Patent ID: 10593145

Abstract:
Systems and methods are disclosed for a medical pill dispensing system using a manual fill tray. The system includes a plurality of canisters and/or a manual fill trays for storing one or more pills. Each of the plurality of canisters and/or manual fill trays are configured to dispense one or more pills that are to be packed for a patient. The system also includes a hopper system that receives the pills dispensed from either a canister and/or a manual fill tray.The manual fill tray includes a plurality of storage section. Each storage section includes a plurality of slots that are open to its top and bottom. Each storage section includes its own dispensing belt which wraps around the slots of the storage section. The wrapping creates a base at the bottom of each slot as well as either an opening or a cover for the top of each slot. The dispensing belt includes dispensing openings and deposition openings.The system operates the manual fill tray in one of three modes, depositing mode, lockdown mode, and dispensing mode. In its deposition mode, an RFID system coupled to the manual fill tray reads an RFID tag on a container that is used for depositing pills into the slots of the manual fill tray. The system queries a database to verify that the pills in the depositing container are meant for the specific patient for whom the system is currently processing a pill package. Upon confirmation, system authorizes deposition of pills and displaces the dispensing belt such that its deposition openings overlap the slots of the manual fill tray thereby creating an opening to the top and allowing deposition while at the same time ensuring that the bottom of the dispensing belt acts as a base to the slots to hold the pills deposited therein.In its lockdown mode, the system displaces the dispensing belt such that both the top and bottom of the slots are covered by the dispensing belt thereby not allowing any deposition or dispensing from the slots. In its lockdown mode, the system displaces the dispensing belt such thatIn its lockdown mode, the system displaces the dispensing belt such that the dispensing opening of the dispensing belt is moved under a desired slot to allow pills from that slot to be dispensed into a receptacle, such as a hopper. The dispensing follows a logic that allows the sequential in-line dispensing from one slot to the next in a single row. A feedback and confirmation system is used to determine if the pills dropped from the first pill slot have cleared the receptacle, such as the hopper, and upon confirmation the pills from the second slot are dispensed.The dispensed pills navigate through various compartments of the system and ultimately to a pill pack where they are packaged for a specific patient.