System and apparatus for item management

• US 10,650,921 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2017
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chudy Group LLC
• Original Assignee: Chudy Group LLC
• Inventors: Chudy, Duane S., Montgomery, Larry, Spernow, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/610,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20180137934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: 700242, 700244, 700231, 700232, 700236, 700240, 700243, 221 2, 221 5, 221 6
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0069 Trays for holding or distributing medicines display trays A47F3/14; serving trays A47G23/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/04 Packaging single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/02 Storage devices furniture A47B; shop fittings A47F
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• 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 20/10 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: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

Item-management systems, apparatus, and methods are described, preferably for management of items such as medicaments. In embodiments, an item-management system comprises a container defining plural cells, a docking station configured to receive the container, sources of visible information to indicate the cell(s) into which an item is to be loaded, and at least one controller operable to control the visible information sources to indicate the cell into which the item is to be received.

Claims

1. A medicament-management system for loading medicaments into a blister package which enables a pharmacy user to rapidly and accurately perform repetitive tasks of hand-loading medicaments into cells of the blister package, the system comprising:

a portable blister package having walls defining plural cells arranged in a pattern, each cell having a cell upper opening through which a medicament is hand-loaded into the cell;

a docking station to which the blister package is temporarily docked during the hand-loading of medicaments into the cells, the docking station including a plurality of cell-receiving pockets arranged in the pattern such that the blister package cell walls are nested within the pockets when docked and during the hand-loading of the medicaments into the cells, the nesting providing each cell with a location known to the system;

visible information sources controlled through the docking station providing yes state or no state visible information, a source being associated with each pocket to indicate by the yes state the cell of a docked blister package into which each medicament is to be hand-loaded; and

at least one controller operable to store information indicating the cell into which each medicament is to be hand-loaded and to control, through the docking station, the visible information to indicate the cell into which the medicament is to be hand-loaded, thereby enabling the pharmacy user to rapidly and correctly perform the repetitive manual tasks of hand-loading the cells with, a correct type of medicament.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the docking station includes:

a housing including the pockets, the housing having a top side over which the blister package is docked with the cell walls nested in the pockets; and

the visible information sources are positioned such that the visible information is viewable proximate the pockets.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the blister package cell walls have a cross-sectional shape and the pockets have a cross-sectional shape complementary thereto to facilitate the nesting of the blister package with the docking station.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the docking station pockets are arranged in a plurality of pocket groups, each pocket group being capable of receiving a separate blister package thereby enabling a plurality of the blister packages to be docked simultaneously at the docking station.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein the docking station further includes circuitry enabling control of the visible information.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the visible information sources radiate light.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein each visible information source includes an energizable light source.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein each visible information source further includes a light pipe having a body, a first end aligned with the energizable light source, a second end viewable from the top side of the docking station housing and the light pipe communicates the light.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the light source is multi-colored.

10. A medicament-management system for loading medicaments into a blister package which enables a pharmacy user to rapidly and accurately perform repetitive tasks of hand-loading medicaments into cells of the blister package, the system comprising:

a portable blister package having walls defining plural cells arranged in a pattern, each cell having a cell upper opening through which a medicament is hand-loaded into the cell;

a docking station to which the blister package is temporarily docked during the hand-loading of medicaments into the cells, the docking station including a housing with a top side and a plurality of cell-receiving pockets arranged in the pattern such that the blister package cell walls are nested within the pockets when docked and during the hand-loading of the medicaments into the cells, the nesting providing each cell with a location known to the system;

visible information sources controlled through the docking station providing yes state or no state visible information, a source being associated with and visible proximate each pocket to indicate by the yes state the cell of a docked blister package into which each medicament is to be hand-loaded; and

at least one controller operable to store information indicating the cell into which each medicament is to be hand-loaded and to control, through the docking station, the visible information to indicate the cell into which the medicament is to be hand-loaded, thereby enabling the pharmacy user to rapidly and correctly perform the repetitive manual tasks of hand-loading the cells with a correct type of medicament;

wherein the blister package has a body of light-transmissive material and the visible information is viewable through the body when the blister package is docked.

11. The system of claim 10 further including a closure for sealing the cell upper openings after medicaments are loaded in the cells to provide a self-contained, sealed container.

12. A medicament-management system for loading medicaments into a blister package which enables a pharmacy user to rapidly and accurately perform repetitive tasks of hand-loading medicaments into cells of the blister package, the system comprising:

a portable blister package having walls defining plural cells arranged in a pattern, each cell having a cell upper opening through which a medicament is hand-loaded into the cell;

a docking station to which the blister package is temporarily docked during the hand-loading of medicaments into the cells, the docking station including a housing with a top side and a plurality of cell-receiving pockets arranged in the pattern such that the blister package cell walls are nested within the pockets when docked and during the hand-loading of the medicaments into the cells, the nesting providing each cell with a location known to the system;

visible information sources controlled through the docking station providing yes state or no state visible information, a source being associated with and visibly proximate each pocket to indicate by the yes state the cell of a docked blister package into which each medicament is to be hand-loaded;

at least one controller operable to store information indicating the cell into which each medicament is to be hand-loaded and to control, through the docking station, the visible information to indicate the cell into which the medicament is to be hand-loaded, thereby enabling the pharmacy user to rapidly and correctly perform the repetitive manual tasks of hand-loading the cells with a correct type of medicament; and

a sensor guide associated with the docking station and operably connected to the at least one controller, the sensor guide having plural openings, an opening being associated with each pocket and each cell of a docked blister package, the sensor guide further having a sensor associated with each opening which detects passage of a medicament through the opening toward the cell of the docked blister package, and the visible information is viewable on the sensor guide.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the sensor guide detects whether the medicament is placed into an expected cell.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the at least one controller generates a signal if the medicament is placed in other than the expected cell.