SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANUAL COUNTABLES

• US 20160023787A1
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Published: 01/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. (The Cigna Group)
• Original Assignee: Express Scripts Incorporated (The Cigna Group)
• Inventors: Joplin, Jonathan W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,567,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 2210/02 Plurality of alternative input or output lines or plurality of alternative packaging units on the same packaging line for improving machine flexibility
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/46 using grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/52 using roller-ways or endless conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 65/003 Packaging lines, e.g. general layout

Abstract

Systems and methods for manually filling a prescription order. A manual fill device may be incorporated into a manual fill center of a pharmacy operated by one or more pharmacists and/or pharmacist technicians to manually fill certain prescription containers. The manual fill device may include a control unit which may operate at the direction of the order processing device. The manual fill device may also include a distribution section automating distribution of containers for manual fulfillment, and a manual section in which a pharmacist may utilize available pharmaceuticals to manually fill orders.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a distribution section including a robot and a scanner;

a manual section disposed adjacent the distribution section, the manual section including at least one handling area;

at least one conveyor to enable transportation of the container between said distribution section and said manual section;

wherein the robot is adapted to select and pick a container, and to move said container to the scanner for scanning, and wherein the robot is disposed to place the container onto the conveyor to direct the container to the handling area for filling the container with a pharmaceutical based on the scan.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a guiderail positioned so as to define a lane on the conveyor,

wherein the lane leads to the handling area.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an additional conveyor to enable transportation of at least one container between the distribution section and the manual section,

wherein the conveyor extends between the handling area and the distribution section and the additional conveyor extends between an additional handling area and the distribution section.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a feed conveyor to feed containers to a holding area reachable by the robot.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the feed conveyor is configured to deliver a pallet of containers to the distribution section.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the pallet includes contains only containers designated for manual filling.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the handling area is associated with a shelving area.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the shelving area includes a plurality of shelves, each shelf of the plurality of shelves storing one or more than one different type of pharmaceutical.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a shelf of the plurality of shelves within the shelving area is associated with an additional shelving area.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein a single type of pharmaceutical is stored in the shelving area and an additional shelving area, the handling area being associated with the additional shelving area.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the shelving area includes a carousel of stored pharmaceuticals.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a control unit executed via a processor,

wherein the control unit controls the robot and determines whether the handling area or an additional handling area of the manual section is to receive the container after scanning.

13. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

a control unit executed via a processor,

wherein the control unit selects the handling area associated with a shelving area that stores a pharmaceutical associated with the scanned container from among a plurality of handling areas, and causes the robot to place the container onto the conveyor leading to the handling area selected by the control unit.

14. A method comprising:

selecting a container from a holding area;

scanning the container via a scanner;

determining a pharmaceutical associated with the container based on the scan, for filling the container with the pharmaceutical;

determining a shelving area among a plurality of shelving area that stores the pharmaceutical;

determining a handling area associated with the shelving area; and

placing the container on a conveyor leading to the handling area.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a workload of the handling area and an additional handling area associated with the shelving area that stores the pharmaceutical;

selecting the handling area with a lower workload to receive the container.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

filling the container with the pharmaceutical at the handling area; and

transporting the filled container away from the handling area.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring prescription orders yet to be launched within a pharmacy for orders associated with a manually filled pharmaceutical;

launching a pallet of containers associated with prescription orders for pharmaceuticals for manual filling, the pallet of containers including the container; and

routing the pallet to a distribution section of a manual fill device of the pharmacy.

18. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

upon scanning the container from the pallet and routing it to the handling area, determining that an additional container on the pallet is associated with the same pharmaceutical; and

selecting the additional container on the pallet associated with the same pharmaceutical and routing it to the handling area.