US20130264922A1

US20130264922A1 - Dispensing System for Traditional Chinese Medicines

Info

Publication number: US20130264922A1
Application number: US13/880,505
Authority: US
Inventors: Adrian Wai Ming Lim; Yu Ling Abraham Chan
Original assignee: Purapharm International HK Ltd
Current assignee: Purapharm International HK Ltd
Priority date: 2010-10-21
Filing date: 2010-10-21
Publication date: 2013-10-10
Also published as: AU2010362602B2; WO2012051740A8; WO2012051740A1; AU2010362602A1

Abstract

A dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicine comprising an independent medicine dispensing unit including a framework and an operating table. The framework includes: a back plate having semi-cylindrical inner and outer surfaces; and a plurality of horizontal arc shelves connected to the semi-cylindrical inner surface of the back plate. The operating table has a generally semi-circular horizontal plate member for the pharmacist to perform corresponding operations thereon. The shelves are designed such that, for the shelves with vertical distances from the plate member of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the inner edges of these shelves become gradually closer to the central axis of the back plate, as the respective heights of the shelves increase.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicines.

BACKGROUND OF THE ART

In conventional pharmacies for Chinese traditional medicines, a dosaging operation usually involves many steps such as taking a medicine bottle, weighing, mixing, packaging and so on. The pharmacists usually share a common working room. Due to factors such as different positions of the medicine bottles, pharmacists' different habits of placing the medicine bottles, a management property of working positions/stations is poor. Thus, during the dosaging operation, a pharmacist usually is required to look for bottles taken by the other pharmacists, and thus has to move a relatively long distance. On the other hand, due to the disordered placement of the medicine bottles, pharmacists have to be well adapted the environment before working efficiently. Furthermore, various apparatuses have a random layout due to lacking suitable cabinets therefor. Accordingly, the management of operations of the pharmacy becomes difficult and such a pharmacy will give a bad impression. On the other hand, due to lacking a consideration of “ergonomics”, some cabinets are too high or too low, so that the pharmacists cannot easily access the medicine bottles or have to keep an uncomfortable posture. Additionally, managers of many pharmacies do not realize the necessity of an apparatus of suppressing dusts and controlling humidity, and thus no room is reserved for mounting such an apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

