Method for operating a packaging device for packaging medicaments provided in tablet form, and method for operating a packaging device

Abstract

A method for operating a repackaging device for repacking medications comprising transportable pill containers, each container exhibiting a receptacle compartment and either exhibiting a dispensing mechanism or an opening sealed by a foil, wherein a pill located in the compartment can be pushed out through the opening, destroying the foil, a working storage device in which some pill containers can be stored and a filling device, a packaging station, wherein a device transports a pill removed from the pill container to the station, a mixing storage area in which some pill containers and packages containing pills or blisters can be stored, a workstation for unpacking pills or blisters in packages and a supply device with which a pill container and/or package can be supplied from the mixing storage to the workstation, and/or a discharge device with which a pill container and/or a package can be supplied to the mixing storage.

Claims

1. A method for operating a repackaging device for repackaging medication in pill form, wherein the repackaging device exhibits a plurality of transportable pill containers, wherein each pill container has at least one compartment as a receptacle for at least one pill, and each compartment either exhibits a dispensing mechanism for dispensing a pill or exhibits an opening sealed by a foil, whereby a pill located in the compartment can be pushed out of the compartment through the opening, destroying the foil, and exhibits a working storage device in which some pill containers can be stored, wherein the working storage device exhibits a filing device in which a pill can be taken from a compartment of a pill container, and a packaging station in which a pill removed from the pill container in the filing device can be packed in a new package, whereby a pill transport device is provided that transports a pill removed from the pill container in the filing device to the packaging station, and exhibits a mixing storage area in which some pill containers and some packages containing pills or blisters can be stored, and a workstation for unpacking pills or blisters located in packages; wherein a conveyor system with several conveyor paths is provided, and at least one of the subsequent method steps is carried out: a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the workstation via a supply device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the workstation to the mixing storage via a discharge device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the workstation to the working storage device by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the workstation to the workstation again by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the workstation by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the mixing storage by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to a pill container removal nozzle by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from a first working storage device to a second working storage device by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to a removal nozzle for pill containers via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the mixing storage by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied to the mixing storage by means of a storage conveyor belt.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two subsequent method steps is carried out: a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the workstation via a supply device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or package is supplied from the workstation to the mixing storage via a discharge device belonging to the conveyor system, and at least one of the subsequent method steps is carried out: a pill container is supplied from the workstation to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the workstation to the workstation again by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the workstation by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the mixing storage device by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to a removal nozzle for pill containers by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from a first working storage device to a second working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to a pill container removal nozzle by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the mixing storage via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system of the mixing storage, a pill container or a package is supplied to the mixing storage via a storage conveyor belt.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the two subsequent method steps are carried out: a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the workstation via a supply device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or package is supplied from the workstation to the mixing storage via a discharge device belonging to the conveyor system, and at least one of the subsequent method steps is carried out: a pill container is supplied from the workstation to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the workstation to the workstation again by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the workstation by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the mixing storage device by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to a removal nozzle for pill containers by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from a first working storage device to a second working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to a pill container removal nozzle by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the mixing storage via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system of the mixing storage, a pill container or a package is supplied to the mixing storage via a storage conveyor belt.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the two subsequent method steps are carried out: a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the workstation via a supply device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or package is supplied from the workstation to the mixing storage via a discharge device belonging to the conveyor system, and at least two of the subsequent method steps is carried out: a pill container is supplied from the workstation to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the workstation to the workstation again by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the workstation by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the mixing storage device by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to a removal nozzle for pill containers by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from a first working storage device to a second working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to a pill container removal nozzle by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the mixing storage via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system of the mixing storage, a pill container or a package is supplied to the mixing storage via a storage conveyor belt.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the two subsequent method steps are carried out: a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the workstation via a supply device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or package is supplied from the workstation to the mixing storage via a discharge device belonging to the conveyor system, and at least seven of the subsequent method steps is carried out: a pill container is supplied from the workstation to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the workstation to the workstation again by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the workstation by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the mixing storage device by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to a removal nozzle for pill containers by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from a first working storage device to a second working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to a pill container removal nozzle by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the mixing storage via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system of the mixing storage, a pill container or a package is supplied to the mixing storage via a storage conveyor belt.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the two subsequent method steps are carried out: a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the workstation via a supply device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or package is supplied from the workstation to the mixing storage via a discharge device belonging to the conveyor system, and all of the subsequent method steps is carried out: a pill container is supplied from the workstation to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the workstation to the workstation again by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the workstation by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to the mixing storage device by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the working storage device to a removal nozzle for pill containers by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from a first working storage device to a second working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to the working storage device via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container is supplied from the mixing storage to a pill container removal nozzle by means of a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system, a pill container or a package is supplied from the mixing storage to the mixing storage via a conveyor device belonging to the conveyor system of the mixing storage, a pill container or a package is supplied to the mixing storage via a storage conveyor belt.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0340] The invention will be explained in more detail in the subsequent figures, which merely represent examples of the invention. These show:

[0341] FIG. 1 a schematic plan view of a repackaging device that can be operated using the method according to the invention, according to a first embodiment;

[0342] FIG. 2 a schematic plan view of a repackaging device that can be operated using the method according to the invention, according to a second embodiment;

[0343] FIG. 3 a schematic plan view of a repackaging device that can be operated using the method according to the invention, according to a third embodiment;

[0344] FIG. 4 a schematic plan view of a workstation of a repackaging device operable with the method according to the invention;

[0345] FIG. 5 a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable with the method according to the invention;

[0346] FIG. 6 a schematic top view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0347] FIG. 7 a schematic top view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0348] FIG. 8 a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0349] FIG. 9 a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0350] FIG. 10 a schematic top view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0351] FIG. 11 a schematic top view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0352] FIG. 12 a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0353] FIG. 13 a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0354] FIG. 14 a schematic plan view of a further embodiment of a workstation of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention;

[0355] FIG. 15 a schematic perspective view of an intermediate storage location of a working storage device of the device according to the invention;

[0356] FIG. 16 a detailed view of the intermediate storage location shown in FIG. 14, with a drawer of the intermediate storage location pulled out;

[0357] FIG. 17 a schematic perspective view of three examples of blister carriers that can be used as pill containers in the open position;

[0358] FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view of the three blister carrier designs shown in FIG. 17 in the closed position;

[0359] FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of a design for a deblistering device used as a filling station and a pre-dosing magazine;

[0360] FIG. 20 a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of a perforating device connected upstream of the deblistering device;

[0361] FIG. 21 a schematic perspective view of the process of transferring the medication from the pre-dosing magazine into the filling blister.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0362] FIG. 1 shows a repackaging device that can be operated using the method according to the invention for repackaging medications in pill form. The repackaging device exhibits a multiplicity of transportable pill containers 1. The repackaging device shown in FIG. 1 exhibits two working storage devices 2. Several pill containers can be stored in the working storage device 2. The pill container 1 can be designed, for example, like the blister carrier 120 shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, which contains an original blister pack 110, the original blister pack 110 containing several compartments, wherein each compartment is suitable as a receptacle for at least one pill and each compartment of the original blister pack 110 exhibits an opening closed by a foil, wherein a pill located in the compartment can be pushed out of the compartment through the opening, destroying the foil.

[0363] The respective working storage device 2 can contain a filing device, such as, for example, the deblistering device 180 (FIG. 19). In the filing device, a pill can be removed from a compartment of a pill container.

[0364] The working storage device 2 also exhibits a packaging station in which a pill removed from the pill container in the filing device can be packed in a new package, for example, by using the pre-dosing magazine 170 in the filling blister 140 (FIG. 19, 22).

[0365] The working storage device 2 also exhibits a pill transport device that can bring a pill removed from the pill container in the filing device to the packaging station. A pill transport device can, for example, contain the pre-dosing magazine 170 with its pre-dosing compartments 172 according to FIG. 17, 20.

[0366] The repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention also exhibits a mixing storage 6. In the mixing storage 6, several pill containers and several packages containing pills can be stored.

[0367] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention exhibits two workstations 7 at which operators 8 can work. The operators 8 can unpack pills or blisters located in packages at the workstation 7.

[0368] One workstation 7 is equipped with a supply device 9 in the form of a chute, by means of which a pill container and/or a package can be supplied from the mixing storage 6 to the workstation 7. In this case, the supply device 9 in the form of a chute passes under a conveyor belt 11 forming part of a discharge device 10. The second workstation 7 exhibits two supply devices 9, each designed as chutes. These supply devices 9 also pass under the conveyor belt 11 forming part of the discharge device 10.

