Medical Resource Storage and Management Apparatus and Medical Supply Management System

• US 20080065264A1
• Filed: 08/23/2005
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tosho, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tosho, Inc.
• Inventors: Omura, Yoshihito, Omura, Shiro, Hirobe, Hideaki, Imura, Takehiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,438,067 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/105 Cabinets
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/18 Cupboards; Drawers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/22 Racks
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/42 the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

Locations of storage on a rack 70 for arranging and storing medical resources are partitioned by a partition member 75. A medical resource detecting member 73 and a retrieval guidance member 72 are provided in each partition on the rack. By configuring the partition member 75 to be removable from a depression 71 in the rack 70, and by providing an input for configuration in a control unit 30 to designate whether or not the partition member 75 is inserted, the control unit 30 is operable to collectively process medical resource detecting members 73 and retrieval guidance members 72. In this way, a large variety of large and small medical resources can be stored for automatic management.

Claims

1. A medical resource storage and management apparatus comprising:

a rack in which a series of depressions for insertion of partition members are formed so that a large number of medical resources are retrievably placed in respective partitions;

partition members which are removably inserted into the depressions;

medical resource detecting members which are arranged on the rack so as to alternate with the depressions in a direction in which the depressions are arranged, and each of which detects whether or not a medical resource is placed;

retrieval guidance members for visual guidance which are arranged on the rack so as to alternate with the depressions in a direction in which the depressions are arranged; and

a control unit which manages the storage status of the medical resources, based on the detection by the medical resource detecting members and which operates one of the retrieval guidance members in response to an input designating retrieval, wherein

the control unit allows providing an input for configuration to designate whether or not the partition member is inserted into the depression, and

the control unit collectively processes a block of medical resource detecting members and retrieval guidance members identified as being located on both sides of the depression from which the partition member is removed, based on the input for configuration.

2. A medical resource storage and maintenance apparatus comprising:

a rack in which a series of depressions for insertion of partition members are formed so that a large number of medical resources are retrievably placed in respective partitions;

partition members which are removably inserted into the depressions;

medical resource detecting members which are arranged on the rack so as to alternate with the depressions in a direction in which the depressions are arranged, and each of which detects whether or not a medical resource is placed;

retrieval guidance members for visual guidance which are arranged on the rack so as to alternate with the depressions in a direction in which the depressions are arranged;

a control unit which manages the storage status of the medical resources, based on the detection by the medical resource detecting members and which operates one of the retrieval guidance members in response to an input designating retrieval; and

partition detecting members each of which detects whether the partition member is inserted into the depression, wherein

the control unit collectively processes a block of medical resource detecting members and retrieval guidance members identified as being located on both sides of the depression from which the partition member is removed, based on the detection by the partition detecting member.

3. A medical resource storage and management apparatus comprising:

a rack in which a series of depressions for insertion of partition members are formed so that a large number of medical resources are retrievably placed in respective partitions;

partition members which are removably inserted into the depressions;

medical resource detecting members which are arranged on the rack so as to alternate with the depressions in a direction in which the depressions are arranged, and each of which detects whether or not a medical resource is placed;

retrieval guidance members for visual guidance which are arranged on the rack so as to alternate with the depressions in a direction in which the depressions are arranged; and

a control unit which manages the storage status of the medical resources, based on the detection by the medical resource detecting members and which operates one of the retrieval guidance members in response to an input designating retrieval, wherein

a medical resource name plate for visual guidance is attached to a partition member via a connecting member such that the connecting member is moved up and down depending on whether a medical resource is placed and as a result of interference between the connecting member and the medical resource, and that the medical resource name plate is located in a space where retrieval of a medical resource takes place, and is moved in association with the connecting member, and wherein

the medical resource detecting member indirectly detects whether or not a medical resource is placed by detecting whether the medical resource name plate is raised or lowered.

4. The medical resource storage and management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the medical resource name plate, when elevated in association with the placement of a medical resource in the associated location, is located above the retrieval guidance member in the associated location, and the medical resource name plate, when lowered in response to the retrieval of the medical resource from the associated location, shields the retrieval guidance member in the associated location from view.

5. A medical resource storage and management apparatus comprising:

a horizontal-bridging member which is provided with a series of hanger member fitting parts operable to hang and arrange a large number of medical resources;

a hanger member which is fitted to the hanger member fitting part and is pivotally moved depending on whether a medical resource is hung;

a medical resource detecting member which is provided in each of the hanger member fitting parts so as to detect whether a medical resource is hung in an associated location in accordance with the pivotal movement of the associated hanger member;

a retrieval guidance member for visual confirmation provided in each of the hanger member fitting parts; and

a control unit which manages the storage status of the medical resources, based on the detection by the medical resource detecting member, and which operates the retrieval guidance member in response to an input designating retrieval, wherein,

at the time of hanging a medical resource, the pivotal movement of the hanger member causes the engaging part engaged with the medical resource to be lowered, and, at the time of retrieving a medical resource, the pivotal movement causes the engaging part to be elevated and moved toward an operator.

6. The medical resource storage and management apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pivotal movement of the hanger member is based on the displacement between the center of gravitation and the pivot center.

7. A medical resource storage and management apparatus comprising:

a rack in which a series of depressions for insertion of partition members are formed so that a large number of medical resources are retrievably placed in respective partitions;

partition members which are removably inserted into the depressions;

medical resource detecting members which are arranged on the rack so as to alternate with the depressions in a direction in which the depressions are arranged, and each of which detects whether or not a medical resource is placed;

retrieval guidance members for visual guidance which are arranged on the rack so as to alternate with the depressions in a direction in which the depressions are arranged; and

a control unit which manages the storage status of the medical resources, based on the detection by the medical resource detecting members and which operates one of the retrieval guidance members in response to an input designating retrieval, wherein

a name plate support member is provided so as to be in parallel to the rack and behind the partition members, and a medical resource name plate for visual guidance is attached to the name plate support member via a detachable connecting member such that the connecting member is moved up and down depending on whether a medical resource is placed and as a result of interference between the connecting member and the medical resource, and that the medical resource name plate is moved in association with the connecting member in a space where retrieval of a medical resource takes place, and wherein

the medical resource detecting member indirectly detects whether or not a medical resource is placed by detecting whether the medical resource name plate is raised or lowered.

8. The medical resource storage and management apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the medical resource name plate, when elevated in association with the placement of a medical resource in the associated location, is located above the retrieval guidance member in the associated location, and the medical resource name plate, when lowered in response to the retrieval of the medical resource from the associated location, shields the retrieval guidance member in the associated location from view.

9. A medical resource storage and management apparatus comprising:

a rack plate in which are provided a series of medical resource detecting members for detecting whether or not a medical resource is placed on the rack plate and a series of retrieval guidance members for visual guidance;

a control unit which manages the storage status of the medical resources, based on the detection by the medical resource detecting members and which operates one of the retrieval guidance members in response to an input designating retrieval;

a storage case which is bounded at the bottom, sides and back thereof by a fixed plate, in which a movable medical resource name plate is provided in front of the case, and in which a connecting member extending backward from the medical resource name plate is adapted to make a vertical pivotal movement about the rear end thereof, wherein

the medical resource name plate is moved up and down as a result of interference between the medical resource stored in the storage case and the connecting member, and whether the medical resource is placed or not is indirectly detected by detecting the up and down movement of the medical resource name plate, based on the fact that the up and down movement of the medical resource name plate causes the plate to enter or leave a range of detection by the medical resource detecting member in a state in which the storage case is placed on the rack plate.

10. The medical resource storage and management apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the storage case stores the medical resource on the connecting member, and the up and down movement of the medical resource name plate are associated with the nonavailability and availability of the medical resource, respectively.

11. A medical resource storage and management apparatus for storing a plurality of medical resources at locations of storage reserved for respective types of medical resources, comprising:

a pivotal member which assumes different statuses of pivotal movement depending on whether the medical resource is stored in the location of storage or taken out therefrom;

a medical resource detecting member which detects whether the medical resource is stored in the location of storage, in accordance with the status of pivotal movement of the pivotal member;

a retrieval guidance member which is provided in the neighborhood of the location of storage so as to allow visual inspection of the location of storage as the medical resource is taken out from the location of storage; and

a control unit which manages the storage status of the medical resource, based on the detection by the medical resource detecting member and operates the retrieval guidance member in response to an input designating retrieval.

12. A medical supply management system for managing medical supplies in a medical institution, comprising:

a plurality of storage and management apparatuses, wherein each of the plurality of storage and management apparatuses comprises;

a plurality medical supply storage parts capable of storing a plurality of types of medical supplies;

medical supply detecting means which detects whether a medical supply is stored in each of the medical supply storage parts;

computer means which creates management information pertaining to the medical supplies in the plurality of medical supply storage parts on the basis of information detected by the medical supply detecting means; and

retrieval guidance means which is controlled by the computer means so as to guide a user to the medical supply to be taken out, wherein

the computer means in each storage and management apparatus is operable to control the retrieval guidance means on the basis of information on the medical supply to be taken out, and to create and output consumed medical supply information related to the type and amount of medical supplies consumed,

the system further comprising stock control means which is communicably connected to the plurality of storage and management apparatuses, and which calculates and stores the amount of respective types of medical supplies in stock, on the basis of the latest amount of respective types of medical supplies in stock stored in the stock control means, and on the basis of the consumed medical supply information received from the storage and management apparatuses.

13. The medical supply management system of according to claim 12, wherein the stock control means receives the amount of respective types of medical supplies delivered to the medical institution from an external source, and calculates and stores the amount of respective types of medical supplies in stock on the basis of the delivered amount.