Medical item storage cabinet and method
First Claim
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.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The system for controlling and tracking medical items (830) includes a plurality of medical item storage cabinets (878). Each cabinet includes a plurality of doors (888-894). The doors control access to shelves (902, 904) and support modules (1210). Shelves and support modules include user interfaces (938, 1214). Authorized users desiring to take medical items from storage locations in cabinets for use in treating patients are enabled to provide inputs through a display terminal (880) adjacent to cabinets and/or interfaces to indicate the taking of medical items. Storage cabinets include visual indicators so that users may be guided to find a selected medical item for which information is input at an associated display terminal. Alternatively, authorized users gain access to the interior of the cabinet and indicate through appropriate inputs through interfaces on the shelves the types and quantities of items being taken.
114 Citations
20 Claims
-
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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method comprising:
-
a) providing at least one user-identifying input to a terminal in operative connection with a medical item storage cabinet; b) subsequent to the at least one user-identifying input provided in (a) corresponding to an authorized user, receiving with the terminal at least one patient-identifying input; c) storing data corresponding to the taking of at least one medical item for a patient identified in (b) in at least one data store, wherein the at least one medical item is designated as taken by either; (i) providing at least one first input to the terminal, wherein responsive to the at least one first input a plurality of doors of the cabinet controlling access to all medical items stored therein to which the user is authorized to have access, are unlocked responsive to at least one signal from the terminal, and manually actuating buttons on at least one storage module of the at least one medical item, or (ii) providing at least one second input to the terminal, wherein the at least one second input corresponds to at least one selected medical item, and wherein responsive to the at least one second input; at least one door overlying at least one storage module holding the at least one selected medical item is unlocked responsive to at least one signal from the terminal, at least one visual indicator in the cabinet associated with at least one storage location holding the at least one selected medical item is activated, and at least one other door granting access to medical items stored in the cabinet to which the user is authorized to have access other than the at least one selected medical item is unlocked responsive to at least one signal from the terminal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method comprising:
-
(a) receiving with an input device at least one user input, including selection of at least one medical item from a medical item storage cabinet comprising cabinet doors; (b) responsive to step (a), for each cabinet door controlling user access to the at least one medical item selected in step (a), electrically unlocking the cabinet door, activating at least one unlocked door indicator associated with the cabinet door; (c) responsive to step (a), for each other cabinet door controlling access to other medical items not selected in step (a) to which the user is authorized to have access, electrically unlocking the other cabinet door, activating at least one unlocked door indicator associated with the other cabinet door, wherein the activating causes the other cabinet door to be visually distinguishable from each cabinet door unlocked in step (b). - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification