A filling device for metered filling of a filling material from a storage container into a dose receiving container. The device includes a single-use isolator with the receiving container provided therein to protect against contamination. The device includes a weighing device for holding and weighing the storage container with its contents outside of the isolator. The device includes a dispensing device inside the isolator to provide a dose-by-dose dispensing of the material. The device includes a conduit arrangement for connecting the storage container and the dispensing device and conveying the material from the storage container to the dispensing device via a removal device for a dose-by-dose removal of the material outside the isolator. The device includes a control device for controlling the removal device based on information from the weighing device about a decrease in weight of a unit consisting of the storage container and its contents during the removal.

Powder dispensing and sensing apparatus and methods are provided. The powder dispensing and sensing apparatus includes a tray support structure to receive a cartridge tray holding cartridges, a powder dispenser assembly including powder dispenser modules to dispense powder into respective cartridges of a batch of cartridges in the cartridge tray, a powder transport system to deliver powder to the powder dispenser modules, a sensor module including sensor cells to sense respective fill states, such as the weights, of each of the cartridges in the batch of cartridges, and a control system to control the powder dispenser modules in response to the respective sensed fill states of each of the cartridges of the batch of cartridges.

A method and a system are disclosed for detecting the features of a water layer in layered enclosures of single unit dose products. Thanks to the method and the system of the invention, the layered enclosures may be manufactured to higher specifications and quality owing to real time control of the features of the water layer between the enclosure layers. The technical advantage of the method of the invention consists in the possibility to detect the features after formation of the layered enclosure is complete—hence inspecting the finished product—and to feed back the detected information to the very water laying device for a real time adjustment of the features of the water layer at the areas where acceptance criteria are not met.

A form fill seal apparatus for forming and filling a plurality of bags with a product having a tube formation assembly forming a tubular film, a bag forming assembly configured to form transverse seals and to cut the tubular film to form bags. A product delivery system is provided to deliver product from a positive displacement pump to a product delivery tube. A control system is structurally configured to direct the positive displacement pump to operate in two different modes, a first, continuous operating mode and a second, dosing operating mode. A method of filling is likewise disclosed.

A table top appliance rapidly fills a pouch through some mechanical actuation or automation by inserting the pouch into the appliance and the machine fills the pouch. One embodiment of the food pouch filling station may be a mechanical version that includes a method to pump or push the contents of the container into the pouch. A second embodiment of the food pouch filling station may be an electric pump version that fills pouches and may have the option of controlling the amount of food dispensed. The food pouch filling station may also include a valve that connects to the pouch to control the flow to the pouch.

A system for adaptably collecting pharmaceuticals into various containers is provided. The system includes an automated pharmaceutical counting device with a loading portion for accepting the pharmaceuticals for counting, an exit portion for dispensing the pharmaceuticals, and a receiving area configured to interchangeably accommodate a bulk collection vessel and an adapter for an individual container for an individual prescription. The automated pharmaceutical counting device dispenses the pharmaceuticals through the exit portion and into an inserted one of the bulk collection vessel and the adapter.

The disclosure herein teaches a method for preserving cosmetics, including hair dye, that are prone to oxidation. The method uses an apparatus for automatically sealing and resealing, so as to prevent oxidation immediately and thereafter the cosmetic products are dispensed, or breached, from their manufacturer packaging. In the proposed apparatus, this is done by producing negative pressure inside a chamber while the cosmetic product is inside an unsealed container within the chamber. The vacuum is produced by a pump connected to an on-off valve, which is directly or indirectly actuated under micro-controlled processes. The one-way flow of air from the chamber to the apparatus' exterior produces negative pressure inside the chamber. Packaging can be sealed by outside influence or sealed by the pressure difference between the outside environment and the inside of the packaging upon the rapid repressurizing of the chamber. These processes prevent oxidation or degradation of the cosmetic product therein. Data related to the properties of the sealed cosmetic product or products is captured and stored in the device in transient or permanent memory and aggregated, analyzed and retrieved at will by a user. Communication and interaction between user and machine can occur physically (using a switch and a luminous indicator), or wirelessly with a mobile device. The resulting product, created to unique specifications from the original manufacturer packaging, can now be stored for an extended period of time without significant degradation of the efficacy.

A time-pressure-filling system for filling liquid drug product into containers is disclosed. The time-pressure-filling system has a storage vessel for storing the liquid drug product and a surge vessel. The surge vessel is configured for single use and is at least partially made of a rigid plastic material. A supply line feeds the liquid drug product from the storage vessel into the surge vessel in a pressurized fashion. A pressure control line is provided for applying a control pressure to the surge vessel, a dispenser is provided for dispensing the liquid drug product into the containers, and a dispensing line connects the surge vessel to the dispenser. A pressure sensor determines pressure in the dispensing line and a valve controls flow of the liquid drug product through the dispensing line. A surge vessel for use in the time-pressure-filling system and a time-pressure-filling method are also disclosed.

A management system (1) manages a production line (2) including a processing apparatus (20) and an inspection apparatus (40). The management system (1) includes: a control unit (61) that estimates a processing time at which a defective food is processed by the processing apparatus (20) based on a time at which the defective food determined as a defective product by inspection by the inspection apparatus (40) is inspected; and a storage unit (62) that stores processing information of the processing apparatus (20) related to the processing time estimated by the control unit (61) such that the processing information can be output.

A doser mechanism includes a cylindrical shell, an auger conveyor, and a check valve. The cylindrical shell includes a hollow cylinder and an end plate. The hollow cylinder at least partially defines an internal enclosure extending between first and second ends of the hollow cylinder, a first opening at the first end, and a second opening through a thickness of the hollow cylinder. The end plate covers the second end. The auger conveyor includes an auger at least partially extending through the internal enclosure through the first end. The check valve has a valve member configured to selectively cover the second opening. The check valve may cause the valve member move between a rest position and an open position to cover or expose the second opening in response to a magnitude of a force applied to the valve member from the internal enclosure through the second opening.