Apparatus and methods for dispensing pre-filled containers with precisely-applied patient-specific information
First Claim
1. An apparatus for application of a patient-specific label to a pre-filled drug container comprising:
- a printing apparatus including a label applicator;
a container positioner configured to position the pre-filled drug container, the container having a first sidewall portion, a second sidewall portion and a first label covering the first sidewall portion, the first label representative of the container contents;
a controller coupled to the printing apparatus and the container positioner, the controller configured to control the printing apparatus to print patient-specific information on a second label to create the patient-specific label, to control the container positioner to orient the container relative to the label applicator such that the second sidewall portion of the container faces the label applicator, and to control the label applicator to move the patient-specific label to attach the patient-specific label to the second sidewall portion of the container without obscuring the first label; and
a database accessible by the controller, the database including, for each container, positioning information enabling the container positioner to move the container to the position to be contacted by the patient-specific label;
wherein the controller comprises;
instructions configured to operate the container positioner to move the container to be contacted by the patient-specific label; and
instructions for utilizing a reference point associated with the container to orient the container relative to the label applicator to allow application of the patient-specific label to the container such that the first label is unobscured by the patient-specific label, wherein the reference point comprises a portion of the first label, and further wherein the positioning information includes rotation duration time information that provides the amount of time that a specific container must be rotated by the positioner such that the patient-specific label will be applied without obscuring the first label.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for fulfillment of patient prescription orders by adapting a standard or stock container pre-filled with medication or the like for use as a patient-specific container through precise application of patient-specific information to the pre-filled container. Precise placement of the patient-specific information to the pre-filled container enables pharmacy management to fully utilize valuable information provided with the pre-filled container, thereby improving the quality of service to the patient while making the process of prescription order fulfillment more efficient. In general, preferred embodiments comprise control apparatus and information-application apparatus. In embodiments, the information-application apparatus is adapted to place a patient-specific label on the container. Preferred forms of the information-application apparatus include a label printer and a positioner. The preferred printer applies patient-specific information on a label. The preferred positioner orients the pre-filled container to receive the label from the printer such that information provided with the container is available for use.
-
Citations
43 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for application of a patient-specific label to a pre-filled drug container comprising:
-
a printing apparatus including a label applicator; a container positioner configured to position the pre-filled drug container, the container having a first sidewall portion, a second sidewall portion and a first label covering the first sidewall portion, the first label representative of the container contents; a controller coupled to the printing apparatus and the container positioner, the controller configured to control the printing apparatus to print patient-specific information on a second label to create the patient-specific label, to control the container positioner to orient the container relative to the label applicator such that the second sidewall portion of the container faces the label applicator, and to control the label applicator to move the patient-specific label to attach the patient-specific label to the second sidewall portion of the container without obscuring the first label; and a database accessible by the controller, the database including, for each container, positioning information enabling the container positioner to move the container to the position to be contacted by the patient-specific label; wherein the controller comprises; instructions configured to operate the container positioner to move the container to be contacted by the patient-specific label; and instructions for utilizing a reference point associated with the container to orient the container relative to the label applicator to allow application of the patient-specific label to the container such that the first label is unobscured by the patient-specific label, wherein the reference point comprises a portion of the first label, and further wherein the positioning information includes rotation duration time information that provides the amount of time that a specific container must be rotated by the positioner such that the patient-specific label will be applied without obscuring the first label. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A system for application of patient-specific information to a pre-filled drug container having first indicia representative of the container contents comprising:
-
a positioner configured to position the container; a printer configured to print and to apply a label including patient-specific information to the container; and a controller operably coupled to the positioner and the printer; wherein the controller is configured to control the positioner to move the container from an initial orientation to a label-receiving orientation in which a portion of the container not including the first indicia is exposed to the printer; wherein the controller is configured to control the printer to apply the label to the container without obscuring the first indicia; and further wherein the controller comprises; instructions for utilizing a reference point associated with the container and positioning information to orient the container relative to the printer to allow application of the label to the container, wherein the reference point comprises a portion of the first indicia, and further wherein the positioning information includes rotation duration time information that provides the amount of time that a specific container must be rotated by the positioner such that the patient specific label will be applied without obscuring the first indicia. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. An apparatus configured to apply a patient-specific barcode indicative of patient-specific information to a filled drug container, the container including a first label having a first barcode indicative of the contents of the container, the apparatus comprising:
-
a printer; a positioner; and a controller in operative communication with the printer and the positioner; the controller configured to control the printer to print the patient-specific bar code on a second label at a printing location; the controller configured to control the printer to convey the second label from the printing location to a label application location at which the second label contacts and is affixed to the container; and the controller configured to control the positioner to orient the container at the label application location from an initial orientation to a label application orientation; wherein the controller is configured to control the printer and positioner to affix the second label to the container such that following application of the second label both the first bar code and the patient-specific bar code are readable; further wherein the controller comprises; instructions for utilizing a reference point associated with the container and positioning information to orient the container relative to the printer to allow application of the second label to the container, wherein the reference point comprises a portion of the first barcode, and further wherein the positioning information includes rotation duration time information that provides the amount of time that a specific container must be rotated by the positioner such that the second label will be applied without obscuring the first barcode. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A method for adapting a pre-filled stock container for use as a patient-specific container through precise association of a label including patient-specific information with the container comprising the steps of:
-
providing the pre-filled stock container to an information-application apparatus in a first orientation, the container including first indicia representative of the container contents and a reference point; detecting the location of the reference point; processing information representative of the location of the reference point to determine the first orientation of the container; controlling a positioner to move the container from the first orientation to a label application orientation based upon the determined first orientation of the container and based upon rotation duration time information that provides the amount of time that a specific container must be rotated by the positioner to move the container from the first orientation to the label application orientation; printing a label including patient specific information via a printer; and controlling the printer to affix the label to the container such that at least the portion of the first indicia representative of the container contents is unobscured by the label. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A system for application of patient-specific information to pre-filled drug containers each having alpha-numeric information and a bar code representative of the container contents comprising:
-
a positioner configured to rotate containers including alpha-numeric information and a bar code; a bar code reader configured to read the bar code; a labeler which applies pressure-sensitive adhesive labels including patient-specific information to containers; and a controller operably coupled to the positioner and the labeler; wherein the controller is configured to control the positioner to rotate containers based upon their respective bar code to a label-receiving orientation at the labeler which applies the pressure-sensitive adhesive label without obscuring a portion of one of the alpha-numeric information and the bar code; wherein the controller utilizes rotation duration time information that provides the amount of time that a specific container must be rotated by the positioner such that the pressure-sensitive adhesive label will be applied without obscuring a portion of one of the alpha-numeric information and the bar code.
-
Specification