Patent ID: 7930066

Claim:
A robotic automated pharmaceutical processing system comprising: a processor-based interface configured to receive requests to prepare one or more pharmaceutical prescriptions; and a controller coupled to the interface and configured to operate an automated prescription preparation device in response to the received requests, the automated prescription preparation device comprising: an inventory chamber comprising a housing to store within the inventory chamber a plurality of inventory items to be used in preparation of one or more pharmaceutical prescriptions, a compounding chamber access portal in a first side of the inventory chamber, a compounding chamber adjacent to the inventory chamber and communicating with the inventory chamber through the compounding chamber access portal in the first side, a multi-axis multi-linkage robot disposed within the compounding chamber and configured to grasp a first inventory item being presented from the inventory chamber through the compounding chamber access portal, convey the first inventory item to a first process location, release the first inventory item for processing at the first process location, and subsequently convey the first inventory item to a second process location in the compounding chamber, a syringe manipulator station within the compounding chamber configured to hold a syringe, and an IV bag holding station adapted to receive an IV bag from the multi-axis multi-linkage robot and operable to rotate between a first position configured to support the received IV bag with a port of the IV bag directed substantially upwards, and a second position configured to support the received IV bag with the port of the IV bag directed substantially downwards, wherein the IV bag holding station is further adapted to register the port of the IV bag with a first needle of the syringe held by the syringe manipulator station while the IV bag holding station is in either the first position or the second position.