Medical item dispensing apparatus

• US 6,163,737 A
• Filed: 11/14/1996
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fedor, Max A., Neu, Daniel W., Gillio, Robert G., Colburn, Eric R., McGrady, R. Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Application Number:
  US08/748,992
• Time in Patent Office: 1,496 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/231, 700/237, 700/241, 700/242, 700/243, 700/244, 377/6, 221/69, 222/129, 222/132, 222/135, 222/144, 222/144.5, 222/251, 222/322, 222/333
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 7/04 Counting of piece goods, e.g. of boxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A medical item dispensing apparatus includes a dispenser (100) which encloses a plurality of magazines (168). Each magazine holds a plurality of medical items (170) which in the preferred form of the invention are cylindrical containers. Each magazine includes an opening (180). A guide (182) and a front gate member (194) are positioned adjacent to the opening. A back gate member (200) is positioned further inward from the opening than the front gate member. The front gate member and back gate member are moved in coordinated relation so that the front gate member enables a medical item adjacent the opening to pass through the opening while the back gate member moves to prevent the other medical items in the magazine from moving toward the opening. After the dispense of the medical item from the magazine the front gate member moves to block the passage of further medical items through the opening while the back gate member moves to enable medical items to move toward the opening. The magazines dispense medical items from the dispenser responsive to a user terminal (102). The user terminal is operatively connected to a computer (84) which includes a data store which maintains data representative of medical items taken for patients.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dispensing medical items comprising:

a dispenser magazine including;

a body including a storage location extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein a plurality of medical items may be stored in generally longitudinally aligned relation in said storage location prior to dispense;

an opening adjacent a front end of said storage location;

a front gate member movably mounted relative to said body;

an actuator in operative connection with the front gate member,

wherein said actuator is selectively operable to move the front gate member between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the front gate member prevents items from passing through the opening and wherein in the second position items are enabled to pass through the opening.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein in the first position the front gate member extends in an inward direction relative to the opening, wherein the front gate member is operatively engageable with a medical item in the storage location to prevent said item from passing through the opening.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein in the first position of said gate member an inward end surface of the front gate member is engageable with a medical item in the storage location to prevent movement of the item through the opening, and wherein when the front gate member moves from the first position to the second position the inward end surface moves in the inward direction relative to the opening.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising:

a plurality of storage locations, wherein at least one unit of a type of medical item is positionable in each location prior to use;

a dispenser mechanism, wherein the dispenser mechanism selectively dispenses items from a storage location;

a user terminal operatively connected to the dispenser mechanism, the user terminal including a data entry device wherein a user inputs data identifying a patient receiving the medical item proximate to dispense of the item by the dispenser mechanism;

at least one processor operatively connected to the user terminal, the processor operatively connected to at least one data store, the data store including a patient record associated with the patient and a location record associated with at least one storage location in the dispenser mechanism, the location record including the respective type of medical item in each location, and wherein upon dispense of an item from a location, data representative of use of the type medical item for the patient is included in the patient record;

and wherein the dispenser mechanism includes the dispenser magazine.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a back gate member, wherein the back gate member is movably mounted relative to the body, and wherein the back gate member is disposed in an inward direction relative to both the opening and the front gate member, and wherein the back gate member is movable between an open position and a stop position, wherein when the back gate member is in the open position medical items in the storage location are enabled to move to engage the front gate member, and wherein in the stop position medical items in the storage location are operatively engaged with the back gate member, wherein medical items operatively engaged with the back gate member in the stop position are prevented from moving toward said opening.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the front gate member and the back gate member are relatively disposed from one another, wherein one medical item is enabled to be operatively disposed between the front gate member and the back gate member.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the front gate member and the back gate member are operatively interconnected, wherein in operation of the apparatus the back gate member moves to the stop position prior to the front gate member moving to the second position, whereby the dispense of medical items from the opening is limited to a number of items disposed between the front gate member and the back gate member.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5 and further comprising an actuating mechanism in operative connection with said actuator, and wherein said actuating mechanism is operatively connected to the front gate member and the back gate member, wherein the actuating mechanism is selectively actuatable to move the back gate member to the stop position, whereby medical items in the storage location and operatively engaged with the back gate member are prevented from moving toward said opening, and said actuating mechanism is also operative to move the front gate member from the first position to the second position, whereby medical items not operatively engaged with the back gate member are enabled to pass through the opening.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the actuating mechanism includes a means for preventing the front gate member from moving to the second position until the back gate member is in the stop position.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising a supporting surface bounding the storage location and wherein said medical items are guided to move towards said opening by engagement with the supporting surface, and wherein the supporting surface extends a width in a direction transverse of the longitudinal direction, and further comprising a biasing mechanism, wherein the biasing mechanism biases a medical item in the storage location toward the opening, and wherein the front gate member in the first position extends the transverse width, whereby said apparatus is enabled to selectively dispense from said magazine medical items having a variable dimension in the transverse direction not greater than the transverse width.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the back gate member in the stop position is engageable with medical items in the storage location across the transverse width.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 and further comprising a biasing mechanism, wherein said biasing mechanism biases the medical items toward the opening.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 and further comprising a plurality of medical items in the storage location, wherein each medical item is circular in cross section, and wherein one of the medical items passes through the opening each time said actuating mechanism moves the front gate member to the second position.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the actuating mechanism includes a mechanical link operatively connecting the front gate member and the back gate member, wherein said mechanical link prevents the front gate member from moving from the first position to the second position unless the back gate member is in the stop position.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the mechanical link includes a finger and a detent, and wherein the finger engages the detent until the back gate member is moved to the stop position.

16. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the back gate member is rotatably movable relative to the body, and wherein the back gate member moves rotatably between the open and the stop positions.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 wherein the front gate member is rotatably movably mounted relative to the body, and wherein the front gate member rotatably moves between the first and second positions.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the front gate member and the back gate member move in a same rotational direction as the front gate member moves from the first position to the second position and the back gate member moves from the open position to the stop position.

19. The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the back gate member includes a stop surface, wherein the stop surface is operative to engage medical items in the storage location to prevent movement thereof towards the opening, and wherein when the back gate member moves from the stop position to the open position the stop surface moves toward said opening.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the front gate member includes an inward end surface, and wherein in the first position of the front gate member the inward end surface is operatively engageable with a medical item in the storage location to prevent movement of the item through the opening, and wherein when the front gate member moves from the first position to the second position the inward end surface moves in an inward direction relative to the opening.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a biasing mechanism wherein the biasing mechanism biases the medical items in the storage location toward the opening.

22. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a guide, wherein the guide bounds the opening on a side opposed of the front gate member.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the guide is movably mounted relative to the body, and wherein movement of the guide is operative to change an area of the opening, whereby the magazine is enabled to dispense medical items of different sizes.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the guide extends generally in the longitudinal direction adjacent the storage location, and wherein the guide is movably selectively positionable adjacent the opening and at an end of said storage location opposed of said opening.

25. The apparatus according to claim 22 wherein the guide in cross section includes a dogleg shaped surface engageable with the medical items, and wherein said dogleg shaped surface is operative to engage the medical items on a side opposed of the first gate member, whereby a medical item is enabled to be engaged with the dogleg shaped surface when also engaged with the front gate member in the first position, and wherein said medical item is enabled to disengage the dogleg shaped surface and pass through the opening when the front gate member moves to the second position.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the medical items are circular in cross section, and wherein the front gate member in the first position engages the medical item in engagement with the dogleg shaped surface in an over center relation.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein the dogleg shaped surface of the guide includes a tapered face adjacent the opening, and wherein the tapered face extends at an angle relative to the longitudinal direction, and wherein the guide is selectively movably positionable in a direction generally transverse to the tapered face, wherein positioning of the tapered face enables medical items of different sizes to pass through said opening when the front gate member is in the second position.

28. The apparatus according to claim 27 and further comprising a slot in operative connection with said body, and wherein the slot extends in a generally transverse direction to the tapered face, and wherein the guide is in operative connection with the slot and is operatively constrained by the slot to move in the generally transverse direction.

29. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a guide bounds the storage location on a side opposed of said front gate member, wherein a medical item adjacent the front gate member is restrained from movement other than generally in the longitudinal direction and in a direction outward through said opening by said guide.

30. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising:

an enclosure, the enclosure including an area accessible to a user;

a plurality of the magazines housed in the enclosure;

wherein when a medical item is passed through an opening of one of said plurality of magazines the medical item is enabled to move to said user accessible area.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30 and further comprising a chute extending between the magazine and the user accessible area.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30 and further comprising an electronic lock in operative connection with the enclosure, wherein the medical items are rendered accessible responsive to opening the lock.

33. The apparatus according to claim 32 and further comprising a user terminal, wherein said user terminal is in operative connection with the electronic lock, and wherein said user terminal includes an input device, and wherein the user terminal is operative to unlock the lock responsive to the input device.

34. The apparatus according to claim 30 and further comprising a user terminal, wherein the user terminal is in operative connection with the actuator of each of said magazines, and wherein said user terminal includes an input device, and wherein said actuators of said magazines are selectively operable responsive to said input device.

35. The apparatus according to claim 34 and further comprising a computer in operative connection with a data store, wherein the computer is in operative connection with the user terminal, and wherein the user terminal includes a display, and wherein the data store includes data representative of medical items which are designated for storage in each of the magazines, and wherein the display of the user terminal is operative to display visual indicia corresponding to the medical items, and wherein the input device is operable to select the visual indicia corresponding to one of the medical items, and wherein the user terminal is operative responsive to selection of the visual indicia to actuate the actuator on the magazine designated in the data store as holding the medical item corresponding to the selected indicia.

36. The apparatus according to claim 35 and further comprising a sensor wherein the sensor senses passage of a medical item out of an opening of the magazine, and wherein the data store further includes data corresponding to at least one patient, and wherein the input device of the user terminal is operative to select the patient, and wherein the computer is operative to cause data representative of the selected medical item to be stored in the data store in correlated relation with the data corresponding to the patient responsive to the sensor sensing passage of the medical item out of the opening of the magazine in response to the selection of the visual indicia at the user terminal.

37. The apparatus according to claim 30 and further comprising a sensor, wherein the sensor senses passage of a medical item out of an opening of a magazine.

38. Apparatus for dispensing medical items comprising:

a dispenser magazine including;

a body including a storage location extending in a longitudinal direction wherein a plurality of medical items may be stored in generally longitudinally aligned relation in the storage location prior to dispense;

an opening adjacent a front end of the storage location;

a front gate member movably rotatably mounted relative to the body;

an actuator in operative connection with the front gate member, wherein the actuator is selectively operable to move the front gate member between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the front gate member prevents items from passing through the opening and wherein in the second position items are enabled to pass through the opening,

wherein in the first position the front gate member extends in an inward direction relative to the opening, wherein the front gate member is operatively engageable with a medical item in the storage location to prevent the item from passing through the opening.

39. A method of dispensing medical items in an apparatus comprising a magazine, wherein said items are removable from the magazine, comprising the steps of:

storing at least one medical item in a storage location in a body of the magazine, wherein the body includes an opening, the storage location being accessible through the opening;

selectively blocking or enabling passage of the medical item through the opening with a front gate member by moving the front gate member with an actuator in operative connection therewith relative to the body.

40. The apparatus according to claim 39 wherein the selectively blocking or enabling step includes when the front gate member is in the blocking position, operatively engaging a first side of a medical item with the front gate member, and wherein after the storing step said method further comprises the step of moving a guide member in adjacent relation with an opposed side of the medical item operatively engaged with the front gate member, whereby the guide prevents passage of the medical item out of the opening when the front gate member is engaged with the first side of the medical item, and enables passage of the medical item out of the opening when the front gate member moves to operatively disengage from the first side of the medical item.

41. The method according to claim 39 wherein the selectively blocking or enabling step includes rotatably moving the front gate member.

42. The method according to claim 39 wherein the storage location holds a plurality of said medical items, and wherein the magazine further comprises a back gate member movably mounted relative to the body, and wherein the back gate member is operatively engageable with medical items in the storage location further inwardly relative to the opening than the front gate member, and further comprising the step of selectively stopping or permitting movement of at least one first medical item in the storage location toward the opening by operative engagement of said one first item with the back gate member, wherein the back gate member stops the engaged one first medical item while the front gate member enables a second one of said medical items to pass out of the storage location through the opening.

43. The method according to claim 42 wherein after the second medical item has passed through the opening, the front gate member moves to block passage of further medical items through the opening and the back gate member moves to enable movement of the first medical item remaining in the storage location toward the opening.

44. The method according to claim 42 and further comprising the step of biasing the medical items in the storage location toward the opening with a biasing mechanism.

45. The method according to claim 42 wherein the step of selectively stopping or permitting step includes rotatably moving the back gate member.

46. The method according to claim 45 wherein the selectively blocking or enabling step includes rotatably moving the front gate member, wherein the front gate member and the back gate member move in a same rotational direction as the front gate moves from a first position blocking passage of a medical item through the opening to a second position enabling passage, and the back gate member moves from an open position enabling medical items to move toward said opening to a stop position preventing such movement.

47. The method according to claim 42 and prior to the selectively blocking and enabling step further comprising the step of:

operatively interconnecting the front gate member and the back gate member, wherein the back gate member moves to stop movement of the first medical item as the front gate member moves to enable passage of the second medical item.

48. The method according to claim 47 wherein the interconnecting step comprises causing the back gate member to move to stop movement of the first medical item toward the opening prior to the front gate member moving to enable passage of the second medical item through said opening.

49. The method according to claim 48 wherein in the interconnecting step the front gate member is operatively engaged with the back gate member and movement of the front gate member enabling passage of the second medical item through the opening is prevented until the back gate member moves to stop movement of the first medical item toward the opening.

50. The method according to claim 42 and prior to the selectively blocking or enabling step further comprising the steps of:

placing said magazine in an enclosure having a user accessible area;

operatively connecting the magazine to a user terminal, wherein the user terminal includes an input device;

wherein the front and back gate members move responsive to the input device to enable medical items to pass from said opening to the user accessible area.

51. The method according to claim 50 wherein said placing step comprises placing a plurality of said magazines in said enclosure, each of said magazines holding a type of medical item, and wherein said operatively connecting step comprises operatively connecting each of said plurality of said magazines to the user terminal, and further comprising the steps of:

storing in a data stored in operative connection with the user terminal data representative of the types of medical items stored in each of the magazines;

displaying on a display at the user terminal visual indicia associated with the types of medical items;

selecting with the input device of the user terminal visual indicia associated with one type of medical item;

wherein the selected one type of medical item is enabled to pass through the opening of the magazine holding such item type responsive to selection of the visual indicia corresponding to the item type with the input device.

52. The method according to claim 51 wherein:

the storing step further comprises storing in the data store data representative of an identity of a patient;

wherein the displaying step further comprises selectively displaying on the display of the user terminal visual indicia associated with the identity of the patient;

wherein the selecting step further comprises selecting with the input device the visual indicia associated with the identity of the patient;

and further comprising the step of further storing in the data store data representative of the selected type of medical item in correlated relation with the data representative of the identity of the patient.

53. The method according to claim 52 and further comprising the step of:

sensing with a sensor the passage of the one selected type of medical item from the opening of the magazine holding the one type item; and

wherein said further storing step is executed responsive to said sensor sensing the passage of said one type medical item from said opening.

54. Apparatus dispensing medical items comprising:

a dispenser magazine including;

a body including a storage location extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein a plurality of medical items may be stored in generally longitudinally aligned relation in the storage location prior to dispense;

an opening adjacent a front end of the storage location;

a front gate member movably mounted relative to the body and movable between a first position and a second position;

a back gate member movably mounted relative to the body and movable between an open position and a stop position, the back gate member being disposed longitudinally inward from both the opening and the front gate member;

at least one actuator operative to cause the front gate member to move between the first and second positions and to cause the back gate member to move between the open and stop positions;

wherein in the stop position the back gate member prevents at least one medical item in the storage location from moving toward the opening, and in the open position the back gate member enables the at least one medical item to move to engage the front gate member, and wherein in the first position the front gate member prevents medical items from passing through the opening and in the second position medical items are enabled to pass through the opening.

55. Apparatus for dispensing medical items comprising:

a dispenser magazine including a storage location adapted to hold a plurality of medical items in generally longitudinally aligned relation, the dispenser magazine including an opening sized so that the medical items in the storage location are enabled to pass through the opening;

a movable front gate adjacent the opening and a movable back gate disposed inward in the storage location relative to both the opening and the front gate;

at least one actuator operative to cause movement of the front gate and the back gate, wherein the back gate moves to an open position to enable at least one medical item to move toward the front gate and then the back gate moves to a stop position wherein further medical items are prevented from moving toward the opening, and with the back gate in the stop position the front gate moves from a first position in which the front gate prevents the at least one medical item from moving through the opening, to a second position wherein the at least one medical item is enabled to pass through the opening.

56. Apparatus dispensing medical items comprising:

a dispenser magazine including;

a body including a storage location adapted to hold a plurality of medical items in generally longitudinally aligned relation;

an opening adjacent an end of the storage location;

a front gate member movably mounted relative to the body;

a guide movably mounted relative to the body and generally opposed of the front gate member, wherein movement of the guide is operative to change an area of the opening, whereby medical items of different sizes are enabled to move through the opening;

an actuator in operative connection with the front gate member, wherein the actuator is operative to cause the front gate member to move between a first position and a second position, wherein in the first position the front gate member prevents medical items from passing through the opening and in the second position medical items are enabled to pass through the opening.

57. A method of dispensing medical items comprising:

a) storing a plurality of medical items in a storage location in a body, wherein the storage location is in connection with an opening through which the medical items may pass;

b) positioning a front gate member in a first position wherein the front gate member blocks passage of medical items through the opening;

c) while the front gate member is in the first position, moving a back gate member disposed inwardly in the storage location from both the front gate member and the opening, to an open position wherein at least one medical item is enabled to move toward the opening, and then moving the back gate member to a stop position wherein further medical items are prevented from moving toward the opening;

d) while the back gate member is in the stop position, moving the front gate member from the first position to a second position, wherein when the front gate member is in the second position the at least one medical item passes out of the storage location through the opening.

58. The method according to claim 57 and prior to step (c) further comprising:

moving a guide member positioned on an opposed side of the opening from the front gate member, such that in the first position of the front gale member the medical items stored in step (a) are prevented from passing through the opening and in the second position of the front gate member the medical items are enabled to pass through the opening.