JPH0472205A - Sub-stocker on pharmacy system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automate temporary storing by providing the front sides of reserve shelves with a lift carrying means carrying prescribed medicine from an input port to the reserve shelves, and also providing the rear side of the reserve shelves with a lift carrying means carrying the prescribed medicine from the reserve shelves to a delivery port with respect to the reserve shelves on plural floors each of which is furnished with a horizontal carrying means. CONSTITUTION:Each medicine which has been prescribed is inputted into an input device 30 through the input port 11 of a stocker 1 together with its prescription. And when a lifting device 30 is driven with a code number inputted, which is indicated by the prescription, an appropriate empty reserve shelf 21 is searched in accordance with a specified procedure, so that the input device 30 is thereby moved to each applicable reserve shelf 21. In the second place, prescribed medicine is forwarded onto each specified reserve shelf 21 with both of the carrying belt (not shown) of the input device 30 and the carrying belt (not shown) of the reserve shelf 21 driven. This thereby enables the medicine to be stocked. And when a delivery command is outputted in accordance with a specified procedure, a carrying device 40 is similarly lifted/lowered, medicine is thereby received from a reserve shelf 21 so as to be delivered.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application: The present invention relates to a sub-stocker for prepared medicines that is incorporated into a system that automatically processes the work of dispensing medicines for a large number of patients in hospitals, etc. Regarding.

Background of the Invention: Recently, pharmacies in relatively large hospitals administer a large amount of medication to patients, and there are many different types of medications. There is a trend towards automating these tasks.

However, due to the nature of the work, it is difficult to automate everything, and of course the work of preparing the required medicine according to the prescription must be done manually. Therefore, when systemizing the dispensing work, it is difficult to automate everything. In many cases, the medicines handled are processed separately, such as powders, tablets, and capsules, as well as liquid medicines and patch medicines.When a combination of these forms needs to be prepared, each is handled in separate departments. The drug will be dispensed according to the prescription. Therefore, if the medicines prepared in each department are directly sent to the transport line as they are, checking with prescriptions and auditing will become extremely complicated, impairing the functionality of the system. In order to process this efficiently, a standby mechanism and a device for sending the product from the standby mechanism to the conveyance line are required.

Problem to be solved: From this point of view, when building a dispensing system, when drugs prepared in each dispensing department are on standby before being sent to the transport line, a transport system that accepts them at will and moves them along the transport line. It is thought that the operation of the dispensing system can be streamlined by making it possible to dispense the required preparation rings into the box.

In the present invention, a device is installed in each dispensing department so that the medicine prepared in that department can be kept on standby until instructions for transport are given, and the required preparation ring can be easily sent out. The purpose is a vertical stocker.

Means for Solving the Problems: The present invention has a vertically elongated box-shaped main body, and each shelf supporting surface arranged in multiple stages at a predetermined interval within the main body is movable on a plane. a waiting shelf, and a lifting unit that moves up and down from an input port provided in the main body along a guide rail to a shelf at a desired position on one side of the waiting shelf, and transfers the loaded preparation ring to the shelf. and an elevating unit that ascends and descends along a guide rail from a shelf at a desired position on the opposite side of the standby shelf from where the loading device is installed, and receives and carries out the preparation ring from the shelf. a sub-stocker of the preparation ring, each operating part being configured to operate individually under the control of a control mechanism, and at least the outlet side being connected to the conveyor line; be.

In the standby shelf of the present invention, various supporting surfaces are configured with endless belts that can move in the depth direction of the shelf,
It is desirable that the endless belt be provided with independently driven drives so that the endless belt can move only from the receiving side to the unloading side.

In addition, the lifting units for both loading and unloading devices are mounted on carriers that automatically move up and down along guide rails inside the main body.
Each of the standby shelves is equipped with a receiving stand that is separated when going up and down and close to when receiving and dispensing drugs, and the holding stand is equipped with a belt that moves forward or backward with respect to the shelf and a drive mechanism thereof. It is desirable to have one.

In addition, it is desirable to attach a shutter to the input port of the main body to prevent the operation of loading the preparation ring from being performed while the lifting unit of the loading device is in operation.The present invention has such a configuration. However, this is installed in each dispensing department of the dispensing system, and after dispensing is performed according to the instructions based on the prescription and audited, the instructions and the preparation ring are moved up and down from the input port of the stocker to the waiting input device. Once supplied to the unit, the lifting unit moves to an empty standby shelf in a preset operating order, and connects the shelf with, for example, an endless belt that forms the support surface of the lifting unit. The preparation ring mounted on the support surface is transferred onto the shelf with the level aligned. When this operation is completed, it returns to the input slot position and waits until the next operation. In addition, in order for the preparation ring received in the standby shelf to be carried out in response to instructions from the command unit, the lifting unit of the carrying out device must be raised and lowered to the relevant takeout shelf position and aligned, and then the support surface of the shelf must be moved up and down. The medicine is driven to send out and transfer the prepared medicine onto the lifting unit, and the received lifting unit moves to the exit.
The prescribed medicine is carried out from the carry-out port into a waiting transport box. In addition, when each elevating unit moves to the desired shelf position, for example, the support stand on the carrier is raised and lowered with a gap that does not come into contact with the shelf, and when receiving and receiving prepared medicines,
The support stand on the carrier can be moved laterally so as to approach the shelf, so that the loaded preparation medicine can be reliably transferred.

In addition, a shutter is installed on the input port of the main unit to prevent loading while the lifting unit of the loading device is operating and when there are no empty shelves on the waiting shelf, to prevent danger and prevent malfunction of the device. can be prevented.

A pair of stoppers is provided on the exit side of the stocker body to prevent the transport boxes moving on the conveyor line from moving to the receiving position from the exit until they are ready to receive the prescribed drug. A pair of stoppers can be operated alternately to control the conveyor line.

Furthermore, if an electric control mechanism is attached to the main body of the stocker of the present invention and an interface for connection with the main control unit is provided here, casters can be attached to the main body so that it can be moved when changing the working arrangement. It can also be done easily.

Effects of the Invention: According to the stocker of the present invention, the elevating unit of the loading device and the elevating unit of the unloading device, which are disposed before and after the standby shelf and can be raised and lowered, store the preparation drug on the desired shelf according to the command. At the same time, it is possible to receive preparation medicines waiting from a designated shelf and send them sequentially to the conveyance line.
Both loading and unloading units whose receiving surfaces move and move up and down during the delivery of these handled and prepared medicines, as well as the various receiving surfaces that make up the standby shelves, move from the loading receiving side to the carrying out side at the required positions. Since it is possible to transfer standby preparation medicines, it can be handled smoothly regardless of its form, and it can be incorporated into the dispensing system and adjusted effectively as a stocker attached to various dispensing departments. Medicines can be processed.

Embodiment: Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

What is shown in FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a part of the stocker 1 of the present invention as seen through. A standby shelf 20 is provided with a large number of shelves 21 arranged at intervals of
30 and, on the other hand, a carry-out device 40 for carrying out dispensed medicines from the standby shelf 20 to a carry-out port (described later), which can be raised and lowered.

Inside the main body 10, a space is formed in the vertical direction where the loading device 30 and the unloading device 40 are installed, so that objects to be processed (prepared medicines) can be taken in and out of the standby shelf 20 in the center from both sides. It has become. Also, main body 1
An input port 11 is provided at an intermediate position on the side where the input device 30 is installed, and an output port 12 is provided at an intermediate position on the side where the output device 40 is installed. Note that casters 13 are attached to the lower part to enable movement.

The waiting shelves 20 are formed into shelves 21 or units constituting the standby shelves 20, and are spaced at a required interval (preferably set within a range that allows for smooth entry and exit of articles placed on the shelves in accordance with the bulk of the articles to be handled). A large number of them are attached to the main body 10 either directly or via separate struts. Various types 21
The unit (shelf unit) 22 is, as shown in FIG.
The roll 26 is driven by a small deceleration motor 25 mounted on the roller 4 via one roll 26 on which an endless belt 23 is stretched. 26' is the other driven roll;
27 is an article guide. Note that the deceleration motor 25
is configured to start and stop in response to external instruction signals.

Both the loading device 30 and the unloading device 40 have the same configuration, so one of them will be explained (the same parts on the unloading device side are indicated by a digit 40). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, along a pair of guide rails 31.31° that are arranged vertically facing each other inside the main body 10, a part of the guide rails 31 is A rack gear 32 provided thereon and a pinion 35 serving as a drive unit are engaged with each other, so that the elevating unit 33 can be moved up and down.

As described above, the elevating unit 33 includes a carrier 34 in which a drive mechanism 36 including a deceleration motor 36' that drives a binion 35 that meshes with a rack gear 32 attached to a guide rail 31 is disposed at the lower part, and a carrier 34 on the carrier 34. and a support stand 37 supported movably in relation to the standby shelf 20. The support stand 37 is moved between a normal lifting position and a position close to the end of the shelf 21 by a guide rail 38, 38' mounted on the carrier 34 and a drive mechanism 38 (for example, a linear drive machine). It is attached to moving bodies 38a, 38b on guide rails 38, 38'. An endless belt 37'' constituting a support surface on the support frame 37' is wound around two rolls 37a and 37b, and the belt 37 is attached to the support frame 37' on one of the rolls 37a. A driving force is applied from the deceleration motor 37II+, so that the upper surface moves toward the shelf 21 (from the shelf 21 side to the outlet 12 side in the unloading device 40). Three guide plates are attached to the top to prevent the loaded preparations from protruding toward the guide rail.

A sensor 34a for detecting the position of each shelf and a sensor 34b for detecting the advance/retreat position of the support stand 37 are attached to the carrier 34 of each elevating unit 33 or 43. Belt 3 of support stand 37
7” driving operations are performed.

The standby position of the lifting unit 33 in the loading device 30 is
The support stand 37 is adapted to stop at the lower end of the input port 11 of the main body 10 or at a position slightly below it.

When the elevating unit 43 in the carrying out device 40 stops for carrying out
2. The position is controlled to be above the lower end.

Directly below the exit 12 on the outside of the main body 10, there is an exit chute 1.
5 is attached, and stoppers 16.
A pair of 16" protrudes, and both stoppers 16.1
6' are designed to go in and out alternately. Furthermore, a shutter 17 is attached to the input port 11 on the outside of the main body 10, as shown in FIG. The shutter 17 is raised and lowered by a shutter drive mechanism 18 provided on the upper part of the main body 10 by a chino 18' that is stretched vertically to open and close the input port 11. 18a is an upper drive shaft, 18b is a lower driven shaft, 1811 is a motor, and 18c is a clutch for manually opening and closing the shutter.

The stocker 1 configured in this manner is installed in each dispensing department of a dispensing system as shown in FIG. E. In the dispensing department F) for special drugs such as poultices and ointments, one person is assigned to each dispensing division.
Each unit will be installed along 50 conveyor lines.

In each dispensing department, the medicines dispensed according to the instructions are placed in a pouch or the like or bundled depending on the form, and are thrown in together with the instructions by opening the shutter 17 of the input slot 11. The shutter 17 is normally opened and closed electrically, and is driven by a motor 18m of a drive section. The loading device 30 inside the main body 10 with the shutter 17 open
The lifting unit 33 is in a standby position. This input port 11
When injecting the drug prepared from
For example, enter the information using a keypad, barcode reader, etc., and then
Then, close the input port 11 with the shutter 17. With this operation, the deceleration motor 36 of the drive mechanism 36 mounted on the lifting unit 33 of the loading device 30 is instructed to start.
Move up and down to the shelf 21 position at the required address.

When the lifting unit 33 moves to the required position, the support stand 3
7 stops at a level where the support surface 21' of the shelf 21 almost coincides with each other, and then the back and forth drive mechanism 38 on the carrier 34 of the lifting unit 33 operates to move the support stand 37 toward the shelf 21. Move horizontally by a certain amount. In this way, the support stand 37 is attached to the shelf 2.
1, the belt 37'' of the support stand 37 is driven and the loaded drug (prepared medicine) is transferred to the support stand 37.
It is transferred to the support surface 21' of the shelf 21 from above. When the transfer is completed, the support table 37 stops driving the belt 37 and retreats to its original position, returns to a state where it does not come into contact with the standby shelf 20, and moves up and down to the standby position of the input port 11. returned,
Wait for the next input. Thereafter, such operations are repeated, and when all the standby shelves 20 are filled, the loading operation stops and loading is not possible until the next empty shelf occurs. Note that while the elevating unit 33 is moving up and down to transfer to the shelf 21, the drive section of the shutter 17 is electrically locked.

