Apparatus for collecting ampules

• US 5,832,693 A
• Filed: 01/22/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yoyama Seisakusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Yuyama Seisakusho
• Inventors: Yuyama, Shoji, Nose, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): MOON, DANIEL B
• Application Number:
  US08/785,946
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 364/478.02, 364/478.03, 364/478.04, 364/478.07, 364/478.13, 364/478.14, 364/479.01, 364/479.02, 364/479.05, 364/479.06 , 364/479.07, 364/479.11, 364/479.12, 364/479.13, 364/479.14, 221/1, 221/2, 221/6, 221/8, 221/9, 221/10, 221/11, 221/17, 221/94, 221/95, 221/112, 221/113, 221/119, 221/121, 221/123, 221/124, 221/132, 221/133, 221/287, 53/50, 53/53, 53/54, 53/154, 53/155, 53/168, 53/501, 53/494, 53/495, 53/445, 53/474, 53/237, 53/238, 53/240, 53/52, 53/541, 414/795.3
• US Class Current: 53/168
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1376 the orders being assembled on a commissioning conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A system for collecting prescribed injection ampules. In this system, it is possible to collect any ampules that cannot be collected from an automatic ampule dispenser with high efficiency. An ampule collecting apparatus has a tray supply unit for supplying trays. The trays supplied from the tray supply unit are sent into an ampule dispenser by an elevator unit and a conveyor unit, and moved downward in the dispenser by the downward conveyor unit. While the trays are being fed in the dispenser, ampules are put in the respective trays. The trays then exit the dispenser and stacked by the tray stacker. A drug name list is put in each tray. Of the ampules that are specified in a prescription, those which have not been collected from the ampule dispenser are highlighted on the list. Thus, a pharmacist can instantly see which ampules are not in the tray and can collect the missing ampules from a separate shelf.

Claims

1. An apparatus for collecting ampuled drugs comprising:

a conveyor means for transporting drug containers;

an ampule dispenser for storing a plurality of kinds of ampuled drugs and dispensing, in response to a command based on prescription data, predetermined numbers of ampuled drugs of predetermined kinds into said drug containers which have been fed on said conveyor means;

a printer means for creating check lists by printing names or codes of drugs collected in said respective drug containers by said ampule dispenser, and names or codes of other drugs that have not been collected from said ampule dispenser but are specified in the prescription data, and putting the check lists thus created into said respective containers, said names or codes of said other drugs being highlighted so as to be distinguished from the names or codes of the drugs already in said drug containers; and

a container stacker comprising an elevator means provided at a delivery end of said conveyor means and vertically movable between a first position at the same level as said delivery end and a second position over said first position, a driving means for moving said elevator means between said first and second positions, and an engaging means provided near said second position and adapted to engage said drug container on said elevator means when said elevator means rises to said second position so that said drug container is kept engaged even when said elevator means is lowered but can move further upward when said drug container is pushed up by a next one of said drug container placed on said elevator means.