AUTOMATED LABEL VERIFY SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DISPENSING PHARMACEUTICALS

• US 20090173779A1
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Published: 07/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicare LLC (CVS Health Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Omnicare Incorporated (CVS Health Corporation)
• Inventors: Campbell, Derek C., Lees, Richard A., Szesko, Michael J., Carson, Bradley
• Granted Patent: US 8,215,540 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/44 by special means responsive to marks on labels or articles feed control in wrapping B65B
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/46 Applying date marks, code marks, or the like, to the label during labelling manually-controlled or operable apparatus having printing equipment B65C11/02; ticket printing and issuing G07B1/00 ; apparatus for ticket validating or cancelling G07B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/004 Restocking arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1089 of discrete laminae to single face of additional lamina

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for filling a customer order with plurality of products each containing a pharmaceutical. The apparatus and method automatically verify a product barcode on each of the product, print a patient label with a patient barcode for each product, apply the patient labels to at least some of the products, and independently verify that the product barcode matches the proper patient barcode.

Claims

1. An apparatus for filling a customer order with a plurality of products each containing a pharmaceutical and each marked with a product barcode, the apparatus comprising:

a conveyor defining a workflow path for processing the products;

a label application station in the workflow path of the conveyor and configured to print and apply a patient label onto each of the products;

a vision inspection station configured to independently verify that the product barcode on each of the products matches a patient barcode on the patient label after application to the product; and

an unloading station configured to transfer labeled and verified products away from the conveyor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the conveyor comprises a dial conveyor defining a circular workflow path, and the label application station and the vision inspection station are arranged about the circular workflow path.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a product loading station configured to receive batches of the products, the product loading station further configured to singulate the products in each of the batches.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the product loading station includes a barcode reader configured to read the product barcode on each of the products.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the product loading station is configured to process products shaped with a card form factor, and the product loading station comprises:

a product induction magazine defining a feed chute configured to receive a stack of the products shaped with the card form factor;

a landing plate defining a bottom of the feed chute and configured to support the stack of the products shaped with the card form factor; and

a gripping device movable relative to the landing plate, the gripping device configured to cooperate with the product induction magazine to successively singulate each of the products from the stack.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the product loading station is configured to process products shaped with a box form factor, and the product loading station comprises:

a load conveyor configured to move products shaped with the box form factor that have placed on the load conveyor;

an infeed conveyor arranged generally perpendicular to the load conveyor; and

a transfer arm configured to move the products from the load conveyor to the infeed conveyor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the box loading station further comprises:

a box rotation mechanism including a bracket configured to support at least a portion of one of the products moved by the infeed conveyor, a rotary actuator coupled to the bracket, a frame supporting the rotary actuator, and a linear actuator configured to move the frame vertically.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 further comprising:

a transfer station configured to transfer the products from the product loading station to the conveyor.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising:

a control system operatively connected with the conveyor, the product loading station, the transfer station, the label application station, the vision inspection station, and the unloading station, the control system configured to control the filling of the customer order by the stations.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the transfer station comprises:

at least one robot configured to pick the products up from the product loading station and place the products on the conveyor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising:

a reject bin positioned adjacent the conveyor, the at least one robot configured to pick the products up from the product loading station and place the products in the reject bin.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a card loading station configured to receive and singulate batches of the products shaped with a card form factor; and

a box loading station configured to receive and singulate batches of the products shaped with a box form factor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the label application station is configured to independently verify the patient barcode on the patient label before the patient label is applied to one of the products.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the label application station comprises:

a label printer configured to print the patient labels;

an applicator configured to temporarily capture the patient labels from the label printer and move the patient labels along a path of motion toward the product being processed by the label application station; and

a reject plate selectively movable between a first position in the path of motion of the applicator and a second position out of the path of motion, the applicator configured to apply each of the patient labels to one of the products or to the reject plate.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the applicator includes a tamp head having a window configured to be aligned with the patient barcode on the patient label, and wherein the label application station further comprises:

a barcode reader configured to read the patient barcode through the window before the patient label is applied to one of the products being processed or the reject plate.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the products are shaped with at least two different form factors, and the applicator is configured to apply each of the patient labels to the products of the different form factors.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a label wipe station including a sensor configured to detect whether the product being processed is shaped with a box form factor and a pair of wiping fingers suspended above the conveyor, the wiping fingers being generally parallel to each other and movable toward the conveyor to further apply portions of each patient label on products shaped with the box form factor.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the products are shaped with a card form factor or a box form factor, and the vision inspection station comprises:

a first barcode reader configured to read the product barcode and patient barcode on the products shaped with the card form factor;

a second barcode reader configured to read the product barcode on the products shaped with the box form factor; and

a third barcode reader configured to read the patient barcode on the products shaped with the box form factor.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a tote conveyor system configured to supply containers into which labeled and verified products are placed.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising:

a tote handling system configured to manage the containers after the containers have been filled with labeled and verified products, the tote handling system including a loading conveyor configured to receive the containers from the tote conveyor system, a tote rack having shelves divided into lanes for storing the containers, and a robot configured to pick each container up from the loading conveyor and place the container in one of the lanes of the tote rack.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the unloading station further comprises:

at least one robot configured to remove the products from the conveyor after the products have been labeled and verified.

22. A method of filling a customer order with a plurality of products each containing a pharmaceutical, the products being loaded into a machine for processing, the method comprising:

automatically verifying a product barcode on each of the products;

printing a patient label for each of the products processed in the machine;

applying the patient labels to at least some of the products; and

after the patient label is applied to a product, independently verifying that the product barcode matches a patient barcode on the patent label.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

singulating batches of the products loaded into the machine so that the products can be individually processed by the machine.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein singulating batches of the products further comprises:

singulating batches of products shaped with a card form factor in a first product loading station; and

singulating batches of products shaped with a box form factor in a second product loading station.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein automatically verifying a product barcode on each of the products further comprises:

reading the product barcode on each of the products after each product has been loaded into a product loading station of the machine; and

comparing the product barcode to tracking data to verify that the product belongs in the customer order being filled.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising:

transferring products with a verified product barcode from the product loading station onto a dial conveyor that defines a circular workflow path for processing the products.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising:

transferring the products with a product barcode that fails verification from the product loading station into a reject bin positioned adjacent the dial conveyor.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein transferring the products with the verified product barcode further comprises:

picking the products up from the product loading station with a robot; and

placing the products onto a designated location on the dial conveyor.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein the patient labels are printed by a label printer, and applying the patient labels further comprises:

temporarily capturing each patient label with an applicator after the patient label has been printed, the applicator being suspended above the product being processed; and

moving the applicator and the patient label captured by the applicator along a path of motion toward the product being processed.

30. The method of claim 29 further comprising:

reading the patient barcode while the patient label is temporarily captured by the applicator to verify the patient label.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

applying patient labels with a patient barcode that fails verification onto a reject plate located in the path of motion of the applicator; and

moving the reject plate out of the path of motion when the patient label captured by the applicator has a verified patient barcode so that the patient label can be applied to the product being processed.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein applying the patient labels further comprises:

retaining the patient labels on a tamp head with each patient label arranged so that the patient barcode is generally aligned with a window in the tamp head; and

reading the patient barcode through the window of the tamp head.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein applying the patient labels to at least some of the products further comprises:

applying the patient labels with the applicator to at least one of the products shaped with a card form factor; and

applying the patient labels with the applicator to at least one of the products shaped with a box form factor.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein each patient label applied to the products shaped with the box form factor is applied to a front surface of the box with portions of the patient label projecting outwardly from the front surface above opposed sidewalls of the box, and the method further comprises:

wiping the projecting portions of the patient label onto the opposed sidewalls of the box with a pair of wiping fingers.

35. The method of claim 22 wherein independently verifying the product barcode and patient barcode further comprises:

reading the product barcode and the patient barcode on each product with one or more barcode readers;

comparing the product barcode read from each product to tracking data to verify that the product belongs in the customer order being filled; and

comparing the patient barcode read from each product to tracking data to verify that the correct patient label has been applied to the correct product.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein reading the product barcode and patient barcode on each product with one or more barcode readers further comprises:

reading the product barcode and the patient barcode on each product shaped with a card form factor with a first barcode reader;

reading the product barcode on each product shaped with a box form factor with a second barcode reader; and

reading the patient barcode on each product shaped with the box form factor with a third barcode reader.

37. The method of claim 22 further comprising:

transferring products with the product barcode and the patient barcode that have been independently verified after the patient label is applied from the machine into a container on a conveyor system.

