Systems and methods for automatically verifying packaging of solid pharmaceuticals via robotic technology according to patient prescription data

• US 10,351,285 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sweet, Mark, Kames, Edward D, Gileta, Heather, Barrett, Robert, Kraemer, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Valvis, Alexander M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferrero, Eduardo R
• Application Number:
  US14/532,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20160122060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 700244, 700259, 53154, 53237
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0616 with vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/18 by suction-operated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/007 Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/108 Article support means temporarily arranged in the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/12 Introducing successive articles, e.g. confectionery products, of different shape or size in predetermined positions
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/10 responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/26 for marking or coding completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/917 control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices

Abstract

Robotic pick-and-place automation is used to transfer oral solid pharmaceuticals from moveable trays or canisters. Sensors are used to verify that the pharmaceuticals have been properly placed in the desired pharmaceutical locations precisely according to the patient prescription data. A pharmacist places pharmaceutical products within dispensing trays or canisters to present the pharmaceutical products for picking and placing via the robotic pick-and-place machinery. Once the canister or tray is located adjacent the pick-and-place device, a sensor or imaging unit associated with the pick-and-place device verifies that the pharmaceutical product the size, shape, and/or color of an expected pharmaceutical product that is to be placed within the packaging material in accordance with patient prescription data stored by a computer associated with the system. Sensors verify that each individual pharmaceutical specified by a patient prescription have been deposited into each specified location strictly in accordance with the patient prescription data.

Claims

1. A method for automatically verifying packaging of oral solid pharmaceutical medications comprising:

verifying placement of a plurality of oral solid pharmaceuticals into each of a plurality of dispensing containers, each individual dispensing container being dedicated to a specific oral solid pharmaceutical medication;

automatically transferring a plurality of individual dispensing containers to a staging location of a robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism and verifying that a specific dispensing container is located at a specific staging location for transferring oral solid pharmaceuticals from the dispensing container;

moving an end of an arm tooling of the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism to engage a first suction tip that is removably secured to a first dispensing container associated with a first type of oral solid pharmaceutical;

using the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism to automatically transfer individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications from at least one of a plurality of dispensing containers to cavity locations of a transfer validation unit that each correspond to patient prescription data;

automatically verifying that each oral solid pharmaceutical medication transferred by the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism matches predetermined physical parameters of an oral solid pharmaceutical that is specified for transfer into a specific cavity location based on the patient prescription data;

detecting a break in a first emitter beam for a single one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications, wherein the emitter beam extends in a generally parallel or generally planar direction relative to the transfer validation unit;

detecting an additional break in a second emitter beam during transfer of the single one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications;

determining, based on the detected additional break, that the single one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications was transferred to an incorrect cavity location;

upon transferring all of the first type of oral solid pharmaceutical for a particular package, securing, using the end of the arm tooling, the first suction tip to the first dispensing container;

moving the end of the arm tooling of the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism to engage a second suction tip that is removably secured to a second dispensing container associated with a second type of oral solid pharmaceutical; and

automatically sealing and printing patient identification and prescription data on the package once all oral solid pharmaceutical specified by the patient prescription data have been transferred into the package cavities specified by the patient prescription data.

2. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 1, wherein:

the predetermined physical parameters comprise visual characteristics of the oral solid pharmaceutical stored as image data;

the predetermined physical parameters are detected using an optical imager; and

the automatically verifying that each oral solid pharmaceutical medication transferred by the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism matches predetermined physical parameters comprises comparing the image data with a library containing a plurality of image data for a plurality of oral solid pharmaceuticals.

3. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 1, wherein:

each of the cavity locations corresponds to an individual cavity of the package.

4. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 1, wherein:

the first emitter beam extend between an electromagnetic emitter unit and an electromagnetic energy receiving unit.

5. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 1, wherein:

the first emitter beam extends across one or both of a row or a column of cavity location of the transfer validation unit.

6. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 1, wherein:

the first emitter beam extends across a single cavity location.

7. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 1, wherein:

each cavity location comprises a dedicated emitter beam.

8. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a second break in the first emitter beam by a second one of the individual solid oral pharmaceutical medications;

determining that the second break in the first emitter beam is the only break in any of the plurality of emitter beams during transfer of the second one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications.

9. A method for automatically verifying packaging of oral solid pharmaceutical medications comprising:

moving an end of an arm tooling of a robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism to engage a first suction tip that is removably secured to a first dispensing container associated with a first type of oral solid pharmaceutical;

using the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism to automatically transfer individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications from at least one of a plurality of dispensing containers to cavity locations of a transfer validation unit that each correspond to patient prescription data;

verifying, using an optical imaging device, that each oral solid pharmaceutical medication transferred by the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism matches predetermined physical parameters of an oral solid pharmaceutical that is specified for transfer into a specific cavity location based on the patient prescription data;

detecting a break in a first emitter beam for a single one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications, wherein the emitter beam extends in a generally parallel or generally planar direction relative to the transfer validation unit;

detecting an additional break in a second emitter beam during transfer of the single one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications;

determining, based on the detected additional break, that the single one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications was transferred to an incorrect cavity location;

upon transferring all of the first type of oral solid pharmaceutical for a particular package, securing, using the end of the arm tooling, the first suction tip to the first dispensing container;

moving the end of the arm tooling of the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism to engage a second suction tip that is removably secured to a second dispensing container associated with a second type of oral solid pharmaceutical; and

automatically sealing and printing patient identification and prescription data on the package once all oral solid pharmaceutical specified by the patient prescription data have been transferred into the package cavities specified by the patient prescription data.

10. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 9, wherein:

the first emitter beam extends across one or both of a row or a column of cavity location of the transfer validation unit.

11. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 9, wherein:

each cavity location comprises a dedicated emitter beam.

12. The method for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 9, further comprising:

detecting a second break in the first emitter beam by a second one of the individual solid oral pharmaceutical medications;

determining that the second break in the first emitter beam is the only break in any of the plurality of emitter beams during transfer of the second one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications.

13. A system for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications, comprising:

a robotic pick-and-place unit having an arm tooling having an end, wherein the end of the arm tooling is configured to;

move to engage a first suction tip that is removably secured to a first dispensing container associated with a first type of oral solid pharmaceutical;

upon transferring all of the first type of oral solid pharmaceutical for a particular package, secure the first suction tip to the first dispensing container;

move to engage a second suction tip that is removably secured to a second dispensing container associated with a second type of oral solid pharmaceutical;

move between each of a plurality of dispensing containers and cavity location of a transfer validation unit to automatically transfer individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications from at least one of the plurality of dispensing containers to cavity locations of the transfer validation unit that each correspond to patient prescription data, the robotic pick-and-place unit comprising at least one optical imaging device that is configured to;

verify that each oral solid pharmaceutical medication transferred by the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism matches predetermined physical parameters of an oral solid pharmaceutical that is specified for transfer into a specific cavity location based on the patient prescription data; and

the transfer validation unit comprising at least one emitter beam configured to;

detect a break in a first emitter beam for a single one of the individual solid oral pharmaceutical medications, wherein the first emitter beam extends in a generally parallel or generally planar direction relative to the transfer validation unit;

detect an additional break in a second emitter beam during transfer of the single one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications; and

determine, based on the detected additional break, that the single one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications was transferred to an incorrect cavity location.

14. The system for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 13, wherein:

the first emitter beam extends across one or both of a row or a column of cavity location of the transfer validation unit.

15. The system for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 13, wherein:

each cavity location comprises a dedicated emitter beam.

16. The system for automatically verifying packing of oral solid pharmaceutical medications of claim 13, wherein:

the transfer validation unit is further configured to;

detect a second break in the first emitter beam by a second one of the individual solid oral pharmaceutical medications; and

determine that the second break in the first emitter beam is the only break in any of the plurality of emitter beams during transfer of the second one of the individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications.