Patent Publication Number: US-9884695-B2

Title: Compartment configured for presentation of stored articles

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     Small, loose articles, such as unit dose medications, are often stored in compartments of a storage unit, such as a cabinet or cart. Depending on the size of the compartment, the configuration of the article, and the angle of the user with respect to the stored article, it may be difficult to remove the desired article from the compartment in which it is stored. Conventional compartments are often sized large enough so that a user can reach into the compartment to grasp the desired article. 
     In certain applications, such as in the context of a health care provider (e.g., a hospital, pharmacy, physicians&#39; office, nursing home, dentist&#39;s office, or the like), it is often critical that the correct article is dispensed from the storage unit and that the dispensing process itself is not burdensome or time-consuming. 
     Accordingly, there is a need in the art for devices and methods of facilitating the removal of such articles from their respective compartments in a manner that is both accurate and efficient. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention address, among other things, the above need by providing a compartment that is configured to facilitate the dispensing of small articles from within the compartment by at least partially removing the article from the receptacle of the compartment and presenting the article to the user. In this way, the user can more easily see, grab, and remove the article from its compartment. 
     Accordingly, a compartment for storing an article is provided, where the compartment comprises a receptacle, a lid, and a holding member. The receptacle may be configured to receive an article and may define an opening via which the article is received. The lid may be configured to move into and out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle so as to define an open position in which the lid is out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle and a closed position in which the lid is in engagement with the opening of the receptacle. The holding member may be disposed on the lid, and the holding member may be configured to releasably secure the article to the lid. In the closed position, the holding member and an article secured to the lid via the holding member may be received within the receptacle, whereas in the open position, the article secured to the lid via the holding member may be at least partially removed from the receptacle so as to be presented to a user for dispensing from the compartment. 
     In some embodiments, the holding member may comprise a first arm and a second arm, and the first and second arms may be configured to receive at least a portion of the article therebetween. The first and second arms of the holding member may, for example, define a C-shape. Moreover, the first and second arms of the holding member may be biased toward each other. In some cases, the holding member may be integral to the lid. The lid may be connected to the receptacle via a hinge. 
     The compartment may be oriented such that the lid and the holding member support a side of the article in the open position. In some embodiments, a sensor may be disposed on at least one of the lid, the receptacle, or the holding member, and the sensor may be configured to detect removal of the article secured to the lid via the holding member. 
     In some cases, the lid may be biased toward the closed position. The lid may be configured to provide dual-direction biasing. In some embodiments, the holding member may comprise an array of holding members. 
     In other embodiments, a storage unit for dispensing medication comprising a plurality of compartments may be provided. At least one of the compartments may comprise a receptacle, a lid, and a holding member. The receptacle may be configured to receive an article and may define an opening via which the article is received. The lid may be configured to move into and out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle so as to define an open position in which the lid is out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle and a closed position in which the lid is in engagement with the opening of the receptacle. The holding member may be disposed on the lid, and the holding member may be configured to releasably secure the article to the lid. In the closed position, the holding member and an article secured to the lid via the holding member may be received within the receptacle, whereas in the open position, the article secured to the lid via the holding member may be at least partially removed from the receptacle so as to be presented to a user for dispensing from the compartment. 
     In some cases, the holding member may comprise a first arm and a second arm, and the first and second arms may be configured to receive at least a portion of the article therebetween. The first and second arms of the holding member may be biased toward each other. Additionally or alternatively, at least some of the compartments may be oriented with respect to the storage unit such that the respective lid and holding member support a side of the article in the open position. 
     In still other embodiments, a method of dispensing medication from a storage unit is provided comprising storing an article within a compartment of the storage unit and presenting the article to a user for dispensing from the compartment. The compartment may comprise a receptacle, a lid, and a holding member. The receptacle may be configured to receive the article and may define an opening via which the article is received. The lid may be configured to move into and out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle so as to define an open position in which the lid is out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle and a closed position in which the lid is in engagement with the opening of the receptacle. The holding member may be disposed on the lid. The article may be releasably secured to the lid via the holding member. 
     Presentation of the article to a user for dispensing from the compartment may occur upon movement of the lid to the open position. Presenting the article to the user may comprise partially removing the article from the receptacle. In the closed position, the holding member and the article may be received within the receptacle. Moreover, storing the article within the compartment may comprise receiving the article between a first arm and a second arm of the holding member. 
