Macro Blister Packaging for Flexible Medicament Batching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current production systems for packaging medicinal product portions face challenges in adapting to changing demands for specific indications and dosages, leading to decreasing batch sizes due to high setup costs for product and format changes, making small batches uneconomical.

Innovation Solution

Separating the process of primary and secondary packaging, with macro blister packs produced without country-specific or customer-specific information, serving as an intermediate stage for storage and transport, and later customized with necessary markings and packaging for specific destinations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If current production systems package medicinal products with country-specific and customer-specific information directly, then the products are ready for immediate distribution, but the setup costs for product and format changes are high, making small batches uneconomical

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesetup cost for product changeVSAvoidflexibility for small batches

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The packaging process is segmented into two independent stages: primary packaging (macro blister packs without country-specific information) and secondary packaging (customized packaging with country-specific information). This segmentation allows the primary packaging to be produced in large batches with low setup costs, while the secondary packaging can be customized for small batches without affecting the economic efficiency of mass production.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The macro blister packs are produced in advance without country-specific or customer-specific information, serving as a universal intermediate stage. This preliminary action allows the packaging system to be prepared for mass production efficiently, and then later customized for specific destinations without incurring high setup costs during the initial packaging phase.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If macro blister packs are produced without country-specific information, then production flexibility and cost efficiency are improved, but additional steps are required for customization later

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidpackaging process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The packaging system is divided into macro blister packs (primary packaging) and ready-for-use blister packs (secondary packaging). The macro blister packs are produced in large quantities without country-specific information, improving production efficiency. The customization steps are separated into a second stage, reducing the complexity of the main production line while maintaining the ability to serve multiple destinations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The macro blister pack serves as an intermediary form between mass production and final customized packaging. It contains the medicinal product portions in a standardized format that can later be easily converted into different ready-for-use blister packs for various countries and customers, reducing overall process complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If conventional blister packs are unpacked, labelled, and repacked as described in WO 02/000161, then flexibility for different destinations is achieved, but the process becomes laborious and requires complex technical solutions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility for different destinationsVSAvoidhandling complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The macro blister packs are prepared in advance with the medicinal product portions already sealed and organized, but without destination-specific information. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for unpacking and repacking operations, as the macro blister packs can be directly converted into ready-for-use blister packs through simpler customization steps.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of starting with individual blister packs that need to be unpacked and repacked for different destinations, the system inverts the approach by first creating large macro blister packs that can later be divided and customized. This inversion simplifies the handling process, as it avoids the complex operations of unpacking, relabelling, and repacking described in WO 02/000161.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentUS10889393B2Macro blister packaging

Publication Date: 2021.01.12 BAYER PHARMA AG

AI summary

The invention relates to a macroblister comprising a flat body, in which are introduced cavities for receiving individual medicament portions, wherein the cavities are filled with individual medicament portions and are sealed with a foil. According to the invention, said macroblister contains a number T of medicament portions, characterized in that T is at least 60 and the flat body has a dimension in the range of 200 mm×200 mm to 1200 mm×1200 mm.