DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention pertains to the field of capsule filling technology, specifically a system for metered dosing of materials into capsules. More specifically, it relates to an automated and precise system for controlling the dispensing of materials such as pharmaceutical or nutraceutical compounds, pellets, or micro-tablets into capsules with high accuracy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Capsule filling is a complex process, and the product to be filled in the capsules must be well developed to ensure mass uniformity. Conventionally used capsule filling machine comprises a rotary turret equipped with multiple operating stations for processing the capsules. Generally, the steps include opening the closed empty capsules to obtain a cap and a body; filling the requisite quantity of the pharmaceutical/nutraceutical material into each capsule body at a dosing station; and closing each filled capsule by applying a cap to the respective body. Further, the capsules are expelled from the rotary turret once the capsules are closed.
[0003] The concept of precision drug-dosing has gained ground in recent years, given its ability to boost efficacy and curb side effects. Yet imprecise dosing regimens continue to be common for many drugs, leading to significant rates of adverse drug reactions. Pharmaceutical manufacturers are governed by strict standards for quality assurance and quality control across the entire production process. The required rigour extends into the filling and packaging of those pharmaceuticals. Checkweighers are used to individually weigh the capsules ensuring each capsule falls within a specified weight range. Since patient safety is utmost important, a capsule that does not have the required weight will fail the checkweigher test. If a capsule contains an incorrect amount of product, it could affect a patient’s outcome. An error in a single capsule also tarnishes a brand’s reputation and leads to potentially costly and disruptive recalls. A mishap resulting in a recalled pharmaceutical product can, depending on the product type and number of batches affected, have a significant financial impact on the manufacturer.
[0004] Hence, all the filled capsules have to be weighed to ensure that they have been filled correctly. Generally, the same is achieved either by measuring the final weight of the capsules (filled and closed capsules) or by determining the amount of material that is filled in the capsule body individually before applying the caps. In the first method the filled capsules are compared with the weight of the empty capsules to determine the amount of dose that has been filled. Although this method is effective, but any the detection of capsules with incorrect amount of material is detected at a later stage and hence because of this delay a certain number of unchecked capsules of incorrect weight will already be produced. In the second method different sensors are placed downstream of the filling machine to measure the weight of the dosed product inside the capsules. These sensors, comprise complicated calibrating procedures involving heavy maintenance.
[0005] US7140403 and US5515740 disclose filling machines that enable the net weight of capsules to be measured comprising a first weighing unit or scales, upstream of the filling unit, that measures the weight of a sample of empty capsules (tare) taken from a conveying carousel or wheel, and a second weighing unit, downstream of the filling unit, that measures the weight of said sample of filled capsules (gross weight), taken from a further conveying wheel. A processing unit calculates for each capsule of the sample the difference in the weight measured by the two weighing units and determines the net weight, i.e. the weight of the dosed product. The aforesaid solution is not thus usable in filling machines with a high production speed of the so-called rotating single-turret type.
