Source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6170230.html
Timestamp: 2019-07-17 16:23:15
Document Index: 376072591

Matched Legal Cases: ['arts 17', 'art 17', 'art 17', 'art 27', 'art 80', 'art 33']

Medication collecting system - Automed Technologies, Inc.
United States Patent 6170230
Chudy, Duane S. (Lincolnshire, IL)
Sugimoto, Shigeru (Toyonaka, JP)
09/205861
Automed Technologies, Inc. (Vernon Hills, IL)
Yuyama Mfg. Co., Ltd. (Toyonaka, JP)
53/238, 53/531, 53/544
B65B1/30; A61J3/00; A61J7/00; B65B5/10; B65B27/08; G07F11/54; (IPC1-7): B65B19/18
53/493, 53/168, 53/238, 53/531, 53/544, 53/450, 221/73, 221/123, 221/129, 221/197
Download PDF 6170230 PDF help
5946883 Drug filling machine 1999-09-07 Yuyama et al. 53/168
5875610 Drug packaging device 1999-03-02 Yuyama et al. 53/168
5862942 Ampule dispenser 1999-01-26 Yuyama et al.
5852971 Printing apparatus for medicine bag 1998-12-29 Yuyama et al.
5839836 Printing apparatus for medicine bag 1998-11-24 Yuyama et al.
5839257 Drug packaging machine 1998-11-24 Soderstrom et al. 53/168
5838245 Cleaning time determining device for drug storage/discharge apparatus 1998-11-17 Murakami et al.
5819500 Medication packaging apparatus 1998-10-13 Haraguchi et al.
5810061 Drug dispenser and method for dispensing drug 1998-09-22 Yuyama
5803309 Tablet feeder 1998-09-08 Yuyama et al.
5800113 Device for separating series-connected plastic ampules 1998-09-01 Yuyama et al.
5798020 Medicine vial labeler 1998-08-25 Coughlin et al.
5787678 Drug packaging device 1998-08-04 Koike et al.
5771657 Automatic prescription filling, sorting and packaging system 1998-06-30 Lasher et al. 53/168
5765606 Medication filling apparatus 1998-06-16 Takemasa et al.
5762235 Medicament verification in an automatic dispensing system 1998-06-09 Coughlin
5761877 System for individual dosage medication distribution 1998-06-09 Quandt
5758095 Interactive medication ordering system 1998-05-26 Albaum et al.
RE35743 Patient medication dispensing and associated record keeping system 1998-03-17 Pearson
5722215 Sealing device 1998-03-03 Yuyama
5720154 Enhanced drug dispensing system 1998-02-24 Lasher et al.
5713487 Medicament verification in an automatic dispening system 1998-02-03 Coughlin
5713485 Drug dispensing system 1998-02-03 Liff et al.
5709063 Tablet packing machine 1998-01-20 Yuyama et al.
5704516 Ampule dispenser 1998-01-06 Yuyama
5678393 Drug packing apparatus 1997-10-21 Yuyama et al.
5671592 Medicine packing apparatus 1997-09-30 Yuyama et al.
5648751 Drug preparation tray 1997-07-15 Yuyama et al.
5604692 Method of controlling drug conveyor system 1997-02-18 Yuyama
5597995 Automated medical prescription fulfillment system having work stations for imaging, filling, and checking the dispensed drug product 1997-01-28 Williams et al.
5533606 Apparatus for storing and transporting drugs 1996-07-09 Yuyama
5528882 Wrap around caser 1996-06-25 Yamamoto 53/531
5481855 Tablet packing device and method for controlling the same 1996-01-09 Yuyama
5460294 Single dose pharmaceutical dispenser subassembly 1995-10-24 Williams
5431299 Medication dispensing and storing system with dispensing modules 1995-07-11 Brewer et al.
5401059 Process and unit for univocal pairing of drugs corresponding to a prescribed treatment with a given patient 1995-03-28 Ferrario
