SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AUTOMATICALLY VERIFYING PACKAGING OF SOLID PHARMACEUTICALS VIA ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY ACCORDING TO PATIENT PRESCRIPTION DATA

• US 20160122060A1
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Published: 05/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: MTS Medication Technologies, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Inventors: SWEET, Mark, KAMES, Edward D., GILETA, Heather, BARRETT, Robert, KRAEMER, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 10,351,285 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0616 with vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/18 by suction-operated grippers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 39/007 Guides or funnels for introducing articles into containers or wrappers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/105 by grippers B65B5/12 and B65B5/108 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/108 Article support means temporarily arranged in the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/12 Introducing successive articles, e.g. confectionery products, of different shape or size in predetermined positions
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/10 responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 61/26 for marking or coding completed packages
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/917 control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/60 for the operation of medical equipment or devices

Abstract

Robotic pick-and-place automation is used to transfer oral solid pharmaceuticals from moveable trays or canisters. A variety of sensors are used in order to automatically verify that the oral solid pharmaceuticals have been properly placed in the desired oral solid pharmaceutical package locations precisely according to the patient prescription data. A pharmacist places oral solid pharmaceutical products within dispensing trays or canisters which are used to present the oral solid pharmaceutical products for picking and placing via the robotic pick-and-place machinery. Once the canister or tray is located adjacent the pick-and-place device, a further sensor or imaging unit associated with the pick-and-place device verifies that the oral solid pharmaceutical product presented by the tray or canister matches the size and shape and/or color of an expected oral solid pharmaceutical product that is to be placed within the packaging material in accordance with patient prescription data that is stored by a computer associated with the system. Additional sensors automatically verify that each individual oral solid pharmaceutical specified by a patient prescription have been deposited into each specified package location strictly in accordance with the patient prescription data.

Claims

1. A method for automatically verifying packaging of oral solid pharmaceutical medications comprising:

verifying placement of a plurality of oral solid pharmaceuticals into each of a plurality of dispensing containers, each individual dispensing container being dedicated to a specific oral solid pharmaceutical medication;

automatically transferring a plurality of individual dispensing containers to a staging location of a robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism and verifying that a specific dispensing container is located at a specific staging location for transferring oral solid pharmaceuticals from the dispensing container;

using the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism to automatically transfer individual oral solid pharmaceutical medications from each of a plurality of dispensing containers to package cavity locations corresponding to patient prescription data and automatically verifying that each oral solid pharmaceutical medication transferred by the robotic pick-and-place transfer mechanism matches predetermined physical parameters of an oral solid pharmaceutical that is specified for transfer into a specific package cavity location based on the patient prescription data;

automatically verifying each oral solid pharmaceutical has been dropped into the specified package cavity location according to the patient prescription data; and

automatically sealing and printing patient identification and prescription data on the package once all oral solid pharmaceutical specified by the patient prescription data have been transferred into the package cavities specified by the patient prescription data.