Systems and methods for manual countables

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9567119-B2
Application number	US-201514803005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2015
Priority date	Jul 23, 2014
Publication date	Feb 14, 2017
Grant date	Feb 14, 2017

Abstract

Systems and methods for manually filling a prescription order. A manual fill device may be incorporated into a manual fill center of a pharmacy operated by one or more pharmacists and/or pharmacist technicians to manually fill certain prescription containers. The manual fill device may include a control unit which may operate at the direction of the order processing device. The manual fill device may also include a distribution section automating distribution of containers for manual fulfillment, and a manual section in which a pharmacist may utilize available pharmaceuticals to manually fill orders.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a distribution section including a robot and a scanner, the robot being configured for selecting and picking a container from the distribution section and moving the container to the scanner, the scanner being configured for scanning to identify a pharmaceutical associated with the container, and the robot being further configured for placing the container onto one of at least one conveyor based on the identification;
a manual section disposed adjacent the distribution section, the manual section including a plurality of handling areas and a plurality of shelving areas for storing the pharmaceutical, wherein each of the plurality of handling areas is associated with at least one of the plurality of shelving areas; and
the at least one conveyor configured for transporting the container between the distribution section and one of the plurality of handling areas associated with the at least one of the plurality of shelving areas that stores the pharmaceutical.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a guiderail positioned to define a lane on the conveyor,
wherein the lane leads to one of the plurality of handling areas.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a feed conveyor to feed containers to a holding area reachable by the robot.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the feed conveyor is configured to deliver a pallet of containers to the distribution section.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the pallet includes contains only containers designated for manual filling.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of shelving area each includes a plurality of shelves, each shelf of the plurality of shelves storing one or more than one different type of pharmaceutical.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein a shelf of the plurality of shelves within one of the plurality of shelving areas is associated with an additional one of the plurality of shelving areas.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein a single type of pharmaceutical is stored in a first shelving area and a second shelving area, a first handling area being associated with the second shelving area.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the each of the plurality of shelving areas includes a carousel of stored pharmaceuticals.

10. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one conveyor is further controlled to transport the container from the distribution section to a first handling area or a second handling area of the manual section after the container being scanned.

11. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the robot is further configured to place the container onto the conveyor leading to a selected handling area.

12. A method comprising:
selecting a container from a holding area;
scanning the container via a scanner;
determining a pharmaceutical associated with the container based on the scan, for filling the container with the pharmaceutical;
determining a shelving area among a plurality of shelving area that stores the pharmaceutical;
determining a handling area associated with the shelving area; and
placing the container on a conveyor leading to the handling area.

13. A The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
determining a workload of the handling area and an additional handling area associated with the shelving area that stores the pharmaceutical;
selecting the handling area with a lower workload to receive the container.

14. A The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
filling the container with the pharmaceutical at the handling area; and
transporting the filled container away from the handling area.

15. A The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
monitoring prescription orders yet to be launched within a pharmacy for orders associated with a manually filled pharmaceutical;
launching a pallet of containers associated with prescription orders for pharmaceuticals for manual filling, the pallet of containers including the container; and
routing the pallet to a distribution section of a manual fill device of the pharmacy.

16. A The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
upon scanning the container from the pallet and routing the container to the handling area, determining that an additional container on the pallet is associated with the pharmaceutical; and
selecting the additional container on the pallet associated with the pharmaceutical and routing the additional container to the handling area.

Assignees

• Express Scripts Inc

Inventors

• Joplin Jonathan W

Classifications

• A61J7/0084 Primary

  for multiple medicaments · CPC title

• B65B43/52

  using roller-ways or endless conveyors · CPC title

• B65B65/003

  Packaging lines, e.g. general layout · CPC title

• B65B2210/02

  Plurality of alternative input or output lines or plurality of alternative packaging units on the same packaging line for improving machine flexibility · CPC title

• A61J1/03

  for pills or tablets (containers for pills or tablets with special dispensing means therefor B65D83/04) · CPC title