Automated system and process for filling drug delivery devices of multiple sizes

• US 7,681,606 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2007
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Baxter Corporation Englewood (Baxter International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: FHT, Inc. (Baxter International Inc.)
• Inventors: Osborne, Joel A., Tribble, Dennis, Khan, Abdul Wahid
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US11/765,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20080035234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 141/2, 141/18, 141 21- 27, 141/94, 141/100, 141/104, 141144-147, 604/407, 604/411, 604/416
• US Class Current: 141/147
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like

Abstract

In one exemplary embodiment, an automated medication preparation system according to the present invention includes automated preparation of a dosage of medication in a drug delivery devices, such as a syringe, and includes an automated transport device for controllably delivering each drug delivery device from one location to another location and a receiving member that is associated with the automated transport device and includes at least two pockets for receiving and retaining at least two differently sized drug delivery devices according to a predetermined orientation. The system also includes a controller in communication with the automated transport device for moving the automated transport device in an indexed manner.

Claims

1. An automated medication preparation system including a number of stations including a station having an automated device for preparing and delivering a dosage of medication to a syringe comprising:

an automated transport device for controllably delivering each syringe from one location to another location;

a plurality of syringe blocks formed along the periphery of the automated transport device, each syringe block includes at least a first pre-shaped pocket and a second pre-shaped pocket for receiving and retaining at least two differently sized syringes, that have different volumes, according to a predetermined orientation, the first and second pre-shaped pockets being formed side-by-side within the loading site; and

a controller in communication with the automated transport device for moving the automated transport device in an indexed manner;

wherein each syringe includes a readable/rewritable medium fixed thereto that contains at least a first set of information that identifies the type of syringe to which the readable/rewritable medium is coupled to, whereby by reading the readable/rewritable media fixed to the syringes, the controller identifies the overall number of syringes, as well as the number of different types of syringes and the locations of the syringes, wherein the controller tracks positions of all the syringes and advances the transport device from station to station and makes any necessary incremental adjustments with respect to the advancement of the transport device to cause all of the first and second syringes to be processed at any one particular station.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the readable/rewritable medium comprises an RFID tag and the first set of information includes a volume of the syringe.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag includes a second set of information that includes dosage information that identifies a product identifier that identifies the medication, a volume of the dosage, and a concentration of the dosage.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the RFID tag includes dosage instructions and the system includes an RF reader or RF reader/writer that communicates with the RFID tag and with the controller so that information including the dosage instructions from the RFID tag are communicated to the controller.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the dosage instructions are sent to a fluid transfer device which in turn prepares the dosage of medication based on the dosage instructions.

6. The system of claim 2, further including an RF reader or RF reader/writer that communicates with the REID tag and with the controller so that the first set of information is communicated to the controller and the presence of the syringe in one respective pocket of the syringe receiving member is stored by the controller so as to permit the controller to track the syringe as the transport device is advanced in the indexed manner.

7. An automated medication preparation system including an automated device for preparing and delivering a dosage of medication to a syringe comprising:

an automated transport device for controllably delivering each syringe from one location to another location, the automated transport device including a plurality of syringe loading sites located, in a spaced manner, along a periphery of the automated transport device, each syringe loading site including at least two different, pre-shaped pockets located side-by-side for receiving and retaining at least two differently sized syringes, that have different volumes, according to a predetermined orientation such that a fixed relationship exists between a center of each syringe and a point of the transport device regardless of which pocket the syringe is disposed in and distal tips of the syringes are contained in the same horizontal plane; and

a controller in communication with the automated transport device for moving the automated transport according to a first indexing movement and a different second indexing movement, the first indexing movement causing one syringe block to be moved from one station to another station, while the second indexing movement is a partial indexing movement within the syringe block for making incremental syringe size adjustments at one select station so at to position one of the pockets at a target location to permit an operation to be performed on the respective syringe at the one station.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the syringe block is separate from the transport device and is detachably coupled thereto.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the pockets are separated from one another by vertical divider walls and each pocket is defined by an arcuate space that receives at least a portion of one syringe and the syringe block includes a plurality of locating features for positioning each syringe in one respective pocket, the locating features being formed so that when the syringes mate with the locating features such that the distal tips lie in the same horizontal plane.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the syringe block has a pair of first pockets for receiving syringes having a first size and a second pocket for receiving one syringe having a second size.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the syringe block contains at least three pockets for receiving three different sized syringes.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein each sized syringe has its own respective locating feature formed in the syringe block at a different location compared to the other locating features.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the syringes are part of a bandoliered structure with the syringes being grouped along and attached to a web to permit the syringes to be received in different syringe blocks that are spaced apart from one another.

14. An automated medication preparation system including a plurality of stations including one that includes automated preparation and delivery of a dosage of medication to a drug delivery device comprising:

an automated transport device for controllably delivering each drug delivery device from one location to another location, the automated transport device having a plurality of syringe blocks that are spaced apart from one another along a periphery of the automated transport device, wherein each syringe block includes at least two pre-shaped pockets for receiving and retaining at least two differently sized drug delivery devices according to a predetermined orientation, the differently sized drug delivery devices having different volumes and the at least two pre-shaped pockets having different constructions from one another and being formed side-by-side; and

a controller in communication with the automated transport device for moving the automated transport device in an indexed manner such that one syringe loading site is advanced into one given station at a time.

15. An automated medication preparation system including automated preparation and delivery of a dosage of medication to a syringe comprising:

an automated transport device for controllably delivering each syringe from one location to another location;

a plurality of syringe loading sites located along a perimeter of the automated transport device, each syringe loading site including a first pre-shaped pocket for receiving and retaining a first syringe and a second pre-shaped pocket for receiving and retaining a second syringe that has a different size and different volume compared to the first syringe, the first and second pre-shaped pockets being located side-by-side within the syringe loading site; and

a controller in communication with the automated transport device for moving the automated transport device in an indexed manner, wherein the controller is configured to operate in one mode where the automated transport device is advanced in an indexed manner such that the first syringes are advanced to target locations at the stations where operations are performed only on the first syringes and after all operations are performed on all first syringes at the stations, the controller instructs the automated transport device to advance in an indexed manner such that the second syringes are advanced to the target locations at the stations where operations are performed only on the second syringes.