KR100433912B1 - How to Control the Return of Medicines - Google Patents

Abstract

A treatment unit capable of preparing medicines, quasi-drugs and drug-related articles is provided along the carrier supply line, so that a large amount of the medicament can be collected and delivered more effectively by the carts of several wards in the hospital. A carrier for each patient is returned to the returning line in the order in which preparations, preparations for medicines, and preparations for receiving carriers are all completed. A number of treatment units capable of preparing drugs, quasi-drugs and drug-related articles are provided along the conveyor. When the patient data is input to the host computer, one or more processing units corresponding to these data are operated to prepare the medicine. When both the processing unit, the tray transport unit, and the tray receiving unit are ready, the corresponding tray is supplied to the conveyor to be loaded and loaded into a predetermined one of the plurality of carts.

Description

How to Control the Return of Medicines

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [

The present invention relates to a method for returning a medical device such as a medicine and a syringe prepared in a hospital pharmacy to a nursing room or an operating room or another hospital in another ward of one hospital.

Background of the Invention Carrier devices for transporting articles from a storage room to a predetermined position by placing them on a carrier have been used in various industrial fields. In hospitals, especially large hospitals, medicines prepared on the basis of a prescription issued by a physician are checked by a pharmacist and then referred to the patient or returned to the nursing room in each ward. Therefore, it is difficult to use the above-described conventional conveying apparatus as a medicine conveying apparatus in a hospital.

In many hospitals, hospital pharmacists collect powdered medicines and tablets in one place, placed in a bucket operated on a conveyor line installed in the pharmacy, to eliminate the need to go to the medication room to bring the necessary medication on the shelf . The medicine envelope is inspected for the prescription and then delivered to the patient.

However, it is possible to prepare the medicine more effectively by using the automatic injection dispenser disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-69537. The dispenser disclosed in this publication has the shelves arranged in the order of a tray temporary storage shelf, a water blood storage shelf, a single product shelf, and an ampoule storage shelf in the medicine storage room. Each shelf has means for discharging medicines and other medicinal products from the shelf to the tray. The medicines and other items discharged from each shelf to the tray are sent to the prescribed place.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-14753 discloses a device for storing and retrieving small medical items such as ampoules. In this device, the ampoule is stored in the cartridge for easy storage and retrieval. The ampoule can be removed from any given cartridge by the ejection means and placed in the tray. The tray is then sent to the laboratory and then to the discharge location.

A similar apparatus is also disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-28406.

Such conventional devices include means for collecting or selecting medicines and other medicines that are delivered to a return line that is sent out of the pharmacy after the medicines and other medicines taken out of the medicament room are transported to a predetermined location in the pharmacy and then inspected by a pharmacist Lt; / RTI > However, none of these devices have a means of returning medicines collected in a prescribed ward among a plurality of wards or a plurality of hospitals in a hospital.

In most cases, medicines that are collected at a pharmacy and checked by a pharmacist are placed in a medicine envelope and handed to the patient.

In large hospitals, the types, numbers and quantities of drugs and quasi-drugs prepared for patients are very large. While drugs, powders, tablets, potions, and topical medicines are considered to be the most medicines that are administered to outpatients, the drugs administered to the inpatient will be of many different types, including ampoules, vials, blood, And such is used in accordance with the physician's instructions. In addition, quasi-drugs such as syringes and dressings are also necessary.

When necessary medicines and quasi-drugs for a large number of patients are prepared and collected, they are inspected by a pharmacist or other qualified person, placed on a tray, and then sent to their respective nursing rooms.

Conventional drug carrier devices may be effective in collecting drugs in a laboratory. However, none of the conventional devices has a method of automatically classifying drugs and returning them to respective nursing rooms. Drugs should therefore be classified by hand and transferred to the nursing room.

An object of the present invention is to provide a control method for conveying medicines, comprising a processing unit provided along a carrier return line for preparing medicines, quasi-drugs and drug-related articles and other items necessary for a hospital, The carrier preparation for each patient is transferred from the return line in the order in which both the drug preparation and the acceptance carrier preparation are completed so that a large amount of the drug is collected and distributed very efficiently to the various wards of the hospital.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a patient, comprising the steps of: sending data to a data logic control circuit regarding data including patient name and patient code, prescription-based pharmaceutical preparation data and quasi-drugs and drug- Controlling the at least one of the drug treatment unit, the quasi drug-containing treatment unit and the drug-related article treatment unit arranged along the conveyance line to prepare the carrier, the step of setting the carrier in the carrier conveyance unit provided at the conveyance end of the conveyance line Preparing a carrier acceptance at a dispensing station provided at a transfer end of the return line; and initiating a carrier for each patient when all necessary completion signals have been received, A method of conveying medicines which collects and transports the articles to a dispensing station It is provided.

In this control method, a plurality of carrier receiving units are provided at the dispensing station, and the preparation for carrier transport, preparation for drug, quasi-drug and drug-related goods in the processing unit, and preparation for receiving the carrier And to load each of the carriers into the carrier accommodating unit corresponding to the patient data among the carrier accommodating units based on the patient data stored in the logic control circuit.

Further, any of the above control methods may include attaching an indicator indicating a patient name or code and drug preparation data to each carrier at the end of the transfer, reading the data stored in each indicator with a data reader provided near the distribution station, And loading each carrier into a predetermined one of the carrier receiving units at positions determined based on data stored in the respective indicators.

When the necessary data including the patient name or code and the drug formulation data are sent to the logic control circuit, the logic control circuit is ready for carrier return in the return line, preparation for releasing the drug prepared in each treatment unit, Lt; / RTI >

This preparation starts in the order in which patient data is input to the logic control circuit. However, preparation in each processing unit does not always end in this order. For example, the preparation of a drug for a patient may be significantly delayed.

If a plurality of carriers are sequentially loaded into the carrier receiving unit, the receiving unit will eventually become full of carriers and unable to accommodate any more carriers.

According to the present invention, the carrier is carried on the returning line only after all preparations are made in the carrier carrying unit and the treating unit. With this arrangement, the carrier will not be stopped for an excessively long time in this processing unit due to a delay in preparation of some processing unit. Therefore, it is possible to smoothly collect the medicine in the tray and send it to the dispensing station in the shortest time.

In the control method according to the present invention, the medicine is not inspected while the medicine is automatically transferred on the return line. The medication is checked by the pharmacist after being delivered to the nursing room in each hospital's ward. That is, this control method is used in what is known as a mitigating agent.

In an arrangement in which a plurality of carrier receiving units are provided in the distribution station, each carrier is accommodated in a predetermined carrier receiving unit of the carrier receiving unit based on the patient data stored in the logic control circuit.

In other arrangements, patient data is read from the indicator attached to each carrier near the dispensing station with a data reader. Each carrier is loaded in a predetermined carrier receiving unit of the carrier receiving unit at a determined position based on the data stored in each indicator. Therefore, it is possible to load each carrier into each carrier accommodating unit at the most convenient position in delivering the carrier to a predetermined hospital ward.

Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment)

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the drawings.

1 is a block diagram of the entire drug carrier system of the first embodiment. The medicament carrier system of this embodiment is configured to transfer a tray X carrying medicines, quasi-drugs and other medicinal products (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as drugs) to a terminal, placing the tray in cart Y, It is used to dispense trays to the ward.

The conveying line of the system includes a straight or looped conveyor 1 for conveying an open-topped tray X. The conveyor may be a belt conveyor, may include a plurality of rollers la that are arranged at predetermined intervals, or may be other means capable of transporting the tray X. The conveyor used in this embodiment is of the type comprising a plurality of rollers 1a.

The tray transfer unit 2 and the ID issuing unit 3 are provided near the upstream end of the conveyor 1. [

A plurality of treatment units 10 are arranged along the return line for treating various medicines and placing the medicament on a tray that is transported on a conveyor. The dispensing station 30 is provided a predetermined distance away from the upstream end of the conveyor. These units are automatically controlled by the host computer 4 and the sequencer 5. The processing unit 10 is put into a common housing.

FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the processing unit 10. FIG. Reference numeral 11 denotes a drug bag printer controlled by the sequencer 11a.

Reference numbers (12-17) refer to powders, tablets, potions, ampoules, blood blood containers, and external medicine, respectively. Their sequencers are numbered as (12a-17a), respectively. The processing units of the embodiment are all of the same type and provided independently of each other. However, depending on the type of drug being treated, a single unit may be used to perform some of the above processes.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a blood-drawn-blood cooling unit. Its sequencer is marked with (18a).

