US 11,724,881 B2
Distribution and inventory system and methods of using the same
Matthew Chila, Doylestown, PA (US); Jonathan Addeo Syby, Manasquan, NJ (US); Allen Keith On, Flemington, NJ (US); David Mickle Wade, Boca Raton, FL (US); Matteo Josue Piedra, Gladstone, NJ (US); and Lewis Arthur Lau, Millington, NJ (US)
Assigned to Ethicon, Inc., Rartian, NJ (US)
Filed by Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ (US)
Filed on May 29, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/888,178.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/854,003, filed on May 29, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0377301 A1, Dec. 3, 2020
Int. Cl. B65G 1/137 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 1/1375 (2013.01) 35 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising:
an interface accessible from a plurality of client devices, the interface enabling one or more requests for types of medical products and a quantity for each type to be sent to a server for an identified medical procedure;
a dispenser comprising:
a plurality of inventory areas for types of medical products, where a type of medical product is storable in a respective area of the plurality of inventory areas;
a plurality of dispensing bins to receive and store dispensed medical products for scheduled medical procedures, respectively;
one or more readers configured to read an identifier on medical products or a box of medical products,
a first electronic storage device;
a first communication interface, and
a first processor,
the server comprising:
a second communication interface;
a second electronic storage device configured to store a database, the database comprising information on scheduled medical procedures, the information on scheduled medical procedures including requested types of medical products and quantity for each for the identified medical procedure and an identifier of a person who requested the types of medical products, an identifier of the respective scheduled medical procedure, the database further comprising an inventory for each type of medical products, the inventory including, for each type of medical product in the dispenser, the identifier of the medical product, an available quantity of the medical product and an expiration date;
a second processor configured to:
receive the one or more requests from one or more client devices;
update the database based on the one or more requests;
when a schedule for one or more scheduled medical procedures for a period of time is confirmed, the second processor is configured to cause the second communication interface to transmit to the dispenser the schedule having one or more pick lists for each of the one or more scheduled medical procedures for the period of time, the one or more pick lists for each of the one or more scheduled medical procedures for the period of time includes the identifier of the scheduled medical procedure and an identifier of each type of medical product and quantity of each to be dispensed, the schedule indicating a time of each of the one or more scheduled medical procedures,
wherein in response to receipt of the schedule with the one or more pick lists for each of the one or more scheduled medical procedures for the period of time, the first processor is configured to determine whether at least one of the plurality of dispensing bins for storing dispensed medical products is available and located in one of a plurality of dispensing areas, and in response to determining that at least one of the plurality of dispensing bins is available and located in one of the plurality of dispensing areas, the first processor is configured to cause, for an available bin, an automatic dispensing of the medical products for a pick list of the one or more pick lists for each of the one or more scheduled medical procedures included in the received schedule, the automatic dispensing comprises retrieving the medical products from the corresponding inventory areas and placing the medical products in the one of the plurality of dispensing bins in the dispensing area for the pick list.