including one pill or more than one pill depending on, for example, the placement of the cartridge 245, the traffic through the manifold 215, etc. For example, the first fall may include one pill and the second fall may include three pills. The electronic processor 410 captures a first image of the one or more images after the first fall and a second image of the one or more images after the second fall. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the first image captured after the first drop is captured before the second drop occurs, and so on.

[0059] In some embodiments, the electronic processor 410 may be configured to capture one or more images after each drug layer is dropped. For example, the electronic processor 410 captures a first image after a first layer is dropped or added to the blister and a second image after a second layer is dropped or added to the blister. In some examples, the electronic processor 410 may determine that a drug layer is added to the blister compartment 120 based on the number of pills added to the blister compartment 120, the size of the one or more pills added to the blister compartment 120, the dimensions (e.g., length and width) of the blister compartment 120, combinations thereof, and the like. For example, a drug layer may be added to the blister compartment when four small pills are added to the blister compartment 120 or when two large pills are added to the blister compartment 120. In some examples, after the first medication layer is added to the blister compartment 120, a first image may be captured from above the blister compartment 120 using a first verification camera system 450, and a second image may be captured from below the blister compartment 120 using a second verification camera system 460.

[0060] In some embodiments, a user may select how often images of the blister compartment 120 are captured by selecting the number of pills or volume of pills that may fall into the blister compartment 120 without an image being captured. For example, a user may make a selection indicating that an image should be captured every time three pills are dropped into the blister compartment 120. In this example, an image of the blister compartment 120 is captured after three drops of one pill each, an image of the blister compartment 120 is captured after one drop of three pills, an image of the blister compartment 120 is captured after the first drop of one pill and the second drop of two pills, an image of the blister compartment 120 is captured after the first drop of two pills and the second drop of one pill. In some examples, an image of the blister compartment 120 may be captured after the final drop onto the blister compartment 120, even if less than the selected number of pills have fallen into, or been added to, the blister compartment 120 since the last image was captured. For example, if a user selects three as the number of pills that may be dropped into a blister compartment without an image being captured, and only a single pill has been dropped into blister compartment 120 since the last image was captured, but blister compartment 120 contains the prescribed number of pills (blister compartment 120 is completely filled), an image of blister compartment 120 will be captured.

[0061] In some examples, each blister compartment 120 in a row of a blister card 100 may be filled at the same time (or relatively simultaneously). In these examples, the electronic processor 410 may control the first verification camera system 450 to capture one or more images for each row of blister compartments 120 rather than for each blister compartment 120, and the consecutive multiple images of the blister compartments 120 may be a collection of one or more images captured for each row of blister compartments 120 in the blister card 100. In some examples, the electronic processor 410 may split the image of the row of blister compartments 120 into multiple images of individual blister compartments 120.

[0062] In other examples, each blister compartment 120 in a row of blister card 100 may be filled at the same time (or relatively simultaneously). In these examples, electronic processor 410 may control first verification camera system 450 to capture one or more images for each row of blister compartments 120 rather than for each blister compartment 120, and the consecutive multiple images of blister compartments 120 may be a collection of one or more images captured for each row of blister compartments 120 in blister card 100. In some examples, electronic processor 410 may split the image of the row of blister compartments 120 into multiple images of individual blister compartments 120.

[0063] In some examples, the electronic processor 410 captures an image of the entire blister card 100 after filling, e.g., after all the desired pills or prescribed medications have fallen into their respective blister compartments 120, but before sealing the blister card 100. The image of the filled blister card 100 may be the final image of a series of images captured. In one example, the image of the blister card 100 may be captured from below the blister card 100 (e.g., from below the blister compartments 120) using the second verification camera system 460. In some examples, each image of the series of images may be captured from the same orientation and displayed as shown in Figures 15 (Figures 15-1, 15-2) through 18.

[0064] In some examples, rather than capturing an image of the entire blister card 100 after filling, an image of the filled blister card 100 may be created by the electronic processor 410 by combining images captured during filling of the blister card 100 using known image processing techniques. For example, if the blister card 100 includes multiple blister compartments 120, an image of the filled blister card 100 may be utilized in creating an image of the filled blister card 100 for each blister compartment 120 of the blister card 100.

