System and apparatus for item management

• US 9,355,222 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2015
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chudy Group LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Chudy Group LLC (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Chudy, Duane S., Montgomery, Larry, Spernow, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLLINS, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US14/678,417
• Publication Number:
  US 20150213230A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 700/242, 700/244, 700/231, 700/232, 700/236, 700/240, 700/243, 221/2, 221/5, 221/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/03 for pills or tablets containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/20 Colour codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/60 using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/0069 Trays for holding or distributing medicines display trays A47F3/14; serving trays A47G23/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/04 Arrangements for time indication or reminder for taking medicine, e.g. programmed dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/04 Packaging single articles
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/02 Storage devices furniture A47B; shop fittings A47F
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/22 Social work or social welfare, e.g. community support activities or counselling services
• 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: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

Item-management systems, apparatus, and methods are described, preferably for management of items such as medicaments. In embodiments, an item-management system comprises a holder defining plural cells, a docking station configured to receive the holder, at least one indicator selectively-operable to indicate the holder cell into which an item is to be loaded, and at least one controller operable to selectively operate each at least one indicator to indicate the cell into which the item is to be received. In embodiments, indicators are provided on the holder. In other embodiments, the indicators may by on a guide associated with the docking station to assist the user in loading the holder. The contents of the loaded holder may be easily loaded, for example, into an automated dispensing machine for packaging and subsequent administration to a patient or for another use.

Claims

1. A medicament-management system which enables a pharmacy user to rapidly and accurately hand-load medicament holder cells with medicaments, the system comprising:

a portable medicament holder for transferring medicaments to an automatic dispensing machine, the holder having plural cells arranged in a pattern corresponding to a pattern of cells of the automatic dispensing machine, each holder cell defining a cell upper opening through which medicament is hand-loaded and an openable lower opening through which medicament is transferred from the holder cell to a corresponding adjacent cell of the pattern of automatic dispensing machine cells;

a docking station apart from the automatic dispensing machine to which the holder is temporarily docked during the hand-loading, the docking station enabling control of visible information viewable proximate the holder cells indicating yes and no states of the holder cells;

indicators which communicate the visible information to the user;

an input device to provide information indicative of the medicament to be loaded in the holder;

at least one controller operatively connected to the input device and controlling the visible information such that yes state information is viewable proximate each holder cell into which medicament is to be hand-loaded, the at least one controller including a computer and being operable to store information indicating each holder cell into which medicament is to be hand-loaded and to control, responsive to the input device, the visible information; and

a video display operably connected to the at least one controller, the video display being operable to display information indicating each holder cell into which medicament is to be loaded.

2. The system of claim 1 further including a plurality of the holders.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the holder includes a closure which closes and opens the cell lower openings.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the closure is a sliding gate.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the holder includes first alignment structure, the docking station includes second alignment structure, and the first and second alignment structures cooperate to align the holder at the docking station.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the docking station includes circuitry enabling the control of the visible information.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the visible information is adjacent the cell upper opening.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the visible information is directly on the holder.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the holder includes light-transmissive material and the visible information is viewable through the light-transmissive material.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein each indicator radiates light.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein each indicator includes an energizable light source.