Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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=
AUTOMATED PHARMACY SYSTEM FOR DISPENSING UNIT DOSES OF
PHARMACEUTICALS AND THE LIKE
Related Applications
The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Nos.
61/364,038, filed July 14, 2010; 61/394,828, filed October 20, 2010; and
61/424,161, filed
December 17, 2010.
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to dispensing machines, and more
particularly to
dispensing mathines for pharmaceuticals.
Background of the Invention
Long-term care medical facility settings include assisted living facilities,
skilled nursing
facilities, group homes, etc. Assisted living and skilled nursing facilities
typically have medical
staff that are responsible at all times for and oversee the administration of
medication to the
patients/residents of the facility, as prescribed by the physician or
otherwise needed. Group
-15 homes may or may not have live-in or around-the-clock staff that are
responsible for all
medication administration to the residents; such staff may be available only
on a periodic basis
(e.g., only during the day time, one or more times per week, etc.) in which
case the residents may
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be responsible for their own medication the majority of the time. Such long-
term care
facilities are increasingly being asked to handle more and more of the
medication storage
responsibility that once rested almost totally with the community pharmacy.
Long-term care
pharmacy providers are typically not located within the actual patient
facility; in fact, it is not
uncommon for the pharmacy to be several hundred miles away. With new patient
admissions
occurring at unpredictable times throughout the day and existing patients'
medical regimens
changing without notice, it is imperative for those facilities without a
physical pharmacy on
site or access to one in a timely manner, to have non-patient specific
medications on site for
facility administration to the patients. Historically, facilities have stored
medications in
1 0 various types of non-mechanized containers and tracked drug product
additions and removals
with manual logs. Mechanized systems have primarily been limited to storage
cabinets with a
variety of drawers that house specific medications in predetermined locations.
The drawer
systems typically have secure access features which limit access to authorized
users, typically
facility staff that have the appropriate credentials, passcode, security pass,
etc. to enable
1 5 unlocking of a drawer to allow access to that user; however, once a
user opens a drawer, there
are only limited safeguards to prevent the wrong quantity or wrong drug from
being removed,
as this is a manual selection and removal process by the system user.
In view of the foregoing, it may be desirable to provide improved systems for
dispensing medications for patients in long-term care facilities and other
medical
20 environments.
Summary of the Invention
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system
for
storing and dispensing discrete doses of pharmaceuticals, comprising: a
housing with an
internal cavity having a front wall with first and second windows; multiple
storage locations
25 positioned within the housing; a carrier assembly positioned and movable
within the housing,
the carrier assembly configured to receive a pharmaceutical dose package
loaded into either
the first or second window and convey the pharmaceutical dose package to one
of the
storage locations for storage therein, and further configured to retrieve a
pharmaceutical dose
2
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package from one of the storage locations and return the pharmaceutical dose
package to the
first or second window for dispensing therefrom; and a plurality of bins, each
of the bins
configured to reside in one of the storage locations and be conveyed by the
carrier assembly
between the storage location and the first or second window as the bin holds
the
pharmaceutical dose package; wherein the bins are configured to extend
partially forwardly of
the first or second window, but to be captured by the first or second window
to prevent
removal of the bins from the housing through the first or second window.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
system for storing and dispensing discrete doses of pharmaceuticals,
comprising: a housing
with an internal cavity having a front wall with a window; multiple storage
locations
positioned within the housing; a carrier assembly positioned and movable
within the housing;
and a plurality of bins, each of the bins configured to reside in one of the
storage locations; the
carrier assembly configured to receive a bin that contains a pharmaceutical
dose package
loaded into the window and convey the bin and pharmaceutical dose package to
one of the
storage locations for storage therein, and further configured to retrieve a
bin that contains a
pharmaceutical dose package from one of the storage locations and convey the
bin and
pharmaceutical dose package to the window for dispensing therefrom; wherein
the bins are
configured to extend partially forwardly of the window, but to be captured by
the window to
prevent removal of the bins from the housing through the window.
As a third aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
carrier
assembly for a storage and dispensing apparatus, comprising: a base; a pair of
jaws, the jaws
having facing contact surfaces that are substantially parallel to each other;
a first drive unit
coupled to the jaws and the base configured to reciprocally drive the jaws
toward and away
from each other; and a second drive unit coupled to the jaws, the first drive
unit and the
second drive unit configured to convey the jaws in either direction
substantially parallel to the
contact surfaces.
As a fourth aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a bin
for receiving, storing and dispensing a pharmaceutical dose package,
comprising a box having
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first and second opposed, generally parallel side walls spanned by a floor and
a rear wall. The
front end of the box is open, and the first side wall includes an open-ended
slot.
As a fifth aspect, embodiments of the present invention are directed to a
carousel assembly, comprising: first and second sprockets; an endless member
having a
radially inward surface that engages the first and second sprockets, the
endless member
defining a generally oblong path; and a plurality of support members attached
to the radially
inward surface of the endless member and extending generally perpendicular to
a plane
defined by the oblong path. The first sprocket has a plurality of perimeter
pockets, the
perimeter pockets being sized and configured to receive the support members as
they travel
1 0 along the oblong path.
Brief Description of the Figures
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Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automated pharmacy system according to
embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the system of Figure 1 with the door shown
in an open
position for loading of prescriptions.
Figure 3 is a top perspective view of carousels of the system of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is an enlarged front perspective view of a prescription being
dispensed into the
dispensing chute of the system of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a side perspective view of the carousels and dispensing chute of
the system of
Figure 1 with the door shown in an open position.
Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of an automated pharmacy system
according to
alternative embodiments of the present invention, with the door removed for
clarity, showing a
prescription dropping down the dispensing chute.
Figure 7 is perspective view of the system of Figure 6.
Figure 8 is a front perspective view of an automated pharmacy system according
to
further embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 9 is a front perspective view of an automated pharmacy system according
to still
further embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 10 is a front perspective view of the system of Figure 10, shown with
the door in
an open position.
Figure 11 is a front perspective view of an automated pharmacy system
according to
additional embodiments of the present invention.
Figure 11A is an enlarged perspective view of the system of Figure 11 showing
the
small and large dispensing windows.
Figure 12A is a perspective view of a small bin used in the system of Figure
11.
Figure 12B is a perspective view of a large bin used in the system of Figure
11.
Figure 12C is a perspective view of the small bin of Figure 12A holding a
"blister-pack"
phaimaceutical package.
Figure 12D is a perspective view of the small bin of Figure 12A holding a
single dose
phaimaceutical package.
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Figure 13 is a perspective view of the system of Figure 11 with the front and
side wall
removed.
Figure 14 is a rear perspective view of the carousel assembly and one shelf
unit of the
system of Figure 11.
Figure 15 is a rear perspective view of the carousel assembly and one shelf
unit of the
system of Figure 11 showing the movement of the shelf unit from its position
in Figure 14.
Figure 16 is an enlarged partial rear perspective view of the carousel
assembly of the
system of Figure 11.
Figure 17 is an enlarged partial bottom perspective view of the carousel
assembly of the
system of Figure 11.
Figure 18 is an enlarged partial top perspective view of the carousel assembly
of the
system of Figure 11.
Figure 19A is a perspective view of a lower sprocket of the carousel assembly
of Figure
14.
Figure 19B is a perspective view of the lower sprocket of Figure 19A engaged
by the
lower belt and rods attached thereto.
Figure 20A is a perspective view of a shelf unit of the system of Figure 11.
Figure 20B is an enlarged perspective view of a single shelf of the shelf unit
of Figure
20A.
Figure 21A is a front perspective view of the carrier assembly of the system
of Figure
11.
Figure 21B is a rear perspective view of the carrier assembly of Figure 21A.
Figure 22 is a rear view of the drive and passive rollers for the small and
large
dispensing windows of the system of Figure 11.
Figures 23A-23L are sequential views showing the transfer of a small bin from
a shelf
unit to the small dispensing window.
Detailed Description of Embodiments of the Invention
The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter, in which
preferred
embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be
embodied in
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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 be
thorough and complete,
and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
In the drawings, like
numbers refer to like elements throughout. Thicknesses and dimensions of some
components
may be exaggerated for clarity.
Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms)
used herein
have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the
art to which this
invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those
defined in commonly
used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is
consistent with their meaning
in the context of the relevant art and will not be interpreted in an idealized
or overly formal sense
unless expressly so defined herein.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular
embodiments only
and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the
singular forms "a", "an"
and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context
clearly indicates
otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or
"comprising," when
used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers,
steps, operations,
elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of
one or more other
features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups
thereof. As used
herein the expression "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or
more of the
associated listed items.
In addition, spatially relative terms, such as "under", "below", "lower",
"over", "upper"
and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one
element or feature's
relationship to another element(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the
figures. It will be understood
that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different
orientations of the device in
use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For
example, if the device
in the figures is turned over, elements described as "under" or "beneath"
other elements or
features would then be oriented "over" the other elements or features. Thus,
the exemplary term
"under" can encompass both an orientation of over and under. The device may be
otherwise
oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially
relative descriptors used
herein interpreted accordingly.
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Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for
brevity and/or
clarity. =
The proposed system utilizes a unit dose storage system that allows any
medication to be
stored in any location of the unit. Unit doses may be prepared in any number
of ways;
exemplary methods are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,449,921;
6,585,132; and
7,428,805. An exemplary unit dose
package 310 is shown in connection with an automated pharmacy system 300 in
Figure 8,
although the package 310 may take different forms such as a blister pack,
strip pack, box, bag,
vial, IV solution bag, ampoule, etc. The proposed system utilizes bar code
reading technology
(i.e., a bar code scanner to read the bar code 311 on the package 310);
however, future
embodiments could include other identification technology, such as RFID, to
provide
confirmation of the identity of the product and/or to associate a specific
product to a specific
location within the unit after the product has been loaded into the device.
Although the product may be scanned to read the affixed code prior to
placement in the
specific location, in some embodiments the association of a product to a
location only occurs
after the product has been loaded into an unoccupied product storage location
within the system.
Even when the items are scanned prior to placement in a location, the system
may still scan each
location to ensure that the product was properly placed in the system. Either
during loading of
an individual product or immediately after a variety of products are loaded in
bulk into the
system, the system's bar code verification process validates which products
are stored in which
location by scanning each location. Each system storage location contains only
one unique
product, although the quantity of that product can vary. Each product packet
may hold one or
more pills of a given medication, and the system may include different packets
having different
numbers of pills of the same medication to facilitate different dosing options
(e.g., there may be
separate packets with one, two, three or four pills of 200 mg ibuprofen to
facilitate
administration of 200 mg, 400 mg, 600 mg, or 800 mg doses of the medication,
depending on a
doctor's orders).
Figures 1-5 illustrate an automated pharmacy system 100 in which products are
stored on
a series of rotating horizontal carousels that utilize storage
clips/slots/bins to securely hold
individual products. The overall system 100 is illustrated in Figure 1 with
its front door closed
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and in Figure 2 with the front door open. Each storage location in the system
100 has a unique
location ID in the system. Once a product is loaded, or when the product is
scanned while
loading the product into the system 100, and/or upon a scanning confirmation
of product
placement after loading, the system creates an association between the
location and the product.
Loaded products 310 are shown in Figure 3. In some embodiments, the system is
loaded with
products by opening the door of the unit, as shown in Figure 2, and products
are placed in
available and/or designated locations.
Alternatively, as shown in Figure 8, the system 300 may utilize slots 302A-D,
303 and
304 to allow loading of product into the unit without opening the door to
expose the entire
contents of the system. In the system 300, the slots 302A-D, 303 and 304 may
be covered by a
single door or individual doors. Upon a request to load a package of a
particular size into the
system, a controller sends a command to open the appropriately sized slot
corresponding to the
physical storage level in which a storage location is available. The product
to be added to the
inventory is then inserted into the accessible slot 302A-D, 303 or 304. For
example, in a system
where a door or doors cover the slots 302A-D, 303 or 304, upon a request to
add a small
package, such as an individual medication package 310, to the inventory of the
system, the
controller sends a command to open the door associated with slot 302A when an
available
storage location is located on the uppermost level of the unit. The package is
inserted into the
slot 302A by the user, and rollers or another transport mechanism convey the
package to the
interior of the unit. The rollers may be made of flexible material so as to
not damage the
package or its contents. Scanners may be co-located with the slots 302A-D,
303, 304 so that the
barcode or other identifying indicia on the package 310 is scanned as the
package is entering
through the slot. In some embodiments the scanners may be associated with the
inside edge of
the slot so that the bar code 311 is read after the package is retained inside
the unit to protect the
system from deliberate or unintentional entry of a package different from the
scanned package.
The package 310 may be loaded directly into the storage bin or holding clip
(see Figure 4 and
accompanying discussion, infra) as it enters through the slot or it may be
captured by a robotic
arm that then transports the package 310 from the slot to the available
storage location. If
available storage locations for a small package are instead located on the
second level of the unit,
the door to slot 302B opens and the same process is followed. If the package
to be loaded is of a
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larger size, appropriate for storage locations associated with slot 303 or
304, then the door
associated with the appropriate slot is opened and the product is loaded as
discussed. In other
embodiments, one or more loading slots may be provided in other locations not
associated with
the separate storage levels, for example at the bottom on the unit, where all
product 310 to be
loaded into the unit is introduced via rollers, as described above, and
retrieved by a robotic arm
for placement in a storage location anywhere within the unit. A single slot or
door may be
provided for loading of products 310 of all sizes, or slots/doors of various
sizes may be provided
in the same general vicinity to accommodate loading of products of different
size classes.
In some embodiments of the invention, the system may accept totes or other
containers
capable of large capacity storage; such totes would contain some or all of the
inventory to be
loaded into the system. Once the tote is deposited inside the unit (via a door
or other access
method), a robotic arm (i.e., actuator and end effector) inside the unit may
remove individual
packages from the tote or loading area and place each package in an available
storage location
within the unit. The robotic arm may include a bar code scanner to
automatically scan the
indicia on the package prior to placing the package in a storage location.
Alternatively, the
robotic arm may first move the package to a scanner for scanning prior to
placing the package in
the storage location.
Upon receipt of a dispense request, the system determines the location of the
user
selected products and dispenses them by rotating the carousel/bins containing
the products to a
delivery chute (see Figure 4). In some embodiments of the invention, such as
that exemplified
in Figure 4, each product 310 is held by a clip in its respective location.
Upon a dispense
request from the controller, the requested product 310 is moved (i.e., by a
telescoping action of a
rod attached to the clip) to a position above a delivery chute 110 and the
product is released from
the clip into the delivery chute 110 (i.e., prongs of the clip are separated
to release the package).
In other embodiments, such as the system 200 shown in Figures 6 and 7, each
location may
include an appropriately sized bin 205 that holds the product 310 in its
location. In such
embodiments, upon a dispense request from the controller, the bin 205 is
tilted so as to empty its
contents into the delivery chute 210.
