Systems and methods for performing load optimization of medications in an electronic medication storage cabinet

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11501230-B2
Application number	US-202016907072-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 21, 2019
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

An electronic medication storage cabinet includes a plurality of drawers configured with a plurality of sensors arranged to identify a positioning of storage pockets within the drawers. Upon receiving an indication of a new medicine container to be loaded in the cabinet, a sequence of steps to load the medicine container into the cabinet is generated based on a mapping algorithm. A first step is displayed on a display the cabinet, and a determination is made as to whether the first step is associated with one of the plurality of drawers. In response to determining that the first step is associated with one of the plurality of drawers, the drawer is automatically unlocked. In response to determining that the first step is successfully completed, a determination of whether execution of any additional steps is pending and indicated on the display.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
providing an electronic medication storage cabinet comprising a plurality of drawers and a plurality of sensors configured to identify a positioning of a plurality of storage pockets within the plurality of drawers;
receiving an indication of a new storage pocket associated with a new medicine container to be loaded in the electronic medication storage cabinet;
generating a sequence of steps to load the new storage pocket into the electronic medication storage cabinet, the generated sequence of steps including moving a first storage pocket of the plurality of storage pockets from a first location in a respective drawer of the storage cabinet to a second location in the storage cabinet to create sufficient space within the respective drawer for the new storage pocket;
displaying, on a display screen associated with the electronic medication storage cabinet, a first step of the sequence of steps, including a first prompt to remove the first storage pocket from the first location;
automatically unlocking the respective drawer;
determining that the first storage pocket is removed from the first location based on first signals received from the plurality of sensors of the respective drawer; and
in response to determining that the first storage pocket is removed, indicating via the display screen, a second prompt to place the first storage pocket in a second location within the plurality of drawers.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, on the display, the first prompt to remove the first storage pocket from the first location within a first drawer of the plurality of drawers;
in response to verifying that the first storage pocket is removed, providing the second prompt to relocate the first storage pocket to the second location in a second drawer of the plurality of drawers.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
verifying, via the plurality of sensors, that the first storage pocket was relocated to the second location.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
providing, on the display, a third prompt to insert a new storage pocket within a second available space within the plurality of drawers, wherein the third prompt is associated with a subsequent pending step.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining that the moving step is not successfully completed, generating a remedial step; and
displaying the remedial step on the display.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
determining whether the remedial step is successfully completed; and
in response to the remedial step being successfully completed, displaying the moving step of the sequence of steps on the display.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to automatically unlocking the respective drawer, requesting authorized credentials to access the electronic medication storage cabinet; and
receiving an indication authorizing access to the electronic medication storage cabinet.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sensors are arranged in a grid pattern in the respective drawer, wherein verifying that the first storage pocket is removed comprises receiving a signal indicating that the first storage pocket was removed from one of the sensors, in the grid pattern, corresponding to the first location.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of sensors are arranged in a perimeter around the inside of the respective drawer.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein indicating via the display screen whether any additional steps are pending comprises providing a visual alert on the display screen.

11. A method, comprising:
providing an electronic medication storage cabinet comprising a plurality of drawers and a plurality of sensors configured to identify a positioning of a plurality of storage pockets within the drawer;
receiving, by one or more processors, an indication of a new medicine container to be stored in the electronic medication storage cabinet;
automatically determining, by the one or more processors, that the new medicine container requires a new storage pocket to be added to the electronic medication storage cabinet;
determining, by the one or more processors, based on receiving the indication and determining that the new medicine container requires a new storage pocket, that at least a subset of removable storage pockets within one or more of the plurality of drawers require repositioning to accommodate the new storage pocket;
generating, by the one or more processors, based on a mapping algorithm, a new arrangement of the subset of removable storage pockets and the new storage pocket within the one or more of the plurality of drawers;
generating, based on the new arrangement, a sequence of steps to load the new storage pocket into the electronic medication storage cabinet, the generated sequence of steps including moving a first storage pocket of the plurality of storage pockets from a first location in a respective drawer of the plurality of drawers to a second location in the storage cabinet to create an available space within the respective drawer for the new storage pocket;
automatically unlocking, by the one or more processors, a first drawer of the plurality of drawers;
providing, by the one or more processors, a first prompt to remove at least the first storage pocket from the first location in the respective drawer;
verifying, by the one or more processors, via the plurality of sensors, that the first storage pocket was removed from the first location;
providing, responsive to verifying that the first storage pocket was removed, a second prompt to relocate the first storage pocket within a first available space to a second location within the one or more of the plurality of drawers;
verifying, by the one or more processors, via the plurality of sensors, that the first storage pocket was relocated;
providing, by the one or more processors, responsive to verifying that the first storage pocket was removed and relocated, a third prompt to insert the new storage pocket within the available space created for the new storage pocket in the respective drawer based on the removal and relocation of the first storage pocket;
verifying, by the one or more processors, via the plurality of sensors, that the new storage pocket was inserted within the available space.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein, prior to providing the third prompt, the method further comprises:
automatically unlocking a second drawer of the plurality of drawers;
providing a fourth prompt to remove at least a second storage pocket of the subset of removable storage pockets;
verifying, via the plurality of sensors, that the second storage pocket was removed;

providing a fifth prompt to relocate the second storage pocket into a second available space within the one or more of the plurality of drawers;
verifying, via the plurality of sensors, that the second storage pocket was relocated.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein, prior to automatically unlocking the first drawer;
requesting access authorization verification; and
receiving an indication authorizing access to the electronic medication storage cabinet.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein, prior to automatically unlocking the first drawer;
requesting access authorization verification;
receiving an indication of limited access to the electronic medication storage cabinet; and
generating, based on the mapping algorithm and the received indication of limited access, a second arrangement of the subset of removable storage pockets.

Assignees

• Carefusion 303 Inc

Inventors

• Urbanski Christopher
• Woodward Crystal
• TRIBBLE Dennis Anthony
• Swenson David D
• Cuesta De Pablo Francisco Jose

Classifications

• G16H20/13 Primary

  delivered from dispensers · CPC title

• G07G1/0054

  with control of supplementary check-parameters, e.g. weight or number of articles · CPC title

• G07F9/026

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title

• G07F11/18

  Recessed drawers · CPC title

• G07F17/0092

  for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00) · CPC title