Patents Assigned to CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
  • Patent number: 11772878
    Abstract: A storage container for a storage and dispensing station for drugs is provided. The storage container includes a housing enclosing a receiving space, a circular-cylindrical section and a bottom area having a discharge opening. A singling device situated in the circular-cylindrical portion of the housing includes at least one duct and a restrainer completely situated within the housing enclosing the receiving space. The restrainer includes a fastening portion and a restraining portion. The restraining portion is kept above the discharge opening and the fastening portion works together with at least one fastening socket within the housing to fix the restrainer in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: CareFusion Germany 326 GmbH
    Inventor: Hardy Schmidt-Ellinger
  • Patent number: 11697517
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for automated dispensing of individual medicament portions. The systems can include a housing that encloses a receiving space having a bottom surface. A separation device may be provided and arranged on the bottom surface with at least one channel to receive at least one medicament portion. At least one channel may have an opening facing the receiving space and an opening facing the bottom surface. The opening facing the bottom surface may be associated with a contact area on the bottom surface, over which contact area the medicament portions may be guided upon a movement of separation device. At least one recess may be arranged in the bottom surface outside of the contact area to receive contamination particles present in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventors: Hardy Schmidt-Ellinger, Dietmar Gross
  • Patent number: 11524804
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for filling a transport tray having a reduced risk of incorrect fillings. In accordance with the disclosure, a target filling of a plurality of receptacles in the transport tray is transmitted to the control device and at least one filling template is produced based on the target filling and on a filling regime and is displayed by means of a display device. Then drug portions corresponding to the filling template are transferred to the receptacles, and an image of at least the receptacles to be filled in accordance with the target filling is produced by means of an optical detection device and the actual filling is determined using the image and is compared to the target filling. If no target deviation is found, the transport tray is released for transferring the drug portions to the machine tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: CareFusion Germany 326 GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Hellenbrand
  • Patent number: 11492152
    Abstract: A packaging device for medications includes a packaging material supply and a folding and guiding unit. The folding and guiding unit folds a packaging material web in the longitudinal direction so that the edges of the packaging material web are guided along packaging material web folding regions and a folding section establishes a folded region in the packaging material web. The folding and guiding unit includes an impact region for medications to be packaged, a first joining unit and a second joining unit. The folding and guiding unit also includes a medication supply section spaced apart from the folding section and via which medications are conducted vertically spaced apart from the folded region into the folded packaging material web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventor: Dietmar Gross
  • Patent number: 11472585
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for automated dispensing of individual medicament portions. The systems can include a housing that encloses a receiving space having a bottom surface. A separation device may be provided and arranged on the bottom surface with at least one channel to receive at least one medicament portion. At least one channel may have an opening facing the receiving space and an opening facing the bottom surface. The opening facing the bottom surface may be associated with a contact area on the bottom surface, over which contact area the medicament portions may be guided upon a movement of separation device. At least one recess may be arranged in the bottom surface outside of the contact area to receive contamination particles present in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventors: Hardy Schmidt-Ellinger, Dietmar Gross
  • Patent number: 11436662
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for operating a pharmacy order-picking device. The present method reduces the susceptibility of the pharmacy order-picking device to disruption. To detect a positioning deviation of the control appliance in the horizontal direction, at least one desired value of at least one reference position is made available, the control appliance is brought to a position corresponding to the desired value in the horizontal direction and, when a signal characteristic of a reference position is detected, an actual value of this reference position is determined. A desired value is compared with a corresponding actual value, or two actual values are compared with each other, and a deviation is determined. If a deviation is determined that exceeds a limit value, a signal pointing to the need for a correction is output. Depending on the deviation, automatic correction of the position deviation can be performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Hellenbrand, Andreas Klapperich, Andreas Bause, Dennis Reif
  • Patent number: 11352208
    Abstract: A commissioning device having a first shelf row with horizontal shelf surfaces and at least one second shelf row with multiple shelf surfaces disposed one above the other and forming storage shafts. A lane formed between the first and the second shelf rows includes an operating unit movably disposed in the lane. The commissioning device also includes an input device, an output device and an auxiliary output device. The operating unit includes a gripping device for inputting and/or outputting piece goods onto or from the horizontal shelf surfaces and for filling the goods into the storage shafts. A control unit coupled to the operating unit is configured to output identical piece goods in a row from the horizontal shelf surfaces, to input the piece goods into the storage shafts and to output and transfer one or more piece goods located on the horizontal shelf surfaces to the auxiliary output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventor: Christoph Hellenbrand
  • Patent number: 11273996
    Abstract: A suction gripper for handling small piece goods, particularly pharmaceutical packages, is provided. The suction gripper is suitable for handling different small piece goods. The suction gripper includes a main element, a rotary drive arranged on the main element with an axis of rotation which is vertical in the starting position, an end-effector unit coupled to the axis of rotation, wherein the end-effector unit has a holding element, to which a suction arm holder is fastened, wherein the suction arm holder has at least two elongated suction arms which each have a suction head with a suction surface at their distal end, wherein the suction arms are designed such that a negative pressure can be applied to them. The suction arm holder is rotatably mounted on the holding element, and the suction surfaces of the suction heads are dimensioned differently for handling different types of small piece goods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventor: Dietmar Gross
  • Patent number: 11170601
    Abstract: A medication packaging device includes a frame structure on which a guide unit is removably fastened, the guide unit having multiple receptacle openings and a dispensing opening. The device also includes multiple storage and dispensing stations, each having a storage housing and a dispensing station having a medication dispensing channel, as well as a holding unit having a plurality of mounts. For each mount, a medication slide and a storage and dispensing station are arranged such that the receptacle openings of the medication slides are associated with the medication dispensing channels of the dispensing stations and the dispensing openings of the medication slides are associated with the receptacle openings of the guide unit. The holding unit and the frame structure are fastened on or in the device to be movable relative to one another so that the guide unit is accessible from outside the device when in an access position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventor: Christoph Hellenbrand
  • Patent number: 11094159
    Abstract: A storage container for a storage and delivery station for drugs is provided. The storage container includes a retainer for preventing a multiple drug portions from being delivered simultaneously. The storage container includes a housing that surrounds a receiving chamber and has a circular cylindrical section and a base surface, and a separating device disposed rotatably in the circular cylindrical section and having multiple projections and channels. Each projection has a surface, the uppermost points of the surface defining an upper receiver boundary plane. The storage container also includes a retainer with a fastening section and a retaining section, the retaining section preventing entry of the drug portions into a channel aligned with a delivery opening, and at least one cam for removing drug portions from the retaining section, the cam being movable above the upper receiver boundary plane over the retaining section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventor: Hardy Schmidt-Ellinger
  • Patent number: 11059616
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for packaging individual medication doses in blister bags includes a plurality of storage and dispensing stations, at least one guide and collection arrangement for picking up the medication doses and passing them on, or conducting them, to a packaging station, the packaging station forming a strand of connected blister bags from packaging material. Also included is a labeling and printing station for applying data to the packaging material, an optical detection device that optically detects characteristics of the individual blister bags of the strand, an evaluation device that compares the characteristics detected for an individual blister bag with reference characteristics, and a storage station that stores the strand of the blister bags in an ordered manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Hellenbrand, Minne Jorritsma
  • Patent number: 11040792
    Abstract: Described herein are methods and systems for automated dispensing of individual medicament portions. The systems can include a housing that encloses a receiving space having a bottom surface. A separation device may be provided and arranged on the bottom surface with at least one channel to receive at least one medicament portion. At least one channel may have an opening facing the receiving space and an opening facing the bottom surface. The opening facing the bottom surface may be associated with a contact area on the bottom surface, over which contact area the medicament portions may be guided upon a movement of separation device. At least one recess may be arranged in the bottom surface outside of the contact area to receive contamination particles present in the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CareFusion Germany 326 GmbH
    Inventors: Hardy Schmidt-Ellinger, Dietmar Gross
  • Patent number: 11039984
    Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for packing drug portions into dispensing packages. A dispensing machine includes a plurality of storing and metering stations having a plurality of drug portions, a packing device that receives the drug portions dispensed by the storing and metering stations and places them into dispensing packages, and a control device. Each storing and metering station includes a stationary part fixed to a frame, a removable part containing a refillable reservoir and has an information memory for storing an identifier of the removable part. A reading device for reading the information memory is functionally assigned to the stationary part. Each information memory contains a memory location for a filling code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: CareFusion Germany 326 GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Hellenbrand
  • Patent number: 11021324
