Drug dispensing apparatus

• US 5,377,864 A
• Filed: 03/23/1992
• Issued: 01/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated, Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Baxter International Inc., Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Hiroyasu, Hadjimitsos, Panos, Kurtz, James R., Haraguchi, Manabu, Blechl, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REICHARD, DEAN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US07/640,427
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 221/2, 221/3, 221/12, 221/13, 221/99, 221/102, 221/133, 221/154, 221/191, 221/193, 221/195, 221/196, 221/197, 221/224, 221/256, 221/258, 221/263, 221/287, 221/289, 221/312 C , 221/266, 364/479
• US Class Current: 221/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0084 for multiple medicaments
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/18 Recessed drawers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1066 PIN data being compared to data on card

Abstract

The present invention provides for a drug dispensing device which is portable, provides a high level of security, is flexible in accommodating a number of user selected drugs, is easily stockable, and reduces labor and time requirement for drug dispensing. The present invention provides an apparatus having a microprocessor means which controls the drug dispensing. The apparatus includes an interior medication storage area adapted to receive a plurality of different sized dispensers in user selectable combinations. A receiving drawer is provided below the interior medication storage area to receive and dispense the medications.

A dispenser is provided which can be configured in a multiplicity of sizes and shapes to accommodate different sized medications. The dispenser is adapted to receive a cooperating cartridge which contains the medications. The dispenser includes an actuator which contacts and dispenses the medications from the cartridge.

Claims

1. A drug dispensing apparatus comprising:

microprocessing means;

a housing defining an interior medication storage area, the interior medication storage area including means for receiving a plurality of different sized dispensers in multiple orientations, the receiving means further including means for establishing electrical communication between the dispensers and the microprocessing means; and

a receiving drawer oriented below the interior medication storage area to receive medication vertically falling from the dispensers, and to dispense the medication through an open position of said receiving drawer, said receiving drawer having a width substantially equal to a width of said plurality of dispensers and having a depth less than a depth of said plurality of dispensers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the receiving means includes a plurality of spaced electrical connectors in electrical communication with the microprocessing means, the electrical connectors being adapted to establish electrical communication with cooperating electrical connectors on the dispensers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a touch panel or a keyboard in electrical communication with the microprocessing means.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further including user identification means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the identification means is a card reader.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a storage compartment for drugs, said storage compartment being substantially larger than said dispensers, whereby drugs which do not fit into said dispensers may be stored in said storage compartment.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 further including a return drug storage compartment whereby a user can return a drug to said return drug storage compartment, said return drug storage compartment being separate from said plurality of dispensers.

3. A drug dispensing apparatus comprising:

microprocessing means;

a housing defining an interior medication storage area, the interior medication storage area including means for receiving a plurality of different sized dispensers in multiple orientations, the receiving means further including means for establishing electrical communication between the dispensers and the microprocessing means;

a receiving drawer oriented below the interior medication storage area to receive and dispense medication from the dispensers;

wherein the receiving means includes a plurality of spaced electrical connectors in electrical communication with the microprocessing means, the electrical connectors being adapted to establish electrical communication with cooperating electrical connectors on the dispensers; and

wherein the electrical connectors are contained on a generally horizontally oriented printed circuit board, the circuit board defining at least one aperture through which dispensed medications fall.

9. An apparatus for dispensing a plurality of sized medication containers, the apparatus comprising:

microprocessing means;

a housing defining an interior medication storage area, the interior medication storage area adapted to receive a plurality of different sized dispensers, the interior medication storage area further including a plurality of spaced electrical connectors in electrical communication with the microprocessing means and adapted to be cooperatively connected to cooperative electrical connectors contained on the dispensers such that the microprocessing means can electrically communicate with each selected dispenser; and

a receiving drawer positioned beneath the interior medication storage area such that dispensed medication containers can fall by gravity into the drawer for dispensing, said receiver drawer having a width substantially equal to a width of said plurality of dispensers and having a depth less than a depth of said plurality of dispensers.

10. A cartridge containing medication containers for use in a drug dispensing apparatus having a removable dispenser, the dispenser having a gravity fed dispensing platform and an actuator arm for urging the medication containers off the dispensing platform, the cartridge comprising:

a container having a front, a back, two sides, a top, an open bottom, and defining an interior, the container being sized to accept the medication containers in the interior;

the front of the container having an opening extending upwardly from the open bottom, the front opening being sized to accept a retaining member having a portion extending into the interior of the container to retain the medication containers within the container; and

the retaining member further being removably secured to the outside of the container and including a portion extending upwardly from the inwardly extending portion such that the retaining member can be removed from the container by pulling the upwardly extending portion.

11. The cartridge of claim 10 wherein the retaining member is generally T-shaped with the inwardly extending portion being an enlarged width area.

12. The cartridge of claim 10 wherein the container and the retaining member define a plurality of apertures through which a wire extends to secure the retaining member to the container.

13. The cartridge of claim 10 wherein the container is made of metal.

14. The cartridge of claim 10 wherein the container is made of plastic.

15. The cartridge of claim 10 wherein the retaining member is made of spring steel

16. A dispenser for use with a drug dispensing device, the drug dispensing device having a plurality of standardly spaced electrical connectors in electrical communication with a microprocessing means, the dispenser comprising:

a housing defining an interior chamber for receiving a cartridge having medication containers therein and further defining a sliding drawer to receive the medication containers and, from an open position, to dispense the medication containers to a user, said sliding drawer having a width substantially equal to a width of said plurality of dispensers and having a depth less than a depth of said plurality of dispensers;

the housing further defining a dispensing platform juxtaposed relative to the interior chamber, the dispensing platform defining an aperture offset from the interior chamber;

an electronically activated actuator contained in cooperative relationship to the dispensing platform such that medication containers resting on the dispensing platform can be urged to the defined aperture in route to said sliding drawer; and

an electrical connector in electronic communication with the actuator and the microprocessing means and adapted to cooperatively secure the electrical connectors in the dispensing device.

17. The dispenser of claim 16 wherein the actuator includes a solenoid or a motor.

18. The dispenser of claim 17 wherein the actuator further includes an actuator arm controlled by the solenoid or a motor.

19. The dispenser of claim 16 further including an optical reader in electronic communication with the electrical connector in electronic communication with the actuator and positioned over the dispensing platform defined aperture.

20. A drug dispensing apparatus comprising, a housing formed from a box structure with an upper opening and a lid which can be opened and closed over the opening;

a plurality of dispensers arranged in order inside the housing;

multiple cartridges being accepted in the dispensers and holding disposable injectors, ampules and other injectable medications;

a control unit provided with a microprocessing means for controlling the dispensers and the housing, comprised of an identification section utilizing passwords or integrated circuit cards to allow identification of users, an input unit for inputting the type and number of medications to dispensed from the housing, a memory unit for recording data from the input unit, and a dispensing section for automatically dispensing the requested type and number of medications from the housing based on the information designated by the input unit, said dispensing section including a sliding drawer to receive the medications and, from an open position, to dispense the medications to a user said sliding drawer having a width substantially equal to a width of said plurality of dispensers and having a depth less than a depth of said plurality of dispensers.