Reference numbers 19-22 refer to dressing, sanitary supplies, disinfecting surfaces, and containers for disposable instruments, respectively. These are controlled by the sequencers 19a-22a. Numbers 23-25 refer to medical instruments (such as syringes), cutters (scissors, etc.), and containers for other items, respectively. These sequencers are labeled 23a-25a.

S0, S1-S15, and S16-S19 are stoppers for stopping the tray X on the conveyance line. These stoppers are mechanical stoppers that stop the tray by protruding upward. The position sensors S00, S01-S04 detect that the cart Y is set at a predetermined position.

FIG. 3 schematically shows the position of the tray transport unit 2 relative to the conveyor 1 when the tray is moved on the conveyor. The following description will be made with reference to this drawing, FIGS. 4 and 5. The cart Y is set in position by the fixing means Yt in order to face the tray transport unit 2. [ The cart Y may store the tray X in a plurality of vertical rows (two rows in the illustrated embodiment) and a plurality of rows (five rows in the illustrated embodiment). One tray in a predetermined row and a row can be pulled out of the cart by being held by the gripper 2e of the tray transport unit 2 and positioned on the apron 2i. The tray X on the apron is pushed into the conveyor by rotating the roller 2j.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the tray transport unit 2 includes a vertically extending box-shaped frame 2a and a block 2c vertically movable along the guide rod 2b. The gripper 2e is mounted at the tip of a horizontal support rod 2d extending through the block 2c.

The block 2c is fixed to one side of the endless belt 2g by a fixing member 2h and is driven up and down by a motor m1. The support rod 2d has rack teeth on the bottom surface. The support rod 2d is moved close to the cart Y and horizontally away from the cart by the motor m2 via the pinion 2f engaged with the rack teeth formed on the bottom of the rod 2d.

The tray transfer unit 2 has a wheel 21 on the floor so that it can be moved along the rail R provided on the floor. It also has a projection 2m on the floor which engages with the threaded axis T provided on the floor. By rotating the axis T with the motor m3 coupled to the shaft, the tray transport unit 2 can be moved.

5 is a cross-sectional view of line V-V of FIG. The ID issuing unit 3 has indicator transfer means 3b for storing a large number of ID indicators 6. This ID issuing unit has a data transmitter 3C for recording patient information in each ID indicator 6 at one corner. The arm of the solenoid SOL provided on the transmitter 3C picks up each patient ID indicator and drops it into the pocket Xa of each tray X through the L shaped end of the indicator transfer unit 3b.

A stopper So is provided along the line V-V in FIG. 3 and is provided near the center of the conveyor 1 to stop each tray X at this point. When the tray X is moved to this point, the stopper So projects to stop the tray. The ID indicator is put into the pocket Xa in this state.

Referring to Figure 6B, the ID indicator 6 has a memory. When the data transmitted through the signal transmitter / receiver 61 is written to the memory 66, the control unit 62 controls the display driver 63 to display these data on the display 64 (LCD or LED, etc.) . Further, the ID indicator has a key input port 65. The power source is indicated by reference numeral 67. The power supply 67 may be a solar cell provided at the top of the indicator.

The illustrated signal transmitter / receiver 61 is an optical signal transmitter / receiver. The optical signal used is a laser beam signal or an infrared beam signal. If an infrared beam signal is used, the ID indicator may have an IDX card provided integrally with the indicator body. The data written to each indicator by the signal transmitter / receiver 61 includes the patient code number, the bucket number, and the prescription data written before the prescription. This data appears in the display unit 64. [

A radio wave signal may be used to display these data instead of an optical signal. In this case, a printer for printing the patient code number, the bucket number, the prescription data, etc. may be used instead of the ID issuing unit 3 to drop the printed medicine prescription filling sheet on the tray.

Now, look at the various treatment units that are provided in the drug store to handle the drugs, quasi-drugs and other items needed by the hospital.

Fig. 7 shows the appearance of the medicine preparation bag printer 11. The toll of the printing paper 111 is set in the printer 11. [ The sheet of paper is unwound, cut by a cutter 111 by a predetermined length, and joined to form a medicated bag. After the data of the patient's name, method of taking and other instructions are printed by the printer 113, each envelope is transferred through the opening 114 and placed on the tray X. [

In the embodiment of FIG. 8, a unit which can be used as a treatment unit for many other kinds of medicines is used as the powder treatment unit 2. Figure 8A is an external perspective view of the unit. Figure 8B is a cross-section of line (B-B) of Figure 8A. The processing unit 12 is primarily used to prepare PTP-packed tablets, but can be used to treat other types of medicines. In other words, this unit can be used to process tablets and potions in the next processing step. On the other hand, this type of processing unit can be provided at each stage to treat different types of drugs independently of each other, as shown.

In this embodiment, the medicament is stored in the shelf 121. The necessary medicines are taken out of the shelf and ready for use in the envelope. The envelope is then pushed through the opening 122 for storage in one of the storage shelves 124 that correspond to the patient name or patient code shown in the storage shelf 124 or indicator 123 inside the opening 122 .

A small conveyor 125 of the shelf 124 is positioned on a tray (not shown) when the corresponding patient tray X that is conveyed to the conveyor in the return line reaches a position below the shelf 124, X) to drop the envelope. The processing units 13 and 14, which are in the same form as the processing unit 12, are used to process the potion and the tablet, respectively. That is, these units process the potions and tablets and feed them to the tray (X). Pharmacists prepare these three kinds of medicines.

FIG. 9 schematically shows the ampule treatment unit 15 and the external medicine treatment unit 17. The ampule processing unit 15 includes a housing 151, two pulleys 152 provided in the housing 151, and an endless belt 153 connecting the pulleys 152. The endless belt has several recesses on its outer surface. The ampule 154 is accommodated in this recess.

The housing 151 has an opening 155 at its bottom. By slowly rotating the endless belt 153, the ampule 154 is sequentially discharged through the opening 155, rolled on the guide plate 156, and placed in the waiting tray X.

The external medicine treatment unit 17 can treat a thick piled cloth to which a fomenting medicine is applied, for example. This is basically the same structure as the ampule processing unit 15. The only difference is that the belt 173 carries a support plate 174 extending vertically from the outer surface. The unit includes a housing 171 having an opening 176, a pulley 172, a endless belt having a support plate 174, and a guide plate 177. The external medicine 175 is supported on the support plate 174.

FIG. 10 schematically shows a treatment unit for the treatment of blood or lavender blood. FIG. The processing unit 16 (18) includes a housing 161, a passage 162 extending in a curved state in the housing 161, and a rotation supply means 163 provided at the bottom end of the passage 162. The blood bottles 164 in the passages 162 are successively dropped by gravity in the supply means 164 for rotating the rotation supply means. By the rotation of the rotary supply means 163 the bottle 164 is sequentially discharged through the opening 165 and slides on the guide plate 166 and pushes the lid 167 to open it and fall on the tray X.

In order to use this processing unit as the processing unit 18 for processing the cold refrigerated blood, a cooling unit 188 is attached to the housing. The cold air discharged through the nozzles 189 of the cooling unit circulates in the housing. In the case of the treatment unit 18, the top and bottom plates of the guide portion 182 have a number of small holes to allow cold air to easily enter the guide portion.

FIG. 11 schematically shows a processing unit used for containers 19-25. That is, the single processing unit shown in FIG. 11 includes a physiological consumable container 20, a disinfection container 21, a disposable container 22, a medical device container 23, a cutter container 24, Is used. Any unit of the processing unit processes the packaged goods.

Typically, the dressing container 19 contains a dressing, the sanitary consumable container 20 holds, for example, sanitary goods, the sanitizing container 21 contains a cotton pad, the disposable container 23 contains a syringe, Container 23 contains a Perth collection tray, which typically stores scalpels and scissors. Other articles in the container 25 include medical articles such as catheters and hooks. Only the dressing container 19 will be described because the above-described processing units are almost similar in structure.

The dressing container 19 has a vertically rectangular box-shaped housing 191. The articles m are stacked one by one in the housing 191. These articles are sequentially pushed horizontally by the end member 193 of the cylinder 192 and fall through the dropping device 194 into the tray X. [

Figures 12 and 13 show a portion of the distribution station 30 provided at the terminal end of the supply path. The lifter 31 is provided to transport the tray X from the lifter to the stopped cart Y across the conveyor. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of such lifters 31 are provided in the distribution station 30. These lifters transport the tray X to several carts (Y) assigned to different wards or departments of the hospital. After filling the cart with the required tray, it is sent to each department. In the drawing, a single lifter and a cart are simply shown.

The illustrated cart Y is the same as shown in Figs. The lifter 31 includes a vertical frame 311 and a vertical guide rod 312 fixed to the frame 311. The block 313 is vertically slidably mounted on the guide rod 312. Block 313 supports a hydraulic cylinder 314 having a tray gripper 315 at the free end of the piston. The tray gripper 315 is moved horizontally by moving the piston. The tray X in the conveyor 1 is held between the tray gripper 315 and the tongue 315 'by actuating the solenoid 316 and is lifted up and inserted into a predetermined shelf of the waiting cart Y. [

Block 313 is secured to the belt by way of a toothing member 318. Therefore, this block is moved up and down by driving the belt 317 with the motor m4. In order to deliver the tray X to each cart Y, the tray X is stopped at the position shown in Fig. 12 by the stoppers S16-S18, gripped by the tray gripper 315, It is raised up. The tray X is then moved horizontally to the position of the shelf and raised to the level of the shelf of the cart.

The upper and lower mounting plates 322 of the lifter 31 are provided on the uppermost portion extending parallel to the conveyor 1 and on the bottom horizontal lane R in order to move each tray horizontally to the position of a predetermined shelf in the cart. . The mounting plate 322 and the tray X can be moved horizontally along the conveyor 1 by rotating the threaded rod T engaging the bottom of the lower mounting plate 322 with the motor m5 . Thus, the tray can be inserted into any one of the shelves of the cart arranged in two rows and five rows.

According to the present invention, the conveyor of the embodiment is controlled as follows:

When the tray for the patient is placed on the conveyor at the starting point, the items selected from the drug, quasi-drugs and other drug-related articles for this particular patient are placed within the tray. The plurality of trays are divided into departments and placed on shelves of a plurality of waiting carts assigned to each department. When the cart is filled with trays, the carts are sent to the respective departments and distributed to the corresponding patients.

The following basic principles lead to the return of the drug. That is, each patient tray is transported on a first-ready-first-fed basis without transferring patient data in the order in which they are entered into the host computer. In detail, among the drugs of any processing unit, the first preparation is transferred first.

The method by which the host computer 4 controls the conveyor will now be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the patient data is input to the host computer 4 in step ST1, the host computer 4 distributes these data to the sequencers 11a-25a of the corresponding processing unit 11-25 (step ST2) . For example, this data is distributed as shown in Table 1.

The patient code numbers in Table 1 are shown in entry order. Letters A, B, ... D represents the ward. The medicine envelope printer, the powder treatment unit, and the like are denoted by abbreviations. The symbol in the column titled "Complete" indicates the order in which the drug is prepared.

As can be clearly seen from Table 1, there is not always a case where the drugs are prepared in the same order as the order of the data entry. For example, in the case shown in Table 1, the medicine corresponding to the patient code 100211 was prepared before the medicine corresponding to the patient code 201001. A completion signal is supplied to the host computer 4 whenever a medicine for one patient is prepared in an arbitrary processing unit.

One tray is prepared each time the host computer 4 receives such a completion signal, except that the cart Y is set at a predetermined position of the tray transfer unit 2 and a plurality of trays X are placed in the cart Y ). Since the tray is set at the position in this state, it is determined that the tray is ready (YES in step ST3). The program then proceeds to the next step. When preparations in the entire processing unit are completed, a command is given to collect the medicine (YES in step ST4), a judgment is made that the preparations for the weak dispensation are completed, an instruction is given to collect quasi-drugs (YES in step ST6) and that the preparations for dispensing quasi-drugs have been completed (YES in step ST7).

The program thus receives the acceptance signal, which is a signal indicating whether the host computer, that is, the tray for the special patient, can be accommodated in one of the carts YA-YD corresponding to an indication that the patient symbolizes the hospital in hospital The process proceeds to step ST8 to check whether or not it exists.

As a general rule, carts YA-YD are set at the predetermined (original) position of the dispensing station without any trays on its shelves. Since the card can accommodate the tray, the acceptance signal is sent from the sensors S01-S04 to the host computer 4 as soon as the carts YA-YD are set in position. Now the cart is ready to accommodate the tray.

When the host computer 4 receives the acceptance signal, the tray X is transported by the transport unit 2 (step ST9). Subsequently, the host computer 4 subtracts 1 from the maximum number of trays (80 in this embodiment) that each cart Y can accommodate, as shown in the right column of Table 1 (step ST10). In the state of Table 1, 2, 69, 24 and 28 trays are set in each cart (YA-YD).

Each time a drug is prepared in an optional processing unit, each tray sequentially transferred to the conveyor must stop at the corresponding processing unit to receive the drug. For this purpose, when the host computer 4 receives the tray traversing signal, the host computer commands the sequencer 5 for this particular processing unit to actuate one of these stoppers for this particular processing unit (S1-S15) . Thus, the tray X stops at the predetermined processing unit.

Table 2 shows how the sequencer 5 operates. The numbers (S1 to S15) of the stoppers indicated in each column represent the number of the kind of medicine supplied to the tray (stopped at the stoppers (S1 to S15)). In the state of Table 2, the drugs for the top patient (codes 100119 and 100182) have been prepared, and so the corresponding counter in the distribution station (provided in the sequencer to drive each lifter) is reduced to the indicated number. For the third (code 100211) and next patient, the tray is now located at the point marked by the shade. The lowermost patient tray (code 303112) is still on standby.

When many trays X are transported, the number of trays that the cart YA can accommodate can be zero at the end (YES in step ST11). For example, the completion command ⑥ in Table 1 is the case.

If this happens, the host computer will stop feeding the tray designated for the cart YA, despite the fact that the medicine is already ready in the processing unit, since the cart YA can no longer accommodate the tray . Thus, the first seventh and eighth trays are supplied as the sixth and seventh trays. If such a situation occurs (YES in step ST11), the program waits for a new acceptance signal in step ST13.

In this case, the empty new cart YA must be set after sending the filled cart YA to the designated ward A. After the empty new cart YA is set, the counter for the cart YA of the host computer 4 is reset and the maximum number of trays the cart can accommodate, that is, 80, is set. As soon as the counter is reset, the first sixth tray is fed to the conveyor as the eighth tray (X).

While the number of trays that can be accommodated in the intended cart is not zero (NO in step ST12), the data in the trays are transferred to the receiving side (step ST12), and the above- All.

The tray is loaded into each cart in the manner shown by the flow chart in FIG. 15. The lifters 21A to 21D simultaneously load the trays X in the respective carts YA to YD and the sequencers 31a to 31a and we will explain only the lifter 31A and the sequencer 31a. The other lifter and sequencer operate in exactly the same way as the lifter 31A and the sequencer 31a.

In step SST1, the lifter 31A is initialized. More specifically, the tray gripper 315 is moved to a predetermined initial position. This position may be the position towards the shelf of the cart YA in the lowest row and left column or other position.

In step SST2, the initial position of the cart YA is detected by one of the sensors S01-S04 to determine whether the cart is initially set at a predetermined position. In the next step SST3, the counter in the host computer 4 and the counter in each cart control sequencer are reset.

The carts (YA-YD) can now accommodate trays. Thus, the tray X is transported when preparation is made in the tray transport unit and the processing unit. In step SST4, confirmation is made whether or not each tray X has arrived. At the same time, it is determined to which ward of the ward (A-D) the tray should be delivered.

The destination of each tray is determined by referring to the information on the tray X on the conveying side corresponding to the tray X that is confirmed to reach the loading point. The arrival of the tray is confirmed by reading the data stored in the ID indicator by the ID reader 32 shown in FIG.

If the ID reader 32 is not used, the arrival of each tray is confirmed by an infrared sensor (not shown).

When the data of the ID indicator 6 is read by the ID reader 32, these data are compared with the data from the tray supply side. If no error is found, at step SST6 it is determined to which shelf in the cart YA the tray should be loaded. Shelves for individual trays are assigned to sort individual trays by floors in a particular ward.

After the loading shelf is designated, the tray X is lifted and loaded into the designated shelf by the lifter 31A. The counter of the sequencer 31a is then decremented by one in step SST8. Every time the counter is decremented, it is determined in step SST9 whether or not the cart has been filled. If not, the program returns to step SST4 to load another tray X into the cart.

When the cart YA is full of trays, a signal for this result is generated in step SST10. Then, the acknowledgment signal is replaced with a non-acknowledgment signal in step SST11. This state continues until a new empty cart is established.

