Universal label and verification systems and methods for filling customer orders of medical items
First Claim
1. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:
- prompting a user with the HMI to manually scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner;
receiving first identification data from the product label manually scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product;
determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order;
printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product;
prompting the user with the HMI to manually affix the patient label to the product and to manually scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner; and
verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were manually scanned by the user with the scanner.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Label and verification systems and methods to assist with manual labeling and verification of various types of products including medical items that may be filled as part of a customer order, including boxes, cards, bottles, and many other known types of containers. The label and verification system prompts a user to scan a product label on a product, determines whether the product label corresponds to one of the medical items in the customer order, and then prints a patient label for the product. After prompting the user to affix the patient label to the product and rescan the product, the system verifies that the correct patient label and product label are on the product from the customer order. The system and method may be operable to label more than 90% of containers commonly used to hold medications and medical items with increased speed and accuracy.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:
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prompting a user with the HMI to manually scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner; receiving first identification data from the product label manually scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product; determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order; printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product; prompting the user with the HMI to manually affix the patient label to the product and to manually scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner; and verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were manually scanned by the user with the scanner. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:
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prompting a user with the HMI to scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner; receiving first identification data from the product label scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product; determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order; printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product; prompting the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product and to scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner; verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were scanned by the user with the scanner; generating pick instructions identifying a storage location for each of the products contained in the customer order to be filled; providing the pick instructions to the user with the HMI for a first product contained in the customer order, such that the user can retrieve the first product and then label and verify the first product using the prompting, receiving, determining, printing, prompting, and verifying steps; and repeating the steps of providing the pick instructions and labeling and verifying for each other products contained in the customer order. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:
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prompting a user with the HMI to scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner; receiving first identification data from the product label scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product; determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order; printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained into eh customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product; prompting the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product and to scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner; and verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were scanned by the user with the scanner; wherein when the first and second identification data cannot be verified to correctly correspond to the customer order, the method further comprises; printing a replacement patient label containing the second identification data associated with a patient who is to receive the product; and prompting the user with the HMI to remove the patient label originally affixed to the product, to affix the replacement patient label to the product, and to scan the product label and the replacement patient label at the scanner.
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13. A method for filling a customer order containing at least one product to be labeled and verified with a label and verification (LV) kiosk including a scanner, a label printer, and a human machine interface (HMI), each product including a medical item, and the method comprising:
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prompting a user with the HMI to scan a product label on a product contained in the customer order at the scanner; receiving first identification data from the product label scanned by the user with the scanner, the first identification data being associated with the product; determining whether the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order; printing a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer if the first identification data corresponds to a medical item contained in the customer order, the second identification data being associated with a patient who is to receive the product; prompting the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product and to scan the product label and the patient label at the scanner; verifying that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received and correctly correspond to the customer order when the product label and the patient label were scanned by the user with the scanner; determining whether the product with the product label that has been scanned is a flag label product, which requires a flag label to be applied that contains a subset of information contained on the patient label; and printing a flag label responsive to determining that the product is a flag label product such that the user can affix the flag label to the product.
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14. A label and verification kiosk configuered to fill a customer order containing at least one product, each product including a medical item, and the kiosk comprising:
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a kiosk housing; a label printer located at the kiosk housing and operable to print a patient label; a scanner located at the kiosk housing and operable to scan product labels on products and patient labels; a human machine interface (HMI) including a display screen located at the kiosk housing, the HMI configured to provide instruction prompts to a user; a controller having a processor and a memory; a program code resident in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to determine if first identification data from a product label on a product scanned by the user at the scanner corresponds to a medical item in the customer order, actuate printing of a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer, prompt the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product, and verify that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received when the product label and the patient label are scanned by the user with the scanner; and at least one auxiliary shelf located at the kiosk housing and configured to hold totes in proximate relation to the label printer, the scanner, and the HMI such that the user can collect a plurality of products for the customer order into a tote from storage racks and carousels separate from the kiosk housing, and then place the tote onto the at least one auxiliary shelf for ready access during labeling and verification of the plurality of products in the tote.
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15. A label and verification kiosk configuered to fill a customer order containing at least one product, each product including a medical item, and the kiosk comprising:
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a kiosk housing; a label printer located at the kiosk housing and operable to print a patient label; a scanner located at the kiosk housing and operable to scan product labels on products and patient labels; a human machine interface (HMI) including a display screen located at the kiosk housing, the HMI configured to provide instruction prompts to a user; a controller having a processor and a memory; a program code resident in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to determine if first identification data from a product label on a product scanned by the user at the scanner corresponds to a medical item in the customer order, actuate printing of a patient label containing second identification data with the label printer, prompt the user with the HMI to affix the patient label to the product, and verify that the patient label was affixed to the product by confirming that the first and second identification data were each received when the product label and the patient label are scanned by the user with the scanner; and a work shelf projecting from the kiosk housing adjacent to the label printer and the scanner, the work shelf sized to accommodate only one product such that the user is encouraged to label and verify only one product at a time for the customer order.
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16. A label and verification system configured to fill a customer order containing at least one product, each product including a medical item, and the system comprising:
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a storage carousel including a plurality of radially oriented storage bins on a plurality of shelves for holding bulk supply of products; a cage surrounding the storage carousel, the cage including a door configured to provide selective access to one of the storage bins on each shelf of the storage carousel that faces towards the door; and a label and verification kiosk coupled to the cage and comprising; a kiosk housing at least partially surrounding the storage carousel and located adjacent to the door; a label printer located at the kiosk housing and operable to print a patient label; a scanner located at the kiosk housing and operable to scan product labels and patient labels on products; a controller having a processor and a memory; and program code resident in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor to identify a first location in the storage carousel containing a storage bin with a first product for the customer order, actuate the storage carousel to rotate the first location to the door of the cage so that a user can access the storage bin with the first product, and actuate a manual labeling and verification of the first product using the label printer and the scanner after retrieval from the storage carousel. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification