System and method for verifying the contents of a filled, capped pharmaceutical prescription
First Claim
1. A method of verifying the identity of a dispensed pharmaceutical, comprising:
- reading identifying indicia on a pharmaceutical vial containing a dispensed pharmaceutical;
determining the identity of a prescribed pharmaceutical called for by the identifying indicia;
comparing the identity of the prescribed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising data that indicates whether the prescribed pharmaceutical is one that can be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis; and
responsive to the comparison of the identity of the prescribed pharmaceutical to data storage, either (a) rejecting the dispensed pharmaceutical when the comparison indicates that the prescribed pharmaceutical cannot be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis, or (b) performing the following when the comparison indicates that the prescribed pharmaceutical can be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis;
acquiring an image of the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial;
comparing the image of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising image data associated with pharmaceuticals;
acquiring spectral data for the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial;
comparing the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising spectral data associated with pharmaceuticals; and
automatically determining whether the image and the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical confirm that the dispensed pharmaceutical matches the prescribed pharmaceutical.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of verifying the identity of a dispensed pharmaceutical includes the steps of: reading identifying indicia on a pharmaceutical vial containing a dispensed pharmaceutical; determining the identity of a prescribed pharmaceutical called for by the identifying indicia; acquiring an image of the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial; comparing the image of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising image data associated with pharmaceuticals; acquiring spectral data for the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial; comparing the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising spectral data associated with pharmaceuticals; and automatically determining whether the image and the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical confirm that the dispensed pharmaceutical matches the prescribed pharmaceutical.
70 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of verifying the identity of a dispensed pharmaceutical, comprising:
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reading identifying indicia on a pharmaceutical vial containing a dispensed pharmaceutical; determining the identity of a prescribed pharmaceutical called for by the identifying indicia; comparing the identity of the prescribed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising data that indicates whether the prescribed pharmaceutical is one that can be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis; and responsive to the comparison of the identity of the prescribed pharmaceutical to data storage, either (a) rejecting the dispensed pharmaceutical when the comparison indicates that the prescribed pharmaceutical cannot be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis, or (b) performing the following when the comparison indicates that the prescribed pharmaceutical can be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis; acquiring an image of the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial; comparing the image of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising image data associated with pharmaceuticals; acquiring spectral data for the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial; comparing the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising spectral data associated with pharmaceuticals; and automatically determining whether the image and the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical confirm that the dispensed pharmaceutical matches the prescribed pharmaceutical. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for verification of dispensed pharmaceuticals, comprising:
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an identification station configured to read identifying indicia on a pharmaceutical vial containing a dispensed pharmaceutical; an image station configured to acquire an image of the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial; a spectroscopy station configured to acquire spectral data for the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial; and a controller associated with the identification, vision, and spectroscopy stations, wherein the controller is configured to; receive the identifying indicia from the identification station; automatically determine the identity of a prescribed pharmaceutical called for by the identifying indicia; compare the identity of the prescribed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising data that indicates whether the prescribed pharmaceutical is one that can be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis; and responsive to the comparison of the identity of the prescribed pharmaceutical to data storage, either (a) reject the dispensed pharmaceutical when the comparison indicates that the prescribed pharmaceutical cannot be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis, or (b) perform the following when the comparison indicates that the prescribed pharmaceutical can be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis; receive the image of the dispensed pharmaceutical from the image station; compare the image of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising image data associated with pharmaceuticals; receive the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical from the spectroscopy station; compare the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising spectral data associated with pharmaceuticals; and automatically determine whether the image and the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical confirm that the dispensed pharmaceutical matches the prescribed pharmaceutical. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A computer program product for operating a dispensed pharmaceutical verification system including an identification station configured to read identifying indicia on a pharmaceutical vial containing a dispensed pharmaceutical, an image station configured to acquire an image of the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial, and a spectroscopy station configured to acquire spectral data for the dispensed pharmaceutical through the vial, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code configured to:
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receive the identifying indicia from the identification station; automatically determine the identity of a prescribed pharmaceutical called for by the identifying indicia; compare the identity of the prescribed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising data that indicates whether the prescribed pharmaceutical is one that can be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis; and responsive to the comparison of the identity of the prescribed pharmaceutical to data storage, either (a) reject the dispensed pharmaceutical when the comparison indicates that the prescribed pharmaceutical cannot be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis, or (b) perform the following when the comparison indicates that the prescribed pharmaceutical can be positively distinguished by image and spectral analysis; receive the image of the dispensed pharmaceutical from the image station; compare the image of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising image data associated with pharmaceuticals; receive the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical from the spectroscopy station; compare the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical to data storage comprising spectral data associated with pharmaceuticals; and automatically determine whether the image and the spectral data of the dispensed pharmaceutical confirm that the dispensed pharmaceutical matches the prescribed pharmaceutical.
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Specification