Medicine supply apparatus

• US 20040134043A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 07/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PHC Holdings Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Biomedical Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Haraguchi, Manabu, Uema, Shinya
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,846 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 24/297
• 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: Y10T 24/309 Plastic type

Abstract

In a medicine supply apparatus for filling medicines into containers using a plurality of reception compartments into which medicines can be voluntarily fed, an object is to improve usability of the apparatus and prevent supply of wrong medicines. The medicine supply apparatus includes a plurality of reception compartments into which medicines can be respectively put arbitrarily, discharge means for discharging the medicines in the reception compartments, respectively, and filling means for filling the medicines discharged from the reception compartments into containers such as bags or vials. The medicine supply apparatus is provided with LED lamps for identifiably showing the plurality of reception compartments, respectively, and control means for controlling the discharge means, the LED lamps, and the filling means. Based on given prescription data, the control means controls the discharge means to discharge the medicine from the reception compartment, or controls the LED lamps to show the reception compartment into which the medicine should be put.

Claims

1. A medicine supply apparatus including a plurality of reception compartments into which medicines can be respectively put arbitrarily, discharge means for discharging the medicines in said reception compartments, respectively, and filling means for filling the medicines discharged from said reception compartments into containers such as bags or vials, said medicine supply apparatus comprising:

guide means for identifiably showing said plurality of reception compartments, respectively; and

control means for controlling said discharge means, said guide means, and said filling means,

wherein said control means, based on given prescription data, controls said discharge means to discharge the medicine from said reception compartment, or controls said guide means to show said reception compartment into which the medicine should be put.

2. A medicine supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide means switchingly shows said reception compartment into which the medicine should be put, depending on a kind of medicine.

3. A medicine supply apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said guide means comprises display means provided correspondingly to said plurality of reception compartments, and shows said reception compartment into which the medicine should be put, by lighting said display means.