[0065] The method 1400 includes displaying (at block 1420) a verification image of at least a portion of the blister card on a user interface. In some examples, the verification image is an image of the entire filled blister card 100 or a portion of the filled blister card 100. In one example, the display 490 is used to verify the filled blister card 100. In other examples, a separate display, for example, of the automated blister card packaging machine 200 or a separate device communicatively connected to the verification system 400, is used to verify the filled blister card 100. The electronic processor 410 generates a verification screen to display to a user to verify the filled blister card 100. The verification image of the blister card 100 is displayed on the verification screen.

[0066] 15 shows one exemplary validation screen 1500 generated by electronic processor 410 for validating a filled blister card 100. In the illustrated example, validation screen 1500 includes an image pane 1510, a job pane 1520, a reference pane 1530, and a navigation pane 1540. Image pane 1510 includes an image 1550 of a blister card 100 and a label 1560 associated with image 1550 of blister card 100. Label 1560 includes, for example, the number of days and administration time to which a blister compartment 120 of blister card 100 corresponds. Labels 1560 are positioned on image pane 1510 such that each of labels 1560 corresponds to a row or column of blister card 100 in image 1550 of blister card 100. Label 1560 may be selected to select a row or column of blister compartment 120 of blister card 100.

[0067] The job pane 1520 displays information about the prescription. For example, the job pane 1520 may display the patient's name, the facility's name, the number of blister cards 100, the time of packaging, etc. The reference pane 1530 displays information and / or images about the pills or medications packaged in the blister card 100 within the image 1550 of the blister card 100. For example, the reference pane 1530 may display a reference image of the pill or medication, an NDC code, characteristics (e.g., shape, color, size, imprint, etc.), etc. Although not shown in FIGS. 15-18 , the reference pane 1530 may also display a SIG code associated with the pill or medication. The SIG code may inform the user (e.g., pharmacist) when and how often the pill or medication should be taken (e.g., once a day, twice a day, at night, etc.). The reference information about the pills may be retrieved from the National Drug Code (NDC) database or other publicly available or informally created drug databases. The navigation pane 1540 displays navigation buttons 1570 for navigating among the filled blister cards 100. In the illustrated example, the navigation buttons 1570 include an approve card button for approving the filled blister card 100, a past card button for viewing previously displayed blister cards 100, and a reprocess card button for providing instructions to repackage the blister card 100.

[0068] 14, the method 1400 includes receiving a selection of a blister via a user interface following displaying (at block 1430) the verification image. In some examples, the selection of a blister may include selection of multiple blisters (e.g., one or more blister compartments 120 of the blister card 100). In some cases, the image of the blister compartment 120 may not make all pills in the blister compartment 120 visible to the user. In these cases, the user may want to verify the filling of the blister compartment 120 using additional images. The user may select one or more blister compartments 120 in the image pane 1510 (see FIG. 15). In one example, the user may select (e.g., click or hover over) one of the labels 1560 of the image pane 1510 to select a row or column of the blister compartment 120. In another example, a user may select (e.g., click or mouse hover) a portion of image 1550 of blister card 100 (e.g., over blister compartment 120) that corresponds to a desired blister compartment 120. In this example, electronic processor 410 performs known image processing techniques to section image 1550 of blister card 100 according to the number of blister compartments 120 present in image 1550. Electronic processor 410 assigns each section of image 1550 to a blister compartment 120 shown in that section of image 1550, and when that section of image 1550 is selected, electronic processor 410 interprets the action as a selection of a blister compartment 120 shown in that section of image 1550.

[0069] In some implementations, when a user places a cursor over a particular blister compartment 120, a pop-up window may be displayed that includes which pills are expected in that blister compartment 120. For example, electronic processor 410 may detect a hover action over a blister. A hover action may include, for example, determining that the cursor is over a portion of the screen for a particular amount of time, that the cursor is moving over a portion of the screen, etc. Electronic processor 410 may then detect a blister associated with that portion of the screen. Electronic processor 410 generates a pop-up window that includes a list of the expected pills expected in the blister. The pop-up window may be a temporary window that may only be displayed when the cursor is over the blister and may disappear when the cursor moves away from the blister. The pop-up window may include a pop-up box that is generated over the current window displaying the blister, rather than a separate window. That is, the pop-up box may be displayed in or over the image pane 1510.