Once the products are released from the carousel/bin, they descend down the
delivery
chute to the user pick-up slot (the pick-up slot 101 can be seen in Figure 5
mounted to the inside
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of the access door and on the outside of the unit 100 in Figure 1 and the pick-
up slot 301 can be
seen on the outside of the unit 300 in Figure 8). The various levels of the
system can function
independently such that multiple products can be dropped simultaneously from
the different
carousels down the delivery chute to the user pick-up slot 101, 301 or they
may be dropped
sequentially to allow the user to retrieve them from the pick-up slot 101, 301
simultaneously.
The user has access to the products once they have landed in the user pick-up
slot. The access
door to the pick-up slot may be locked to prevent unauthorized access to
medications that have
been dispensed (see discussion below regarding security and user
authorization). In some
embodiments, the system includes refrigeration for one or more levels of
storage locations. Such
refrigerated units may be used to store medications such as, for example,
insulin, certain
antibiotics, or other medications that require storage at temperatures lower
than ambient
temperature.
Users access the system 100 via a touch screen 102 (shown in Figure 1), which
interfaces
with software and a controller which validates a user's credentials against a
database to ensure
only those individuals who have been authorized to utilize the system can
access products
contained within the unit or to run any form or reporting on the system. In
some embodiments of
the invention, all users must have the proper credentials to access the system
and, once validated,
may dispense any of the medications from the system. In other embodiments,
once validated as
an authorized user of the system, some users may be permitted to dispense only
a portion of the
types of medications in the system due to security considerations (i.e., some
users may be
allowed to access all types of medications except narcotics). In some
embodiments, users may
be required to confirm their identity (i.e., enter an authorization code, scan
an identification
badge, or satisfy an RFID or biometric-based security check) and have their
level of
authorization confirmed by the system prior to the controller signaling
release of the lock on the
access door to the pick-up slot in order to allow access to the dispensed
medication). All user
access and activity can be stored on the system via data base entries,
biometric logs and digital
photography.
User interaction with the touch screen 102 also may include selection of the
medication
to be dispensed, selection of the patient for whom the medication is being
dispensed, requests for
various types of reports (see below), restocking requests, inventory analysis,
etc.
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In some embodiments of the invention, various types of records are maintained
by the
system and reports of such records may be created by the system. Records may
include
information regarding which users accessed the system and the date and time of
the access,
which medications were dispensed, which medications were dispensed by each
user, the patient
for whom each medication was dispensed, etc. Such reports may be created upon
request or the
system may be programmed to create certain reports automatically (e.g., at the
end of a shift,
when a patient is discharged or moved from the facility, etc.).
In some embodiments, the system may include a camera (not shown) on the
outside of
the unit to capture the image of a user when accessing the system. Each
picture taken by the
camera may be stored in the system and matched against a particular activity
such as
replenishment of the unit on a specific day at a specific time and with
respect to particular items
that were stocked in the unit at that time, or a dispensing event of a
particular medication or other
item for a specific patient. The images may be included in the reports created
by the system, as
discussed above.
The system may be connected to the supplying pharmacy's pharmacy management
system (e.g., its computer system) and may automatically communicate with
information stored
in the pharmacy management system. Such communications may include information
regarding
which medications have been dispensed from the system and, therefore, need to
be restocked,
confirmation that a medication that a user has requested for a particular
patient has been
approved for administration to that patient, etc. Other embodiments may
include a two-way
video and/or audio link with the pharmacy to facilitate approval for the
removal of certain drugs
(narcotics for example) from the unit regardless of patient drug regimens.
Through such a link, a
system user may request a drug that has not yet been approved for
administration to a particular
patient and provide the information necessary for review by the pharmacist
(change in doctor's
order, reason for request for administration to that patient, etc.). The
pharmacist may then
perform appropriate reviews (drug interactions, insurance adjudication, etc.)
and either approve
or disapprove the dispensing of the drug from the system for the specified
patient.
The system may be connected to a scanner that can be used in the
administration of the
medication to the patient. Such a scanner may be a wireless portable scanner
or may be located
in the patient rooms ("bedside scanners"). A bedside scanner may be configured
as assigned to a
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particular patient or either the portable or the bedside scanner may be used
to scan a code on the
patient's wristband or other form of identification to identify the patient.
When the dispensed
medication is administered to the patient, the portable or bedside scanner may
additionally be
used to scan the indicia on the medication package to confirm that the correct
medication is
being given to the correct patient. Such codes on the package or associated
with the patient may
be barcode, RFID or other appropriate technology. Via software and a wireless
or Ethernet-
based connection, the scanner may then communicate with the system to record
the
administration of the medication to the patient. Additionally, the scanner may
be able to be
docked on or near the unit to recharge the scanner and/or download
information.
Various security features may be included with the system. The unit may be
bolted to the
floor or wall and may include security doors that are able to withstand
attempts at forced entry
and are self locking upon manual closure. The system may include an alarm
system that is
triggered by any movement of the unit, forced entry or other manipulation,
power failure after
manipulation, etc. In some embodiments, the system may include a sensor to
detect if the door is
opened. The system may be configured to sound an alarm when the door is opened
without
proper authorization or if the door remains open for an extended time period.
Additionally, the
unit may include an internal camera to capture images when the system is
opened. The camera
may be adapted to run off battery power so that it is able to function even
when power is not
supplied to the unit as a whole. The alarm system may be tied into facility
security and may
have the ability to contact local authorities. The alarm system may operate
independently of the
facility power source and may be able to maintain or bypass internet
connectivity if that can also
be compromised. A camera on the unit may be activated for image capture if the
alarm is
triggered.
