Automated pharmacy admixture system (APAS)

• US 9,043,019 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArXium, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Original Assignee: Intelligent Hospital Systems, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Inventors: Eliuk, Walter W., Rob, Ronald H., Mlodzinski, Lance R., Reinhardt, Alex H., Doherty, Thom
• Primary Examiner(s): Sample, Jonathan L
• Application Number:
  US13/044,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20110208350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,539 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/245
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/20 Arrangements for transferring or mixing fluids, e.g. from vial to syringe
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 3/002 Compounding apparatus specially for enteral or parenteral nutritive solutions bottling liquids B67C
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/201 Holders therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 31/23 by pivoting the containers about an axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/84 Mixing plants with mixing receptacles receiving material dispensed from several component receptacles, e.g. paint tins
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/8442 using a computer for controlling information and converting it in a formula and a set of operation instructions, e.g. on the point of sale
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2209 Controlling the mixing process as a whole, i.e. involving a complete monitoring and controlling of the mixing process during the whole mixing cycle
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/02 Filling, closing, or filling and closing, containers or wrappers in chambers maintained under vacuum or superatmospheric pressure or containing a special atmosphere, e.g. of inert gas
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 31/024 specially adapted for wrappers or bags B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 55/16 by irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/001 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the product to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 59/003 Arrangements to enable adjustments related to the packaging material
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/165 using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/1657 the picking arrangements using suction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/70 in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents
• 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

Abstract

In a preferred embodiment, an Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Claims

1. A pharmaceutical processing system comprising:

a chamber to hold medical containers;

a portal provided between the chamber and an exterior of the system so that medical containers can be loaded into the chamber through the portal;

an air handling system to obtain an air pressure level in the chamber that is positive relative to the exterior of the system;

a robotic arm to manipulate the medical containers within the chamber;

a fluid transfer station including a syringe manipulator to manipulate a plunger of a syringe to transfer fluid between the medical containers;

a scale to measure respective weights of medical containers utilized in preparing a pharmaceutical preparation before and after a fluid transfer;

an interface to receive a request to prepare the pharmaceutical preparation;

a mixer to mix contents of a medical container; and

a controller to;

operate the robotic arm, based on the request received by the interface, to manipulate medical containers between the syringe manipulator, the scale, and the mixer,

control the syringe manipulator to perform a fluid transfer between the medical containers,

confirm an accuracy of the pharmaceutical preparation based on respective weights of the medical containers measured by the scale, and

determine a mixing profile that defines a level or pattern of agitation applied to the medical container by the mixer based on the pharmaceutical preparation and execute the mixing profile with the mixer.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mixing profile further defines:

(1) an agitation time period and (2) a wait time between successive agitation time periods.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mixing profile further defines:

(1) an agitation time period and (2) a wait time between completion of the agitation time period and use of the medical container for a fluid transfer.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a printer to print a label that includes information corresponding to the pharmaceutical preparation.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the controller is to operate the robotic arm to manipulate the medical container to the printer to apply the label to the medical container.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the label includes a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) device that is applied to the medical container with the label.

7. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a de-capper to remove caps from syringes;

a de-needler to remove needles from syringes; and

a capper to place syringe caps on syringes, wherein the pharmaceutical preparation is prepared in a syringe that includes a cap and a needle, and

the controller is further to;

operate the robotic arm to manipulate the syringe to the de-capper to remove the cap from the syringe to expose the needle, manipulate the syringe to the scale to weigh the syringe after the cap is removed, manipulate the syringe to the syringe manipulator to transfer fluid from another medical container into the syringe, manipulate the syringe to the scale to weigh the syringe after the fluid is transferred into the syringe,

confirm the accuracy of the pharmaceutical preparation based on a difference of the weight of the syringe before and after the fluid is transferred into the syringe, and

operate the robotic arm to manipulate the syringe to the de-needler to remove the needle from the syringe and to manipulate the syringe to the capper to place a cap onto the syringe after the needle has been removed.

8. The system according to claim 7, further comprising a printer to print a label that includes information corresponding to the pharmaceutical preparation, wherein the controller is to operate the robotic arm to manipulate the syringe, after the cap has been placed onto the syringe, to the printer to apply the label to the medical container.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the chamber includes inventory racks to hold intravenous (IV) bags, vials and syringes, and the robotic arm controller is to operate the robotic arm to manipulate a plurality of the IV bags, vials and syringes within the chamber to execute the pharmaceutical preparation.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising an ultraviolet lamp to perform sanitization within the chamber.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller, in determining the mixing profile for the medical container, selects one of a plurality of pre-defined mixing profiles based on the pharmaceutical preparation.

15. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller momentarily stops the mixer as a medical container is added or removed from the system.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mixer imparts a rotary motion to the medical container to mix the contents of the medical container.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mixing profile further defines:

(1) an agitation time period and (2) an agitation intensity.

11. A pharmaceutical processing method comprising:

loading medical containers into a chamber of a pharmaceutical processing system through a portal of the chamber that is provided between the chamber and an exterior of the system;

obtaining, by an air handling system, an air pressure level in the chamber that is positive relative to the exterior of the system;

operating a robotic arm, based on a request received by an interface to receive a request to prepare a pharmaceutical preparation in a medical container, to manipulate medical containers between a syringe manipulator, a scale, and a mixer, the syringe manipulator provided to manipulate a plunger of a syringe to transfer fluid between the medical containers, the scale provided to measure respective weights of medical containers utilized in preparing a pharmaceutical preparation in the medical container before and after a fluid transfer, and the mixer provided to mix contents of the medical container;

controlling the syringe manipulator to perform a fluid transfer between the medical containers;

confirming an accuracy of the pharmaceutical preparation based on respective weights of the medical containers measured by the scale;

determining a mixing profile that defines a level or pattern of agitation applied to the medical container by the mixer based on the pharmaceutical preparation; and

executing the mixing profile with the mixer.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium including executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the method according to claim 11.

13. A pharmaceutical processing system comprising:

a chamber to hold medical containers;

a portal provided between the chamber and an exterior of the system so that medical containers can be loaded into the chamber through the portal;

air handling means for obtaining an air pressure level in the chamber that is positive relative to the exterior of the system;

robotic means for manipulating the medical containers within the chamber;

fluid transfer means for manipulating a plunger of a syringe to transfer fluid between the medical containers;

a scale to measure respective weights of medical containers utilized in preparing a pharmaceutical preparation before and after a fluid transfer;

an interface to receive a request to prepare the pharmaceutical preparation;

a mixer to mix contents of a medical container; and

processing means for;

operating the robotic mcans, based on the request received by the interface, to manipulate medical containers between the fluid transfer means, the scale, and the mixer,

controlling the fluid transfer means to perform a fluid transfer between the medical containers,

confirming an accuracy of the pharmaceutical preparation based on respective weights of the medical containers measured by the scale, and

determining a mixing profile that defines a level or pattern of agitation applied to the medical container by the mixer based on the pharmaceutical preparation and execute the mixing profile with the mixer.