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Medical item storage cabinet and method

  • US 7,262,698 B1
  • Filed: 01/07/2005
  • Issued: 08/28/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. Apparatus comprising:

  • a medical item storage cabinet adapted to store a plurality of medical items in storage locations, wherein the medical item storage cabinet includes a plurality of doors and a plurality of electrically actuated locks adapted to control the locked and unlocked condition of a corresponding door;

    a storage module in the storage cabinet, wherein the storage module includes a plurality of storage locations, wherein the storage module includes at least one module input device adapted to receive at least one input corresponding to a type of medical item taken from a storage location in the storage module, and wherein the storage module includes a plurality of visual indicators, each indicator associated with one of a plurality of medical item storage locations in which medical items may be stored in the module;

    a terminal in operative connection with the medical item storage cabinet, wherein the terminal is operative to receive a plurality of inputs corresponding to users, patients and medical items, and wherein the terminal is in operative connection with at least one processor and at least one data store, wherein the data store includes data corresponding to authorized users, patients, medical items, and medical item storage locations;

    wherein responsive to at least one first input to the terminal corresponding to an authorized user based on data stored in the at least one data store, and at least one second input to the terminal identifying a patient corresponding to data in the at least one data store, a user is enabled to input through the terminal at least one third input or at least one fourth input;

    wherein responsive to the at least one third input the terminal is operative to unlock a plurality of electric locks associated with a plurality of doors, wherein the user is granted access to all medical items stored in the cabinet to which the user is authorized to have access based on data stored in the at least one data store;

    wherein the at least one fourth input corresponds to at least one selected medical item the user desires to find in the cabinet, wherein responsive to input of the at least one fourth input the terminal is operative to actuate at least one module indicator on a storage module corresponding to the selected medical item and to unlock a lock associated with a door controlling access to the selected medical item, and wherein responsive to the at least one fourth input the terminal is operative to unlock at least one additional electric lock associated with at least one other door granting access to medical items stored in a cabinet to which the authorized user is authorized to have access other than the selected medical item.

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