Patent Grant
12116151
The presently-disclosed invention relates generally to replicating and predicting settings for tamping style capsule filling equipment and, more particularly, tamping simulators and methods of replicating and predicting settings for tamping style capsule filling equipment for a powder.
In the pharmaceutical and nutritional supplement industries, tamping style capsule filling equipment is used to fill capsules with a powder of interest by separating two-piece capsules, filling them, closing them, and ejecting them for further processing and handling. These filling machines fill the capsules by preforming a slug of powder through a five-step compression process that allows for clean transfer using the correct amounts of powder. The dosing area can be the most complex part of the filling machine for operators to set-up. The current methods used are largely based on trial and error, resulting in inefficiencies in production due to time and material loss.
In some cases, a slug tester may be used to determine filling equipment settings. While the slug tester is a useful tool, it is limited to identifying dosing disc thickness and slug quality (i.e., whether the powder will form into a slug). It displays digitally the pressure used in forming a slug, but the measurements do not translate well to settings for configuring the filling equipment. Indeed, the filling equipment does not utilize digital readouts for displaying compressing forces, and, as such, the slug tester is not used to determine tamping pin settings.
Accordingly, there still exists a need for a device for approximating filling equipment settings in advance, including, but not limited to, dosing disc thickness, powder level settings, slug quality, and tamping pin settings.
One or more embodiments of the invention may address one or more of the aforementioned problems. Certain embodiments according to the invention provide tamping simulators. The tamping simulator includes a powder cylinder; a dosing receptacle; a tamping pin having a first end and a second end, the tamping pin being configured to be moved between a raised position and a lowered position such that the second end is received into the powder cylinder and the dosing receptacle in an instance in which the tamping pin is in the lowered position; a tamping spring operably coupled to the first end of the tamping pin and being configured to relieve compression pressure from the tamping pin; and a compression scale operably coupled to the tamping spring and being configured to indicate an amount of compression pressure absorbed by the tamping spring.
According to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator may further comprise a penetration scale disposed between the compression scale and the tamping spring. In some embodiments, the penetration scale may be configured to indicate tamping pin depth within the bore.
According to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator may further comprise a handle operably connected to the first end of the tamping pin. The handle may be configured to move the tamping pin between the raised position and the lowered position.
According to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator may comprise a plurality of tamping pins. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of tamping pins may have a different standardized pin size.
According to certain embodiments, the powder cylinder may comprise clear glass or clear plastic.
According to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator may further comprise a powder dispersal mechanism. In some embodiments, the powder dispersal mechanism may comprise a disc ratcheting mechanism or a powder stirring mechanism.
According to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator may be configured to replicate and predict settings for tamping style capsule filling equipment for a target drug, dietary supplement, or nutritional supplement. In some embodiments, the settings may comprise tamping pin settings for one or more tamping stations, dosing disc thickness, powder level settings, slug forming qualities, or any combination thereof.
In another aspect, rotatable dosing discs for tamping simulators are provided. The rotatable dosing disc includes a first surface configured to be positioned adjacent to and in alignment with a powder cylinder of the tamping simulator; a second surface opposite the first surface; a bore extending from the first surface to the second surface and being configured to receive a tamping pin; and a thickness adjustment device disposed at the second surface and being operably coupled to the bore to adjust bore thickness.
According to certain embodiments, the thickness adjustment device may comprise a threaded pin having a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the bore, a plunger operably coupled to the threaded pin, and a rotatable dial operably coupled to the threaded pin and being configured to adjust a position of the plunger in relation to the bore. In this way, the plunger and walls of the bore define a dosing receptacle, and adjustment of the bore thickness modifies a volume of the dosing receptacle so as to accommodate different dosages for filling capsules.
In some embodiments, the rotatable dosing disc may comprise a plurality of thickness adjustment devices. In certain embodiments, each of the plurality of thickness adjustment devices may be disposed at one of the plurality of tamping stations, and each of the plurality of thickness adjustment devices may be operably coupled to one of the plurality of evenly-spaced bores.
