METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ARTICLE MANAGEMENT

• US 20140148947A1
• Filed: 11/29/2013
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Distributrices Medicales BHL Inc.
• Original Assignee: Distributrices Medicales BHL Inc.
• Inventors: LEVESQUE, STEPHANE, BOUCHER, MICHEL
• Granted Patent: US 10,013,842 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• 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: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A system and method for article management, the method comprising providing a processor and a terminal connected to the processor, providing a closet comprising at least one module comprising at least one location for an article, each location comprising a presence sensor and a signaling unit, at least one door, a user interface connected to the terminal; wherein the processor controls the door into preventing access to articles stored within the closet in a closed position and allowing access to an article requested through the user interface in an open position if the article is authorised for retrieval by the processor.

Claims

1. A closet for article management, said closet comprising:

at least one module, each module comprising at least one location for an article, each location comprising a presence sensor and a signaling unit;

at least one door, preventing access to articles stored within the closet in a closed position and allowing access to a requested article in an open position if said article is authorised for retrieval;

a user interface connected to a terminal controlled by a processor;

a control board of the closet, communicating with said processor;

a control board of the presence sensors, communicating with said processor and with said control board of the closet.

2. The closet of claim 1, wherein said signaling unit indicates a specific location within the closet from which an article is be retrieved from the closet, according to a request for an article, and indicates a specific location at which a new incoming article is to be placed within the closet.

3. The closet of claim 1, wherein each presence sensor at a location from which an article is retrieved and taken out of the closet sends a signal to the processor.

4. The closet of claim 1, wherein each location in a module is further provided with a weight sensor.

5. The closet of claim 1, comprising at least one temperature-controlled module.

6. The closet of claim 1, wherein each presence sensors comprises a light emitter and a light receiver on each side of the location, an OFF status of the sensor corresponding to the presence of an article within the location.

7. The closet of claim 1, wherein said processor controls opening of said door for retrieving a requested article from the closet and for entering a new incoming article into the closet.

8. The closet of claim 1, wherein each change of state of a presence sensor triggers a signal from the control board of the presence sensors to the processor.

9. The closet of claim 1, wherein each change of state of a presence sensor triggers a signal from the control board of the presence sensors to the processor, said presence sensor board storing a copy of the different states and signals.

10. The closet of claim 1, wherein said processor is connected to data bases containing at least a list of articles, a list of end users files, an inventory of the at least one module, a user list and a list of door locks.

11. A method for article management, comprising:

providing a processor and a terminal connected to the processor;

providing a closet comprising;

at least one module, each module comprising at least one location for an article, each location comprising a presence sensor and a signaling unit;

at least one door;

a user interface connected to the terminal;

a control board of the closet, communicating with the processor;

a control board of the presence sensors, communicating with the processor and with the control board of the closet;

wherein the processor controls the door into preventing access to articles stored within the closet in a closed position and allowing access to an article requested through the user interface in an open position if the article is authorised for retrieval by the processor.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program controlling retrieval of articles from the closet, replenishing of the closet, payment of articles used from the closet, and real-time tracking of operation of the closet.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program controlling retrieval of articles from the closet, replenishing of the closet, payment of articles used from the closet, and real-time tracking of operation of the closet, the program being connected to a data base containing at least a list of articles, a list of users, a list of end users, a list of the modules, and a list of door locks.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program controlling replenishing of the closet, the program controlling unlocking of the door, activating a signaling unit into pointing out a specific location within the closet in which a new incoming article is to be placed, the presence sensor of the specific location returning a presence signal once the new incoming article is placed in the specific location, and the program updating an inventory of the closet.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program controlling replenishing of the closet, the program activating a scan of all articles already within the closet, locating any expired article, controlling unlocking of the door, and:

in case an expired article is detected, the program prompts a user to withdraw the detected expired article and, only when the detected expired article is withdrawn from the closet, controls a signaling unit into pointing out to a specific location within the closet in which a new incoming article is to be placed, the presence sensor of the specific location returning a presence signal once the new incoming article is placed in the specific location, and the program updating an inventory of the closet;

in absence of a detected expired article, the program controls a signaling unit into pointing out to a specific location within the closet in which a new incoming article is to be placed, the presence sensor of the specific location returning a presence signal once the new incoming article is placed in the specific location, and the program updating an inventory of the closet.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program controlling identification of a user through the user interface of the closet, identification an article requested by the user and of an end-user of the article requested by the user, unlocking of the door, activation of a signaling unit into signaling a location within the closet housing a corresponding article having a nearest expiration date, allowing the user to withdraw the corresponding article from the signaled location only, closing of the door once the corresponding article has been retrieved from the location, updating an inventory of the closet and a file associated with the end user.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program controlling payment of articles retrieved from the closet and generation of replacement articles orders.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program controlling insertion of an incoming article in a specific location of the closet, by activating buttons of the specific location into blocking access to the specific location.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program monitoring expiration date of articles stored within the closet, the program automatically scanning all locations containing an article in the module and checking an expiration date of the stored articles and activating blocking access to locations detected as containing expired articles.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the processor runs a program monitoring expiration date of articles stored within the closet, the program automatically scanning all locations containing an article in the module and checking an expiration date of the stored articles, activating blocking access to locations detected as containing expired articles, and prompting a user to withdraw the detected expired articles.

21. A method for article management, comprising:

entering articles identified by a serial number one by one in a closet, each article being positioned in a location within the closet, each location, comprising a presence sensor and a signaling unit, each entered article being listed in a database comprising the article'"'"'s serial number and expiration date and the specific location it is placed in within the module and the status of the associated presence sensor;

closing a door of the closet;

upon a request for an article, by a user through a user interface of the closet, unlocking the door, activating a signaling unit into signaling a location within the closet housing the requested article having a nearest expiration date, allowing the withdrawal of the requested article from the signaled location only, closing the door once the requested article has been retrieved from the location, updating an inventory of the closet, updating a file associated with an end user of the article, and generating a purchase order for replacing the article that has been retrieved from the closet;

upon a request, by a user through a user interface of the closet, for replenishing of the closet, activating a scan of all articles already within the closet, locating any expired article, controlling unlocking of the door, and;

i) in case an expired article is detected, prompting a user to withdraw the detected expired article and, only when the detected expired article is withdrawn from the closet, controlling a signaling unit into pointing out to a specific location within the closet in which a new incoming article is to be placed, the presence sensor of the specific location returning a presence signal once the new incoming article is placed in the specific location;

ii) in absence of a detected expired article, controlling a signaling unit into pointing out to a specific location within the closet in which a new incoming article is to be placed, the presence sensor of the specific location returning a presence signal once the new incoming article is placed in the specific location; and

updating an inventory of the closet.