In some embodiments, the system may include temperature, humidity, and/or
other
environmental sensors to monitor environmental conditions within the cabinet
to ensure proper
storage conditions of the items. The sensor may interface to an external
monitor or other display
so that the temperature/humidity conditions can be evaluated from outside the
unit. The
environmental sensor(s) may work in conjunction with an alarm system to notify
users when
environmental conditions within the cabinet are not within acceptable ranges.
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= The unit may be enabled for user authorization via biometric scanning
(i.e., fingerprint,
palm print, retinal scan, voice recognition, facial recognition, etc.). Unit
security features may
= also or alternatively include a requirement for scanning of a user badge
or entry of a code. User
authorization may be performed prior to dispensing or restocking of the unit
and authentication
information recorded and stored by the unit.
Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in Figures 9 and
10. The
system 400 shown therein utilizes vertically-oriented carousels 402 that
contain products within
compartments 403 that rotate with the carousel. A horizontal row of access
doors 401 is located
in the front of the cabinet door. Each access door is aligned with one of the
carousels 402 and
opens when the compartment 403 containing the desired product is rotated into
position just
rearward of the access door 401. A similar arrangement is shown in U.S. Patent
No. 7,228,200
to Baker.
= The embodiments described herein may also be applicable in a traditional
hospital setting
where the administration of medication to patients is overseen by hospital
staff and may need to
45 occur on an as-needed basis. By providing access to such a system on
hospital floors or in
hospital emergency rooms (as well as urgent care centers), access to
medications can be provided
even when access directly to the pharmacy itself is not feasible.
Another system according to embodiments of the present invention is shown in
Figures
11-23L and designated broadly at 500. As can be seen in Figures 11 and 11A,
the system 500
includes a housing 502 having a front wall 504 and side walls 506a, 506b that
define an internal
cavity. A small dispensing window 510 is present in the front wall 504, as is
a large dispensing
window 512 below the small dispensing window 510. A display screen 514 is
located on the
front wall 504 to receive input from a user and to display information about
the system 500; the
display screen 514 is connected with a controller (not visible in Figure 11)
that controls
opetation of the system 500. A bar code scanner 516 is also mounted to the
front wall 504.
Referring to Figure 11A, the small dispensing window 510 includes a
rectangular frame
511 having an attached horizontal stage 511a that projects forwardly away from
the front wall
504. As can be seen in Figure 11A, the stage 511a has an upraised rim 511b
about its periphery
to capture and retain a small bin 570 (discussed in greater detail below) on
the stage 511a.
=
Similarly, the large dispensing window 512 has a frame 513 and a stage 513a
that projects
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Attorney Docket No. 9335-93
forwardly away from the front wall 504; a rim 513b is located on the periphery
of the stage 513a
to capture and retain a large bin 578 (also discussed in greater detail
below). Either or both of
the small and large dispensing windows 510, 512 may have a door (e.g., a
sliding plate ¨ this is
not shown herein) that covers the window 510, 512 when the system 500 is
inactive.
Turning now to Figure 12A, a small bin 570 is a truncated box with two side
walls 572,
574 and a floor 573. As can be seen in Figure 12A, the side wall 572 includes
a slot 576 that
extends from the front edge of the side wall 572 toward the rear of the small
bin 570. The slot
576 is lined with a curved flange 577 that extends into the small bin 570 to
form a narrow gap
570a, and flares open slightly at its open end. The floor 573 of the small bin
570 includes a
recess 573a.
As can be seen in Figure I2C, the small bin 570 is sized to hold a single dose
"blister
pack" BP of a pharmaceutical (with the upstanding "blister" residing in the
slot 576). The small
bin 570 is also sized to hold a conventional single dose of a pharmaceutical P
(see Figure 12D).
The gap 570a is sufficiently narrow that it tends to retain the packaging in
the bin 570 so that the
packaging does not fall out of the bin 570; the oblique angle of the slot 576
relative to the bin
floor can also help to retain the packaging. Also, the narrow space between
the side walls 572,
574 urges the package to remain generally vertical, which enables a bar code
positioned on the
side of the packaging to be in a predictable location and therefore to be
readable to a bar code
scanner 550a, 550b located on a carrier assembly 530 (described below),
particularly if the bin
570 is formed of a transparent material.
Referring to Figure 12B, the large bin 578 includes is a box with side walls
578a, 578b
that are spanned by a floor 579 and a ceiling 581. The floor 579 includes
three slots 579a; the
ceiling includes three slots 581a. The side walls 578a, 578b are separated by
a width that is
substantially equal to the width of four small bins 570. A "half" front wall
helps to retain
pharmaceutical packages within the large bin 578.
Referring now to Figure 13, the system 500 includes a frame 520 comprising
upright
support posts 522, a ceiling 526 and a floor 524. A carousel assembly 580
(best seen in Figures
14-20) is mounted to the frame 520. The carousel assembly 580 includes an
endless chain of
generally vertically-disposed shelf units 560 that revolve in an oblong path
driven by a carousel
drive assembly 700. These components are described in greater detail below.
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Referring now to Figure 14, the carousel drive assembly 700 includes two
sprocket units
701a, 701b, each of which has upper and lower sprockets 702a, 702b attached to
a common
vertical axle 704. The lower sprockets 702b are rotatably mounted in the floor
524 for rotation
about respective vertical axes of rotation. Similarly, the upper sprockets
702a are rotatably
mounted in the ceiling 526. The lower sprockets 702b include four perimeter
pockets 703 (best
seen in Figures 19A and 19B), and the upper sprockets 702a include four
perimeter pockets 705.
A lower belt 706 engages the lower sprockets 702b, and an upper belt 708
engages the upper
sprockets 702a.
Vertical rods 710 are mounted to the radially inward surfaces of the upper and
lower belts
708, 706 spaced apart several inches from each other. Referring to Figures 16
and 19B, at its
lower end, each rod 710 attaches to a ridged wheel 712 below the lower belt
708. The wheels
712 are at a height such that the ridges of the wheels 712 can capture either
of two parallel rails
714 that are mounted to the floor 524 to be generally tangential to the
circumference of the lower
sprockets 702b. A round bearing 713 is fixed to each rod 710 just above the
lower belt 708. At
its upper end, each rod 710 includes three horizontally disposed wheels 716
that are positioned to
capture parallel rails 718 mounted on the underside of the ceiling 526 (see
Figures 17 and 18),
with two wheel 716 on the "inside" of the rail 718 and one wheel 716 on the
"outside" of the rail
718..
On the lower side of the ceiling 526, a motor 720 is mounted between the upper
sprockets
702a. The shaft of the motor 720 extends through the ceiling 526 and attaches
to a small drive
pulley 722 (Figure 18). A large pulley 724 is mounted above the ceiling 526 to
and coaxially
with one of the upper sprockets 702a. A drive belt 726 engages both the drive
pulley 722 and
the large pulley 724. The motor 720 is connected with the controller.
Referring now to Figures 20A and 20B, each shelf unit 560 includes a rear
panel 561
mounted to a respective support member in the foini of a rod 710. A number of
shelves 562 are
mounted to each rear panel 561. Each shelf 562 has a number of raised and
depending ribs 563
that divide the shelf 562. The ribs 563 are spaced such that a small bin 570
can nest between an
adjacent pair of ribs 563 (see Figure 20B), and such that a large bin 578 can
fit between ribs 563
with three consecutive ribs 563 located therebetween, with the consecutive
ribs 563 being
received in the slots 579a of the large bin 578 (shown in Figure 12B). Thus,
for small bins 570
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a storage location is defined between each set of adjacent ribs 563, and for
large bins 580 a
storage location is defined between ribs 563 separated by three consecutive
ribs 563. Also, each
shelf 562 includes a transverse ridge 564 that is received in the recess 576
of the small bin 570 or
the recess 579c of the large bin 578. The transverse ridge 564 helps to
maintain a small or large
bin 570, 578 in place on the shelf 562 in a passive retaining system.
The carousel assembly 700 can revolve the shelf units 560 about an oblong path
defined
generally by the upper and lower belts 708, 706. When the shelf units 560 are
to revolve, the
controller signals the motor 720, which rotates the drive pulley 722. Rotation
of the drive pulley
722 rotates the large pulley 724 via the drive belt 726. Because the drive
pulley 724 is fixed to
one of the upper sprockets 702a, rotation of the drive pulley 724 rotates that
upper sprocket 702a
and the remainder of the sprocket unit 701a. Rotation of the upper and lower
sprockets 702a,
702b of the sprocket unit 701a causes the sprocket unit 701b to rotate also
via the upper and
lower belts 708, 706. Rotation of the sprocket units 701a, 701b drives the
shelf units 560 around
the oblong path noted above (see Figures 14 and 15).
1 5 As the shelf units 560 revolve, they are maintained on the oblong path
via multiple
interactions with other components. The wheels 716 capture the rails 718 on
the ceiling 526 as
the shelf units 560 travel along the straight portions of the oblong path to
maintain the shelf units
560 in position on the path (see Figure 17). The ridged wheels 712 ride upon
the rails 714 on
the floor 524 as the shelf units 560 travel along the path to maintain the
vertical position of the
shelf units 560 (see Figure 16). As the shelf units 560 travel on the arcuate
portions of the path,
the rods 710 fit within the perimeter pockets 703 of the sprockets 702a, 702b,
and the vertical
position of the shelf units 560 is maintained by the interaction between the
round bearings 713
and the surface of the lower sprockets 702b just above the pockets 703 (see
Figure 19B).
A robotic carrier unit 530 is slidably mounted via conventional construction
to a vertical
rail 531 located near the front of the frame 520 via a slide member 532. A
base in the form of a
housing 533 is mounted to the slide member 532 and includes a floor 533a and a
ceiling 533b.
