MEDICINE DISPENSING SYSTEM AND MEDICINE DISPENSING DEVICE
There is provided a medicine dispensing system configured such that a medicine dispensing device includes a sub unit having a function to dispense medicine that is connected to a medicine dispensing device that includes a main unit having a function of packing medicines. There is also provided a medicine dispensing device that can be appropriately integrated with such a medicine dispensing system. The medicine dispensing system includes, in some embodiments a main unit, a sub unit and a transfer device connecting the main unit and the sub unit. The medicine dispensing system transfers the medicine dispensed in the sub unit to the main unit by means of a transfer device and dispenses the medicine at a medicine packing part together with the medicine dispensed from a main storage part in the main unit.
1 . A medicine dispensing device comprising:
a medicine feeding container configured to store a medicine;
a container mounting part configured to mount the medicine feeding container thereon;
a cassette placing part configured to place the medicine feeding container thereon;
a control means; and
an interface means wiredly or wirelessly connected to the control means,
wherein the medicine is allowed to be dispensed by mounting the medicine feeding container to the container mounting part,
wherein the medicine feeding container includes an information recordable medium to which a characteristic container information on the medicine feeding container is recordable,
wherein when the medicine feeding container is placed on the cassette placing part, a data communication between the control means and the information recordable medium of the medicine feeding container is allowed via the interface means, and
wherein when the medicine feeding container is mounted on the container mounting part, a data communication between the control means and the information recordable medium is allowed via the interface means.
2 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein when the medicine feeding container is placed on the cassette placing part, the characteristic container information on the medicine feeding container is read by the control means and the characteristic container information is displayed.
3 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the medicine dispensing device is operable in a general operation mode for dispensing medicines according to a prescription and in a medicine filling mode for filling the medicine feeding container with medicines, and
wherein when the medicine feeding container removed from the container mounting part is placed on the cassette placing part, the medicine dispensing device is changed from the general operation mode to the medicine filling mode.
4 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , further comprising a mark reading means configured to read an identification mark assigned per kinds of medicine,
wherein the kinds of medicine is specified by the control means based on the identification mark read by the mark reading means, and
wherein an information on the kinds of medicine is recorded into the information recordable medium through the data communication between the control means and the information recordable medium of the medicine feeding container.
5 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein a dispensing history of the medicine in the medicine feeding container is recorded into the information recordable medium by the control means while the medicine feeding container is mounted on the container mounting part.
6 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic container information includes a data on a usage history of the medicine feeding container, and
wherein, based on the data on the usage history, the control means judges whether the medicine feeding container reaches a durable term and/or a maintenance time.
7 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein another device provided separately accesses the information recordable medium and reads and writes a data from and into the information recordable medium.
8 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 , wherein medicines are sequentially dispensed based on a prescription data inputted to the control means,
wherein a plurality of the container mounting parts configured to mount the medicine feeding container are provided,
wherein the control means comprises:
a correspondence relationship storing part regulating and storing a correspondence relationship between the plurality of the container mounting parts and the medicine feeding container to be attached to the plurality of the container mounting parts; and
a judging part,
wherein the judging part is configured to perform an error judgment operation for judging the following states, by comparing the correspondence relation storing part and the characteristic data of the medicine feeding container obtained from the data communication with the information recordable medium of the medicine feeding container mounted on the container mounting part:
a right mount state where the medicine feeding container is properly mounted on the container mount part coinciding with the correspondence relationship regulated in the correspondence relationship storing part; and
an erroneous mount state where the medicine feeding container is erroneously mounted on the container mounting part against the correspondence relationship regulated in the correspondence relationship storing part,
wherein dispensing the medicines continues through other medicine feeding containers excluding a erroneously mounted medicine feeding container upon a condition that it is judged by the error judgment operation that there is the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container, and that a medicine accommodated in the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container is not a medicine to be dispensed according to the prescription data, and
wherein dispensing the medicines stops upon a condition that it is judged by the error judgment operation that there is the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container, and that a medicine accommodated in the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container is a medicine to be dispensed according to the prescription data.
9 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 8 , wherein the container mounting part configured to mount the medicine feeding container is disposed in each of a plurality of container mounting regions defined along a height direction,
wherein the correspondence relationship storing part regulate the correspondence relationship between the container mounting part and the medicine feeding container to be attached to the container mounting part as a relationship relative to the container mounting region located at a height corresponding to an upper attachment limit of a medicine feeding container that is determined according to the kinds of medicine,
wherein the erroneous mount state is judged through the error judgment operation when the medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mounting part of a container mounting region locating above a container mounting region located at the height corresponding to the upper attachment limit, and
wherein the right mount state is judged through the error judgment operation when the medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mounting part of a container mounting region located at a height equal to or lower than the upper attachment limit.
10 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 8 , wherein the control means is configured to perform a search operation for searching and selecting a container mounting part, on which the medicine feeding container judged to be in the erroneous mount state through the error judgment operation is mounted.
11 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 10 , wherein a search condition in the search operation is determined based on the characteristic data of the medicine feeding container obtained by the data communication with the information recordable medium, which the medicine feeding container judged to be in the erroneous mount state through the error judgment operation includes.