5377864 Drug dispensing apparatus 1995-01-03 Blechl et al.
5348061 Tablet accumulator for an automated prescription vial filling system 1994-09-20 Riley et al.
5335816 Interactive medication delivery system for medication prepackaged in blister packs 1994-08-09 Kaufman et al.
5292029 Patient medication dispensing and associated record 1994-03-08 Pearson
5253783 Apparatus for storing and automatically sorting items 1993-10-19 Freudelsperger
5233813 Manufacturing infusion packages 1993-08-10 Kenney et al. 53/450
5108005 Method and apparatus for automatically dispensing items from shelves 1992-04-28 Mosbacher
5097652 Drug packing apparatus 1992-03-24 Inamura et al.
5014875 Medication dispenser station 1991-05-14 McLaughlin et al.
4972657 Method of packaging medication for controlled dispensing 1990-11-27 McKee
4903861 Medicine feeder 1990-02-27 Yuyama
4870799 Installation for making up batches of articles 1989-10-03 Bergerioux et al.
4733362 Drug dispensing apparatus with a printer having programmable format 1988-03-22 Haraguchi
4664289 Drug dispensing apparatus 1987-05-12 Shimizu et al.
4546901 Apparatus for dispensing medication 1985-10-15 Buttarazzi
4360125 Medication inventory device 1982-11-23 Martindale et al.
3998356 Electronic system for article dispensing apparatus 1976-12-21 Christensen
3917045 Drug dispensing apparatus 1975-11-04 Williams et al.
3556342 MEDICINE DISPENSING APPARATUS 1971-01-19 Guerr
JP405085501 April, 1993 53/168
JP8145495 February, 1997
JPH08145495A 1996-06-07
JP40508550A
Medical Packaging Inc., "AutoPakTM--A Fully Automated Unit Dose Packaging System" undated.
Baker APS, "Baker The Pharmacy Productivity Company--Pharmacy 1000" undated.
Jansson, Shupe, Bridge & Munger Ltd.
The tray feed station 1, in which a plurality of trays 9 are stored in a stacked state within a cylindrical housing 8 having a rectangular cross section as shown in FIG. 2A, is enabled to feed out the trays 9 one by one. The housing 8 has, on its opposite sides, support feed claws 10 which are pivoted by an unshown motor or the like, respectively. The support feed claws 10 support peripheries of the lowermost tray 9 by their lower claw portions 10a and, by pivoting, place the lowermost tray 9 onto a feed-out plate 11 located below the lowermost tray 9. During this process, the support feed claws 10 support peripheries of the next tray 9 by their upper claw portions 10b as shown in FIG. 2B, thereby making it possible to take out only the lowermost tray 9. In addition, the support feed claws 10, after taking out the lowermost tray 9, return to the original position and support the next tray 9 by their lower claw portions 10a. The feed-out plate 11, which is guided by a lower opposite face of the housing 8, can be moved up and down by a motor or the like. This feed-out plate 11 has a plurality of rotation-drivable rollers 12 provided in parallel. In the lower operating position, the feed-out plate 11 is enabled to transversely convey the tray 9 placed through a lower opening of the housing 8 and feed out the tray 9 to the conveyor line 3.
The tablet feed section 14 comprises a cylindrical drum 18 equipped with tablet guide parts 17 being doubled inside and outside and extending up and down, a plurality of motor bases 19 disposed vertically and circumferentially on outer periphery of each tablet guide part 17, and a plurality of tablet cassettes 20 removably attached to the motor bases, respectively. Each tablet guide part 17 is divided circumferentially for each column of the vertically arrayed motor bases 19 and tablet cassettes 20, by which a tablet guide passage 21 extending vertically is formed. Below the cylindrical drum 18, are disposed hoppers 22a, 22b, which make it possible to collect tablets 23 dropping via the tablet guide passages 21 to one place.
The cutter part 27, as shown in FIG. 4, comprises a circular cutter 29 provided so as to be movable up and down along a guide shaft 28, and a pivotable cutter guide 30 which has a guide recess for guiding the peripheral cutting edge of the cutter 29 and which is pivotable about a pivot 30a provided at an upper end. A rod 32 of a solenoid 31 is coupled to a lower end portion of the cutter guide 30 so that the cutter guide 30 can be put into adjacency to the package belt 13, facilitating the cutting by the cutter 29.
The inverting member 44 is supported so as to be reciprocatively pivotable over a range of approximately 180 degrees about a support shaft 44a. This inverting member 44 comprises a pull-in conveyor 49 for pulling in the package belt 13 from the delivery belt 43. A stopper 50 for positioning the conveyed-in package belt 13 is protrusively provided at an end portion of the pull-in conveyor 49. A sensor (not shown) is provided in proximity to the stopper 50 so that the presence or absence of the package belt 13 can be detected.
