Prescription Bottle Imaging System and Method

• US 20110299757A1
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Express Scripts Incorporated (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Eller, Charles E., Youngs, Herbert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,295,582 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/142
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures
• 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 70/40 relating to drugs, e.g. their side effects or intended usage

Abstract

The invention is directed to a prescription imaging system for capturing, storing and displaying images of prescription bottles during the prescription fulfillment process to monitor the quality of the fulfillment process. The system includes one or more pill cameras for capturing images of pills dispensed into one or more prescription bottles and one or more label cameras for capturing images of the bottle labels. The images are stored on a storage device in a database record. The images can be used to verify that the pills in each bottle correspond with the associated prescription.

Claims

1. A system for collecting data from a plurality of prescription containers being transported along a path, the system comprising:

a first camera including a vertical orientation and positioned above a path to capture a top view image of a prescription container at a particular position, the top view image including a prescription contained within the prescription container;

a second camera having a horizontal orientation and positioned adjacent to the path to simultaneously capture a side view image of the prescription container at the particular position, the side view image including a label associated with the prescription; and

a lower lift pusher to lift the prescription container into the particular position.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an upper bearing plate including a circular cavity to receive the prescription container at the particular position.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first camera is to capture a two-dimensional image of a curved surface of the prescription container.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the particular position includes all prescription containers being positioned with closure ends at a similar height before the first camera and the second camera.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a light to illuminate contents interior the prescription container.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising:

an additional light to illuminate an exterior of the prescription container.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the light illuminates an exterior of the prescription container.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first camera is to transmit the top view image for remote viewing and wherein the second camera is to transmit the side view image for remote viewing.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the second camera is to capture a bar code image.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the lower lift pusher includes a rotation mechanism to allow the second camera to capture the side view image of the prescription container.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the lower lift pusher includes an encoder to monitor the rotational speed of the prescription container.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the second camera takes a series of images based on rotational information from the encoder.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first camera takes an image based on rotational information from the encoder.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the encoder determines rotational velocity and acceleration for each prescription container.

15. A system for collecting data from a plurality of prescription containers being transported along a path, the system comprising:

a first camera including a vertical orientation and positioned above the path to capture a top view image of a prescription container at a particular position, the top view image including a prescription contained within the prescription container;

a second camera having a horizontal orientation and positioned adjacent to the path to simultaneously capture a side view image of the prescription container at the particular position, the side view image including a label associated with the prescription;

a lower lift pusher to lift the prescription container into the particular position; and

a computing system including a storage to store the top view image and the side view image and to associate both the top view image and the side view image with label data, drug data and a reference image.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the lower lift pusher includes a rotation mechanism to allow the second camera to capture the side view image of the prescription container and an encoder to monitor rotational information of the prescription container.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the second camera takes a series of images based on rotational information from the encoder.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first camera takes an image based on rotational information from the encoder.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing system includes a display to display the top view image, the side view image, label data, drug data and a reference image.

20. A system for collecting data from a plurality of prescription containers being transported along a path, the system comprising:

a first camera including a vertical orientation and positioned above the path to capture a top view image of a prescription container at a particular position, the top view image including a prescription contained within the prescription container;

a second camera having a horizontal orientation and positioned adjacent to the path to simultaneously capture a plurality of side view images of the prescription container at the particular position, the side view image including a label associated with the prescription; and

a positioner to position the prescription container into the particular position and rotate the prescription container.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the side view images include about 1000 images of the prescription container while the prescription container is under rotation.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the positioner includes a lift mechanism.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the positioner includes a vertical stop to position a top of any prescription container at a same position.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the second camera captures the plurality of side view images of the prescription container based on information received regarding rotational information of the prescription container.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first camera takes an image based on rotational information received regarding rotational information of the prescription container.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the first camera takes an image based on rotational information received regarding rotational information of the prescription container.