Automated system for selecting packages from a cylindrical storage area

A system for selecting and delivering medicine packages from a holding area to fill orders comprising:

• a) a holding area comprised of a generally cylindrical frame having a plurality of support rods, each said support rod sized for holding a plurality of medicine packages, each said support rod also associated with a specified medicine package and holding only like medicine packages, each said support rod further having a distinct (r,.theta.,Y) coordinate location;
• b) a picker for picking the medicine packages from said support rods in accordance with instructions received from a computer, said picker being able to access said holding area, said picker also capable of holding a plurality of said medicine packages which have been picked from said holding area;
• c) a computer having a database containing an (r,.theta.,Y) coordinate location for all packages in said holding area, said computer able to receive orders for the packages and direct said picker;
• and
• d) a supply structure having a shape corresponding to a section of said generally cylindrical frame, said supply structure further having a plurality of supply support rods which extend from said supply structure to form an (r,.theta.,Y) coordinate system, with each said supply support rod, and medicine package thereon, having a unique (r,.theta.,Y) coordinate, said picker disposed to have access to said supply structure such that a given medicine package on an associated one of said plurality of supply support rods can be picked by said picker to fill a patient's order, or a given medicine package in said supply structure can be picked by said picker to restock an associated support rod in said holding area.

A system for selecting and delivering packages from a holding area to fill orders comprising:

• a) a generally cylindrical holding area having a plurality of support rods for holding packages, each said support rod having a distinct radial, angular and vertical coordinate location and holding a plurality of packages, all packages on each said support rod having the same contents;
• b) a picker for picking packages from said support rods in accordance with instructions received from a computer, said picker being able to access said generally cylindrical holding area, said picker comprising:
• i) a housing;
• ii) a picker storage holder attached to said housing for storing packages;
• iii) means for producing a suction;
• iv) a suction rod and a suction head in fluid connection with each other and with said suction producing means, said suction rod slidingly attached with respect to the vertical and radial directions to said housing, said suction head maintaining a suction therethrough when said suction producing means is activated, by which a medicine package is picked with suction;
• and
• v) sensor for sensing when a package is properly positioned such that said suction head is then moved to said picker storage holder and deposits the package thereon.