U.S. patent number RE35,743 [Application Number 08/609,730] was granted by the patent office on 1998-03-17 for patient medication dispensing and associated record keeping system.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Pearson Ventures, L.L.C.. Invention is credited to Walter G. Pearson.
United States Patent |
RE35,743 |
Pearson |
March 17, 1998 |
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..]..Iadd.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.
Inventors: |
Pearson; Walter G. (Pineville,
LA) |
Assignee: |
Pearson Ventures, L.L.C.
(Alexandria, LA)
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Family
ID: |
27399590 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/609,730 |
Filed: |
March 1, 1996 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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433256 |
Nov 8, 1989 |
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242585 |
Sep 12, 1988 |
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Reissue of: |
751916 |
Aug 29, 1991 |
05292029 |
Mar 8, 1994 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
221/2; 221/9;
312/209; 221/123; 700/231 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07F
11/165 (20130101); G07F 9/002 (20200501); A61G
12/001 (20130101); A61J 7/0481 (20130101); G07F
11/1657 (20200501); G07F 17/0092 (20130101); A47B
2031/006 (20130101); A47B 2031/003 (20130101); B65G
2209/04 (20130101); A61J 7/0463 (20150501); A61J
7/0454 (20150501) |
Current International
Class: |
A61J
7/04 (20060101); A61J 7/00 (20060101); A61G
12/00 (20060101); G07F 011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;221/211,2,3,9,15,123,131,79 ;414/280,266 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Ser. No. 08/598574, Pearson, Feb. 12, 1996. .
Ser. No. 08/502118, Pearson, Jul. 13, 1995..
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Primary Examiner: Noland; Kenneth
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Rhea; Robert K. Runnels; John
H.
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED .[.APPLICATION.]. .Iadd.APPLICATIONS
.Iaddend.
This application is .Iadd.a reissue of an application filed by me
in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Aug. 29, 1991, under
Ser. No. 07/751,916, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,029, issued Mar. 8,
1994, which is .Iaddend.a continuation-in-part of an application
filed by me in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Nov. 8,
1989, under Ser. No. 07/433,256 now abandoned for Patient
Medication Dispensing and Associated Record Keeping
System.[...]..Iadd., which is a continuation-in-part of an
application filed by me in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on
Sep. 12, 1988, under Ser. No. 07/242,585, abandoned, for Patient
Medication Dispensing and Associated Record Keeping
System.Iaddend..
Claims
I claim: .[.1. An electronic medication dispensing and accounting
system for use in nurse car facilities to ensure correlation of
doctor prescribed medication with individual patients and provide a
running account of all medications dispensed to patients,
comprising:
digital computer having a monitoring means coupled thereto;
a computer access panel;
mobile unit means including a compartmentalized medication
containing enclosure supporting said computer and a source of
electrical energy;
circuit means including a plurality of data I/O channels coupling
the access panel to the computer;
plurality of medication container means in said mobile unit means
including a plurality of upwardly open containers disposed in rows
along the X and Y axes of an X, Y and Z axes rectangular Cartesian
coordinate system;
gantry-like carriage means including mobile means movable along the
respective X, Y and Z axes of the Cartesian coordinates;
pressure reduction means supported by the Z axis mobile means for
moving medication from a selected said open container to a
predetermined release position in response to software generated
signals operating in conformance with manually supplied
preprogrammed input data; and,
medication monitoring means connecting said motor driven mobile
means with said circuit means..]..[.2. The medication accounting
system according to claim 1 and further including:
an upwardly open box frame having a bottom wall for containing said
container means,
said box frame having opposing side and end walls,
one said side wall and one said end wall respectively defining the
X and Y axes..]..[.3. The medication accounting system according to
claim 2 in which the X axis carriage means includes:
a pair of racks longitudinally supported by said box frame side
walls;
a horizontal support frame having opposing side and end
members;
an axle extending between and journalled by said support frame side
members;
a rack supported spur gear on the respective end of said axle;
rack supported idler spur gears journalled by said support frame
side members forwardly of the first said spur gears for maintaining
the plane of said support frame horizontal; and,
X axis motor means drivably connected with one spur gear of said
spur gears for moving said support frame longitudinally along said
racks..]..[.4. The medication accounting system according to claim
3 in which the Y axis carriage means includes:
an axle shaft extending axially between said idler spur gears;
a coextensive externally threaded tube journalled by said axle
shaft;
a first platform having one end portion threadedly received by said
threaded tube and having an opposite end portion slidably supported
by said axle;
spur gear teeth surrounding one end portion of said threaded tube;
and,
Y axis motor means drivably connected with said tube spur gear
teeth for angular rotation of said threaded tube and moving said
platform between
said support frame side members..]..[.5. The medication accounting
