Medicament dispenser

• US 3,878,967 A
• Filed: 04/03/1974
• Issued: 04/22/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sherwood Medical Company (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Joel A. Joslin, John C. Vogler
• Inventors: Joslin, Joel A., Vogler, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knowles, Allen N.
• Application Number:
  US05/457,679
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 221/92,69,123,133,135,224,225,236,253,254,290,88,89,127,87,88,103
• US Class Current: 221/88
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/28 in which the magazines are inclined
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A medicament dispenser having a plurality of inclined bins each holding a plurality of cylindrical carriers having a medicament container, such as a hypodermic syringe package, therein prefilled with a desired medicament. A conveyor mechanism movable on a track around the periphery of the bins is stopped at the discharge end of a selected bin. Actuating bars open the conveyor mechanism and a gate on the outlet end of the selected bin to allow a single carrier to enter the conveyor. The conveyor then moves to labeling and ejector stations where the medicament container is labeled and removed from the carrier for delivery to a discharge outlet. The conveyor then returns the empty carrier to the inlet end of the bin from which it was retrieved. The dispenser is automatically controlled by an electronic control system.

Claims

1. A medicament dispenser comprising a plurality of individual bins each adapted to hold a plurality of medicaments to be dispensed therefrom, each of said bins having discharge and inlet ends, a plurality of medicament container carriers disposed in each of said bins, each of said carriers adapted to receive a medicament container, a conveyor mechanism trained about said bins for movement past the discharge and inlet ends thereof, means on said conveyor for holding one of said carriers, means for controlling the movement of said conveyor for stopping the carrier holding means at a selected one of the discharge ends of said bins, means for transferring a medicament container carrier from the discharge end of said selected bin into said holder, and means for removing the medicament container from its carrier and for discharging it from said dispenser.

2. A dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein after discharge of said medicament container, said means for controlling the movement of said conveyor stops the carrier holder at the inlet end of the same bin from which the medicament container carrier was withdrawn, and means for transferring the empty carrier from said holder to said bin.

3. A dispenser as set forth in claim 2 further comprising a label printer and means for applying a lable to said medicament container before discharge from said dispenser.

4. A dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carriers are configured externally to conform to the configuration of said bins and are configured internally to conform to the configuration of one of a plurality of differently configured medicament containers.

5. A dispenser as set forth in claim 1 wherein said carriers are configured externally to conform to the configuration of said bins and are configured internally to receive an adapter, said adapter having an internal configuration conforming to the configuration of one of a plurality of differently configured medicament containers.

6. A dispenser as set forth in claim 2 wherein said conveyor is an endless driven belt and said holding means is carried by said belt.

7. A dispenser as set forth in claim 6 wherein said holder comprises movable arms for gripping and releasing said carrier.

8. A dispenser as set forth in claim 7 wherein each bin is provided with a movable gate at its discharge end for selectively releasing and retaining said carriers and medicament containers.

9. A method of dispensing a selected medicament from a dispenser containing a plurality of different medicaments, said dispenser having a plurality of bins each containing a plurality of carriers With a medicament container therein, and a movable holder for carrying said carrier, comprising the steps of providing an input signal to said dispenser indicative of the selected medicament, moving said holder to a position adjacent one end of a bin containing the selected medicament, transferring a carrier and medicament container from said selected bin to said holder, removing the medicament container from said carrier, discharging said medicament container from said dispenser, and returing said empty carrier to the opposite end of the same bin from which it was removed.