[0369] The repackaging device shown in FIG. 1, which can be operated using the method according to the invention, exhibits a discharge device 10 in addition to the three supply devices 9. Using the discharge device 10, a pill container and/or a package can be supplied from the respective workstation 7 to the mixing storage 6. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the discharge device 10 exhibits a conveyor belt 11 that begins at the first workstation 7 and leads past the second workstation 7. Part of the discharge device 10 is a switch 12 by means of which a pill container 1 or a package conveyed along the conveyor belt 11 can be diverted onto the return conveyor belt 13. The return conveyor belt 13 leads from the switch 12 into the mixing storage. Consequently, a pill container 1 or a package can be supplied from the respective workstation 7 to the mixing storage 6 by the discharge device 10, namely by the conveyor belt 11, the switch 12 and the return conveyor belt 13.

[0370] The mixing storage 6 is preferably a picking device. In particular, the picking device is a picking device of the type known from EP 2 826 732 A1, DE 10 2005 012 910 A1, EP 2 042 477 A1 and EP 1 564 160 A1. The mixing storage 6 exhibits a plurality of shelves 14. The shelves 14 can be arranged on two opposite sides of an aisle 15. The mixing storage 6 exhibits two shelf operating devices 16 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The shelf operating devices 16 can move linearly along the aisle 15. The respective shelf operating device 16 preferably exhibits a gripper, not shown in more detail in FIG. 1, which can be moved vertically along a column that forms part of the shelf operating device 16. The gripper can also be extended and retracted horizontally relative to the column, so that it can place pill containers 1 or packages held by it on a shelf or remove them from a shelf. For details of possible designs of such a shelf operating device, please refer to the disclosure content of the publications EP 2 826 732 A1, DE 10 2005 012 910 A1, EP 2 04 2 477 A1 and EP 1 564 160 A1, the content of which, with regard to possible designs for a shelf operating device, becomes part of the description of the repackaging device that can be operated using the method according to the invention, by virtue of the reference.

[0371] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the return conveyor belt 13 ends in the area of the shelves 14 and thus at a location where the shelf operating device 16 can pick up a package or a pill container 1 located on the return conveyor belt 13.

[0372] The mixing storage area 6 exhibits a storage conveyor belt 17. Pill containers and packages placed on this storage conveyor belt 17 can be brought by means of the storage conveyor belt 17 and a transfer device 18 into an area within the shelf bases 14 onto which the shelf operating device can place the newly stored package or pick up the newly stored pill container 1. The mixing storage unit 6 also exhibits a door 19. In a preferred embodiment, the mixing storage unit 6 exhibits walls on the outer sides of the shelf bases 14 and on the end faces 20.

[0373] The first workstation 7 is equipped with an extraction unit 21. The extraction unit 21 can extract dust and at least reduce the risk of individual pills being contaminated by dust when they are handled by hand at workstation 7.

[0374] In the embodiment of the repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention, as shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor belt 11 continues beyond the switch 12. With the part by which the conveyor belt 11 extends beyond the switch 12, the conveyor belt 11 forms part of a conveyor system 22.

[0375] The conveyor system 22 exhibits a first conveyor path along which a pill container can be conveyed from the switch 12 along the further course of the conveyor belt 11 and a transfer device 23 provided at the end of the conveyor belt 11 and along a further conveyor belt 24 to one of the two feed conveyor belts 25 of the working storage device 2. Consequently, a pill container 1 can be transferred from the respective workstation 7 to one of the two working storage devices 2 along the first conveyor path.

[0376] In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor system 22 further exhibits a second conveyor path, which is formed by the discharge conveyor belt 26, a part of the conveyor belt 11, the transfer device 23, a part of the conveyor belt 24 and one of the two supply conveyor belts 25. By means of the second conveyor path, a pill container stored in the mixing storage 6 can be transferred to one of the two working storage devices 2. The discharge conveyor belt 26 begins at a location between the shelves 14, at which the shelf operating device 16 can deposit a pill container.

