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US 8,539,742 B2Granted
Method for emptying pharmaceutical container
AssigneeMedco Health Solutions, Inc.
InventorsJames G. McErlean, E. Christian Hess, Chih-Jen Leu, Mark A. Detri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated system and method for emptying the contents of pharmaceutical containers. In an embodiment, a gripper unit receives and holds a pharmaceutical container. A cutter cuts the pharmaceutical container, and a rotating unit, operable with the gripper, rotates at least a portion of the gripper unit to empty the contents of the pharmaceutical container.
Claims19
A method comprising:
- holding a pharmaceutical container with a gripper unit;
- determining an orientation of the pharmaceutical container;
- orientating the pharmaceutical container responsive to the determined orientation, wherein the cutting of the pharmaceutical container is performed in response to orientation of the pharmaceutical container;
- cutting the pharmaceutical container with a cutter;
- and
- rotating the pharmaceutical container with a rotating unit operable with the gripper unit to empty contents of the pharmaceutical container into a bulk container after the pharmaceutical container is cut.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- holding a pharmaceutical container with a gripper unit;
- transporting the pharmaceutical container;
- determining information provided on the pharmaceutical container to identify pharmaceuticals contained within the pharmaceutical container;
- and
- determining whether the pharmaceuticals are authorized to be emptied from the pharmaceutical container into a bulk container responsive to the determined information, wherein the pharmaceutical container is held with the gripper unit when a determination is made that the pharmaceuticals are authorized to be emptied;
- cutting the pharmaceutical container with a cutter;
- and
- rotating the pharmaceutical container with a rotating unit operable with the gripper unit to empty contents of the pharmaceutical container into a bulk container after the pharmaceutical container is cut.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.