Methods and systems for automated pharmaceutical dispensing
First Claim
1. A pharmaceutical order filling system comprising:
- an order processing device to receive a pharmaceutical order; and
an automated dispensing device comprisinga filling cabinet including a cell containing an available quantity of a pharmaceutical of the pharmaceutical order,a prefill assembly including a buffer tube that is in communication with the cell of the filling cabinet and that is configured to stage dispensing of a plurality of measured quantities of the pharmaceutical,wherein the automated dispensing device is communicatively coupled to the order processing device and configured to dispense a first measured quantity of the available quantity of the pharmaceutical into the buffer tube and to dispense the first measured quantity of the pharmaceutical from the buffer tube into a container, wherein the first measured quantity is selected from the plurality of measured quantities, andwherein the cell comprising a funnel, wherein the cell is adapted to receive an insert, the insert being adapted to receive the available quantity of the pharmaceutical and to dispense the first measured quantity of the pharmaceutical through a dispensing tube of the insert, and the funnel comprising a weighted gate adapted to receive the dispensing tube of the insert.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pharmaceutical order filling system receives pharmaceutical orders and uses an automated dispensing device to dispense pharmaceuticals into containers. The automated dispensing device is configured with a filling cabinet that stores and dispenses measured quantities of pharmaceuticals and is further configured to stage measured quantities of pharmaceuticals in buffer tubes to enable efficient fulfillment of the pharmaceutical orders. Containers may be disposed on a pallet which may be moved within an automated dispensing device to place the containers under buffer tubes to receive measured quantities of pharmaceuticals from the buffer tubes into appropriate containers in an efficient manner.
29 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A pharmaceutical order filling system comprising:
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an order processing device to receive a pharmaceutical order; and an automated dispensing device comprising a filling cabinet including a cell containing an available quantity of a pharmaceutical of the pharmaceutical order, a prefill assembly including a buffer tube that is in communication with the cell of the filling cabinet and that is configured to stage dispensing of a plurality of measured quantities of the pharmaceutical, wherein the automated dispensing device is communicatively coupled to the order processing device and configured to dispense a first measured quantity of the available quantity of the pharmaceutical into the buffer tube and to dispense the first measured quantity of the pharmaceutical from the buffer tube into a container, wherein the first measured quantity is selected from the plurality of measured quantities, and wherein the cell comprising a funnel, wherein the cell is adapted to receive an insert, the insert being adapted to receive the available quantity of the pharmaceutical and to dispense the first measured quantity of the pharmaceutical through a dispensing tube of the insert, and the funnel comprising a weighted gate adapted to receive the dispensing tube of the insert. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A pharmaceutical order filling system comprising:
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an automated dispensing device cooperatively comprising a filling cabinet including a plurality of cells, each cell of the plurality of cells containing a quantity of a pharmaceutical selected from a plurality of pharmaceuticals, a prefill assembly including a plurality of buffer tubes, each buffer tube of the plurality of buffer tubes being in respective communication with a particular cell of the plurality of cells, a pallet assembly including an x-y movement apparatus adapted to engage and move a pallet within the pallet assembly, wherein a plurality of containers are disposed on the pallet, and a first cell of the plurality of cells comprising a funnel, wherein the first cell is adapted to receive an insert comprising a dispensing tube, and wherein the dispensing tube is adapted to engage and push open a funnel gate of the funnel when the insert is in the cell, and wherein the automated dispensing device is configured to dispense a first measured quantity of a first pharmaceutical from the first cell into a first holding area of a first buffer tube uniquely associated with the first cell and to dispense the first measured quantity of the first pharmaceutical from the first holding area of the first buffer tube into a first container when the first container is positioned below the first buffer tube, wherein the first pharmaceutical is among the plurality of pharmaceuticals, the first cell is among the plurality of cells, the first buffer tube is among the plurality of buffer tubes, and the first container is among the plurality of containers. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A pharmaceutical order filling system comprising:
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an automated dispensing device cooperatively comprising a filling cabinet including a plurality of cells, each cell of the plurality of cells containing a quantity of a pharmaceutical selected from a plurality of pharmaceuticals, a prefill assembly including a plurality of buffer tubes, each buffer tube of the plurality of buffer tubes being in respective communication with a particular cell of the plurality of cells, and a pallet assembly including an x-y movement apparatus adapted to engage and move a pallet within the pallet assembly, wherein a plurality of containers are disposed on the pallet, wherein the automated dispensing device is configured to dispense a first measured quantity of a first pharmaceutical from a first cell into a first holding area of a first buffer tube uniquely associated with the first cell and to dispense the first measured quantity of the first pharmaceutical from the first holding area of the first buffer tube into a first container when the first container is positioned below the first buffer tube, wherein the first pharmaceutical is among the plurality of pharmaceuticals, the first cell is among the plurality of cells, the first buffer tube is among the plurality of buffer tubes, and the first container is among the plurality of containers, wherein the first buffer tube comprises a buffer tube gate configured to release the first measured quantity of the first pharmaceutical from the first holding area, wherein the buffer tube gate is configured to flutter by opening and closing in quick succession, wherein the first cell comprises a funnel, wherein the first cell is adapted to receive an insert comprising a dispensing tube, and wherein the dispensing tube is adapted to engage and push open a funnel gate of the funnel when the insert is in the cell. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification