AUTOMATED DRUG PREPARATION APPARATUS INCLUDING SYRINGE LOADING, PREPARATION AND FILLING

• US 20100097465A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Forhealth Technologies Incorporated (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Wallace, Morris W., Osborne, Joel A., Tribble, Dennis, Khan, Abdul Wahid, Lefebre, Edward J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,659 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/201 having one piercing end
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/2096 Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like

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.

Claims

1. An automated medication preparation system for preparing a prescribed dosage of medication in a drug delivery device comprising:

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.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the dose verification device includes 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.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the dose verification device comprises an infrared light source that is arranged so that a light beam generated thereby is directed towards the dosage of medication contained in the drug delivery device so that is passes through the dosage of medication and a lens that focuses the light beam to a detector that is configured to measure absorbance of the light by the dosage of medication in the drug delivery device and based on this absorbance, the volume of the dosage of medication is calculated.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the dose verification device includes a capacitive sensor that includes first and second parallel plates on opposite sides of the drug delivery device and the device measures the capacitance between the first and second plates, which is proportional to a dielectric constant of the dosage of medication in the drug delivery device, the dose verification device including one of an amplifier and oscillator that generates an analog signal proportional to a variation in capacitance from which the volume of the dosage of medication is calculated.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dose verification device includes a camera that is positioned at a top of the drug delivery device for monitoring the filling of the drug delivery device by monitoring air bubbles that are present as the medication is delivered or a meniscus and once a number of air bubbles visible in the drug delivery device drops below a threshold value or a meniscus drops below a threshold value, the dose verification device registers that the medication has completely filled the drug delivery device and is in intimate contact with a top inner surface of the drug delivery device accounting for a reduction or elimination in visible air bubbles.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the dose verification device includes a laser that generates a beam that is directed and is positioned at a target fill location relative to the drug delivery device such that once the beam is impinged by the medication, delivery of the medication is stopped and the volume of the dosage of medication is calculated.