CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 61/435,324, filed January 23, 201 1, titled "DISPENSARY KIOSK LOADING ARRANGEMENT," which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

This invention relates to a loading arrangement for a kiosk vending machine and has particular application to a dispensary kiosk for dispensing drugs and other medicaments.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

The traditional means of dispensing prescribed medicaments involves a doctor meeting with a patient, prescribing a medicament based on a particular diagnosis, and then hand writing and signing the prescription for the patient to carry to a pharmacist at a pharmacy location for fulfillment. In recent years, two major advances have occurred in the field of medicament dispensing. The first is the advent of electronic prescription capturing methods, systems and apparatus, which improve the overall accuracy and patient record-keeping associated with prescribing drugs. The second is the advent of automated apparatus, typically configured as kiosks, from which medicaments can be automatically dispensed, the kiosks being located for convenient patient access, such as at a doctor's premises, a hospital or mall, and being networked with a system server for inventory control and management. In this regard, reference may be made to applicant's co-pending PCT application serial no. PCT/CA2007/001220 related to a method, system and apparatus for dispensing drugs.

More specifically, the PCT application describes a networked system having a server, a database of patient information linked to the server, a first client having input means linked to the server and operable to generate a script for a medicament prescribed to a user, a second client comprising an automated apparatus for dispensing medicaments (referred to in said PCT application as a robotic prescription dispensary) operable to recognize a human and/or machine readable description in the script, and to provide validating cross-referencing between the description and patient information as a prelude to dispensing a drug to the user on the basis of the input script. A doctor in a clinic can be a third client having input means linked to the server to input appropriate prescription information, or accept certain prescription information from the database as being applicable in the particular case for a particular patient. Further, the doctor's client device can be operable to display patient information, e.g., drug history, insurance coverage, etc., and a printer module can print the script as a paper print-out.

The server and database enable storing, compiling and retrieval of patient data including name, address, and diagnostic and drug history. Access to the database can be provided to both the doctor and the automated apparatus for dispensing medicaments via the server, via a secure connection, or via a link between the system and a clinic's existing clinic management system or patient database.

The apparatus also includes a dispensary apparatus such as a dispensary kiosk including a user interface, a teleconferencing or video-conferencing means enabling communication between the user and a human validation agent such as a licensed pharmacist, and a scanning means for capturing an image of the script so that it, if needed, it can be viewed by the human validation agent. The human validation agent communicates from a remote location over the network with the user and with other functions within the dispensary kiosk to monitor and approve a dispensing procedure. The user interface of the dispensary apparatus provides detailed and clear instructions to guide the user.

An authentication means confirms the identity of the patient, for example, by prompting for a personal identification number or by biometric means or by associating certain questions to answers provided by the patient that identify the patient to the apparatus, and cross-referencing this information with the patient information stored on the networked database. Once the patient is recognized, the dispensary apparatus prompts the user for a script and the apparatus processes the user-input script either by the above- mentioned human validation agent or by processing the machine readable description (which may be a bar code). This information can be verified with the server and the database. The apparatus may also interface with the server to adjudicate insurance claims and to determine amounts payable by patients. The patient either accepts or rejects the transaction. If the transaction is accepted, the apparatus interfaces with the server to transact a payment, for example, by prompting the patient for credit card information. Prescription labels and receipts are printed at the dispensary apparatus and a check is made by the apparatus to confirm that the drug is correct. The drug is then delivered to a dispensing bay for retrieval by the user while the script is retained in a lock box. A verification process is then undertaken to ensure that the purchased drug has been retrieved from the dispensing bay. Further, the apparatus may print and/or provide to the user educational materials relevant to the medicaments that have been dispensed. The automated dispensing apparatus for performing such operations is of significant value in enabling a patient to obtain prescribed medicaments without having to attend a pharmacy or drug store.

A dispensary kiosk for use in the previously described networked system must offer efficient storage, handling and dispensing of medicaments such as pill boxes. This may take the form of a rack having an array of variously sized bins permitting the storage of pre-packaged items of different sizes and shapes. In addition to the rack of bins, the dispensary kiosk may have bulk storage modules for storing magazines of pills and reservoirs of fluid medicines. The pill storage magazines can have associated means for dispensing required numbers of pills from the magazines and packaging the dispensed pills in a container such as a box or bottle. Similarly, the fluid storage reservoirs can have associated means for dispensing required volumes of the fluid medicines and packaging the dispensed fluids in bottles or like containers.

A dispensary kiosk must periodically be restocked with any of several types of item and material that may have been consumed though the dispensing of medicaments or that may need to be replaced for other reasons such as expiry date, recall etc. Such a restocking must be done with due regard to security because the packaged and bulk materials being installed in the dispensary kiosk may be a tempting target for thieves when the kiosk is opened for restocking. Such restocking should also be effected with due regard to product integrity where unauthorized access to medicaments may be obtained by third parties leading to product contamination. Finally, real estate available in hospitals, clinics and malls for accommodating such kiosks will normally be in short supply and therefore activity involved in restocking dispensary kiosks should use minimum possible additional floor area in comparison with the area occupied by the kiosk itself. All of these factors should be considered. SUMMARY

According to one implementation, there is provided a dispensary kiosk having a cabinet, a storage vault in the cabinet, and a door to the storage vault, the door housing a user interface, the door enabling general access to the storage vault conditional on disabling dispensing functionality of the dispensary kiosk, the kiosk having an entryway to the storage vault independent of the door, the entryway enabling loading/unloading of a function unit into/out of the storage vault, such loading/unloading of the function unit not conditioned on disabling the dispensing functionality of the dispensary kiosk. Preferably, the dispensary kiosk is configured as a unit having a generally rectangular footprint, the door enabling said general access from a front of the dispensary kiosk, and the entryway enabling the loading/unloading of the function unit from a side of the dispensary kiosk. The dispensary can further include a carriage for the function unit, the carriage movable between a position interior of the storage vault and a position outside of the storage vault and having a mounting fixture for demountably mounting a container unit to the carriage. Preferably, the container unit has an open face permitting access to the interior of the container unit when the container unit is in the inside position.

For the personal safety of the loading personnel, the carriage can have an inner wall, the inner wall closing the entryway when the carriage is in the outside position, the carriage also having an outer wall, the outer wall closing the entryway when the carriage is in the inside position. The carriage may be of a U form with the inner and outer wall joined by a single side wall, with a sliding bearing mounting the carriage side wall to a back wall of the dispensary kiosk.

The dispensary kiosk can further comprise a latch arrangement to latch the inner wall to a side wall of the cabinet when the carriage is in the outside position, the latch arrangement preferably including a series of latches, the latches latched upon movement of the carriage to the outside position. The arrangement can be such that the latches are unlatched upon movement of the carriage, by virtue of the container unit mounted thereon, to the inside position. The latches can be spaced sufficiently to prohibit simultaneous unlatching by unaided hands of a single person.

The carriage may alternatively be hinged to a side wall of the cabinet, so as to present a chute for entry of piece parts when the carriage is in the outside position.

The dispensary kiosk can have a plurality of such function units, the function units mounted at different positions in the dispensary kiosk, each function unit comprising any of a loading storage rack module, an unloading storage rack module, a bulk storage unit for storing at least one of pills and liquid compositions, a module for configuring and dispensing pills or liquid compositions from a canister or reservoir thereof, a packaging or bottling module for receiving empty packages or bottles and configuring the empty packages or bottles to receive medicaments, and a capping module for receiving caps and configuring the caps to cap medicament packages or bottles. In one such function unit adapted for the chute form carriage, bottles with caps attached are bulk loaded into the function unit which is then loaded through an entryway. The bottles are then sorted, orientated, and their caps removed and, after filling, reapplied inside the kiosk dispensary. These operations may take place all or partly within the inserted function unit, or, with the involvement of a pick head, may take place all or partly at other locations in the kiosk dispensary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements illustrated in the following figures are not drawn to common scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements are exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention, as well as methods, operation and functions of related elements of structure, and the combinations of parts and economies of manufacture, will become apparent upon consideration of the following description and claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of the specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a schematic top view of a dispensary kiosk according to an implementation, the figure showing the kiosk connected into a network;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of part of the dispensary kiosk of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of a rack module for the dispensary kiosk of Figure 1 ; Figure 4 is a top view of the rack module of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of the dispensary kiosk of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an isometric view of part of a side loading unit according to an implementation showing a carriage of the side loading unit located inside a storage vault with a container unit mounted to the carriage;

Figure 7 is an isometric view of the side loading unit of Figure 6, showing the carriage located outside the storage vault;

Figure 8 is an isometric view of the side loading unit of Figure 6, showing the carriage located inside the storage vault;

Figure 9 is an isometric view of the side loading unit of Figure 6, showing the carriage located inside the storage vault with the container unit mounted to the carriage;

Figure 10 is an isometric detail view of a dispensary kiosk having a side loading unit configured as a hinged tray; Figure 1 1 is an isometric view of a rear loading dispensary kiosk according to an implementation; and

Figure 12 is an isometric detail view of a dispensary kiosk according to an implementation having a side loading unit housing several container units.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring in detail to Figure 1, at reference numeral 100, there is shown a schematic top view of a dispensary kiosk 8 for dispensing drug packages and other items. The kiosk is connected into a network, illustrated schematically in Figure 1, which includes several other dispensary kiosks, a medical records database, a drug history database, a physician center, an inventory control center and a technical support center. The network permits information related to a dispensing transaction to be obtained from and delivered to nodes on the network remote from the dispensary, and permits communication between a user at the kiosk and a human agent. The human agent is typically a pharmacist who is able to monitor the dispensing transaction. He or she determines, on the basis of all monitored information, whether a dispensing transaction is to be completed, and may also access records data and other expertise. Repositories of some such records data and expertise are depicted in Figure 1.

The dispensary kiosk 8 is configured as a number of layers, the elements of each layer having particular functions in relation to a dispensing operation. At the rear of the dispensary kiosk as shown by Figures 1 and 2, is a storage layer 10 having a series of rack modules 11 is mounted on a back wall 13 of a kiosk cabinet. As shown by Figures 3 and 4, the rack modules 1 1 each have a row-column array of bins 15 permitting the storage of pre-packaged items 18 each potentially being of different size and shape than other such items in the same bin. Each bin 15 has a depth permitting storage of several items, for instance as shown in Figure 4.

In front of the storage layer 10 is an access layer 12 in which is mounted a gantry, having vertical and horizontal members 17, and a pick head 19 for use in picking medicament items from the bins 15 and for placing items into the bins 15. The gantry/pick head arrangement is used for picking items from the bins 15 and for moving them forwardly to a function layer 14. A suitable pick head mechanism can be of the type described in co-pending US Patent Application Serial Number 12/503,989, publishes as US Patent Application Publication No. US 201 1/0014018 Al, which is hereby incorporated by reference. The storage layer 10 and the access layer 12 together form a secure back end storage vault. In front of the access layer 12, the function layer 14 contains modules such as a transfer module, a labeling module and a conveyor. Within the function layer 14, items picked from the bins 15 in the storage layer 10 are subject to various processes necessary before an item picked from the bin 15 can be dispensed to a user. At the front of the dispensary kiosk is a user interface layer 16 which provides access for a user to present a script, to communicate with a remote pharmacist over the network, and to obtaining dispensed drugs or other medicaments from the dispensary kiosk as prescribed by the presented scripts.

As shown in Figure 5, the user interface includes a touch screen 22, a hailing speaker 24, a camera 26, a digital payment module 28, an insurance card reader 30, a dispense door 32 which opens to provide user access to a dispensing bay, a scanner 34, a printer 36, a telephone 38, and cash note and coin payment modules 40 and 41 respectively. The user interface layer 16 and the function layer 14 together form a front end unit which is hinged to the secure back end storage vault formed by the storage layer 10 and the access layer 12. The front end unit operates as a door to prevent unauthorized access to the drug vault but to permit authorized access to the vault for servicing. In the implementation shown in Figure 5, the dispensary kiosk has two user interfaces.

Servicing the dispensary kiosk may include any of several operations. Among these are recharging the storage vault with items to be dispensed, replacing rack modules, emptying cash boxes and repairing or troubleshooting modules such as labeling modules, conveyors, pick heads, etc. In a dispensary kiosk for dispensing drugs and other medicaments, it may be that certain people require access to certain zones or functional modules in the dispensary while other people require access to a different set of zones or modules. For example, access required for repair activity may be quite different from access required for dispensary replenishing. If the front door unit of the dispensary kiosk is opened every time that any access is required to the interior, this has several consequences. Firstly, the dispensary kiosk is rendered inoperable with potential loss of sales during the time the front door unit is open. Secondly, the storage vault and its contents are exposed to passersby. And thirdly, the door or doors of the kiosk may have to be opened into a busy walkway, so obstructing the passage of pedestrians.

As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the dispensary kiosk 8 has a pair of auxiliary entryways 42 which can be accessed at a cabinet side wall 43 of the dispensary kiosk 8. A side loading unit, one embodiment of part of which is shown in detail in Figures 6 to 9, can be slid into and out of the entryway 42 to enable contents of the side loading units to link with functional modules within the dispensary kiosk 8. As shown schematically in Figures 6, 8 and 9, each of the side loading units has a carriage 46 for supporting a box-form container unit 45 having any of a variety of possible functions or contents. The carriage 46 has a first set of vertically spaced sliders 47 seen in Figure 7, where sliders 47 have a bearing engagement within corresponding brackets 48 mounted on a back wall 13 of the cabinet. The entryway through the cabinet side wall 43 is defined by a guard frame 49 installed in the side wall. Mounted on a top rail of the guard frame 49 is a pair of latches 50, with another pair of latches (not shown) mounted on a bottom rail. The carriage 46 has a barrier wall 52 and a front wall 54 linked by a single side wall 56. The other side of the carriage is open so that the carriage 46, in cross section, has a U-form. With the carriage 46 fully inserted into the drug vault, the front wall 54 is the only part of the side loading unit visible from outside the dispensary kiosk 8. The front wall is of plate form and is normally maintained in a locked condition using electronic locks. The locks are released subject to the correct entering of a password at a Personal Identification Number (PIN) pad electronically connected to the locks. The PIN pad may be a part of the interface in the user interface layer 16. Mounted on the side wall 56 are two vertical, channel- form mounts 62 positioned and dimensioned for engagement by vertical flanges 64 projecting from the container unit 45, so that the container unit 45 can be slid into a position where it is suspended from the side wall 56. Pins on the flanges engage in corresponding slots on the brackets to fix the container unit 45 in its suspended position. The container unit 45 is an enclosed unit except for an open front face to allow pick head access when the container unit 45 is in the storage vault.

The position of the barrier wall 52 is adjustable relative to the remaining elements of the carriage 46. As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the barrier wall 52 is at a forward position, where it closes off the guard frame aperture in the cabinet side wall 43 of the dispensary kiosk 8. In Figures 6 and 8, the barrier wall 52 is located in a rear position in the interior of the dispensary kiosk. The barrier wall 52 has a pair of angle brackets 58 which bear within respective ones of a second pair of slider brackets 60 mounted to the carriage side wall 56. The container unit 45 to be mounted in the carriage 46 has a flat rear surface so that as the container unit 45 is slid into the entryway 42 on the brackets 48, the pressure of the container unit 45 rear surface against respective actuating members of the latches 50 causes the latches to open and so release the barrier wall 52 from its locked position in the guard frame 49. By further pushing the carriage 46 into the entryway 42, the barrier wall 52 is caused to move into the interior of the storage vault. Actuating members of the latches are spaced apart a distance such that if someone without authorization wishes to access the interior of the vault, they cannot by hand action alone trigger the latch actuating members. The spacing of the latches 50 is made such that their actuation has to be simultaneous to effect release and either requires two people or requires the use of a tool emulating the action of the rear wall of the carriage 46. As an alternative to simultaneously triggering the latch actuating members by contact from a container unit back wall, the container unit can have mounted thereto an associated set of keys (not shown) adapted, upon rearward movement of the side loading unit, to enter and open respective locks on corresponding ones of the latches.

In operation, with a container unit 45 in the storage vault as shown in Figure 6, the side loading unit is unlocked at the front wall 54 and slid through the guard frame 49 out of the entryway 42. At the forward-most position of the carriage 46 as shown in Figure 7, the latches 50 are automatically engaged and triggered by the barrier wall 52 to lock the barrier wall 52 in position in the guard frame 49. An operator then lifts the container unit 45 out of the carriage 46 by sliding the container unit 45 up the channel mounts 62.

In the open position, the locked barrier wall 52 prevents unauthorized access through the guard frame 49 even if, as shown in Figure 8, the carriage 46, with barrier wall 52 now locked to the guard frame 49, is pushed back into the drug vault in an empty condition. To permit the carriage 46 to pass the locked barrier wall 52, the locked barrier wall 52 has a cut-out 65 to accommodate rearward movement of the mounts 62.

