Systems and methods for packaging solid pharmaceutical and/or nutraceutical products and automatically arranging the solid pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products in a linear transmission system

Abstract

A variety of systems and methods are described which quickly and conveniently provide for the selective transmission of individual solid pharmaceutical products from a common location into individual blister package product cavities. In accordance with the preferred exemplary embodiments, an automated alignment mechanism alters the orientation of solid pharmaceutical products that are initially arranged randomly in a two-dimensional array into one or more linear transmission systems. Each linear transmission system is essentially a one-dimensional stack of solid pharmaceutical products, vitamins or other elements. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, after the solid pharmaceutical products have been arranged in one or more of the linear transmission systems or vertical stacks, the solid pharmaceutical products are selectively transmitted into individual product package blister cavities or into product package templates having locations corresponding to the blister package cavities.