[0006] It is necessary to check weight both in order to reject from production capsules that are not compliant because they contain a quantity of product outside the permitted dosing tolerance range and in order to correct possible excesses or defects in dosing the product, by acting in feedback manner on a filling unit of the machine. With increasing need of automation; faster turn-around times; robustness in manufacturing processes, responsibility to produce encapsulated products shifted mainly to industrial manufacturers. Contemporaneous with overall development of the encapsulation industry, those skilled in the art have advanced the state of the encapsulation art. In the past few decades there has been significant improvement in encapsulation technology including development of soft elastic capsules, film-coating techniques, micro-encapsulation, multiple-compartment technology, etc. However, despite exponential growth there is still a lot to be desired from the encapsulation industry. Thus, there is felt a need for a system and a method for metered dosing of materials in the capsules.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention envisages a system for metered dosing of capsules. The system comprises a plurality of capsule filling stations, each including at least one cartridge configured to contain a predefined volume of a dosing material. The material is selected from a group consisting of nutraceutical compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, pellets, and micro-tablets. The system further comprises a manual gate disposed in each cartridge in communication with a dose reservoir plate and a slider plate. The slider plate is operable to generate and deliver a precise dose of the material in a delivery zone. The slider plate includes a plurality of holes of predetermined sizes configured to precisely dispense a fixed dose of material, and a single hole designed to dispense a fine-tuned, precise amount of material to achieve the target dose. The system also comprises a processor operably coupled with one or more sensors, wherein the processor is configured to retrieve instructions encoded on a sensor-readable tag disposed on the cartridge, the instructions corresponding to a predetermined dose of the material, and wherein the processor is further configured to control the dispensing of the material into the base shell of a capsule. The system further comprises a dosing mechanism, wherein the mechanism comprises the slider plate that is horizontally oscillable under the control of the processor, allowing for a staged and controlled dispensing of material through the plurality of holes and ultimately a fine-tuning of the dose via the single hole, ensuring precise filling of the capsule base shells. The system also comprises a gravimetric sensing system, configured as a load cell or equivalent sensor, providing continuous feedback on the weight of the material dispensed into the capsule base shell. The feedback is continuously processed by the processor to ensure that the final dose of material dispensed matches the predefined target weight with high precision, minimizing over-dosing or under-dosing errors.
[0008] The present invention also envisages a method for metered dosing of capsules. The method comprises providing a plurality of empty capsules, each having a base shell and a cap, and conveying the empty capsules into a loading and separation station where the base shells are separated from the caps and positioned for material filling. Further, a holder containing the separated base shells is placed onto a load cell and taring the load cell to account for the weight of the base shells prior to dosing. Next the holder is positioned with base shells directly beneath a cartridge containing a predefined volume of material. The cartridge having a sensor-readable tag with an encoded recipe or dose configuration, wherein the tag is read by one or more sensors that communicate with a processor. Further, the sensor-readable tag is scanned to retrieve dosing instructions, wherein the processor calculates the required dose and directs a slider plate, which is part of the dosing mechanism, to move and dispense the material into the capsule base shell, ensuring the material is dispensed accurately through the appropriate holes in the slider plate. A gravimetric feedback system is utilized to measure and monitor the weight of the material dispensed into the base shell of the capsule, wherein the gravimetric system continuously reports the weight to the processor, which adjusts the dispensing by activating the oscillation of the slider plate between the dose generation position and dose delivery position until the predetermined dose is achieved. Once the desired dose is approached, the processor aligns the single hole of the slider plate with the dose generation position and fine-tunes the dispensing to deliver the final precise dose, ensuring no material is spilled and the base shell is accurately filled to the target weight. Lastly, confirmation on the feedback from the gravimetric system is obtained, i.e. if the base shell has reached the desired weight, at which point the holder with the filled base shells is conveyed to a capsule closing station, where the filled capsules are sealed with their respective caps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles:
Figure 1 shows a system for metered dosing of capsules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 2 shows a system for metered dosing of capsules in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 3 shows a dose generation and dose delivery positions in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 4 shows a slider plate in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
Figure 5 illustrates the process steps in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[00010] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[00011] Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense that is as “including, but not limited to.”
[00012] Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
[00013] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[00014] In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities of ingredients, properties such as concentration, and so forth, used to describe and claim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as being modified in some instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable.
[00015] The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein.
[00016] All methods described herein can be performed in suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
[00017] The headings and abstract of the invention provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments.
[00018] Various terms are used herein. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing.
[00019] The present invention relates to a system and a method for metered dosing of capsules. The present invention addresses the shortcomings of existing capsule filling systems by providing a metered dosing system and method that uses a combination of a slider plate dosing mechanism, gravimetric feedback control, and a processor-driven control system to ensure precise material dispensing into capsule base shells. The system is designed to handle a wide variety of materials, including but not limited to pharmaceutical compounds, nutraceutical compounds, pellets, and micro-tablets.
[00020] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2, in one aspect the present invention relates to a system for metered dosing 100 of capsules. According to an embodiment of the invention, empty capsules having a cap and a base shell are brought into a capsule loading and separation station not shown in figures. The base shells of the capsules are separated from the caps in the capsule loading and separation station and the base shells are prepared for filling predetermined materials 17. In an embodiment of the invention, the predetermined material 17 can be a nutraceutical compound, or a pharmaceutical compound.