However, in normal circumstances as shown in Figure 9, a replacement container unit 45 is slid down the channel mounts 62 to a position where it is suspended from the carriage side wall, and the carriage 46, with replacement container unit 45 in place, is slid back into the entryway 42. After an initial part of that sliding movement, a back wall of the replacement container unit 45 contacts and actuates the latches 50 to release the barrier wall 52. The carriage 46 picks up the barrier wall 52 for the remaining part of the insertion movement, with the barrier wall 52 sliding freely along the brackets 60. Having the auxiliary entryway 42 open only when the container unit 45 is being inserted or withdrawn permits continuation of operations associated with a dispensing procedure without the need for electrical interlocks or dedicated sensors.

While the side loading unit illustrated has a pair of sliders 47 that run in bearings 48 mounted directly or indirectly to the rear wall of the cabinet, the unit may have alternative arrangements of sliders and corresponding brackets. For example, slider bracket pairings can be mounted above, below, or in front of the side loading unit when the unit is in place. However, the particular arrangement using brackets mounted at the cabinet rear wall is preferred since it enables unhindered access to the front face of container unit 45 by the pick head for picking or placing items or in manipulating mechanisms within the side loading unit if the container unit 45 contains modules such as pill counters, bottle filling modules, capping modules, etc.

As shown in Figure 10, the side loading unit can alternatively be configured as a tray 66 which is opened and closed by rotating it about a hinge 68 to the cabinet side wall 43 of the dispensary kiosk. Such a unit is operated in a manner similar to a conventional pull out mailbox. Again as in the embodiment of Figures 6 to 9, it is important that the opening of the tray 66 not allow access to other parts of the kiosk storage vault. Consequently, with the tray in the pulled out position as shown in Figure 10, a barrier wall 52 linked to the tray is caused to block an aperture 70 in the cabinet side wall 43 of the dispensary kiosk 8. Once the tray has been filled and is pushed to a closed position, the barrier wall 52 is moved out of the aperture to permit access to items in the tray by the pick head. In one implementation, the tray leads to a chute. Capped bottles which are poured into the tray are channeled by the chute to a function unit. At the function unit, the capped bottles are sorted and orientated. Subsequently, the bottles are uncapped, filled with pills or a liquid composition, and then recapped before being taken to a designated bin in the storage vault. Any or all of the operations involved can be performed in the tray by appropriate mechanisms sited in the tray or can be performed, with the involvement of the pick head, at other locations in the kiosk dispensary.

Referring in detail to Figure 11, an alternative implementation is shown in which entryways are provided in a back wall of the kiosk dispensary. The function units and their interaction with the storage vault are similar in many respects to the side-wall embodiment of Figure 2, except that access is from the rear of the kiosk dispensary. Such an arrangement is of particular value if greater security or safety is required during the loading and unloading processes. In such a situation, the kiosk dispensary can be bonded into the wall of a building such as a store so that user access is available at the user interface unit, while service access for loading and unloading is provided on the other side of the building wall. The arrangement has a carriage at each entryway which can be unlocked and slid into and out of the vault storage layer. In the open condition, a function unit such as a loading module which has been pre-stacked with medicament items is slid onto vertical brackets mounted to side frames or walls of the carriage once the carriage is emptied of a spent function unit.

Referring to Figure 12, a further alternative implementation is shown in which access entryways are combined so as to allow a multi-function unit to be slid into and out of the kiosk dispensary. Such an arrangement is of particular value, for example, where it is desirable to stack and configure (or to unstack and reconfigure) a set of function modules at a remote warehouse. In this way, loading and unloading processes at the less controlled environment of the kiosk dispensary site can be effected more quickly. Figure 12 shows tall units which can be pre-loaded with container units by a modified suspension arrangement allowing the container units to be slide into one side of the vertical carriage. In an alternative embodiment (not shown) broad drawer units are loaded with container units from the top as illustrated in the Figure 2 embodiment.

Other variations and modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The implementations described and illustrated are not intended to be limiting. The principles of the invention contemplate many alternatives having advantages and properties evident in the exemplary implementations. It is further understood that the examples and implementations described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes in light thereof will be suggested to persons skilled in the art and are to be included within the spirit and purview of this application and scope of the appended claims.