     In some cases, presenting the article to the user may comprise supporting a side of the article. Additionally or alternatively, removal of the article secured to the lid via the holding member may be detected. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a storage unit including a number of drawers in accordance with one example embodiment; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a drawer of the storage unit of  FIG. 1  including compartments in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a compartment having a receptacle and a lid in the open position accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a compartment having a receptacle and a lid in the closed position in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 5A-5I  illustrate examples of articles that may be stored in compartments configured in accordance with one example embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 6A-6D  illustrate examples of configurations of holding members for storing different configurations of articles in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  illustrates a compartment having an array of holding members disposed on the lid according to an example embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present inventions now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all embodiments of the inventions are shown. Indeed, embodiments of these inventions may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. 
     Although the description that follows includes examples in which embodiments of the invention are used in the context of compartments of medication storage units (such as unit dose compartments of a cabinet at a nurse&#39;s station in a hospital) for ease of explanation, it is understood that embodiments of the invention may benefit and improve various types of storage units storing various types of articles, related and unrelated to the health care industry. For example, embodiments of the invention may be used for storage units for storing construction tools, sewing equipment, candy, or any other articles that are relatively small, are discrete, and can be presented to a user for removal from the compartment as described below. 
     As noted above, small, loose articles, such as vials, blister packs, one-time use syringes, and the like, are often placed in compartments of storage units. Turning to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , for example, a storage unit  5  may be configured to store a number of different types and quantities of medication. The storage unit  5  may include one or more drawers  10 . The term “drawer” as used herein may refer to a structural division of space used for storing items. For example, the drawer  10  may be slideably received within the storage unit  5 , as depicted, or the drawer may be fixed within the storage unit (such as, e.g., a shelf or the like). 
     Different types of storage units  5  may include different sizes and styles of drawers  10 , depending on the types of medications to be stored in the drawers, the quantities required (which may be dictated by the size of the facility), and user preferences. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1 , some drawers  10  may be sized to hold unit dose medication (e.g., medication that represents a single dose to be administered to the patient), referenced herein as a unit dose dispensing drawer. In this regard, a unit dose dispensing drawer  12  may be sized smaller and/or shallower than other drawers, such that a unit dose dispensing drawer (shown in  FIG. 2 ) may include four, six, eight, or more compartments  20 , and the storage unit  5  may include four, five, six, or more unit dose dispensing drawers in each row. In the depicted embodiment of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , two rows of unit dose dispensing drawers  12  are provided, each row includes six drawers, and each drawer includes six compartments  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , each compartment  20  may be configured to store at least one article  25 , such as a container or dispenser holding a single dose of a particular medication. Thus, depending on the size, form (e.g., liquid, pill, capsule, etc.), packaging (e.g., cartridge strip, bottle, etc.), and/or special requirements for the medication (e.g., restricted access, such as a narcotic; medication requiring refrigeration; etc.), the particular configuration (e.g., size and shape) of the compartment  20  may be different from one drawer  12  to the next or within the same drawer. Furthermore, as shown, some compartments  20  may include lids  30  to keep the contents of the compartment in place and/or to provide a level of security for certain types of articles  25 , as described in greater detail below. Some lids  30  may be clear, allowing a user to view the contents of the compartment  20  with the lid closed, while others may be opaque, obscuring the view of the contents. In still other cases, the lids  30  may be locked until access by an authorized user to the contents of the locked compartment  20  is granted, at which time the lid may be unlocked and/or opened to allow retrieval of the article  25  stored therein. The compartment  20  may be sized to have dimensions that are close to the overall dimensions of the article  25  (or articles) to be stored in the compartment, rather than being oversized to accommodate a user&#39;s hand or fingers for manually removing the article. In this way, there may be minimal wasted space in compartments  20  configured according to embodiments of the invention. 
     As noted above, the dispensing of small articles  25  from compartments such as the compartments  20  of the unit dose dispensing drawers  12  may be difficult for a user. Depending on the user&#39;s height and the position of the unit dose dispensing drawer  12  within the storage unit  5 , the user may not be able to see the article stored within the drawer to verify that the correct article is being dispensed until after the article has been removed from the drawer. Moreover, depending on the actual size and shape of the article  25 , the user may have difficulty grasping and removing the article from the compartment  20 . When multiple articles  25  are stored in a single compartment  20 , the user may inadvertently grasp and/or dispense more than one article, requiring the user to examine the articles withdrawn from the compartment, select a particular article to be dispensed, and return the rest of the articles back to the compartment. Such unnecessary handling may delay the administration of the medication to the patient, result in articles being accidently dropped on the ground (which, depending on the packaging of the article, may destroy and/or otherwise waste medication, and/or may cause the user to be frustrated). 
