Blister pack device and method
A container forming apparatus includes a plurality of forming members that have outer forming surfaces, which are shaped to form pockets in a sheet of material. A plurality of actuators are in mechanical connection with the forming members. The actuators are able to extend and retract the forming members. A controller is in electrical communication with the plurality of actuators. The controller is able to simultaneously extend any one or any combination of the forming members to create a plurality of pockets in a determined pattern in the sheet of material to produce a customized blister pack.
1 . A medication package, comprising:
a unitary container including a monolithic sheet of plastic that includes a plurality of pockets arranged in a grid that includes a plurality of rows of pockets,
wherein at least one of the rows of pockets has a different number of pockets than at least one of the other rows of pockets and represents a different dose time than another of the rows of pockets, and
wherein the pockets are fluidly sealed from one another;
a frangible and monolithic covering that is adhesively secured to a planar top surface of the container and that captures pills in the plurality of pockets to fluidly seal the pills in separate ones of the plurality of pockets from one another in the unitary container,
at least two of the pockets containing different types of pills; and
machine readable codes provided directly on the frangible and monolithic covering and aligned with the pockets, the frangible and monolithic covering being free of the machine readable codes above spaces of the at least one of the rows of pockets where a pocket could be formed but is not formed, resulting in an incomplete grid of machine readable codes,
the machine readable codes including data associated with the pills contained within the respective pockets aligned with the machine readable codes for alerting an electronic device about contents of the plurality of pockets, wherein the data of each machine readable code is configured to enable the electronic device to generate a positive affirmation to a user based on the respective machine readable code matching an expected code associated with a scheduled dose prior to the covering being broken.
2 . The medication package as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the plurality of pockets contains at least two pills of a same type for a single dose.
3 . The medication package as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least two of the pockets have different sizes from one another.
4 . The medication package as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the machine readable codes that are provided on the frangible and monolithic covering include identifications of the pills in the plurality of pockets.
5 . The medication package as set forth in claim 4 wherein the frangible and monolithic covering further includes indicia that identify the rows of pockets as being associated with doses.
6 . The medication package as set forth in claim 5 wherein the indicia include images of the pills contained in the pockets.
7 . The medication package as set forth in claim 1 wherein the container is transparent.
8 . The medication package as set forth in claim 1 , wherein a first pocket of the plurality of pockets has a first internal volume, and wherein a second pocket of the plurality of pockets has a second internal volume that is different from the first internal volume.
9 . The medication package of claim 8 , wherein the grid that includes the plurality of rows of pockets is based on at least one of a quantity of medication and a type of medication to be held in the first pocket having the first internal volume and the second pocket having the second internal volume.
10 . The medication package of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of pockets are selectively formed by a drum with a plurality of selectable actuators to place the first pocket in a first location and the second pocket in a second location corresponding to a dosing schedule for medications.
11 . The medication package of claim 1 , wherein the machine readable codes are quick-response (QR) codes.
12 . The medication package as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the machine readable codes are printed on the frangible and monolithic covering.
13 . The medication package as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the frangible and monolithic covering includes:
identifications of the pills in the plurality of pockets,
indicia that identify pockets as being associated with a specific medication dose, and
images of the pills contained in the pockets;
wherein the frangible and monolithic covering is transparent; and
wherein at least two of the pockets have different sizes from one another to store different volumes of pills.
14 . The medication package as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the frangible and monolithic covering further includes identifications of sizes of the plurality of pockets for assisting a user in determining which area of the frangible and monolithic covering to break to dispense contents from the pockets.