CA1040156A - Security system for controlled drugs - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

An automatic system adapted to store, select for dis-pensation and count dispensed articles such as controlled drugs especially useful for the storage, dispensing and keeping of Accurate, tamper proof records of controlled drugs in hospitals.
A novel programmed strip for the system is also disclosed.

Description

1 This invention relates to a security system for the storage,

2 selected dispensation and counting of dispensed articles and

3 mo~ particularly to means for storing, selecting for dis-

4 pensation, automatic recording ~nd counting the dispensation of controlled drugs, such as narcotics, amphetamines~ barbi-6 tuates, tranquilizers, or the like.
7 The storage, dispensing and keeping of accurate records 8 of controlled drugs is a time consuming ~ask for hospital 9 personnel and not without human errors or the likelihood that records or drugs could be tampered with. Some of these 11 problems are obviated by the system of this invention while 12 other drawbacks have been substantially simplified.
13 An object of the invention is the provision of a novel 14 coded card form which cooperates with a combination of con-ventional devices to secure a reliable and tamperproof 16 system for the handling of controlled drugs and other like 17 articles.
18 Another object of the invention is to provide a simpli-19 fied system for dispensing and counting controlled drugs.
These and other objects of the invention will be apparent 21 from the following specification taken in conjunction with 22 the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals 23 indicate similar parts throughout the several views.
24 In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the drug storage, dispen-26 sing and counting apparatus for carrying out the system of the 27 present invention, a casing being broken away and shown ~n section.

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1 Fig. 2 is an enlarged section taken on linç 2-2 of Fig. 1 2 depicting the drug dispensing station for the apparatus.
3 Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3-3 of Fig.l.
4 Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmental section like Fig. 2 showing details of the apparatus, parts being broken away.
6 Fig. 5 is a fragmental, plan view of our coded cards with 7 machine readable language made up in strip form for use with 8 the apparatus shown in Figs. 1-4 of the drawings.
9 Fig. 6 is a sectional view like Fig.4 depicting a modi-fied form of our invention.
11 Fig. 7 is a fragmental plan view of our coded cards with 12 machine readable language made up in strip form for use with 13 the modified apparatus shown in Fig. 6.
14 Fig. 8 is a sectional view like Fig. 4 showing a further modified form of our invention.
16 Fig. 9 is a fragmental plan view of various forms of 17 coded cards with machine readable language that may be utili-18 zed with our invention.
19 Fig. 10 is a flow chart representing the drug dispensing steps of our invention.
21 Fig. 11 is a flow chart showing the drug counting steps 22 of our invention.
23 Fig. 12 is a simplified diagramatic view illustrating the 24 cooperative controls for our system carried out with the apparatus shown in Figs. 1-9 of the drawings.
26 With particular reference to Figs. 1-5 of the drawings 27 there is shown a cabinet 14 having a base 15 that houses a - ~ .

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1 strip 16 of hinge connected coded cards 17 with machine read-2 able language, preferrably in the form of an en~less belt~
3 although a straight strip could be advantageously used. The 4 card strip 16 carries a longitudinally spaced apart series of dispensable articles 18 and may ~e furnished in a foldPd, zig~
6 zag form for convenience in storage and handling, as is illus-7 trated by the dotted lines in Figo 1 of the drawings. The 8 cabinet has a top 19 hinged at 20 to the front upper edge 9 portion of the base 15 and maintained in closed tamperproof condition by a key operated lock 21 mounted between the adja-11 cent edges o~ the base and top at the back of the cabinet.
12 An article exit opening 22 is formed through the central 13 portion of a front wall 23 of the cabinet top 19, said opening 14 being made tamper proof by a spring closed gate that takes the form of a guard wheel 24 rotatably mounted in front of 16 the exit opening 22 on a drive sha~t 25 extending through the 17 front wall and periodically driven against the bias of the 18 spring into dispensing position by an electric motor 26 19 positioned on the inside of the front wall and operatively connected to the shaft through reduction gearing (not shown) 21 in a housing 27 (Fig.2). The guard wheel has a radial slot 22 28 formed therein which is periodically registered with the 23 article exit opening 22 to allow dispensation o~ a selected 24 article 18 therethrough. A casing 29 projects from the front of the cabinet to enclose the guard wheel 24, a zig-zag chute 26 and hopper arrangement 30 being formed in the casing to deliver 27 and hold an article in dispensed position.

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1 A camming notch 100 is ~ormed in the periphery of the guard 2 wheel 24 to cooperate with a microswitch operated plunger 101 3 which positively positions the slot 28 in registry with the exit 4 opening 22 when the system is programmed for the dispensation of a selected article.
6 A horizontal strip guide platform 31 is located within the 7 cabinet top 19 and is mounted on a pair of laterally spaced 8 brackets 32 and 33 each having their lower ends bolted to the 9 cabinet base at 34. The upper face of the guide platform 31 is disposed on a level with the article exit opening 22, the 11 front edge 35 of the platform being spaced away from the 12 interior face of the front wall 23 of the cabinet top 19. An 13 intermittently clutched motor driven strip feed wheel 36 is 14 mounted beneath the rear portion of the guide platform 31, said central rear portion of the platform being also notched 16 out to provide an opening 37 for a code reader head 38 located 17 beneath the opening and mounted to the underside of the guide 18 platform.
19 An article dispensing station is located behind the exit opening 22 and includes an ejector means which takes the form 21 of a solenoid 39 mounted above the strip guide platform 31 on 22 a bracket 40 secured to the inside of the front wall 23 of 23 the cabinet top. As best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings the 24 solenoid has a plunger 41 disposed in alignment with the exit opening 22 and biased to retracted position by a spring 42.
26 When actuated the solenoid functions to detach a selected 27 article 18 from the strip 16 and push it out through the exit ~ 4~ 6 1 openi~g 22, the registered slot 28 in the gate wheel 24 and 2 into the hopper 30 for dispensation.
3 An article detection means comprises an energy source 43 4 fixed on the bracket 40 and adapted to provide a sour~e of energy directed at right angles to the movement of the strip 16 6 on the platform 31 and in the path of movement of articles on 7 said strip. A cooperative energy detecting device 44 is 8 mounted beneath the guide platform in alignment with the 9 source 43, said drug detection means bej;~g adapted to indicate the "presence" or "no presence'l of an article 18 on the strip 11 16, as will more fully be explained hereinafter. The energy 12 source for the detection means may be light, sound waves, a stream 13 of air, or other energy source. The detection means 43 and 44 14 could also be mechanical and be accomplished by a microswitch disposed in the path of the articles 18 on the strip, which 16 switch would close when contacted by the articles themselves.
17 In the latter instance the source of energy 43 would be unnecessary 18 and the device 44 would be replaced by the microswitch whose 19 actuator would come into contact with the articles.
With reference to Fig. 5 of the drawings there is sho~n a 21 strip 16 including a series of hinge connected coded cards 17 22 with machine readable language preferrably utilized with the 23 apparatus described hereinbefore. The strip is preferrably made 24 of a relatively heavy, stiff paper, adjacent card 17 in the strip 16 being connected at their common ends by a hinge that 26 takes the form of a lateral line of perforations 45, the series 27 of cards normally assuming a zig-zag formation within the cabinet 28 base 15. Each card has a longitudinal row of strip feed 29 holes 46 which cooperate with the feed wheel 36 to advance ~4~56 1 the strip of cards 17 ln either direction on the ~uide plat-2 form 31 ~nd through the dispensing station. Each card has a 3 number of longitudinally spaced apart articles 18 detachably 4 positioned on one major face thereo~ with a portion 47 o~
each article overhanging a common edge ~8 of the cards. The 6 articles are secured to the cards by a suit~ble adhesive 7 applied between the articles and the major card faces, but 8 other suitable detachable connectors may be employed without 9 a departure from the invention disclosed herein. It is con-templated that the articles 18 could take the forms of con-11 trolled drugs in containers such as boxes, bottles, ampules, 12 blister packages, or syringes. The start of a card or series 13 of cards carrying a parti~ular drug, dosage and container 14 form is provided with a combination of machine readable lang-uage, such as code holes S0 punched therein and adapted to 16 identify the kind o~ drug on each particular card or cards 17 and to be read out by the reader head 38 in the search step 18 and counting step of our system. A card or the last card of 19 a series is also provided at a common end adjacent a hinge 45 with code holes Sl adapted to be read by the head 38 to reset 21 the apparatus after the card passes the head, as will be 22 more fully described hereafter. Also between the combination 23 code holes 50 and the reset code holes 51 are codes (not 24 shown) in machine readable language which describe the drug in type, dosage and quantity, i.e. "morphine sulfate ~ Gr., 26 20 ampules".
27 Now with reference to Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings there 28 is shown a modification o~ our invention wherein the strip 6~

