Innovation Associates, Inc.

Other

Todd Edward Bower

Joseph H Boyer

Mark D Jones

James G McGonigal

Timothy William Limer

James P Boyer

William S Bennett

Wayne David Klossner

Bruce Edward Holtje

Thomas J Donovan

David Timothy Royce

Alecia K Lashier

Fletcher Chapin, Jr

Fletcher A Chapin

Yan L Liang

John P Boyer

Mary Reno

Mark Andrew Fisher

Thomas P Boyer

Doyle M Jensen

Michael J Hostetler

A system, method, and apparatus for the routing of totes and bottles within a pharmacy fulfillment center are disclosed. The system, method, and apparatus are configured to transmit routing tables from an application server to station controllers (e.g., PLCs) to enable each station to locally make a routing decision. Since the routing logic is locally stored at each station, the controllers do not need to transmit request messages to the server every time a tote or bottle is scanned. The system, method, and apparatus increase conveyor throughput by enabling each station to make a routing decision without having to wait for a response from a server.

Routing of totes and bottles within a pharmacy conveyor system

A novel puck and cover assembly and method for retaining the contents of a container, such as a prescription bottle, during processing and order-filling operations. The puck and cover assembly allows access to the opening of a container when required to perform operations, and automatically returns to cover the opening of a container when operations are completed, to prevent loss of any container contents.

Method and apparatus for retaining contents in a conveyed container

A low profile, color-based counting system. A housing has a light source, such as a matrix of LEDs, preferably disposed in the housing for generating electromagnetic radiation upwardly. A removable, translucent tray is disposed above the light source. A second light source can be added above the tray, directing light downwardly thereto. A color camera is mounted on the housing and above the removable translucent tray.

Low profile color-based counting system

There is provided an automated prescription filling system using a robotic arm in combination with an automatic pharmaceutical dispenser having a plurality of individual pill-counting units, each under the control of its own microprocessor. The automatic pharmaceutical dispensers are modified for use with the robotic arm. Because tablet counting is completely independent of the robotic arm, system throughput is higher than in systems of the prior art. Unlike systems of the prior art, each individual pill-counting unit can be removed from behind the pharmaceutical dispenser so that the system need not be stopped for such service. The fact that counting operations are divorced from robotic arm movements allows the arm movements to be optimized and multiple prescriptions to be processed simultaneously. Controller software optimizes movement of the robotic arm based upon such factors as the fullness of the vial being transported.

Robotic arm and method for using with an automatic pharmaceutical dispenser

Growing community of inventors

Endicott, NY, United States of America

Todd Edward Bower