# US 12,109,716 B2 · Systems and methods for providing medication via robotic arm > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,716 B2 - Document ID: US12109716B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/381,085 - Filed: 2021-07-20 - Published: 2022-08-11 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-10 - Assignees: Advanced Robotics Corp. - Applicants: Advanced Robotics Corp. - Inventors: Yuliang Du; Kang-Hao Peng; Flavio Ornelas; Ken Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109716B2 ## CPC - B25J 9/1697: {Vision controlled systems} - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - A61B 34/70: {Manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery} - B25J 5/04: wherein the guideway is also moved, e.g. travelling crane bridge type - B25J 9/0018: {Bases fixed on ceiling, i.e. upside down manipulators} - B25J 9/046: {Revolute coordinate type} - B25J 9/1615: {characterised by special kind of manipulator, e.g. planar, scara, gantry, cantilever, space, closed chain, passive/active joints and tendon driven manipulators} - B25J 13/003: {by means of an audio-responsive input (audible safety signals B25J19/061)} - B25J 19/023: {including video camera means} - G07F 11/165: {using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements} - G07F 17/0092: {for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00)} - G16H 10/60: for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records - G16H 20/13: delivered from dispensers - G16H 40/20: for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms - B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50}) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - 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 A system for providing medication to a customer includes a movable structure with a robotic arm including one or more joints, actuators, and segments, each of which is structured to move a robotic manipulator coupled to an end of the robotic arm. The robotic manipulator is configured to retrieve and release a container containing the medication. The robotic arm further includes a camera and microphone, as well as a computing system that includes at least one processor coupled to a memory storing instructions. When executed by the at least one processor, the memory causes the computing system to capture identifying data regarding a customer; identify the customer based on the identifying data; associate the customer with a medication order; and retrieve. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for providing medication to a customer, comprising: a movable structure, the movable structure comprising: a robotic arm comprising one or more joints, one or more actuators, and one or more segments, each of which is structured to move a robotic manipulator coupled to an end of the robotic arm, wherein the robotic manipulator is configured to retrieve and release a container containing the medication; a camera; and a microphone coupled to the robotic arm; and a computing system comprising at least one processor coupled to a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the computing system to perform operations comprising: capturing identifying data regarding a customer via the microphone, wherein the identifying data comprises audio data; identifying the customer based on at least the audio data of the identifying data; associating the customer with a medication order; and retrieving the medication from the medication order by: moving the robotic arm adjacent to the container containing the medication based on predetermined mapping, the predetermined mapping comprising logged locations of filled orders, the logged locations comprising a location of the container containing the medication; retrieving the container using the robotic manipulator based on at least one image or at least one video captured by the camera; and moving the container toward the customer by moving the robotic arm. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the identifying data is further captured by the camera. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the customer based on the identifying data further comprises: requesting, from a backend system, information regarding one or more users; comparing the identifying data to the requested information; and in response to the identifying data matching information associated with a user of the one or more users, identifying the customer as the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: prior to retrieving the medication, verifying that the customer is authorized to pick up the medication. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein verifying that the customer is authorized comprises: requesting verifying information from the customer; comparing the verifying information to protected information associated with a user in a backend system; and in response to the verifying information matching the protected information, determining that the customer is authorized. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the protected information comprises at least one of a medical history of the customer, a current medication of the customer, or a current allergy of the customer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein associating the customer with the medication order further comprises: identifying the medication order based on the customer; determining whether the medication order is ready; and in response to the medication order not being ready, commanding the robotic arm to perform operations to complete the medication order. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise: determining medication details associated with the medication; comparing the medication details to at least one of a medical history of the customer, a current medication of the customer, or a current allergy of the customer; determining one or more issues based on the comparison; and informing the customer of the one or more issues. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein determining one or more issues comprises at least one of: determining that the medication is expired; determining that the customer has previously had an adverse reaction to the medication or an active ingredient of the medication based on the medical history; determining that the medication or the active ingredient of the medication would have an adverse reaction with the current medication; or determining that the current allergy comprises the medication or the active ingredient of the medication. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein informing the customer comprises broadcasting the one or more issues via a speaker coupled to the robotic arm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a backend system communicatively coupled to the computing system and structured to store information associated with one or more users in a database. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the database comprises a first database and a second database, the first database storing identifying information associated with the one or more users and the second database storing verifying information associated with the one or more users. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the backend system is a cloud-based computing system. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the backend system is further configured to compile profiles of customer data from the information stored in the database. ### Claim 15 A method for providing medication to a customer, comprising: capturing identifying data regarding a customer via a microphone coupled to a robotic arm, wherein the identifying data comprises audio data; identifying the customer based on at least the audio data of the identifying data; associating the customer with a medication order; and retrieving the medication from the medication order by: moving the robotic arm adjacent to a container containing the medication based on predetermined mapping, the predetermined mapping comprising logged locations of filled orders, the logged locations comprising a location of the container containing the medication; retrieving the container using a robotic manipulator of the robotic arm based on at least one image or at least one video captured by a camera of the robotic arm; and moving the container toward the customer by moving the robotic arm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the customer based on the identifying data further comprises: requesting, from a backend system, information regarding one or more users; comparing the identifying data to the requested information; and in response to the identifying data matching information associated with a user of the one or more users, identifying the customer as the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising prior to retrieving the medication, verifying that the customer is authorized to pick up the medication, wherein verifying that the customer is authorized comprises: requesting verifying information from the customer; comparing the verifying information to protected information associated with a user in a backend system; and in response to the verifying information matching the protected information, determining that the customer is authorized. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising: determining medication details associated with the medication; comparing the medication details to at least one of a medical history of the customer, a current medication of the customer, or a current allergy of the customer; determining one or more issues based on the comparison; and informing the customer of the one or more issues. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein informing the customer comprises broadcasting the one or more issues via a speaker coupled to the robotic arm. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising communicating with a cloud-based computing system structured to store information associated with one or more users in a database.