1 guide plat~orm 31 has an opening 52 ~ormed therethrough at 2 the dlspensing station and disposed between and in registry 3 with the a~ially aligned energy source 43 and the detecting 4 device 44. In this form each card 17 of the strip 16 is provided with a longitudinal row of spaced article placement 6 indicator means such as holes 53 over each of which is 7 initially detachably positioned an article 18 in the form of 8 a drug container. Each drug container is detachabl~ secured 9 to the card by a suitable adhesive, or the like, applied between ~he container and one major face of the card. Position 11 code holes 54 are formed in each card laterally from or 12 adjacent each hole 53 for automatic search and positioning of 13 each drug in an ejecting position at the dispensing station.
14 It is contemplated that a strip 16 containing a longitud-inally spaced apart series of placement indicator holes 53 16 could be utilized in our system and that other drug identi~
17 fication and readout means could be also employed such as a mag-18 netic tape 55, ink markings 56, or raised projections 57, or 19 other machine readable language (Fig. 9).
Fig. 8 of the drawings shows another modified form of 21 our invention wherein a code punched card 58 (Fig.9) is 22 provided along one edge with a lateral flange 59, said card 23 being advanced through the cabinet top 19 upon a pair of 24 rollers 60-60 mounted on a bracket 61 depending from the cabinet top wall. A pair o~ guide rollers 62-62 keep the 26 card in vertical position, the solenoid operated ejector means 27 39 being adapted to detach a selected drug container 18 from 1 the card and allow it to drop through the drug exît opening 2 22, the registered guard wheel 24 and into the hopper 30 3 for dispensation. The reader head 38 and the drug detection 4 means 43 and 44 operate in the same manner as the identical devices provided for the apparatus set forth in Figs. 6 and 7 6 of the drawings.
7 In operation the drug and its identification code 50 for 8 each card or series of cards is determined upon and the strip 9 16 of cards 17 then provided with the proper drugs, the con-tainer for each drug being detachably mounted on common major 11 faces of the cards with a portion 47 of the drug articles 18 12 overhanging a common edge 48 of the cards (Figs.4 and 5). The 13 strip 16 of cards 17 with drugs 18 attached ls entered into 14 the cabinet when the cabinet top 19 is in opened position relative to the base 15 by placing a portion of the strip on 16 the platform 31 and allowing the remainder of the strip to 17 be housed in the cabinet base 15, whereafter the cabinet top 18 is closed and locked to the base.
19 Now with reference to Figs. 10 and 12 of the drawings when a required drug or other dispensable article 18 is to be dis-21 pensed the code reader head 38 is first programmed, in a con-22 ventional manner (not shown), to sense the particular identi-23 fication code 50 on a Qard 17 containing the required drug 24 articleO Initially locking relays LRl-LR4 will be in the normal positions shown in Fig. 12 of the drawings, the gate 26 24 will be biased by spring 64 in closed position and a motor 27 65 for the strip feed wheel 36, energy source 43 and the reader 28 head 38 and a print out device 66, will have been made operative 1 ~hrou~h the making o ~a~ 4an~ s~itc~ SW. Upon momentary closing ?. o~ a switch Sl~l a ~et c~il 73 o locklng relay LRl will close 3 it~ ~witch and complete a clrcuit through locking relay LR2 to 4 energize a solénoid aotuated clutch 67 that will place the motor 65 and the wheel 36 in ~riving relationship to advance 6 the strip 16 of cards 17 through the dispensing s~ation of the 7 apparatus. When the reader head 38 senses the required iden-8 tiication code 50 on a card 17 id~ntification code activat~d 9 ~witch SW2 will close momentarily an~ energ~ze set coil 7S o loc~.ing relay LR4 throwing switch SW10 into a closed ~o~i.tion.
11 When the detector 44 indicates that the rPquired drug article 12 18 is in dispensing position a circuit wlll be completed through 13 switch SW10, detector actuated switc~ SW3 of detecting device 1.4 44 and set coil 67 of locking relay l.R2 to energi~e rel~y LR
lS an~ throw its s~itches into positions opposed to those illus-16 trated in Fig.12 of the drawing~. This position of the s~itc~es 17 will disengage the clutch 62 of the strip feed wheel 36 to stop 18 the movement o~ the strip 16 of cards, ener~izing microswitch 19 SW4 ~n~ causing oper2tion o ~otor 26 which rotates the guard ~0 wlleel 24 against bins of its return sprin~ 64 to regis~er the 21 slot 2~ witll the exi~ opening ~2 in the cabinet. When the 510t 22 28 moves into registration with the exit opening 22 microswitch 23 SW4 completes the circuit which energiæes solenoid 39 to eject 24 the drug article 18 throug'n t~le exit opening 22, the gate slot 28 and into the hopper 30 for dispensation of the drug article.
~6 At the completion of the dispensing ac~ion solenoid plunger 41 27 closes A microswitch SW5 which ~ctivates the set coil 68 o the _g_ i6 locking relay LR3 throwing its switches into positions opposed to those shown in Fig. 12 of the drawings whereby the shutter motor 26 is deenergized and the gate 24 will close by means of its return spring 64. Also microswitch SW4 will be de-energized to permit return of the plunger 41 of solenoid 39-to its retracted position by means of its return spring 42 and return of the gate wheel to closed position will open switch SW4 by reason of the camming action of the notch 100 on -the plunger.101. Also upon actuation of locking relay LR3 the clutch 62 will engage the motor 65 and the feed wheel 36 advancing the card and allowing the reader head 38 to continue to control the print out device 66 which types out the name of the drug dispensed, the time, date and other data respecting said dispensed drug until the reset code 51 is sensed by the reader head 38 which closes a reset switch SW6 to activate reset coils 69, 70, 71 and 78 of the locking relays to return all relays and switches to their normal positions.
The reference numeral 72 represents a switch controlled by the accompanying print out device 66 and wired in series with the solenoid actuated clutch 62 whereby advancement of the feed wheel 36 is kept in synchronism with the reader head 38 and with the print out device 66.
The controls illustrated in Fig. 12 of the drawings may be utilized with the apparatus and strip shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings by interposing in series a switch SW8 (Fig.
12) in the line between the switch SW7 and the detecting device 44. Switch SW8 closes when the position code 54 is 5i6 sensed in the reader head 38. Thus if the switch SW3 is also closed due to the presence of a drug at the dispensing station, the drug ar-ticle dispensing sequence will occur as with the apparatus and cards illustrated in Figs. 1-5 of the drawings with the advantage that the reader clutch will open and stop the reader in a fixed position in relation to the drug article 18 such as the middle of the drug article.
The counting step (Fig. 11) of our system is initiated by throwing ganged switch SW7 into a position opposite to that shown in Fig. 12. The code reader head 38 is first programmed to sense an identification code signifying the start of the strip loop 17. SWl is momentarily depressed. This allows energization of set relay 73 of LRl. The switch of LRl is thrown into a position opposite that shown. The feed wheel 36 is thereby allowed -to advance the strip as the clutch 62 is energized and the motor 65 is connected to the feed wheel 36.
When the identification code 50 signifying the start of the strip is sensed, the identification code activated switch SW2 will close momentarily. This closing energizes set coil 75 of locking relay LR4 throwing switch SW10 into a closed position which energizes SW3 of detector 44. When a drug article 18 is detected by detector 44, the switch SW3 closes and the counter 76 is energized momentarily to count this drug article. The absence of a drug will obviously go uncounted.
As the counting step continues, the name of the drug, its dosage and the amount of the drug initially present will be read out in the accompanying print out device 66.

~4~ 6 When the reset switch SW6 is activated by the reset code, the counter is reset by its reset coil 77. At the same time the number counted is read out on the accompanying print out device. This counting process continues until the end of the strip loop is reached and the counting reset code (not shown) at the end of the strip is sensed which causes closing of SW9 which causes activation of reset coils 78 and 69 of locking relays LR4 and LRl, respectively. This not only deenergized switch SW3 but also clutch 62 and the counting stops.
It will therefore be understood that then a particular drug is to be dispensed the apparatus advances the strip of cards through operation of the feed wheel 36 to a drug dis-pensing position at the station sensed by the reader head 38 and the detector device 44. If the required drug is positioned on the card portion that is stopped at the station i-ts presence will be detected by the drug detecting device 44 which in turn signals the ga-te motor 26 to move the gate 24 to open position and also actuates the solenoid 39 to detach the selected drug from the card portion and push it through the exit opening 22 and into -the hopper 30 for dispensation.
If no drug item covers the particular card portion at -the station the search will continue until the item that is called for is found. After dispensation of the required drug article the gate is automatically closed and the apparatus will be shut down until the next succeeding drug dispensing operation is activated.
Other means of counting dispensed drugs periodically should occur to those skilled in the art such as a counter energized by operation of the ejector means and a microswitch that is associated with the counter and mechanically operated by the vacant coded indicator hole 53 on the strip of cards.

What is claimed is:

Claims (11)

1. A dispensing and counting system of controlled drugs comprising a strip of cards each with at least one drug placement indicator means thereon, a reset code on each card associated with the indicator means, means detachably connect-ing a drug on the card adjacent each indicator means, coding means on the strip identifying each drug, search means directing a selected drug to an ejecting means, drug detecting means operative to actuate the ejecting means and detach said drug from a card into a dispensing position, and counting means associated with the detecting means and the indicator means and adapted to determine the number of drugs dispensed from the strip of cards.

2. A security system for dispensing controlled drugs comprising a strip having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart drug containers on a major face thereof, det-achable means securing each container to the strip, place-ment indicator means on the strip for each container, a dispen-sing station, power means for moving the strip past the dispen-sing station, a container ejector disposed adjacent the strip at the station, search means adapted to sense a selected drug container, detecting means cooperative with the search means to render the power means inoperative and stop a selected drug container at the station, means responsive to the presence of a container at the station to actuate the ejector, and counting means associated with the placement indicator means and periodically operative to sense the number of containers dispensed during a preceding period.

3. The security system set forth in Claim 2 wherein the placement indicator means is a hole, the drug container is disposed across the hole, and the counting means cooperates with the said hole.

4. The security system set forth in Claim 3 wherein the counting means is adapted to sense the absence of a container through the hole.

5. A programmed belt to be used in a machine for the controlled dispensation of drugs comprising a longitudinal row of machine feed holes formed in the belt, a number of cards permanently hinged together end-to-end to form the belt, each card having at least one drug detachably secured thereupon and coded in machine readable language identifying that drug, coded machine placement means on a card for each drug adapted to automatically position a searched for drug for machine detachment from its card, a coded machine reset means on each card, and the coded drug machine identification means on each card related to the coded machine reset means for machine counting of dispensed drugs.

6. A programmed belt to be used in a machine for the controlled dispensation of drugs set forth in Claim 5 wherein each card has a plurality of drugs having identical character-istics, and each card having a single coded drug identification means thereon.

7. An article dispensing and counting system comprising a coded strip having a spaced series of article placement indicator means thereon, detachable means initially securing an article on the strip adjacent each placement indicator means, a reset code on the strip for each placement indicator means, an article dispensing station located on one side of the strip, an article ejector, power means moving the strip through the dispensing station at the station, search means cooperative with the reset code to locate a selected article on the strip at the dispensing station, detection means associated with article at the dispensing station for actuating the article ejector, and article counting means operative during actuation of the power means and responsive to the placement indicator means and the detecting means.

8. An article dispensing and counting system comprising a strip having a longitudinally spaced apart series of articles disposed along one edge portion thereof, detachable means securing each article to the strip, machine readable language along the opposite edge portion of the strip identifying the articles, an article ejecting means positioned beside the strip, means advancing the strip past the ejecting means, search means adapted to read the article identification lang-uage on the strip, article detecting means cooperative with the search means to stop the strip with a selected article in ejecting position, means actuated by the presence of the sel-ected article in ejecting position to operate the ejecting means and detach the selected article from the strip for dis-pensation, and periodically operated readout means adapted to count and identify the particular articles detached from the strip.

9. An article dispensing and counting system set forth in Claim 8 wherein the articles have end portions overhanging said one edge portion of the strip, and the article detecting means is positioned to sense said article end portions.

10. An article dispensing and counting system set forth in Claim 8 wherein the strip has a longitudinally spaced apart series of article placement codes, and the article detecting means is positioned to sense said placement codes.

11. An article dispensing and counting system set forth in Claim 10 wherein the strip has a longitudinal series of strip reset codes associated with the article placement codes.