Abstract: An electronic medication storage cabinet includes a plurality of drawers configured with a plurality of sensors arranged to identify a positioning of storage pockets within the drawers. Upon receiving an indication of a new medicine container to be loaded in the cabinet, a sequence of steps to load the medicine container into the cabinet is generated based on a mapping algorithm. A first step is displayed on a display the cabinet, and a determination is made as to whether the first step is associated with one of the plurality of drawers. In response to determining that the first step is associated with one of the plurality of drawers, the drawer is automatically unlocked. In response to determining that the first step is successfully completed, a determination of whether execution of any additional steps is pending and indicated on the display.

Abstract: A programmable pill dispensing device, system, and methods are provided. A programmable pill dispensing device may be used to automatedly dispense a pill, such as a prescription medication, at a programmed predetermined time.

Abstract: A medical supplies cabinet is disclosed. The cabinet comprises a housing presenting a medical supplies storage zone at where there is provided at least one medical supplies receptacle. The receptacle(s) is/are of a shape and configuration to be able to at least partly receive and hold at least one medical item. A sensor is associated with the receptacle(s). The sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of the presence and/or absence, or removal of the medical item in/from the receptacle.

Abstract: An apparatus for dispensing pills includes a post having a first base portion and a second rod portion. The apparatus also includes a plurality of pill dispenser modules, a turntable ring that is rotatable with respect to the post, and a housing. The housing has a generally cylindrical shape and has a plurality of pockets with each of the pockets being configured to store a single pill dispenser module of the plurality of pill dispenser modules. The housing has a center hole for slidably attaching the housing to the post, and the housing has at least one blind hole at a bottom surface of each of the cylindrical pockets with the blind hole being mateable with the turntable ring. The apparatus additionally includes turntable plate having a center thru hole to provide attachment with the post, with the turntable plate being attachable with the turntable ring.

Abstract: A system to track consumer patient adherence to a drug and dose form includes a tracking device, a computer system and a database. The tracking device, to process a plurality of Ingestible Event Marker (IEM) devices, wherein each IEM device includes an IEM storing an IEM identifier code, may include a first capacitive plate, a second capacitive plate, and a structure to position each IEM device in proximity to the first and second capacitive plates. The tracking device may be configured to interrogate each IEM, via capacitive coupling, as each IEM device passes through the structure. The computer system communicatively coupled to the tracking device may be configured to receive each IEM identifier code read from each interrogated IEM and the database to track each IEM may be configured to link each received IEM identifier code to additional information including an identifier of an active drug/medication.

Abstract: A dispensing assembly is disclosed herein. The dispensing assembly includes a housing comprising a plurality of side panels; a cartridge for dispensing a paper product; an actuation subassembly being disposed in the housing, the actuation subassembly configured to advance the paper product disposed in the cartridge; and a slidable drawer subassembly, the slidable drawer subassembly including a cartridge tray for removably receiving the cartridge, the slidable drawer subassembly being displaceable between a closed position where the cartridge is enclosed within the housing and an open position where the cartridge is able to be loaded or unloaded from the cartridge tray.

Abstract: A filling device for filling a removable medication cartridge for the smart medication dispenser is provided. The filling device includes a stationary fill plate with a plurality of openings. The openings are shaped to allow the passage of medications through the fill plate. The cartridge is removably positioned vertically below the fill plate and with the chambers of the cartridge being aligned with the openings of the fill plate. A gate is positioned vertically below the fill plate and above the cartridge. When in a closed position, the gate covers the openings from beneath the fill plate, and movement of the gate to an open position causes at least one medication to fall through at least one of the openings from above the stationary fill plate into at least one of the chambers in the cartridge prior to removal of the medication cartridge with the medications received within the chambers.

Abstract: An automatic food preparation line for automatically preparing bread products for making sandwiches or burgers comprises an automatic bread product handling system containing a plurality of different types of bread products, an automatic toaster appliance for toasting the bread products, an automatic packaging system for automatically dispensing both box and wrapping paper packaging, an automatic sauce dispensing system for dispensing a plurality of different sauces onto the bread product, an automatic non-sauce condiment dispensing system for dispensing one or more different condiments onto the bread product, and an automatic conveyor system for conveying the bread product between the various systems.

Abstract: A refillable dispenser including a housing and a cover. The housing can include an internal cavity, an activation mechanism cavity separate from the internal cavity, and a multi-state actuator structured to alternate between compressed and extended positions. The internal cavity can be structured and configured to house individual products in a stacked orientation, and the activation mechanism cavity can house the multi-state actuator. The cover can include an open bottom and can fit over and around the housing. By pushing the cover down, the user activates the multi-state actuator and causes it to extend, which pushes the cover up and causes a bottom portion of the housing to be exposed so that the user can remove one product at a time. The dispenser can be mirrored about a vertical or horizontal plane to allow it to dispense from either end, thereby making the dispenser ambidextrous.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods that facilitate identifying, logging, mapping, and/or tracking of the movements and/or activities of individuals throughout a facility using a plurality of dispensers are positioned at selected locations about the facility. The systems and methods further allow for capturing infrared radiation of one or more individuals within a prescribed detection range, area, or zone covered using at least one passive infrared radiation sensor. The control system of a dispenser of the plurality of dispensers can be disconnected from a power source of the dispenser when the at least one passive infrared radiation sensor does not capture infrared radiation of one or more individuals within the prescribed detection range, area, or zone. Other aspects also are described.