According to certain embodiments, the rotatable dosing disc may comprise a plurality of evenly-spaced bores. In some embodiments, each of the plurality of evenly-spaced bores may be disposed at one of a plurality of tamping stations positioned around a circumference of the rotatable dosing disc. In certain embodiments, each of the plurality of evenly-spaced bores may have a different standardized diameter.
In yet another aspect, methods of replicating and predicting settings for tamping style capsule filling equipment for a powder are provided. The method includes selecting a bore diameter, a bore thickness, and a tamping pin size; receiving a volume of powder in a powder cylinder; compressing the powder into a dosing receptacle defined by a plunger and walls of a bore of a rotatable dosing disc having the selected bore diameter and the selected bore thickness by moving a tamping pin having the selected tamping pin size from a raised position to a lowered position into the powder cylinder and the dosing receptacle; and indicating an amount of compression pressure absorbed by a tamping spring operably coupled to the tamping pin in an instance in which the tamping pin is moved to the lowered position.
According to certain embodiments, the method may further comprise indicating tamping pin penetration into the bore.
According to certain embodiments, the method may further comprise dispersing the powder in the powder cylinder after compressing the powder into the dosing receptacle. In some embodiments, dispersing the powder may comprise ratcheting the dosing disc or stirring the powder.
According to certain embodiments, the method may further comprise compressing the powder at least one additional time (e.g., four additional times) and dispersing the powder each time the powder is compressed.
According to certain embodiments, the settings may comprise tamping pin settings for one or more tamping stations, dosing disc thickness, powder level settings, slug forming qualities, or any combination thereof.
According to certain embodiments, following the five-step compression process, the powder may be ejected from the rotatable dosing disc using the thickness adjustment device to evaluate slug quality and the weight of the powder.
Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, this invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. As used in the specification, and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Moreover, as used herein, terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” etc. are used for explanatory purposes in the present disclosure to describe the relative position of certain components or portions of components. Furthermore, as would be evident to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present disclosure, the term “substantially” indicates that the referenced element or associated description is accurate to within applicable engineering tolerances.
The invention includes, according to certain embodiments, devices and methods for replicating and predicting settings for tamping style capsule filling equipment for a powder. Such devices and methods may be used by research and development personnel to determine if powders are ready for use in filling equipment, as well as to identify changes that can be made prior to widescale production, including via machine adjustment or via the addition of product excipients to meet desired characteristics, such as slug quality and dose weight. Moreover, the devices and methods described herein may also be used by production personnel for individual production batches to predict machine setup parameters, accounting for batch-to-batch variation. Such parameters or settings include, but are not limited to, tamping pin settings for one or more tamping stations, dosing disc thickness, powder level settings, slug forming qualities, or any combination thereof. These parameters, particularly disc thickness, powder level settings, and resulting compression, may be used to determine end capsule weight. In addition, the devices and methods described herein utilize the exact tamping pins and spring used on the filling equipment such that the devices and methods provide a direct translation to machine settings. As such, by using the devices and methods described herein, one knowledgeable person in the production area can predetermine the settings for less experienced operators, conserving time and material and eliminating the requirement that all operators be experts in filling equipment operation. In this way, the devices and methods disclosed herein are able to replicate and predict filling equipment settings to improve the efficiency of the capsule production process.
I. Tamping Simulators
In particular, according to a first aspect of the invention, a tamping simulator is provided. The tamping simulator includes a powder cylinder; a dosing receptacle; a tamping pin having a first end and a second end, the tamping pin being configured to be moved between a raised position and a lowered position such that the second end is received into the powder cylinder and the dosing receptacle in an instance in which the tamping pin is in the lowered position; a tamping spring operably coupled to the first end of the tamping pin and being configured to relieve compression pressure from the tamping pin; and a compression scale operably coupled to the tamping spring and being configured to indicate an amount of compression pressure absorbed by the tamping spring.
Also provided is a rotatable dosing disc for a tamping simulator. The rotatable dosing disc includes a first surface configured to be positioned adjacent to and in alignment with a powder cylinder of the tamping simulator; a second surface opposite the first surface; a bore extending from the first surface to the second surface and being configured to receive a tamping pin; and a thickness adjustment device disposed at the second surface and being operably coupled to the bore to adjust bore thickness.
