Medical item dispensing apparatus
US6163737A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 1996 |
| Grant date | Dec 19, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 14, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG07F17/0092
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A medical item dispensing apparatus includes a dispenser (100) which encloses a plurality of magazines (168). Each magazine holds a plurality of medical items (170) which in the preferred form of the invention are cylindrical containers. Each magazine includes an opening (180). A guide (182) and a front gate member (194) are positioned adjacent to the opening. A back gate member (200) is positioned further inward from the opening than the front gate member. The front gate member and back gate member are moved in coordinated relation so that the front gate member enables a medical item adjacent the opening to pass through the opening while the back gate member moves to prevent the other medical items in the magazine from moving toward the opening. After the dispense of the medical item from the magazine the front gate member moves to block the passage of further medical items through the opening while the back gate member moves to enable medical items to move toward the opening. The magazines dispense medical items from the dispenser responsive to a user terminal (102). The user terminal is operatively connected to a computer (84) which includes a data store which maintains data rep…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.