     A storage unit is thus provided according to embodiments of the invention that includes a number of compartments  20 , one of which is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . It is understood that although a particular configuration of an article  25  is shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , many other types, sizes, and quantities of articles may benefit from embodiments of the invention, as described below, for example, with reference to  FIGS. 5A-5I . The compartments  20  may be configured for storing at least one article  25  and may include a receptacle  40 , a lid  30 , and a holding member  50 . The receptacle  40  may be configured to receive the article  25  and may define an opening  42  via which the article is received. The lid  30  may be configured to move into and out of engagement with the opening  42  of the receptacle  40  so as to define an open position (shown in  FIG. 3 ) in which the lid is out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle and a closed position (shown in  FIG. 4 ) in which the lid is in engagement with the opening of the receptacle. For example, the lid  30  may be connected to the receptacle  40  via a hinge  32 , as shown. 
     The holding member  50 , in turn, may be disposed on the lid  30 . The holding member  50  may be configured to releasably secure the article  25  to the lid  30 . Thus, in the closed position (shown in  FIG. 4 ), the holding member  50  and an article  25  that is secured to the lid  30  via the holding member may be received within the receptacle  40 , as shown. In the open position (shown in  FIG. 3 ), the article  25  secured to the lid  30  via the holding member  50  may be at least partially removed from the receptacle  40 . Thus, when the lid  30  is opened, the article  25  is automatically presented to the user for dispensing the article from the compartment  20 . In other words, because the article  25  is being held by the holding member  50 , the article moves with the lid  30 , and opening the compartment  20  removes the article at least part of the way out of the receptacle  40  so that the user need not reach into the receptacle to grasp the article, but may simply pluck the article from the holding member to dispense it. Presentation of the article  25  to the user in this manner thus serves to make the article more visible to the user (e.g., it is no longer inside the receptacle  40  and can be easily identified), as well as making the article separately and more easily graspable by the user, as it is separately held out to the user for dispensing, rather than haphazardly sitting within the receptacle, possibly with other similar articles. 
     The holding member  50  may, for example, be a separate structure that is attached (e.g., adhered, fastened, welded, or otherwise connected) to the inner surface  34  of the lid  30 . In some embodiments, however, the holding member  50  may be integral to the lid  30 . The holding member  50  may be made of any suitable material, such as metal or plastic material. For example, the holding member  50  may be integrally molded with the lid  30  (e.g., in cases in which the lid is made of a molded plastic material). 
     The holding member  50  may have various configurations depending on the type of article  25  that is to be stored within the respective compartment  20 . For example, articles  25  that may be stored within the compartment include unit dose packaging ( FIG. 5A ), unit dose blister packaging ( FIG. 5B ), vials ( FIG. 5C ), ampoules ( FIG. 5D ), single dose syringes ( FIG. 5E ), packaged single dose syringes ( FIG. 5F ), tubes ( FIG. 5G ), packets ( FIG. 5H ), tubs ( FIG. 5I ), and so on. The holding member  50  may be configured (e.g., sized and shaped) so as to securely hold the particular article  25  to the lid  30  in both the open and closed positions, as well as while the lid is being moved between the open and closed positions. 
     Accordingly, with reference to  FIGS. 6A-6C , the holding member  50  may include a first arm  52  and a second arm  54 . The first and second arms  52 ,  54  may be configured in various ways to receive at least a portion of the article  25  therebetween. For example, in some embodiments, the first and second arms  52 ,  54  of the holding member  50  may be biased toward each other. In some cases, such as when articles  25  having a circular dimension are to be stored in the compartment (e.g., vials, ampoules, syringes, etc.), the first and second arms  52 ,  54  of the holding member  50  may define a C-shape, as depicted in  FIG. 6A . In this regard, each arm  52 ,  54  may extend from the inner surface  34  of the lid  30  and may include a free end  53 ,  55 . The user may secure the article  25  to the lid  30  by pushing the article past the free ends  53 ,  55  and into a receiving space  58  defined between the two arms, as indicated by the arrow A in  FIG. 6A . 
