Systems and methods for parallel preparation processing

1 . A method of medication processing using an automated dosing device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for preparation of at least one dosed medication delivery container with the automated dosing device, each of the at least one dosed medication delivery container comprising a medication delivery container and at least one ingredient added to the medication delivery container by the automated dosing device, the automated dosing device comprising a plurality of stations;

identifying a template corresponding to the request for preparation of the at least one dosed medication delivery container;

executing the template, wherein executing the template comprises: assigning tasks to a plurality of stations within the automated dosing device, wherein at least some of the tasks are simultaneously performed by the plurality of stations at least some of the tasks; and

directing a transport tool to move at least one medication delivery container between the plurality of stations of the automated dosing device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one attribute of the at least one dosed medication delivery container comprises at least one of:

a type of the at least one dosed medication delivery container;

a number of ingredients in the at least one dosed medication delivery container;

a source of at least one of the ingredients in the at least one dosed medication delivery container; and

a dose size for each of the ingredients in the at least one dosed medication delivery container.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one medication delivery container comprises a plurality of individual syringes.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the transport tool comprises a robotic arm configured to grab and manipulate the at least one medication delivery container, and wherein the transport tool further comprises a bag carousel.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the bag carousel comprises:

a circular member having an outer circumference;

a plurality of slots sized to receive a medication bag, wherein the medication bag received in one of the plurality of slots is wholly retained within the outer circumference of the circular member; and

at least one bag shuttle comprising a moveable member configured to remove the medication bag from the bag carousel.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of stations comprise:

a doser;

a scale;

at least one reconstitution mixer;

a withdrawal station; and

a syringe finisher, and wherein the scale comprises two or more syringe holders.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the scale further comprises a medication bag holder, and wherein executing the template comprises determining a weight of a medication bag based on a plurality of weights of multiple medication delivery containers measured by the scale, wherein the multiple medication delivery containers include the medication bag and a syringe.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein executing the template comprises:

filling a first syringe with a first medication with the doser; and

dosing medication bags with a first medication, wherein dosing medication bags with the first medication comprises:

transferring a first one of a plurality of medication bags from a bag carousel to the doser;

injecting with the first syringe a dose of the first medication into the first one of the plurality of medication bags;

transferring the first one of the plurality of medication bags from the doser to the bag carousel; and

rotating the bag carousel in a first direction to position a first next one of the plurality of medication bags for transferring from the bag carousel to the doser.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein dosing the medication bags with the first medication comprises:

measuring a first weight of the first one of the plurality of medication bags before injecting with the first syringe the dose of the first medication into the first one of the plurality of medication bags;

measuring a second weight of the first one of the plurality of medication bags after injecting with the first syringe the dose of the first medication into the first one of the plurality of medication bags; and

determining a dosing of the first one of the plurality of medication bags based on the first weight and the second weight.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein executing the template further comprises:

filling a second syringe with a second medication with the doser; and

dosing medication bags with the second medication, wherein dosing medication bags with the second medication comprises:

transferring a second one of the plurality of medication bags from the bag carousel to the doser;

injecting with the second syringe a second dose of the second medication into the second one of the plurality of medication bags;

transferring the second one of the plurality of medication bags from the doser to the bag carousel; and

rotating the bag carousel in a second direction to position a second next one of the plurality of medication bags for transferring from the bag carousel to the doser.

11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein executing the template comprises:

controlling the transport tool to place an empty, first syringe in a first syringe holder;

measuring and storing a first weight with the scale, the first weight corresponding to a weight of the empty, first syringe;

controlling the transport tool to place the empty, first syringe in the doser for filling and an empty, second syringe in the first syringe holder;

measuring and storing a second weight with the scale, the second weight corresponding to a weight of the empty, second syringe;

filling the first syringe with the doser;

controlling the transport tool to retrieve the filled, first syringe from the doser and place the filled, first syringe in a second syringe holder; and

measuring and storing a third weight with the scale, the third weight corresponding to a weight of the filled, first syringe and of the empty, second syringe.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein executing the template further comprises determining a weight of the filled, first syringe by determining a difference between the third weight and the second weight, and wherein executing the template further comprises determining a dosing of the first syringe by determining a difference between the weight of the filled, first syringe and the first weight.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for preparation of the at least one dosed medication delivery container with the automated dosing device comprises a request for preparation of a plurality of dosed medication delivery containers.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

dividing the request for preparation of the plurality of dosed medication delivery containers into a plurality of mini-batches, wherein processing each of the plurality of mini-batches causes preparation of a subset of the plurality of dosed medication delivery containers; and

processing each of the plurality of mini-batches.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of mini-batches are serially processed.

16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein dividing the request for preparation of the plurality of dosed medication delivery containers into the plurality of mini-batches comprises:

identifying a size for the plurality of mini-batches; and

creating the plurality of mini-batches of the size.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein identifying the size for the plurality of mini-batches comprises:

identifying ingredients and dosing of the ingredients for preparation of each of the plurality of dosed medication delivery containers;

identifying a vial size for each of the ingredients;

determining a maximum number of doses for each of the ingredients; and

setting the size for the plurality of mini-batches at a largest of the maximum number of doses for each of the ingredients.

18 . An automated dosing device comprising:

a plurality of stations, wherein each of the plurality of stations comprises a station controller and station hardware, wherein each station controller is configured to control station hardware to perform an operation;

a transport tool configured to transport medication delivery containers to and from the plurality of stations; and

a central controller comprising a processor configured to:

receive a request for preparation of at least one dosed medication delivery container, each of the at least one dosed medication delivery container comprising a medication delivery container at least partially filled by at least one ingredient;

identify a template corresponding to the request for preparation of the at least one dosed medication delivery container;

execute the template, wherein executing the template comprises:

assigning tasks to at least some of the plurality of stations, wherein at least some of the tasks are simultaneously performed by the plurality of stations; and

directing a transport tool to move at least one medication delivery container between the plurality of stations.

19 . The automated dosing device of claim 18 , wherein at least one attribute of the at least one dosed medication delivery container comprises at least one of:

a type of the at least one dosed medication delivery container;

a number of ingredients in the at least one dosed medication delivery container; a source of at least one of the ingredients in the at least one dosed medication

delivery container; and

a dose size for each of the ingredients in the at least one dosed medication delivery container.

20 . The automated dosing device of claim 18 , wherein the at least one medication delivery container comprises a plurality of individual syringes.

21 . The automated dosing device of claim 18 , wherein the transport tool comprises:

a robotic arm configured to grab and manipulate the at least one medication delivery container; and

a bag carousel, wherein the bag carousel comprises:

a circular member having an outer circumference;

a plurality of slots sized to receive a medication bag, wherein the medication bag received in one of the plurality of slots is wholly retained within the outer circumference of the circular member; and

at least one bag shuttle comprising a moveable member configured to remove the medication bag from the bag carousel.

22 . The automated dosing device of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of stations comprise:

a doser;

a scale;

at least one reconstitution mixer;

a withdrawal station; and

a syringe finisher, and wherein the scale comprises two or more syringe holders.

23 . The automated dosing device of claim 22 , wherein the scale further comprises a medication bag holder, and wherein executing the template comprises determining a weight of a medication bag based on a plurality of weights of multiple medication delivery containers measured by the scale, wherein the multiple medication delivery containers include the medication bag and a syringe.

24 . The automated dosing device of claim 23 , wherein executing the template comprises:

filling a first syringe with a first medication with the doser; and

dosing medication bags with a first medication, wherein dosing medication bags with the first medication comprises:

transferring a first one of a plurality of medication bags from a bag carousel to the doser;

injecting with the first syringe a dose of the first medication into the first one of the plurality of medication bags;

transferring the first one of the plurality of medication bags from the doser to the bag carousel; and

rotating the bag carousel in a first direction to position a first next one of the plurality of medication bags for transferring from the bag carousel to the doser.

25 . The automated dosing device of claim 24 , wherein dosing the medication bags with the first medication comprises:

measuring a first weight of the first one of the plurality of medication bags before injecting with the first syringe the dose of the first medication into the first one of the plurality of medication bags;

measuring a second weight of the first one of the plurality of medication bags after injecting with the first syringe the dose of the first medication into the first one of the plurality of medication bags; and

determining a dosing of the first one of the plurality of medication bags based on the first weight and the second weight.

26 . The automated dosing device of claim 25 , wherein executing the template further comprises:

filling a second syringe with a second medication with the doser; and

dosing medication bags with the second medication, wherein dosing medication bags with the second medication comprises:

transferring a second one of the plurality of medication bags from the bag carousel to the doser;

injecting with the second syringe a second dose of the second medication into the second one of the plurality of medication bags;

transferring the second one of the plurality of medication bags from the doser to the bag carousel; and

rotating the bag carousel in a second direction to position a second next one of the plurality of medication bags for transferring from the bag carousel to the doser.

27 . The automated dosing device of claim 22 , wherein executing the template comprises:

controlling the transport tool to place an empty, first syringe in a first syringe holder;

measuring and storing a first weight with the scale, the first weight corresponding to the weight of the empty, first syringe;

controlling the transport tool to place the empty, first syringe in the doser for filling and an empty, second syringe in the first syringe holder;

measuring and storing a second weight with the scale, the second weight corresponding to the weight of the empty, second syringe;

filling the first syringe with the doser;

controlling the transport tool to retrieve the filled, first syringe from the doser and place the filled, first syringe in a second syringe holder; and

measuring and storing a third weight with the scale, the third weight corresponding to the weight of the filled, first syringe and of the empty, second syringe.

28 . The automated dosing device of claim 27 , wherein executing the template further comprises determining a weight of the filled, first syringe by determining a difference between the third weight and the second weight, and wherein executing the template further comprises determining a dosing of the first syringe by determining a difference between the weight of the filled, first syringe and the first weight.

29 . The automated dosing device of claim 18 , wherein the request for preparation of the at least one dosed medication delivery container comprises a request for preparation of a plurality of dosed medication delivery containers, wherein the processor is further configured to:

divide the request for preparation of the plurality of dosed medication delivery containers into a plurality of mini-batches, wherein processing each of the plurality of mini-batches causes preparation of a subset of the plurality of dosed medication delivery containers; and

direct processing each of the plurality of mini-batches.

30 . The automated dosing device of claim 29 , wherein each of the plurality of mini-batches are serially processed.

31 . The automated dosing device of claim 29 , wherein dividing the request for preparation of the plurality of dosed medication delivery containers into the plurality of mini-batches comprises:

identifying a size for the plurality of mini-batches; and

creating the plurality of mini-batches of the size.

32 . The automated dosing device of claim 31 , wherein identifying the size for the plurality of mini-batches comprises:

identifying ingredients and dosing of the ingredients for preparation of each of the plurality of dosed medication delivery containers;

identifying a vial size for each of the ingredients;

determining a maximum number of doses for each of the ingredients; and

setting the size for the plurality of mini-batches at a largest of the maximum number of doses for each of the ingredients.