Liquid medicine preparation system and method of preparing liquid medicine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016228329-A1
Application number	US-201514967369-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2015
Publication date	Aug 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A liquid medicine preparation system that prepares a liquid medicine includes: a preparing zone in which preparation work of the liquid medicine is performed by a robot; and a storing zone which has a plurality of first spaces each of which is capable of storing a container housing the liquid medicine prepared.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A liquid medicine preparation system that prepares a liquid medicine, the system comprising:
a preparing zone in which preparation work of the liquid medicine is performed by a robot; and a storing zone which has a plurality of first spaces each of which is capable of storing a container housing the liquid medicine prepared.

2 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 1 , wherein
the storing zone includes:
a storage rack on which a mounter to which a tray housing the container is mountable is arranged while being stacked in multiple stages, and
a taking-in-and-out device configured to perform taking in and out of the tray with respect to the mounter.

3 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 2 , wherein
the storing zone further includes a rack moving device that moves the storage rack inside and outside the storing zone.

4 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 3 , wherein
the taking-in-and-out device has a substantially L-shaped holder which is supported to be movable in three-axis directions that are orthogonal to one another, and holds a flange of the tray.

5 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 3 , wherein
the mounter includes a partition plate which covers a lower side in a vertical direction of the tray and is attachable to and detachable from the mounter.

6 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 5 , further comprising
a photoelectric sensor which is arranged in a vicinity of the storage rack, emits light in a stacking direction of the mounter, and detects popping up of the tray and the partition plate from the storage rack.

7 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 3 , wherein
the rack moving device has:
an arm member of which an intermediate portion is rotatably supported and one end portion is connected with the storage rack,
a weight member which is connected to other end portion of the arm member, and
a motor which causes the arm member to rotationally operate.

8 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a transport device which is arranged in the storing zone and transports the tray, wherein the transport device is configured to form a second space that avoids interference with the arm member in a transport path by having at least a part reciprocatively moving in a transport direction.

9 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 2 , wherein
the storage rack places the tray, in which a plurality of tools to be used in the preparation work are housed for each single set, the single set having a predetermined one of the tools, to the mounter.

10 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 9 , wherein
the robot executes one time of the preparation work using the tool housed in a plurality of the trays placed to the storage rack.

11 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a loading device which loads the tray housing the tool from the storing zone to the preparing zone; and an unloading device which is arranged in a path different from a path of the loading device, and unloads the tray housing the container from the preparing zone to the storing zone.

12 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 11 , further comprising:
a cover which is arranged in the preparing zone and covers a loading position of the tray by the loading device, and an unloading position of the tray by the unloading device, wherein the cover has:
an opening that allows the robot to access the tray, and
a shutter that opens and closes the opening.

13 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a controller which has a first operation controller that controls the rack moving device to move the storage rack outside the storing zone, when the preparation work is completed for all the trays which are stored in the storage rack and in which the tools are housed, and when storing of all the trays in which the containers are housed in the storage rack is completed.

14 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 13 , wherein
the controller has a second operation controller that controls the taking-in-and-out device to take out a specific one of the trays among the trays, which are stored in the storage rack and in which the containers are housed, from the storage rack in response to a request of a user.

15 . The liquid medicine preparation system according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a preparatory zone in which the single set of tools is set to the tray to be stored in the storage rack, wherein the controller has a third operation controller that performs control, in response to a request of a user, such that the preparation work is performed by transporting the tray to which the tool is set in the preparatory zone to the preparing zone without storing the tray in the storing zone, and the tray, in which the container of the prepared liquid medicine is housed, is transported to the preparatory zone without being stored in the storing zone.

16 . A liquid medicine preparation system that prepares a liquid medicine, the system comprising:
a first zone in which preparation work of the liquid medicine is performed by a robot; a second zone in which tools to be used in the preparation work are set for each single set, the single set having a predetermined one of the tools; and a third zone which is arranged between the first zone and the second zone.

17 . A method of preparing a liquid medicine, the method comprising:
performing preparation work of the liquid medicine using a robot; and storing containers that house the prepared liquid medicine respectively in a plurality of spaces.

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Murakami Hiroaki
• Umeno Makoto
• Tasaka Shigeji

Classifications

• B25J21/00

  Chambers provided with manipulation devices (constructional features of the mounting of the manipulator in the wall B25J1/08 {; glove-boxes for nuclear applications G21F7/04}) · CPC title

• A61J1/20 Primary

  Arrangements for transferring {or mixing} fluids, e.g. from vial to syringe · CPC title

• A61J1/2089

  Containers or vials which are to be joined to each other in order to mix their contents (combinations of vial and syringe for mixing their contents A61J1/2096) · CPC title

• B25J9/0087

  Dual arms (double SCARA arms B25J9/043) · CPC title

• A61J1/16

  Holders for containers · CPC title