# US 11,443,328 B2 · Apparatus, system and method for facilitating tracking of consumable pharmaceutical articles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,328 B2 - Document ID: US11443328B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/127,475 - Filed: 2020-12-18 - Published: 2021-05-13 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-28 - Assignees: Tri-Star Technologies - Applicants: Tri-Star Technologies - Inventors: Alex Aron Kerner; Igor Murokh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443328B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0185: {Product, service or business identity fraud} - A61B 5/1176: {Recognition of faces} - A61J 1/035: {Blister-type containers (blisters in general B65D75/36)} - A61J 7/0069: {Trays for holding or distributing medicines (display trays A47F3/14; serving trays A47G23/06)} - B41F 17/36: for printing on tablets, pills, or like small articles - B65G 49/00: Conveying systems characterised by their application for specified purposes not otherwise provided for - G06Q 20/202: {Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR} - G06Q 20/203: {Inventory monitoring} - G06Q 20/208: {Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing} - G06Q 50/265: {Personal security, identity or safety} - G06V 40/166: {using acquisition arrangements} - G16H 10/60: for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records - G16H 20/10: relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients - G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms - A61J 3/007: {Marking tablets or the like (apparatus for printing on tablets or the like B41F17/36)} - A61J 2200/30: Compliance analysis for taking medication - A61J 2205/60: using magnetic or electronic identifications, e.g. chips, RFID, electronic tags - B65G 2201/027: Tablets, capsules, pills or the like - G06K 19/06028: {using bar codes} - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61J: CONTAINERS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR MEDICAL OR PHARMACEUTICAL PURPOSES; DEVICES OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR BRINGING PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS INTO PARTICULAR PHYSICAL OR ADMINISTERING FORMS; DEVICES FOR ADMINISTERING FOOD OR MEDICINES ORALLY; BABY COMFORTERS; DEVICES FOR RECEIVING SPITTLE - B41F: PRINTING MACHINES OR PRESSES (manifolding devices or office printing machines B41L) - 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) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS ## Abstract Embodiments of an apparatus, system and method for facilitating the tracking of consumable pharmaceutical articles are disclosed. A marking apparatus is configured to apply unique indelible identifiers to pharmaceutical articles at the point-of-sale. The indelible identifiers on the articles are visually or electronically readable to allow each respective article to be traced with respect to its manufacturer, prescribing physician, patient to whom it was prescribed, dispensing location, expiration date, dosage, or some combination thereof. An associated system and method may involve the provision of a remote database element configured to be in network communication between the marking apparatus, manufacturer, distributor, prescriber, dispensing location, scanning tool, or some combination thereof. The indelible identifier may initially be generated by the apparatus and then obtained and recorded by the remote database element. Alternative, the indelible identifier may initially be generated and recorded by the remote database element, then provided to the marking apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus for applying indelible identifiers onto discreet consumable pharmaceutical articles, the apparatus comprising: an enclosure; a tray element configured to receive and maintain a multiplicity of said articles arranged in random spatial relationships with respect to one another within an application zone; an inspection element configured to obtain a first inspection image of the multiplicity of articles within the application zone; control electronics configured to receive the first inspection image and establish therefrom a respective article dataset corresponding to each of the multiplicity of articles, the article dataset including at least an article identifier value and an article position value corresponding to each of the multiplicity of articles; and an identifier application subsystem positioned within the enclosure and configured to apply an indelible identifier onto each of the multiplicity of articles within the application zone based at least on the article dataset. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the inspection element is further configured to obtain a second inspection image by which the control electronics verify the quality of the indelible identifier applied onto each respective article. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the control electronics are configured to establish a batch count based on an inspection image from the inspection element, the batch count being defined by the total number of articles in the multiplicity of articles. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the article dataset incudes a two-dimensional orientation value corresponding to each of the multiplicity of articles. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the article dataset includes an article shape value corresponding to each of the multiplicity of articles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the article dataset includes an article color value corresponding to each of the multiplicity of articles. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the article dataset includes an article texture value corresponding to each of the multiplicity of articles. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising an agitation element configured to be activated to agitate the multiplicity of articles prior to the inspection element obtaining the first inspection image. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 8 wherein (a) the inspection element is configured to obtain a preliminary inspection image prior to the first inspection image, (b) the control electronics are configured to read the preliminary inspection image to determine if any of the multiplicity of articles is vertically overlapping with any other of the multiplicity of articles, and (c) the activation of the agitation element is configured to occur if the control electronics determines that any of the multiplicity of articles is vertically overlapping with any other of the multiplicity of articles. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the identifier application subsystem includes a laser transmission element configured to direct a steered beam of UV laser energy toward the application zone for marking an indelible image onto each said article within the application zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a network communication element configured to be placed in network communication with a remote database, and wherein the indelible identifier includes article identifier data unique to the article upon which it is applied. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the article identifier data includes patient data for identifying a patient to whom the respective article was prescribed and sold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the article identifier data includes prescriber data for identifying a prescriber by whom the respective article was prescribed. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the article identifier data includes prescription data for identifying the prescription number under which the respective article was sold. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the remote database is in data-receiving communications with a pharmaceutical manufacturer or distributor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the remote database is in network communication with a law enforcement scanning tool, the scanning tool being configured to read the indelible identifier and indicate whether the indelible identifier corresponds to the patient to whom the respective article was prescribed and sold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the inspection element is an inspection camera. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the indelible identifiers are or include optically-viewable indelible images. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 18 wherein each indelible image includes a facial image of the respective patient to whom the article was prescribed. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) A portable, point-of-sale marking apparatus as defined in claim 19 wherein the apparatus is configured to be placed in communication with a patient camera subsystem for obtaining the facial image.