18 is a block diagram of the conveyor control circuit of the second embodiment. The processing unit 10 and the tray transfer mechanism of this embodiment are exactly the same as the first embodiment. In this embodiment, however, the conveyor extends to each ward of the hospital. A dispensing station 30 is provided for each ward.

In this embodiment, each tray X containing the medicines prepared in the processing unit 10 is sorted and transferred to a predetermined one of the transfer lines 1A-1D from the processing unit 100 to another ward .

17 and 18 show the detailed structure of the classifier 33D. Other classifiers 33A, 33B, and 33C all have the same structure. The sorter 33D is provided with a conveying roller 33a, a supporting plate 33b and a supporting plate 33b provided at the sorting position of the conveyor 1 and for conveying the tray X at right angles to the direction of the conveyor 1, (See Fig. 20).

The conveying roller 1a of the conveyor 1 is rotated by a chain conveyor (not shown) (by transmitting torque to one side of the rotary shaft connecting the feeding roller 1a on both sides). However, none of these rotational axes are present where the classifier is provided. The short chain conveyor is provided on the side opposite to the side on which the chain conveyor is provided.

Each tray stopped by the stopper S20d is transported laterally by the conveyor 1X crossing the conveyor 1 at right angles. When the tray X is stopped at one point at a point where the conveyor 1X crosses the conveyor C-1A by one of the stoppers S20-S23, the tray is moved by one of the classifiers 33C- And is moved from the conveyor 1X to one of the conveyors 1C-1A.

The operation after the tray X reaches the dispensing station of the designated ward is the same as in the first embodiment. Therefore, its explanation is omitted.

Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram of a conveyance line of the first embodiment,

Figure 2 is a partial block diagram of the processing unit of Figure 1,

3 is a detailed plan view of the conveyance end of the conveyance line,

4 is a cross-sectional view of line IV-IV of FIG. 3,

5A and 5B are a cross-sectional view and a perspective view of line V-V of FIG. 3,

6A and 6B show an external perspective view of the ID indicator and a block diagram of its internal circuitry,

7 shows a partially cutaway external perspective view of the medicament envelope printer 3,

8 shows the external function of the drug treatment unit for various drugs such as powders, potions and tablets,

9 is a schematic diagram showing functions of the ampule processing unit and the external medicine treatment unit,

FIG. 10 is a functional diagram of the blood-containing blood treatment unit or the cold-

Figure 11 also shows the function of the processing unit for processing the dressing container processing unit and various other articles,

12 is a partial plan view of the cart YA waiting at the dispensing station,

13 is a cross-sectional view of line VIII-VIII of FIG. 12,

14 is a flow chart showing the conveying control of the entire conveyance line performed by the host computer,

15 is a flow chart showing how a litter and a cart are controlled by a sequencer in a tray receiving unit,

FIG. 16 is a graph showing data stored in the host computer,

17 is a graph showing data stored in each sequencer,

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of the conveyance control circuit of the second embodiment;

19 is a detailed plan view of the conveying line at the sorting position,

20 is a cross-sectional view of line XX-XX of FIG. 19;

Claims (3)

Sending data to the logic control circuit about data including patient name and patient code, prescription-based drug formulation data, quasi-drugs and drug-related products, Controlling at least one of a drug treatment unit, a quasi-drug treatment unit and a drug-related article treatment unit arranged along a return line to prepare drugs, quasi-drugs and drug-related articles necessary for each patient, Setting a carrier in a carrier transport unit provided at a transport end of the transport line, Preparing a carrier acceptance at a delivery station provided at the delivery end of the return line, and initiating a carrier for each patient when all necessary completion signals have been received, so that each patient's drug, quasi-drug and drug- And transferring the collected medicines to the dispensing station. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dispensing station is provided with a plurality of carrier receiving units, wherein the carrier for each patient is ready for carrier return, preparation for drug, quasi drug and drug related items in the processing unit, Wherein each carrier is housed in a carrier accommodating unit corresponding to the patient data of the carrier accepting unit based on patient data stored in a logic control circuit. Conveyance control method. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the steps of attaching an indicator indicating the patient name or code and drug preparation data to each carrier at the end of the delivery, Reading data stored in the respective indicators with a data reader provided near the distribution station, and Further comprising the step of loading each of the carriers into a predetermined one of the carrier receiving units at positions determined based on data stored in the respective indicators.