High-Speed Container Filling with Reduced Cross-Contamination

Abstract

A medical dispensing system with dispensing and pathway components, each of which of a plurality of dispensers and pathways, respectively. The dispensing and pathway components are controlled to minimize contamination between the items being dispensed. Both the dispensing and pathway components have arcs around which the dispensers and pathways are arranged.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical dispensing system comprising:
 a filling area where a plurality of medications are dispensed;   a conveyer that moves a plurality of containers, including a first container;   a dispensing component comprising a plurality of dispensers that include a first dispenser containing a first medication of the plurality of medications, the dispensing component being rotatable to selectively position the first dispenser in the filling area, the first dispenser dispensing the first medication as a result of the first dispenser and the first container being located in the filling area;   a containment structure; and   a contamination area interior to the containment structure, the contamination area including the filling area and a portion of the dispensing component, and another portion of the dispensing component is external to the contamination area.   
     
     
         2 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 1 , the first dispenser, as a result of the first dispenser being located outside of the filling area, being configured to prevent dispensing the first medication. 
     
     
         3 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispensing component is circular and the plurality of dispensers are disposed along a periphery of the dispensing component. 
     
     
         4 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 3 , the first dispenser, as a result of the first dispenser being located outside the filling area, being configured to prevent dispensing the first medication. 
     
     
         5 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 4 , wherein a top surface of the dispensing component is coplanar with a top surface of the plurality of dispensers. 
     
     
         6 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 1 , wherein the dispensing component is circular and the plurality of dispensers are located circumferentially around the dispensing component. 
     
     
         7 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 6 , wherein a top surface of the dispensing component is coplanar with a top surface of the plurality of dispensers. 
     
     
         8 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 1 , the containment area having a negative air pressure relative to ambient air external to the containment structure. 
     
     
         9 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 8 , wherein the dispensing component is circular and the plurality of dispensers are located circumferentially around the dispensing component. 
     
     
         10 . A medical dispensing system comprising:
 a filling area where a plurality of medications are dispensed;   a dispensing component comprising a plurality of dispensers that include a first dispenser that contains a first medication of the plurality of medications, the dispensing component being rotatable to selectively position the first dispenser in the filling area, the first dispenser dispensing the first medication as a result of the first dispenser being located in the filling area;   a containment structure; and   a contamination area interior to the containment structure, the contamination area including the filling area and a portion of the dispensing component, and another portion of the dispensing component is external to the contamination area.   
     
     
         11 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 10 , the dispensing component comprising a dispenser holding position outside the filling area. 
     
     
         12 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 10 , the first dispenser, as a result of the first dispenser being located outside of the filling area, being configured to prevent dispensing the first medication. 
     
     
         13 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 10 , the containment area having a negative air pressure relative to ambient air external to the containment structure. 
     
     
         14 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 10 , wherein a top surface of the dispensing component is coplanar with a top surface of the plurality of dispensers. 
     
     
         15 . The medical dispensing system of  claim 14 , the containment area having a negative air pressure relative to ambient air external to the containment structure. 
     
     
         16 . A method of using a medical dispensing system comprising:
 receive a request to dispense a first medication of a plurality of medications;   as a result of receiving the request, adjusting a dispensing component, the dispensing component comprising a plurality of dispensers that include a first dispenser containing the first medication, wherein adjusting the dispensing component comprises moving the first dispenser to a filling area; and   as a result of the first dispenser being located in the filling area, dispensing the first medication from the first dispenser into a first container;   wherein the medical dispensing system includes a containment structure and a contamination area interior to the containment structure, the contamination area including the filling area and a portion of the dispensing component, and another portion of the dispensing component is external to the contamination area.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , the containment area having a negative air pressure relative to ambient air external to the containment structure. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , the plurality of dispensers being rotatable into and out of a contamination area as the dispensing component rotates. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the dispensing component is circular and the plurality of dispensers are circumferentially disposed around the dispensing component. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the plurality of dispensers are disposed along a periphery of the dispensing component.