Interactive kiosk for counting, labeling, and shipping of recalled medication capsules
First Claim
1. A kiosk comprising:
- a housing;
a touch screen mounted to the housing that is configured to receive input information, wherein the input information relates to pills;
a label printer mounted to the housing that is configured to print output information, wherein the output information relates to the pills;
a pill drop opening;
a pill chute in communication with the pill drop opening;
a drive tube having an entry opening and an exit opening, wherein the drive tube is tubular, wherein the exit opening is higher than the entry opening such that a longitudinal axial centerline of the drive tube is inclined, wherein an inside surface of the drive tube comprises a helical flute, wherein the entry opening is in communication with the pill chute, and wherein an amount that the longitudinal axial centerline of the drive tube is inclined is adjustable relative to the housing;
a motor configured to rotate the drive tube to separate and convey the pills received through the pill drop opening and the pill chute; and
an optical counter configured to count the pills as the pills fall from the exit opening of the drive tube.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A kiosk according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a housing; a touch screen configured to receive input information from a user; a label printer configured to print output information from the kiosk; a pill drop opening; a pill chute; a drive tube having entry and exit openings, wherein the drive tube has an axis extending through a longitudinal axial centerline thereof, and has an inside surface comprising a helical flute, wherein the entry opening is in communication with the pill chute, and wherein the exit opening is higher than the entry opening such that the axial centerline of the drive tube is inclined; a motor configured to rotate the drive tube to separate and convey pills received through the pill drop opening and the pill chute; and an optical counter configured to count the pills as the pills fall from the exit opening of the drive tube.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A kiosk comprising:
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a housing; a touch screen mounted to the housing that is configured to receive input information, wherein the input information relates to pills; a label printer mounted to the housing that is configured to print output information, wherein the output information relates to the pills; a pill drop opening; a pill chute in communication with the pill drop opening; a drive tube having an entry opening and an exit opening, wherein the drive tube is tubular, wherein the exit opening is higher than the entry opening such that a longitudinal axial centerline of the drive tube is inclined, wherein an inside surface of the drive tube comprises a helical flute, wherein the entry opening is in communication with the pill chute, and wherein an amount that the longitudinal axial centerline of the drive tube is inclined is adjustable relative to the housing; a motor configured to rotate the drive tube to separate and convey the pills received through the pill drop opening and the pill chute; and an optical counter configured to count the pills as the pills fall from the exit opening of the drive tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method comprising:
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receiving, from a user interface, input information related to pills; determining a size of the pills based on the input information; and causing an adjustment mechanism to adjust an amount of an incline of a drive tube based on the size of the pills; causing a drive motor to rotate the drive tube, wherein rotating the drive tube causes pills dropped into the drive tube to separate and to be conveyed along the incline of the drive tube, and wherein rotating the drive tube causes the pills to be dropped past an optical counter; receiving, from the optical counter, an indication of a number of pills that dropped past the optical counter; and causing a label printer to print a label comprising output information, wherein the output information comprises the number of pills and at least a portion of the input information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification