WO2004036516A1

WO2004036516A1 - Automatic medicament dispenser for pharmacies

Info

Publication number: WO2004036516A1
Application number: PCT/ES2002/000490
Authority: WO
Inventors: Pierre Pascal Hecq; José Luis RODRÍGUEZ GONZÁLEZ; Juan Carlos Fraile Marinero; Antonio BALSA FERNÁNDEZ; Javier LÓPEZ CRUZADO
Original assignee: Tecny-Farma, S.A.
Priority date: 2002-10-16
Filing date: 2002-10-16
Publication date: 2004-04-29
Also published as: AU2002352265A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic medicament dispenser for pharmacies. The inventive dispenser takes the form of a machine which can be disposed in a pharmacy in order to provide the pharmacist with one or more desired products. The dispenser consists of an extractor mechanism comprising one or two heads (5) with rods (6) which are actuated by pneumatic cylinders. The aforementioned heads (5) are mounted to supports (16) which are solidly connected to a guide (14) and which can move horizontally by means of the shoe (15) belonging to said guide. Moreover, the guide is associated with a pair of shoes (13) which slide along vertical guides (12), such as to move the above-mentioned heads vertically and horizontally. The invention also comprises a conveyor belt which is mounted to supports (17) which are solidly connected to the vertically-moving shoes (13). In this way, the conveyor belt can move vertically as well as in the usual horizontal manner and accompany the heads (5) in order (i) to receive the products extracted by said heads (5) and, subsequently, (ii) to extract all of said products through the activation of the movement of the moving belt.

Description

AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTOR OF MEDICINES FOR PHARMACIES

D E S C R I P C I Ó N

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an automatic distributor of drugs for pharmacies, intended to provide the pharmacist with one or more products requested by the pharmacist, the shipment of the products requested simultaneously and quickly, based on the combination and particular arrangement of some extractor heads and a conveyor belt for final distribution of the product or products.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

At the moment, in pharmacies every day the implantation of automatic machines for the distribution of the products or medicines is more extensive, being stored inside the distribution machine that has a manipulator controlled by a computer, all with in order that the pharmacist can request at one time one or more products to the machine and this one to carry out the extraction and supply of that product or products to the chosen place, such as the customer service desk, regardless of where it is find the distribution machine, which can be on an upper floor, in the basement, in the back room, etc.

In this regard, the US patent 5867628 and the European patent 0991037, which are based on the fact that the medications are arranged in inclined trays, forming batteries, with the lowest medication of each stack being supported against a lower and front stop of the tray itself. A manipulator or robot moves along the X and Y axes to position itself in front of the battery containing the medicine or product to be dispensed, removing it and then distributing it to a tray or product collection position.

The extraction mechanism generally has a pusher that slightly lifts the lowest product from the stack, until it exceeds the front retention stop, and then, after the pusher retracts, said product falls by gravity to an inclined tray that , it travels in a longitudinal direction to allow the product to exit through a window or tray provided on a front of the machine.

One of the problems presented by the machines described in these patents, refers precisely to the fact that the extracted products fall into an inclined tray that the product must immediately dispense since the tray itself is not intended to house more than one product, must, as stated above, dispense the product before performing a new extraction. This implies that the extraction and distribution is done unitary; that is to say that, although the pharmacist requests several products, the machine will carry out the extraction and dispensing of a single product in each cycle, so the complete shipment of the set of products requested requires a high delivery time. In addition, specifically, in the European patent 0991037 referred to, the ejector element raises the last product of the row of each tray and serves at the same time as a sliding platform for the product, until it reaches the inclined extraction platform, so that a complete retraction of that ejector element can be performed until the product is on the extraction platform.

Another drawback presented by the machine object of that European patent is that the extracted products fall on the corresponding inclined distribution tray, until it hits the vertical wall or door of the machine itself, which stops, then moving the said tray until the product faces a dispensing window through which it falls into a collection tray. This configuration forces the product store to be placed on a single side of the machine, thus limiting its storage possibilities.

In addition, in the machine described in the aforementioned European patent the product stacks are arranged in fixed and defined positions, by means of separators that are mounted in a grooves of the trays determining a specific number of streets for each tray and presenting each street a width determined that it cannot be changed, except for small displacements. This is because the tray itself incorporates the retaining stops of the product stacks, so that when the tray is formed, with the corresponding retaining stops, the position and width of the streets have already been defined, so that each street counts with its stop or stops properly positioned, thus making it impossible to change the width and position of the streets a posteriori, otherwise, the product retention stops would no longer be positioned correctly. In this way, it is possible that the machine does not adapt perfectly to the specific needs of each pharmacy, which in the end implies an incorrect use of the distributor's capacity.

Another drawback presented by these machines refers to the loading of the products in the distributor. In this type of machines, the trays are provided in their back part with a numbering for each of their streets, being able to a complete distributor to include between 500 and 1000 streets, so that the pharmacist, to realize the load, scans the or Products to be introduced, then search for the selected street or streets. With this operation, much time is lost in the location of a specific street and it is also easy to make mistakes when loading products.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The automatic distributor of drugs for pharmacies object of the invention, solves the problem previously exposed to full satisfaction, based on the incorporation of an extraction mechanism that can move both horizontally and vertically to position itself in front of the product stack, with the special feature that the extracted product falls on a conveyor belt that, in addition to the logical horizontal displacement of its tapestry, is also entitled to move vertically to accompany the extraction mechanism, so that it is always located near such a mechanism to prevent products from hitting the fall on her

In this way, once the order placed by the pharmacist is finished, whatever the number of products requested, all of them will have been deposited on the tape, so that the final distribution of all of them will be done simultaneously, or what is same, in a single operation, thus reducing the time required for the specific shipment of the requested products.

In addition, since the machine has means for vertical displacement of the conveyor belt, it can be placed at any height with respect to the distributor, allowing the products to exit at any point therein. This allows to freely design the means of transport of the product from the point or tray of exit of the machine to the point of delivery selected in the pharmacy, being able to exist different trays of exit of the product, at different heights, that will allow that the product It can be picked up at different points in the pharmacy. The conveyor belt can move its tapestry in both directions, so that the delivery of the products can be made on both sides of the machine, thus greatly increasing the delivery possibilities.

Structurally, the extraction mechanism is constituted from a multiple head with several extractor fingers, each of which is independently operated by means of a pneumatic cylinder, so that, through a connecting rod, the extractor finger is pushed and guided in some angled channels provided on the walls that delimit the heads that cause the movement of the pneumatic cylinder to become a removal of the corresponding finger and in its subsequent elevation, introducing it through a slot provided along the tray of products, pushing up the last product of the battery until it exceeds the height of the retention stop, falling by gravity on an inclined platform that is disposed on the extractor heads, from whose platform they finally fall to the conveyor belt which, by activating the sliding tapestry, will cause them to be dispensed.

Obviously, the use of a pneumatic cylinder that drives the aforementioned connecting rod allows a remarkably fast and reliable operation, compared to the gear systems used in other machines of this type, including those described in the patents referred to in the previous section.

Specifically, when the extracted product falls on an inclined platform arranged immediately above the extractor head, and since said platform does not form part of the head or the extractor finger, it allows the retraction of the extractor finger, at the moment in which the product exceeds the retaining stop, thereby reducing the cycle time required for extraction.

The extractor head has several extractor fingers, with their corresponding independent drives that allow the independent or simultaneous activation of several extractor fingers, using more or less number of fingers for extraction, depending on the size of the product to be dispensed. This allows great flexibility in the distribution of the products in the trays since the extractor head, depending on the size of the required product, will automatically use more or less number of fingers, compared to solutions in which products that have certain sizes must be arranged in specific positions, equipped with special means for extraction.

This flexibility in the distribution of the products of the trays is increased by the fact that it is possible to change the position of the separators that constitute the different streets or stacks of products on the trays, thus optimizing the surface of the tray since it is It is possible to configure the streets according to our specific needs and, therefore, in the end there are more products in each tray. This is possible on the basis that the retaining stop of the product stacks is constituted by a crossbar to the entire tray but, independent of the tray, which allows the distribution of the streets where we want, with the assurance that each of the batteries of constituted products will be retained by the aforementioned cap.

Thus, as we have said, the arrangement of the products can be done with great flexibility since they can define and modify not only the number of streets or stacks of products in each tray, but also the individual width of each of according to the products to be stored, thus obtaining an optimization of the surface of the tray.

In addition, according to the object of the invention, the combination and arrangement of the heads and conveyor belt allows two extraction heads to be used, one facing the other, which will extract products from trays arranged on both sides of the machine, all products falling on the same conveyor belt, which allows to double the capacity of storage and / or increase flexibility in the arrangement and / or distribution of the trays inside the machine cabin.

The means that enable the movements of the extractor heads and conveyor belt are based on a pair of linear guides for vertical displacement, on whose sliding skates a third linear guide of horizontal displacement is mounted, which has its corresponding sliding skate, on which are mounted in turn, through the corresponding supports, the head or extractor heads. In this way, the extractor heads can move in two perpendicular directions, specifically in the horizontal and vertical direction, performing these movements simultaneously, thus reducing the total cycle time.

Obviously, the linear guides allow a faster movement than that achieved through spindles, gears or toothed belts, said linear guides being also of remarkable robustness, which allows them to withstand high accelerations of movements and large weights and, therefore, Design more robust and reliable machines.

The conveyor belt is also mounted on the two skates of the vertical guides, through corresponding supports, which allows a vertical displacement of the conveyor belt, simultaneously with that of the extractor heads, thus accompanying them in the extraction movements and preventing these hit when falling on the tape. In addition, once the products to be dispensed have been deposited on the tape, it can move, in a vertical direction, until it is faced with the most appropriate product distribution tray or ramp in each case, at which point the activation of the sliding mat will take place and the delivery of the products in said distribution tray or ramp.

Another feature of the machine object of the invention refers to the fact that the trays incorporate light signals that indicate to the pharmacist in which tray the product or products should be loaded, as well as the concrete street inside the tray.

Of course, the automatic distributor object of the invention is specially designed to dispense drugs in pharmacies but, it would be equally valid for all types of homeopathic or health products, as well as for use in hospitals or in parapharmacies that distribute products of a more diverse nature. than medications.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To complement the description that is being made and in order to help a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, according to a preferred example of practical implementation thereof, a set of drawings is attached as an integral part of said description. In an illustrative and non-limiting manner, the following has been represented:

Figure 1 shows a view according to a general perspective of the machine that constitutes the automatic distributor of drugs for pharmacies made in accordance with the object of the invention. Figure 2.- Shows a detail in perspective of the assembly of the heads on the corresponding horizontal guide and of this on the vertical guide, the conveyor belt not having been represented in this case to show in greater detail that form of assembly of the heads .

Figure 3. - Shows a perspective view of the corner of the machine where the assembly shown in the previous figure is mounted, but in this case a detail of the support that allows the conveyor belt to be mounted on the vertical guide.

Figure 4.- Shows a general perspective view of the extractor head.

Figure 5.- Schematically shows, according to a side elevation, the sequence of operation of the extractor head, in three phases, the first one considered as rest, the second the intermediate operating position and the third an actuation position to produce the extraction.

Figure 6.- Shows, finally, a perspective and schematic view of the machine represented in the previous figure, without seeing any interior detail, but showing several points of exit of dispensed medications, having represented in these points trays or distribution ramps of the products supplied by the machine itself.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In view of the referred figures you can be observed as the machine that constitutes the automatic distributor of drugs for pharmacies object of the invention, the one generally referenced with the number (1), includes as conventional a series of inclined trays (2) where medications or products are placed neatly and classified to supply, counting each tray (2) with a series of slots in which the typical separators that configure vertical streets in which the products are arranged forming batteries are introduced. At the lower and front end of each tray there is a stop (3) that retains the batteries of products (4) stored in each tray (2), when the bottom product (4) of each battery stops.

