Patents by Inventor Sean McGonagle

Sean McGonagle has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8943780
    Abstract: A method of transferring a plurality of tablets of a product from a first blister card comprising a first plurality of blisters to a second blister card comprising a second plurality of blisters includes discharging the plurality of tablets from the first plurality of blisters of the first blister card. Then, each of the plurality of tablets are guided along one of a plurality of passageways defined by a transfer fixture positioned between the first blister card and the second blister card. Finally, the plurality of tablets are received in the second plurality of blisters of the second blister card. The method includes monitoring the selection and configuration of product loading cartridges to a filling machine and monitoring the transfer of product from an intermediate card to a blister card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow, J. Randolph Lewis, Victor Lee
  • Patent number: 8915051
    Abstract: A method of transferring a plurality of tablets of a product from a first blister card including a first plurality of blisters to a second blister card including a second plurality of blisters includes discharging the plurality of tablets from the first plurality of blisters of the first blister card. Then, each of the plurality of tablets are guided along one of a plurality of passageways defined by a transfer fixture positioned between the first blister card and the second blister card. Finally, the plurality of tablets are received in the second plurality of blisters of the second blister card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow, J. Randolph Lewis, Victor Lee
  • Patent number: 8627639
    Abstract: A method in a computer system of distributing pills into containers for use by a patient includes obtaining from a memory a fill pattern including a mapping of each of a first plurality of pills to one of a first plurality of containers such that at least two of the first plurality of pills are mapped to the same one of the first plurality of containers, obtaining from the memory an attribute of each of the first plurality of pills such that at least two of the first plurality of pills differ in at least the obtained attribute, and automatically sorting the first plurality of pills according to the attribute of each of the plurality of pills according to a predefined order to generate an ordered list corresponding to an order of depositing the first plurality of pills into the first plurality of containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Syed Y. Ali, Amy C. Biesenthal, Rishi Khullar, Victor Lee, Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow
  • Patent number: 8560347
    Abstract: A system and method facilitate alignment of refill dates associated with a plurality of prescriptions, such that each of the plurality of prescriptions requires a refill on the same date, thus limiting the number of occasions on which a customer must visit the pharmacy to retrieve refills of the aligned prescriptions, and increasing the likelihood that the customer will comply with the prescribed medication regimen. The system and method facilitate the alignment of the refill dates while complying with one or more rules governing the adjudication of the prescriptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2013
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Syed Y. Ali, Amy C. Biesenthal, Greg Pankow, Deivasigamani K. Gounder, Sean McGonagle
  • Patent number: 8200366
    Abstract: A system and method for determining and communicating a volume-based fill pattern for a multi-dose medicament container is disclosed. Pill information corresponding to one or more pills for a patient to be packaged together may be obtained, and non-volume fill factors may be obtained. The volume-based fill pattern may be selected and indicated to be a cuboid volume or a packing parameter fill pattern. Pill and multi-dose medicament container data may be obtained and used to determine a fill pattern that is communicated to a filling entity for execution. The present disclosure may operate in accordance with multi-dose blister packs, and systems and methods of filling said blister packs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Syed Y. Ali, Amy C. Biesenthal, Rishi Khullar, Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow
  • Patent number: 8055512
    Abstract: A manifest for a multi-dose medication order is disclosed. The manifest may serve as a single recipe or roadmap for the prescriptions and containers required for a multi-dose medicament order. The manifest may include a representation of intersecting prescription and container matrices, with each intersecting entry including an indication of a number of medicaments of an individual prescription mapped to be packaged into an individual container. Machine-readable identifiers and fields for different levels of approval may be included on the manifest. Dosing regime parameters may be visually differentiated. Methods and systems for creating a manifest and using the manifest in filling a multi-dose medicament order are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2011
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Greg Pankow, Sean McGonagle, Amy C. Biesenthal
  • Patent number: 8050942
    Abstract: A system and method facilitate alignment of refill dates associated with a plurality of prescriptions, such that each of the plurality of prescriptions requires a refill on the same date, thus limiting the number of occasions on which a customer must visit the pharmacy to retrieve refills of the aligned prescriptions, and increasing the likelihood that the customer will comply with the medication regimen. The system and method facilitate the alignment of the refill dates to an arbitrary user-selected date, while maintaining compliance with one or more rules governing the adjudication of the prescriptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2011
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Syed Y. Ali, Greg Pankow, Amy C. Biesenthal, Deivasigamani Karichianna Gounder, Sean McGonagle, Victor Lee, Rishi Khullar, Christina P. Marotta
  • Patent number: 7996243
    Abstract: A system and method facilitate alignment of refill dates associated with a plurality of prescriptions, such that each of the plurality of prescriptions requires a refill on the same date, thus limiting the number of occasions on which a customer must visit the pharmacy to retrieve refills of the aligned prescriptions, and increasing the likelihood that the customer will comply with the prescribed medication regimen. The system and method facilitate the alignment of the refill dates while complying with one or more rules governing the adjudication of the prescriptions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Syed Y. Ali, Greg Pankow, Amy C. Biesenthal, Deivasigamani Karichianna Gounder, Sean McGonagle, Victor Lee, Rishi Khullar, Christina P. Marotta
  • Patent number: 7971414
    Abstract: An apparatus for transferring a plurality of tablets of a product from a first blister card to a second blister card includes a press plate, a transfer fixture, and a tray. The press plate is adapted for displacement between a first position and a second position to force the plurality of tablets out of a plurality of blisters carried by the first blister card. The transfer fixture includes a plurality of passageways, each of which is adapted to receive one tablet of the plurality of tablets from the first blister card. The passageways further direct the tablets into a corresponding plurality of blisters carried by the second blister card. The tray supports the second blister card adjacent the transfer fixture for receiving the tablets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow, J. Randolph Lewis, Victor Lee
  • Patent number: 7946101
    Abstract: A method of transferring a plurality of tablets of a product from a first blister card comprising a first plurality of blisters to a second blister card comprising a second plurality of blisters includes discharging the plurality of tablets from the first plurality of blisters of the first blister card. Then, each of the plurality of tablets are guided along one of a plurality of passageways defined by a transfer fixture positioned between the first blister card and the second blister card. Finally, the plurality of tablets are received in the second plurality of blisters of the second blister card. The method includes monitoring the deposit of product to the blister card and verifying the contents of the blister card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow, J. Randolph Lewis, Victor Lee
  • Patent number: 7937911
    Abstract: A method of preparing a blister card to contain medicaments in accordance with a predetermined prescription, comprises positioning a blister sheet blank having a plurality of blisters onto a support surface of a fixture. Each of the blisters are then at least partially filled with one or more medicaments in accordance with the predetermined prescription. Then, a backing layer blank is positioned over the blister sheet blank to retain the medicaments in the blisters and to prevent contamination. Finally, the blister sheet blank and the backing layer blank are sealed together while positioned on the fixture to form a sealed blister card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2011
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow
  • Patent number: 7866476
    Abstract: A product package includes a spine, a plurality of blister cards, and a coupler mechanism. Each blister card includes a plurality of individual cells. Each individual cell includes a blister for containing at least one product. The coupler mechanism is attached to the spine and re-attachably couples the plurality of blister cards within the product package.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2011
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow, Christina M. Marotta, Amy C. Biesenthal, William H. Valls, Zack Simmering
  • Patent number: 7818950
    Abstract: A method of transferring a plurality of tablets of a product from a first blister card including a first plurality of blisters to a second blister card including a second plurality of blisters includes discharging the plurality of tablets from the first plurality of blisters of the first blister card. Then, each of the plurality of tablets are guided along one of a plurality of passageways defined by a transfer fixture positioned between the first blister card and the second blister card. Finally, the plurality of tablets are received in the second plurality of blisters of the second blister card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow, J. Randolph Lewis, Victor Lee
  • Patent number: 7779614
    Abstract: A method of filling a multi-dose blister card first includes selecting a first intermediate blister card comprising a plurality of tablets of a first product stored within a first plurality of intermediate blisters. Additionally, a multi-dose blister card including a plurality of multi-dose blisters that are empty is selected. The plurality of tablets of the first product from the first plurality of intermediate blisters are transferred into the plurality of multi-dose blisters. Next, a second intermediate blister card including a plurality of tablets of a second product stored within a second plurality of intermediate blisters is selected. The plurality of tablets of the second product are then transferred into the plurality of multi-dose blisters such that at least one of the multi-dose blisters contains one tablet of the first product and one product of the second product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Walgreen Co.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow, J. Randolph Lewis, Victor Lee
  • Publication number: 20100071320
    Abstract: A method in a computer system of distributing pills into containers for use by a patient includes obtaining from a memory a fill pattern including a mapping of each of a first plurality of pills to one of a first plurality of containers such that at least two of the first plurality of pills are mapped to the same one of the first plurality of containers, obtaining from the memory an attribute of each of the first plurality of pills such that at least two of the first plurality of pills differ in at least the obtained attribute, and automatically sorting the first plurality of pills according to the attribute of each of the plurality of pills according to a predefined order to generate an ordered list corresponding to an order of depositing the first plurality of pills into the first plurality of containers
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Syed Y. Ali, Amy C. Biesenthal, Rishi Khullar, Victor Lee, Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow
  • Publication number: 20100031611
    Abstract: A system and method for determining and communicating a volume-based fill pattern for a multi-dose medicament container is disclosed. Pill information corresponding to one or more pills for a patient to be packaged together may be obtained, and non-volume fill factors may be obtained. The volume-based fill pattern may be selected and indicated to be a cuboid volume or a packing parameter fill pattern. Pill and multi-dose medicament container data may be obtained and used to determine a fill pattern that is communicated to a filling entity for execution. The present disclosure may operate in accordance with multi-dose blister packs, and systems and methods of filling said blister packs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2008
    Publication date: February 11, 2010
    Applicant: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Syed Y. Ali, Amy C. Biesenthal, Rishi Khullar, Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow
  • Publication number: 20090139893
    Abstract: A product package includes a spine, a plurality of blister cards, and a coupler mechanism. Each blister card includes a plurality of individual cells. Each individual cell includes a blister for containing at least one product. The coupler mechanism is attached to the spine and re-attachably couples the plurality of blister cards within the product package.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Publication date: June 4, 2009
    Applicant: WALGREEN CO.
    Inventors: Sean McGonagle, Greg Pankow, Christina M. Marotta, Amy C. Biesenthal, William H. Valls, Zack Simmering