system according to claim 4 in which the Z axis carriage means
includes:
a plurality or standards vertically supported by said first
platform;
a motor mount extending between the upper limit of said
standards;
an externally threaded shaft extending vertically between and
journalled by said first platform and said motor mount;
a second platform surrounding an intermediate portion of the
threaded shaft and slidably guided by said standards;
Z axis motor means for angularly rotating said threaded shaft and
vertically reciprocating said second platform;
a motor driven vacuum pump supported by said second platform;
and,
a plurality of telescoping tubes vertically depending from and
operatively connected with said vacuum pump for removing a tablet
or capsule from a
selected container of said plurality of containers..]..Iadd.6. An
apparatus for dispensing appropriate medications in tablet or
capsule form to a patient, comprising:
(a) a compartment adapted to house a plurality of containers for
holding medications in tablet or capsule form, wherein each
location of the compartment for housing a container is fixed
relative to the apparatus, and wherein said compartment is not
readily accessible to an unauthorized person;
(b) a computer adapted to be programmed to correlate a patient's
identity with the medications that are appropriate for the patient
at the time;
(c) a carrier responsive to said computer, wherein said carrier is
adapted to move under the control of said computer to the location
for each container that holds a medication appropriate for the
patient, then to create a partial vacuum to retrieve the medication
from each appropriate container, and then to release the partial
vacuum and place the retrieved medication where it may readily be
retrieved by a human to administer to the patient.
.Iaddend..Iadd.7. An apparatus as recited in claim 6, additionally
adapted to house a plurality of second containers for holding
medications not in tablet or capsule form. .Iaddend..Iadd.8. An
apparatus as recited in claim 6, wherein said computer is
additionally programmed to maintain a record of all medications
administered to each patient.
.Iaddend..Iadd.9. An apparatus for dispensing appropriate
medications in tablet or capsule form to a patient, comprising:
(a) a compartment adapted to house a plurality of containers for
holding medications in tablet or capsule form; wherein, with
respect to a hypothetical rectangular x, y, z-Cartesian coordinate
system superimposed on said apparatus, in which the z-direction is
vertical, said compartment is adapted to house a plurality of
containers that are accessible along the z-direction; wherein each
location of the compartment for housing a container is fixed
relative to the apparatus, with the fixed locations regularly
spaced with respect to one another in both the x-direction and the
z-direction; and wherein said compartment is not readily accessible
to an unauthorized person;
(b) a computer adapted to be programmed to correlate a patient's
identity with the medications that are appropriate for the patient
at the time;
(c) a carrier responsive to said computer, wherein said carrier is
adapted to move above the containers under the control of said
computer to the x and y coordinates of each of the containers that
holds a medication that is appropriate for the patient, then to
lower a retrieval device along the z-direction into each
appropriate container to retrieve medication from that container,
and then to release the retrieved medication where it may readily
be retrieved by a human to administer to the patient.
.Iaddend..Iadd.10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said
retrieval device is adapted to create a partial vacuum to retrieve
medication from the appropriate containers, and then to release the
partial vacuum and to place the medication where it may readily be
retrieved by a human to administer to the patient.
.Iaddend..Iadd.11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein said
computer is additionally programmed to maintain a record of all
medications administered to each patient. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to nursing care and more particularly to an
electronic medication dispensing, accounting and record keeping
system of patients in a hospital-type facility.
In some hospitals or clinics a serious problem frequently occurs
when medication or treatment is performed on the wrong patient.
Such problems may arise when the person dispensing or administering
prescription drugs or injections or taking fluid samples identifies
the patient by writing the patient's name and/or ID number on a
slip of paper and for a variety of reasons, such as the transfer of
patients to different beds and errors in marking the information on
the slip of paper the wrong patient may be given the medication or
treatment.
It is common practice for hospitals and other patient care
facilities to maintain a patient identification system, usually
comprising a temporary bracelet on the patient's arm, which
contains his name and/or ID number. Unfortunately many times this
identification is not cross referenced by the nurse or technician
administering the treatment. In accordance with this invention, a
unique identification system is disclosed in which the patient ID
number is entered into the system record keeping apparatus in order
to obtain doctor prescribed medication or other items necessary for
the required treatment of the patient.
This cross check of patient and medication or treatment is recorded
and transmitted to a designated central control station.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior patents generally disclose apparatus and systems for patent
identification and correlation with doctor's orders and medication
administering or laboratory results obtained.
