Picking device and method for retrieving drug compositions from storage

• US 10,431,035 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2017
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Wingenter, Dirk, Hellenbrand, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Randazzo, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US15/666,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20190042701A1
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/06 Packaging groups of articles, the groups being treated as single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/08 Packaging groups of articles, the articles being individually gripped or guided for transfer to the containers or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/08 to container bodies B65C3/065 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/46 from movable storage containers or supports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/60 the storage containers or supports being rectilinearly movable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A picking device for dispensing drug combinations arranged in storage vessels is provided. A storage device includes multiple storage locations for storage vessels, and an operating device is coupled to a controller. A stocking device moves storage vessels into the storage device, and an unloading device transfers drug combinations arranged in the storage vessels to a transport device.

Claims

1. A picking device for dispensing drug combinations arranged in storage vessels, comprising:

at least one storage device comprising having a plurality of storage locations for storage vessels;

an operating device configured to be moved horizontally and vertically in front of a row of shelves, the operating device coupled to a control device;

at least one stocking device configured to move storage vessels for drug combinations into the storage device, wherein the operating device is configured to remove the storage vessels therefrom;

at least one first identifying device for identifying the drug combinations;

an unloading device;

at least one delivery station coupled to the control device, the delivery station comprising a removal location and a user interface; and

a transport device, coupled to the control device, configured to transfer drug combinations from the unloading device, wherein the transport device connects the storage device to each of the at least one delivery stations, and wherein any of the drug combinations is deliverable to any of the at least one delivery stations.

2. The picking device of claim 1, wherein the unloading device comprises a vessel receptacle having a design corresponding to that of a storage location, such that the storage vessels are configured to be deposited by the operating device in the vessel receptacle.

3. The picking device of claim 1, wherein the unloading device is a gravity unloading station by which drug combinations arranged in one of the storage vessels are transferred to the transport device at a receiving location via a discharge opening of the storage vessel.

4. The picking device of claim 3, wherein the unloading device is a tipping station wherein drug combinations arranged in one of the storage vessels are tipped onto the transport device at a receiving location via the discharge opening of the storage vessel.

5. The picking device of claim 1, wherein the unloading device comprises an ejection device configured to eject drug combinations arranged in one of the storage vessels onto the transport device at a receiving location via the discharge opening of the storage vessel.

6. The picking device of claim 1, wherein the unloading device comprises a movable vessel receptacle configured to receive storage vessels to be emptied when in a park position, and to move the storage vessels to be emptied to an emptying position.

7. The picking device of claim 4, wherein the movable vessel receptacle comprises a retaining device configured to hold storage vessels in a temporary manner for later detachment.

8. The picking device of claim 1, wherein a vessel collection device is functionally assigned to the unloading device and is configured to receive emptied storage vessels from the unloading device.

9. The picking device of claim 6, wherein the vessel collection device is arranged below the unloading device, wherein emptied storage vessels are configured to be fed to the vessel collection device by releasing the retaining device.

10. The picking device of claim 6, wherein the vessel collection device comprises an access opening accessible from outside the storage device for removal of collected storage vessels.

11. The picking device of claim 1, wherein the storage device comprises a delivery device arranged at least partially within the radius of action of the operating device and which is accessible from outside of the storage device.

12. The picking device of claim 1, further comprising a vessel provision device accessible from outside the storage device and configured for emptied storage vessels.

13. The picking device of claim 1, further comprising at least two delivery stations configured for different types of access for different users.

14. The picking device of claim 11, wherein one of the delivery stations is configured to be operated from outside of a building in which the storage device is arranged.

15. The picking device of claim 1, further comprising a second identifying device configured to identify drug combinations prior to the emptying of the storage vessels in the unloading device.

16. A method for retrieving drug combinations arranged in storage vessels in a picking device, the method comprising:

a) identifying a drug combination to be retrieved, comprising;

providing, by a user, uniquely identifying identification data for the drug combination to be retrieved; and

determining a storage location inside the picking device assigned to the drug combination to be retrieved;

b) moving an operating device to the assigned storage location of the drug combination;

c) gripping, by the operating device, a storage vessel arranged at the assigned storage location, the storage vessel containing the drug combination, and transferring the storage vessel to a vessel receptacle of an unloading device;

d) emptying the transferred storage vessel onto the transport device;

e) transporting, by the transport device, the drug combination to a removal location of a delivery station; and

f) clearing the removal location of the drug combination upon instructions from a control device coupled to the delivery station.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the vessel receptacle is arranged prior to the transfer of the storage vessel in such a manner that the operating device transfers the storage vessel with conventional stocking movements.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage vessel is emptied by the vessel receptacle being tipped so that drug combinations fall onto the transport device.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the vessel receptacle is moved from a park position into an emptying position prior to the emptying of the storage vessel.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the storage vessel is moved following the emptying thereof into a vessel collection device or a vessel provision device.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein a drug combination to be retrieved is identified by personal data of a user being provided as the identification data and evaluated.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, if more than one drug combination is assigned to a user, the user is given the option of selecting the drug combinations to be dispensed.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the steps of the method for the retrieval following step a) are only carried out if all user actions associated with the dispensing have been performed successfully.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein a drug combination arranged in a storage vessel is identified by the second identifying device prior to the emptying of the storage vessel, and the storage vessel is only emptied onto the transport device if the identified drug combination corresponds to the drug combination identified by the identification data.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein, if the identified drug combination does not correspond to the drug combination identified by the identification data, the same is removed from the stock of the storage device.