Mounting blocks 534 are mounted to the front and rear edges of the floor 533a
and are spanned
by two slide rods 535. A carriage 536 is slidably mounted on the slide rods
535 for slidable
movement thereon, driven by a motor 537 and a rack-and-pinion arrangement (not
shown). The
carriage 536 includes two upwardly-extending flanges 538 on which are mounted
two slide rods
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539. A lead screw 540 is mounted parallel to the slide rods 539 and extends
through one of the
flanges 538 to attached to a motor 541 mounted thereon. Two jaw blocks 542a,
542b are
mounted on the slide rods 539 and the lead screw 540. A jaw 544 is mounted on
each jaw block
542a, 542b and extends upwardly therefrom through an opening 545 in the
ceiling 533b of the
housing 533 with contact surfaces 544a of the jaws 544 being parallel and
facing each other. A
bar code reader 550a is mounted on a pedestal attached to the side wall of the
housing 533, and
an opposing bar code reader 550b is mounted on the opposite side wall of the
housing 533.
The robotic carrier unit 530 has the ability to open and close the jaws 544
and to move
them forwardly and rearwardly relative to the housing 533. Actuation of the
motor 537 causes
the rack-and-pinion mechanism to drive the carriage 536 along the slide rods
535, which in turn
moves the jaws 544 forwardly or rearwardly also. Actuation of the motor 541
turns the lead
screw 540, which in turn draws the jaws together or apart as desired. The
controller can activate
either of the motors 537, 541 as needed.
Referring now to Figure 22, a drive roller 600 is mounted on the rear side of
the front
wall 504 adjacent a side edge of the small dispensing window 510, and a
complimentary passive
roller 602 is mounted opposite the drive roller 600. The drive roller 600 is
powered by a motor
604 controlled by the controller. Similarly, a drive roller 610 is mounted on
the rear side of the
front wall 504 adjacent a side edge of the large dispensing window 512, and a
complimentary
passive roller 612 is mounted opposite the drive roller 610. The drive roller
610 is powered by a
motor 614 controlled by the controller.
To load the system 500 with single dose pharmaceutical package, a user
activates the
system 500 by inputting a loading command into the controller via the display
screen 514. The
controller locates an empty bin (either a small bin 570 or a large bin 578 -
for the purposes of this
example, a small bin 570 will be discussed) on one of the shelves 562 of a
shelf unit 560. In
some embodiments, the bins in the rows closest to the small and larage windows
510, 512 are
kept empty whenever possible to facilitate rapid loading. If the small bin 570
selected by the
controller (which could be any empty small bin 570) is not aligned already
with the jaws 544 of
the carrier unit 530, the controller signals the carousel drive assembly 700
to revolve the shelf
units 560 until the selected bin 570 is aligned with and rearward of the jaws
544.
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Once the bin 570 is in place, the controller signals the carrier assembly 530
to move
vertically on the rail 531 to the correct height to retrieve the bin 570. As
shown in Figure 23A,
the jaws 544 of the carrier assembly 530 separate and move horizontally toward
the bin 570 until
the rear ends of the jaws 544 are sufficiently rearward to grasp the front end
of the bin 570. The
controller then signals the jaws 544 to close onto the bin 570 to grasp it.
The motor 537 then
draws the carriage 536 forward (to the right in Figure 23B) as the jaws 544
grasp the bin 570,
thereby drawing the bin 570 forwardly and partially onto the upper surface of
the ceiling 533b.
The jaws 544 then separate and move rearwardly (driven by the motor 537
forcing the carriage
536 rearwardly) as the bin 570 rests on the ceiling 533b (Figure 23C). The
jaws 544 then close
on the bin 570 again and move forwardly as before; in doing so, the jaws 544
"inchworm" the
bin 570 forwardly (Figures 23D and 23E). These actions continue until the bin
570 activates a
locating sensor on the jaws 544. The carrier assembly 530 moves vertically on
the rail 531 until
it reaches a location that positions the bin 570 approximately level with the
small window 510
(Figures 23F-23H).
Once in position adjacent the small window 510, the door opens, the jaws 544
move
forwardly, separate, move rearwardly, close on the small bin 570, and move
forwardly again
(Figures 231-23K). Repetition of this movement positions the bin 570 with its
front edge
adjacent the drive roller 600 and the passive roller 602. The motor 604
rotates the drive roller
600, which drives the bin 570 through the small dispensing window 510 and onto
the stage 511
(Figure 23L). The small bin 570 is captured within the small dispensing window
510 by the rim
511b of the stage 511a, which prevents the small bin 570 from being removed
from the small
dispensing window 510. From this position, the empty small bin 570 can be
loaded with a single
dose pharmaceutical package or blister pack.
The operator may scan the package with the bar code scanner 516 prior to
loading the
package into the small bin 570, or may place the package directly into the
small bin 570. As
described above, the package is generally vertically disposed in the small bin
570; if the package
is a blister-pack, the "blister" resides in the slot 576 in the manner shown
in Figure 12C. In
either event, the package is positioned therein such that a bar code affixed
thereto is located
below the slot 576 for reading by one of the bar code readers 550a, 550b.