[00021] As seen in Figures 1 and 2, the system 100 has a plurality of capsule filling stations 10. As seen in Figure 1, according to the invention, the capsule filling stations 10 has at least one cartridge 12. Each filling station includes a cartridge 12 configured to contain a predefined volume of material 17, such as pharmaceutical or nutraceutical compounds, pellets, or micro-tablets. In some embodiments, the material may be adjusted to accommodate varying dose strengths. Each cartridge 12 is equipped with a manual gate 101 that regulates the flow of material into the dose reservoir plate 103, which in turn communicates with the slider plate 400 depicted in Figure 4. This arrangement enables the controlled dispensing of material into the capsule base shell. The slider plate 400 is configured to generate and deliver a precise dose with the help of a drive 105 in the delivery zone 107. Further, each of the cartridges 12 has a substantially cylindrical outer surface and is configured to contain a predefined volume of the material 17. Typically, the material 17 is pellets or micro-tablets or a mixture thereof. The material 17 is loaded from cartridge 12 into reservoir plate 103 after opening of manual gate 101. Along with reservoir plate 103, the material also enters the dose generation zone 301. Further, each cartridge 12 has a sensor-readable tag not shown on the outer surface of the cartridge 12. In various embodiments, the sensor-readable tag is either disposed on, or removably attached to, or etched on the cylindrical outer surface of the cartridge 12. In another embodiment of the invention, the sensor-readable tag is a Quick-Response QR code or a Radio Frequency Identification RFID code. The capsule loading and separation station not shown receives empty capsules, which consist of a cap and a base shell. The base shells are separated from the caps and prepared for filling. At each capsule filling station, the base shell is aligned with the dispensing mechanism to receive the appropriate amount of material 17. The system is designed to ensure that the dispensing process is controlled and automated, with precise monitoring and adjustment of the dosage during the operation.
[00022] According to the invention, the system 100 has one or more processors not shown and one or more sensors not shown. The one or more processors are configured to set a predetermined dose based on instructions received from scanning the sensor-readable tags by the one or more sensors. The processor is responsible for controlling the operation of the slider plate 400 and adjusting the dispensing process in real-time. Accordingly, the predetermined set doses of the materials 17 are made available to be dispensed in each of the base shells of the capsules in combination with slider plate 400. In an embodiment of the invention, the system 100 further has a memory not shown which stores the predefined instructions. According to the embodiment, when the instructions are executed, they cause the one or more processors to scan the sensor-readable tags disposed on the cartridges by the one or more sensors. Further, the one or more processors cause dispensing the predetermined dose of the materials 17 from the cartridges 12 into dosing mechanisms explained hereinunder based on the instructions received from the sensor-readable tags. Furthermore, as per the embodiment, the predetermined doses of the materials 17 are then dispensed from the dosing mechanisms into the base shells of the capsules in combination with slider plate 400.
[00023] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, upon scanning the sensor-readable tag on the cartridge 12, the processor retrieves the encoded dosing instructions and calculates the required dose. The processor then directs the slider plate to dispense the material accordingly, using the appropriate set of holes 401 or the fine-tuning hole 403. In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the system includes a gravimetric sensing system 111, such as a load cell 20, configured to continuously monitor the weight of material 17 dispensed into the capsule base shell. The load cell generates real-time feedback that is sent to the processor. The processor uses this feedback to adjust the dispensing process, ensuring that the correct amount of material is dispensed into the capsule base shell. This real-time feedback mechanism allows for dynamic adjustments based on factors such as material variability, environmental conditions, or equipment drift.
[00024] Referring now to Figures 3 and 4, depicted is a dosing mechanism. The dosing mechanism is disposed vertically downwards from the cartridge 12 to the slider plate 400. The slider plate 400 comprises a plurality of holes 401, 403 with pre-determined sizes such that each hole is configured to generate a fixed dose. The slider plate 400 further comprises a single hole 403 configured for receiving a single pellet which is used to achieve the required precise dose. The plate is horizontally oscillable under the control of the processor, enabling a staged dispensing process. In a particular embodiment, the slider plate further includes a single hole 403, which is smaller in size and aligned with the dose delivery position 303 to fine-tune the final amount of material dispensed. This ensures that the dose is delivered with high precision, especially in cases where the target dose is very small.
[00025] As per the invention, the dosing mechanism dispenses the generated doses of the material 17 through the plurality of holes 401 in the base shells of each of the capsules. Thereafter the precise dosing is achieved by using the dose generated in hole 403. In an embodiment of the invention, the dosing mechanism has a cavity disposed vertically downwards the cartridge.
[00026] The set dose of the material 17 is dispensed by the processor as explained hereinabove, i.e. upon receipt of instructions stored on the sensor-readable tags the processor assesses the dose that is required inside each of the capsules. Basis the preferred dose amount, the processor controls the dispensing of the material 17 from the cartridge into the base shell via the slider plate 400. Thus, upon instructions from the processor, the slider plate 400 slides away in order for the material 17 to be released into the base shell. According to the embodiment, as soon as the set dose of the material 17 is generated and dispensed by the slider plate 400, the slider plate 400 slides back underneath the opening of the cartridge 12 to prevent any spillage of the material 17 stored in the cartridge 12. In the same embodiment, and as seen in the Figure 3, the dosing mechanism has a dose generation position 301 and a dose deliver position 303. The dose deliver position 303 is aligned with an opening of the base shell of the capsule. Accordingly, the set dose of the material 17 is dispensed by the slider plate 400 from the dose deliver position 303 into the base shell of the capsule.
[00027] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the system 100 of the present invention has a gravimetric sensing system 111. In an embodiment, the gravimetric sensing system 111 is a load cell. Further, the system 100 has at least one conveying mechanism not shown. The slider plate 400 comprising fixed dose oscillates with help of drive 105 from dose generation position 301 to dose delivery position 303. This oscillation of slider is designed such that – when its one hole is at dose delivery position 303 at same time it’s another hole is in position of dose generation position 301. The gravimetric sensing system 111 is used to generate feedback based on the operation of the slider plate 400 with oscillation movement through drive 105. The same process is repeated until the total dosage in the base shell of the capsule reaches close to the intended dose as defined through logic made in processor. Based on feedback generated by the gravimetric sensing system 111 and after attaining the dosage as defined through logic made in processor, the slider plate 400 then dispenses the material 17 through single hole 403 to achieve the desired/prescribed dosage. Thus, for remaining dose filling the single hole 403 is aligned with dose generation position 301. The slider plate 400 oscillates with individual products to align with dose delivery position 303. Again, basis the feedback generated by the gravimetric sensing system 111 and once the prescribed dose is attained the slider plate 400 oscillates back in position such that the plurality of holes 401 are aligned with the dose generation position 301. Upon confirmation that all the base shells weigh equally, the conveying mechanism conveys not shown in figure the holder with the base shell/s filled with the material 17 to a capsule closing station not shown in figure in order to close the base shells.
[00028] The present invention, in another aspect, relates to a method for metered dosing of capsules. The metered dosing method 500 for dosing capsules shown in Figure 5, whereby each of the capsules has precisely weighted materials 17. As explained hereinbefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, empty capsules having a cap and base shell are brought into a capsule loading and separation station. The base shells of the capsules are separated from the caps in the capsule loading and separation station. Further, the separated base shells are prepared for filling the predetermined materials 17. In this regard, a plurality of the base shells are loaded in the holder ready to be filled. In an embodiment of the invention, the predetermined material 17 is a nutraceutical compound, or a pharmaceutical compound.