An objection of the present disclosure is to provide a dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicines, which may comprise a plurality of identical independent medicine dispensing units and improve management of working places, reduce workloads of the pharmacists, and improve working efficiency.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicine, said system comprising an independent medicine dispensing unit including a framework for putting medicine bottles thereon and an operating table on which a pharmacist may perform corresponding operations, the framework including: a back plate having an inner surface and an outer surface which are semi-cylindrical, vertically oriented, and concentric; and a plurality of horizontal arc shelves which are connected to the semi-cylindrical inner surface of the back plate and support the medicine bottles thereon; each of the horizontal arc shelves having a radially inner edge and a radially outer edge which are centered on a central axis of the semi-cylindrical inner surface and outer surface of the back plate; the operating table having a generally semi-circular horizontal plate member for the pharmacist to perform corresponding operations thereon, the plate member being positioned below the framework; when viewed from a top view, the plate member having its semi-circular contour or border generally coincided with a vertical projection of the cylindrical outer surface of the back plate, and the plate member having a center which is substantially on the central axis of the cylindrical outer surface of the back plate; the shelves are designed such that, for the shelves with vertical distances from the plate member of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the inner edges of these shelves become gradually closer to the central axis of the back plate, as the respective heights of the shelves increase.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, said predetermined value is in a range of 0 cm to 50 cm.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, for the shelves with vertical distances from the plate member of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the distances of inner edges of these shelves from a predetermined point on the central axis are substantially identical, or increased along an inclined straight locus, or increased along a parabola locus, and a distance of the predetermined point from the plate member equals to the predetermined value.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the distances of inner edges of the respective shelves from the predetermined point on the central axis are in a range of 0.4 m to 1.2 m.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a distance of an uppermost shelf from the ground is not more than 1.9 m.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a distance of the plate member of the operating table from the ground is in a range of 0.6 m to 1.2 m.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, each shelve is formed at its inner edge with a stepped portion rising upwards by a predetermined height, so as to avoid occasional drops of the medicine bottles from the shelves.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, each shelf is provided with a plurality of recesses to receive the medicine bottles therein.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shelves are connected to the back plate via welding, screw connections, adhering or snap fitting.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plate member of the operating table is embedded therein with a weighing assembly having a weighing surface.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the weighing surface has a shape of a crescent which is generally centered on the center of the plate member of the operating table.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the weighing assembly includes: a meshed screen which has a honeycomb-like structure and defines the weighing surface; a support for supporting the meshed screen which is positioned below the screen and has an openworks body for supporting the screen thereon; and an electronic weighing element below said support.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the weighing surface of the weighing assembly is slightly lower than a top surface of the plate member of the operating table.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a collecting member is arranged below the support of the weighing assembly which provides a collecting chamber.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a dust removing system is operatively connected to the collecting chamber.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dust removing system is designed to operate simultaneously with the weighing assembly, so that the dust removing system will be automatically activated to perform a dust removing operation once the weighing assembly is powered on to perform a weighing operation.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dust removing system includes: a housing having an openable side and a gas outlet arranged in either side wall, the housing having its top surface concaved so as to form the collecting chamber within which an inlet are formed; a dust suction pipe arranged within the housing and having an end connected to the inlet; a dust removing pump arranged within the housing and having a first end connected to the other end of the dust suction pipe; a perforated or air-permeable bag with a filtering function which has a single opening connected to a second end of the dust suction pump opposite to the first end.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dust removing system includes: a housing comprising an openable side wall, a gas outlet provided in either side wall and an opening provided in either side wall for passage of a dust suction pipe; the dust suction pipe arranged within the housing and having an end connected to the collecting chamber through the opening; a dust suction pump arranged within the housing and having a first end connected to the other end of the dust suction pipe; a perforated or air-permeable bag with a filtering function which has a single opening connected to a second end of the dust suction pump opposite to the first end.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing is provided with sound damping materials on its inner side surface.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the plate member of the operating table is formed of tempered glass
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the shelves are made of a metal sheet.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dispensing system further comprises an upright cabinet with drawers in side walls which may be drawn out or pushed in as needed, thereby optimizing the using of the space.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the dispensing system further comprises any of the following modules: a dishwasher module, a waste receiving module, a packing module, and a window for receiving prescriptions/delivering medicines.
The technical effect of the dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicines is in that it can improve a management property of working places, reduce workloads of the pharmacists, and improve working efficiency.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A to 1C are respectively schematic front view, top view and perspective views of a dispensing system of Chinese traditional medicine including an independent medicine dispensing unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1D is an enlarged view of detail E in FIG. 1C.

FIGS. 2A to 2G are schematic views illustrating several exemplary embodiments of the dispensing system of Chinese traditional medicine including an independent medicine dispensing unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the independent medicine dispensing unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the shelves of the independent medicine dispensing unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged view of the independent medicine dispensing unit especially showing a weighing assembly

FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded view of the weighing assembly which incorporates a dust removing assembly.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are respectively perspective views of two embodiments of the dust removing assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Now the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIGS. 1A to 1C schematically illustrate a dispensing system of Chinese traditional medicine 100 including an independent medicine dispensing unit according to the present disclosure. FIG. 1D is an enlarged view of detail E in FIG. 1C. The dispensing system 100 is composed of a plurality of units or modules which in the embodiment as shown may include an upright cabinet with drawers B1, an independent medicine dispensing unit B2, dishwasher and waste receiving module B3, dehumidifying module B4 and packing module B5. These modules may include some other modules not illustrated, such as a window for receiving prescriptions/delivering medicines. An optimal layout of these modules may be designed according to actual applications, so as to obtain an optimal working efficiency. FIGS. 2A to 2G are schematic views illustrating several exemplary layouts of the dispensing system.
Now the independent medicine dispensing unit B2 will be described in details.
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the independent medicine dispensing unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The independent medicine dispensing unit B2 includes a framework 1 for putting medicine bottles thereon and an operating table 2 on which a pharmacist may perform corresponding operations.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 1C, the framework 1 includes: a back plate 12 having an inner surface 121 and an outer surface 122 which are semi-cylindrical, vertically oriented, and concentric; and a plurality of horizontal arc shelves 11 which are connected to the semi-cylindrical inner surface 121 of the back plate and support the medicine bottles thereon. Each of the horizontal arc shelves 11 has a radially inner edge 111 and a radially outer edge 112 (see FIG. 1D) which are centered on a central axis C12 of the semi-cylindrical inner surface and outer surface of the back plate. Optionally, the framework 1 may comprise a supporting member 13 for providing a support which is connected to the back plate 12 and e.g. shaped as a plate.
The operating table 2 has a generally semi-circular horizontal plate member 21 for the pharmacist to perform corresponding operations thereon. The plate member 21 is positioned below the framework 1. When viewed from the top view (e.g., FIG. 1B), the plate member has its semi-circular contour or border generally coincided with a vertical projection of the cylindrical outer surface of the back plate. Moreover, the plate member 21 has a center C21 which is substantially on the central axis C12 of the cylindrical outer surface 122 of the back plate 12, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 1B.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, the plate member 21 of the operating table 2 may be formed of tempered glass. The shelves 11 may also be made of tempered glass or metal sheet.
The independent dispensing unit in accordance with the present disclosure has an important feature: the shelves 11 are designed such that, for the shelves with vertical distances h (as shown in FIG. 3) from the plate member 21 of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value H, the inner edges 111 of these shelves become gradually closer to the central axis C21 of the back plate 21, as the respective heights of the shelves increase (e.g., in the direction of arrow A). The predetermined value H may be determined according to the heights, arm lengths and postures during operation (standing or sitting) of the pharmacists, e.g., in a range from 0 cm to 50 cm.
With arranging the shelves in the above manner, the pharmacists may easily access the medicine bottles put on the relatively high shelves, without the need of moving a relatively long distance or using tools, thereby enabling a greatly enhanced operating efficiency.
In a preferred embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, for the shelves with vertical distances h from the plate member 21 of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value H, the distances D of inner edges of these shelves from a predetermined point P on the central axis C21 are substantially identical (that is, when viewed from a cross section through the central axis C21, the inner edges of the shelves are positioned on an circular arc indicated by L1), or increased along an inclined straight locus (that is, when viewed from a cross section through the central axis C21, the inner edges of the shelves are positioned on an inclined straight line indicated by L2) or increased along a parabola locus (that is, when viewed from a cross section through the central axis C21, the inner edges of the shelves are positioned on a parabola indicated by L3), and a distance of the predetermined point P from the plate member 21 equals to the predetermined value H. The embodiment that the distances D are substantially identical, that is, the inner edges of the related shelves are substantially on a sphere as indicated by “L1”, is more advantageous in terms of shortening the distance D when the pharmacist intends to access the medicine bottles on the higher shelves, but is less advantageous in terms of an angle of elevation α for accessing the medicine bottles on the higher shelves. Instead, the embodiment that the distances D are increased according to an inclined line (as indicated by L2) or according to a parabola (as indicated by L3) is more advantageous in terms of an angle of elevation a when the pharmacist intends to access the medicine bottles on the higher shelves, but is less advantageous in terms of the distance D when the pharmacist intends to access the medicine bottles on the higher shelves for accessing the medicine bottles on the higher shelves. Thus, when the disclosure is implemented, a compromise may be made between shortening the distance D and reducing the angle of elevation, as desired.
In an embodiments, according to the heights, arm lengths and postures during operation (standing or sitting) of the pharmacists, the distances D of inner edges of the respective shelves from the predetermined point P on the central axis are in a range of 0.4 m (meter) to 1.2 m. In another embodiment, especially taking the heights and arm lengths of the pharmacists into consideration, a distance of an uppermost shelf from the ground is not more than 1.9 m. In still another embodiment, especially taking the heights and postures during operation (standing or sitting) of the pharmacists into consideration, a distance of the plate member 21 of the operating table from the ground is in a range of 0.6 m to 1.2 m.
In one embodiment, to avoid occasional drops of the medicine bottles from the shelves, each shelve is formed at its inner edge with a stepped portion rising upwards by a predetermined height. In another embodiment, each shelf is provided with a plurality of recesses to receive the medicine bottles therein.
According to the present disclosure, the shelves may be connected to the back plate via any suitable means (e.g., welding, screw connections, adhering or snap fitting).
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the plate member 21 of the operating table is embedded therein with a weighing assembly 3 having a weighing surface, as shown in FIG. 5. In the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 5, the weighing surface has a shape of a crescent which is generally centered on the center of the plate member 21 of the operating table. FIG. 6 shows an exploded view of the weighing assembly 3. As shown in FIG. 6, the weighing assembly 3 includes: a meshed screen 31 (also shown in FIG. 5) which has a honeycomb-like structure and defines the weighing surface; an optional cover plate 32; a support 33 for supporting the meshed screen 31 which is positioned below the screen and has an openworks body for supporting the screen 31 thereon; and an electronic weighing element 35 below said support 33. The whole weighing assembly is embedded into the plate member 21. Optionally, the weighing surface of the weighing assembly is slightly lower than a top surface of the plate member 21 of the operating table, so as to maximize an available operating space above the plate member of the operating table, and to facilitate loading/unloading a weighing container onto/from the weighting surface.
According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a collecting member 37 is arranged below the support 33 of the weighing assembly which provides a collecting chamber to collect for example dusts, wastes, or medicine particles.
According to a further embodiment of the present disclosure, a dust removing system is operatively connected to the collecting chamber, so as to remove the materials collected into the collecting chamber. The dust removing system may be arranged below the plate member 21 of the operating table to save space.
FIG. 7 exemplarily illustrates a dust removing system 10 which is also shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 7, the dust removing system 10 includes: a housing 101 comprising an openable side wall 102, a gas outlet 111 provided in either side wall and an opening 109 provided in either side wall for passage of a dust suction pipe; the dust suction pipe 105 arranged within the housing and having an end connected to the collecting chamber (for example provided by the collecting member 37) through the opening 109; a dust suction pump 106 arranged within the housing and having a first end connected to the other end of the dust suction pipe; a perforated or air-permeable bag 108 with a filtering function which has a single opening connected to a second end of the dust suction pump 106 opposite to the first end.
When the dust removing system operates, the dust suction pump 106 generates a negative pressure within the dust suction pipe 105 to thus remove the substances from the collecting chamber. The removed substances are then collected by the downstream bag 108, and the air is discharged via the gas outlet 111 though the bag 108.
FIG. 8 shows an alternative dust removing system which includes: a housing 101 having an openable side 102 and a gas outlet 111 arranged in either side wall, the housing having its top surface concaved so as to form the collecting chamber 103 within which an inlet 104 are formed; a dust suction pipe 105 arranged within the housing and having an end connected to the inlet 104; a dust removing pump 106 arranged within the housing and having a first end connected to the other end of the dust suction pipe; a perforated or air-permeable bag 108 with a filtering function which has a single opening connected to a second end of the dust suction pump 106 opposite to the first end.
The dust removing system operates in a similar way like the previously-mentioned dust removing system, and thus description thereof is not repeated.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the housing is provided with sound damping materials 116 on its inner side surface to thus reduce noises during operation.
According to another preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the dust removing system may be designed to operate simultaneously with the weighing assembly, so that the dust removing system will be automatically activated to perform the dust removing operation once the weighing assembly is powered on to perform weighing operations. In other words, once the weighing assembly operates, the dust removing system also operates automatically so as to remove the wastes in time if the operators forget to activate the dust removing system.
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the upright cabinet B2 is equipped with drawers in a side wall thereof. The drawers may be drawn out or pushed in as needed, and thus optimize the using of the space.

Claims

1. A dispensing system for traditional Chinese medicine, wherein said system comprises an independent medicine dispensing unit including a framework for putting medicine bottles thereon and an operating table on which a pharmacist may perform corresponding operations, and

the framework includes: a back plate having an inner surface and an outer surface which are semi-cylindrical, vertically oriented, and concentric; and a plurality of horizontal arc shelves which are connected to the semi-cylindrical inner surface of the back plate and support the medicine bottles thereon; each of the horizontal arc shelves having a radially inner edge and a radially outer edge which are centered on a central axis of the semi-cylindrical inner surface and outer surface of the back plate; and

the operating table has a generally semi-circular horizontal plate member for the pharmacist to perform corresponding operations thereon, the plate member being positioned below the framework; when viewed from a top view, the plate member having its semi-circular contour or border generally coincided with a vertical projection of the cylindrical outer surface of the back plate, and the plate member having a center which is substantially on the central axis of the cylindrical outer surface of the back plate; and

the shelves designed such that, for the shelves with vertical distances from the plate member of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the inner edges of these shelves become gradually closer to the central axis of the back plate, as the respective heights of the shelves increase.

2. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined value is in a range of 0 cm to 50 cm.

3. The dispensing system of claim 2, wherein for the shelves with vertical distances from the plate member of the operating table being equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the distances of inner edges of these shelves from a predetermined point on the central axis are substantially identical, or increased along an inclined straight locus, or increased along a parabola locus, and a distance of the predetermined point from the plate member equals to the predetermined value.

4. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the distances of inner edges of the respective shelves from the predetermined point on the central axis are in a range of 0.4 m to 1.2 m.

5. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein a distance of an uppermost shelf from the ground is not more than 1.9 m.

6. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein a distance of the plate member of the operating table from the ground is in a range of 0.6 m to 1.2 m.

7. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein each shelve is formed at its inner edge with a stepped portion rising upwards by a predetermined height, so as to avoid occasional drops of the medicine bottles from the shelves.

8. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein each shelf is provided with a plurality of recesses to receive the medicine bottles therein.

9. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the shelves are connected to the back plate via welding, screw connections, adhering or snap fitting.

10. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the plate member of the operating table is embedded therein with a weighing assembly having a weighing surface.

11. The dispensing system of claim 10, wherein the weighing surface has a shape of a crescent which is generally centered on the center of the plate member of the operating table.

12. The dispensing system of claim 10, wherein the weighing assembly includes: a meshed screen which has a honeycomb-like structure and defines the weighing surface; a support for supporting the meshed screen which is positioned below the screen and has an openworks body for supporting the screen thereon; and an electronic weighing element below said support.

13. The dispensing system of claim 10, wherein the weighing surface of the weighing assembly is slightly lower than a top surface of the plate member of the operating table.

14. The dispensing system of claim 12, wherein a collecting member is arranged below the support of the weighing assembly which provides a collecting chamber.

15. The dispensing system of claim 14, wherein a dust removing system is operatively connected to the collecting chamber.

16. The dispensing system of claim 15, wherein the dust removing system is designed to operate simultaneously with the weighing assembly, so that the dust removing system will be automatically activated to perform a dust removing operation once the weighing assembly is powered on to perform a weighing operation.

17. The dispensing system of claim 15, wherein the dust removing system includes: a housing having an openable side and a gas outlet arranged in either side wall, the housing having its top surface concaved so as to form the collecting chamber within which an inlet are formed; a dust suction pipe arranged within the housing and having an end connected to the inlet; a dust removing pump arranged within the housing and having a first end connected to the other end of the dust suction pipe; a perforated or air-permeable bag with a filtering function which has a single opening connected to a second end of the dust suction pump opposite to the first end.

18. The dispensing system of claim 15, wherein the dust removing system includes: a housing comprising an openable side wall, a gas outlet provided in either side wall and an opening provided in either side wall for passage of a dust suction pipe; the dust suction pipe arranged within the housing and having an end connected to the collecting chamber through the opening; a dust suction pump arranged within the housing and having a first end connected to the other end of the dust suction pipe; a perforated or air-permeable bag with a filtering function which has a single opening connected to a second end of the dust suction pump opposite to the first end.

19. The dispensing system of claim 17, wherein the housing is provided with sound damping materials on its inner side surface.

20. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the plate member of the operating table is formed of tempered glass.

21. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the shelves are made of a metal sheet.

22. The dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising an upright cabinet with drawers in side walls which may be drawn out or pushed in as needed, thereby optimizing the using of the space.

23. The dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising any of the following modules: a dishwasher module, a waste receiving module, a packing module, and a window for receiving prescriptions/delivering medicines.

24. The dispensing system of claim 18, wherein the housing is provided with sound damping materials on its inner side surface.