Device for dispensing vials useful in system and method for dispensing prescriptions

• US 8,651,320 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2011
• Issued: 02/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: DuMond, Jody, Guthrie, Charles H., Moran, Joseph C. Jr., Young, Demetris P., Abrams, George Raymond Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kumar, Rakesh
• Application Number:
  US13/232,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20120000928A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 221/6, 221/217, 221/200, 221/202, 221/254, 221/204, 221/236, 221/253, 221/7, 221/211, 221/252, 221/261, 221/13, 194/803.6, 414/288, 414/414, 414/795.4, 198/444, 198/459.2, 198/443, 198/397, 198/399, 198/408, 198/803.16
• US Class Current: 221/6
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/58 the articles being supported on or by endless belts or like conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing open-ended objects such as pharmaceutical vials includes: a housing having an internal cavity configured to house open-ended objects, the housing including a guide and a floor; a pick-up unit mounted to the housing, the pick-up unit including an endless member and at least one pick-up member attached to the endless member; and a drive unit. The endless member engages the drive unit and the guide for movement relative thereto. As the drive unit drives the endless member, the at least one pick-up member travels on a pick-up path, at least a portion of which is within the housing.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing open-ended objects, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having an internal cavity configured to house open-ended objects, the housing including a guide and a floor;

a pick-up unit mounted to the housing, the pick-up unit including an endless member and at least one pick-up member attached to the endless member;

a drive unit;

wherein the endless member engages the drive unit and the guide for movement relative thereto;

wherein, as the drive unit drives the endless member, the at least one pick-up member travels along a pick-up path defined at least partially by a slot in the housing;

wherein the apparatus further comprises agitation means for agitating open-ended articles residing within the housing, the agitation means comprising an agitation prong mounted on the at least one pick-up member that extends away from the pick-up path within the housing.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the endless member follows a travel path, at least a portion of which is outside of the cavity.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one pick-up member extends in a direction generally parallel with the pick-up path.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the pick-up path has a generally horizontal run, and wherein the floor is disposed to be generally parallel to the generally horizontal run.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4, wherein the horizontal run of the pick-up path is adjacent a seam between a side wall of the housing and the floor.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the floor is configured to urge open-ended containers toward the pick-up path.

7. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a side wall, and wherein the floor is height adjustable relative to the side wall.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 1, further comprising an opening in the housing that enables the housing to be replenished with open-ended objects.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one pick-up member is a pick-up finger.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the housing includes a dispensing window, and wherein the pick-up path further comprises a vertical run that merges with a horizontal run, an angled run that merges with the vertical run, and a drop-off loop adjacent the dispensing window.

11. The apparatus defined in claim 10, further comprising a delivery chute in communication with and fed by the dispensing window.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the housing contains a plurality of pharmaceutical vials.

13. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the drive unit is mounted to the housing.

14. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the guide is located in a side wall of the housing.

15. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the at least one pick-up member comprises a plurality of pick-up members.

16. A method of dispensing singulated, open-ended pharmaceutical vials, comprising the steps of:

providing a housing containing a plurality of open-ended pharmaceutical vials, the housing being configured such that the open-ended vials are urged to align along a portion of an endless pick-up path so that an axis of a vial is generally parallel to the pick-up path, wherein at least a portion of the pick-up path is within the housing;

passing a pick-up member along the pick-up path, wherein the pick-up member is generally parallel to the axis of the vial and enters the open end of the vial to engage and capture the vial; and

continuing to pass the pick-up member and the captured vial through the housing to a dispensing exit.

17. The method defined in claim 16, wherein the pick-up path has a generally horizontal run, wherein the housing includes a floor, and wherein the floor is disposed to be generally parallel to the generally horizontal run.

18. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the housing includes a dispensing window, and wherein the pick-up path further comprises a vertical run that merges with the horizontal run, an angled run that merges with the vertical run, and a drop-off loop adjacent the dispensing window.

19. The method defined in claim 18, further comprising a delivery chute in communication with and fed by the dispensing window.

20. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the horizontal run of the pick-up path is adjacent a seam between a side wall of the housing and the floor.

21. The method defined in claim 17, wherein the housing includes a side wall, and wherein the floor is height adjustable relative to the side wall.

22. The method defined in claim 16, wherein an endless member is mounted to the housing, and wherein the pick-up member is mounted to the endless member.

23. The method defined in claim 22, wherein a plurality of pick-up members are mounted on the endless member.

24. The method defined in claim 16, wherein the housing includes an opening that enables the housing to be replenished with open-ended pharmaceutical vials.