Medication dispensing apparatus having conveyed carriers

• US 9,412,217 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnicell Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aesynt, Inc. (Omnicell Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kijowski, Todd, Santmyer, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Randall, Jr., Kelvin L
• Application Number:
  US13/076,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20120248947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,958 Days
• Field of Search: 221/69, 221/75, 221/76, 221/82, 221/83, 221/86, 221/89, 221/91, 221/92, 221/119, 221/120, 221/121, 221/133
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61G 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/60 the storage containers or supports being rectilinearly movable
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A medication dispensing cabinet and an associated medication dispensing drawer assembly are provided in order to controllably convey and dispense medication. A medication dispensing cabinet may include a cabinet body, a plurality of drawers disposed within and configured for slidable extension relative to the cabinet body, a conveyor belt disposed within a first drawer and a plurality of bins operably connected to the conveyor belt and configured to receive medication for movement with the conveyor belt. Each bin may includes an openable support surface which, in one embodiment, is biased to open. In addition, the first drawer may define an opening and the conveyor belt may be configured to move a respective bin into alignment with the opening. The support surface of the respective bin may then be permitted to open and the medication carried by the respective bin may be dispensed through the opening.

Claims

1. A medication dispensing cabinet comprising:

a cabinet body;

a plurality of drawers disposed within and configured for slideable extension relative to the cabinet body;

a conveyor belt disposed with a first drawer;

a plurality of bins operably connected to the conveyor belt and configured to receive medication for movement with the conveyor belt, wherein each bin comprises an openable support surface,

wherein the first drawer defines an opening and the conveyor belt is configured to move a respective bin into alignment with the opening by moving the respective bin in either a first direction or an opposite second direction depending upon the direction in which the respective bin is most nearly proximate to the opening such that the support surface of the respective bin is permitted to open and the medication carried by the respective bin is dispensed through the opening to a second drawer, wherein the conveyor belt is configured to move the respective bin relative to the first drawer following dispensing of the medication such that the first drawer guides the support surface of the respective bin to a closed position as a result of engagement of the support surface of the respective bin by a portion of the first drawer proximate the opening, and wherein the second drawer is configured to secure the medication.

2. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein each bin further comprises a wall extending outwardly from and circumferentially about the support surface to thereby define a cavity that is configured to receive the medication.

3. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the support surface is biased to open.

4. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of conveyor belts disposed within the first drawer.

5. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of drawers comprise the second drawer adjacent to the first drawer, and wherein the opening defined by the first drawer opens into the second drawer such that medication dispensed through the opening is collected within the second drawer.

6. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 further comprising a computer configured to cause the conveyor belt to be moved in a respective one of the first or second directions such that the respective bin is moved to a nearest proximity, wherein the nearest proximity is configured as a shortest distance into alignment with the opening.

7. A medication dispensing drawer assembly comprising:

a drawer comprising a support surface and a wall extending outwardly from the support surface;

a conveyor belt disposed within the drawer; and

a plurality of carriers operably connected to the conveyor belt for movement therewith, wherein the carriers are configured to carry medication for movement with the conveyor belt and to limit movement of the medication in a direction away from the conveyor belt to prevent contact between the medication and the drawer, and wherein each carrier comprises an openable support surface,

wherein the drawer defines an opening and the conveyor belt is configured to move a respective carrier into alignment with the opening by moving the respective bin in either a first direction or an opposite second direction depending upon the direction in which the respective carrier is most nearly proximate to the opening such that the support surface of the respective carrier is permitted to open and the medication carried by the respective carrier is dispensed through the opening to a second drawer, and wherein the conveyor belt is configured to move the respective carrier relative to the drawer following dispensing of the medication such that the drawer guides the support surface of the respective carrier to a closed position as a result of engagement of the support surface of the respective carrier by a portion of the drawer proximate the opening, and wherein the second drawer is configured to secure the medication.

8. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 7 wherein the plurality of carriers comprise a plurality of bins.

9. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 8 wherein each bin further comprises a wall extending outwardly from and circumferentially about the support surface of the respective bin to thereby define a cavity that is configured to receive the medication.

10. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 9 wherein the support surface of the respective bin is configured to limit movement of the medication as a result of gravitational forces and the wall of the respective bin is configured to limit movement of the medication as a result of centrifugal forces.

11. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 9 wherein the support surface of the respective bin is biased to open.

12. A medication dispensing cabinet comprising:

a cabinet body;

a plurality of drawers including first and second drawers disposed within and configured for slideable extension relative to the cabinet body;

a conveyor belt disposed with the first drawer; and

a plurality of bins operably connected to the conveyor belt for movement therewith, wherein each bin comprises an openable support surface and a wall extending outwardly from the support surface to thereby define a cavity that is configured to receive medication for movement with the conveyor belt,

wherein the first drawer defines an opening and the conveyor belt is configured to move a respective bin into alignment with the opening by moving the respective bin in either a first direction or an opposite second direction depending upon the direction in which the respective bin is most nearly proximate to the opening such that the support surface of the respective bin is permitted to open and the medication carried by the respective bin is dispensed through the opening,

wherein the second drawer is adjacent to the first drawer, wherein the opening defined by the first drawer opens into the second drawer such that medication dispensed through the opening is collected within the second drawer, wherein the second drawer is configured to be locked while the medication is dispensed into the second drawer and unlocked following dispensing of the medication into the second drawer.

13. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 12 wherein the wall of each bin extends circumferentially about the support surface.

14. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 13 wherein the support surface is configured to limit movement of the medication as a result of gravitational forces and the wall is configured to limit movement of the medication as a result of centrifugal forces.

15. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 14 wherein the first drawer comprises a support surface and a wall extending outwardly from the support surface of the first drawer, and wherein each bin is configured to limit movement of the medication in a direction away from the conveyor belt to prevent contact between the medication and the first drawer.

16. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 12 wherein the support surface of the respective bin is biased to open.

17. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 12 further comprising a plurality of conveyor belts disposed within the first drawer and a plurality of sets of bins, wherein each set of bins includes a plurality of bins connected to a respective conveyor belt, wherein the first drawer defines a plurality of opening with each opening associated with a respective conveyor belt, and wherein the plurality of drawers comprises a plurality of second drawers adjacent to the first drawer with each second drawer positioned such that a respective opening defined by the first drawer opens thereinto.