Pharmaceutical storage and retrieval system and methods of storing and retrieving pharmaceuticals

• US 8,467,897 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2010
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RxSafe LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RxSafe LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Holmes, William K., James, Michael, Gaasch, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jones, Yolanda
• Application Number:
  US12/870,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20110054668A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,026 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/216
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/60 the storage containers or supports being rectilinearly movable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A pharmaceutical storage and retrieval system and a method of storing and retrieving pharmaceutical containers from the system. The system includes a pharmaceutical storage and retrieval and a controller operatively coupled to the device to control storage and retrieval functions of the device. The device includes a gantry assembly, a shelving assembly, a user access assembly, and a user authorization system that function in a coordinated manner to carry out the storage and retrieval functions of the device.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical storage and retrieval system comprising:

a housing including

a gantry assembly,

a user access assembly, and

a user authorization system; and

a controller operatively connected to the gantry assembly, the user access assembly, and the user authorization system, the controller including a computer having a computer readable medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause the controller to,

read a user credential via the user authorization system,

read a unique identifier on a prescription order to determine a container needed to fill a prescription on the prescription order,

associate the user credential with the unique identifier, and

transmit an instruction to the gantry assembly to retrieve the container and position the container in the user access assembly;

wherein the user access assembly comprises a first port and a second port, and wherein the first port receives the container from the gantry assembly; and

wherein the first port includes a base having a first slot and a second slot, a first member configured to follow the first slot and a second member configured to follow the second slot, and wherein the first member and the second member are biased to a first position, and wherein the gantry assembly applies force to the first member and the second member to move the first member and the second member away from their respective first positions to insert the container into the first port.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the user credential is a RFID tag.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the user access assembly comprises a door assembly having a front door moveable between an upper position and a lower position and a rear door moveable between an upper position and a lower position.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the rear door is in the upper position when the front door moves to the lower position to provide access to the first port.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the front door moves to the lower position after the user authorization system has read a user credential and the computer associates the user credential with the container in the first port.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the housing further includes a shelving assembly, and wherein when the rear door is in the upper position, the shelving assembly cannot be accessed via the first port.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first member and the second member are configured to adjust to retain pressure on the container and to maintain the container in a predetermined position in the first port.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein when the container is in the predetermined position in the first port, the gantry assembly is configured to retract the container from the first port.

9. A pharmaceutical storage and retrieval system comprising:

a housing including

a gantry assembly, and

a user access assembly, and

a controller operatively connected to the gantry assembly and the user access assembly, the controller including a computer having a computer readable medium configured to store instructions that when executed cause the controller to,

read a unique identifier on a prescription order to determine a container needed to fill a prescription on the prescription order, and

transmit an instruction to the gantry assembly to retrieve the container and position the container in the user access assembly;

wherein the user access assembly comprises a first port and a second port, and wherein the first port receives the container from the gantry assembly; and

wherein the first port includes a base having a first slot and a second slot, a first member configured to follow the first slot and a second member configured to follow the second slot, and wherein the first member and the second member are biased to a first position, and wherein the gantry assembly applies force to the first member and the second member to move the first member and the second member away from their respective first positions to insert the container into the first port.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the user access assembly comprises a door assembly having a front door moveable between an upper position and a lower position and a rear door moveable between an upper position and a lower position.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the rear door is in the upper position when the front door moves to the lower position to provide access to the first port.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the housing further includes a shelving assembly, and wherein when the rear door is in the upper position, the shelving assembly cannot be accessed via the first port.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the first member and the second member are configured to adjust to retain pressure on the container and to maintain the container in a predetermined position in the first port.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein when the container is in the predetermined position in the first port, the gantry assembly is configured to retract the container from the first port.