Managing medications at the bedside
First Claim
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1. A modular automated dispensing system for dispensing secured medications in a medical environment, the modular automated dispensing system comprising:
- a compact enclosure configured to be disposed on a support surface in a medical treatment area, wherein the compact enclosure does not require floor space in the medical treatment area;
a lock assembly;
one or more drawers for storing medications, each drawer configured to be secured in the compact enclosure when locked by the lock assembly, and each drawer configured to be slideably openable from the compact enclosure when unlocked by the lock assembly;
one or more compartments disposed within one of the drawers;
an access control interface operatively coupled to the lock assembly, the access control interface configured to provide an unlock signal to the lock assembly based on received authorization input; and
a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to read an RFID tag on a medication stored in a first drawer, wherein removal of the RFID tag from the first drawer automatically clears the removed medication from an electronically displayed dispensing queue and updates the inventory information of the modular automated dispensing system.
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Abstract
Modular automated dispensing systems for dispensing secured medications in a medical environment are provided. The system includes a compact enclosure configured to be disposed in a medical treatment area without taking up valuable floor space. The system includes lockable drawers having one or more compartments for storing and dispensing medications or medical supplies. The system is unlocked by use of an access control interface internally or externally connected directly to the system, or networked to the system through a medical center network.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A modular automated dispensing system for dispensing secured medications in a medical environment, the modular automated dispensing system comprising:
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a compact enclosure configured to be disposed on a support surface in a medical treatment area, wherein the compact enclosure does not require floor space in the medical treatment area; a lock assembly; one or more drawers for storing medications, each drawer configured to be secured in the compact enclosure when locked by the lock assembly, and each drawer configured to be slideably openable from the compact enclosure when unlocked by the lock assembly; one or more compartments disposed within one of the drawers; an access control interface operatively coupled to the lock assembly, the access control interface configured to provide an unlock signal to the lock assembly based on received authorization input; and a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to read an RFID tag on a medication stored in a first drawer, wherein removal of the RFID tag from the first drawer automatically clears the removed medication from an electronically displayed dispensing queue and updates the inventory information of the modular automated dispensing system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system for dispensing secured medications in a medical environment, the system comprising:
a plurality of modular automated dispensing devices, each modular dispensing device comprising; a compact enclosure configured to be disposed on a support surface in a medical treatment area, wherein the compact enclosure does not require floor space in the medical treatment area; a lock assembly; a plurality of drawers for storing medications, each drawer configured to be secured in the compact enclosure when locked by the lock assembly, and each drawer configured to be slideably openable from the compact enclosure when unlocked by the lock assembly; a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader configured to read an RFID tag on a medication stored in a first drawer, wherein removal of the RFID tag from the first drawer automatically clears the removed medication from an electronically displayed dispensing queue and updates the inventory information of the modular automated dispensing system; a plurality of compartments disposed within one of the drawers, wherein at least one compartment is one of a secure compartment configured to contain a single item and a controlled compartment configured to contain a plurality of items; and an access control interface operatively coupled to the lock assembly, the access control interface configured to provide an unlock signal to the lock assembly based on received authorization input, wherein each modular automated dispensing device is configured to unlock one or more of the drawers based on an authenticated dispensing request. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
Specification