[0377] In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor system 22 exhibits a third conveyor path, which is formed by one of the two discharge conveyor belts 27, a part of the conveyor belt 24, the transfer 28, the switch 12 and the return conveyor belt 13. By means of the third conveyor path, a pill container located in the working storage device can also be conveyed back into the mixing storage 6.

[0378] In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor system 22 exhibits a fourth conveyor path that is formed by one of the two discharge conveyor belts 27 and a part of the conveyor belt 24 and that ends at the end of the conveyor belt 24 at the workstation 7. By means of this fourth conveyor path, a pill container 1 located in the working storage device can be conveyed to the second of the two workstations 7.

[0379] In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor system 22 further comprises a fifth conveyor path, which is formed by one of the two discharge conveyor belts 27, a part of the conveyor belt 24 and the transfer device 28 and ends in a removal nozzle 50 for empty pill containers 1. Empty pill containers 1 can be removed from the removal nozzle 50 and, for example, supplied to a cleaning station.

[0380] In a preferred embodiment, the conveyor system 22 exhibits a sixth conveyor path, which is formed by the discharge conveyor belt 27 of the working storage device 2 shown at the bottom in FIG. 1, a part of the conveyor belt 24 and the feed conveyor belt 25 of the working storage device 2 shown at the top in FIG. 1. By means of this sixth conveyor path, a pill container 1 can be transferred from the lower working storage device 2 to the upper working storage device 2.

[0381] The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 essentially in the elimination of the conveyor system. For the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the switch 12 and the transfer device 28 have been redesigned. A crate 29 and a crate 30 are provided. The repackaging device that can be operated using the method according to the invention can be operated in the design shown in FIG. 2 in such a way that a pill container 1 to be supplied to the lower working storage device 2 is brought by the conveyor belt 11 over the switch 12 into the crate 29 (falls from the conveyor belt 11 into the crate 29). The repackaging device that can be operated using the method according to the invention, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, can be operated in such a way that a pill container 1, which is to be supplied from a workstation 7 to the upper of the two working storage devices 2, is supplied from the conveyor belt 11 via the switch 12 of the crate 30. An operator can then remove the pill containers 1 located in the crate 29 and place them on the feed conveyor belt 25 of the lower of the two working storage devices. Furthermore, an operator can remove the pill containers 1 located in the crate 30 and place them on the feed conveyor belt 25 of the upper working storage device.

[0382] Furthermore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a crate 32, 33 is provided at each end of the discharge conveyor belt 27. In this, an operator can remove pill containers from the repackaging device that can be operated using the method according to the invention and place them, for example, on one of the return conveyor belts 13 or the storage conveyor belt 17, so that these pill containers are stored back into the mixing storage 6. If the pill containers in the crates 32, 33 are empty, an operator can also supply these pill containers to a cleaning device, for example.

[0383] The third embodiment according to FIG. 3 is a further development of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2. In the third embodiment of FIG. 3, the switch 12 and a working storage device 2 with a feed conveyor belt 25 and a discharge conveyor belt 27 have been removed at the core. The third embodiment exhibits two workstations 7, wherein although an embodiment with only one workstation 7 is also conceivable. The workstations 7 each exhibit three supply devices 9 in the form of chutes. In addition, each of the workstations 7 exhibits a return conveyor belt 13, via which, for example, a pill container 1 or a package can be returned to the mixing storage 6. Furthermore, the workstations 7 exhibit the crates 34 into which the pill containers 1 are thrown from the workstations 7. Furthermore, the pill containers are thrown from the mixing storage 6 via the retrieval conveyor belt 26 into the crate 35. The pill containers in the crates 34 and 35 can then be supplied via the supply conveyor belt 25 to the working storage device 2.

[0384] The pill containers can be transported back to the mixing storage area 6 via the return conveyor belts 13. Pill containers can be removed from the working storage device 2 via the delivery conveyor belt 27. The pill containers from the working storage device 2 can be returned to the mixing storage area via the return conveyor belts 13.

