Object dispenser having a variable orifice and image identification

A medicament dispensing method comprising:

• providing a dispensing system, including a housing having a rotatable carousel therein with a plurality of removable open-top containers, where the carousel moves under the control of a carousel drive, each open-top container including a repository for objects therein;
• an access port in the housing through which an object may be removed from the plurality of open-top containers, in seriatim;
• a pre-dispense port in the housing providing controlled access to at least one output container;
• and a retrieval probe, said probe located within the housing and operatively movable under the control of a horizontal slide drive by a slide motor between the access port and the pre-dispense port, said probe further including a vertical slide retracting and extending the probe and a compliant tip thereon under control of a vertical slide motor, the probe tip releasably engaging an object in one of the plurality of open-top containers via the access port,
• placing a different medicament into at least two of the plurality of containers;
• in response to a dispense request, a controller operating to move the carousel to place an open-top container having the requested medicament beneath the access port, and moving the horizontal probe slide into a position so that the probe tip is over the access port, wherein the probe is then extended to engage a medicament, and once engaged by the probe tip, the medicament is raised while attached to the probe tip and retrieved from the open-top container via the access port;
• said controller then engaging the horizontal slide drive to cause the horizontal probe slide to move into a position over the pre-dispense port;
• releasing the medicament from the probe tip to deliver the medicament to a pre-dispense receptacle beneath the pre-dispense port;
• and
• moving the pre-dispense receptacle, using a pre-dispense slide motor responsive to the controller, to transfer the medicament from the pre-dispense receptacle to a dispense cup accessible by a user.

A medicament dispensing system, comprising:

• a housing comprising a rotatable carousel below a support frame, the rotatable carousel including a plurality of open-top, removable containers where each open-top, removable container provides a repository for medicaments therein;
• an access port in the support frame of the housing through which an object may be removed from each of the plurality of open-top, removable containers, in seriatim;
• a pre-dispense port in the support frame of the housing providing controlled access to one of a plurality of output containers;
• a hollow retrieval probe connected to a controllable vacuum source to provide a vacuum tip at one end that releasably engages the medicament for removal from one of the open-top, removable containers using the vacuum to attach the medicament, wherein said probe retracts upon drawing a vacuum at the tip by contacting at least one medicament and where said probe located within the confines of the housing and operatively sliding between the access port and the pre-dispense port, said probe including a compliant tip for releasably engaging an medicament in one of the plurality of open-top, removable containers via said access port, said probe retrieving the medicament from an open-top, removable container and then sliding between the access port and the pre-dispense port to deliver the medicament to a dispensing receptacle;
• a singulator, operatively interposed adjacent the access port, said singulator operating to assure that only a single medicament object is removed at a time by the retrieval probe, wherein the singulator is selected from the group consisting of an imaging capturing device;
• an iris-type variable orifice, and a variable orifice formed between a pair of rollers each having a cam-shaped recess thereon;
• a first movable cover associated with both the access port and the pre-dispense port;
• a second movable cover associated with each of the plurality of open-top, removable containers supported by the carousel, wherein the first and second movable covers are operatively engaged to seal the open-top, removable containers and access port and prevent an medicament from being removed from any open-top, removable container when the system is not in operation, wherein the first and second movable covers are operatively connected via a single mechanism employed to coincidently control the engagement and disengagement of both the first and second covers;
• a processor enclosed within the housing, said processor controlling the operation of the carousel and the retrieval probe to assure that a medicament in a selected open-top, removable container is retrieved and dispensed by the system;
• a re-stock receptacle to receive any non-dispensed items, said restock receptacle storing the items until a manual intervention results in the items being restocked in an appropriate bin;
• a database, stored in memory, for tracking those items that are placed into the restock bin and decrementing the items from a supply of available items, also reflected in the database, until such time as the items are restocked into a respective open-top, removable container.