System and apparatus for item management

摘要

Item-management systems, apparatus, and methods are described, preferably for management of items such as medicaments. In embodiments, an item-management system comprises a holder defining plural cells, a docking station configured to receive the holder, at least one indicator selectively-operable to indicate the holder cell into which an item is to be loaded, and at least one controller operable to selectively operate each at least one indicator to indicate the cell into which the item is to be received. In embodiments, indicators are provided on the holder. In other embodiments, the indicators may by on a guide associated with the docking station to assist the user in loading the holder. The contents of the loaded holder may be easily loaded, for example, into an automated dispensing machine for packaging and subsequent administration to a patient or for another use.

主权项

1. A medicament-management system which enables a pharmacy user to rapidly and accurately hand-load medicament holder cells with medicaments, the system comprising:
a portable medicament holder for transferring medicaments to an automatic dispensing machine, the holder having plural cells arranged in a pattern corresponding to a pattern of cells of the automatic dispensing machine, each holder cell defining a cell upper opening through which medicament is hand-loaded and an openable lower opening through which medicament is transferred from the holder cell to a corresponding adjacent cell of the pattern of automatic dispensing machine cells; a docking station apart from the automatic dispensing machine to which the holder is temporarily docked during the hand-loading, the docking station enabling control of visible information viewable proximate the holder cells indicating yes and no states of the holder cells; indicators which communicate the visible information to the user; an input device to provide information indicative of the medicament to be loaded in the holder; at least one controller operatively connected to the input device and controlling the visible information such that yes state information is viewable proximate each holder cell into which medicament is to be hand-loaded, the at least one controller including a computer and being operable to store information indicating each holder cell into which medicament is to be hand-loaded and to control, responsive to the input device, the visible information; and a video display operably connected to the at least one controller, the video display being operable to display information indicating each holder cell into which medicament is to be loaded.