[00029] As seen in Figure 5, at step 510 the holder 30 is conveyed to the at least one load cell 20. Once the empty base shells are placed on the load cell, the load cell is tared. In an embodiment of the invention, there are plurality of such holders having a plurality of the base shells of the capsules. Upon weighing, the holder with the base shells is then positioned at step 520, vertically downwards the cartridge 12. As explained hereinbefore, each cartridge 12 in each of the capsule filling stations 10 has a sensor-readable tag not shown on the outer surface of the cartridge 12. In various embodiments, the sensor-readable tag is either disposed on, or removeably attached to, or etched on the cylindrical outer surface of the cartridge 12. In another embodiment of the invention, the sensor-readable tag is a Quick-Response QR code or a Radio Frequency Identification RFID code.
[00030] At step 530, the sensor-readable tag disposed on a first cartridge not shown of the first capsule filling station is scanned by the one or more sensors. Instructions/ recipe stored on the sensor-readable tag is then communicated to the one or more processors. The one or more processors process the recipe and accordingly, communicate commands to the slider 13. As explained hereinabove, the dosing mechanism has a cavity 14 disposed vertically downwards the cartridge 12. The cavity 14 receives the set dose of the material 17 from the cartridge 12. Basis the preferred dose amount, the processors controls the dispensing of the material 17 from the cartridge into the cavity 14.
[00031] At step 540, basis the preferred dose amount, the processor controls the dispensing of the material 17 from the cartridge into the base shell via the slider plate 400. Thus, upon instructions from the processor, the slider plate 400 comprising fixed dose oscillates with help of drive 105 from dose generation position 301 to dose delivery position 303. This oscillation of slider is designed such that – when its one hole is at dose delivery position 303 at same time it’s another hole is in position of dose generation position 301. The gravimetric sensing system 111 is used to generate feedback based on the operation of the slider plate 400 with oscillation movement through drive 105. The same process is repeated until the total dosage in the base shell of the capsule reaches close to the intended dose as defined through logic made in processor.
[00032] At step 550, based on feedback generated by the gravimetric sensing system 111 and after attaining the dosage as defined through logic made in processor, the slider plate 400 then dispenses the material 17 through single hole 403 to achieve the desired/prescribed dosage. Thus, for the remaining dose filling the single hole 403 is aligned with dose generation position 301. The slider plate 400 oscillates with individual products to align with dose delivery position 303.
[00033] At step 560 upon confirmation that all the base shells weigh equally, the conveying mechanism conveys not shown in figure the holder with the base shell/s filled with the material 17 to a capsule closing station not shown in figure in order to close the base shells. The finished capsules are then transported to a packaging station either manually or automatically.
[00034] Advantageously, in view of the present invention, the method requires minimum human intervention thereby achieving a desired result within a desired amount of time. Further, the system is designed in such way that, wide range of weights can be filled as per requirement by using the processor. The system of the present invention thereby uses machine learning to a substantial extent and thus makes the manufacturing of the tablets even more time-saving, cost-saving and resource-saving. Thus, the system is suitable for all capsule filling machines, capsule vending machines which operates in both semi-automatic and automatic mode.
[00035] While the foregoing description discloses various embodiments of the disclosure, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope of the disclosure.
,CLAIMS:1. A system for metered dosing of capsules (100), comprising:
a. a plurality of capsule filling stations (10), each including at least one cartridge (12) configured to contain a predefined volume of a dosing material (17), said material (17) selected from a group consisting of nutraceutical compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, pellets, and micro-tablets;
b. a manual gate (101) disposed in each cartridge (12) in communication with a dose reservoir plate (103) and a slider plate (400), wherein said slider plate (400) is operable to generate and deliver a precise dose of the material (17) in a delivery zone (107); wherein the slider plate (400) includes a plurality of holes (401) of predetermined sizes configured to precisely dispense a fixed dose of material (17), and a single hole (403) designed to dispense a fine-tuned, precise amount of material to achieve the target dose;
c. a processor operably coupled with one or more sensors, wherein said processor is configured to retrieve instructions encoded on a sensor-readable tag disposed on the cartridge (12), the instructions corresponding to a predetermined dose of the material (17), and wherein said processor is further configured to control the dispensing of the material (17) into the base shell of a capsule;
d. a dosing mechanism (400), wherein said mechanism comprises said slider plate (400) that is horizontally oscillable under the control of said processor, allowing for a staged and controlled dispensing of material (17) through the plurality of holes (401) and ultimately a fine-tuning of the dose via the single hole (403), ensuring precise filling of the capsule base shells; and
e. a gravimetric sensing system (111), configured as a load cell (20) or equivalent sensor, providing continuous feedback on the weight of the material (17) dispensed into the capsule base shell;
wherein said feedback is continuously processed by said processor to ensure that the final dose of material (17) dispensed matches the predefined target weight with high precision, minimizing over-dosing or under-dosing errors.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cartridge (12) further includes a sensor-readable tag, selected from a group consisting of a Quick Response (QR) code, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) code, or an etched microtag, the tag enabling precise identification and tracking of each cartridge (12) and its associated material (17).
