Medication dispensing apparatus with bulk bin loading

• US 8,308,414 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cerner Innovation, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Schifman, Edward J., Bedore, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Rakesh
• Application Number:
  US12/347,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20090108017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,413 Days
• Field of Search: 221/1, 221/123, 221/133, 221/177, 221/250, 221/131, 221/98, 221/100, 221/13, 221/10, 221/9, 700/231, 700/237, 700/242, 700/215, 700/228, 700/229, 700/240, 340/568.1, 340/543, 340/539, 414/277
• US Class Current: 414/277
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/46 from movable storage containers or supports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A medication dispenser provides automation to the steps of locating and acquiring medications to be administered to a patient. The medication dispenser includes an enclosure providing a secure environment for storing medications in multiple sized medication storage bins. The medication storage bins are hung in storage racks located within the enclosure. A robot system is also provided within the enclosure for moving bins between the storage racks and a medication dispensing area. The medication dispensing area includes doors configured to open to define an opening for passing a selected bin through the enclosure. The medication storage bin includes a bulk bin loading drawing for loading medication storage bins into the medication dispensing apparatus.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:

an enclosure;

a plurality of different-sized medication storage bins located at a plurality of storage locations within the enclosure, each medication storage bin being configured to hold one or more medically related items;

a medication dispensing area having one or more doors in the enclosure for passing a selected medication storage bin through the enclosure, wherein the one or more doors are configured to open to define an opening of variable size, wherein the one or more doors are configured to open to define the opening based on a size of the selected medication storage bin, wherein the one or more doors are configured to open to match the size of the selected medication storage bin; and

a robot system for moving medication storage bins within the enclosure, including moving the selected medication storage bin between a corresponding storage location within the enclosure and the medication dispensing area; and

a bulk bin loading drawer in the enclosure, the bulk bin loading drawer for loading medication storage bins into the medication dispensing apparatus, the bulk bin loading drawer including a plurality of walls defining a chamber configured to receive a bulk bin cartridge having at least five exterior walls defining a container and a plurality of interior walls defining a plurality of compartments, each compartment for receiving a medication storage bin.

2. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bulk bin cartridge includes one or more handles positioned on at least one of the exterior walls.

3. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bulk bin cartridge includes a hinged wall, the hinged wall being hingedly attached to one of the exterior walls, thereby allowing the hinged wall to be moved between an open position and a closed position.

4. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bulk bin loading drawer includes a hinged door.

5. A medication dispensing apparatus comprising:

an enclosure;

a plurality of different-sized medication storage bins located at a plurality of storage locations within the enclosure, each medication storage bin being configured to hold one or more medically related items;

a medication dispensing area having one or more doors in the enclosure for passing a selected medication storage bin through the enclosure, wherein the one or more doors are configured to open to define an opening of variable size, wherein the one or more doors are configured to open to define the opening based on a size of the selected medication storage bin, wherein the one or more doors are configured to open to match the size of the selected medication storage bin; and

a robot system for moving medication storage bins within the enclosure, including moving the selected medication storage bin between a corresponding storage location within the enclosure and the medication dispensing area; and

a bulk bin loading drawer in the enclosure, the bulk bin loading drawer for loading medication storage bins into the medication dispensing apparatus.

6. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of racks within the enclosure, the plurality of racks providing the plurality of storage locations for storing the plurality of medication storage bins.

7. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the medically related items comprise one or more of the following:

unit-dose medications, multi-dose medications, syringes, ampules, vials, oral suspensions, tubes, jars, oral solids, and medical supplies.

8. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the medication dispensing apparatus further comprises a large item dispensing drawer for storing and dispensing medically related items that are too large to be stored in the medication storage bins.

9. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein each medication storage bin includes one or more rails disposed on a bottom of the medication storage bin to facilitate movement of the medication storage bin within the medication dispensing apparatus.

10. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the robot system comprises:

a platform; and

one or more belt systems for engaging the one or more rails on the selected medication storage bin and moving the selected medication storage bin on and off the platform.

11. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the medication dispensing area includes one or more belt systems for engaging the one or more rails on the selected medication storage bin and moving the selected medication storage bin across the medication dispensing area and through the one or more doors.

12. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein each medication storage bin includes one or more identifiers for identifying the medication storage bin.

13. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more identifiers comprise one or more of the following:

a radio frequency identifier tag, a bar code, and a magnet.

14. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the robot system includes at least one detector for detecting at least one of the one or more identifiers on the medication storage bins to identify the medication storage bins.

15. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one detector comprises one or more of the following:

a radio frequency identifier reader, a bar code scanner, and a hall effect sensor.

16. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the medication dispensing area includes at least one detector for detecting at least one of the one or more identifiers on the medication storage bins to identify the medication storage bins.

17. The medication dispensing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the medication storage bins are located at storage locations within the enclosure based on a frequency of use of medically related items contained in each medication storage bin.

18. A method for loading medically related items into a medication dispensing apparatus, the medication dispensing apparatus including an enclosure, a plurality of storage locations within the enclosure for storing a plurality of different-sized medication storage bins, and a robot system for moving medication storage bins within the enclosure, the method comprising:

placing the medically related items into a plurality of medication storage bins;

placing the plurality of medication storage bins into a bulk bin cartridge, the bulk bin cartridge having at least five exterior walls defining a container and a plurality of interior walls defining a plurality of compartments, wherein each compartment is configured for receiving one of the plurality of medication storage bins;

placing the bulk bin cartridge into a bulk bin loading drawer located in the enclosure of the medication dispensing apparatus, the bulk bin loading drawer including a plurality of walls defining a chamber configured to receive the bulk bin cartridge;

employing the robot system to retrieve the plurality of medication storage bins from the bulk bin cartridge and move the plurality of medication storage bins to storage locations within the enclosure;

using the robot system to retrieve a first medication storage bin from a first storage location and move the first medication storage bin to a medication dispensing area, the medication dispensing area having one or more doors in the enclosure of the medication dispensing apparatus for passing the first medication storage bin through the enclosure, wherein the one or more doors are configured to open to define an opening of variable size;

opening the one or more doors to define the opening in the enclosure based on a size of the first medication storage bin, wherein the one or more doors are opened to match the size of the selected medication storage bin; and

moving the medication storage bin through the opening in the enclosure created by opening the one or more doors.