# US 11,299,346 B1 · Pharmacy order filling system and related methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,299,346 B1 - Document ID: US11299346B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 16/538,294 - Filed: 2019-08-12 - Granted: 2022-04-12 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-13 - Assignees: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. - Applicants: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc. - Inventors: Robert E. Hoffman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11299346B1 ## CPC - B65G 1/1371: {with data records} - B65B 5/067: {in bags (B65B5/061 - B65B5/065 take precedence)} - B65B 5/103: {for packaging pills or tablets} - B65B 9/08: in a web folded and sealed transversely to form pockets which are subsequently filled and then closed by sealing - B65B 57/10: responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged - B65B 61/20: for adding cards, coupons or other inserts to package contents (adding unpacking elements B65B61/18) - G07F 17/0092: {for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00)} - G16H 20/10: relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients - G16H 20/13: delivered from dispensers - B65G 2201/027: Tablets, capsules, pills or the like - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract Drug packets may be dispensed as a belt of drug packets. Machine-readable identifiers in the belt may be automatically read to identify drug packets and associate the drug packets with the received orders. The drug packets may be automatically inspected to confirm contents of the drug packets against the received orders. The belt may be automatically separated into segments of drug packets. Each of the segments may correspond to a supply period and each of the drug packets within each of the segments may correspond to a drug dose event for the multi-drug regimen within the supply period. The segments of the belt may be automatically accumulated into belt rolls such that, for each of the belt rolls, a first segment end is on an interior of the belt roll and a second segment end is on an exterior of the belt roll. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An order-filling system, comprising: an order processing device configured to receive pharmaceutical orders including orders for drugs used in multi-drug regimens, wherein each of the multi-drug regimens has a plurality of scheduled dosing events for administering drug doses and at least one of the plurality of scheduled dosing events is for administering doses for at least two different drugs; a drug packet dispensing device configured to communicate with the order processing device, and dispense drug packets based on the received pharmaceutical orders, wherein the drug packets are dispensed as a belt of drug packets in which adjacent drug packets in the belt are connected, the drug packets in the belt respectively correspond to the plurality of scheduled dosing events, each of the drug packets dispensed in the belt contains one or more of the drugs used in the multi-drug regimen, at least one of the drug packets dispensed in the belt includes the doses for the at least two different drugs, and each of the drug packets has a machine-readable identifier identifying each of the drug packets dispensed from the drug packet dispensing device; a container-identifier device configured to read the machine-readable identifiers in the belt to identify drug packets and associate the identified drug packets with the received pharmaceutical orders; an inspection assembly configured to inspect the drug packets to confirm contents of the drug packets against the received pharmaceutical orders; a belt separator configured to separate the belt into segments of drug packets, wherein each of the segments contains multiple drug packets for a single patient and corresponds to a supply period for the single patient, and each of the drug packets within each of the segments corresponds to a drug dose event within the supply period for the multi-drug regimen; a belt accumulator configured to accumulate the segments of the belt into belt rolls such that, for each of the belt rolls, a first segment end is on an interior of the belt roll and a second segment end is on an exterior of the belt roll; and a material transport assembly configured for use in moving the belt between the drug packet dispensing device and the belt accumulator, wherein the material transport assembly includes a vacuum conveyor to hold the belt of drug packets on the conveyor and provide a pause for the belt separator to separate the belt. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The order-filling system of claim 1, wherein the supply period includes a multiple-day supply of drugs, and each of the packets within each of the segments corresponds to drug dose events within the supply period. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The order-filling system of claim 1, wherein the belt accumulator includes a fork configured to engage an end of the belt and to rotate about an axis such that the belt is caused to be rolled into the belt roll, and wherein the belt accumulator is configured to remove the formed belt roll from the fork. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The order-filling system of claim 3, wherein the fork includes tines and an axis of rotation, wherein the tines are offset from the axis of rotation. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The order-filling system of claim 3, wherein the fork includes tines, the system further is configured to push the belt roll off of the tines, and the system includes a literature machine configured to provide printed material to be packaged with the belt roll pushed off of the tines. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The order-filling system of claim 1, further comprising a belt tensioner configured to provide tension in the belt between the drug packet dispensing device and the belt accumulator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The order-filling system of claim 6, wherein the belt tensioner includes two outer rollers and an inner roller, wherein the belt has opposing first and second sides, and the inner roller is configured to contact a first side of the belt and the two outer rollers are configured to contact the second side of the belt, and wherein a biasing member is configured to provide the belt with a predetermined amount of tension. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The order-filling system of claim 6, wherein a speed of the belt being dispensed from the drug packet dispensing device and the speed of the belt as it is accumulated by the belt accumulator varies, wherein the system further comprises a tension estimation device connected to the order processing device and configured to estimate the tension in the belt between the drug packet dispensing device and the belt accumulator based at least in part on the received pharmaceutical orders. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The order-filling system of claim 1, wherein the inspection assembly includes: an index position sensor configured to determine a position of each of the packets between the dosing device and the belt accumulator; and at least one of: an imager assembly including a transparent packet support configured to support a first portion of the belt, and an imaging device configured to image, through the transparent packet support, each of the plurality of the packets; or an ultrasonic sensor configured for use in confirming presence of pills within the drug packets. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The order-filling system of claim 9, wherein the inspection assembly further includes a scale configured to weigh at least a second portion of the belt, or an ultrasonic sensor configured for use in confirming presence of pills within the drug packets. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The order-filling system of claim 1, further comprising a package device and literature equipment, wherein the package device is configured to package the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders and the literature equipment is configured to provide literature for packaging with the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders, and wherein the inspection assembly includes a machine reader configured to read the machine-readable identifiers for use in determining literature to be packaged with the belt roll. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The order-filling system of claim 1, wherein the belt separator includes a knife to configured to cut the belt into the segments. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The order-filling system of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive applicator configured to apply an adhesive to the second segment end for adhering the second segment end to at least another portion that forms the belt roll. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The order filling system of claim 1, further comprising a package device configured to package the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The order-filling system of claim 14, further comprising a unit-of-use container configured for holding and dispensing units of use devices, wherein the unit-of-use container is configured to communicate with the order processing device, and dispense unit-of-use devices based on the received pharmaceutical orders, the system further comprising a unit-of-use device chute configured for directing dispensed unit-of-use devices to the package device, and the package device is configured to package the unit-of-use devices with the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The order-filling system of claim 14, further comprising a bottle accumulator configured for holding and dispensing bottles of medicine, wherein the bottle accumulator is configured to communicate with the order processing device, and dispense bottles of medicine based on the received pharmaceutical orders, the system further comprising a bottle chute configured for directing dispensed bottle to the package device, and the package device is configured to package the dispensed bottles with the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The order-filling system of claim 14, further comprising literature equipment configured to pick and place literature for packaging with the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The order-filling system of claim 1, wherein each of the drug packets in the belt includes an indicator for the corresponding scheduled dosing event. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The order-filling system of claim 18, wherein the indicator for the corresponding scheduled dosing event identifies a prescribed drug name and dose for each of the one or more drugs in the respective drug packet, and wherein the at least one of the drug packets that includes the doses for the at least two different drugs includes prescribed drug names and dosages for the at least two different drugs. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The order-filling system of claim 18, wherein the indicator for the corresponding scheduled dosing event identifies a time for the scheduled dosing event. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The order-filling system of claim 18, wherein the indicator for the corresponding scheduled dosing event identifies a day and/or date for the scheduled dosing event. ### Claim 22 A method for filling orders, comprising: receiving pharmaceutical orders using an order processing device, including receiving orders for drugs used in multi-drug regimens, wherein each of the multi-drug regimens has a plurality of scheduled dosing events for administering drug doses, wherein at least one of the plurality of scheduled dosing events is for administering doses for at least at least two different drugs; receiving drug packets dispensed from a drug packet device based on the received pharmaceutical orders, wherein the drug packets are dispensed as a belt of drug packets in which adjacent drug packets in the belt are connected, the drug packets in the belt respectively correspond to the plurality of scheduled dosing events, each of the drug packets dispensed in the belt contains one or more of the drugs used in the multi-drug regimen, at least one of the drug packets dispensed in the belt includes the doses for the at least two different drugs, and each of the drug packets has a machine-readable identifier identifying each of the drug packets dispensed from the drug packet dispensing device, wherein the belt of drug packets is transported using a vacuum conveyor; automatically reading the machine-readable identifiers in the belt to identify drug packets and associate the drug packets with the received orders; automatically separating the belt into segments of drug packets, including controlling the vacuum conveyor to provide a pause for separating the belt, wherein each of the segments contains multiple drug packets for a single patient and corresponds to a supply period for the single patient, and each of the drug packets within each of the segments corresponds to a drug dose event for the multi-drug regimen within the supply period; and automatically accumulating the segments of the belt into belt rolls such that, for each of the belt rolls, a first segment end is on an interior of the belt roll and a second segment end is on an exterior of the belt roll. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, further comprising automatically imaging each of the plurality of packets to confirm contents of the drug packets against the received orders, and automatically packaging the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The method of claim 23, further comprising automatically packaging at least one of: bottles of medicine with the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders; unit-of-use devices with the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders; or literature with the belt rolls based on the received pharmaceutical orders. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The method of claim 22, wherein the drug packets in the belt roll for the corresponding supply period include indicators for the respective scheduled dosing events in the corresponding supply period. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method of claim 25, wherein each of the indicators for the drug packets in the belt roll include: a prescribed drug name and dose for each of the one or more drugs in the respective drug packet, wherein the at least one of the drug packets that includes the doses for the at least two different drugs includes prescribed drug names and dosages for the at least two different drugs; and a temporal identifier for identifying when to administer the one or more drugs in the respective drug packet. ### Claim 27 An order-filling system, comprising: an order processing device configured to receive pharmaceutical orders including orders for drugs used in multi-drug regimens, wherein each of the multi-drug regimens has a plurality of scheduled dosing events for administering drug doses and at least one of the plurality of scheduled dosing events is for administering doses for at least two different drugs; a drug packet dispensing device configured to communicate with the order processing device, and dispense drug packets based on the received pharmaceutical orders, wherein the drug packets are dispensed as a belt of drug packets in which adjacent drug packets in the belt are connected, the drug packets in the belt respectively correspond to the plurality of scheduled dosing events, each of the drug packets dispensed in the belt contains one or more of the drugs used in the multi-drug regimen, at least one of the drug packets dispensed in the belt includes the doses for the at least two different drugs, and each of the drug packets has a machine-readable identifier identifying each of the drug packets dispensed from the drug packet dispensing device; a container-identifier device configured to read the machine-readable identifiers in the belt to identify drug packets and associate the identified drug packets with the received pharmaceutical orders; an inspection assembly configured to inspect the drug packets to confirm contents of the drug packets against the received pharmaceutical orders; a belt separator configured to separate the belt into segments of drug packets, wherein each of the segments contains multiple drug packets for a single patient and corresponds to a supply period for the single patient, and each of the drug packets within each of the segments corresponds to a drug dose event within the supply period for the multi-drug regimen; and a belt accumulator configured to accumulate the segments of the belt into belt rolls such that, for each of the belt rolls, a first segment end is on an interior of the belt roll and a second segment end is on an exterior of the belt roll; and a belt tensioner and a tension estimator, wherein the belt tensioner is configured to generate and maintain tension in the belt, the belt tensioner including two outer rollers configured to be positioned on a first side of the belt during operation, an inner roller configured to be positioned on an opposite side of the belt during operation, a biasing member configured to move the outer rollers apart from the inner roller by a roller distance, and wherein the tension estimator is configured to estimate the tension in the belt by estimating the roller distance.