    Abstract: A commissioning device having a first shelf row with horizontal shelf surfaces and at least one second shelf row with multiple shelf surfaces disposed one above the other and forming storage shafts. A lane formed between the first and the second shelf rows includes an operating unit movably disposed in the lane. The commissioning device also includes an input device, an output device and an auxiliary output device. The operating unit includes a gripping device for inputting and/or outputting piece goods onto or from the horizontal shelf surfaces and for filling the goods into the storage shafts. A control unit coupled to the operating unit is configured to output identical piece goods in a row from the horizontal shelf surfaces, to input the piece goods into the storage shafts and to output and transfer one or more piece goods located on the horizontal shelf surfaces to the auxiliary output device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: CareFusion Germany 326 GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Hellenbrand
  • Patent number: 10934037
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for filling a transport tray having a reduced risk of incorrect fillings. In accordance with the disclosure, a target filling of a plurality of receptacles in the transport tray is transmitted to the control device and at least one filling template is produced based on the target filling and on a filling regime and is displayed by means of a display device. Then drug portions corresponding to the filling template are transferred to the receptacles, and an image of at least the receptacles to be filled in accordance with the target filling is produced by means of an optical detection device and the actual filling is determined using the image and is compared to the target filling. If no target deviation is found, the transport tray is released for transferring the drug portions to the machine tray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: CareFusion Germany 326 GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Hellenbrand
  • Patent number: 10807745
    Abstract: A packaging device for medications includes a packaging material supply and a folding and guiding unit. The folding and guiding unit folds a packaging material web in the longitudinal direction so that the edges of the packaging material web are guided along packaging material web folding regions and a folding section establishes a folded region in the packaging material web. The folding and guiding unit includes an impact region for medications to be packaged, a first joining unit and a second joining unit. The folding and guiding unit also includes a medication supply section spaced apart from the folding section and via which medications are conducted vertically spaced apart from the folded region into the folded packaging material web.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2020
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventor: Dietmar Gross
  • Patent number: 10772804
    Abstract: A method for filling a tray with individual medicine portions, which are removed from medicament packs that are provided from an automated storage system by means of an output/input station, is provided. A target filling of accommodating compartments of the tray is provided to a control device, which determines the medicament packs to be removed from storage and the sequence of the removal. For removal, a medicament pack is placed on a first transfer position of the output/input station by an operating device, transported to an output position by a first transport device as soon as the output position is free, and removed from the output position. Individual portions are removed from the medicament pack and introduced into respective accommodating compartments of the tray as indicated by an indicating device. The medicament pack is transported to a second transfer position by a second transport device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: CareFusion Germany 326 GmbH
    Inventor: Christoph Hellenbrand
  • Patent number: 10672219
    Abstract: A storage container for a storage and delivery station for drugs is provided. The storage container includes a retainer for preventing a multiple drug portions from being delivered simultaneously. The storage container includes a housing that surrounds a receiving chamber and has a circular cylindrical section and a base surface, and a separating device disposed rotatably in the circular cylindrical section and having multiple projections and channels. Each projection has a surface, the uppermost points of the surface defining an upper receiver boundary plane. The storage container also includes a retainer with a fastening section and a retaining section, the retaining section preventing entry of the drug portions into a channel aligned with a delivery opening, and at least one cam for removing drug portions from the retaining section, the cam being movable above the upper receiver boundary plane over the retaining section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventor: Hardy Schmidt-Ellinger
  • Patent number: 10583979
    Abstract: A storage container for a storage and dispensing station for drugs is provided. The storage container includes a housing enclosing a receiving space, a circular-cylindrical section and a bottom area having a discharge opening. A singling device situated in the circular-cylindrical portion of the housing includes at least one duct and a restrainer completely situated within the housing enclosing the receiving space. The restrainer includes a fastening portion and a restraining portion. The restraining portion is kept above the discharge opening and the fastening portion works together with at least one fastening socket within the housing to fix the restrainer in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 10, 2020
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventor: Hardy Schmidt-Ellinger
  • Patent number: 10556753
    Abstract: A device for separating piece goods to be stored in an automated storage facility is provided. The device includes a conveyor for conveying piece goods from a stock to a support surface of a collecting device, a controller for controlling the conveyor, a sensor, to detect the striking of the support surface by piece goods. The detector has an imager, which produces at least one recording of the underside of the support. A handling device is configured to remove a piece good from the support surface for further transport into the storage facility is coupled to the controller, which is further configured to control the handler according to the information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: CAREFUSION GERMANY 326 GMBH
    Inventors: Christoph Hellenbrand, Uwe Furtner, Ingo Boesnach, Frank Hoeschle, Marta Carbonell Zaragoza