Turning now to
The tamping simulator 100 also includes a powder cylinder 106 that is connected to the body 101 via a clamp 103 or similar mechanism for grasping and stabilizing the powder cylinder 106, as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. The powder cylinder 106 of the tamping simulator 100 may replicate the product bowl of the filling machine used in actual production. A powder of interest (e.g., a drug or supplement in solid particulate form) may be placed within the powder cylinder 106 for use in the tamping simulator 100. In some embodiments, the powder cylinder 106 may be a graduated cylinder. For instance, and as shown in
The tamping simulator 100 further includes a tamping pin 108 having a first end 108a and a second end 108b. The tamping pin 108 may be moved between a raised position and a lowered position. In the lowered position, the second end 108b of the tamping pin 108 moves through the powder cylinder 106 and into a bore 134 in the rotatable dosing disc 110. In some embodiments, the tamping simulator 100 may include a handle 120 operably connected to the first end 108a of the tamping pin 108 such that the handle 120 may be gripped by an operator and used to move the tamping pin 108 between the raised position and the lowered position through the powder cylinder 106 and into the bore 134. In some embodiments, the handle 120 may be operably connected to one or more springs (not shown) to provide resistance during compression to prevent an operator from moving the tamping pin 108 past a targeted tamping depth. In this way, the tamping pin 108 may compress the powder 109 using its second end 108b and move it into the rotatable dosing disc 110, thereby compressing the powder 109 within a volume defined by the rotatable dosing disc 110 and the tamping pin 108, as described in more detail below and shown in
The rotatable dosing disc 110 has a first surface 110a and a second surface 110b. As shown in
According to certain embodiments, the rotatable dosing disc 110 also includes at least one thickness adjustment device 112. In some embodiments, the rotatable dosing disc 110 may include a plurality of thickness adjustment devices 112. In such embodiments, each of the plurality of thickness adjustment devices 112 may be disposed at one of the plurality of tamping stations 130 such that each of the plurality of thickness adjustment devices 112 may be operably coupled to one of the plurality of evenly-spaced bores 134. Indeed, each thickness adjustment device 112 is disposed at the second surface 110b of the rotatable dosing disc 110 and is operably coupled to the bore 134 to adjust the thickness, or depth, of the bore 134. In particular, the thickness adjustment device 112 may include a threaded pin 114. In some embodiments, the threaded pin 114 may have a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of the bore 134 such that there is only enough space between the threaded pin 114 and the walls of the bore 134 so that the threaded pin 114 moves without friction while also preventing leaks. In certain embodiments, the thickness adjustment device 112 may also include a plunger 115 operably coupled to the threaded pin 114 and disposed internally in the thickness adjustment device 112 such that the plunger 115 forms a sealing plate that defines the bottom of a dosing receptacle 136 within the rotatable dosing disc 110, as shown, for example, in
In addition, according to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator 100 may also include a tray 138. In operation, and as shown in
The tamping simulator 100 also includes a tamping spring 122. The tamping spring 122, which may be a standardized tamping spring, is operably coupled to the first end 108a of the tamping pin 108 and, in operation, absorbs the compression pressure generated when lowering the tamping pin 108 into the dosing receptacle 136. In this way, the tamping pin 108 may be pushed through the powder cylinder 106 and into the dosing receptacle 136 with greater force without causing damage. In other words, the tamping spring 122 may thus provide protection to the parts on either end of the spring as pressure is built up during slug formation. Without the presence of the tamping spring 122, the tamping pin, and all associated parts, could receive damage from the parts above it that are driving it down through the powder, and the parts above the spring may also be susceptible to damage.
