Apparatus for dispensing medication

• US 4,546,901 A
• Filed: 02/02/1984
• Issued: 10/15/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Patrick Buttarazzi
• Original Assignee: Patrick Buttarazzi
• Inventors: Buttarazzi, Patrick J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, Charles A.
• Application Number:
  US06/576,449
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2, 221/9-10, 221/13, 221/25-26, 221/30-32, 221/70-74, 221/123, 221/210, 414/280, 414/118-119
• US Class Current: 221/10
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

Medication dispensing apparatus for hospital and nursing home use that can satisfy patient prescription requirements on a large scale. The apparatus includes a carriage for dispensing pills or other medication required by the prescription of a particular patient on command from a computer control system. The pills are automatically selected from a large array of bins, deposited in an individual patient tray and delivered to an inspection station where verification of the prescription is achieved by comparing the tray contents with a display of patient data.

Claims

1. Medication dispensing apparatus comprising a vertical rack for storing a substantial number of elongated pill strips one above the other, each pill strip having a row of pills mounted thereon in spaced relation to one another, a vertically movable carriage for the rack having means for grasping an exposed edge of a pill strip and withdrawing a portion of it from the rack to expose a predetermined number of pills, the carriage being selectively movable with respect to the rack to position its grasping means opposite a predetermined pill strip, cutting means on the carriage for cutting the pill strip so that the exposed pill or pills are severed therefrom, conveyor means positioned with respect to the vertical rack so that the severed pills fall on to it, a receptacle for receiving the severed pills, the conveyor means being operable to deposit the pills in the receptacle, an inspection station forming a part of the medication dispensing apparatus, and means for automatically moving the receptacle to the inspection station after the pills have been deposited therein.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the vertical rack is arranged to support a plurality of removable bins one above the other, each bin having means for supporting the opposite longitudinal edges of the pill strips.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the bins are substantially rectangular in shape and are open on their front sides to expose the front edges of the pill strips to the carriage grasping means.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein there are a plurality of pill receiving receptacles, the apparatus including means for moving the receptacles along a substantially horizontal path from a storage area to a pill receiving station and from thence to the inspection station, the means for moving a receptacle from the receiving station to the inspection station being operable at the same time to move another receptacle from the storage area to the receiving station.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the receptacles in the storage area are arranged in vertically stacked relation to one another, the uppermost receptacle being in horizontal alignment with said horizontal path of movement.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5 wherein the stacked receptacles in the storage area are positioned on a vertically movable lift arm, the arm being operable to move the receptacle stack upwardly a distance equal to the height of one receptacle when the uppermost receptacle is moved from the storage area to the receiving station.

7. Medication dispensing apparatus comprising a plurality of vertical racks each of which is adapted to store a substantial number of elongated pill strips one above the other, each pill strip having a row of pills mounted thereon in spaced relation to one another, a single vertically movable carriage having for each rack a means for withdrawing a portion of an individual pill strip from the rack to expose a predetermined number of pills, the carriage being selectively movable with respect to the racks to position the withdrawing means opposite a predetermined pill strip in one of the racks, cutting means on the carriage for cutting pill strips that have been withdrawn so that the exposed pill or pills are severed therefrom, conveyor means positioned with respect to the racks so that the severed pills fall on to it, and a plurality of receptacles for receiving the severed pills, the conveyor means being operable to deposit the pills in the receptacles.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein each vertical rack is arranged to support a plurality of removable bins one above the other, each bin having means for supporting the opposite longitudinal edges of the vertically stacked pill strips.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein the bins are substantially rectangular in shape and are open on their front sides to expose the front edges of the pill strips to the carriage withdrawing means.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 7 together with an inspection station forming a part of the medication dispensing apparatus, the apparatus including means for moving the receptacles along a substantially horizontal path from a storage area to a pill receiving station and from thence to the inspection station, the means for moving a receptacle from the receiving station to the inspection station being operable at the same time to move another receptacle from the storage area to the receiving station.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10 wherein the receptacles in the storage area are arranged in vertically stacked relation to one another, the uppermost receptacle being in horizontal alignment with said horizontal path of movement.