[0070] Method 1400 includes, in response to receiving the selection (at block 1440), displaying the successive plurality of images via a user interface. The successive plurality of images may, for example, include one or more images captured of the blisters at block 1410. In some examples, if the blister card 100 includes a greater number of blister compartments 120 than the number of selected blister compartments 120, a subset of the plurality of images corresponding to the selected one or more blister compartments 120 is displayed via the user interface. The successive plurality of images (or a subset thereof) may be displayed in a variety of ways to indicate the selected blister, as further described below.

[0071] In the example of FIG. 16A (FIGS. 16A-1, 16A-2) and FIG. 16B (FIGS. 16B-1, 16B-2), a subset of the consecutive images 1610 corresponding to one or more selected blister compartments 120 is displayed in the image pane 1510 of the validation screen 1500. In this example, the image 1550 of the blister card 100 is cropped to show only the selected one or more blister compartments 120. The subset of the consecutive images 1610 corresponding to the selected one or more blister compartments 120 is displayed adjacent to a cropped image 1620 of the selected one or more blister compartments 120. In one example, the subset of the consecutive images 1610 is displayed above (see FIG. 16A) or below (see FIG. 16B) the cropped image 1620. In some examples, the subset of the consecutive images is displayed to the left or right of the cropped image 1620. The subset of consecutive images 1610 corresponding to first blister compartment 120 and the portion of cropped image 1620 corresponding to first blister compartment 120 may be arranged such that first blister compartment 120 appears in the same row or column of a composite display of the subset of consecutive images 1610 and cropped image 1620. In some examples, consecutive images 1610 or cropped image 1620 may be flipped (i.e., mirrored) vertically and / or horizontally such that pills in both the consecutive images 1610 and the cropped image 1620 are aligned with each other, e.g., with the same orientation.

[0072] In the example of FIG. 17 (FIGS. 17-1, 17-2), a subset of the consecutive images 1610 may be displayed in a second image pane 1630 (e.g., in the same window). The electronic processor 410 modifies the verification screen to add the second image pane 1630 adjacent to the image pane 1510 (e.g., the first image pane) (e.g., above, below, to the left, or to the right of the image pane 1510). Although the subset of the consecutive images 1610 is displayed in a separate pane, the subset of the consecutive images 1610 may be arranged in a similar manner as described with respect to FIGs. 16A and 16B. In the example of FIG. 18 (FIGS. 18-1, 18-2), a subset of the consecutive images 1610 may be displayed in a separate window. This separate window may be a new window or a pop-up window.

[0073] Accordingly, the present disclosure provides, among other things, a validation system for an automated blister card packaging machine.

Claims

1. 1. A validation system for a blister card packaging system, comprising: an electronic processor, the electronic processor comprising: Capturing a plurality of successive images of blisters of a blister card; displaying a verification image of at least a portion of the blister card; receiving a selection of the blister following displaying the verification image; displaying the sequential plurality of images in response to receiving the selection; and configured to: Verification system.

2. The successive plurality of images show the blister after successive layers of medication have fallen into the blister, and the electronic processor further comprises: receiving a selection of a volume of drug corresponding to each of said successive layers; The verification system of claim 1 , configured to:

3. 2. The verification system of claim 1, wherein a final image of the sequential plurality of images is captured after the blister is filled with a prescribed number of medications and before the blister card is sealed, and the verification image is the final image of the sequential plurality of images.

4. The electronic processor further comprises: Generate a validation screen that includes an image pane, a job pane, a reference pane, and a navigation pane; It is configured as follows: within the image pane, the verification image is displayed with a plurality of labels, each label of the plurality of labels corresponding to a row or column of the blister card in the verification image; displaying, for each medication included in the blister card, in the reference pane, one or more reference images, an NDC code, one or more characteristics, and a SIG code that informs a user of the time when the medication should be taken, how often the medication should be taken, or both; within the navigation pane, one or more navigation buttons are displayed, including at least one selected from the group consisting of an approve card button for approving the blister card, a past card button for viewing previously displayed blister cards, and a reprocess card button for providing instructions to repackage the blister card. The verification system of claim 3 .

5. The electronic processor includes: receiving a selection of one of the group consisting of a label from the plurality of labels corresponding to the blister and a portion of the verification image corresponding to the blister; The validation system of claim 4 , configured to receive the selection of the blister by:

6. The electronic processor includes: displaying the consecutive images adjacent to a cropped image of the blister card including only the blister such that a portion of the cropped image corresponding to the blister appears in the same row or column as the consecutive images corresponding to the blister.