The extraction is carried out by means of one or two heads (5) conveniently located inside the machine, which extract the products from the different trays (2) and deposit them on a conveyor belt (11) located under the heads (5), Conveyor belt that can receive several products extracted by the heads (5) to subsequently proceed to its dispensing, by activating the corresponding tapestry or sliding band. In this way, the cycle times are reduced, when the order requested by the pharmacist includes several items, since, instead of individually extracting and dispensing each product, it is possible to extract them all and then simultaneously dispense them in the same operation.

As clearly seen in Figure 4, each of the heads (5) is multiple and comprises a plurality of fingers (6) mounted parallel to the head itself (5), each finger being associated with a pneumatic actuating cylinder (7). ), whose piston or rod drives a connecting rod (8) that is linked to the own finger (6), the fingers (6) being guided in their movement in the corresponding grooves (9) provided for this purpose in the walls (10) of the multiple head (5), so that the movement of the pneumatic cylinder (7) causes the extraction of the corresponding finger and in its subsequent elevation, achieving, as will be described later, the extraction of the requested product.

Each of the heads (5) incorporates several extractor fingers (6) that can be activated independently or in combination, depending on the size of the required item, logically, a greater number of extractor fingers will be activated the larger the product size. This allows the products to be freely disposed in the inclined trays (2) since the extractor head (5), having several extractor fingers (6), is capable of automatically extracting any product, regardless of its size.

In addition, as can be clearly seen in Figure 1, the stop (3) is constituted by a crossbar, arranged at the bottom of each tray (2), but with the particularity that the crossbar is independent of the tray (2) and occupies the entire width of it, acting simultaneously as a stop for all product stacks (4) that constitute each tray (2). This allows to configure with great flexibility the streets that constitute the piles of products within each tray (2) since, regardless of the number of batteries constituted and the width of the same, all of them will be duly retained by the stop (2).

As can be seen in figures 2 and 3, the machine It allows the use of two extraction heads (5), one facing the other, which can extract products from trays (4) arranged on both sides of the machine, which allows to double the storage capacity and / or increase flexibility in the distribution and layout of the trays themselves.

The means that allow the movements of the extractor heads (5) and the conveyor belt (11) located horizontally and inferiorly, is based on a pair of vertical guides (12) on which two sliding skates (13) are located on which in turn mounts a third linear and horizontal guide

(14), on which a mounting skate (15) is provided for supports (16) of the heads themselves (5).

In addition, on the skate (13) of the vertical guides (12), and through corresponding supports

(17), the conveyor belt itself (11) is mounted, in such a way that, in addition to the usual horizontal movement of the sliding tapestry, it can move up and down as it is linked to the supports (17) related to the skate (13). ) sliding along the vertical guide (12).

Based on the aforementioned characteristics, and according to a sequence of operation shown in the three phases corresponding to Figure 15, when the pneumatic cylinder (5) of any of the fingers (6) is operated, it is operated and moved, through its guide (9), to place its end below the product

(4) retained by the stop (3), so that if the cylinder continues to act, the finger (6) is raised, pushing the product up (4) until it exceeds the upper edge of the stop (3), at which point such product (4) by sliding access to an inclined surface (18), the finger (6) being able to retract, and through that inclined surface (18) the product (3) reach the conveyor belt (11), all so that once the requested by the pharmacist, although there have been several requested products, all of them are distributed simultaneously by the conveyor belt (11) simultaneously.

The arrangement of the inclined surface (18) above the multiple extractor head (5), being independent of it and the respective extractor finger (6), allows to reduce the extraction cycle time since at the time the product exceeds the retaining stop (3) of the inclined tray (2), the extractor finger (6) retracts to be able to perform another extraction.

On the other hand, the vertical and horizontal movements of the conveyor belt supports (11) allow it to be placed and always accompany the extractor heads (5) to receive the products (4) at any height and not they produce blows in that fall on the conveyor belt (11), making it possible even to have different trays or distribution ramps (19), as shown in Figure 6, that is to say that the extraction of products can be carried out at any point of the machine, according to the needs and conveniences that are best desired. In addition, the conveyor belt (11) can move its tapestry in both directions, thus allowing the output of products on both sides of the machine, thereby increasing the number of possible delivery points.

Finally, the distributor object of the invention incorporates a system that allows to perform simple and fast loading of products, based on the fact that, each of the trays (2), incorporates in its rear part corresponding to the loading area of products, a light signaling, by means of LEDs or the like, which indicates to the pharmacist the tray and the street or streets, of the aforementioned tray, in which the loading of a specific product must be carried out, the operation being completed with a validation device for the effective loading of the product in the corresponding stack.

In this way, the product loading sequence would be as follows:

The pharmacist scans the medication to be loaded into the machine.

The machine control system turns on the LEDs corresponding to the tray or trays in which the product can be loaded. - The LEDs located in front of the street or streets where the product should be introduced light up steadily, while the rest of the LEDs in the tray are flashing. The product is introduced in the corresponding street.

The load is validated by a system based, for example, on bar codes. The system updates the load made and is ready to start a new product load.

Claims

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N E S

I ^a .- Automatic distributor of drugs for pharmacies, which constituting a machine (1) equipped with a plurality of inclined trays (2), in which a series of streets are defined, in each of which are stored, forming batteries , a plurality of products (4) that are retained by a stop (3) established for that purpose for each of the product stacks, and where the extraction of each product is carried out by upward thrust to rid the upper edge of the stop of retention is essentially characterized in that it incorporates an extraction mechanism consisting of one or more heads (5) in combination with a conveyor belt (11) intended to simultaneously supply the different products (4) of a single order; with the particularity that the heads (5) are mounted on supports (16) related to a slide (15) sliding by a horizontal guide (14) which in turn is mounted on respective skates (13) sliding on vertical guides (12) ), having provided that the conveyor belt (11) is mounted by means of the corresponding support (17), on the skates (13) of the vertical guides (12), thus allowing, in addition to the corresponding horizontal sliding of the tapestry or band that constitutes the Conveyor belt (11), the vertical displacement of it to position at any height and accompany the movements of the heads (5) for the corresponding reception of the products extracted by them, as well as for the delivery of them at any height of the machine.

2 .- automatic dispenser of medicaments for pharmacies, according ^to claim I, wherein the head or heads extractors (5) have a plurality of extractor fingers (6) by which the bottom product (4) of the stacks in each tray (2) is pushed upwards, for delivery on the conveyor belt (11), with the particularity that depending on the size of the product, a greater or lesser number of extractor fingers (6) are automatically activated for extraction.

3 .- automatic vending medicines pharmacies, according to previous claims, characterized in that each of the fingers (6) of the head or heads extractors (5) associated with a connecting rod

(8) which is actuated by a pneumatic cylinder (7), the fingers (6) being provided to be sliding and guided in grooves (9) established for this purpose in the walls (10) of the multiple head (5).

4 .- automatic vending medicines pharmacies, according ^to claim I, characterized in that on the support (16) of the heads (5) an inclined surface (18) on which slide the products extracted by the head, addressing available up to the conveyor belt (11), with the particularity that the said inclined surface (18) is independent of the extractor fingers (6) to allow their retraction at the same time that the product exceeds the retaining stop (3) of the inclined tray (2).

5 .- automatic dispenser of medicaments for pharmacies, according ^to claim I, characterized in that the retaining stop (3) is constituted by a transverse bar, arranged at the bottom of each tray, but with the difference that the transverse bar is independent of the tray (2) and occupies the entire width of it, acting simultaneously as cap for all product stacks that are constituted in each tray.

6 .- automatic dispenser of medicaments for pharmacies, according to claim I ^to, wherein the trays (2) incorporated in the rear corresponding to the loading of products, one flashing light, using LEDs or the like which indicates to the the tray and the street or streets, of the said tray, in which the loading of a specific product must be carried out, the operation being completed with a validation device for the effective loading of the product in the corresponding stack.

7 ^a. - Automatic distributor of drugs for pharmacies, according to previous claims, characterized in that the machine (1) can optionally be provided with a plurality of trays or distribution ramps (19) arranged at different heights, in each of which it is susceptible of unloading the conveyor belt its products, by virtue of the power of vertical displacement of said conveyor belt (11), with the particularity that said belt (11) can move its tapestry in both directions and thus download products by both machine sides.