Automated drug discrimination during dispensing
First Claim
1. A system for verifying an individual prescription identifying at least one of a formulation and a dosage of pharmaceutical pills during a dispensing process for the individual prescription, the system comprising:
- a pill dispensing apparatus for dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through a dispensing area during the dispensing process;
a pill collection area for collecting the pills dispensed through the dispensing area for the individual prescription, the dispensing area connected between the dispensing apparatus and the collection area, wherein the pills collected in the collection area during the dispensing process form an aggregate to be dispensed in the individual prescription;
at least two sensors adjacent to the dispensing area for taking a plurality of measurements of the aggregate at multiple times during the dispensing process for the individual prescription; and
a discrimination system for comparing the plurality of measurements to stored pharmaceutical models to verify that a plurality of characteristics of the aggregate substantially matches the stored pharmaceutical models of pills identified in the individual prescription for at least one of the formulation and the dosage of the pill in the aggregate.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The automated drug discrimination system inspects the drug being dispensed during the dispensing process so that the pharmacist can be certain the correct formulation, dosage and quality of pharmaceuticals were dispensed so the pharmacist does not need to spend as much time examining the dispensed drug. The pills are dispensed through a dispensing area using a dispensing apparatus and are collected in a collection area. At least two sensors take a plurality of measurements of an aggregate of the pills during the dispensing process or of each pill as it moves through the dispensing area. A discrimination system compares the measurements taken to verify that the pills dispensed are the type of pharmaceuticals intended to be dispensed as identified in the individual prescription for at least one of formulation and dosage of the pill.
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Citations
51 Claims
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1. A system for verifying an individual prescription identifying at least one of a formulation and a dosage of pharmaceutical pills during a dispensing process for the individual prescription, the system comprising:
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a pill dispensing apparatus for dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through a dispensing area during the dispensing process; a pill collection area for collecting the pills dispensed through the dispensing area for the individual prescription, the dispensing area connected between the dispensing apparatus and the collection area, wherein the pills collected in the collection area during the dispensing process form an aggregate to be dispensed in the individual prescription; at least two sensors adjacent to the dispensing area for taking a plurality of measurements of the aggregate at multiple times during the dispensing process for the individual prescription; and a discrimination system for comparing the plurality of measurements to stored pharmaceutical models to verify that a plurality of characteristics of the aggregate substantially matches the stored pharmaceutical models of pills identified in the individual prescription for at least one of the formulation and the dosage of the pill in the aggregate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of verifying an individual prescription identifying at least one of a formulation and a dosage of pills during a dispensing process for the individual prescription, wherein measurements are taken with at least two sensors adjacent to a dispensing area that is connected to a pill collection area, the method comprising:
- dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through the dispensing area during the dispensing process;
collecting in the pill collection area the pills dispensed through the dispensing area for the individual prescription, wherein the pills collected during the dispensing process form an aggregate to be dispensed in the individual prescription;
taking a plurality of measurements of the aggregate with the at least two sensors at multiple times during the dispensing process for the individual prescription; and
comparing the plurality of measurements to stored pharmaceutical models to verify that a plurality of characteristics of the aggregate substantially matches the stored pharmaceutical models of pills identified in the individual prescription for at least one of the formulation and the dosage of the pill in the aggregate. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
- dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through the dispensing area during the dispensing process;
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28. A system for verifying an individual prescription identifying at least one of a formulation and a dosage of pharmaceutical pills during a dispensing process for the individual prescription, the system comprising:
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a pill dispensing apparatus for dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through a dispensing area during the dispensing process; a pill collection area for collecting the pills dispensed through the dispensing area for the individual prescription, the dispensing area connected between the dispensing apparatus and the collection area, wherein the pills collected in the collection area during the dispensing process form an aggregate to be dispensed in the individual prescription; at least two sensors adjacent to the dispensing area for taking a plurality of measurements of the pills at multiple times during the dispensing process for the individual prescription, wherein at least one of the at least two sensors is configured to take a measurement of each of the pills as each is moving through the dispensing area and at least one of the at least two sensors is configured to take a plurality of measurements of the aggregate of the pills in the pill collection area during the dispensing process; and a discrimination system for comparing the plurality of measurements to stored pharmaceutical models to verify that a plurality of characteristics of each of the pills substantially matches the stored pharmaceutical models of pills identified in the individual prescription for at least one of the formulation and the dosage of the pill. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of verifying an individual prescription identifying at least one of a formulation and a dosage of pharmaceutical pills during a dispensing process for the individual prescription, wherein measurements are taken with at least two sensors adjacent to a dispensing area that is connected to a pill collection area, the method comprising:
- dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through the dispensing area during the dispensing process;
collecting in the pill collection area the pills dispensed through the dispensing area for the individual prescription, wherein the pills collected during the dispensing process form an aggregate to be dispensed in the individual prescription;
taking a plurality of measurements of the pills with the at least two sensors at multiple times during the dispensing process for the individual prescription, wherein at least one of the at least two sensors is configured to take a measurement of each of the pills as each is moving through the dispensing area and at least one of the at least two sensors is configured for taking a plurality of measurements of the aggregate of the pills in the pill collection area during the dispensing process; and
comparing the plurality of measurements to stored pharmaceutical models to verify that a plurality of characteristics of each of the pills substantially matches the stored pharmaceutical models of pills identified in the individual prescription for at least one of the formulation and the dosage of the pill. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51)
- dispensing individual ones of the pills in an individual prescription into and through the dispensing area during the dispensing process;
Specification