Medication cabinetry

• US 9,111,408 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ArXium, Inc. (Van Humbeck Family)
• Original Assignee: AutoMed Technologies Incorporated (Cencora, Inc.)
• Inventors: Biba, Scott I., Koplin, Randall S., Lee, Daniel J., Soukup, Kathy L., Michael, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/329,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20120089248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 700/231, 700/232, 700/237, 700241-243, 221/199, 221/252, 221/246, 221/228, 221/229, 221/121, 312/319.1, 312/249.4
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 2210/0002 Guide construction for drawers
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/457 operated by electrically-powered actuation means
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/463 self-opening
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/467 self-closing
• CPC Class Codes: A47B 88/57 preventing complete withdrawal of the drawer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/18 Recessed drawers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/60 the storage containers or supports being rectilinearly movable
• 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

Abstract

An exemplary embodiment includes a cabinet having at least one drawer with selectable access for storing items, such as medications. A slidable cover with a first opening allows for closure and/or access to items in an interior of the drawer. The cabinet further includes an actuator coupled to the cover and a controller coupled to the actuator to control movement of the first opening relative to the drawer interior in response to signals generated from a user interface.

Claims

1. A drawer assembly providing selectable access to contents of the drawer, the drawer assembly comprising:

a drawer unit including a first compartment and a second compartment;

a belt including a first opening sized to provide access to the first compartment and a second opening sized to provide access to the second compartment;

an electric actuator coupled to the belt and configured to move the belt relative to the drawer unit to align the first opening with the first compartment and to align the second opening with the second compartment; and

a controller configured to control the electric actuator to cause movement of the belt between;

a first position in which the belt blocks access to both the first compartment and the second compartment;

a second position in which the first opening is aligned with the first compartment to provide access to the contents of the first compartment and in which the belt blocks access to the second compartment; and

a third position in which the second opening is aligned with the second compartment to provide access to the contents of the second compartment and in which the belt blocks access to the first compartment;

wherein the controller receives a user input signal from a user interface and controls the electric actuator to cause movement of the belt to the second position or the third position based on the user input signal.

2. The drawer assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller receives the user input signal from the user interface via wireless communication.

3. The drawer assembly of claim 1, wherein the drawer unit further includes at least two rollers each supported at opposing ends of the drawer unit, and the belt is moveably supported relative to the drawer unit by the rollers, wherein the electric actuator is coupled to and supported from the drawer unit.

4. The drawer assembly of claim 1, further comprising a drawer housing and an interlock configured to prevent operation of the electric actuator when a substantial portion of the drawer unit is not located within the drawer housing.

5. The drawer assembly of claim 1, further comprising an optical sensor unit coupled to the controller, wherein the belt includes a plurality of selectively spaced apertures and the sensor unit is supported relative to the apertures to generate a sensor signal representative of a location of the first and second openings relative to the compartments.

6. The drawer assembly of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to move the belt in two directions to move the belt between the first, second or third positions.

7. The drawer assembly of claim 1, wherein the actuator is configured to resist movement of the belt in response to a force applied to the outside of the belt.

8. The drawer assembly of claim 1, further comprising a first medical product located in the first compartment and a second medical product located in the second compartment.

9. The drawer assembly of claim 1, wherein the second opening is spaced from the first opening in the direction of belt movement such that a section of belt is located between the first opening and the second opening.

10. The drawer assembly of claim 9, wherein the first opening extends substantially the entire width of the belt and the second opening extends substantially the entire width of the belt.

11. A cabinet having at least one drawer providing selectable access to contents of the drawer, the cabinet comprising:

a drawer housing including an opening;

a drawer unit slidable within the drawer housing between an extended position and a retracted position, the drawer unit including walls defining an interior, wherein the interior is divided into at least a first compartment and a second compartment;

a cover covering the drawer unit and including an opening extending through the cover, wherein the cover is a flexible belt extending over the first compartment and the second compartment, wherein the cover is moveable between;

a first position in which the cover blocks access to both the first compartment and the second compartment;

a second position in which the opening is aligned with the first compartment to provide access to the contents of the first compartment and the cover blocks access to the second compartment; and

a third position in which the opening is aligned with the second compartment to provide access to the contents of the second compartment and the cover blocks access to the first compartment; and

an electronic actuator coupled to the cover to move the cover between the first, second and third positions;

wherein at least a portion of the drawer unit extends through the opening of the drawer housing in the extended position such that at least one of the first and second compartments is located outside of the drawer housing and wherein both the first and second compartments are located within the drawer housing in the retracted position such that the drawer housing blocks access to the first compartment and the second compartment;

wherein the electronic actuator is supported by the drawer unit such that the electronic actuator moves with the drawer unit as the drawer unit slides between the extended position and the retracted position.

12. The cabinet of claim 11, further comprising an electronic controller configured to control the electronic actuator to cause movement of the cover between the first, second and third positions.

13. The cabinet of claim 12, wherein the electronic controller is configured to communicate wirelessly with a user interface, wherein the electronic controller controls the actuator to move the cover to the second and third positions in response to a user input received wirelessly from the user interface.

14. The cabinet of claim 13, wherein the retracted position is a fully retracted position, wherein the electronic controller is configured to cause movement of the cover only when the drawer unit is in the fully retracted position.

15. The cabinet of claim 14, wherein the drawer unit is configured such that the electronic controller is in communication with the actuator only when the drawer unit is in the fully retracted position.

16. The cabinet of claim 12, further comprising an electric drawer latch coupled to the controller, wherein the drawer latch inhibits sliding of the drawer unit.

17. The cabinet of claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of drawer units each including at least a first compartment and a second compartment; and

a plurality of medical products located in the compartments of the drawer units.

18. A selectable access cabinet control system for providing controlled access to medical products comprising:

an electronic controller in communication with a user interface, a database including cabinet contents information and a cabinet having at least one cabinet drawer providing selectable access to the medical products, the cabinet drawer including a first compartment, a second compartment and a flexible cover covering the drawer and extending over the first compartment and the second compartment, wherein the flexible cover includes a first opening and a second opening;

wherein the electronic controller is configured to control movement of the flexible cover between;

a first position in which the flexible cover blocks access to both the first compartment and the second compartment;

a second position in which the first opening is aligned with the first compartment to provide access to the contents of the first compartment and the flexible cover blocks access to the second compartment; and

a third position in which the second opening is aligned with the second compartment to provide access to the contents of the second compartment and the flexible cover blocks access to the first compartment;

wherein the electronic controller is configured to receive a user input signal from the user interface and to control an electric actuator to cause movement of the belt to the second position or the third position based on the user input signal.

19. The selectable access cabinet control system of claim 18, wherein the electronic controller is in communication with the cabinet via wireless communication.

20. The selectable access cabinet control system of claim 18, wherein the electronic controller is in communication with a sensor unit configured to sense the position of the cover, wherein the electronic controller controls movement of the cover based upon the sensed position of the cover.