3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gravimetric sensing system (111) comprises a load cell (20) or equivalent sensor that is configured to continuously monitor the weight of the material (17) dispensed into the capsule base shell and generate real-time feedback to the processor, allowing for dynamic adjustment of the dispensing operation.
4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the slider plate (400) comprises a first set of holes (401) configured to dispense a fixed dose of material (17) into the base shell of the capsule, and a single hole (403), which is smaller in size, is aligned with the dose delivery position (303) to dispense a fine-tuned, precise amount of material to achieve the exact required dose.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said processor is operably coupled with said gravimetric feedback system (111) and is configured to adjust the operation of the slider plate (400) based on continuous feedback, compensating for material variability, equipment drift, or environmental factors, to ensure the dose remains within the prescribed limits.
6. A method for metered dosing of capsules (500), comprising:
a. providing a plurality of empty capsules, each having a base shell and a cap, and conveying said empty capsules into a loading and separation station where said base shells are separated from the caps and positioned for material filling;
b. placing a holder (30) containing said separated base shells onto a load cell (20), and taring said load cell to account for the weight of the base shells prior to dosing;
c. positioning said holder (30) with base shells directly beneath a cartridge (12) containing a predefined volume of material (17), the cartridge (12) having a sensor-readable tag with an encoded recipe or dose configuration, wherein the tag is read by one or more sensors that communicate with a processor;
d. scanning the sensor-readable tag to retrieve dosing instructions, wherein the processor calculates the required dose and directs a slider plate (400), which is part of the dosing mechanism (400), to move and dispense the material (17) into the capsule base shell, ensuring the material (17) is dispensed accurately through the appropriate holes (401, 403) in said slider plate;
e. utilizing a gravimetric feedback system (111) to measure and monitor the weight of the material (17) dispensed into the base shell of the capsule, wherein said gravimetric system continuously reports the weight to the processor, which adjusts the dispensing by activating the oscillation of the slider plate (400) between the dose generation position (301) and dose delivery position (303) until the predetermined dose is achieved;
f. once the desired dose is approached, said processor aligns the single hole (403) of the slider plate (400) with the dose generation position (301) and fine-tunes the dispensing to deliver the final precise dose, ensuring no material is spilled and the base shell is accurately filled to the target weight; and
g. confirming via feedback from the gravimetric system (111) that the base shell has reached the desired weight, at which point the holder (30) with the filled base shells is conveyed to a capsule closing station, where the filled capsules are sealed with their respective caps.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the material (17) dispensed from the cartridge (12) is selected from the group consisting of nutraceutical compounds, pharmaceutical compounds, pellets, micro-tablets, or any combination thereof, and wherein the material may be adjusted to accommodate varying dose strengths.
8. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising storing dose configuration instructions in a memory, wherein the processor retrieves said instructions upon scanning of the sensor-readable tag to calculate and control the dispensing procedure accordingly.
9. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said gravimetric sensing system (111) provides continuous real-time feedback to the processor to ensure that the weight of the material (17) in the base shell matches the target dose, adjusting the slider plate operation in real-time during the dispensing process.
10. The method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising using a plurality of cartridges (12), each containing a different material (17), and using the processor to direct the appropriate material from each cartridge (12) into corresponding base shells based on scanning of individual sensor-readable tags.