Patent Application
20080164272
The present invention relates to drug storage and dispensing systems.
In healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, drugs are administered to patients. Such drugs are typically stored in a cabinet or closet and are categorized by drug and dosage. Some, more advanced, facilities utilize an automated drug inventory system which uses a user interfaced processor to track the drugs being stocked in and taken from the drug cabinet. Some processors employ mechanisms to restrict access to certain drugs. Despite these drug inventory systems, such drug cabinets are still stocked by humans capable of error. Furthermore, the labels on many of the drug containers and vials are small and difficult to read.
There have been numerous documented cases of drug cabinets being improperly stocked and death or injury has resulted. This may be more prone to occurring in emergency settings when caregivers must act quickly. For instance, the healthcare provider may reach into the drug cabinet and remove a vial stored in the Heparin-child dose section believing that he/she is removing the proper dose of Heparin. Unfortunately, the vial may actually be the adult dose of Heparin which was improperly stocked. Administered to a child, the adult dose may result in death. In other cases, the wrong drug altogether is placed in the drug compartment.
A need remains for a system that helps to insure that the proper drug is stocked in the proper compartment and/or that the proper drug is dispensed and administered to the patient.
The present invention provides a system for storing and/or dispensing drugs. In one aspect, the present invention provides a drug storage and dispensing system for storing drugs contained in a container. In one embodiment, the storage system includes a storage tray and a drug identification key member. The storage tray includes at least one drug storage chamber defined by a sidewall and configured to receive the drug container. The drug identification key member includes at least one projection and at least one projection receiving opening configured to receive the at least one projection. The projection is disposed on either the sidewall of the storage chamber or the container, while the projection receiving opening is formed in the other of the sidewall and the container. The projection and the opening have configurations complementary to one another. The complementary configurations correspond to at least one feature of the drug. The at least one projection is received in the at least one opening when the container is received in the storage chamber.
In another aspect, the present invention provides a drug storage and dispensing system for storing drugs. The storage system includes a container for containing the drug, a storage tray and a drug identification key. The storage tray includes at least one drug storage chamber defined by a sidewall and configured to receive the container. The drug identification key member includes at least one projection and at least one projection receiving opening configured to receive the at least one projection. The projection is disposed on either the sidewall or the container. The opening is formed in the other of the sidewall and the container. The at least one projection and at least one opening have configurations that corresponding to at least one feature of the drug. The at least one projection is received in the at least one opening when the container is received in the storage chamber.
In another aspect the drug storage and dispensing system for storing drugs contained in a container includes a storage tray including a plurality of drug storage chambers. Each of the drug storage chambers are defined by a sidewall and configured to receive the drug container. The storage and dispensing system also includes a drug identification key member including at least one projection adapted to extend from the container. The storage and dispensing system also includes a drug identification key receiving member including at least one opening formed in the sidewall of the drug storage chambers and configured to receive the at least one projection. The at least one projection and at least one opening have configurations complementary to one another. The complementary configurations correspond to at least one feature of the drug. The at least one projection is received in the at least one opening when the container is received in the storage chamber.
The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
a is a top view of a key receiving member in accordance with the embodiment of
a is a top view of a storage chamber in accordance with the embodiment of
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. Although the exemplification set out herein illustrates embodiments of the invention, in several forms, the embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise forms disclosed.
The embodiments hereinafter disclosed are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following description. Rather the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize its teachings.
Referring first to
Storage tray 12 also includes a plurality of drug storage chambers 22 extending therein from top surface 18. Drug storage chambers 22 are configured to receive at least a portion of a drug container, such as drug container 34, which is in the form of a vial. Drug storage chambers 22 may have any shape or form and may be configured to receive other forms and shapes of drug containers including, for example, pre-filled syringes, pill bottles, pill packets and other drug containers. Drug storage chambers 22 are defined by sidewall 24. For purposes of this application, sidewall 24 is intended to include not only the cylindrical side sidewall, but any and all walls forming the chamber, including the bottom sidewall. Storage tray 12 may also include label surface 26 for receiving a label identifying the drugs to be stored in tray 12. As illustrated in
Drug identification key member 14 is mounted to drug container 34 and includes T-shaped projection 36 projecting from the side of drug container 34. Key member 14 may be formed integrally as one unit with drug container 34. In other words, drug container 34 may be manufactured to include key projection 36. Alternatively, key member 14 may be formed separately from drug container 34 and may be affixed to drug container 34 using any known connection means including adhesive, welding or mating connectors. For example, as shown in
As illustrated in
In use, storage trays 12 may be placed on storage shelves in drug cabinets, mounted on walls in drug closets, or arranged in any suitable manner in the drug storage area of a healthcare facility. Drug containers 34 and storage trays 12 are equipped with mating drug identification keys that assist one in the storage, identification and dispensing of drugs. For instance, complementary configurations of opening 28 and projection 36 are designed to correspond to a particular feature of the drug. For example, the T-shaped configurations of projection receiving opening 28 and projection 36 may correspond to the drug composition Heparin. Accordingly, all drug containers 34 containing the drug Heparin are equipped with T-shaped projection 36, which identifies the drug within container 34 as Heparin. All drug containers containing other drugs, would be equipped with a projection having a different shape incapable of being received within T-shaped opening 28. Label surface 26 of tray 12 may include a label identifying tray 12 as a Heparin storage tray. As shown in
Storage trays 12 and keys (projections 36 and key receiving openings 28) may be formed of any rigid material capable of holding drug containers and forming a mating coupling. For instance, storage trays and keys may be formed of rigid plastic, metal, wood and/or combination thereof. Trays and key may be formed by any means including extrusion, molding, machining or other means.
Turning now to
Referring now to
Furthermore, although
Turning now to
As illustrated in
Turning now to
Access to the drugs may be further restricted by equipping projections 36 and projection openings 28 with known complementary magnetic locks, which may be activated and de-activated by the processor. In this embodiment, projections 36, openings 28 and chambers 122 cooperate to insure that drug cabinet 40 is properly stocked and the proper drug and dosage are stored in the proper compartments. Magnetic locks of projections 36 and openings 28 lock the drug container in the chamber until the processor deactivates the locks upon receiving the proper information.
Referring to
However, since processors and automated drug delivery systems store the location of drugs, it may be beneficial to prevent one from easily and spontaneously relocating trays 12. On the other hand, when re-stocking, it may be beneficial to temporarily remove trays 12. Furthermore, the drug vials may be produced and shipped pre-loaded in new trays. Accordingly, rather than inserting vials into old trays, trays are removed and new ones pre-loaded with vials are put in place. In these cases, one must be sure the re-loaded or new tray is properly place. Mounting plate 41 may be provided. Mounting plate 42 is secured to base 41f in compartment 41F of drug drawer 41 via welding, adhesive, lock or other fixation means. Mounting plate 42 includes a first connector 44 having a shape corresponding to the drug to be stored in compartment 41F. Tray 12 is equipped with second connector 46, which is adapted to mate with first connector 44. In this particular embodiment, first connector 44 is in the form of a T-shaped protrusion, which second connector 46 is in the form of a T-shaped channel. First connector 44 mates with second connector 46 to selectively receive tray 12 in compartment 41F. As shown in
The systems of the present invention help insure that the correct drug is stocked in the correct location in the drug storage area, thereby minimizing the chances that the wrong drug is selected and administered due to inaccurate stocking. The systems of the present invention also help insure that access to the drugs is selectively granted, thereby minimizing the chances that the wrong drug will be taken from the drug storage area.
While this invention has been described as having an exemplary design, the present invention may be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.