2. The verification system of claim 1, configured to display the successive plurality of images in response to receiving the selection by:

7. The electronic processor further comprises: Detecting a hover action over the blister in the displayed image for verification; generating a pop-up window containing a list of medications likely to be in the blister; The verification system of claim 1 configured to:

8. 1. A method for validating a blister card, comprising: Capturing a plurality of successive images of blisters of a blister card; displaying a verification image of at least a portion of the blister card; receiving a selection of the blister following displaying the verification image; displaying the sequential plurality of images in response to receiving the selection; and A method comprising:

9. The successive images show the blister after successive layers of medication have fallen into the blister, the method further comprising: receiving a selection of a volume of drug corresponding to each of said successive layers; The method of claim 8 , comprising:

10. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein a final image of the sequential plurality of images is captured after the blister is filled with a prescribed number of medications and before the blister card is sealed, and the verification image is the final image of the sequential plurality of images.

11. The method further comprises: generating a validation screen including an image pane, a job pane, a reference pane, and a navigation pane; Including, within the image pane, the verification image is displayed with a plurality of labels, each label of the plurality of labels corresponding to a row or column of the blister card in the verification image; displaying, for each medication included in the blister card, in the reference pane, one or more reference images, an NDC code, one or more characteristics, and a SIG code that informs a user of the time when the medication should be taken, how often the medication should be taken, or both; within the navigation pane, one or more navigation buttons are displayed, including at least one selected from the group consisting of an approve card button for approving the blister card, a past card button for viewing previously displayed blister cards, and a reprocess card button for providing instructions to repackage the blister card. The method of claim 10.

12. Receiving the selection of the blister comprises: receiving a selection of one of the group consisting of a label from the plurality of labels corresponding to the blister and a portion of the verification image corresponding to the blister; The method of claim 11 , comprising:

13. Displaying the sequential plurality of images in response to receiving the selection includes: displaying the consecutive images adjacent to a cropped image of the blister card including only the blister such that a portion of the cropped image corresponding to the blister appears in the same row or column as the consecutive images corresponding to the blister; The method of claim 8 , comprising:

14. The method further comprises: Detecting a hover action over the blister in the displayed image for verification; generating a pop-up window containing a list of medications likely to be in the blister; The method of claim 8 , comprising:

15. 1. A blister card packaging system comprising: an electronic processor, the electronic processor comprising: Capturing a plurality of successive images of blisters of a blister card; displaying a verification image of at least a portion of the blister card; receiving a selection of the blister following displaying the verification image; displaying the sequential plurality of images in response to receiving the selection; and configured to: Blister card packaging system.

16. The successive plurality of images show the blister after successive layers of medication have fallen into the blister, and the electronic processor further comprises: receiving a selection of a volume of drug corresponding to each of said successive layers; 16. The blister card packaging system of claim 15, configured to:

17. 16. The blister card packaging system of claim 15, wherein a final image of the sequential plurality of images is captured after the blister is filled with a prescribed number of medications and before the blister card is sealed, and the verification image is the final image of the sequential plurality of images.

18. The electronic processor further comprises: Generate a validation screen that includes an image pane, a job pane, a reference pane, and a navigation pane; It is configured as follows: within the image pane, the verification image is displayed with a plurality of labels, each label of the plurality of labels corresponding to a row or column of the blister card in the verification image; displaying, for each medication included in the blister card, in the reference pane, one or more reference images, an NDC code, one or more characteristics, and a SIG code that informs a user of the time when the medication should be taken, how often the medication should be taken, or both; within the navigation pane, one or more navigation buttons are displayed, including at least one selected from the group consisting of an approve card button for approving the blister card, a past card button for viewing previously displayed blister cards, and a reprocess card button for providing instructions to repackage the blister card.

20. The blister card packaging system of claim 17.

19. The electronic processor includes: receiving a selection of one of the group consisting of a label from the plurality of labels corresponding to the blister and a portion of the verification image corresponding to the blister; 20. The blister card packaging system of claim 18, configured to receive the selection of the blister by:

20. The electronic processor includes: displaying the consecutive images adjacent to a cropped image of the blister card including only the blister such that a portion of the cropped image corresponding to the blister appears in the same row or column as the consecutive images corresponding to the blister.

16. The blister card packaging system of claim 15, configured to display the successive plurality of images in response to receiving the selection by:

Images