Method for Combined Disposal and Dispensing of Medical Items

• US 20080195247A1
• Filed: 02/05/2008
• 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 8,204,620 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/225
• 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 method of dispensing and disposing medical items, the method comprising:

receiving a dispensing instruction associated with a first medical item to be dispensed;

dispensing said first medical item based on said dispensing instruction;

receiving an identifier associated with a second medical item to be disposed;

wherein said second medical item comprises the first medical item after it has been at least partially used or emptied;

retrieving, based on the identifier, information from a database, wherein the information is derived from applicable rules regarding disposal;

assigning the second medical item to a disposal category based on the information retrieved from the database;

tracking the date on which the first medical item was dispensed; and

tracking the date on which the second medical item was disposed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a dispensing instruction comprises receiving information from a barcode scanner.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a dispensing instruction comprises receiving information via a handheld device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a dispensing instruction comprises receiving information that is entered by a user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a dispensing instruction comprises activating a button or lever

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an identifier comprises receiving information that identifies the second medical item from a barcode scanner.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an identifier comprises receiving information that identifies the second medical item via a handheld device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an identifier comprises receiving information inputted by a user that identifies the second medical item.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an identifier comprises receiving information regarding the trade name, generic name, or chemical name of the second medical item.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an identifier comprises receiving information regarding the National Drug Code (NDC) of the second medical item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving an identifier comprises receiving information regarding the abbreviated name or mnemonic of the second medical item.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a dispensing instruction comprises receiving information from a database, wherein said database correlates the second medical item to a waste category.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking information regarding a user that requested the first medical item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the user is a patient or a practitioner.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking information regarding a user that disposed the second medical item.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking information regarding a patient that used the second medical item.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of allowing access to at least one of the waste containers comprises automatically open a lid on said waste container.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising automatically locking a lid of a waste container in a closed position after said waste item is deposited into said waste container.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving a dispensing instruction comprises receiving information from a barcode scanner.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving a dispensing instruction comprises receiving information via a handheld device.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving a dispensing instruction comprises receiving information that is manually entered by a user.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving the identification data comprises receiving information that identifies the waste item from a barcode scanner.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving the identification data comprises receiving information that identifies the waste item via a handheld device.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving the identification data comprises receiving information that identifies the waste item from information manually entered by a user.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of receiving identification data comprises receiving information regarding the trade name, generic name, or chemical name of the waste item.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of classifying said waste item into a waste category comprises comparing the identification data with regulations governing pharmaceutical waste disposal contained in a database.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising a single barcode scanner that both receives the dispensing instruction and the identification data.

17. A method of dispensing and disposing medical items in a combined system, comprising:

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

receiving a dispensing instruction;

processing said dispensing instruction to select a medical item based on said dispensing instruction, and

allowing access to said selected medical item; and

providing a plurality of waste containers,

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

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

receiving identification data for a waste item, wherein said waste item comprises said selected medical item after said selected medical item is at least partially used or expired;

classifying said waste item into a waste category based at least in part on said identification data;

allowing access to at least one of the waste containers based on the waste category.