The lifter 45 is plate-shaped and has a side wall 45a extending along both side edge portions, and a recess 45b extending longitudinally in a central portion. The lifter 45 is reciprocatively moved between a lower position where the package belt 13 inverted by the inverting member 44 can be loaded, and an upper position where the package belt 13 can be conveyed to the bundling machine 47 by the feed-in member 46.
The feed-in member 46 has a brush 52 provided at an end of a feed-in arm 51 that reciprocatively moves along the side portion 45a of the lifter 45 located in the upper position.
The bundling machine 47 comprises a looped rectangular frame body 53, and a roller 55 on which bundling tape 54 is wound, where central part of the stacked package belt 13 can be bundled with the tape 54 unwound from the roller 55. A chute 56 is provided in proximity to the bundling machine 47. This chute 56 has a tip end directed obliquely upward, and a presser 46a of the feed-in member 46 presses a lever 56a, by which the chute 56 is pivoted and directed obliquely downward.
In the ampoule storage section 64, a plurality of drawer cradles 68 are provided in array. In each drawer cradle 68, a plurality of ampoule cassettes 69 are provided in array. Each ampoule cassette 69, as shown in FIG. 11A, is shaped into a box having an openable/closable door 70 provided on one side face, and in its interior, the ampoules 67 are stored in a laterally-postured and arrayed state. Also, as shown in FIGS. 11B and 11C, the lower face of the ampoule cassette 69 is opened, where a stop 71 is provided at the opening so as to prevent the ampoules 67 from falling off. When the ampoule cassette 69 is set up, only the lowermost-positioned ampoule 67 can be discharged out downward by withdrawing of stop 71. Further, handles 72 each protruding in a generally L shape are formed above and below on one side face of the ampoule cassette 69 perpendicular to the door 70. Detent activator portion 72a is formed in the lower handle 72, so that an engaging detent 72b provided at the lower end surface of the ampoule cassette 69 can be operated to extent and retract. By this engaging detent, the ampoule cassette 69 can be attached to the drawer cradle 68. The drawer cradle 68 is equipped with discharge rotors 73, and the ampoules 67 within the ampoule cassette 69 can be discharged one by one by the discharge rotor 73 pivoting between the states of FIGS. 11B and 11A. In addition, an insertion hole (not shown) intended for a sensor is bored in the lower-end side surface of the ampoule cassette 69, making it possible to detect that the remaining quantity of stock of the ampoules 67 has decreased or is lacking.
A bottom wall 85 of the ampoule storage chamber 83 is pivotable about a pivot 85a, and will be inclined by rotation of a rotating arm 86 so that the ampoules 81 can be moved to the ampoule array-and-conveyance section 84. Also, in the ampoule array-and-conveyance section 84, a belt 88 is stretched between pulleys 87 so that the ampoules 81 placed on the belt 88 can be conveyed by one pulley 87 being rotated by the drive of a motor 87a. The ampoule array-and-conveyance section 84 can be moved up and down by the drive of a motor, between a lower position where the ampoules 81 within the ampoule storage chamber 83 can be loaded on, and an upper position where the ampoules 81 can be discharged to the lifter part 80 via a chute 83a. In addition, the ampoule storage chamber 83 and the ampoule array-and-conveyance section 84 are partitioned from each other by a shutter 83b which is opened and closed with a pinion 83c and a rack 83d.
Below the lifter container 90, is provided a delivery stock storage device 95. In this delivery stock storage device 95, as shown in FIG. 15A, bottom plates 96 are provided into two divisions, right and left, each of which is pivotable about a pivot 96a to open a bottom-face opening 97. The bottom plates 96, as shown in FIG. 14, receive the ampoules 67 from the lifter container 90, and keep the bottom-face opening 97 closed by links 98 until the bottom plates 96 are located above and near the tray 9. Then, when the bottom plates 96 are located above and near the tray 9, the bottom plates 96 are released from the closed state by the links 98, as shown in FIG. 15A. As a result, when the lifter container 90 is moved up relative to the tray 9, the bottom plates 96 pivot while keeping their free end portions in contact with the top face of the tray 9, gradually opening the bottom-face opening 97 as shown in FIG. 15B. Accordingly, the ampoules 67 discharged from the lifter container 90 are smoothly moved into the tray 9 without undergoing any impact force.