Abstract: Provided is an automatic column setting device for an article vending machine. The device is for an article vending machine 1 including a column in an article storing shelf 13, to store articles arranged in a front-rear direction, and a dispensing mechanism 55 removably installed for the column in the shelf 13, to sequentially dispense the stored articles, the mechanism 55 is arbitrarily installable at a plurality of preset right and left positions in the shelf 13, and the automatic column setting device includes a motor presence/absence information preparing section 81 that detects an installation position of motor 61 in accordance with a connected state of motor 61, and a pattern extracting section 82 that determines a type and an installation position of the mechanism 55 in the shelf 13 based on presence/absence information of motor 61 that is detected by the motor presence/absence information preparing section 81.

Abstract: A storage and dosing station for storage and dispensing dosed quantities of solid drug portions includes a controller, an information reading device coupled to the controller, a dispensing mechanism, a detachable storage container configured to store solid drug portions, an outlet configured to output the solid drug portions and an information memory. The information memory may store data that comprises one of a glossiness level of a surface of the solid drug portions and a reflectivity level of the surface of the solid drug portions that is used by the controller to control dispensing of the solid drug portions; that is used by the controller to adjust a sensor; and that comprises parameters of movement of the dispensing mechanism of one or more of maximum torque, rotation angles, and rotation positions of the movement of the dispensing mechanism used by the controller to control dispensing of the solid drug portions.

Abstract: A novel food station comprises a plurality of cubbies, each cubby sized to enclose a food portion container, and an externally accessible collection hatch large enough for the food portion container to pass therethrough. A heating system can controllably heat the food portion container within a selected one of the cubbies, independently of an operation of the heating system the other cubbies. A cooling system can perform cooling within a subset of cubbies that includes at least the selected cubby. An internal transport system includes an end effector that temporarily couples to the portion container carrier of the selected cubby and controllably moves the food portion container carrier within the food station to the collection hatch. A control system includes a memory that controls the heating and controls the movement of the internal transport system.

Abstract: A feminine hygiene product dispenser for dispensing feminine hygiene products. The dispenser includes a rack to hold the feminine hygiene products. A weight is adapted to fit within the rack, wherein the weight is supported by a last feminine hygiene product to be dispensed from the rack, the weight including an indicator. A housing includes a door, wherein the door has a window through which the indicator appears in the absence the plurality of feminine hygiene products. A product dispensing module includes a suction cup, a delivery tray, and a trigger operatively connected to the suction cup and to the delivery tray, wherein actuation of the trigger moves the suction cup to a holding position and positions the delivery tray to a product delivery position. The trigger slides freely when the suction cup is in the holding position to prevent the delivery tray from dispensing one of the feminine hygiene products.

Abstract: Warehouse automation and methods of controlling material flow can be used to enhance the efficiencies of warehouse operations. For example, automation systems and methods can be used to efficiently optimize the storage density of items in warehouses. In some examples, warehouse workers are automatically provided with instructions for how to assemble pallet loads of incoming items to a height that is determined based on the goal of fully utilizing open warehouse storage rack spaces. In some examples, a plan for optimizing the build-height of pallet loads of an incoming shipment is determined in advance of receiving the shipment.

Abstract: A system for controlling selection and distribution of a product in a product dispensing system. The system includes a user interface for prompting a selection and selecting the product, a machine control processor in communication with the user interface, a power distribution module connected to the machine control processor, and a power supply unit for supplying power to the system through the power distribution module.

Abstract: Drug packets may be dispensed as a belt of drug packets. Machine-readable identifiers in the belt may be automatically read to identify drug packets and associate the drug packets with the received orders. The drug packets may be automatically inspected to confirm contents of the drug packets against the received orders. The belt may be automatically separated into segments of drug packets. Each of the segments may correspond to a supply period and each of the drug packets within each of the segments may correspond to a drug dose event for the multi-drug regimen within the supply period. The segments of the belt may be automatically accumulated into belt rolls such that, for each of the belt rolls, a first segment end is on an interior of the belt roll and a second segment end is on an exterior of the belt roll.

Abstract: A web enabled audiovisual medication dispenser has a locked, tamper resistant housing; timers and alarms; a receptacle for aggregated medication pouches; and a cutter that separates the aggregated medication pouches from a strip. The cutter is also configured to notch a pouch to facilitate opening by a patient, and further configured to form a part of the tamper resistance. A medication pouch receptacle receives the one or more aggregated medication pouches cut from the strip. A first imaging apparatus displays the medication pouch receptacle and communicates the image at least to a remote apparatus for compliance. A second imaging apparatus displays from at least adjacent to the medication pouch receptacle to the patient, and captures an image of the patient handling and taking the medication from the pouch. The images may be analyzed automatically or by a remote caregiver, and are stored in an electronic medical record for compliance validation.

Abstract: A multicamera image processing system is disclosed. In various embodiments, image data is received from each of a plurality of sensors associated with a workspace, the image data comprising for each sensor in the plurality of sensors one or both of visual image information and depth information. Image data from the plurality of sensors is merged to generate a merged point cloud data. Segmentation is performed based on visual image data from at least a subset of the sensors in the plurality of sensors to generate a segmentation result. One or both of the merged point cloud data and the segmentation result is/are used to generate a merged three dimensional and segmented view of the workspace.

Abstract: A vending machine system for loading and dispensing pre-baked unpackaged food including a fixed cartridge disposed in a refrigerator of a vending machine, and a transport cartridge adapted to removably attach to the fixed cartridge, the transport cartridge operable for holding trays of unpackaged food and loading the trays of unpackaged food from the transport cartridge into the fixed cartridge, wherein, when the transport cartridge is removably attached to the fixed cartridge, a front opening of the transport cartridge aligns with a front opening of the fixed cartridge, and wherein the rack of the transport cartridge aligns with the conveyor system of the fixed cartridge such that trays of unpackaged food within the transport cartridge can simultaneously be transitioned from the rack to the conveyor system.