Medication processing kiosk

• US 10,489,555 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualanex, LLC
• Original Assignee: Qualanex, LLC
• Inventors: Cano, Derek, Stark, Donald W., Dubois, Alan Lewis, Ezell, Dan
• Primary Examiner(s): Waggoner, Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US15/402,597
• Publication Number:
  US 20170199983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A kiosk includes a processor configured to receive, from a user interface device, medication information and determine, via a database, that medication associated with the medication information satisfies criteria. The processor is also configured to receive, from a first camera, an image of the medication and to determine that the image of the medication satisfies a visual criterion. The processor is further configured to receive, from the scale, a weight of the medication and to determine that the weight of the medication satisfies an expected weight criterion. The processor is also configured to cause a display to display an indication that the medication satisfies the criteria based at least in part on the determination that the image of the medication satisfies the visual criterion and the determination that the weight of the medication satisfies the expected weight criterion.

Claims

1. A kiosk comprising:

a user interface device that receives information from a user;

a display that displays information to the user;

a first camera;

a second camera;

a scale;

a transceiver that communicates with a database; and

a processor operatively coupled to the user interface device, the display, the first camera, the scale, and the transceiver, wherein the processor includes programmed instructions to;

receive, from the user interface device, medication information, wherein the medication information comprises an indication of whether packaging of a medication has been opened;

determine an identity of the medication associated with the medication information by determining, via the database, that the medication associated with the medication information satisfies criteria, wherein the criteria are provided to the database by a manufacturer of the medication, and wherein the criteria comprises an expected weight criterion of the medication and a visual criterion of the medication;

receive, from the first camera, an image of the medication;

receive, from the second camera, an image of the packaging of the medication;

receive an indication that the medication satisfies the visual criterion;

receive, from the scale, a weight of the medication;

determine that the weight of the medication satisfies the expected weight criterion;

cause the display to display an indication that the medication satisfies the criteria based at least in part on the determination that the image of the medication satisfies the visual criterion and the determination that the weight of the medication satisfies the expected weight criterion; and

cause the transceiver to transmit the medication information, the image of the medication, the image of the packaging of the medication, and the weight of the medication to the database.

2. The kiosk of claim 1, further comprising a pill counter, wherein the criteria further comprise an expected number of pills criterion, and wherein the processor further includes programmed instructions to:

receive, from the pill counter, a number of pills of the medication; and

determine that the number of pills satisfies the expected number of pills criterion.

3. The kiosk of claim 2, wherein the pill counter comprises a drive tube with a helical flute that distributes and conveys pills to an optical pill counter.

4. The kiosk of claim 3, wherein the first camera comprises an endoscope camera that captures images of pills in the drive tube.

5. The kiosk of claim 3, wherein an angle of the drive tube is adjustable, and wherein the processor includes programmed instructions to adjust the angle of the drive tube based on images of the pills in the drive tube.

6. The kiosk of claim 1, wherein the weight of the medication includes a weight of a container.

7. The kiosk of claim 1, wherein the criteria further comprises a status of the packaging of the medication criterion, and wherein the processor includes programmed instructions to determine, based at least in part on the image of the packaging of the medication, that the packaging of the medication satisfies the status of the packaging of the medication criterion.

8. The kiosk of claim 1, wherein the medication comprises pills, and wherein the visual criterion comprises a symbol on the pills.

9. The kiosk of claim 8, wherein the symbol is at least one of imprinted into the pills, a raised symbol on the pills, or printed onto the pills.

10. The kiosk of claim 1, further comprising a printer, wherein the processor further includes programmed instructions to cause the printer to print a shipping label based at least in part on the determination that the image of the medication satisfies the visual criterion and the determination that the weight of the medication satisfies the expected weight criterion.

11. The kiosk of claim 1, wherein the database is stored on a plurality of servers.

12. The kiosk of claim 1, wherein the processor further includes programmed instructions to determine that the medication qualifies for at least one of a refund, a recall, or a return based at least on the medication information.

13. The kiosk of claim 1, wherein to receive the indication that the medication satisfies the visual criterion, the processor further includes programmed instructions to determine that the image of the medication satisfies the visual criterion.

14. The kiosk of claim 1, wherein the indication that the medication satisfies the visual criterion is received from the user interface device.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, from a user interface device that receives information from a user, medication information, wherein the medication information comprises an indication of whether packaging of a medication has been opened;

determining an identity of the medication associated with the medication information by determining, via a remote database, that the medication associated with the medication information satisfies criteria, wherein the criteria are provided to the remote database by a manufacturer of the medication, and wherein the criteria comprises an expected weight criterion of the medication and a visual criterion of the medication;

receiving, from a first camera, an image of the medication;

receiving, from the second camera, an image of the packaging of the medication;

receiving an indication that the image of the medication satisfies the visual criterion;

receiving, from a scale, a weight of the medication;

determining that the weight of the medication satisfies the expected weight criterion;

causing a display to display an indication that the medication satisfies the criteria based at least in part on the determination that the image of the medication satisfies the visual criterion and the determination that the weight of the medication satisfies the expected weight criterion; and

transmitting, to the remote database, the medication information, the image of the medication, the image of the packaging of the medication, and the weight of the medication.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the criteria further comprises an expected number of pills criterion, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, from a pill counter, a number of pills of the medication; and

determining that the number of pills satisfies the expected number of pills criterion.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the weight of the medication includes a weight of a container.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the criteria further comprises a status of the packaging of the medication criterion, and wherein the method further comprises determining, based at least in part on the image of the packaging of the medication, that the packaging of the medication satisfies the status of the packaging of the medication criterion.