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After the small bin 570 is loaded with the pharmaceutical package, the
controller signals
the system 500 to reverse the steps described above in connection with the
presentation of the
small bin 570. More specifically, the drive roller 600 rotates to draw the
small bin 570 back
through the small dispensing window 510 until locating sensors in the jaws 544
detect the
presence of the small bin 570 in position between the jaws 544. The jaws 544
close to grasp the
bin 570 and move rearwardly to "inch" the package rearwardly. The jaws 544
then separate,
move forwardly to center the jaws 544 on the bin 570, and close to grasp the
bin 570. The
carrier assembly 530 then moves vertically on the rail 531 to position the bin
570 at the proper
height for loading onto the selected shelf 562. Under most circumstances, the
carrier assembly
530 will simply return the small bin 570 to the location on the shelf 562 that
it just vacated prior
to loading; however, another storage location may be selected, in which case
the controller
activates the carousel assembly 700 to rotate the shelf unit 560 having the
selected shelf 562 to a
position in line with the jaws 544.
When the carrier assembly 530 and the shelf 562 are both in position, the
controller
signals the carrier assembly 530 to load the bin 570 into the selected storage
location. The jaws
544 move rearwardly, separate, move forwardly, close onto the bin 570, and
move rearwardly
with the bin 570. This process is repeated until the carrier assembly locating
sensors have been
deactivated (with the bin 570 resting on either the ceiling 533b of the
housing 533 or the shelf
562, depending on how far rearwardly the bin 570 has moved) to "inch" the bin
570 into place in
the selected location on the shelf 562. The small bin 570 is retained in place
by the interaction
between the ridge 564 of the shelf and the recess 573a of the small bin 570.
One additional step that may be performed during loading of the pharmaceutical
package
onto a storage location on a shelf 562 is reading of the bar code on the
package by one of the bar
code readers 550a, 550b. The bar code, which may be one- or two-dimensional,
typically
includes information about the pharmaceutical in the package, such as the NDC
number, dosage
or the like, that enables the system 500 to track the type of pharmaceutical
being stored in a
particular storage location.
To dispense a desired pharmaceutical, the controller simply identifies a
storage location
that contains the package of interest, then moves the carousel assembly 580
and the carrier
assembly 530 as described above to move the bin 570 and carrier assembly 530
to a position in
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which the carrier assembly can retrieve the bin 570. The carrier assembly 530
then moves the
bin 570 to the dispensing window 510 in the manner described above in
connection with Figures
23A-23L. In many instances, the bar code reader 550a, 550b will read the bar
code on the
package to confirm the identity of the phaimaceutical contained in the
package. Once the small
bin 570 and its package reach the small dispensing window 510, the package can
be removed
from the bin 570. The small bin 570 can then either be loaded with a different
package or can be
returned empty to its storage location.
A similar sequence of steps would be followed for the loading, storage, and
dispensing of
pharmaceutical items in a large bin 578, with the exceptions that (a) the
large bin 578 would be
presented to and withdrawn from the large dispensing window 512, and (b) in
some cases the
form of the package will not make it possible for the bar code scanner 550a,
550b to read the bar
code on the package, so identification and confirmation of the package
contents is typically
performed at the bar code reader 516.
The system 500 typically stores data associated with the storage and
dispensing of
pharmaceutical packages therein. As a result, the system 500 can provide
reports (either on the
display screen 514 or in hard-copy form) of inventory, dispensing, timing, and
the like as
described in some detail above in connection with the systems 100, 300 and
400.
Those skilled in this art will appreciate that the system 500 may take various
other forms.
For example, the motors and slide rods of the carrier assembly that control
movement of the jaws
544 may be replaced with different varieties of drive units such as belt
drives, conveyors, roller
assemblies cam drives, and the like. Also, the rollers 600, 602, 610, 612 may
be omitted, or in
some embodiments may be incorporated into the carrier assembly.
Some embodiments of the system may have only one dispensing window, or may
have
more than two dispensing windows. In single window embodiments, the window may
be of a
single permanent size, or may be configured to expand or contract between
multiple sizes based
on the size of the bin being used for storage or dispensing.
Similarly, the shelf units 560 may have only one size of shelf, or may have
more than two
sizes. Moreover, the shelf units may be deployed such that one or more shelf
units includes
shelves intended to house only one size of bin, and one or more other shelf
units includes shelves
intended to house only a different size of bin. Rather than the passive bin
retaining system
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provided by the recesses in the bins and the ridges in the shelves, the shelf
units may employ an
active retaining system that includes springs, latches, magnets, doors, locks,
clips or the like. In
addition, the carousel assembly may be constructed differently, with sprockets
that lack
perimeter pockets (e.g., the rods may be mounted on the outer surface of the
upper and lower
belts), or with a path that is defined differently (including round). Other
variations may also be
suitable for use with the system.
Also, although blister-packs and pouches are shown herein as pharmaceutical
dose
packages, other forms of packaging may also be used, including envelopes,
boxes, jars, vials,
"bingo cards" (blister pack cards), and the like.
Those skilled in this art will also appreciate that features described above
in connection
with the systems 100, 300 and 400, such as refrigeration, security, and the
like, may also be
employed with the system 500.
The foregoing embodiments are illustrative of the present invention, and are
not to be
construed as limiting thereof. Although exemplary embodiments of this
invention have been
described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many
modifications are possible in
the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel
teachings and
advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended
to be included
within the scope of this invention.
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