Pharmaceutical dispensing systems and graphical user interfaces associated with same

• US 8,972,047 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Parata Systems, LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Johnson, Matthew, Lindsey, Harold, Dunigan, Megan, Lallinger, Justin, Hammond, John Kirk Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/463,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,122 Days
• Field of Search: 700/236, 700/241, 700/244, 700/242
• US Class Current: 700/236
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/30 two or more magazines having independent delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/62 in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/0235 the arrangements being full-front touchscreens
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A pharmaceutical dispensing system includes a frame having first and second opposed sides, a plurality of cells configured to house pharmaceutical pills, a first touch screen display on the frame first side, and a second touch screen display on the frame second side. A plurality of dispensing shelves configured to receive filled pill containers are accessible from the second side of the frame for removal of pill containers therein. The pharmaceutical dispensing system includes a processor and memory coupled thereto. A computer program resides in the memory and is executable by the processor for displaying a cell inventory graphical user interface (GUI) within the first touch screen display, and a series of GUIs within the second touch screen display that include status information about a prescription order at a respective stage of completion by the pharmaceutical dispensing system.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical dispensing system, comprising:

a frame having first and second opposed sides;

a plurality of cells attached to the frame and configured to house pharmaceutical pills, each of the cells being accessible from the first side of the frame for replenishment of pharmaceutical pills therein;

a plurality of dispensing shelves attached to the frame and configured to receive filled pill containers, each of the shelves being accessible from the second side of the frame for removal of filled pill containers therein, wherein the dispensing system labels empty pill containers, fills each labeled pill container with pills from a respective one of the cells, and then deposits each filled pill container in a respective one of the dispensing shelves of the pharmaceutical dispensing system;

a first touch screen display on the frame first side;

a second touch screen display on the frame second side;

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for displaying a cell inventory graphical user interface (GUI) within the first touch screen display, wherein the cell inventory GUI displays cell inventory information, and wherein the cell inventory GUI comprises one or more GUI controls that are responsive to user touching for adding and/or modifying contents of the cells; and

a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for displaying a series of GUIs within the second touch screen display, wherein each GUI in the series comprises status information about a prescription order at a respective stage of completion of the prescription order by the pharmaceutical dispensing system, wherein the series of GUIs comprises a ready queue GUI that displays an array of icons, each icon associated with a respective dispensing shelf of the pharmaceutical dispensing system, and wherein each icon displays a number of filled pill containers in a respective dispensing shelf of the pharmaceutical dispensing system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the cell inventory GUI displays a graphical representation of each cell.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the series of GUIs comprises a pending queue GUI that displays information about pending prescription orders.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the series of GUIs comprises a complete queue GUI that displays information about filled prescription orders that have been removed from dispensing shelves of the pharmaceutical dispensing system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the ready queue GUI comprises a GUI control that is responsive to user touching, and wherein a graphical representation of a dispensing shelf where a filled pill container is located is displayed in response to user touching of the GUI control.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the series of GUIs comprises a ready shelf GUI that is a graphical representation of the dispensing shelves of the pharmaceutical dispensing system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the series of GUIs comprises an incomplete queue GUI that displays information about unfilled prescription orders.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the graphical representation of each cell is displayed in a color that indicates an inventory level of pharmaceutical pills therein.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for displaying a report builder GUI within the first and second touch screen displays, wherein the report builder GUI is configured to build reports relating to one or more of the following:

pending prescription orders, filled prescription orders, cell inventory information, and drug information.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for monitoring selected functions of the pharmaceutical dispensing system and for storing selected parameters associated with the monitored functions.

11. A pharmaceutical dispensing system, comprising:

a frame having first and second opposed sides;

a plurality of cells attached to the frame and configured to house pharmaceutical pills, each of the cells being accessible from the first side of the frame for replenishment of pharmaceutical pills therein;

a plurality of dispensing shelves attached to the frame and configured to receive filled pill containers, each of the shelves being accessible from the second side of the frame for removal of filled pill containers therein, wherein the dispensing system labels empty pill containers, fills each labeled pill container with pills from a respective one of the cells, and then deposits each filled pill container in a respective one of the dispensing shelves of the pharmaceutical dispensing system;

a first touch screen display on the frame first side;

a second touch screen display on the frame second side;

a processor;

memory coupled to the processor;

a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for displaying a cell inventory graphical user interface (GUI) within the first touch screen display, wherein the cell inventory GUI displays cell inventory information, and wherein the cell inventory GUI comprises one or more GUI controls that are responsive to user touching for adding and/or modifying contents of the cells; and

a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for displaying a series of GUIs within the second touch screen display, wherein each GUI in the series comprises status information about a prescription order at a respective stage of completion of the prescription order by the pharmaceutical dispensing system, wherein the series of GUIs comprises a ready queue GUI that displays an array of icons, each icon associated with a respective dispensing shelf of the pharmaceutical dispensing system, wherein each icon displays a number of filled pill containers in a respective dispensing shelf of the pharmaceutical dispensing system, and wherein a graphical representation of a respective dispensing shelf of the pharmaceutical dispensing system is displayed in response to user touching of a respective icon.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the cell inventory GUI displays a graphical representation of each cell.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the series of GUIs comprises a pending queue GUI that displays information about pending prescription orders.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the series of GUIs comprises a complete queue GUI that displays information about filled prescription orders that have been removed from the dispensing shelves.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the series of GUIs comprises a ready shelf GUI that is a graphical representation of the dispensing shelves.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the series of GUIs comprises an incomplete queue GUI that displays information about unfilled prescription orders.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the graphical representation of each cell is displayed in a color that indicates an inventory level of pharmaceutical pills therein.

18. The system of claim 11, further comprising a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for displaying a report builder GUI within the first and second touch screen displays, wherein the report builder GUI is configured to build reports relating to one or more of the following:

pending prescription orders, filled prescription orders, cell inventory information, and drug information.

19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a computer program residing in the memory that is executable by the processor for monitoring selected functions of the pharmaceutical dispensing system and for storing selected parameters associated with the monitored functions.