Secure Medicament Dispensing Cabinet, Method and System
First Claim
1. A medicament dispensing cabinet, comprising:
- a frame;
at least one controller;
a plurality of drawers, each of said drawers movably carried by said frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells;
a plurality of removable dispensing devices, each carried by one of said dispensing cells;
each of said dispensing cells further comprising;
a sensor operating in conjunction with said controller for counting medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices;
a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices; and
a chute gate for controlling access to said chute.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A medicament dispensing cabinet is comprised of a frame, at least one controller, and a plurality of drawers each movably carried by the frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells. A plurality of removable dispensing devices is provided with each one carried by one of the dispensing cells. Each of the dispensing cells further comprises a motor for providing rotary motion to one of the removable dispensing devices in response to the controller, a sensor operating in conjunction with the controller for counting medicament dispensed from one of the removable dispensing devices, a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from one of the removable dispensing devices and a chute gate for controlling access to the chute. The cabinet may additionally comprise a chute gate release responsive to the controller for controlling the chute gate and a chute gate sensor connected to the controller and responsive to the position of the chute gate. The cabinet may be used in conjunction with a number of processes including dispensing, secure-pickup (insuring the person picking up the dispensed medicament is authorized to do so), back-end verification (verifying the identity of the person picking up the dispensed medicament), a process for removing a dispensing device from a drawer, and a process for inserting a dispensing device into a drawer.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A medicament dispensing cabinet, comprising:
- a frame;
at least one controller;
a plurality of drawers, each of said drawers movably carried by said frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells;
a plurality of removable dispensing devices, each carried by one of said dispensing cells;
each of said dispensing cells further comprising;
a sensor operating in conjunction with said controller for counting medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices;
a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices; and
a chute gate for controlling access to said chute. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- a frame;
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15. A medicament dispensing cabinet, comprising a frame;
- a plurality of drawers, each of said drawers movably carried by said frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells;
at least one controller;
a plurality of dispensing devices, each removably carried within one of said dispensing cells, each dispensing device comprising an upper hopper defining a storage chamber having an upper opening for receiving a medicament and a lower opening, a lower hopper having an upper opening and a lower opening in a bottom portion thereof, said lower hopper defining a dispensing chamber having a rotatable dispensing disc positioned in a lower portion of said dispensing chamber for dispensing medicament from said dispensing device from said lower opening in said lower hopper, and a regulator situated between said upper hopper'"'"'s lower opening and said lower hopper'"'"'s upper opening for controlling the rate at which medicament moves from said storage chamber to said dispensing chamber;
each of said dispensing cells further comprising;
a motor for providing rotary motion to one of said dispensing discs in response to said controller;
a sensor operating in conjunction with said controller for counting medicament dispensed from said lower opening in one of said lower hoppers;
a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from said lower opening in said one of said lower hoppers; and
a chute gate for controlling access to said chute. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
- a plurality of drawers, each of said drawers movably carried by said frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells;
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28. A medicament dispensing cabinet, comprising:
- a frame;
at least one controller;
a plurality of selectively accessible compartments mounted on said frame, each of said compartments defining a plurality of dispensing cells;
a plurality of removable dispensing devices, each carried by one of said dispensing cells;
each of said dispensing cells further comprising;
a sensor operating in conjunction with said controller for counting medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices;
a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices; and
a chute gate for controlling access to said chute. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
- a frame;
Specification