Blister Card

Abstract

One embodiment provides a blister card for packaging pharmaceutical products comprising a blister sheet having a plurality of blister compartments defining recesses for receiving a medicament. The blister card also comprises a label sheet configured to be placed over the blister sheet to cover the plurality of blister compartments. The label sheet comprises a plurality of seal portions aligned with and corresponding to each of the plurality of blister compartments. The blister card further comprises a plurality of seals having a first type seal and a second type seal configured to adhere the label sheet to the blister sheet.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 290,839, filed December 17, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Field The present disclosure relates to blister cards for pharmaceuticals. Summary of the Invention

[0003] overview One example provides a blister card for packaging pharmaceutical products comprising a blister sheet having a plurality of blister compartments defining a medicament receiving recess. The blister card also comprises a label sheet configured to be placed over the blister sheet to cover the plurality of blister compartments. The label sheet comprises a plurality of seal portions aligned with and corresponding to each of the plurality of blister compartments. The blister card further comprises a plurality of seals having a first type seal and a second type seal configured to adhere the label sheet to the blister sheet.

[0004] Another example provides a blister card for packaging pharmaceutical products comprising a blister sheet having a plurality of blister compartments defining recesses for receiving the medicament, the blister card also comprising a label sheet configured to be placed over the blister sheet, the blister card further comprising a plurality of cold seals and a plurality of hot seals disposed between the blister sheet and the label sheet and configured to adhere the label sheet to the blister sheet.

[0005] Another example provides a method of filling a blister card. The method includes providing a blister sheet comprising a plurality of blister compartments. Each blister compartment defines a recess configured to receive a medication. The method also includes filling at least one of the plurality of blister compartments with one or more medications and disposing a label sheet on the blister sheet to cover the plurality of blister compartments. The label sheet includes a plurality of seal portions aligned with and corresponding to each of the plurality of blister compartments. The method further includes activating a first type of seal between the blister sheet and the label sheet to temporarily connect the label sheet to the blister sheet and activating a second type of seal between the blister sheet and the label sheet to permanently secure the label sheet to the blister sheet.

[0006] Other examples, aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1A-1C illustrate blister cards according to some examples.

[0008] [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automated blister card packaging machine according to some examples.

[0009] [Diagram 3] 1 is a flow chart of a method of packaging medications in a blister card according to some examples.

[0010] [Figure 4] 1A-1C illustrate blister cards according to some examples.

[0011] [Diagram 5] 1A-1C illustrate blister cards according to some examples. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] 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.

[0013] 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. On the other hand, for corporate customers, such as nursing homes, palliative or hospice facilities, hospitals, etc., blister cards are widely used.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows an example of a blister card 10 having a blister sheet 14 and a label sheet 18. The label sheet 18 is bonded to the blister sheet 14. The blister sheet 14 includes a plurality of blister compartments 22. In some examples, the blister sheet 14 has 28-32 blister compartments 22. Each blister compartment 22 may be configured to contain one unit of medication or may contain multiple units of medication. The blister card 10 may be, for example, a standard 6 inch by 9 inch card. In other examples, the blister card 10 may be other sizes. The blister card 10 may be used to load various amounts of pills for various time periods. For example, the blister card 10 may be used for a week's supply of pills (e.g., 7 pills), up to a four week or month's supply of pills (e.g., 28-31 pills), or more. In some instances, the blister card 10 is a "pre-pack" having only one medication in some or all of the blister compartments 22. In other instances, the blister card 10 may contain two or more pills in the same blister compartment 22 or distributed among different blister compartments 22.

[0015] The blister compartments 22 may be formed by a molded plastic sheet 26. The blister compartments 22 are spaced apart from one another and arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The blister compartments 22 each define a recess in the blister sheet 14. The cross-sectional shape of the blister compartments 22 as viewed along a direction perpendicular to the blister sheet 14 may be square, circular, rectangular, or oval.

[0016] In the illustrated example, the blister sheet 14 further comprises a cover 30 over the plastic sheet 26. The cover 30 may be made of a cardboard or paper material. The cover 30 may include instructions for filling the blister sheet 14.

[0017] In some configurations, the label sheet 18 is made from cardboard or paper. In some configurations, the label sheet 18 is a foil. In the illustrated example, the label sheet 18 is shown attached to the blister sheet 14. Specifically, the label sheet 18 may be attached to the cover 30 of the blister sheet 14. However, the label sheet 18 may be provided separately from the blister sheet 14. Whether the label sheet 18 is provided with the blister sheet 14 or provided separately from the blister sheet 14, the label sheet 18 may seal the blister sheet 14 after filling. That is, the label sheet 18 may be overlaid on the blister sheet 14 to cover and seal the blister compartments 22. In some examples, a barcode may be printed on the label sheet 18 to provide identification information. The barcode may be scanned to retrieve information about the blister card 10. The barcode may be pre-printed before filling or printed after filling to uniquely identify the blister card 10. This barcode can later be used by the filling machine to identify that the correct blister card 10 is now being filled.

[0018] The label sheet 18 includes a plurality of seal portions 34 that are aligned with and correspond to each of the blister compartments 22. When the label sheet 18 is sealed to the blister sheet 14, the seal portions 34 close the recesses of the blister compartments 22 to form a plurality of interior spaces. The interior spaces are spaced apart from each other and from the exterior of the blister card 10. Each of the interior spaces is configured to contain a single unit of medication, or may contain multiple units of medication. A user can tear the seal portions 34 to access the packaged medication after the label sheet 18 is sealed to the blister sheet 14.

[0019] The blister card 10 further comprises a plurality of first seals 36 and a plurality of second seals 38 (e.g., a plurality of seals) that couple or seal the label sheet 18 to the blister sheet 14. The first seals 36 (e.g., a first seal subset) may also be referred to as cold seals (e.g., a first type of seal). The second seals 38 (e.g., a second seal subset) may also be referred to as hot seals (e.g., a second type of seal). The cold seals 36 and the hot seals 38 are disposed between the label sheet 18 and the blister sheet 14. In some configurations, the cold seals 36 and the hot seals 38 are provided on both the label sheet 18 and the blister sheet 14 before the blister sheet 14 and the label sheet 18 are bonded together (see FIG. 1). In some configurations, the cold seals 36 and the hot seals 38 are provided only on the label sheet 18 before the blister sheet 14 and the label sheet 18 are bonded together (see FIG. 4). In some configurations, the cold seal 36 and hot seal 38 are applied only to the blister sheet 14 before the blister sheet 14 and label sheet 18 are adhered together (see FIG. 5). When the blister sheet 14 and label sheet 18 are sealed together, the cold seal 36 and hot seal 38 abut both the blister sheet 14 and the label sheet 18.

[0020] The cold seals 36 may be disposed in rows along the periphery of the blister card 10 between the blister sheet 14 and the label sheet 18. The cold seals 36 may also be disposed around each one of the blister compartments 22. Thus, some of the cold seals 36 may be disposed between the blister compartments 22 and some of the cold seals 36 may be disposed around the rows and columns of the blister compartments 22.

[0021] The cold seal 36 temporarily adheres the label sheet 18 to the blister sheet 14 and does not require heat for activation. The cold seal 36 can be an adhesive (e.g., tape, glue, etc.) or a coating. The cold seal 36 is activated by applying pressure (e.g., a first activation technique) to the label sheet 18 in the area of ​​the cold seal 36 after the label sheet 18 is overlaid on the blister sheet 14. In some configurations, the cold seal 36 is a mechanical fastener (e.g., a puncture hole, paper clip, etc.) and may be activated in a manner other than the application of pressure (e.g., by fastening). The cold seal 36 may be a bent portion of the blister sheet 14 and / or label sheet 18 that interact with each other. The cold seal 36 temporarily prevents the label sheet 18 from peeling away from the blister sheet 14, thereby preventing repositioning of the medication in the interior space. In some instances, the cold seal 36 may also be referred to as a non-tamper resistant seal, which has a lower adhesive strength (i.e., a non-zero adhesive strength) than the hot seal 38. In these instances, when sealed using only a non-tamper resistant seal, the blister card 10 may be opened to replace medication before being resealed using a non-tamper resistant seal. The cold seal 36 may be used temporarily to prevent medication from popping out of the blister compartment 22 when the blister card 10 is transported between the filling station and the sealing station.