[0385] FIG. 4 shows a possible embodiment of workstation 7 of a repackaging device operable by the method according to the invention. The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 exhibits in the form of two chutes as supply devices 9 from the mixing storage 6. Furthermore, a scanner 40 and a printer 41 and a computer terminal 42 are provided at the workstation 7. The computer terminal 42 can consist of a screen that presents information to the operator 8 working at the workstation 7 alone. In a preferred embodiment, however, the computer system 42 is designed to be interactive and allows the operator 8 to interact. For example, the computer system 42 can have a touch screen or a keyboard next to the screen.

[0386] Furthermore, the workstation 7 has a receiving device 43 for a total of five blister carriers 120 known from FIGS. 17,19. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the conveyor belt 11 belonging to the discharge device 10 is arranged below the chutes forming the supply devices 9. FIG. 5 shows a variant of the design of the workstation 7 according to FIG. 4, in which the conveyor belt 11 belonging to the discharge device 10 is arranged above the chutes forming the two supply devices 9.

[0387] The workstation 7 can be supplied via the supply devices 9 with pill containers 1 from the mixing storage 6, but also packages or empty blister carriers 120, i.e. blister carriers 120 in which no original blister pack 110 is arranged. At workstation 7, the operator 8 can remove the original blister packs 110 from the packages and insert them into the blister carriers 120. The operator can then place the blister carriers 120, which are equipped with original blister packs 110, on the conveyor belt 11.

[0388] FIG. 6 shows a further variant of the design of workstation 7. Here, only one supply device 9 designed as a chute is provided. However, it is possible to bring empty, cleaned pill containers to the workstation 7 by means of a trolley (not shown). Furthermore, an extraction device 21 is provided. In addition, a receiving device 44 for a different form of pill container is provided instead of the receiving device 43. Likewise, a camera 45 is provided, which looks down on the receiving device 44 from above. Furthermore, an ejection area 46 is provided, where pills can be pushed out of the original blister packs 110, in order to insert the pills that have then been removed into a pill carrier 1 that is held in the receiving device 44. The camera 45 can be used to check whether the correct pill has been placed in the correct compartment of a pill container 1 held in the receiving device 44.

[0389] The embodiments of the workstations shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 differ from the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 only in the spatial arrangement of the individual components of workstation 7.

[0390] FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 show a modification of the workstation:

While in the previously described embodiments of FIGS. 4 to 13, a workstation 7 was assigned to one activity (repacking of original blisters into pill carriers or the removal of individual pills and filling into a generic pill container 1), a multifunctional workstation is shown in FIGS. 13 and 15. In FIG. 13, the left half of FIG. 13 shows the previously described transfer from packages to pill container 1. The right half of FIG. 13 shows a fault rectification and documentation workstation. The error correction and documentation workstation exhibit a camera 45, with which it can be proven by image documentation that the blister is correct after the error has been corrected. Furthermore, a printer system 51 is provided, with which the blisters can be reprinted. The error correction station is also connected to the mixing storage 6 by the conveyor belt 11 and the supply device 9.

[0391] If, for example, a broken pill cannot be completely removed automatically, or if a replacement pill cannot be fed in without further ado (taking so long that the entire logistics process is disrupted), then the finished blister must be reworked. To do this, a patient blister (for example) must be (partially) opened at a location where suction is used (e.g. workstation 7 with suction 21), and any fragments must be removed with tweezers, a package with a replacement tablet must be requested from mixing storage 6 and comes via the supply device 9. Then this pill must be added, the opened package must be labeled, the result must be documented by a second camera 45 (document camera) and, if necessary, a new sealing film must be generated (printing system 51) and the result must be documented again if necessary.

[0392] FIG. 14 shows that the error correction and documentation workstation (right part of FIG. 14) can also be arranged at some distance from the remaining part of the workstation 7 (left part of FIG. 14). In addition to the camera 45 and the printer 51, the error correction and documentation workstation can also exhibit a screen 42.

[0393] In the case of the device operable by the method according to the invention, the individual medications can be delivered in their original packaging and the original blister packs 110 can be removed from the respective (not shown) repacking at the workstation and separated. The separated original blister packs 110 are assigned to suitable blister carriers 120, which are used to package and store the different medications in their respective original blister packs 110 in the intermediate storage area 150. Blister carriers 120 can be provided for all desired medication types, whereby different medications with similarly shaped original blister packs 110 can be assigned to identical blister carriers 120. It is particularly preferred that the external dimensions of all blister carriers 120 are standardized, preferably identical.

[0394] Three examples of blister carriers 120 are shown schematically in FIGS. 17 and 18. A blister carrier 120 consists of a carrier part 121 and a lid part 122 hinged by means of a hinge connection 124 or the like. The carrier part 121 and the lid part 122 both exhibit a hole pattern 123 adapted to the respective original blister pack 110. The original blister pack 110 is placed with the film side facing upwards on the hole pattern 123 of the carrier part 121 of the blister carrier 120, as illustrated in FIG. 17. The hole pattern 123 receives the blister pockets 112 of the original blister 110. Then the lid part 122 is closed, as illustrated in FIG. 18. As a result, a pill container 1 is formed from the blister carrier 120 and the original blister pack 110. The external dimensions of the blister carriers 120 are preferably all identical, so that they can be efficiently stored in the intermediate storage unit 150 and transported. Each blister carrier 120 also exhibits an identification device 127, such as an RFID chip 127, for identifying the medication stored in the blister carrier 120.

[0395] The medications packaged in the blister carriers 120 are, as illustrated in FIG. 15, fed by known conveyor trolleys 162 on a conveyor path 160 to a drawer storage system 150, which is also known per se, in which the blister carriers 120 are stored in an efficient manner in drawers 152 that can be retracted and extended by means of an actuating device 154. FIG. 16 shows the drawer storage 150 with a drawer 152 extended. The drawer storage 150 allows optional access to each of the blister carriers 120 stored therein, with medications packaged in the respective original blisters 110.

[0396] When a particular medication is needed to fill a filling blister 140, the control technology (not shown) determines the position of the desired medication packed in one of the blister carriers 120, which is removed from the drawer storage 150 with the help of the actuating device 154 is removed from the drawer storage 150 and supplied by means of a conveyor carriage 168 on the conveyor line 166 of the deblistering device 180, which is shown schematically in FIG. 15. The blister carrier 120 arrives at the deblistering position, where the medications 115 are ejected one after the other into the compartments 174 of a pre-dosing magazine 170 with the aid of a suitable ejection tappet 182. As shown in FIG. 19, the deblistering device 180 of the shown embodiment exhibits a plurality of ejection tappets 182, which are arranged, for example, rotatably about an axis. The shape of the ejection tappets 182 is optimized for the smooth ejection of the medications 115 from the respective original blister packs 110 and is particularly adapted to the shape of the openings 123 of the blister carriers 120 used, the shape of the medications 115 and/or the shape of the blister pockets 112 of the original blisters 110. To optimize the deblistering process, the deblistering device 180 also preferably exhibits a perforating device 195, which is shown schematically in FIG. 20 and perforates the foil of the original blister 110 at the positions of the blister pockets 112. Such a perforation is designated schematically with the reference number 111.

[0397] The pre-dosing magazine 170 of the shown exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 21 exhibits seven pre-dosing compartments 172 corresponding to the seven weekday columns of the filling blister 140, wherein another number of compartments 172 is also possible according to the invention. In the lower area of the side walls of the pre-dosing compartments 172, slits are preferably provided for the purpose of visually checking whether or not a medication 115 is located in the respective pre-dosing compartment 172.

[0398] Finally, the medications are dispensed from the pre-dosing compartments 172 of the pre-dosing magazine 170 into the corresponding compartments 142 of the patient-specific filling blister 140, as shown in FIG. 21. For this purpose, the pre-dosing magazine 170 is positioned above the respective (time-of-day) line of the filling blister 140 and, by pushing back the base part 174 of the pre-dosing compartments 172, the medications 115 are dropped into the respective receiving compartments 142 of the filling blister 140. The filling blister 140 exhibits receiving compartments 142 arranged in a matrix configuration, which in the example shown are arranged in four rows corresponding to a number of times of taking the medication during a day (morning, noon, evening, night) and seven columns corresponding to the days of a week. However, the invention is not limited to this particular arrangement of the receiving compartments 142 of the filling blister 140.

[0399] Sensor devices 190, 192, such as light barriers, are preferably also provided, which check the transfer of the medications from the original blister pack 110 into the pre-dosing magazine 170 and further into the respective compartments 142 of the filling blister 140 and generate an error message in the event of an error.