38. The method of claim 37 further comprising:

transferring products with the patient barcode or the product barcode that fail verification, after the patient label is applied, into a reject bin located in the machine.

39. The method of claim 37 wherein transferring products with the product barcode and the patient barcode that have been independently verified further comprises:

picking the products up from a surface of the machine with a robot; and

placing the products into the container with a desired orientation.

40. An apparatus for filling a customer order with a plurality of products each containing a pharmaceutical, the apparatus comprising:

a product loading station configured to receive batches of the products, the product loading station further configured to singulate the products for subsequent movement along a workflow path;

a first verification station configured to receive the products singulated by the product loading station, the first verification station including a barcode reader configured to read a product barcode on each of the products and a transfer arm configured to remove the products from the workflow path;

a label printing station configured to receive the products not removed from the workflow path by the transfer arm, the label printing station including a label printer configured to print patient labels and an applicator configured to apply each patent label on one of the products; and

a second verification station configured to receive the products from the label printing station, the second verification station including a barcode reader configured to read the product barcode on each of the products and a patient barcode on each of the patient labels, the second verification station further including a transfer arm configured to remove the products from the workflow path.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the labeling station is configured to independently verify the patient barcode printed on the patient label before the patient label is applied to one of the products.

42. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the product loading station, the first verification station, the labeling station, and the second verification station are configured to process products shaped with at least two different form factors.

43. The apparatus of claim 40 further comprising:

a dial conveyor configured to serially transfer the products to the label printing station and the second verification station along the workflow path.

44. An apparatus for processing products shaped with at least two different form factors and each containing a pharmaceutical to fulfill a customer order, the apparatus comprising:

a machine defining a workflow path for the products shaped with the at least two different form factors; and

a plurality of stations configured to automatically label each of the products shaped with the at least two different form factors and to verify that each of the products belongs to the customer order.

45. A method of filling a customer order with a plurality of products each containing a pharmaceutical, the method comprising:

generating pick requests for the products with a pharmacy host server;

transmitting the pick requests to an automated dispensing system;

managing the pick requests with the automated dispensing system to generate pick batches for containers to be filled with products, the pick batches representing products to be loaded into the automated dispensing system; and

operating the automated dispensing system to automatically process the products and place the products into the containers.

46. The method of claim 45 wherein managing the pick requests with the automated dispensing system further comprises:

applying sortation rules to the pick requests to generate the pick batches; and

controlling the operation of the automated dispensing system based upon the pick batches.

47. The method of claim 46 wherein controlling the operation of the automated dispensing system further comprises:

determining whether the pick batches substantially fill a shipping tote for delivery to a customer facility.

48. The method of claim 46 wherein controlling the automated dispensing system further comprises:

switching the automated dispensing system between a mode of operation wherein the products are placed into shipping totes for delivery to a customer facility, a mode of operation wherein the products are placed into processing totes that represent partial orders for the customer facility, and a mode of operation wherein the products are placed into containers representing a storage area in a pharmacy.

49. The method of claim 45 wherein operating the automated dispensing system further comprises:

automatically verifying that the products loaded into the automated dispensing system belong in the pick batch being processed;

automatically printing and applying a patient label to the products; and

automatically verifying that the patient label has been applied to the correct product.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein automatically verifying that the patient label has been applied to the correct product further comprises:

independently verifying that each product belongs in the pick batch being processed.

51. The method of claim 45 wherein operating the automated dispensing system further comprises:

operating the automated dispensing system in a mode wherein the products are placed into shipping totes for delivery to a customer facility.

52. The method of claim 45 further comprising:

operating the automated dispensing system in a mode wherein the products are placed into processing totes that represent partial orders for a customer facility; and

combining the products from at least two of the processing totes filled by the automated dispensing system into a common shipping tote for delivery to a customer facility.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein combining the products from at least two of the processing totes filled by the automated dispensing system into a common shipping tote further comprises:

a) reading a barcode on one of the processing totes with a barcode reader;

b) reading a barcode on the shipping tote;

c) placing the products from the one processing tote into the shipping tote; and

d) repeating steps a-c for each additional processing tote containing additional products to be placed into the shipping tote.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein barcodes on the products are not individually scanned when combining the products of at least two of the processing totes.