Secure medicament dispensing cabinet, method and system

• US 7,805,216 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2007
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Morgan, Stuart, Holmes, Eric Lamont, Jankowski, Stan, Shows, Paul Randall, Bergeron, Michael A., Parks, Robert, Kaintz, Ryan, Goodworth, Matthew, Beale, Matthew Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/844,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20080041872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,131 Days
• Field of Search: 700231-244, 221/2, 221/7, 221/9, 221/13
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/24 Rotary or oscillatory members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/30 two or more magazines having independent delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/42 the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
• 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 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/26 Interlocks, e.g. for locking the doors of compartments other than that to be used
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A medicament dispensing cabinet is comprised of a frame, at least one controller, and a plurality of drawers each movably carried by the frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells. A plurality of removable dispensing devices is provided with each one carried by one of the dispensing cells. Each of the dispensing cells further comprises a motor for providing rotary motion to one of the removable dispensing devices in response to the controller, a sensor operating in conjunction with the controller for counting medicament dispensed from one of the removable dispensing devices, a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from one of the removable dispensing devices and a chute gate for controlling access to the chute. The cabinet may additionally comprise a chute gate release responsive to the controller for controlling the chute gate and a chute gate sensor connected to the controller and responsive to the position of the chute gate. The cabinet may be used in conjunction with a number of processes including dispensing, secure-pickup (insuring the person picking up the dispensed medicament is authorized to do so), back-end verification (verifying the identity of the person picking up the dispensed medicament), a process for removing a dispensing device from a drawer, and a process for inserting a dispensing device into a drawer.

Claims

1. A medicament dispensing cabinet, comprising:

a frame;

at least one controller;

a plurality of drawers, each of said drawers movably carried by said frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells;

a plurality of removable dispensing devices, each carried by one of said dispensing cells;

each of said dispensing cells further comprising;

a sensor operating in conjunction with said controller for counting medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices;

a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices;

and a chute gate for controlling access to said medicament dispensed into said chute.

2. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a chute gate release responsive to said controller for controlling said chute gate.

3. The cabinet of claim 2 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a chute gate sensor connected to said controller and responsive to the position of said chute gate.

4. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said chute gate is comprised of a flexible material.

5. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each drawer additionally comprises an electronic lock responsive to said controller.

6. The cabinet of claim 5 wherein each drawer additionally comprises a drawer position sensor connected to said controller and responsive to the position of said drawer.

7. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each dispensing device additionally comprises a lid, and wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a dispensing device sensor connected to said controller and responsive to said lid of one of said dispensing devices.

8. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each drawer additionally comprises a drawer release switch operable by a user and connected to said controller.

9. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a cell display responsive to said controller.

10. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises an annunciator responsive to said controller.

11. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each dispensing cell additionally carries a machine readable indicia and wherein each removable device additionally carries a machine readable indicia.

12. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein each dispensing device additionally comprises a motor for providing rotary motion to one of said removable dispensing devices in response to said controller.

13. The cabinet of claim 1 additionally comprising a counterbalance, each of said drawers being responsive to said counterbalance such that only one drawer can be fully open at a time.

14. The cabinet of claim 1 wherein said drawers are carried by drawer glides mounted at an angle with respect to said frame.

15. A medicament dispensing cabinet, comprising

a frame;

a plurality of drawers, each of said drawers movably carried by said frame and each defining a plurality of dispensing cells;

at least one controller;

a plurality of dispensing devices, each removably carried within one of said dispensing cells, each dispensing device comprising;

an upper hopper defining a storage chamber having an upper opening for receiving a medicament and a lower opening,

a lower hopper having an upper opening and a lower opening in a bottom portion thereof, said lower hopper defining a dispensing chamber having a rotatable dispensing disc positioned in a lower portion of said dispensing chamber for dispensing medicament from said dispensing device from said lower opening in said lower hopper, and

a regulator situated between said upper hopper'"'"'s lower opening and said lower hopper'"'"'s upper opening for controlling the rate at which medicament moves from said storage chamber to said dispensing chamber;

each of said dispensing cells further comprising;

a motor for providing rotary motion to one of said dispensing discs in response to said controller;

a sensor operating in conjunction with said controller for counting medicament dispensed from said lower opening in one of said lower hoppers;

a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from said lower opening in said one of said lower hoppers; and

a chute gate for controlling access to said chute.

16. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a chute gate release responsive to said controller for controlling said chute gate.

17. The cabinet of claim 16 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a chute gate sensor connected to said controller and responsive to the position of said chute gate.

18. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein said chute gate is comprised of a flexible material.

19. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein each drawer additionally comprises an electronic lock responsive to said controller.

20. The cabinet of claim 19 wherein each drawer additionally comprises a drawer position sensor connected to said controller and responsive to the position of said drawer.

21. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a dispensing device sensor connected to said controller and responsive to said lid of one of said dispensing devices.

22. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein each drawer additionally comprises a drawer release switch operable by a user and connected to said controller.

23. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a cell display responsive to said controller.

24. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises an annunciator responsive to said controller.

25. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein each dispensing cell additionally carries a machine readable indicia and wherein each removable device additionally carries a machine readable indicia.

26. The cabinet of claim 15 additionally comprising a counterbalance, each of said drawers being responsive to said counterbalance such that only one drawer can be fully open at a time.

27. The cabinet of claim 15 wherein said drawers are carried by drawer glides mounted at an angle with respect to said frame.

28. A medicament dispensing cabinet, comprising:

a frame;

at least one controller;

a plurality of selectively accessible compartments mounted on said frame, each of said compartments defining a plurality of dispensing cells;

a plurality of removable dispensing devices, each carried by one of said dispensing cells;

each of said dispensing cells further comprising;

a sensor operating in conjunction with said controller for counting medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices;

a chute for receiving medicament dispensed from one of said removable dispensing devices; and

a chute gate for controlling access to said medicament dispensed into said chute.

29. The cabinet of claim 28 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a chute gate release responsive to said controller for controlling said chute gate.

30. The cabinet of claim 29 wherein each dispensing cell additionally comprises a chute gate sensor connected to said controller and responsive to the position of said chute gate.

31. The cabinet of claim 28 wherein each compartment additionally comprises an electronic lock responsive to said controller.

32. The cabinet of claim 31 wherein each compartment additionally comprises a compartment position sensor connected to said controller and responsive to the position of said compartment.

33. The cabinet of claim 28 wherein each compartment additionally comprises a compartment release switch operable by a user and connected to said controller.