The label issuing station 7 has a plurality of printers 99a, 99b arranged vertically as shown in FIG. 16, and the uppermost three printers 99a are fed with prescription paper 101 from stock storages 100, respectively. This prescription paper 101 is used for a pharmacist to later verify whether or not the dispensed medication is correct. Also, the printers 99b (shown juxtaposed below printers 99a) are each fed with a label 103 wound around a roll 102. This label 103 is affixed to the ampoules 67, storage containers or the like, and is used to indicate their contents.
In the tray recovering station 2, as shown in FIG. 17, a support base 106 is provided on rails 105 placed above and below in a support main frame 104 so that the support base 106 is reciprocatively movable along an X-axis direction parallel to the conveyor line 3. The support base 106 is equipped with guide rails 107 extending vertically. Base 108a is movable up and down along rails 107 by a belt chain 108 along a vertical Y-axis direction. Base 108a is equipped with a cylinder 109. Also, a rod 109a of the cylinder 109 is equipped with a gripping arm 110, which goes back and forth along a Z-axis direction perpendicular to the conveyor line 3. The gripping arm 110 has at i-s front end a claw portion 110a formed for gripping a peripheral portion of the tray 9 (see also Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication HEI 9-51922 etc.).
As for the form of package, if the one-day dosage includes a plurality of times, for example, morning, noon and evening, then medication packages 13a of the tablets 23 are continuously packaged as shown in FIG. 18A. Alternatively, empty packages are formed between the medication packages 13a of the tablets 23 and the contents of the tablets 23 dosage information and the like are printed on these empty packages to make printed portions 13b as shown in FIG. 18B. In the former case, as shown in FIG. 18A, the package belt is cut off by the cutter 29 with one-day doses taken as a unit. Thus, the need for bundling by the bundling machine 47 is eliminated. In the latter case, as shown in FIG. 18B, the package belt is cut off by the cutter 29 with one dose taken as a unit. In addition, with a different patient, two empty packages 13c are additionally formed between a printed portion 13b for patient A and a medication package portion 13a for the next patient B, thus enabling a continuous processing. Further, the empty packages 13c are separated from the other portions by the cutter 29.
Subsequently, the cut package belt 13 is conveyed to the inverting member 44 via the direction changing part 33 and the conveyor 34, so as to be transferred to the lifter 45. For the package belt 13 or the empty packages 13c in the unit of one-day doses, the lifter 45 goes up without waiting for stacking by the transfer from the inverting member 44; for the package belt 13 in the unit of one dose, the lifter 45 will not go up until one-day doses has been completely stacked by the transfer from the inverting member 44. Then, the cut package belt 13 is moved sideways by the feed-in member 46, where in the case of the package belt 13 or empty packages 13c in the unit of one-day doses, the cut package belt 13 is passed through as it is without being bundled by the bundling machine 47; in the case of the stacked package belt 13, the cut package belt 13 is once stopped at the bundling machine 47, where the cut package belt 13 is bundled and then fed to the tray 9 via the distributing member 48. In addition, in the distributing member 48, for processing's sake, when empty packages 13c are conveyed up, the empty packages 13c are discarded to the dust box 63 via the opening 58 by rotating the distributing plate 59.
Subsequently, the operator places the empty tablet cassette 20 on the scale, where if the operator presses the "Tare" button on the touch panel (step S6), then the scale is initialized, prompting the operator to operate the bulk bottle for verification (step S7). If the verified bulk bottle is erroneous, the result is displayed on the touch panel, by which the operator is reported of it. If the verification result is correct, then the operator is prompted to pour in a desired quantity of medication into the scale. Then, if the operator has poured oral medication into the tablet cassette 20 on the scale (step S8), the scale counts the total medications poured into the tablet cassette 20 (step S9). In this case, if too much medication is poured in, a warning is presented on the touch panel.
Each time the consumption state of each consumable article is detected in this way, consumable article data is updated, where it is decided whether or not the article needs to be replaced. If it is decided that the article needs to be replaced, then an instruction that, for example, "Package paper will soon be out. Do you want to replenish?", and "YES/NO" keys are displayed on the display as a replenishment operating screen. If the "YES" key is chosen, then replacement procedure for the relevant consumable article is displayed. Then, the article is replaced according to this procedure, and if the replacement is completed, a question, "Has replacement been completed?", and "YES/NO" keys are automatically displayed. If the "YES" key is chosen, the replenishment operating screen is ended and consumable article data is updated, followed by a return to the normal screen.
<- Previous Patent (Tablet cassette for ...) | Next Patent (Apparatus for bulk c...) ->