     In embodiments in which the first and second arms  52 ,  54  are biased toward each other, the free ends  53 ,  55  may have a tendency to move inward, towards the receiving space  58  and the received article  25 , based on the bias of the arms. Thus, by pushing the article  25  in the direction A, the free ends  53 ,  55  and the respective arms  52 ,  54  may be pushed outward (e.g., momentarily overcoming the bias), in the direction B as indicated, so as to allow the article to be received within the receiving space  58 . Once the widest dimension D of the article  25  has passed through the free ends  53 ,  55 , the free ends and the respective arms  52 ,  54  may move back towards the article  25  due to the bias force to hold the article in place. 
     In other embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 6B , the first and second arms  52 ,  54  may be configured more linearly (as compared to the C-shaped configuration depicted in  FIG. 6A ), and may, for example, comprise substantially flat strips of material that are configured to receive a flat portion of the article  25  therebetween. As another example, the first and second arms  52 ,  54  may include other configurations of components that define planar engaging surfaces for securing the article, such as in a manner similar to the curved wires of a paper clip. For example, articles  25  such as unit dose packages ( FIG. 5A ) and unit dose blister packages ( FIG. 5B ) may include relatively thin portions  26  of the packaging (e.g., where portions of the packaging are sealed to each other on a periphery of the package), and these relatively thin portions may be received between the free ends  53 ,  55  and may be held between the first and second arms  52 ,  54 , which may (as noted above) be biased toward each other. 
     In another example, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6C , each of the first and second arms  52 ,  54  may be configured to define an S-shape, and the respective free ends  53 ,  55  may include an engaging portion  59  that is configured to contact and frictionally engage a corresponding surface of the article  25  (e.g., the unit dose package or unit dose blister package shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B ). Again, the first and second arms  52 ,  54  may be biased toward each other, such that the arms are pushed outward, away from each other in the direction B, as the article  25  is moved in the direction A, and the engaging portions  59  exert a force on corresponding surfaces of the article to hold it in place between the two arms. 
     In still other embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 6D , the first and second arms  52 ,  54  may be configured to receive bulkier configurations of packaging, such as tubs ( FIG. 5I ). In this regard, each of the first and second arms  52 ,  54  may have a V-shape, and the respective free ends  53 ,  55  may include an engaging portion  59  that is configured to contact and frictionally engage a corresponding surface of the article  25  (e.g., the tub shown in  FIG. 5I ). Again, the first and second arms  52 ,  54  may be biased toward each other, such that the arms are pushed outward, away from each other in the direction B, as the article  25  is moved in the direction A, and the engaging portions  59  exert a force on corresponding surfaces of the article to hold it in place between the two arms, at the same time allowing for odd- or non-uniformly-shaped packaging of the articles to be accommodated by the receiving space  58  due to the V-shape of each arm. 
     Although several configurations of the holding member  50  are described above and depicted in  FIGS. 6A-6D , various other configurations may be provided according to embodiments of the invention. In this regard, the holding member  50  may be configured to receive and secure one or more of the articles  25  (and/or packaging configurations) shown in  FIGS. 5A-5I . In other embodiments, however, packaging for the articles  25  may be specially designed to optimize or facilitate securement by the holding member  50 . 
     Turning again to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , in some cases the compartments  20  may be arranged within a drawer  12  of the storage unit  5  such that the opening  42  of the receptacle  40  (shown in  FIG. 3 ) is facing up, and the receptacle defines a wall  44  and four sidewalls  46  (also shown in  FIG. 3 ), where the wall  44  forms a bottom wall of the receptacle. In such configurations, the article  25  secured to the lid  30  via the holding member  50  may be lowered into the receptacle  40  upon closure of the lid and lifted up and out of the receptacle for presentation to the user upon opening of the lid, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , for example. According to these configurations, the lid  30 , in the open position, may rest on an adjacent compartment, such as the compartment in front of the compartment being accessed, and may, as a result, require that the lid  30  of this adjacent compartment be in the closed position so as not to interfere with the opening and closure of the compartment being accessed. In this regard, at least some of the compartments  20  may be oriented with respect to the storage unit such that the respective lid  30  and holding member  50  support a side of the article in the open position (e.g., minimizing the risk of dislodging the article when the lid is opened and the article is presented to the user). 
     In other embodiments, the compartments may be oriented such that the wall  44  forms a rear wall of the receptacle  40 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . In the orientation shown in  FIG. 3 , the respective lid  30  and holding member  50  may again support a side of the article  25  in the open position, in that the lid and/or receptacle may comprise a stop feature that maintains the lid at a 180° angle with respect to the adjacent sidewall  46  (e.g., the sidewall connected to the lid via the hinge  32 ) in the open position. In this way, the lid  30  may again help prevent the article or articles  25  being presented from falling to the floor when the lid is in the open position. For example, an array of compartments  20  may be built into or attached on a wall (e.g., providing a storage unit having a depth equivalent to that of a single compartment and extending a width and height equivalent to that of the number of compartments in the array). Whereas such a configuration of conventional compartments may create a risk of the article  25  tipping and/or rolling out of the receptacle  40  and onto the floor when the lid  30  is opened by a user, embodiments of the invention may secure the article in place until the article is intentionally withdrawn from the holding member  50  by the user. 
     Continuing to refer to  FIG. 3 , in still other embodiments, the lid  30  may be biased toward the closed position, such that the user must apply a force to the lid (e.g., manually or automatically, such as when the lid is opened using automated controls of the storage unit) that overcomes the biasing force. The biasing force may be provided by a spring component  60  proximate the hinge  32  and/or cooperating with the hinge  32 . In this way, when the force applied to the lid  30  to hold the lid in the open position is removed (e.g., manually or automatically), the lid  30  may return to the closed position without requiring further intervention from the user. This feature may be useful, for example, in embodiments, in which the compartments are oriented as depicted in  FIG. 2 , so that the compartment being accessed is closed as soon as access is no longer required to provide the user with access to other proximate compartments that may be needed (e.g., when only one compartment at a time can be accessed) and/or to allow the respective drawer to be closed (e.g., where the open lid may interfere with closure of the drawer). 
     In other embodiments, however, the lid  30  may be configured to provide dual-direction biasing. For example, the lid  30  may be biased toward the closed position when the lid is rotated approximately 90° or less from the closed position, but may be biased toward the open position when rotated more than 90° from the closed position. In this way, the biasing force may ensure that the compartment  20  is completely closed if the lid  30  is left within a range of rotation angles between approximately 0° and approximately 90° (e.g., indicating that the user intends to close the lid), while at the same time facilitating opening of the compartment when the lid is within a range of rotation angles between approximately 90° and approximately 180° or more (e.g., indicating that the user intends to open the compartment). The biasing force of the lid  30  may thus assist the user in both keeping the compartment  20  fully open and securely closed. 
     Other features and functionalities may be provided on the compartment according to the preferences of the user to facilitate and enhance the user&#39;s access to the compartments and the articles stored therein. For example, in some embodiments, the compartment  20  may comprise a sensor  70  disposed on at least one of the lid  30 , the receptacle  40 , or the holding member  50 . In  FIG. 3 , for example, the sensor  70  is disposed on the lid  30 . The sensor  70  may be configured to detect the presence of the article  25  that is secured to the lid  30  via the holding member  50  and/or may be configured to detect removal of the article. When the storage unit  5  is an automated dispensing cabinet, for example, data from the sensor  70  may be provided to the user via a display of the cabinet to let the user know which compartments are empty and which compartments have articles  25  stored therein. In this way, the user may know which compartment  20  to open to gain access to certain articles  25  without having to open the compartment first. In other embodiments, such as in non-automated dispensing cabinets, the lid  30  may be configured to be transparent or at least partially transparent, so as to allow the user to see through the lid to visually identify which compartments are occupied and which are vacant. In this regard, the holding member  50  itself may be transparent or at least partially transparent, so as not to obscure a view of the article  25 . 
     In some cases, compartments  20  may be configured to store multiple articles. With conventional compartments, a user may be required to count the articles stored in a particular compartment to provide or update an inventory of the compartment or storage unit and/or to verify that the correct articles were dispensed. Relying on a user&#39;s manual count in such cases, however, places a burden on the user and creates a risk of inaccurate inventory as the exact article that was dispensed cannot be accurately identified or tracked. 
     Accordingly, in some embodiments, the sensor  70  may enable the storage unit to automatically record the removal of an article  25  from the respective compartment  20 . For example, although the embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 1-4  show a compartment  20  having only one holding member  50  disposed on the lid  30 , in certain embodiments the holding member may comprise an array  80  of holding members, such as (for example) a 5×2 array of holding members arranged as shown in  FIG. 7 . The array  80  of holding members  50  may be, for example, configured to secure multiple unit dose packages ( FIG. 5A ) or unit dose blister packages ( FIG. 5B ) to the lid  30 . In this regard, a sensor (such as the sensor  70  shown in  FIG. 3 ) may be configured to detect and/or record the removal of each article  25  from the array  80  and may further be configured to update an inventory of the storage unit with the data obtained. In this way, the risk of inaccurate inventories and user delay in having to conduct manual counts may be minimized or eliminated. Moreover, even in embodiments in which a sensor  70  is not provided, presentation of multiple articles  25  using an array  80  of holding member  50  as described above may facilitate manual counts of the articles, as users may be able to view and count the articles without touching or removing the articles from the compartments. 
     As noted above, providing an array  80  of holding members  50  (regardless of the sensor  70 ) may also allow for the space in the respective compartment  20  to be more efficiently used, while at the same time the user need not fumble around in the receptacle in an attempt to grasp and withdraw one of the packages from among a number of packages being stored within the compartment. In this way, all of the packages stored in the compartment  20  would be removed from the receptacle  40  and presented to the user at the same time, and the user would be able to select one or more of the articles  25  to dispense more easily. As a result, embodiments of the invention may allow compartments to be made smaller to accommodate only the size and quantity of the articles that are intended to be stored, rather than requiring the size of the compartment to be sized large enough to also accommodate the size of the user&#39;s hand for manually removing the article from the receptacle. 
     Furthermore, in some embodiments, such as in embodiments in which the storage unit is an automated dispensing cabinet, for example, access to the drawers  10 ,  12  may be restricted to certain authorized users. In this regard, one or more of the drawers  10 ,  12  (or in some cases, the compartments  20 ) may be accessible only when medication stored in the particular drawer (or a particular compartment) is to be dispensed. Accordingly, each drawer  10 ,  12  and/or compartment  20  may be in a locked state until an authorized user interfaces with the storage unit  5  to dispense a particular medication stored within a particular compartment, at which point the storage unit may unlock and/or open the drawer and/or compartment containing the selected medication to allow the user&#39;s access. In some cases, the storage unit  5  may unlock all of its drawers  10  upon determining that a user is authorized to access the storage unit, regardless of the location of the particular medication requested, wherein in other cases, the storage unit may unlock only a particular compartment  20  or set of compartments upon the request by the user to access a particular prescription. 
     The storage units and compartments configured according to embodiments of the invention as described above may thus allow a user to identify and dispense articles of various shapes and sizes, and in particular small, loose articles that may have a tendency to “get lost” in a compartment of a storage unit, in an easier and more efficient manner. A method of dispensing medication from a storage unit configured according to the embodiments described above is thus provided, in which an article is stored within a compartment of the storage unit. As described above, the storage unit may include a receptacle configured to receive the article and defining an opening via which the article is received, as well as a lid and at least one holding member disposed on the lid. As described above, the lid may be configured to move into and out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle so as to define an open position in which the lid is out of engagement with the opening of the receptacle and a closed position in which the lid is in engagement with the opening of the receptacle. The article may be releasably secured to the lid via the holding member. 
     Accordingly, the article may be presented to the user for dispensing from the compartment upon movement of the lid to the open position. As described above, presenting the article to the user in this way may comprise at least partially removing the article from the receptacle. To dispense the article from the compartment, the user need only grasp a portion of the article and pull the article from the holding member. Moreover, as described above, in the closed position, the holding member and the article may be received within the receptacle. 
     In some embodiments, storing the article within the compartment may include receiving the article between a first arm and a second arm of the holding member. In some cases, presenting the article to the user may comprise supporting a side of the article. In addition or alternatively, in some embodiments, removal of the article secured to the lid via the holding member may be detected, such as via a sensor disposed on the lid, receptacle, or holding member, as described above. 
     Many modifications and other embodiments of the inventions set forth herein will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which these inventions pertain having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the inventions are not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. For example, although the description above makes reference to storage units and articles in the context of a health care provider, such as carts and cabinets storing medications in a pharmacy or hospital environment, it is understood that the embodiments described may be applicable to any type of articles in any field. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.