Vacuum pill dispensing cassette and counting machine

• US 7,303,094 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2003
• Issued: 12/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Original Assignee: McKesson Automation Incorporated (Omnicell Inc)
• Inventors: Inabnet, Joseph, Bergeron, Mike, Hutchinson, Kevin, Self, Anthony, Milton, Monroe
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Douglas A
• Application Number:
  US10/423,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20040026442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 221/9, 221/13, 221/197, 221/211, 221/277, 221/278, 221/123, 198/471.1, 198/803.5
• US Class Current: 221/197
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/20 Applications of counting devices for controlling the feed of articles other applications B65B65/08
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1657 the picking arrangements using suction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/58 the articles being supported on or by endless belts or like conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/64 in which the articles are individually suspended from stationary supports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A medication storing and dispensing cassette is comprised of a housing defining at least a portion of a bulk storage chamber for storing a medication, defining at least a portion of a pick-up area, and defining at least a portion of a discharge chute sized to temporarily store a quantity of the medication. A divider wall is positioned between the bulk storage chamber and the pick-up area. A gate is positioned to control an exit end of the discharge chute. A rotatable conveying wheel having openings proximate to the periphery thereof is positioned such that a portion of the wheel is in communication with the pick-up area while another portion of the wheel is adjacent to an entrance end of the discharge chute. A calibration arm is positioned adjacent the openings of the rotatable wheel. A baffle is positioned to block those openings in that portion of the rotatable wheel adjacent to the discharge chute. An air agitation system is provided so that pills may be moved from the bulk storage chamber to the pick-up area. Methods are also disclosed in which air agitation is used to move pills from the bulk storage chamber to the pick-up area, for automatically setting the position of the calibration arm and for automatically learning the setting for the calibration arm for an unclassified medication. A counter is also disclosed for use with the cassette. The counter is comprised of a loader for receiving a cassette, a sensor for sensing whether a cassette is in the loader, means for moving the loader into an operative position, a vacuum unit for applying a vacuum to the cassette, a drive unit for driving a driven portion of the cassette and a counter for counting medication within a portion of the cassette. Methods of operating the counter are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of calibrating a medication storing and dispensing cassette, comprising:

inserting the cassette into a counter; and

automatically setting a calibration of the cassette using air agitation to move a medication from a storage area to a pick-up area to thereby permit the medication to be picked-up by a conveying device.

2. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

applying a vacuum to at least certain of a plurality of openings in a conveying wheel;

rotating the conveying wheel through the pick-up area and past an entrance end of a discharge chute; and

using input air to agitate a medication from a chamber to the pick-up area.

3. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising conveying a determined number of medications from said pick-up area to said discharge chute, and opening a gate to dispense the predetermined number from said discharge chute.

4. The method of claim 2 additionally comprising opening a valve located at an entrance end of said discharge chute prior to conveying said predetermined number of medications from said pick-up area to said discharge chute.

5. A method of calibrating a cassette to count and dispense an unclassified medication, comprising:

setting a calibration setting on the most restrictive setting;

operating a conveying wheel;

monitoring the time interval between a sensing of units of medication on the conveying wheel;

if the time interval is within predetermined limits, proceeding to the next step, if the time interval is not within predetermined limits, increasing the calibration setting by one increment and repeating the process beginning with the operating step;

counting and dispensing a predetermined number of units of medication; and

manually checking to insure that the predetermined number of units dispensed is correct.

6. A method of calibrating a cassette to count and dispense a medication, comprising:

setting a calibration setting on the most restrictive setting;

operating a conveying wheel;

monitoring the time interval between a sensing of units of medication on the conveying wheel;

if the time interval is within predetermined limits, proceeding to the next step, if the time interval is not within predetermined limits, increasing the calibration setting by one increment and repeating the process beginning with the operating step; and

counting and dispensing a predetermined number of units of medication.

7. A method of calibrating a cassette to count and dispense a medication, comprising:

setting a calibration setting on the most restrictive setting;

operating a conveying wheel;

monitoring the time interval between a sensing of units of medication on the conveying wheel; and

if the time interval is not within predetermined limits, increasing the calibration setting by one increment and repeating the process beginning with the operating step.