Unsaleable Pharmaceutical Item Handling and Disposal Systems, Methods, and Devices

• US 20200135315A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Waste Repurposing International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Waste Repurposing International, Inc.
• Inventors: Ripley, Christopher B., Vallely, Charles Bartol
• Application Number:
  US16/176,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20200135315A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/30 Administration of product recycling or disposal
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• 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: Y02W 90/00 Enabling technologies or technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions mitigation

Abstract

In some embodiments, a device may include at least one camera, a display device, and a processor coupled to the camera and the display device. The camera may be configured to capture first optical data of a unsaleable pharmaceutical item and second optical data of an operator. The processor may be configured to provide a graphical interface to the display device. The graphical interface may include information to guide the operator through a process of sorting unsaleable pharmaceutical items for disposal, the graphical interface including the first optical data and the second optical data.

Claims

1. A device comprises:

at least one camera configured to capture first optical data of a unsaleable pharmaceutical item and second optical data of an operator;

a display device; and

a processor coupled to the at least one camera and the display device, the processor configured to;

provide a graphical interface to the display device, the graphical interface including information to guide the operator through a process of sorting items for disposal including the unsaleable pharmaceutical item, the graphical interface including the first optical data and the second optical data.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine composition information corresponding to the unsaleable pharmaceutical item based on the first optical data.

3. The device of claim 2, further comprising a scale coupled to the processor and configured to determine a weight of the unsaleable pharmaceutical item.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the processor is configured to determine a quantity of pills associated with the unsaleable pharmaceutical item based in part on the weight.

5. The device of claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to determine a disposal bin of a plurality of disposal bins based on the composition information and a set of disposal rules.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a printer coupled to the processor and configured to print a label to be applied to a container of the unsaleable pharmaceutical item to seal the container and to obscure any existing label of the container.

7. The device of claim 1, further including a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store data related to the unsaleable pharmaceutical item including the first optical data, the second optical data, data determined based on the first optical data, weight data, and a timestamp.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide a second graphical interface to guide the operator through a process of packaging a plurality of unsaleable pharmaceutical items including the unsaleable pharmaceutical item from a disposal bin into a shipping container; and

the processor configured to receive data as each of the plurality of unsaleable pharmaceutical items is transferred for verification.

9. A device comprising:

at least one optical sensor configured to capture first optical data associated with an unsaleable pharmaceutical product and to capture second optical data associated with an operator;

a display device; and

a processor coupled to the at least one optical sensor and the display device, the processor configured to;

determine a disposal bin from a plurality of disposal bins based on the first optical data and a set of disposal rules; and

provide a graphical interface including a bin identifier, the first optical data, and the second optical data to the display device.

10. The device of claim 9, further comprising a scale configured to determine a weight associated with the unsaleable pharmaceutical product.

11. The device of claim 10, further comprising:

a memory coupled to the processor; and

wherein the processor is configured to store a record including data corresponding to the unsaleable pharmaceutical product, the first optical data, the second optical data, the weight, a timestamp, and the bin identifier.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine a quantity of pills associated with the unsaleable pharmaceutical item based in part on the weight.

13. The device of claim 9, further comprising a printer coupled to the processor and configured to print a label to be applied to a container of the unsaleable pharmaceutical item to seal the container and to obscure any existing label of the container.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide a second graphical interface to guide the operator through a process of packaging a plurality of unsaleable pharmaceutical items including the unsaleable pharmaceutical item from the disposal bin into a shipping container; and

the processor configured to receive data as each of the plurality of unsaleable pharmaceutical items is transferred for verification.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor causes the printer to print a shipping manifest and a shipping label for the shipping container.

16. A method comprising:

receiving first optical data of a unsaleable pharmaceutical item from at least one camera of a sorter device;

receiving second optical data of an operator from the at least one camera; and

providing a graphical interface to a display device of the sorter device, the graphical interface including information to guide the operator through a process of sorting unsaleable pharmaceutical items for disposal, the graphical interface including the first optical data and the second optical data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining composition information corresponding to a unsaleable pharmaceutical item based on the first optical data;

automatically selecting a disposal bin from a plurality of bins based on the composition information and a set of rules; and

providing an identifier associated with the selected disposal bin within the graphical interface.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining a weight of the at least one unsaleable pharmaceutical item using a scale.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising printing an adhesive label for applying to a container of the unsaleable pharmaceutical product to seal the container and to obscure an existing label on the container.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing a graphical interface including prompts to guide an operator through a process of packaging a plurality of unsaleable pharmaceutical items from the disposal bin into a shipping container;

printing a manifest associated with the shipping container; and

printing a label to be applied to the shipping container.