MEDICATION DISPENSING CABINET SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20130006415A1
• Filed: 05/01/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Inventors: Paydar, Akbar, Kim, Stanley, Richardson, Chris, Foot, John, Amini, Mahmoud, Morita, Stuart, Chai, Andrew, Cartright, Jennifer, Kang, Kyung-Hee, Blank, Jeff, Gregg, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,355,220 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/235
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A medication dispensing cabinet provides controlled access to medications and supplies stored in it. The cabinet may include at least one lockable storage compartment, and a controller that controls access to the at least one lockable storage compartment. The cabinet may include multiple printers integrated into the cabinet. The cabinet may include a camera operably coupled to the controller. The cabinet may include a set of cabinet electronics, and a power distribution and communications circuit board. The cabinet may include a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, wherein the controller conditions access to the at least one lockable storage compartment on receipt of information from the RFID reader. Data may be stored in the controller according to an implementation of RAID technology. The controller may include multiple electronic communications network interfaces, and may include an out of band network communication channel. A dispensing cabinet may facilitate printing of labels for medications.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing cabinet, comprising:

at least one lockable storage compartment;

a controller that controls access to the at least one lockable storage compartment; and

two printers coupled to the controller and integrated into the medication dispensing cabinet.

2. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 1, wherein the printers comprise a receipt printer and a label printer.

3. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 1, wherein the two printers mount to a common bezel.

4. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 1, wherein at least one of the printers comprises a printing stock holder for holding a roll of printing stock, and wherein the printing stock holder includes a curved surface shaped to approximately conform to the roll of printing stock, the curved surface including a raised feature formed to be smooth, so as to allow the stock to slide freely as it is dispensed.

5. A medication dispensing cabinet, comprising:

at least one lockable storage compartment;

a controller that controls access to the at least one lockable storage compartment; and

a camera operably coupled to the controller.

6. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 5, wherein the camera is positioned to photograph a user of the medication dispensing cabinet.

7. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 6, wherein a photograph taken using the camera of a user of the medication dispensing cabinet is associated with a usage log.

8. A medication dispensing cabinet, comprising:

at least one lockable storage compartment;

a set of cabinet electronics; and

a power distribution and communications circuit board, the power distribution and communications circuit board further including circuitry that provides a first set of required voltage supplies to the controller and provides a second set of required voltage supplies to the cabinet electronics, and wherein the power distribution and communications circuit board routes communication signals between the controller and the cabinet electronics.

9. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 8, wherein the circuitry derives the two sets of required voltage supplies from a single source voltage.

10. A medication dispensing cabinet, comprising:

at least one lockable storage compartment;

a controller that controls access to the at least one lockable storage compartment; and

a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader;

wherein the controller conditions access to the at least one lockable storage compartment on receipt of information from the RFID reader.

11. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 10, wherein the controller conditions access to the at least one lockable storage compartment on receipt from the RFID reader of information comprising any one or any combination of an identification of a user of the medication dispensing cabinet, a password, and a security code.

12. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 10, further comprising a biometric sensor.

13. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 12, wherein the controller conditions access to the at least one lockable storage compartment on receipt of information from the biometric sensor.

14. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 10, further comprising a smart card reader.

15. The medication dispensing cabinet of claim 14, wherein the controller conditions access to the at least one lockable storage compartment on receipt of information from the smart card reader.

16. A medication dispensing cabinet, comprising:

at least one lockable storage compartment; and

a controller that controls access to the at least one lockable storage compartment, the controller comprising data storage media;

wherein data is stored redundantly on the data storage media, according to an implementation of RAID technology.

17. A medication dispensing cabinet, comprising:

at least one lockable storage compartment; and

a controller that controls access to the at least one lockable storage compartment, the controller comprising redundant wired electronic communications network interfaces.

18. A medication dispensing cabinet, comprising:

at least one lockable storage compartment; and

a controller that controls access to the at least one lockable storage compartment, the controller including an out of band network communication channel that is independent of the state of an operating system in the controller.

19. A dispensing cabinet, comprising:

at least one lockable storage compartment;

a controller that controls access to the at least one lockable storage compartment; and

a label printer coupled to the controller, wherein the controller is configured such that a label is printed automatically when an item is dispensed from the dispensing cabinet.

20. The dispensing cabinet of claim 19, wherein confirmation of the identity of the dispensed item is required before a label is printed.

21. The dispensing cabinet of claim 19, wherein the controller is configurable to include a barcode on the printed label identifying the dispensed item, or to exclude the barcode.

22. The dispensing cabinet of claim 19, wherein the controller is configurable to include a beyond use date for the dispensed item on the printed label, or to exclude the beyond use date.

23. The dispensing cabinet of claim 19, wherein a user of the dispensing cabinet can complete issuance of an item from the dispensing cabinet whether or not a label is successfully printed.

24. A method of operating a dispensing cabinet, the method comprising:

receiving from a user of the cabinet an indication of a dispensed item;

printing a label identifying the item; and

prompting the user to affix the label to the dispensed item.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the label is printed automatically upon dispensing of the item.

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving from the user an indication that the label is to be printed.

27. The method of claim 24, further comprising requiring confirmation of the identity of the dispensed item.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising printing a barcode on the label, the barcode identifying the dispensed item.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising printing beyond use date on the label.

30. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

receiving an indication of a second dispensed item;

requiring confirmation of the identity of the second dispensed item; and

recognizing that the confirmation is not received;

wherein, as a result of the failure to receive the confirmation, no label is printed for the second dispensed item.