Medication dispensing cabinet and associated drawer assembly having pockets with controllably openable lids
View Patent ↗A medication dispensing cabinet, a medication dispensing drawer assembly and an associated method are provided to facilitate controlled access to medications in an efficient manner. A medication dispensing cabinet includes a cabinet body, a plurality of drawers disposed within and configured for slidable extension relative to the cabinet body and a plurality of pockets serially positioned within a drawer. Each pocket includes a lid configured to cover the pocket and limit access to medication within the pocket. The medication dispensing cabinet also includes a linkage member configured to operably engage the lids of the plurality of pockets. The linkage member has a first state in which the linkage member prevents one or more of the lids from being opened and a second state in which the linkage member permits the lids to be opened in accordance with a predefined sequential order.
1. A medication dispensing cabinet comprising:
a cabinet body;
a plurality of drawers disposed within and configured for slidable extension relative to the cabinet body;
a plurality of pockets serially positioned within a first drawer, each pocket including a lid configured to cover the pocket and limit access to medication within the pocket; and
a linkage member configured to operably engage the lids of the plurality of pockets, wherein the linkage member has a first state in which the linkage member prevents one or more of the lids from being opened and a second state in which the linkage member permits a lid to be opened in accordance with a predefined sequential order,
wherein the pockets are positioned and the lids are configured such that a second lid is prevented from fully opening as a result of operable contact with a first lid of an adjacent pocket in an instance in which the first lid of the adjacent pocket has not yet been opened.
2. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 further comprising a latch configured to engage the linkage member in the first state and to be disengaged from the linkage member in the second state.
3. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 further comprising a bias member configured to urge the linkage member into operable engagement with the lids of the plurality of pockets.
4. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein each lid comprises an engagement member extending laterally therefrom, and wherein the linkage member comprises a plurality of engagement members spaced lengthwise therealong for operable engagement with the engagement members of respective lids.
5. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 3 wherein the bias member is configured to urge the linkage member into operable engagement with the lids of the pockets such that the lids are biased to a closed position in an instance in which the lids are opened by no more than a first predetermined amount and are biased to an open position in an instance in which the lids are opened by at least a second predetermined amount.
6. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 wherein the lids are configured to move between a closed position and an open position that are separated by 180°.
7. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 1 further comprising a sensor configured to detect opening or closing of a lid.
8. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 7 further comprising one or more magnets carried by each lid, wherein the sensor is configured to detect at least one of the magnets in an instance in which a respective lid is opened or closed.
9. A medication dispensing cabinet according to claim 4 wherein each lid and the linkage member are configured such that operable engagement of respective engagement members of the lids by the plurality of engagement members of the linkage member serves to alternately maintain the lids in each of at least two different positions.
10. A medication dispensing drawer assembly comprising:
a drawer;
a plurality of pockets serially positioned within the drawer, each pocket including a lid configured to cover the pocket and limit access to medication within the pocket; and
a linkage member extending alongside the plurality of pockets and configured to operably engage the lids of the plurality of pockets, wherein the linkage member has a locked state in which the linkage member prevents one or more of the lids from being opened and an unlocked state in which the linkage member permits a lid to be opened in accordance with a predefined sequential order,
wherein the pockets are positioned and the lids are configured such that a second lid is prevented from fully opening as a result of operable contact with a first lid of an adjacent pocket in an instance in which the first lid of the adjacent pocket has not yet been opened.
11. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 10 further comprising a latch configured to engage the linkage member in the locked state and to be disengaged from the linkage member in the unlocked state.
12. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 10 further comprising a bias member configured to urge the linkage member into operable engagement with the lids of the plurality of pockets.
13. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 12 wherein the bias member is configured to urge the linkage member into operable engagement with the lids of the pockets such that the lids are biased to a closed position in an instance in which the lids are opened by no more than a first predetermined amount and are biased to an open position in an instance in which the lids are opened by at least a second predetermined amount.
14. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 10 wherein the lids are configured to move between a closed position and an open position that are separated by 180°.
15. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 10 wherein each pocket includes at least one inclined side surface.
16. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 10 further comprising a sensor configured to detect opening or closing of a lid.
17. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 16 further comprising one or more magnets carried by each lid, wherein the sensor is configured to detect at least one of the magnets in an instance in which a respective lid is opened or closed.
18. A medication dispensing drawer assembly according to claim 10 wherein each lid comprises an engagement member extending laterally therefrom, and wherein the linkage member comprises a plurality of engagement members spaced lengthwise therealong for operable engagement with the engagement members of respective lids.
19. A method for controllably dispensing medication comprising:
maintaining a linkage bar in a locked state in order to prevent one or more lids that cover respective pockets within a drawer from being opened;
unlocking the linkage bar;
permitting a lid to be opened in accordance with a predefined sequential order while the linkage bar is unlocked to permit access to medication within the respective pocket; and
relocking the linkage bar while the lid remains open,
wherein permitting a lid to be opened comprises preventing a second lid of a pocket from fully opening as a result of operable contact with a first lid of an adjacent pocket in an instance in which the first lid of the adjacent pocket has not yet been opened due to positioning of the pockets and configuration of the lids.
20. A method according to claim 19 further comprising sensing the opening or closing of the lid.