12. Apparatus as defined in claim 11 wherein the stacked receptacles in the storage area are positioned on a vertically movable lift arm, the arm being operable to move the receptacle stack upwardly a distance equal to the height of one receptacle when the uppermost receptacle is moved from the storage area to the receiving station.

13. Medication dispensing apparatus comprising a plurality of vertical racks each of which is adapted to store a substantial number of elongated pill strips one above the other, each pill strip having a row of medication units fastened thereto in spaced relation to one another, a single vertically movable carriage including a pair of horizontally movable gripping fingers for each rack, the carriage being selectively movable relative to the racks to position the gripping fingers for a given rack opposite a preselected pill strip in that rack, the fingers being movable towards and away from the rack and being operable to grasp an exposed edge of the preselected pill strip and move it so that one or more medication units are withdrawn from the rack, cutting means on the carriage for cutting the preselected strip so that the medication units that were withdrawn are severed from the strip, an inspection station forming a part of the medication dispensing apparatus, and means for automatically transporting the medication units that were severed from the pill strip to said station.

14. Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein each vertical rack is arranged to support a plurality of removable bins one above the other, each bin having means for supporting the opposite longitudinal edges of the pill strips.

15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14 wherein the bins are substantially rectangular in shape and are open at their front sides to expose the front edges of the pill strips to one of the pairs of carriage gripping fingers.

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 13 wherein the vertical racks are disposed in a row in side by side relation, a portion of the movable carriage being wide enough to span the racks, each pair of gripping fingers on the carriage being vertically aligned with one of the racks.

17. Apparatus as defined in claim 13 including conveyor means positioned with respect to the vertical racks so that the severed medication units fall on to it, a receptacle for receiving the severed medication units, a storage area for the receptacle, and a receiving station located adjacent one terminus of the conveyor means where medication units on the conveyor means can be deposited in the receptacle, the means for automatically transporting medication units to the inspection station including means for moving the receptacle from the storage area to the receiving station.

18. Apparatus as defined in claim 17 wherein there are a plurality of medication unit receiving receptacles, the receptacles being moved along a substantially horizontal path from the storage area to the receiving station and from thence to the inspection station, the means for moving a receptacle from the receiving station to the inspection station being operable at the same time to move another receptacle from the storage area to the receiving station.

19. Medication dispensing apparatus comprising a plurality of vertical racks arranged in a row in side by side relation to one another, a plurality of bins removably mounted in each rack one above the other, each bin having means for storing a substantial number of elongated pill strips one above the other, each pill strip having a row of pills fastened thereto in spaced relation to one another, a single vertically movable carriage positioned adjacent the front of the vertical racks, the carriage including a pair of horizontally movable gripping fingers for each rack, the carriage being selectively movable relative to the racks to position the gripping fingers for a given rack opposite a preselected pill strip in that rack, the fingers being movable towards and away from the rack and being operable to grasp an exposed edge of the preselected pill strip and move it so that one or more pills are withdrawn from the rack, cutting means on the vertically movable carriage for cutting the preselected strip so that the pills that were withdrawn from the rack are severed from the strip, conveyor means positioned with respect to the racks so that the severed pills fall onto it, a storage area forming a part of the dispensing apparatus, a plurality of pill receiving receptacles stored in the storage area, a receiving station adjacent one terminus of the conveyor means where pills on the conveyor can be deposited in a receptacle, an inspection station, and means to move a receptacle along a substantially horizontal path from the storage area to the receiving station and from thence to the inspection station, the means for moving a receptacle from the receiving station to the inspection station being operable at the same time to move another receptacle from the storage area to the receiving station.

20. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the receptacles in the storage area are arranged in vertically stacked relation to one another, the uppermost receptacle being in horizontal alignment with said horizontal path of movement.

21. Apparatus as defined in claim 20 wherein the stacked receptacles in the storage area are positioned on a vertically movable lift arm, the arm being operable to move the receptacle stack upwardly a distance equal to the height of one receptacle when the uppermost receptacle is moved from the storage area to the receiving station.

22. Apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the apparatus includes at least one dispensing unit comprised of four vertical racks, the row of racks being arranged so that there is a space between the second and third racks, a portion of the vertically movable carriage being positioned in said space and another portion spanning the racks adjacent the front sides thereof, the pairs of gripping fingers being mounted on the last-named carriage portion in vertical alignment with their respective racks.