Urgent access medication dispensing station

• US 8,558,659 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Carefusion 303 Incorporated (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Ross, Graham
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Steven
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yacob, Sisay
• Application Number:
  US12/511,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20110030034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: 340 51- 56, 340/1.1, 340 561- 571, 340 101- 106, 340/568.1, 340 58- 585, 235375-386, 700/237, 700/2, 700/9, 700/17, 700/215, 700/231, 700/244, 700/232, 700/233, 348/143, 348/156, 726/4, 726/5, 221 9- 15
• US Class Current: 340/5.1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers

Abstract

A medical supply station is disclosed. The medical supply station includes a securable compartment configured to hold medical supplies, and a controller. The controller is responsive to access information and is configured to selectively permit access to the securable compartment when the access information indicates the securable compartment is authorized for access, and restrict access to the securable compartment when the access information indicates the securable compartment is not authorized for access. The medical supply station also includes a critical access module configured to, upon actuation, bypass the access information required by the controller and permit substantially immediate access to the securable compartment. The medical supply station further includes an image capturing device, coupled to the critical access module, configured to capture at least one image of an area proximal to the medical supply station in response to actuation of the critical access module.

Claims

1. A medical supply station comprising:

a plurality of securable compartments configured to hold medical supplies;

a controller, responsive to access information, configured to;

selectively permit access to one of the plurality of securable compartments when the access information indicates the one securable compartment is authorized for access; and

restrict access to the one securable compartment when the access information indicates the one securable compartment is not authorized for access;

a critical access module configured to, in response to actuation, bypass the access information required by the controller and permit substantially immediate access limited to the one securable compartment from among the plurality of securable compartments; and

an image capturing device, coupled to the critical access module, and configured to capture at least one image of an area proximal to the medical supply station in response to actuation of the critical access module,

wherein the controller is configured to restrict access to the one securable compartment by the critical access module after a predetermined number of actuations of the critical access module.

2. The station of claim 1, wherein the one securable compartment comprises an indicator coupled to the critical access module, and wherein the indicator is activated upon actuation of the critical access module to indicate the one securable compartment.

3. The station of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device comprises a camera.

4. The station of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device comprises a video camera.

5. The station of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device outputs the at least one image to a remote location.

6. The station of claim 1, wherein the image capturing device includes a field of view that includes at least one of an expected position of a user actuating the critical access module, an area surrounding the medical supply station, and the one securable compartment.

7. The station of claim 1, wherein the critical access module comprises a switch.

8. The station of claim 1, wherein the critical access module comprises a biometric device.

9. The station of claim 8, wherein the critical access module stores an identity of a user attempting to actuate the critical access module.

10. The station of claim 1, wherein the critical access module is responsive to second access information configured to be input into to the critical access module substantially immediately.

11. The station of claim 10, wherein the second access information comprises biometric input.

12. The station of claim 10, wherein the second access information comprises magnetic input.

13. The station of claim 10, wherein the second access information comprises information received from a real time locating system.

14. The station of claim 1, further comprising a transceiver configured to transmit, to a remote location, a signal indicating actuation of the critical access module.

15. A medical supply station comprising:

a plurality of securable compartments configured to hold medical supplies;

a critical access module configured to, in response to actuation by a user, permit substantially immediate access limited to one of the plurality of securable compartments;

a transceiver configured to provide identification information of the user to an item dispensing device; and

a controller configured to restrict access to the one of the plurality of securable compartments by the critical access module after a predetermined number of actuations of the critical access module.

16. The station of claim 15, further comprising an image capturing device, coupled to the critical access module, and configured to capture at least one image of an area proximal to the medical supply station in response to actuation of the critical access module.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising activating an indicator configured to indicate the one securable compartment upon actuation of the critical access module.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising outputting the at least one image to a remote location.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein access information required by the controller is bypassed if both the critical access module is actuated and second access information is provided to the critical access module.

17. A method, for urgent medical supply dispensing, comprising:

determining if a critical access module of a medical supply station is actuated;

in response to when the critical access module is actuated, bypassing access information required by a controller, configured to restrict access to one of a plurality of securable compartments configured to hold medical supplies, in order to permit substantially immediate access limited to the one securable compartment from among the plurality of securable compartments;

capturing at least one image of an area proximal to the medical supply station in response to actuation of the critical access module; and

restricting access to the one securable after a predetermined number of actuations of the critical access module.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for causing a processor to execute instructions to control a medical supply station by performing steps comprising:

determining if a critical access module of a medical supply station is actuated;

in response to when the critical access module is actuated, bypassing access information required by a controller, configured to restrict access to a plurality of securable compartments configured to hold medical supplies, in order to permit substantially immediate access limited to one securable compartment from among the plurality of securable compartments;

capturing at least one image of an area proximal to the medical supply station in response to actuation of the critical access module; and

restricting access to the one securable after a predetermined number of actuations of the critical access module.