Secure portable pill canister for order fulfillment
One aspect of this disclosure provides a medication fulfillment canister. In one embodiment, the canister comprises a bottom section having a tray portion for receiving a medication therein. An upper dispensing compartment is located over a rearward end of the bottom section that is removably attached to the bottom section. A lower edge of the upper dispensing compartment is located above the bottom section to form an opening therebetween to allow a medication to pass therethrough and into the tray portion. A tray lid is removably attached to the canister and configured to cover the tray portion and rotate between an open position and a closed position. A lock is located within a wall of the bottom section that locks the tray lid in the closed position.
1. A medication fulfillment canister, comprising:
a bottom section having a tray portion for receiving a medication therein, said tray portion including a front tray portion and a rearward end;
an upper dispensing compartment slidably engaged with and removably attached to said bottom section and located over at least said rearward end, said upper dispensing compartment having a front end, a rear end, and an opening proximate said front end for allowing a medication to pass therethrough and into said tray portion;
a tray lid removably attached to said tray portion and adjacent said upper dispensing compartment, said tray lid configured to rotate between an open position and a closed position, wherein said tray lid in said closed position prevents forward movement of said upper dispensing compartment; and
a lock located within a wall of said bottom section that locks said tray lid in said closed position.
2. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 , wherein said tray portion is translucent to allow light to pass therethrough.
3. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 , wherein said tray lid includes one or more lifting surfaces configured to provide a surface whereby a robotic arm can engage and move said tray lid to said open position.
4. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 3 , wherein said one or more lifting surfaces are a pair of cantilevered lifting arms that extend over said tray lid and are located on opposing sides of said tray lid.
5. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 , wherein said bottom section includes one or more notches configured to receive a corresponding post formed in said upper dispensing compartment.
6. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 5 , wherein said one or more notches and said post are located on one or opposing sides of said bottom section and said upper dispensing compartment, respectively.
7. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 further comprising a pick-up port located in an inner ledge of said bottom section.
8. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 7 , wherein said tray lid includes a pick-up tip opening located in a front edge of said tray lid that exposes said pick-up port when said tray lid is in said closed position.
9. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 8 further comprising a pick-up tip seated in said pick-up port.
10. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 9 wherein said pick-up tip has a “T-shaped” cross-section such that an outer perimeter of an upper end of said pick-up tip is larger than a lower end of said pick-up tip, said “T-shaped” cross-section.
11. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 10 wherein said “T-shaped” cross-section has a configuration that allows it to pick-up a predetermined type of medication.
12. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 10 wherein said pick-up tip further has a hollow suction tube having a channel extending from said upper end to said lower end of said pick-up tip.
13. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 , wherein said lock comprises is a pneumatically actuated lock that includes a pneumatic chamber and an injection port pneumatically coupled to said pneumatic chamber.
14. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said upper dispensing compartment and said tray lid include identification data that identifies a type of medication located within said upper dispensing compartment and allows a fulfillment systems controller to identify and track said canister through stages of a fulfillment process.
15. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 , further comprising a feeding gate that is removably attached to said bottom section, said feeding gate reducing a size of said opening to control.
16. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 further comprising a mounting rail located on at least one side of said dispensing compartment.
17. The medication fulfillment canister of claim 1 further comprising a pick space located on an underside of said bottom section configured to receive tines of a robotic arm therein.