System and method for high-volume filling of pharmaceutical prescriptions
AssigneeParata Systems, LLC
InventorsMichael W. Jehn, Michael McCord, John Preston
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vial accumulator for use in a high volume pharmacy facility includes: a feed plate having an aperture; a vial staging unit mounted to the feed plate, the vial staging unit comprising at least one receiving compartment; a gate movably mounted to the feed plate, the gate movable relative to the feed plate between a blocking position, wherein the gate prevents a vial from exiting one of the receiving compartments, and a dispensing position, in which the gate allows passage of a vial in one of the receiving compartments through the aperture in the feed plate; and a controller operatively associated with the vial staging unit and the gate.
Claims20
A system for dispensing medicaments in vials in a high-volume pharmacy, comprising:
- an automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine configured to dispense filled vials of medicaments;
- a conveyor system configured to convey a receptacle near the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
- and
- a vial accumulator positioned to receive the filled vials from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine and deliver the filled vials to the receptacle, the vial accumulator having a plurality of receiving compartments for receiving the filled vials from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine, the vial accumulator further configured to selectively deliver the filled vials from a first one of the plurality of receiving compartments while preventing delivery of the filled vials from the remainder of the plurality of receiving compartments.
A system for dispensing medicaments in vials in a high-volume pharmacy, comprising:
- an automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine configured to dispense filled vials of medicaments;
- a tote-based conveyor system configured to convey a tote near the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
- and
- a vial accumulator positioned to receive the filled vials from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine and deliver the filled vials to the tote, the vial accumulator having a plurality of receiving compartments for receiving the filled vials from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine, the vial accumulator further configured to selectively deliver the filled vials from a first one of the plurality of receiving compartments while preventing delivery of the filled vials from the remainder of the plurality of receiving compartments.
A system for dispensing medicaments in vials in a high-volume pharmacy, comprising:
- an automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine configured to dispense filled vials of medicaments;
- a conveyor system configured to convey a receptacle near the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine;
- and
- a vial accumulator positioned to receive the filled vials from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine and deliver the filled vials to the receptacle, the vial accumulator having a plurality of receiving compartments for receiving the filled vials from the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine, the vial accumulator further configured to selectively deliver the filled vials from a first one of the plurality of receiving compartments while preventing delivery of the filled vials from the remainder of the plurality of receiving compartments;
- wherein the automated pharmaceutical dispensing machine includes a robotic arm configured to deposit at least one of the filled vials into the vial accumulator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.