Methods and apparatus for dispensing solid pharmaceutical articles

1. An apparatus for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the apparatus comprising:

a) a housing assembly including a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall, the housing assembly defining:

a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles; and

a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path, the inlet being defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls; and

b) an adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the adjustment system including:

an input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and

an operator feedback mechanism that provides tactile feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall;

wherein:

the input mechanism includes a rotatable member that is rotatable relative to the housing assembly;

the operator feedback mechanism provides tactile feedback to the operator as the operator rotates the rotatable member to and/or from a prescribed rotational position of the rotatable member;

the rotatable member includes a threaded shank and a knob affixed thereto; and

the adjustment system is configured such that rotation of the knob rotates the threaded shank, which in turn translates the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including a plurality of indicia on the housing assembly to indicate respective prescribed positions of the second inlet wall.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the prescribed rotational position is indexed to at least prescribed ones of the plurality of indicia.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including:

a plurality of indicia on the housing assembly to indicate respective prescribed positions of the second inlet wall;

wherein the prescribed rotational position is indexed to at least prescribed ones of the plurality of indicia; and

wherein the threaded shank has a thread pitch configured such that each full turn of the rotatable member corresponds to one full increment between the plurality of indicia.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 including a plurality of indicia on the housing assembly to indicate respective prescribed positions of the second inlet wall, wherein the tactile feedback indicating prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall is indexed to the plurality of indicia.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second inlet wall is configured to translate relative to the first inlet wall in a direction perpendicular to the flow path.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing assembly includes a third inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall and the inlet is defined at least in part by the third inlet wall.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the second inlet wall is configured to translate relative to the first inlet wall in a first direction perpendicular to the flow path, and the third inlet wall is configured to translate relative to the first inlet wall in a second direction perpendicular to the flow path and to the first direction.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a drive mechanism operable to pass the articles along the dispensing path and through the inlet.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the drive mechanism includes a flow generator configured to generate at least one drive gas flow to pass articles along the dispensing path and through the inlet.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the housing assembly includes a third inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall and defining, at least in part, the inlet; and

the apparatus further includes a second adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the third inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the second adjustment system including:

a second input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the third inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and

a second operator feedback mechanism that provides tactile and/or audible feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the second input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the third inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the second wall is movable relative to the housing along a first axis and the third wall is movable relative to the housing along a second axis transverse to the first axis.

13. A method for dispensing pharmaceutical articles, the method comprising:

providing an apparatus comprising:

a housing assembly including a first inlet wall and a second inlet wall that is moveable relative to the first inlet wall, the housing assembly defining:

a hopper chamber that houses pharmaceutical articles; and

a dispensing channel fluidly connected to the hopper chamber, the dispensing channel having an inlet and an outlet and defining a flow path, the inlet being defined at least in part by the first and second inlet walls; and

an adjustment system operable to adjust the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, the adjustment system including:

an input mechanism selectively operable by an operator to selectively move the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and

an operator feedback mechanism that provides tactile feedback to the operator responsive to operation of the input mechanism by the operator to indicate prescribed increments of movement of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall; and

using the input mechanism, adjusting the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the size of the inlet to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet;

wherein:

the input mechanism includes a rotatable member that is rotatable relative to the housing assembly;

the operator feedback mechanism provides tactile feedback to the operator as the operator rotates the rotatable member to and/or from a prescribed rotational position of the rotatable member;

the rotatable member includes a threaded shank and a knob affixed thereto; and

the adjustment system is configured such that rotation of the knob rotates the threaded shank, which in turn translates the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall.

14. The method of claim 13 including:

using the input mechanism, adjusting the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the configuration of the inlet to a first configuration to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet; thereafter

executing a first counting session including passing the articles along a flow path with the inlet in the first configuration; thereafter

using the input mechanism, adjusting the position of the second inlet wall relative to the first inlet wall to adjust the configuration of the inlet to a second configuration to singulate the pharmaceutical articles passing through the inlet, wherein the second configuration is different from the first configuration; and thereafter

executing a second counting session including passing the articles along the dispensing pathway of the apparatus with the inlet in the second configuration.

15. The method of claim 13 including using a drive mechanism to pass the articles along the dispensing path and through the inlet.

16. The method of claim 15 including generating at least one drive gas flow using a flow generator to force articles along the dispensing path and through the inlet.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein:

the apparatus includes a plurality of indicia on the housing assembly to indicate respective prescribed positions of the second inlet wall;

the prescribed rotational position is indexed to at least prescribed ones of the plurality of indicia; and

the threaded shank has a thread pitch configured such that each full turn of the rotatable member corresponds to one full increment between the plurality of indicia.