Apparatuses, systems, and methods for transporting medications from a central pharmacy to a patient in a healthcare facility

• US 10,029,856 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aesynt, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Greyshock, Shawn T.
• Primary Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US15/057,783
• Publication Number:
  US 20160185527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 875 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 35/00 Mechanical conveyors not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/04 for feeding articles
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Provided herein are various apparatuses, systems, and methods for improving the efficiency of medication distribution within a healthcare facility. In particular, embodiments may provide for dispensing medications needed and medications anticipated to be needed to an authorized medical person for administration to a patient in a healthcare facility. Methods may include receiving an indication of one or more unit dose medications anticipated to be needed by a patient; retrieving the one or more unit dose medications from a unit storage device; loading the one or more unit dose medications onto a transport device; transporting the one or more unit dose medications from the unit storage device to a location proximate the patient; and transferring the one or more unit dose medications from the transport device to a staging area at the location proximate the patient.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a unit storage device, a plurality of trays in a vertically stacked arrangement, each comprising a plurality of medications, wherein each of a plurality of locations within each tray is uniquely identified by a controller, and each uniquely identified location within the tray is associated with a medication received within the respective location;

accessing a tray of the unit storage device;

scanning contents of at least one of the one or more locations of the tray using a robotic retrieval device comprising a scanning device;

retrieving a medication from one of the one or more locations of the tray using the robotic retrieval device;

advancing the medication to a staging area with the robotic retrieval device;

retrieving a second medication from one of the one or more locations using the robotic retrieval device; and

depositing the second medication in another of the one or more locations using the robotic retrieval device in response to a controller determining an arrangement of medications for which future retrieval will be more efficient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a tray of the unit storage device comprises advancing a robot arranged to travel vertically up and down a face of the unit storage device to the tray of the unit storage device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein scanning contents of at least one of the one or more locations of the tray using a robotic retrieval device comprising a scanning device comprises scanning a barcode of a medication received within one of the one or more locations of the tray.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein in response to a controller indicating that the barcode of the medication received within one of the one or more locations of the tray is a medication requested, retrieving the medication received within the one of the one or more locations of the tray using the robotic retrieval device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of trays comprises a plurality of bins, and each of the plurality of locations within the at least one of the plurality of trays are locations within the plurality of bins.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of bins comprises at least one profile common among all of the plurality of bins.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating the association between the second medication and the uniquely identified location to include the another of the one or more locations of the tray.

8. A system for dispensing medication, the system comprising:

a plurality of trays, each tray comprising a plurality of medications, wherein each of a plurality of locations within the tray is uniquely identified by a controller, and each unique identified location within the tray is associated with a medication received within the respective location;

a unit storage device configured to store the plurality of trays of unit dose medications;

a controller configured to receive requests for unit dose medications;

a robotic retrieving device configured to scan the contents of one or more of the plurality of locations, and retrieve one or more of the plurality of medications from the unit storage device in response to a request received at the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to rearrange medications stored in the unit storage device in response to determining an arrangement of medications for which future retrieval will be more efficient.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of unit dose medications are stored within the unit storage device in a bin disposed on a tray, wherein each bin comprises a uniform profile.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a printer, wherein the printer prints a printed label for the retrieved one or more medications.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the printed label comprises at least one of patient information or medication destination information.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the unit storage device comprises a refrigerated region of storage comprising at least one tray of unit dose medications.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of unit dose medications are stored within the unit storage device in an overpack, wherein each overpack includes unique identifying indicia disposed thereon.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a scanner attached to the retrieving device, wherein the scanner is configured to scan the identifying indicia of each overpack prior to retrieval.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of trays are arranged in a substantially vertical stack, where each tray is accessible by the robotic retrieving device in response to the respective tray being moved from a storage position to an accessible position.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a robot configured to move across the substantially vertical stack and move the respective tray from the storage position to the accessible position.

17. A system for dispensing medication, the system comprising:

a plurality of trays arranged in a substantially vertical stack, each tray comprising a plurality of medications, wherein each of a plurality of locations within the tray is uniquely identified by a controller, and each unique identified location within the tray is associated with a medication received within the respective location, wherein each tray defines and is movable between a storage position and an accessible position;

a unit storage device configured to store the plurality of trays of unit dose medications;

a controller configured to receive requests for unit dose medications;

a robotic retrieving device configured to move across the substantially vertical stack and move each tray individually from the storage position to the accessible position;

wherein the controller is configured to rearrange medications stored in the unit storage device in response to determining an arrangement of medications for which future retrieval will be more efficient.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the robotic retrieving device is attached to the unit storage device, and advances vertically along a plane defined by a face of the plurality of trays when the trays are disposed in the storage position.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein at least a portion of the unit storage device comprises a refrigerated storage section, wherein at least one, but not all of the plurality of trays are disposed in the refrigerated storage section.