Patent Application
20240034551
The present disclosure generally relates to pharmaceutical counters, and more particularly to a hopper of a pharmaceutical counter.
Pharmaceutical fulfillment systems process and fill a large number of prescriptions and prescription orders with pharmaceuticals. Such fulfillment systems may include automated dispensing systems that supply a specified quantity of pharmaceuticals to prescription containers. Automated dispensing systems typically include one or more pharmaceutical counters which automatically count and dispense a specific quantity (e.g., 30, 60, 90 etc.) of pharmaceuticals.
In one aspect, a hopper of a pharmaceutical counter, the hopper comprises a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion. The housing defines an interior sized to hold a plurality of pharmaceuticals. The interior has a lower end and an upper end. The lower portion of the housing defining an outlet in communication with the interior. The outlet sized and shaped to permit the plurality of pharmaceuticals to move therethrough. A baffle is supported by the housing and is disposed in the interior. The baffle is disposed between the upper and lower ends of the interior. The baffle is arranged to support a portion of the plurality of pharmaceuticals above the baffle when the plurality of pharmaceuticals is held in the interior of the housing.
In another aspect, a method of installing a hopper in a pharmaceutical counter array is disclosed. The pharmaceutical counter array includes a plurality of pharmaceutical counters. The method may comprise removing an existing hopper from a first pharmaceutical counter of the plurality of pharmaceutical counters. The existing hopper has a first volume for holding pharmaceuticals. The method may also comprise removing a second pharmaceutical counter of the plurality of pharmaceutical counters from the pharmaceutical counter array. The second pharmaceutical counter is disposed directly above the first pharmaceutical counter in the pharmaceutical counter array. The method may also comprise installing the hopper in the first pharmaceutical counter. The hopper has a second volume for holding pharmaceuticals. The second volume is greater than the first volume. After being installed, the hopper occupies at least a portion of a space previously occupied by the second pharmaceutical counter in the pharmaceutical counter array before the second pharmaceutical counter was removed from the pharmaceutical counter array.
Other objects and features of the present disclosure will be in part apparent and in part pointed out herein.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
The systems and methods described herein relate to automated dispensing systems, such as high volume fillers, of pharmaceutical fulfillment systems, such as a high volume pharmaceutical order processing systems, to fulfill a prescription order received by the pharmaceutical order processing system by supplying specified quantities of pharmaceuticals to prescription containers. Further details on pharmaceutical order processing systems, automated dispensing systems, pharmaceutical dispensers and components thereof may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 10,303,854 and U.S. Pat. No. 9,697,335, the entireties of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Referring to
Each pharmaceutical counter 10 is configured to count and release a specified quantity (e.g., exact counts) of pharmaceuticals (or other plurality of individual solids) to fulfill a prescription order. The pharmaceutical counter 10 includes a conventional hopper 14 and a counting mechanism 16. The conventional hopper 14 is configured to store a plurality of pharmaceuticals for the counting mechanism. The counting mechanism 16 is configured to count and release the exact number of pharmaceuticals needed to fill a prescription order. The conventional hopper 14 has an interior volume of about 4 liters (about 1 gallon). This capacity allows the conventional hopper 14 to hold, on average, approximately 4000 pills or generally all the pharmaceuticals contained in one replenishment container. Of course this number can vary depending on the size of the pills. During operation, the convention hopper 14 generally hold enough pharmaceuticals for about thirty minutes of runtime. Thus, an operator or pharmacists must refill the conventional hopper 14 approximately every thirty minutes. Pharmaceuticals counters 10 are generally known and thus a more detailed description herein is omitted. For example, the pharmaceutical counters 10 shown in
Referring to
The interior 114 has a volume that is larger than the volume of the conventional hopper 14 and preferably much larger than the volume of the conventional hopper, e.g., at least double. In various embodiments, the volume of the interior 114 is 3×, 4×, 5×, 6×, 7×, etc. the volume of the conventional hopper 14. The volume of the interior 114 is preferably within the inclusive range of about 12 liters (about 3.2 gallons) to about 28 liters (about 7.4 gallons), and more preferably within the inclusive range of about 16 liters (about 4.2 gallons) to about 24 liters (about 6.3 gallons), and more preferably within the inclusive range of about 16 liters (about 4.2 gallons) to about 20 liters (about 5.3 gallons), and more preferably about 18 liters (about 4.8 gallons). Thus, the hopper 100 of the present disclosure is able to hold more pharmaceuticals than the conventional hopper 14. For example, a hopper 100 of the present disclosure with a volume of about 18 liters can hold approximately 20,000 pharmaceuticals or all the pharmaceuticals contained in five to six replenishment containers. The larger volume of the hopper 100 of the present disclosure enables the automated dispensing system to be more efficient, by reducing the frequency the hopper 100 need to be refilled compared to the conventional hopper 14. This also reduces the pharmaceutical counter's 10 downtime (e.g., the time the pharmaceutical counter is inactive or unable to dispense pharmaceuticals because the hopper needs to be or is being refilled). Moreover, because of the lower amount of downtime, it is easier for a control system of the pharmaceutical order processing systems to schedule and arrange the fulfillment of prescription orders using the pharmaceutical counter 10 having the hopper 100 of the present disclosure. Accordingly, a pharmaceutical counter 10 having the hopper 100 of the present disclosure has less downtime and is therefore more likely to be ready to dispense pharmaceuticals when needed to fill prescription orders.
The lower portion of the housing 102 defines an outlet 120 in communication with the interior 114 (e.g., the lower portion of the interior). The outlet 120 is sized and shaped to permit pharmaceuticals held in the interior 114 of the hopper 100 to move therethrough. Specifically, the outlet 120 permits pharmaceuticals to flow toward the counting mechanism 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the outlet 120 includes a first or horizontal portion 120A generally defined between the first and second bottom walls 116, 118, and a second or inclined portion 120B extending generally upward from an end of the horizontal portion. The second portion 120B of the outlet 120 is generally defined by the rear wall 106. The hopper 100 may also include a gate 122 which may also define an upper end of the second portion 120B of the outlet 120, as illustrated. The gate 122 can be selectively raised and lowered to control the size (e.g., height) of the second portion 120B of the outlet 120. Raising and lowering the gate 122 permits an operator to conform the outlet 120 to different sizes of pharmaceuticals and control the flow rate of the pharmaceuticals therefrom to the counting mechanism 16. The hopper 100 includes a gate actuator 124 to selectively fix the gate 122 in position. In the illustrated embodiment, the gate actuator 124 comprises a thumb screw that can be selectively tightened and loosened to move the gate 122.
The housing 102 mounts on the counting mechanism 16 of the pharmaceutical counter 10. Preferably, the housing 102 has the same mounting arrangement (e.g., arrangement of fastener openings) as the conventional hopper 14 so that the hopper 100 of the present disclosure can simply replace the conventional hopper. However, specialized counter mounts may be used to attach the hopper 100 to a counting mechanism. The hopper 100 may also include a lock 125 to secure the hopper 100 to the counting mechanism 16. When the hopper 100 is attached to the counting mechanism 16, the vibratory plate 18 of the counting mechanism underlies the horizontal portion 120A of the outlet 120. In operation, the counting mechanism 16 vibrates the vibratory plate 18. As a result, pharmaceuticals at the lower end of the interior 14 move rearward, along the vibratory plate 18, out through the second portion 120B of the outlet 120 and toward the vibratory bowl 20.
The hopper 100 includes two handles 130 mounted on the front wall 104. The handles 130 permit an operator to easily remove or mount the hopper to the counting mechanism 16. The hopper 100 also includes a door 132 with a knob 134 in the front wall 104 to permit the operator to fill the interior 114 with the pharmaceuticals. A hinge 136, about which the door 132 pivots between open and closed positions, connects the door to the remainder of the front wall 104.
The hopper 100 includes one or more supports or baffles 126 disposed in the interior 114 of the housing 102. In the illustrated embodiment, the hopper 100 includes two baffles 126, although more or fewer baffles are within the scope of the present disclosure. Each baffle 126 is arranged to support a portion of the plurality of pharmaceuticals held in the interior 114 of the housing 102. By supporting a portion of the pharmaceuticals in the interior 114, each baffle 126 reduces the head pressure of the pharmaceuticals at the outlet 120. Through development of the hopper 100 of the present disclosure, it was unexpectedly discovered that the volume of the conventional hopper 14 could not simply be increased to hold more pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceuticals would not flow properly along the vibratory plate and/or would block or become jammed at the outlet. It was determined that the greater weight of the larger quantity of pharmaceuticals overwhelmed the vibratory plate 18 of the counting mechanism 16 and prevented the vibratory plate from functioning properly—i.e., moving the pharmaceuticals from the hopper to vibratory bowl 20 to feed the counting mechanism. Due to the greater weight or head pressure of the larger quantity of pharmaceuticals, the pharmaceuticals would clump together and block the outlet of the conventional hopper. In addition, some pharmaceuticals are dusty in nature, which further facilitates the clumping of the pharmaceuticals together. This clumping due to dust can also be exacerbated under certain temperature and/or humidity conditions. The baffles 126 of the present disclosure relieve or lower the head pressure of the pharmaceuticals at the outlet 120, thereby preventing the pharmaceuticals from blocking the outlet and permitting the vibratory plate 18 to function as intended (i.e., to move the pharmaceuticals in the hopper 100 through the outlet 120 toward the vibratory bowl 20).
