Automated pharmacy admixture system (APAS)

• US 20060259195A1
• Filed: 03/27/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArXium, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Hospital Systems, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Inventors: Eliuk, Walter W., Doherty, Thom, Rob, Ronald H., Mlodzinski, Lance R., Reinhardt, Alex H.
• Granted Patent: US 7,783,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/20 Arrangements for transferring or mixing fluids, e.g. from vial to syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/002 Compounding apparatus specially for enteral or parenteral nutritive solutions bottling liquids B67C
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/201 Holders therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/23 by pivoting the containers about an axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/84 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/8442 using a computer for controlling information and converting it in a formula and a set of operation instructions, e.g. on the point of sale
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2209 Controlling the mixing process as a whole, i.e. involving a complete monitoring and controlling of the mixing process during the whole mixing cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/02 Filling, closing, or filling and closing, containers or wrappers in chambers maintained under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure or containing a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/024 specially adapted for wrappers or bags B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/16 by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/001 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/003 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1657 the picking arrangements using suction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/70 in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, an automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Claims

1. A system to automate pharmaceutical compounding, the system comprising:

a chamber;

a robotic manipulator system to convey medical containers within the chamber;

a compounding system disposed in the chamber to transfer medicaments between medical containers; and

a control system to regulate a pressure in the chamber to a pressure level below an ambient atmospheric pressure outside the chamber.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a fluid transfer system disposed at least substantially within the chamber, the fluid transfer system comprising a fluid transfer port to transfer fluids between medical containers.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a controller that includes a processor to receive instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

actuating the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag and the fluid transfer port into register with one another, and

actuating the manipulator system to move the IV bag and the fluid transfer port out of register after a fluid transfer operation.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a supply of IV bags, each bag having at least one of a plurality of different fill port configurations, and means for grasping each of the plurality of IV bags, wherein the grasping means accommodates each of a plurality of different fill port configurations.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the robotic manipulator system is to convey the grasping means to a plurality of locations in the chamber.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the grasping means further accommodates each of a plurality of substantially different syringe diameters.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a needle decapping station to remove a cap from a syringe with an installed needle.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a needle-removing station to remove a needle from a syringe after the syringe has been loaded with a desired quantity of one or more of the medicaments.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a syringe capping station to place a cap on the syringe after the needle has been removed.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a processor to perform a plurality of verification checks on a medical container in the chamber.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mixer station to mix contents contained in at least one medical container according to a selected one of a plurality of motion profiles.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage system to present a plurality of medical items to the chamber.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a second chamber to enclose the storage system, and a second control system to regulate a pressure in the second chamber to a pressure level above the ambient atmospheric pressure.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a second chamber to enclose the storage system, and a second control system to regulate a pressure in the second chamber to a pressure level above the pressure level in the chamber.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising means for removing contamination from a localized area in the first chamber or the second chamber.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a clean tent to reduce contamination of the system.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a pressure system to provide a pressure in the clean tent that is above the ambient pressure.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein an interior of the chamber is substantially aseptic.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein an interior of the chamber meets ISO Class 5 clean room standards.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising a pulsed ultraviolet system to sanitize at least a portion of a fluid transfer port of an IV bag or a vial.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for removing contamination from a localized area in the chamber.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the medical containers are selected from the group consisting of syringes, IV bags, and vials.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein at least some of the medicaments comprise a chemotherapeutic dose.

24. An apparatus to provide a load determination for an automated pharmaceutical processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause operations to be performed, the operations comprising;

receiving a drug order comprising drug type and quantity information;

identifying type and size information of available medical containers; and

selecting at least one of the available medical containers to process the drug order based on stored criteria for selecting a medical container to process the received drug order.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein selecting at least one of the available medical containers comprises selecting an output container to contain the drug order after processing is completed.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein selecting at least one of the available medical containers further comprises selecting at least one intermediate container to process the drug order before processing is completed.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein evaluating the identified medical containers comprises comparing the drug order type and size information to at least one stored preference criterion associated with the received drug order.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein evaluating the identified medical containers further comprises comparing the drug order type and size information to stored information.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, the operations further comprising sending a message to a controller in an automated pharmaceutical processing system to cause the controller to fill the drug order using the selected container.

30. The apparatus of claim 24, the operations further comprising generating a message containing instructions to a user to load at least one medical container.

31. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the available medical containers are selected from the group consisting of one or more size and type of:

syringes, IV bags, and vials.

32. The apparatus of claim 24, the operations further comprising determining volume information for an output container to contain a completed drug order.

33. A method of preparing pharmaceutical products, the method comprising:

receiving a medical container for a fluid transfer operation in a pharmaceutical fluid transfer process;

positioning a fluid port site of the medical container to be exposed to ultraviolet radiation; and

upon exposing the fluid port site to ultraviolet radiation, transporting the medical container to a fluid transfer station to transfer fluid through the port site.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein receiving the medical container comprises grasping the medical container with a robotic manipulator.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein positioning the fluid port site in the chamber comprises transporting at least a portion of the medical container through an aperture of the chamber.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the medical container blocks at least some of the pulsed ultraviolet light from escaping the chamber through the aperture.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the fluid port site comprises a bung of a vial.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein the fluid port site comprises a bung of an IV bag.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein the chamber comprises a portable table-top or desk-top enclosure.

40. The method of claim 33, wherein the positioning and transporting is performed by a user.