Article dispensing and counting method and device

• US 20060224274A1
• Filed: 05/25/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Volkar, John, Milton, Monroe, Bergeron, Michael, Popovich, Joseph, Broussard, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,555,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/225
• 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 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• 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

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention includes a system comprising a housing having an upper end and a lower end. The housing carries a plurality of movable blades defining an entry aperture proximate to the upper end, an exit aperture proximate to the lower end, and a chamber there between. An adapter may be provided for connection to the housing and for receiving an article storage container. The upper end of the housing carries a sensor responsive to the presence and absence of the article storage container. A memory device carries information about the presence and absence of the article storage container. An article determining and actuating station has electronics for interrogating the memory device, for controlling the plurality of blades and for determining the number of items dispensed. A receptacle collects articles that have been dispensed. Methods of associating a flow control device with an article storage container and of dispensing items are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing articles, comprising:

dispensing articles at a bulk rate;

determining the number of articles dispensed; and

dispensing articles at a singulation rate lower than said bulk rate in response to said the number of articles dispensed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining includes determining the number of articles dispensed based on counting.

3. The method of claim I wherein said determining includes determining the number of articles dispensed based on weighing.

4. A method of dispensing articles, comprising:

connecting a flow control device having an article storage container connected thereto to a station;

interrogating said flow control device;

dispensing articles at a first rate based on said interrogating;

determining the number of dispensed articles;

dispensing articles at a second rate based on said determining; and

collecting the dispensed articles in a receptacle.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said dispensing articles at a second rate includes reducing said dispensing from a rate of more than one article at a time to a rate of one article at a time.

6. The method of claim 4 additionally comprising:

storing said articles in said article storage container; and

using said flow control device to seal said article storage container.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein said interrogating includes detecting when said article storage container has been removed from said flow control device.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein said determining includes one of counting multiple articles, single articles, and partial articles passing through a counting area.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein said interrogation identifies one of whether said flow control device is properly associated with said article storage container, information about said flow control device, and information about articles in said container.

10. A method of dispensing articles, comprising:

connecting a flow control device having an article storage container connected thereto to a station;

interrogating said flow control device;

setting the minimum and maximum sizes of an entry aperture of said flow control device based on said interrogating;

setting the minimum and maximum sizes of an exit aperture of said flow control device based on said interrogating;

varying the sizes of said entry aperture and said exit aperture between said minimum and maximum sizes;

determining the number of articles dispensed; and

collecting the articles in a receptacle after they have been dispensed.

11. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising controlling said varying based on said determining.

12. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising closing said entry aperture and said exit aperture at the conclusion of said dispensing.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said entry aperture and said exit aperture cannot be opened upon disconnecting said flow control device from said station.

14. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising inhibiting said setting, counting and collecting in response to said interrogation identifying a problem.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein said varying is performed in accordance with a duty cycle having a predetermined profile and frequency.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said varying is performed in accordance with a deadtime between duty cycles.

17. A method of associating a flow control device with an article storage container, comprising:

reading device identification information from said flow control device;

storing said device identification information;

reading article storage container identification information; and

storing said article storage container identification information so as to be linked with said stored device identification information.

18. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising storing information about the articles stored in said article storage container.

19. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising mechanically connecting said device and said article storage container.

20. The method of claim 17 additionally comprising storing information identifying if said device and said article storage container have been mechanically disconnected.

21. A method, comprising:

connecting a flow control device having an article storage container connected thereto to a station;

setting the minimum and maximum sizes of an entry aperture of said flow control device based on default values;

setting the minimum and maximum sizes of an exit aperture of said flow control device based on default values;

varying the sizes of said entry aperture and said exit aperture between said minimum and maximum sizes at a frequency based on default values;

determining if articles are dispensed at a desired rate and, if so, saving said default values and, if not, adjusting said default values until articles are dispensed at said desired rate.