12 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 10 , wherein each of the container mounting parts is movable to an attachment/detachment work position where an attachment/detachment work of the medicine feeding container is performed, and
wherein the container mounting part selected through the search operation is moved to the attachment/detachment work position.
13 . A medicine dispensing device comprising:
a medicine feeding container configured to store a medicine;
a container mounting part configured to mount the medicine feeding container thereon;
a cassette placing part configured to place the medicine feeding container thereon;
a control means; and
an interface means provided in each of the container mounting part and the cassette placing part, the interface means being wiredly or wirelessly connected to the control means,
wherein the medicine is allowed to be dispensed by mounting the medicine feeding container to the container mounting part,
wherein the medicine feeding container includes an information recordable medium to which a characteristic container information on the medicine feeding container is recordable,
wherein when the medicine feeding container is mounted on the container mounting part, a data communication between the control means and the information recordable medium is allowed via the interface means, and
wherein when the medicine feeding container removed from the container mounting part is placed on the cassette placing part for filling the medicine feeding container with a medicine, a data communication between the control means and the information recordable medium of the medicine feeding container is allowed via the interface means and thus the characteristic container information including a data on the medicine is grasped by the control means and the characteristic container information is allowed to be renewed and recorded.
14 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 13 , wherein when the medicine feeding container is placed on the cassette placing part, the characteristic container information on the medicine feeding container is read by the control means and the characteristic container information is displayed.
15 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 13 , wherein the medicine dispensing device is operable in a general operation mode for dispensing medicines according to a prescription and in a medicine filling mode for filling the medicine feeding container with medicines, and
wherein when the medicine feeding container removed from the container mounting part is placed on the cassette placing part, the medicine dispensing device is changed from the general operation mode to the medicine filling mode.
16 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 13 , further comprising a mark reading means configured to read an identification mark assigned per kinds of medicine,
wherein the kinds of medicine is specified by the control means based on the identification mark read by the mark reading means, and
wherein an information on the kinds of medicine is recorded into the information recordable medium through the data communication between the control means and the information recordable medium of the medicine feeding container.
17 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 13 , wherein a dispensing history of the medicine in the medicine feeding container is recorded into the information recordable medium by the control means while the medicine feeding container is mounted on the container mounting part.
18 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 13 , wherein the characteristic container information includes a data on a usage history of the medicine feeding container, and
wherein, based on the data on the usage history, the control means judges whether the medicine feeding container reaches a durable term and/or a maintenance time.
19 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 13 , wherein another device provided separately accesses the information recordable medium and reads and writes a data from and into the information recordable medium.
20 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 13 , wherein medicines are sequentially dispensed based on a prescription data inputted to the control means,
wherein a plurality of the container mounting parts configured to mount the medicine feeding container are provided,
wherein the control means comprises:
a correspondence relationship storing part regulating and storing a correspondence relationship between the plurality of the container mounting parts and the medicine feeding container to be attached to the plurality of the container mounting parts; and
a judging part,
wherein the judging part is configured to perform an error judgment operation for judging the following states, by comparing the correspondence relation storing part and the characteristic data of the medicine feeding container obtained from the data communication with the information recordable medium of the medicine feeding container mounted on the container mounting part:
a right mount state where the medicine feeding container is properly mounted on the container mount part coinciding with the correspondence relationship regulated in the correspondence relationship storing part; and
an erroneous mount state where the medicine feeding container is erroneously mounted on the container mounting part against the correspondence relationship regulated in the correspondence relationship storing part,
wherein dispensing the medicines continues through other medicine feeding containers excluding a erroneously mounted medicine feeding container upon a condition that it is judged by the error judgment operation that there is the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container, and that a medicine accommodated in the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container is not a medicine to be dispensed according to the prescription data, and
wherein dispensing the medicines stops upon a condition that it is judged by the error judgment operation that there is the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container, and that a medicine accommodated in the erroneously mounted medicine feeding container is a medicine to be dispensed according to the prescription data.
21 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 20 , wherein the container mounting part configured to mount the medicine feeding container is disposed in each of a plurality of container mounting regions defined along a height direction,
wherein the correspondence relationship storing part regulate the correspondence relationship between the container mounting part and the medicine feeding container to be attached to the container mounting part as a relationship relative to the container mounting region located at a height corresponding to an upper attachment limit of a medicine feeding container that is determined according to the kinds of medicine,
wherein the erroneous mount state is judged through the error judgment operation when the medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mounting part of a container mounting region locating above a container mounting region located at the height corresponding to the upper attachment limit, and
wherein the right mount state is judged through the error judgment operation when the medicine feeding container is mounted on a container mounting part of a container mounting region located at a height equal to or lower than the upper attachment limit.
22 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 20 , wherein the control means is configured to perform a search operation for searching and selecting a container mounting part, on which the medicine feeding container judged to be in the erroneous mount state through the error judgment operation is mounted.
23 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 22 , wherein a search condition in the search operation is determined based on the characteristic data of the medicine feeding container obtained by the data communication with the information recordable medium, which the medicine feeding container judged to be in the erroneous mount state through the error judgment operation includes.
24 . The medicine dispensing device of claim 22 , wherein each of the container mounting parts is movable to an attachment/detachment work position where an attachment/detachment work of the medicine feeding container is performed, and
wherein the container mounting part selected through the search operation is moved to the attachment/detachment work position.