Similarly, other prior patents provide a patient fluid input and
output record to insure patient fluid balance.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,112 is an example of a patient identification
system in which a coded ID bracelet, applied to the patient upon
admission, is later utilized by programmed circuitry to identify
and correlate drugs, the quantity thereof and/or treatment being
administered to the patient which insures treatment of the proper
patient.
This invention is distinctive over the above named patent by
providing a nurse actuated mobile station which accompanies the
nurse or technician on their rounds and which dispenses drug
medication or treatment medication in response to the nurse
entering a particular patient's identification data in the mobile
station input facility which responds by dispensing doctor
prescribed medication or treatment instructions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A manually moved upright mobile vehicle contains a plurality of
medication storage and dispensing units accommodating the physical
properties of the .[.mediation.]. .Iadd.medication .Iaddend.and/or
instruments to be used and an onboard microprocessor equipped with
software, a keyboard and connectable with a modem and printer all
energized by an onboard source of electrical energy and operated by
programmed software in response to operator supplied input commands
at the keyboard. Electronic circuitry connects the microprocessor
with and activates mechanical units in a predetermined sequence for
a selected one of several dispensing medication units corresponding
to the patient identification entered into the computer by the
nurse on duty.
A primary function of the system is to control and restrict
medication dispensing, to the types and quantities specified in
advance by the pharmacist, doctor, supervisor, or other authorized
personnel. This provides accuracy and eliminates pilferage. The
software, together with the dispensing apparatus, restricts the
dispensing to only those medications determined in advance.
The medication dispensing nurse cannot normally obtain
.[.mediation.]. .Iadd.medication .Iaddend.from the apparatus that
was not previously scheduled for that time and patient, thus
increasing accuracy and minimizing drug pilferage.
The principal object of this invention is to insure dispensing
correct medication or treatment to individual patients by
correlating the patient's ID with the software operating a computer
which automatically records the data, such as medication dispensed,
time, patient's ID and other data, thus relieving nursing personnel
from such record keeping and minimizing human error.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram;
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of a mobile medication dispensing
unit;
FIG. 3 is a top view, to a different scale, of a tablet or capsule
dispenser;
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a right end view of FIG. 4; and,
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view to a larger
scale taken substantially along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures
of the drawings in which they occur.
In the drawings:
Referring more particularly to FIG. 1, the basic elements of a
medical electronic accounting system in accordance with the present
invention are illustrated. The system includes a software program
which supplies data in digital form to a digital computer which
acts on this data to yield output signals activating medication
dispensing units in conformance with operator input data previously
supplied by authorized expert personnel and activated by medical
nurse personnel on duty. The bus-oriented characteristic of the
computer allows connecting numerous devices to the computer as long
as the formal organization of the communication data is the same as
that required by the bus and read by the computer.
All digital computers essentially comprise a minicomputer or
microcomputer including a central processing unit, CPU, indicated
by the reference numeral 10, having a memory system and some form
of input/output control. The purpose of the central processing unit
is to receive and store data for later processing in a memory 11 in
the form of bits or binary digits in accordance with previous
program instructions or data to obtain results which are sent
through the bus to control peripheral devices and also delivered
through a readout unit such as a printer 12 and a cathode ray tube
CRT 13.
The central processing unit (CPU) performs the arithmetic and the
logic operations under the supervision of a software system which
monitors information from an input/output (I/O) port, such as a
keyboard 14, a real time clock 16 and feedback through the bus from
the hereinafter described peripheral devices, including the CRT
13.
The memory components 11 contain data and instruction codes
including a file or unique addresses correlating physical devices,
as hereinafter described, with their corresponding mechanisms.
As is well known, the capability of a computer is dependent upon
the storage capacity of its memory which may range from fewer than
100 bits as in pocket calculators to approximately a billion bits
in large scale computers. The "hardware" components of a digital
computer are the central processing unit (CPU), the memory system
and the input/output devices. The control registers and the
arithmetic logic unit of the CPU are linked with the memory system
and the input/output devices, unique to this system, through a data
bus 20 allowing the memory, the CPU and the I/O devices to operate
and monitor a plurality of peripheral components, such as a series
of drawers 22, a tablet/capsule dispenser area XY and a series of
door closed cubicles or compartments 26 (FIG. 2). In the present
example, in addition to an onboard rechargeable source of electric
energy 17 powering the digital computer and its connected
peripheral devices, a lithium battery 18 backs up memory 11 to
ensure that the memory is nonvolatile and will continue to store
data in the event of a power interruption from the energy source
17.
The reference numeral 30 indicates the mobile unit hereinafter
referred to as "cart" which is upright rectangular in overall
configuration supported by a plurality of wheels 31 which may be
swivelling casters for manually manipulating the cart around
obstacles such as may be encountered in a hospital ward.
Intermediate its height, the forward end 32 of the cart is provided
with a substantially horizontal platform forming a workshelf 33
including a laterally extending pull-out section 33'.
The computer keyboard and numeric key pad 14 are supported by the
shelf 33'. The keyboard 14 is connected with the microprocessor 10
which is contained by the cart in a forward compartment and
operatively connected with the monitor or CRT 13 so that images on
its screen may easily be visualized by the nurse when at the
keyboard. The lower front end portion and rearward portion of the
cart supports and provides access to the plurality of medication
dispensing drawers 22, tablet/capsule dispenser unit XY and
cubicles or compartments 26.
Referring also to the remaining FIGS., the numeral 35 indicates a
tablet/capsule dispenser unit contained by the cart area XY.
The unit 35 comprises an upwardly open rectangular box-like frame
36 formed by upstanding side walls 38 and 40 and end walls 42 and
44, joined by a bottom wall 45.
The major portion of the area encompassed by the side and end walls
of the box frame 36 is filled with a plurality of rows of upwardly
open containers 37 extending longitudinally between the end walls
42 and 44 and transversely between the side walls 38 and 40. The
vertical axis of each container being represented by a point on a
rectangular Cartesian coordinate system ranging from X.sup.1
Y.sup.1 to X.sup.N Y.sup.N.
The side wall 38 and the end wall 42, respectively, represent the
positive portion X and Y axes of a rectangular Cartesian coordinate
system for locating and dispensing a tablet or capsule from a
selected one of the containers, as will now be explained.
The upper limit of the box frame side walls 38 and 40
longitudinally support a pair of .[.racks.]. .Iadd.tracks
.Iaddend.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 26.sup.1 through 26.sup.N.
OPERATION
In operation, assuming the cart 30, drawers, cubicles and dispenser
unit has been loaded with medication and the nurse and cart is at a
patient's bedside. The nurse inputs the patient's ID into the
keyboard 14 and the computer acting in response to the software
energizes the lamps 23, 27 or 117 of the particular drawer or
cubicle containing the medication for the identified patient.
When the medication is in one of the containers designated by the
XY Cartesian coordinate numerals, the software, via the computer,
energizes the X and Y axis means 52 and 54 to position the vertical
axis of the lowermost vacuum tube 104 on the vertical axis of the
selected tablet or capsule container.
The Z axis motor 102 is then energized to angularly rotate the
screw 100 for lowering the platform 94 and the tube 104 into the
selected container while simultaneously the vacuum pump 110 is
energized to draw air into and through the tubes 104 and 106.
When the depending open end 112 of the tube 164 contacts a tablet
or capsule in the selected container, the spring 108 cushions the
impact of the tube 104 with the tablet so that the latter will not
be crushed while simultaneously a rapid increase of pressure
reduction in the tube triggers the vacuum pump sensor, not shown,
to energize the X and Y axes means 52 and 54 to return to the home
position (adjacent the frame side wall 38 and end wall 44) where
the frame 70 end wall 76 contacts an upstanding microswitch 115,
supported by the box frame end wall 44, to deenergize the vacuum
pump. This releases the capsule or tablet, not shown, into the XY
unit access drawer 120 and simultaneously energizes its light
117.
There is a role played by the medication nurse. The on-the-spot
dispensing nurse verifies that there is no mistake in the
medication dispensed by comparing the CRT display and the printed
(hard copy) reminding the medication nurse to examine and verify
the medication. In this way the system provides a redundancy
subsystem to enhance accuracy.
There are some occasions in which the cart must allow the medical
nurse to request a medication that was not scheduled in advance.
This can happen, for example, in an emergency, or if one or more of
the dispensed tablets is accidentally dropped. For such cases, the
software allows emergency requests without defeating the general
restriction, by automatically recording the emergency or special
problem request and the identification code of the personnel who
requested it.
In this way, the software, via its locking and unlocking of the
dispensing devices and the feedback from the devices to the cart,
constituting the only way in which medication dispensing can occur
with this system, guarantees responsibility and accountability for
any necessary specific exceptions to general restrictions. In this
way the combination controlled dispensing devices combined
regulation and order with necessary flexibility and
accountability.
Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations
without defeating its practicability. Therefore, I do not wish to
be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and
described herein.
* * * * *