[0022] The hot seals 38 may be positioned in rows adjacent to the rows of cold seals 36. The hot seals 38 may be positioned in rows along the periphery of the blister card 10 between the blister sheet 14 and the label sheet 18, and may also be positioned around each of the blister compartments 22. Thus, some of the hot seals 38 may be positioned between the blister compartments 22, and some of the hot seals 38 may be positioned around the rows and columns of the blister compartments 22. In some examples, the hot seals 38 may be positioned next to or adjacent to the cold seals 36 (e.g., a series of hot seals 38 may be positioned next to a row of cold seals 36). In other examples, the hot seals 38 and the cold seals 36 may be positioned in different areas of the blister card 10. For example, the cold seals 36 may be positioned around the periphery of the blister sheet 14 and / or the label sheet 18, while the hot seals 38 may be positioned around each individual blister compartment 22. Alternatively, the cold seal 36 may be positioned between the rows of blister compartments 22, while the hot seal 38 may be positioned between the columns of blister compartments 22. In other examples, the locations of the cold seal 36 and hot seal 38 may be reversed. In yet other examples, the hot seal 38 and the cold seal 36 may at least partially overlap. The cold seal 36 may be considered a temporary seal to initially affix the label sheet 18 to the blister sheet 14, while the hot seal 38 may be considered a permanent seal to secure the label sheet 18 to the blister sheet 14.

[0023] Before the hot seal 38 is activated, the cold seal 36 has a higher adhesive strength than the hot seal 38. In some configurations, before the hot seal 38 is activated, the hot seal 38 has no adhesive strength. After the hot seal 38 is activated, the hot seal 38 has a higher adhesive strength than the cold seal 36. The hot seal 38 provides a stronger adhesive bond between the label sheet 18 and the blister sheet 14 and is activated by heat (e.g., a second activation technique). In some examples, the hot seal 38 may be activated using a different technique (e.g., activation by applying water or other liquid). In other words, the hot seal 38 does not adhere the label sheet 18 to the blister sheet 14 unless heat is applied to the hot seal 38. The hot seal 38 can be an adhesive (e.g., tape, glue, etc.) or a coating. The hot seal 38 provides a stronger adhesive bond than the cold seal 36 that strongly resists peeling the label sheet 18 from the blister sheet 14. Thus, the hot seal 38 prevents the medication in the interior space from being repositioned. In some instances, the hot seal 38 may also be referred to as a tamper-resistant seal, which has a stronger adhesive strength than the cold seal 36. In these instances, when sealed using a tamper-resistant seal, opening the blister card 10 to replace the medication will inevitably damage the blister sheet 14, label sheet 18, and / or other components of the blister card 10. The hot seal 38 may be used to seal the blister card 10 to provide tamper resistance against theft for storage and presentation to the end customer.

[0024] In some instances, the hot seal 38 and the cold seal 36 may be the same seal as one another in the form of a hot-cold seal 36. The hot-cold seal 36 may have a low adhesive strength before it is heated and a high adhesive strength after it is activated. A low adhesive strength is relatively lower than a high adhesive strength. Before the hot-cold seal 36 is heated, the hot-cold seal 36 acts as a cold seal, temporarily preventing the label sheet 18 from peeling away from the blister sheet 14. After the hot-cold seal 36 is heated, the hot-cold seal 36 acts as a hot seal, providing a stronger bond between the label sheet 18 and the blister sheet 14.

[0025] The blister compartments 22 of the blister sheet 14 can be filled with at least one unit of medication by a user or by an automated packaging machine 40. Figure 2 shows the automated packaging machine 40, which comprises a supply cassette 44, a packaging unit 48, and a chute 50 configured to move the medication from the cassette 44 to the packaging unit 48. The universal supply cassette 44 receives the medication from a bulk canister and dispenses pills individually into the blister compartments 22 via the chute 50 once the blister card 10 is placed in the packaging unit 48.

[0026] 3 illustrates one exemplary method 54 of packaging medications into blister cards 10. In the illustrated example, method 54 includes preparing (at block 58) blister card 10 including blister sheet 14, label sheet 18, hot seal 38, and cold seal 36. In some configurations, preparing may include preparing blister sheet 14 with hot seal 38 and cold seal 36 already applied to blister sheet 14. In some configurations, preparing may include preparing label sheet 18 with hot seal 38 and cold seal 36 already applied to label sheet 18. In some examples, method 54 may also include placing blister sheet 14 into packaging unit 48 of automated packaging machine 40. In some examples, method 54 may include placing blister sheet 14 on a work surface (e.g., a counter, a table top, a blister card packaging assistant, etc.).

