IP Library Granted Patent US 12,640,246
Granted Patent B2
US 12,640,246 · App. 18/452,368 · Granted May 26, 2026

Pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support system, pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

Inventor: Akinobu Okuda (Nara, JP)
Assignee: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
G16H20/10G06Q10/087
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,640,246
App. No.
18/452,368
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support system includes a server, a pharmaceutical refrigerator, a first computer that sends to the server information about a first medicine, information about a first RFID tag attached to the first medicine, and information about a first pharmaceutical distribution institution, and a second computer that sends to the server information about a second medicine, information about a second RFID tag attached to the second medicine, and information about a second pharmaceutical distribution institution. The server manages a status of medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by identifying the first medicine as a medicine delivered by the first pharmaceutical distribution institution and identifying the second medicine as a medicine delivered by the second pharmaceutical distribution institution, based on information received from the pharmaceutical refrigerator, the first computer, and the second computer.

Claims (49)

1 . A pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support system comprising: a server;

a pharmaceutical refrigerator that is installed in a medical institution, obtains radio frequency identification (RFID) information from an RFID tag attached to stored medicine, and sends, in response to detecting that a sliding door of the pharmaceutical refrigerator has been slid, information about a status of the stored medicine to the server including the RFID information;

a first computer that sends to the server information about a first medicine, information about a first RFID tag attached to the first medicine, and information about a first pharmaceutical distribution institution that delivers the first medicine to the medical institution; and

a second computer that sends to the server information about a second medicine, information about a second RFID tag attached to the second medicine, and information about a second pharmaceutical distribution institution that delivers the second medicine to the medical institution,

wherein:

the server manages a status of medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by identifying the first medicine as a medicine delivered by the first pharmaceutical distribution institution and identifying the second medicine as a medicine delivered by the second pharmaceutical distribution institution,

the identifying the first medicine is performed by matching the RFID information with the information about the first RFID tag, which has been received prior to receiving the RFID information to be matched, and registering, to a database of the server, the RFID information as corresponding to the first pharmaceutical distribution institution if the RFID information matches the information about the first RFID tag, and

the identifying the second medicine is performed by matching the RFID information with the information about the second RFID tag, which has been received prior to receiving the RFID information to be matched, and registering, to the database of the server, the RFID information as corresponding to the second pharmaceutical distribution institution if the RFID information matches the information about the second RFID tag.

2 . The pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first printer that prints the information about the first RFID tag on a first label having the first RFID tag;

a first scanner that reads the information about the first medicine from the first medicine, and reads the information about the first RFID tag from the first label;

a second printer that prints the information about the second RFID tag on a second label having the second RFID tag; and

a second scanner that reads the information about the second medicine from the second medicine, and reads the information about the second RFID tag from the second label.

3 . The pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the server

sends information about a status of the first medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator to the first computer, and

sends information about a status of the second medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator to the second computer.

4 . The pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the server

obtains installer information indicating that an installer who has installed the pharmaceutical refrigerator is the first pharmaceutical distribution institution, and

manages the status of the medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by identifying the first medicine as a medicine delivered by the first pharmaceutical distribution institution, who is the installer, and identifying the second medicine as a medicine delivered by the second pharmaceutical distribution institution, who is not the installer, based on the RFID information received from the pharmaceutical refrigerator, the first computer, and the second computer, as well as the installer information.

5 . The pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support system according to claim 4 , wherein:

the server calculates a fee for operation of the pharmaceutical refrigerator to be borne by at least one of the first pharmaceutical distribution institution, the second pharmaceutical distribution institution, and the medical institution, based on the installer information, as well as a status of the first medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator and a status of the second medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator.

6 . A pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support method comprising:

sending, by a first computer to a server, information about a first medicine, information about a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to the first medicine, and information about a first pharmaceutical distribution institution that delivers the first medicine to a medical institution;

sending, by a second computer to the server, information about a second medicine, information about a second RFID tag attached to the second medicine, and information about a second pharmaceutical distribution institution that delivers the second medicine to the medical institution;

obtaining, by a pharmaceutical refrigerator installed in the medical institution, RFID information from an RFID tag attached to medicine stored in the pharmaceutical refrigerator;

sending, by the pharmaceutical refrigerator to the server, in response to detecting that a sliding door of the pharmaceutical refrigerator has been slid, the RFID information; and managing, by the server, a status of medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by identifying the first medicine as a medicine delivered by the first pharmaceutical distribution institution and identifying the second medicine as a medicine delivered by the second pharmaceutical distribution institution,

wherein:

the identifying the first medicine is performed by matching the RFID information with the information about the first RFID tag, which has been received prior to receiving the RFID information to be matched, and registering, to a database of the server, the RFID information as corresponding to the first pharmaceutical distribution institution if the RFID information matches the information about the first RFID tag, and

the identifying the second medicine is performed by matching the RFID information with the information about the second RFID tag, which has been received prior to receiving the RFID information to be matched, and registering, to the database of the server, the RFID information as corresponding to the second pharmaceutical distribution institution if the RFID information matches the information about the second RFID tag.

7 . The pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support method according to claim 6 , further comprising:

obtaining, by the server, installer information indicating that an installer who has installed the pharmaceutical refrigerator is the first pharmaceutical distribution institution,

wherein, in the managing the status of the medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by the server, the server manages the status of the medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by identifying the first medicine as a medicine delivered by the first pharmaceutical distribution institution, who is the installer, and identifying the second medicine as a medicine delivered by the second pharmaceutical distribution institution, who is not the installer, based on information received from the first computer, the second computer, and the pharmaceutical refrigerator, as well as the installer information.

8 . The pharmaceutical refrigerator operation support method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

calculating, by the server, a fee for operation of the pharmaceutical refrigerator to be borne by at least one of the first pharmaceutical distribution institution, the second pharmaceutical distribution institution, and the medical institution, based on the installer information, as well as a status of the first medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator and a status of the second medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program executed by a server communicably connected via a network to a pharmaceutical refrigerator that is installed in a medical institution and that stores medicine delivered by a first pharmaceutical distribution institution and a second pharmaceutical distribution institution, the computer program causing the server to execute:

receiving, from a first computer, information about a first medicine, information about a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag attached to the first medicine, and information about the first pharmaceutical distribution institution;

receiving, from a second computer, information about a second medicine, information about a second RFID tag attached to the second medicine, and information about the second pharmaceutical distribution institution;

receiving, from the pharmaceutical refrigerator, RFID information obtained from an RFID tag affixed to medicine stored in the pharmaceutical refrigerator, wherein the information is transmitted from the pharmaceutical refrigerator detecting that a sliding door of the pharmaceutical refrigerator has been slid; and

managing a status of medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by identifying the first medicine as a medicine delivered by the first pharmaceutical distribution institution and identifying the second medicine as a medicine delivered by the second pharmaceutical distribution institution, wherein:

the identifying the first medicine is performed by matching the RFID information with the information about the first RFID tag, which has been received prior to receiving the RFID information to be matched, and registering, to a database of the server, the RFID information as corresponding to the first pharmaceutical distribution institution if the RFID information matches the information about the first RFID tag, and

the identifying the second medicine is performed by matching the RFID information with the information about the second RFID tag, which has been received prior to receiving the RFID information to be matched, and registering, to the database of the server, the RFID information as corresponding to the second pharmaceutical distribution institution if the RFID information matches the information about the second RFID tag.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the computer program causes the server to further execute:

obtaining installer information indicating that an installer who has installed the pharmaceutical refrigerator is the first pharmaceutical distribution institution,

wherein, in the managing the status of the medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by the server, the server is caused to execute managing the status of the medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator by identifying the first medicine as a medicine delivered by the first pharmaceutical distribution institution, who is the installer, and identifying the second medicine as a medicine delivered by the second pharmaceutical distribution institution, who is not the installer, based on the RFID information received from the first computer, the second computer, and the pharmaceutical refrigerator, as well as the installer information.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10 , wherein the computer program causes the server to further execute:

calculating a fee for operation of the pharmaceutical refrigerator to be borne by at least one of the first pharmaceutical distribution institution, the second pharmaceutical distribution

institution, and the medical institution based on the installer information, as well as a status of the first medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator and a status of the second medicine in the pharmaceutical refrigerator.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
To: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069618/0382 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2023
From: OKUDA, AKINOBU
To: PHC HOLDINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064638/0932 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-031797 · Mar 1, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2022004475 · Feb 4, 2022
Related Publication 20230395226A1 · Dec 7, 2023
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