The tamping spring 122 is operably coupled to a compression scale 124 disposed on the tamping bracket 102. The compression scale 124 indicates the amount of compression pressure that is absorbed by the tamping spring 122 via markings on the compression scale 124 that are read by an operator. In some embodiments, the markings may be in color and/or engraved (e.g., via laser or any other suitable method understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art) to improve marking visibility. In certain embodiments, and as shown in
According to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator 100 may also include a penetration scale 126 disposed on the tamping bracket 102. The penetration scale 126 may indicate the depth of the compression by the tamping pin 108 within the bore 134 when the tamping pin 108 is in the lowered position. In this way, the penetration scale 126 may indicate the correct compression depth needed to reach the correct end capsule weight. As shown in
According to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator 100 may further include a powder dispersal mechanism (not shown). In this way, the powder may be dispersed in the powder cylinder 106 after the tamping pin 108 compresses the powder in the dosing receptacle 136 such that the powder is refreshed and refills the bore 134. In such embodiments, the powder dispersal mechanism may include a disc ratcheting mechanism, a powder stirring mechanism, or a combination thereof. In certain embodiments, for instance, the rotatable dosing disc 110 may be ratcheted a full revolution (i.e. rotated 360°) to disperse powder in the powder cylinder 106 after compression with the tamping pin 108 has been completed and the tamping pin 108 is returned to the raised position. For example, to replicate the five compressions typically performed by filling equipment, the rotatable dosing disc 110 may be ratcheted one full revolution five times, with each ratchet occurring after a compression. In addition or alternatively, the powder may be stirred to disperse powder in the powder cylinder 106 after each compression with the tamping pin 108 by a powder stirring mechanism as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art. Suitable powder stirring mechanisms may include, but are not limited to, devices configured for trituration (e.g., a glass mortar), spatulation (e.g., a powder spatula), sifting (e.g., a sifter or a sieve), or a powder plow or diverter, as understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art.
According to certain embodiments, the tamping simulator may be smaller than standard filling equipment. For example, in some embodiments the tamping simulator may be a tabletop device capable of being placed in the production area and/or the research and development area. By including the tamping simulator in these areas, time and money will be saved by pre-determining settings on-site on an as-needed basis and reducing waste that may otherwise result from conventional trial-and-error methods. In addition, the tamping simulator may be compatible with filling equipment used for all types of capsules and in a variety of sizes, including but not restricted to gelatin capsules and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (“Hypromellose” or “HPMC”) capsules, pullulan capsules, and other capsule polymers.
In this regard, the tamping simulator replicates and predicts filling equipment settings including, but not limited to, tamping pin settings for one or more tamping stations, dosing disc thickness, powder level settings, slug forming qualities, or any combination thereof. These settings, particularly disc thickness, tamping pin settings, and powder level settings, may be used to determine end capsule weight. In this way, the tamping simulator improves the efficiency of the capsule production process.
II. Methods of Replicating and Predicting Settings for Tamping Style Capsule Filling Equipment
In another aspect, a method of replicating and predicting settings for tamping style capsule filling equipment for a powder is provided. The method includes selecting a bore diameter, a bore thickness, and a tamping pin size; receiving a volume of powder in a powder cylinder; compressing the powder into a dosing receptacle defined by a plunger and walls of a bore of a rotatable dosing disc having the selected bore diameter and the selected bore thickness by moving a tamping pin having the selected tamping pin size from a raised position to a lowered position into the powder cylinder and the dosing receptacle; and indicating an amount of compression pressure absorbed by a tamping spring operably coupled to the tamping pin in an instance in which the tamping pin is moved to the lowered position.
In some embodiments, certain steps of the method are repeated until the desired volume of powder in the dosing receptacle is achieved.
In this regard, the method replicates and predicts filling equipment settings including, but not limited to, tamping pin settings for one or more tamping stations, dosing disc thickness, powder level settings, slug forming qualities, or any combination thereof. These settings, particularly disc thickness, powder level settings, and tamping pin settings, may be used to determine end capsule weight. In this way, the method improves the efficiency of the capsule production process.
Modifications of the invention set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/287,612 entitled “TAMPING SIMULATOR AND ASSOCIATED METHOD” filed on Dec. 9, 2021, which is assigned to the assignees hereof and hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein.
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| International Search Report and Written Opinion, dated May 15, 2023 for International Application No. PCT/US2022/052339, 21 pages. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
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| 20230182934 A1 | Jun 2023 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63287612 | Dec 2021 | US |