Each baffle 126 is generally identical in the illustrated embodiment, but mounted in different locations within the interior 114. Accordingly, one baffle 126 will now be discussed with the understanding the description applies to the other baffle. The baffle 126 is supported by the housing 102. Specifically, the baffle 126 is mounted to the housing 102. The baffle 126 extends between the first and second side walls 108, 110. The baffle 126 is disposed between the upper and lower ends of the interior 114. This arrangement allows the baffle 126 to support a portion of the pharmaceuticals in the interior 114. As shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the baffle 126 is movable relative to the housing 102. In particular, the baffle is pivotable or rotatable about an axis of rotation AR. This allows the angle a of the baffle 126 to be changed. Changing the angle a of the baffle 126 enables the orientation of the baffle to be set for the size of pharmaceuticals the hopper 100 will receive. For example, the angle a can be adjusted so that for any given type of pharmaceutical, the baffle 126 will provide sufficient support while minimizing the amount of void space. Also, changing the angle a of the baffle 126 can change the amount of support the baffle provides, which may be necessary depending upon how dusty the pharmaceuticals are. The hopper 100 includes one or more retainers 128 (
In the illustrated embodiment, the baffle 126 has a generally rectangular shape, although other shapes (e.g., oval) are within the scope of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the baffle 126 may include (e.g., define) openings or slots extending therethrough. The openings or slots permit some of the pharmaceuticals to fall therethrough to minimize or eliminate the void the baffle 126 can create, thereby maximizing the holding capacity of the hopper 100. In this embodiment, the openings or slots are as small as possible (e.g., slightly larger than the size of the pharmaceuticals) while still permitting pharmaceuticals to pass therethrough in order to still be able to provide support for other pharmaceuticals above the baffle 126.
Referring to
In one embodiment, the hopper 100 may include a kit of baffles with different widths. The kit can include multiple sets of two or more baffles having the same width. This allows an operator to select the baffle(s) with the smallest possible width that will still provide a sufficient amount of support for a given size of pharmaceutical. This allows the operator to select a baffle size that will minimize the void space. Such selected baffles can be installed in the interior 114 of the housing 102. To interchange or replace the baffles 126, the operator can disconnect one of the walls of the housing 102 (such as the front wall 104 or upper wall 112), unscrew the fasteners from the existing baffles, secure the fasteners to the replacement baffles and then reconnect the disconnected wall of the housing. The baffles 126 can have a mate at one end that removably attaches to a non-removable wall of the housing 102 and a fastener to fix the baffle to the removable wall. The fastener can be removed to separate the baffle 126 from the removable wall when changing the baffle for a different size baffle. In an example embodiment, the baffles in the kit all have a same length to extend from the removable side wall to the fixed, non-removable side wall.
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The present description discloses embodiments in detail directed to, e.g., systems and methods relating to automated dispensing systems operating on pharmaceuticals. These embodiments can be extending to operate with non-pharmaceuticals, e.g., individual, solid forms that can be counted and dispensed into containers like pills, capsules, geltabs, tablets, or the like. Some forms are non-flowable individual items. Some forms can include health supplements, candy, and the like.
As mentioned herein, during development of the presently disclosed hopper, it was found that merely enlarging the size of the prior hopper did not work properly as merely enlarging did not work in the automated dispensing systems and introduced variations in pill dispensing. The present inventor worked to discover a hopper to address the drawbacks of the prior hopper.
It is appreciated that the systems and components described herein can be used in other contexts without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.
It is appreciated that the person of ordinary skill in the art is readily able to determine the scope of terms of degree such as, but not limited to, “about,” “substantially,” and “generally.” For example, when a term of degree is used in relation to a numeric value, the person of ordinary skill in the art understands that the term of degree covers an inclusive range of plus or minus 10% of the numeric value, unless clearly indicated or stated otherwise.
The Title, Field, and Background are provided to help the reader quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. They are submitted with the understanding that they will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. They are provided to introduce a selection of concepts in simplified form that are further described in the Detailed Description. The Title, Field, and Background are not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the claimed subject matter.
When introducing elements of aspects of the disclosure or the embodiments thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” “the,” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements.
In view of the above, it will be seen that several advantages of the aspects of the disclosure are achieved and other advantageous results attained.
Not all of the depicted components illustrated or described may be required. In addition, some implementations and embodiments may include additional components. Variations in the arrangement and type of the components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims as set forth herein. Additional, different or fewer components may be provided and components may be combined. Alternatively or in addition, a component may be implemented by several components.
The above description illustrates the aspects of the disclosure by way of example and not by way of limitation. This description enables one skilled in the art to make and use the aspects of the disclosure, and describes several embodiments, adaptations, variations, alternatives and uses of the aspects of the disclosure, including what is presently believed to be the best mode of carrying out the aspects of the disclosure. Additionally, it is to be understood that the aspects of the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the description or illustrated in the drawings. The aspects of the disclosure are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it will be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
Having described aspects of the disclosure in detail, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of aspects of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims. It is contemplated that various changes could be made in the above constructions, products, and methods without departing from the scope of aspects of the disclosure. In the preceding specification, various embodiments have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto, and additional embodiments may be implemented, without departing from the broader scope of the aspects of the disclosure as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense.
