Apparatus for dispensing medications
First Claim
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1. An automated unit-based medication dispensing apparatus, comprising:
- a frame;
at least one cartridge having a body and a plurality of slots extending through the body,(1) wherein the slots are sized for holding unit-based doses of medications,(2) wherein the at least one cartridge includes a prong that releasably inserts into a receiving hole of the frame, the prong and the receiving hole cooperating to secure the at least one cartridge to the frame,(3) wherein the at least one cartridge includes a boss that fits into a mating recess of the frame, the boss for ensuring that a proper unit-based dose of medication is pushed out of a respective slot, and(4) wherein the at least one cartridge comprises pre-loaded unit-based doses of medication that are loaded in the at least one cartridge prior to the at least one cartridge being mounted to the apparatus; and
a device positionable relative to the at least one cartridge for inducing movement of an identified at least one of the unit-based doses of medications from a slot preselected from the plurality of slots of one cartridge.
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Abstract
A medication dispenser provides automation to the steps of locating and acquiring unit-based doses of certain medications to be administered to a patient. The dispenser includes a frame and one or more cartridges that may be mounted onto the frame. A set of slots sized for holding unit-based doses of medication extend through a body portion of the cartridge. A movement device is also positioned relative to the frame and is configured to induce movement of selected unit-based medication doses out of associated slots in the cartridge, so that the dispensed doses may be retrieved.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. An automated unit-based medication dispensing apparatus, comprising:
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a frame; at least one cartridge having a body and a plurality of slots extending through the body, (1) wherein the slots are sized for holding unit-based doses of medications, (2) wherein the at least one cartridge includes a prong that releasably inserts into a receiving hole of the frame, the prong and the receiving hole cooperating to secure the at least one cartridge to the frame, (3) wherein the at least one cartridge includes a boss that fits into a mating recess of the frame, the boss for ensuring that a proper unit-based dose of medication is pushed out of a respective slot, and (4) wherein the at least one cartridge comprises pre-loaded unit-based doses of medication that are loaded in the at least one cartridge prior to the at least one cartridge being mounted to the apparatus; and a device positionable relative to the at least one cartridge for inducing movement of an identified at least one of the unit-based doses of medications from a slot preselected from the plurality of slots of one cartridge. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An automated apparatus for dispensing unit-based clinical items, comprising:
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a vertically extending panel that has a front side and a back side and that has a plurality of panel slots; a container that has a front side and a back side and that has a plurality of container slots, each slot of the plurality of container slots sized to hold unit based clinical items, (1) wherein the container is adapted for releasable attachment to the vertically extending panel, such that the back side of the container abuts the front side of the vertically extending panel; and (2) wherein when the container is releasably attached to the vertically extending panel the plurality of panel slots are aligned with the plurality of container slots; a movement device positioned in front of the back side of the vertically extending panel, such that the vertically extending panel is positioned between the movement device and the container, wherein the movement device is positionable relative to the plurality of panel slots in order to induce movement of a selected unit-based clinical item out of one of the plurality of container slots to dispense the selected unit-based clinical item, the movement device including; an effector; and at least one motor coupled with the effector for positioning of the effector adjacent to one of the plurality of slots in which is disposed the selected unit-based clinical item to be dispensed. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification