APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING DRUGS DURING A REPACKAGING AND ADMINISTERING PROCESS
First Claim
1. A method for tracking drugs during a transfer and administering process, wherein a drug is transferred from a storage container to a drug delivery container, and wherein a container containing a drug is withdrawn from a source of drugs, wherein the container has thereon a set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia identifying the drug, the method comprising:
- a) providing a reader/indicia-generating device including a storage container reader and an indicia-generating device at the point of care of a patient, wherein the storage container reader is configured to read the set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia and wherein the indicia-generating device is configured to generate a set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia identifying the drug, based on the set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia;
b) causing the storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia to be read by the storage container reader so that the storage container reader/indicia-generating device prepares the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia;
c) transferring the drug into the drug delivery container from the container; and
d) applying the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia to the drug delivery container.
5 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates to a system and method for tracking drugs during a transfer and administering process to reduce labeling errors that can occur during that process. The system includes a storage container reader that is configured to read a set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia positioned on a container containing a drug. The set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia identifies the drug. The system further includes an indicia-generating device that is configured to generate a drug-delivery-container-associated indicia identifying the drug based on the storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia. The set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia includes a set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated machine-readable indicia. Optionally the system further includes a drug delivery container reader, wherein the drug delivery container reader is configured to read the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated machine-readable indicia. Optionally the system further includes a processing unit that generates an output signal corresponding to the drug based on the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated machine-readable indicia. Optionally the system further includes an output device that outputs a user-comprehensible output identifying the drug based on the output signal from the processing unit.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for tracking drugs during a transfer and administering process, wherein a drug is transferred from a storage container to a drug delivery container, and wherein a container containing a drug is withdrawn from a source of drugs, wherein the container has thereon a set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia identifying the drug, the method comprising:
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a) providing a reader/indicia-generating device including a storage container reader and an indicia-generating device at the point of care of a patient, wherein the storage container reader is configured to read the set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia and wherein the indicia-generating device is configured to generate a set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia identifying the drug, based on the set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia; b) causing the storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia to be read by the storage container reader so that the storage container reader/indicia-generating device prepares the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia; c) transferring the drug into the drug delivery container from the container; and d) applying the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia to the drug delivery container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A reader/indicia-generating device for use in applying drug identification indicia to a drug delivery container, comprising:
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a storage container reader, wherein the storage container reader is configured to read a container-associated machine-readable indicia positioned on a container containing a drug, wherein the storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia identifies the drug; and an indicia-generating device, wherein the indicia-generating device is configured to generate a set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia identifying the drug, based on the storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A system for tracking drugs during a transfer and administering process, comprising:
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a storage container reader, wherein the storage container reader is configured to read a set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia positioned on a container containing a drug, wherein the set of one or more storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia identifies the drug; and an indicia-generating device, wherein the indicia-generating device is configured to generate a drug-delivery-container-associated indicia identifying the drug based on the storage-container-associated machine-readable indicia, wherein the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated indicia includes a set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated machine-readable indicia; a drug delivery container reader, wherein the drug delivery container reader is configured to read the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated machine-readable indicia; a processing unit, wherein the processing unit generates an output signal corresponding to the drug based on the set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated machine-readable indicia; and an output device that outputs a user-comprehensible output identifying the drug based on the output signal from the processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A system for tracking drugs during a drug administering process, comprising:
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at least one label having a plurality of different color regions pre-printed thereon corresponding to a color-based drug coding scheme; an indicia-generating device adapted to print in a first color, wherein the indicia-generating device is adapted to generate drug-delivery-container-associated indicia on a label including a color region of at least one second color that the indicia generating device is unable to generate. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28)
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27. A system for tracking drugs during a drug administering process, comprising:
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an indicia-generating device adapted to print in one or two colors, wherein the indicia-generating device is configured to generate drug-delivery-container-associated indicia on a label including a color region that differs in color from the one or two colors; at least one drug delivery container having a plurality of regions of color pre-printed thereon corresponding to a color-based drug coding scheme.
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- 29. A label adapted for color coding the drug content of drug delivery container comprising a plurality of different colored regions corresponding to a set of different colors belonging to a color-based drug coding scheme.
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30. A syringe adapted for color coding the drug content of drug delivery container comprising a plurality of different colored regions corresponding to a set of different colors belonging to a color-based drug coding scheme.
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32. A system for tracking drugs during a drug administering process, comprising:
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an indicia-generating device adapted to print in one or two colors, wherein the indicia-generating device is configured to generate drug-delivery-container-associated indicia on a label including a color region that differs in color from the one or two colors; a set of labels having a plurality of regions of color pre-printed thereon corresponding to a color-based drug coding scheme.
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33. A system for tracking drugs during a drug administering process, comprising:
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at least one label having a plurality of different color regions pre-printed thereon corresponding to a color-based drug coding scheme; a controller; an indicia-generating device controllable by the controller and adapted to print in one or two colors and add printed matter to the color regions, wherein the indicia-generating device is adapted to generate drug-delivery-container-associated indicia on a label including a color region of at least one color that differs from the one or two colors.
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34. A system for tracking drugs during an administering process, comprising:
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a drug delivery container reader, wherein the drug delivery container reader is configured to read a set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated machine-readable indicia that identify a first drug contained in a first drug delivery container for a patient; and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit stores information identifying the first drug, wherein the processing unit is configured to permit entry and storage of information identifying a second drug for the patient prior to receiving dosage information relating to delivery of the first drug to the patient.
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35. A system for tracking drugs during an administering process, comprising:
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a drug delivery container reader, wherein the drug delivery container reader is configured to read a set of one or more drug-delivery-container-associated machine-readable indicia that identify a first drug contained in a first drug delivery container for a patient; an output device for outputting a set of dosage quantities; an input device usable by a user to select one of the dosage quantities from the set of dosage quantities; and a processing unit, wherein the processing unit is configured to store information identifying the first drug and the dosage quantity selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37)
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Specification