[0027] The method 54 also includes (at block 62) filling the blister compartments 22 with at least one unit of medication. The filling may include filling each blister with a corresponding at least one unit of medication. The filling may include leaving at least one of the blister compartments 22 empty. In some configurations, the filling may be performed by a user manually placing at least one unit of medication into each of the blister compartments 22. In some configurations, the filling may be performed by an automated packaging machine 40. After filling the blister compartments 22, the method 54 includes (at block 66) pressing the label sheet 18 onto the blister sheet 14 such that the label sheet 18 covers the recess and a cold seal adheres the label sheet 18 to the blister sheet 14. The pressing includes providing a temporary hold between the label sheet 18 and the blister sheet 14 via the cold seal such that the blister compartments 22 are closed.

[0028] The method 54 includes transferring (at block 70) the filled blister card 10 into an oven for heat sealing. The blister card 10 may be placed on, for example, a cork paddle for transferring the blister card 10 to the oven. In some configurations, the cork paddle may be a removable plate in the automatic packaging machine 40. The temporary retention provided by the cold seal prevents at least one unit of medication from popping out of the blister card 10 during the transfer step. After transferring the blister card 10 into the oven, the blister card 10 is heated to activate the hot seal between the blister sheet 14 and the label sheet 18. In some configurations, the blister card 10 is heated for more than 2 seconds and less than 10 seconds. In some configurations, the blister card 10 is heated for more than 3 seconds and less than 7 seconds. In some configurations, the blister card 10 is heated for approximately 5 seconds. After the hot seal is activated, the blister card 10 is removed from the oven.

[0029] Activation of the hot seal creates a strong hold between blister sheet 14 and label sheet 18 such that at least one unit of medication is contained within the interior space. Thus, after blister sheet 14 is adhered to label sheet 18 by the hot seal, a user can only access the at least one unit of medication by breaking seal portion 34 of label sheet 18.

[0030] The cold seal 36 on the blister card 10 described above provides a quick method for sealing the blister compartment 22 after it has been filled, so that the medication within the blister compartment 22 is less likely to pop out if the blister card 10 is inadvertently dropped or shaken while being transported to an oven (or other heating mechanism). And, the hot seal 38 provides a more permanent seal to prevent tampering of the blister card 10 until the medication is intentionally removed from the blister card 10 through the seal portion 34.

[0031] Thus, the present disclosure provides, inter alia, a blister card for packaging pharmaceutical products. Various features and advantages of the present disclosure are set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A blister card for packaging pharmaceutical products, comprising: a blister sheet including a plurality of blister compartments, each blister compartment defining a recess configured to receive a medication; a label sheet configured to be placed over the blister sheet and cover the plurality of blister compartments, the label sheet comprising a plurality of seal portions aligned with and corresponding to each of the plurality of blister compartments; and a plurality of seals configured to adhere the label sheet to the blister sheet, the plurality of seals including a first type seal and a second type seal, the second type seal being different from the first type seal; Equipped with a blister card.

2. The blister card of claim 1 , wherein the first type of seal is a cold seal and the second type of seal is a hot seal.

3. The blister card of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of seals are provided on the blister sheet and the label sheet prior to adhering the label sheet to the blister sheet.

4. The blister card of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of seals abut both the blister sheet and the label sheet when the blister sheet and the label sheet are adhered together.

5. 2. The blister card of claim 1, wherein the plurality of seals includes a first seal subset of the first type of seals and a second seal subset of the second type of seals, the first seal subset being disposed along a periphery of the blister card between the blister sheet and the label sheet.

6. The blister card of claim 5 , wherein the second subset of seals is disposed adjacent to the first subset of seals along the periphery of the blister card.

7. 2. The blister card of claim 1, wherein the plurality of seals includes a first seal subset of the first type of seals and a second seal subset of the second type of seals, the first seal subset being disposed between the plurality of blister compartments.

8. The blister card of claim 7 , wherein the second subset of seals is disposed adjacent to the first subset of seals between the plurality of blister compartments.

9. 10. The blister card of claim 1, wherein the first type of seal is configured to temporarily adhere the label sheet to the blister sheet and does not require heat for activation.

10. 10. The blister card of claim 9, wherein the first type seal is activated by applying pressure to the first type seal.

11. The blister card of claim 9 , wherein the second type of seal is heat activated.

12. 2. The blister card of claim 1, wherein the first type of seal has a higher adhesive strength than the second type of seal before activation, and the second type of seal has a higher adhesive strength than the first type of seal after activation.

13. The blister card of claim 12, wherein the second type of seal has no adhesive strength prior to activation.

14. 2. The blister card of claim 1, wherein the first type of seal is a non-tamper resistant seal and the second type of seal is a tamper resistant seal.

15. A blister card for packaging pharmaceutical products, comprising: a blister sheet including a plurality of blister compartments, each blister compartment defining a recess configured to receive a medication; a label sheet configured to be placed over the blister sheet; a plurality of cold seals and a plurality of hot seals disposed between the blister sheet and the label sheet and configured to adhere the label sheet to the blister sheet; Equipped with a blister card.

16. 16. The blister card of claim 15, wherein the plurality of cold seals are disposed along a periphery of the blister card between the blister sheet and the label sheet, and the plurality of hot seals are disposed adjacent each of the plurality of cold seals along the periphery of the blister card.

17. 16. The blister card of claim 15, wherein the plurality of cold seals are disposed between the plurality of blister compartments and the plurality of hot seals are disposed between the plurality of blister compartments adjacent each of the plurality of cold seals.

18. 16. The blister card of claim 15, wherein the plurality of cold seals have a higher adhesive strength compared to the plurality of hot seals prior to heat activation of the plurality of hot seals.

19. 16. The blister card of claim 15, wherein the plurality of cold seals are non-tamper resistant seals and the plurality of hot seals are tamper resistant seals.

20. 1. A method of filling blister cards comprising the steps of: providing a blister sheet comprising a plurality of blister compartments, each blister compartment defining a recess configured to receive a medicament; filling at least one of said plurality of blister compartments with one or more medicaments; placing a label sheet over the blister sheet to cover the plurality of blister compartments, the label sheet comprising a plurality of seal portions aligned with and corresponding to each of the plurality of blister compartments; activating a first type seal between the blister sheet and the label sheet to temporarily connect the label sheet to the blister sheet; activating a second type of seal between the blister sheet and the label sheet to permanently secure the label sheet to the blister sheet; A method comprising:

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein activating the first type of seal comprises activating a cold seal.

22. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein activating the second type of seal comprises activating a hot seal.

23. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the first type of seal is a non-tamper resistant seal and the second type of seal is a tamper resistant seal.

24. A blister card for packaging pharmaceutical products, comprising: a blister sheet including a plurality of blister compartments, each blister compartment defining a recess configured to receive a medication; a label sheet configured to be placed over the blister sheet and cover the plurality of blister compartments, the label sheet comprising a plurality of seal portions aligned with and corresponding to each of the plurality of blister compartments; and a plurality of seals configured to adhere the label sheet to the blister sheet, the plurality of seals having a first adhesive strength when activated using a first activation technique and having a second adhesive strength when activated using a second activation technique, the first adhesive strength being a non-zero adhesive strength, and the second adhesive strength being greater than the first adhesive strength; Equipped with a blister card.

25. 25. The blister card of claim 24, wherein the plurality of seals constitute non-tamper resistant seals when activated using the first activation technique and constitute tamper resistant seals when activated using the second activation technique.

26. 25. The blister card of claim 24, wherein the plurality of seals are provided on the blister sheet and the label sheet prior to adhering the label sheet to the blister sheet.

27. 25. The blister card of claim 24, wherein the plurality of seals abut both the blister sheet and the label sheet when the blister sheet and the label sheet are adhered together.

28. 25. The blister card of claim 24, wherein the plurality of seals includes a first seal subset and a second seal subset, the first seal subset disposed along a periphery of the blister card between the blister sheet and the label sheet, and the second seal subset disposed between the plurality of blister compartments.

Images