Combination Disposal and Dispensing Apparatus and Method

• US 20080190953A1
• Filed: 02/04/2008
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Vesta Medical LLC (Becton Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Davidner, Alan A., Mallett, Scott R., Benson, James R., Danta, Randall C., Corey, Alan D., Regla, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,328 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/13
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/0057 about a transverse axis in the lid plane
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/0059 parallel to the lid plane
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2050/185 Drawers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/10 Furniture specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/13 Trolleys, e.g. carts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/30 Containers specially adapted for packaging, protecting, dispensing, collecting or disposing of surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments for wound clamps A61B17/10; for ligaturing clips A61B17/122; packages or dispensers for surgical gloves or finger-stalls A61B42/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 50/36 for collecting or disposing of used articles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 11/00 Methods specially adapted for refuse disintegrating medical waste B02C19/0075; disposal of medical waste B09B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3412 according to a code applied to the object which indicates a property of the object, e.g. quality class, contents or incorrect indication sorting according to size measured by light-responsive means B07C5/10; sorting according to optical properties B07C5/342; for packages B65D79/02; for information carriers G06K7/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 7/005 Computer assisted manual sorting, e.g. for mail
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

A system and method related to dispensing and disposing medical items is provided. The dispensing portion is generally configured to dispense medical items stored within compartments based on dispensing instructions. The disposal portion is generally configured to sort waste items into a plurality of containers according to applicable rules and regulations governing the handling and/or disposal of such items. In some embodiments, a system comprises sorting stations each of which houses a number of disposable containers. Each station can identify an item of waste, determine the most appropriate container for the item, and facilitate disposal of the item in the appropriate container.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing and disposing medical items, comprising:

a dispensing portion comprising;

a plurality of dispensing compartments, each of said dispensing compartments configured to hold at least one medical item;

a dispensing data entry device configured to receive a dispensing instruction;

a dispensing control system,

wherein said dispensing control system is configured to process said dispensing instruction to select a medical item based on said dispensing instruction, and

wherein said dispensing control system is configured to allow access to said selected medical item; and

a disposal portion comprising;

a plurality of waste containers, wherein each of said waste containers is associated with at least one of a plurality of waste categories;

wherein at least one of said waste containers is configured to receive at least one of said selected medical items that is dispensed by said dispensing portion after said selected medical item is at least partially used or expired;

a waste item identification device configured to receive identification data for a waste item

a waste database comprising waste item classification information; and

a disposal control system configured to compare identification data received by the waste item identification device with information contained in the database,

wherein the disposal control system is configured to assign a waste item to at least one waste category, and wherein the disposal control system is configured to identify at least one of the waste containers based on the waste category; and

wherein said dispensing portion and said disposal portion are coupled.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said dispensing portion and said disposal portion form a single integral device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said dispensing data entry device is physically connected to or integral with the dispensing compartments.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said dispensing data entry device comprises a barcode scanner that is configured to scan said dispensing instruction.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said dispensing data entry device comprises a keypad for manual entry of said dispensing instruction.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said waste containers is configured to automatically lock after receipt of a waste item.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one dispensing compartment comprises a closure member, said closure member being configured to move between an open and a closed position.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing data entry device comprises a keypad.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispensing portion further comprises a display.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said dispensing data entry device and the waste item identification device are a single unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the waste item identification device comprises a handheld device that is physically separated from the waste containers.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the waste database is located on a remote server which is physically separated from the control system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the disposal control system is further configured to notify a user of the assigned waste category.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the disposal control system is further configured to provide access to a waste container associated with the assigned waste category.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the waste item identification device comprises a barcode scanner that is configured to scan the waste item.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the disposal portion further comprises a data entry device, said waste data entry device configured to receive information regarding a waste item.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the waste data entry device comprises a keypad.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the disposal portion and the dispensing portion comprise a unitary member.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein said dispensing data entry device comprises a handheld device that is physically separated from the dispensing compartments.

20. A system for dispensing and disposing a plurality of medical items, comprising:

a disposal portion comprising;

a plurality of waste containers, wherein each of said waste containers is associated with at least one of a plurality of waste categories; and

a waste item identification device configured to receive identification data for a waste item;

wherein the system is configured to identify at least one of the waste containers based on the identification data received by the waste item identification device; and

a dispensing portion comprising;

a plurality of dispensing compartments, each of said dispensing compartments configured to hold at least one dispensable item;

a data entry device configured to receive a dispensing instruction; and

a dispensing control system configured to process a dispensing instruction and allow access to an interior of a corresponding dispensing compartment.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the system is further configured to notify a user of the identified waste container.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the system is configured to notify a user of the identified waste container by exposing an opening in said waste container.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the waste item identification device comprises a barcode scanner that is configured to scan the waste item.

24. The system of claim 20, wherein the data entry device comprises a keypad.

25. The system of claim 20, wherein the waste items comprise pharmaceutical waste.