The unloading device 'N40 is activated by a command signal from the command section, and is driven up and down to the shelf position of the address where the command is received, and when it reaches a predetermined position, it moves the support base 47 of the lifting unit 43 laterally. In this state, the endless belt 23 of the shelf unit 22 constituting the shelf 21 is driven by its drive deceleration motor 25, and the prepared medicine on the support surface 21'', which is the upper surface of the endless belt 23, is transferred to the delivery device. 40 and transferred onto the support stand 47.

When the prepared medicine is transferred, the drive of the endless belt 23 of the shelf unit 22 is stopped, and from now on, the support stand 47 is reversely operated to move away from the shelf 21. Thereafter, the elevating unit 43 moves up and down to the exit 12 position, and then the support stand 47 is moved to the exit 12 side so that the gap between the inner wall of the main body 10 and the inner wall of the main body 10 is minimized so that the loaded items are reliably sent out from the exit 12. The drug is moved laterally to the position, and the belt 47 is driven to throw the transferred prepared medicine from the outlet 12 through the chute 15 into the transport box 51 waiting on the conveyor 50.

Thereafter, the receiving stand 47 is returned to the position 1 when raised and lowered, and in response to the next command, it is moved to the shelf position at the desired address, and a new prepared medicine is received and carried out in the same manner as described above.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an overall perspective view showing a part of the stacker of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the waiting shelf, and Fig. 3 is a partially exploded view of the elevating unit of both loading and unloading devices. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the main parts of the entire device, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the shutter attached to the input port, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the stacker installation mode, and FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are diagrams showing how it is used. 1... Stocker 10... Main body 11...
・Input port 12...Export port 15...Export chute 16.16°...Stopper 17...
Shutter 18... Shutter drive mechanism 20
... Standby shelf 21 ... Shelf 22 ... Shelf unit 21' ... Shelf support surface 23 ... Endless belt 24 ... Support body 25 ... Deceleration motor 26 ... Drive roll 26°...Followed roll 27...Article guide 30...Insertion device
31.31'... Guide rail 32... Rack gear 33... Lifting unit of loading device 34... Carriage of loading device 35... Binion 36
...Drive mechanism 36'...Deceleration motor 37
... Support stand of loading device 37゛ ... Support stand frame 37'', 47''... Belt 39... Guide plate 40... Unloading device 43... Lifting unit of unloading device

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A standby device having a vertically elongated box-shaped main body and shelf support surfaces arranged in multiple stages at required intervals within the main body so as to be movable on a flat surface. A loading device comprising a shelf and an elevating unit that moves up and down from an inlet provided in the main body along a guide rail on one side of the standby shelf to a shelf at a desired position and transfers the loaded prepared medicine to the shelf. and a carry-out device equipped with an elevating unit that moves up and down along a guide rail from a shelf at a desired position on the opposite side of the loading device installation part of the standby shelf to the carry-out port of the main body, and receives and carries out the prepared medicine from the shelf. A sub-stocker in a dispensing system, characterized in that each operating part is controlled by a control mechanism to operate individually, and at least the outlet side is connected to a conveyor line. . 2 The standby shelf is composed of an endless belt that can move the support surface of each shelf in the depth direction of the shelf, and each drive is driven independently so that the endless belt can move only from the receiving side to the unloading side. The sub-stocker in the dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the sub-stocker has a unit structure with a machine. 3. The lifting and lowering units of both the loading and unloading devices are on carriers that automatically move up and down along guide rails inside the main body, and are separated from each shelf of the standby shelf when going up and down, and are close to each other when receiving and discharging medicines. 2. The sub-stocker in the dispensing system according to claim 1, further comprising a support stand which is equipped with a belt that moves forward or backward relative to the shelf and a drive mechanism therefor.