Patient medication dispensing and associated record keeping system

Abstract

In a nurse administered medication dispensing system a mobile cart contains a plurality of doctor prescribed medication in accordance with a like plurality of patients scheduled to receive such medication. The medication containers stored in the cart is accessible by the nurse only in response to a patient ID code entered by the nurse into the keyboard of a cart supported microprocessor including a software program responding to the input code energizing mechanical components which obtains the medication from an onboard supply and transfers it to a specified nurse accessible cubicle or which releases secured medication dispensing units on or in the cart and records the time, date and quantity of medication dispensed.A fully automatic apparatus for dispensing medications in tablet or capsule form for a patient is disclosed. This apparatus includes several open containers to hold tablets or capsules, with the location of each container fixed relative to the apparatus, and with the containers not readily accessible to an unauthorized person. The apparatus also includes a computer programmed to correlate a patient's identity with the medications that are appropriate for the patient. The computer controls a carrier that moves to the location of each of the containers holding medication appropriate for the patient. The carrier retrieves the medication from each such container, and then releases the medication in a location where it may readily be retrieved by a human to administer to the patient.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED racks tracks 46 and 48 along which a gantry-type carriage system 50 is movable.

The carriage 50 comprises an X axis propulsion means 52, a Y axis propulsion means 54 and a Z axis propulsion means 56.

The X axis means 52 comprises a pair of spur gears 58 and 60 axially secured to an axle 62 and movable along the pair of racks 46 and 48 by angular rotation of the axle 62. A driven spur gear 64 is axially secured to the axle 62 adjacent the spur gear 60. The spur gear 64 is driven by a pinion 66 on the drive shaft of a reversible motor 68. The motor 68 is supported by a rectangular platform frame 70 horizontally supported above the racks 46 and 48 by bearings journalling the end portions or the axle 62 and movable longitudinally of the box frame 36 therewith. The frame 70 comprises side members 72 and end members 74 and 76.

The forward or left-end of the frame 70, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4, is supported by idler spur gears 78 journalled by bearings 80 secured to and depending from the respective frame side members 72 for supporting the carriage 50 in its to and fro movement along the racks 46 and 48. An axle shaft 82 (FIG. 4) extends between the idler gears 78 for the purposes presently explained.

The Y axis means 54 comprises an exteriorly threaded tube 84 which surrounds and is substantially coextensive with and is journalled by the axle shaft 82. A spur gear 86 surrounds the screw tube 84 at one of its ends and is driven by a pinion 88 secured to the drive shaft of a reversible motor 90 for angular rotation of the screw tube 84.

The screw tube 84 threadedly extends through an end portion of a Z axis platform support 92. The support 92 has its other end portion slidably surrounding the axle 62 for Y axis movement of the motor support 92 transversely of the box frame 36.

The Z axis means 56 comprises a horizontal platform 94 vertically slidable along a plurality of parallel upright standards 96 supported at their depending ends by the support 92 and interconnected at their upper ends by a horizontal motor mount 98.

The horizontal platform 94 threadedly surrounds an intermediate portion of a screw shaft 100 angularly rotated by a reversible motor 102 on the motor mount 98 having its drive shaft connected with the upper end thereof. The platform 94 further supports vertically disposed elongated telescoping tubes 104 and 106 normally telescopically extended and depending from the platform 94 by a spring means 108 for the purposes presently explained.

A motor driven vacuum pump 110 is mounted on the platform 94 and is operatively connected with the uppermost telescoping tube 106 to produce a pressure reduction at the depending preferably relatively small open end 111 of the lower tube 104 for the purpose of lifting and transporting a capsule or tablet, not shown, as presently explained.

Obviously, some patients require medication or treatments other than standard tablets or capsules, to this end the series of drawers or cubicles 26 are individually designated by one of the numerals 26¹ through 26^N.