AUTOMATED DRUG PREPARATION APPARATUS INCLUDING SYRINGE LOADING, PREPARATION AND FILLING
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for automated drug preparation comprising the steps of:
- providing a sealed bag that contains a syringe with a plunger and a cap in a sterile environment;
breaking a seal of the bag and removing the syringe and placing the cap at a predetermined first location;
delivering a prescribed dosage of the drug in an automated manner to the syringe; and
retrieving the cap and placing the same cap back on the syringe after the prescribed dosage has been delivered to the syringe.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated medication preparation system for preparing a prescribed dosage of medication in a drug delivery device. The system includes a plurality of stations for receiving, handling and processing the drug delivery device so that the prescribed dosage of medication is delivered to the drug delivery device and a transporting device that receives and holds more than one drug delivery device and moves the drug delivery devices in a controlled manner from one station to another station. The system is configured so that two or more separate drug delivery devices can be acted upon at the same time.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for automated drug preparation comprising the steps of:
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providing a sealed bag that contains a syringe with a plunger and a cap in a sterile environment; breaking a seal of the bag and removing the syringe and placing the cap at a predetermined first location; delivering a prescribed dosage of the drug in an automated manner to the syringe; and retrieving the cap and placing the same cap back on the syringe after the prescribed dosage has been delivered to the syringe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer display associated with an automated drug preparation system that includes a plurality of stations that process a drug delivery device and deliver a prescribed dosage amount of medication to the drug delivery device, comprising:
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an image displayed on the computer display that shows a relationship between the plurality of stations and a transporter device that the stations are arranged about, the transporter device serving to transport each drug delivery device from one station to another station; and each location where a drug delivery device is received and held about a periphery of the transporter device being identified with an identifier, wherein when the location is empty, the identifier that corresponds to this location has a first appearance, and when the drug delivery device is received and held at the location but is inactive, the corresponding identifier for this location has a second appearance and when the drug delivery device is located at an active station, the corresponding identifier has a third appearance, wherein each of the first, second and third appearances is visually different and distinct from one another; wherein the movement of the transporter device and location and status of the drug delivery devices held thereon is displayed in-real-time on the screen. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A process for loading syringes onto an automated drug preparation system that includes a plurality of stations comprising the steps of:
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providing a plurality of bandoliered syringes that are banded together with a web; feeding the bandoliered syringes in an automated manner onto a transporting device that has a number of distinct receiving sections for receiving the bandoliered syringes, with one syringe being received in one receiving section, for moving each syringe from one station to another station; and monitoring and displaying in-real-time a location and a status of each syringe by means of a computer display that has a main monitoring screen that has images representing the plurality of stations and the transporting device, wherein a location of each receiving section is identified with an identifier, wherein when one receiving section is empty, the identifier that corresponds to this respective receiving section has a first appearance, and when the syringe is received and held at one receiving section but is at an inactive station, the corresponding identifier for this receiving section has a second appearance and when the syringe is located at an active station, the corresponding identifier has a third appearance, wherein each of the first, second and third appearances are visually different and distinct from one another. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. An automated medication preparation system for preparing a prescribed dosage of medication in a drug delivery device comprising:
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a plurality of stations for receiving, handling and processing the drug delivery device so that the prescribed dosage of medication is delivered to the drug delivery device, wherein at least one of the stations includes a peripheral device for performing at least one operation; and a transporting device that receives and holds more than one drug delivery device and moves the drug delivery devices in a controlled manner from one station to another station; a master controller that tracks and controls the movement of the transporting device and operation of equipment at one or more stations; and an automated device for preparing the medication in a container and drawing and holding a first volume of the medication, wherein the system is configured so that two or more separate drug delivery devices are acted upon at the same time at two or more different stations and wherein the first volume of medication contains a plurality of dosages of medication that is subsequently each delivered, successively, to different drug delivery devices that are advanced by the transporting device to form individual dosages of medication in each drug delivery device.
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23. A method of preparing a dosage of medication with an automated drug preparation system and delivering it to a syringe including the steps of:
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preloading a first syringe tip cap on a first tip holder that is part of a transport device that controllably transports each syringe from one station to another station and holds a plurality of syringes in spaced relationship, with each syringe being received and held at a location that has an associated tip holder, the fist tip holder and first syringe tip cap being located at a first location of the transport device; loading at a first station a first syringe and holding the first syringe at the first location of the transport device, the first syringe being capped with a second tip cap and the first tip cap being held on the first tip holder at the first location; removing the second tip cap from the first syringe using an automated robotic device and holding the second tip cap in grippers of the robotic device; advancing the transport device so that the first syringe and the first tip cap on the first tip holder are moved from the first station to another location; loading at the first station a second syringe and holding the second syringe at a second location of the transport device, the second syringe being capped with a third tip cap; placing the held second tip cap on a second tip holder at the second location of the transport device; removing the third tip cap from the second syringe using the automated robotic device and holding the third tip cap in grippers of the robotic device; and sequentially delivering uncapped syringes to a medication transfer station where a prescribed dosage of medication is delivered sequentially to each syringe; and placing the tip cap from the respective tip cap holder onto the syringe that is held at the same location on the transport device after the dosage of medication is delivered to the syringe.
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24. An automated medication preparation system for preparing a prescribed dosage of medication in a drug delivery device comprising:
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a plurality of stations for receiving, handling and processing the drug delivery device so that the prescribed dosage of medication is delivered to the drug delivery device, wherein one of the stations is a medication delivery station where a prescribed dosage of medication is delivered to the drug delivery device; a transporting device that receives and holds more than one drug delivery device and moves the drug delivery devices in a controlled manner from one station to another station; and a dose verification device for measuring and verifying a volume of the prescribed dosage in the drug delivery device, the dose verification device including a laser light source that generates a light beam that is projected through the drug delivery device parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drug delivery device, the dose verification device having a camera on an opposite side of the drug delivery device relative to the laser light source, the camera being configured to observe different laser line segments that differ in their locations based on differences in index of refraction, one of the line segments being offset from the other line segments and being indicative of the volume of the prescribed dosage of medication, wherein the dose verification device processes coordinate information relative to the offset line segment to calculate the volume of the prescribed dosage of medication that is contained in the drug delivery device, wherein the system is configured so that two or more separate drug delivery devices can be acted upon at the same time.
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25. An automated medication preparation system for preparing a prescribed dosage of medication in a drug delivery device comprising:
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a plurality of stations for receiving, handling and processing the drug delivery device so that the prescribed dosage of medication is delivered to the drug delivery device, wherein one of the stations is a medication delivery station where a prescribed dosage of medication is delivered to the drug delivery device; a transporting device that receives and holds more than one drug delivery device and moves the drug delivery devices in a controlled manner from one station to another station; and a dose verification device for measuring and verifying a volume of the prescribed dosage in the drug delivery device, wherein if the dose verification device detects that a measured volume of the prescribed dosage of medication lies outside of an acceptable volume range, then the drug delivery device is identified as needing further inspection and is not automatically advanced to the next station; wherein the system is configured so that two or more separate drug delivery devices can be acted upon at the same time. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification