Automatic medication dispensing and packaging system

• US 7,059,098 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2004
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jun H.O. Kim
• Original Assignee: Jun H.O. Kim
• Inventors: Kim, Jun Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): GERRITY, STEPHEN FRANCIS
• Application Number:
  US10/846,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20040226855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 531/314, 531/315, 531/68, 535/68, 532/37, 532/47, 532/55, 531/54, 532/847, 533/744, 221/133, 312/42
• US Class Current: 53/131.4
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/10 two or more magazines having a common delivery chute
• 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

An automatic medication dispensing and packaging system comprising a medication dispensing unit having base and door cabinets, the door cabinet rear portion correspondingly and detachably engaged to the base cabinet rear portion, the base cabinets distanced from each other to form a space that allows therein a manual management of the dispensing unit. The manual management includes cassette replacements, tablet filling in the cassettes, and spatial shaft cleaning.

Claims

1. An automatic medication dispensing and packaging system, comprising:

a) a medication dispensing unit having first, second base and door cabinets, wherein the cabinets are each defined by a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the door cabinet rear portion is correspondingly, detachably engaged to the base cabinet rear portion, wherein the base cabinets are distanced from each other to form a space that allows therein a manual management of the dispensing unit, wherein the rear portion of said each cabinet is vertically wrinkled to form ridges and furrows so that when the door cabinets are attached to the base cabinet a plurality of spatial shafts are formed by the furrows and ridges of the cabinet rear portions, wherein tablet cassettes each containing tablets are installed in said each cabinet to selectively release the tablets through the spatial shafts, wherein the spatial shafts serving as downward channels guide down the released tablets;

b) a hopper beneath the dispensing unit to guide down the tablets released via the spatial shafts from the cassettes; and

c) a medication packaging unit disposed below the dispensing unit while housing therein the hopper, wherein the tablets released via the hopper from the dispensing unit are packaged into a series of tablet containing paper bags.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the medication dispensing unit is defined by a front surface, a rear surface and side surfaces, wherein a front door is formed in the front surface to externally expose the space when required.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the cabinets are each aligned rear to front, wherein a side door is formed in said each side surface to facilitate cassette filling and spatial shaft cleaning.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the base cabinets are aligned substantially parallel to each other.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the tablet cassettes are detachably racked in the cabinets in columns and rows.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the medication packaging unit comprises:

a) a printer to print respective information on a packaging paper; and

b) a heater assembly to package the tablets released through the hopper into the paper bags using the packaging paper.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the heating assembly includes heating rollers to consecutively seal the packaging paper to the tablet containing paper bags.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the manual management includes cassette replacements, tablet filling in the cassettes, and spatial shaft cleaning.

9. An automatic medication dispensing and packaging system, comprising:

a) a medication dispensing unit having first, second base and door cabinets, wherein a rear cabinet is formed between the base cabinets to become perpendicular to at least one of the base and door cabinets, wherein the base and door cabinets are each defined by a front portion and a rear portion, wherein the door cabinet rear portion is correspondingly, detachably engaged to the base cabinet rear portion, wherein the base cabinets are distanced from each other to form a space that allows therein a manual management of the dispensing unit, wherein said each rear portion is vertically wrinkled to form ridges and furrows so that when the door cabinets are attached to the base cabinet a plurality of spatial shafts are formed by the furrows and ridges of the cabinet rear portions, wherein tablet cassettes each containing tablets are installed in said each cabinet to selectively release the tablets through the spatial shafts, wherein the spatial shafts serving as downward channels guide down the released tablets;

b) a hopper beneath the dispensing unit to guide down the tablets released via the spatial shafts from the cassettes; and

c) a medication packaging unit disposed below the dispensing unit while housing therein the hopper, wherein the tablets released via the hopper from the dispensing unit are packaged into a series of tablet containing paper bags.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the medication dispensing unit is defined by a front surface, a rear surface and side surfaces, wherein a front door is formed in the front surface to externally expose the space when required.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the cabinets are each aligned rear to front, wherein a side door is formed in said each side surface to facilitate cassette filling and spatial shaft cleaning.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the base cabinets are aligned substantially parallel to each other.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the tablet cassettes are detachably racked in the cabinets in columns and rows.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the medication packaging unit comprises:

a) a printer to print respective information on a packaging paper; and

b) a heater assembly to package the tablets released through the hopper into the paper bags using the packaging paper.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the heating assembly includes heating rollers to consecutively seal the packaging paper to the tablet containing paper bags.

16. The system of claim 9 wherein the manual management includes cassette replacements, tablet filling in the cassette, and spatial shaft cleaning.

17. The system of claim 9 wherein a front portion of the rear cabinet is exposed to the space.

18. The system of claim 9 further comprising an engagement member to control the detachable attachment of the door cabinets to the base cabinets.