AUTOMATED CONTAINER BULKING SYSTEM AND METHOD OPTIONALLY INTEGRATED WITH AUTOMATED DISPENSING SYSTEM AND/OR AUTOMATED LABELING AND PACKAGING SYSTEM

• US 20090211198A1
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Medco Health Solutions Incorporated (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Leu, Chih-Jen, McErlean, James G., Hess, E. Christian, Detri, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,117,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/55
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/20 for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents adding unpacking elements B65B61/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 2009/0018 Preparing the labels
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/0015 Preparing the labels or articles, e.g. smoothing, removing air bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/22 by wetting, e.g. by applying liquid glue or a liquid to a dry glue coating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1002 with permanent bending or reshaping or surface deformation of self sustaining lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1028 by bending, drawing or stretch forming sheet to assume shape of configured lamina while in contact therewith
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1033 Flexible sheet to cylinder lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1051 by folding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1326 Severing means or member secured thereto also bonds
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1339 Delivering cut part in sequence to serially conveyed articles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1768 Means simultaneously conveying plural articles from a single source and serially presenting them to an assembly station
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1771 Turret or rotary drum-type conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1773 For flexible sheets

Abstract

An automated system and method for emptying the contents of pharmaceutical containers. In an embodiment, a gripper unit receives and holds a pharmaceutical container. A cutter cuts the pharmaceutical container, and a rotating unit, operable with the gripper, rotates at least a portion of the gripper unit to empty the contents of the pharmaceutical container.

Claims

1. A method of emptying pharmaceutical contents of first pharmaceutical containers including medications into a bulk container storing a first quantity of the pharmaceutical for subsequent dispensing responsive to a patient specific order including a second quantity of the pharmaceutical into a second pharmaceutical container, comprising:

transporting the first pharmaceutical container;

determining information provided on the first pharmaceutical container identifying the first pharmaceuticals contained therein;

determining whether the first pharmaceuticals are authorized to be emptied from the first pharmaceutical container into the bulk container responsive to the determined information;

determining an orientation of the first pharmaceutical container;

orientating the first pharmaceutical container responsive to said determining the orientation;

cutting the first pharmaceutical container on at least one of the sidewall and bottom of the pharmaceutical container responsive to said orientating;

rotating the cut first pharmaceutical container to empty the first quantity of the contents of the first pharmaceutical container into the bulk container after the first pharmaceutical container is cut by said cutting;

determining when the first contents of the first pharmaceutical container are no longer being emptied into the bulk container;

controlling said cutting and rotating of the first pharmaceutical container for emptying the first contents into the bulk container; and

periodically emptying the contents of the bulk container into an automated pharmaceutical dispensing system for subsequent automated dispensing of the pharmaceutical in the second quantity into the second pharmaceutical container responsive to a patient specific prescription order.

2. The method according to 1, further comprising the step of placing the pharmaceutical container in a waste repository subsequent to cutting.

3. The method according to 2, further comprising the step of electronically viewing the pharmaceutical container prior to said holding and cutting steps.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said viewing step provides a position information of said pharmaceutical container.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of detecting when the pharmaceutical container is no longer being held.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of placing the pharmaceutical container in a gripper unit using a robot.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of transporting the pharmaceutical container in proximity to said robot using a conveyor.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of determining the position of the pharmaceutical container on said conveyor using a vision system.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of transporting the pharmaceutical container off said conveyor when said vision system does not recognize at least one of the size and shape of a pharmaceutical container.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of rotating the pharmaceutical container to a first position to receive the cut portion of the pharmaceutical container, and rotating to a second position to place the cut portion in a waste repository.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of utilizing the vacuum to retain the cut portion of said pharmaceutical bottle when said arm is in the first position, and decreasing the vacuum when said arm is in the second position to effect release of the cut portion.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving a portion of the pharmaceutical container subsequent to emptying the contents of the pharmaceutical container using a scrap chute.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of moving to a proximal position with respect to said gripper unit to receive the portion of the pharmaceutical container held by the gripper unit subsequent to emptying the contents of the pharmaceutical container when the scrap chute is in a distal position with respect to said gripper unit prior to emptying the contents of the pharmaceutical container, and returning the scrap chute to said distal position to place the portion of the pharmaceutical container held by said gripper unit in a scrap bin.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining when the contents are no longer being emptied directly from the pharmaceutical container using a sensor system.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of detecting when the pharmaceutical container is no longer being held by said gripper unit using a detection system.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of detecting when the pharmaceutical container is being held by said gripper unit when light from a light beam source is not reflected.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of determining whether said pharmaceuticals are authorized by the control system when indicia associated with a pharmaceutical container is read by the indicia reader.

18. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving identification information of an operator of the system by said control system.

19. The method according to claim 1, further the step interfacing with said control system by the robot to place the pharmaceutical container in said gripper unit.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising the step interfacing with said control system by the vision system to determine the position of the pharmaceutical containers.

21. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of interfacing with said control system using a sensor to determine when the contents of the pharmaceutical container are no longer being emptied directly from the pharmaceutical container.

22. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of verifying that the pharmaceutical containers are at least one of the correct diameter and overhead shape using a vision system.

23. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of placing the pharmaceutical container in the gripper unit, and removing cotton with at least one of a cutting operation and a robot vacuum.

24. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of verifying that the contents emptied directly from the pharmaceutical container using a light beam unit.

25. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of viewing the pharmaceutical container using an electronic viewer before holding and cutting the pharmaceutical container for providing positioning information of the pharmaceutical container.

26. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of at least one of providing vacuum flow collecting pill dust and providing vacuum flow in the area of the cutter.

27. In an automated system for emptying contents of pharmaceutical containers including medications, comprising a gripper unit for receiving and holding a pharmaceutical container, a cutter for cutting the pharmaceutical container, and a rotating unit operable with the gripper unit that rotates at least a portion of the gripper unit to empty the contents of the pharmaceutical container, a method for emptying the contents of pharmaceutical containers, including medications, comprising the steps of:

holding a pharmaceutical container for cutting;

cutting the pharmaceutical container; and

rotating the pharmaceutical container to empty the contents of the pharmaceutical container.

28. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of rotating the pharmaceutical container to a first position to receive the cut portion of the pharmaceutical container, and rotating to a second position to place the cut portion in a waste repository.

29. The method according to claim 28, further comprising the step of utilizing the vacuum to retain the cut portion of said pharmaceutical bottle when said arm is in the first position, and decreasing the vacuum when said arm is in the second position to effect release of the cut portion.

30. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of receiving a portion of the pharmaceutical container subsequent to emptying the contents of the pharmaceutical container using a scrap chute.

31. The method according to claim 30, further comprising the step of moving to a proximal position with respect to said gripper unit to receive the portion of the pharmaceutical container held by the gripper unit subsequent to emptying the contents of the pharmaceutical container when the scrap chute is in a distal position with respect to said gripper unit prior to emptying the contents of the pharmaceutical container, and returning the scrap chute to said distal position to place the portion of the pharmaceutical container held by said gripper unit in a scrap bin.

32. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of determining when the contents are no longer being emptied directly from the pharmaceutical container using a sensor system.

33. The method according to claim 32, further comprising the step of detecting when the pharmaceutical container is no longer being held by said gripper unit using a detection system.

34. The method according to claim 33, further comprising the step of detecting when the pharmaceutical container is being held by said gripper unit when light from a light beam source is not reflected.

35. The method according to claim 34, further comprising the step of determining whether said pharmaceuticals are authorized by the control system when indicia associated with a pharmaceutical container is read by the indicia reader.

36. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of receiving identification information of an operator of the system by said control system.

37. The method according to claim 27, further the step interfacing with said control system by the robot to place the pharmaceutical container in said gripper unit.

38. The method according to claim 37, further comprising the step interfacing with said control system by the vision system to determine the position of the pharmaceutical containers.

39. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of interfacing with said control system using a sensor to determine when the contents of the pharmaceutical container are no longer being emptied directly from the pharmaceutical container.

40. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of verifying that the pharmaceutical containers are at least one of the correct diameter and overhead shape using a vision system.

41. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of placing the pharmaceutical container in the gripper unit, and removing cotton with at least one of a cutting operation and a robot vacuum.

42. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of verifying that the contents emptied directly from the pharmaceutical container using a light beam unit.

43. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of viewing the pharmaceutical container using an electronic viewer before holding and cutting the pharmaceutical container for providing positioning information of the pharmaceutical container.

44. The method according to claim 27, further comprising the step of at least one of providing vacuum flow collecting pill dust and providing vacuum flow in the area of the cutter.