Patents by Inventor Jonathan W. Joplin

Jonathan W. Joplin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11738899
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system uses a physical parameter that occurs during attaching cap to a pharmaceutical container to determine if the cap is properly engaged. The physical parameter may be torque on the cap when placed on the container. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and sends the order to a dispensing device that fills the container with a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order. A cap device is configured to apply the cap the container containing the pharmaceutical from the dispensing device, wherein the cap device is configured to sense the physical parameter, e.g., torque, to the cap when applying the cap to the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Publication number: 20230069879
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system uses a physical parameter that occurs during attaching cap to a pharmaceutical container to determine if the cap is properly engaged. The physical parameter may be torque on the cap when placed on the container. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and sends the order to a dispensing device that fills the container with a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order. A cap device is configured to apply the cap the container containing the pharmaceutical from the dispensing device, wherein the cap device is configured to sense the physical parameter, e.g., torque, to the cap when applying the cap to the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventor: Jonathan W. JOPLIN
  • Patent number: 11511899
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system uses a physical parameter that occurs during attaching cap to a pharmaceutical container to determine if the cap is properly engaged. The physical parameter may be torque on the cap when placed on the container. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and sends the order to a dispensing device that fills the container with a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order. A cap device is configured to apply the cap the container containing the pharmaceutical from the dispensing device, wherein the cap device is configured to sense the physical parameter, e.g., torque, to the cap when applying the cap to the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 11379794
    Abstract: A drug dispensing system includes fulfillment stations that are each characterized by a set of dispensary attributes. The fulfillment stations each, in response to receiving a first order message including a first unique drug identifier, fill a container with pills matching the first unique drug identifier. A routing determination module, for each order message corresponding to a prescription order, selects one of the fulfillment stations based on compatibility between dispensary attributes for the selected fulfillment station and dispensation preferences related to the order message and transmits the order message to the selected fulfillment station. An order status subsystem conditionally sends a cancellation instruction relating to one of the order messages to the respective fulfillment station to cancel dispensing of pills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles E. Eller, Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 11289181
    Abstract: A system comprising a staging area and a packing area. The staging area may include a plurality of staging bins and a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins. A staging bin of the plurality of staging bins may be configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein. Such staging bin may be configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle. The packing area may include a slide, a scanner, and a wrap seal conveyor. The shuttle may be configured to release the component onto the slide, and the scanner may be operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 11266572
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system receives pharmaceutical orders and uses a loading device to label containers and load the labeled containers onto a pallet. The loading device is configured with at least one container drop assembly that receives containers to be labelled and loaded onto the pallet and that is in communication with a label assembly configured to print and apply labels to the containers. The loading device also includes at least one loading rotary wheel configured to receive the labelled containers and hold the labelled containers in a pick position to be moved from the pick position to a predetermined position on the pallet. The loading device may be configured to accommodate multiple sizes of containers and to consolidate multiple sizes of labelled containers into a single loading rotary wheel for loading onto the pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 11127492
    Abstract: A prescription handling system that takes filled prescription containers in an automated pharmacy and places them into a package for shipment is described. The handling system includes an inflow to feed containers to a turntable and a robot moves containers from the turntable to a container placement section, which places the containers in a pocket of a package for shipping. Each container for a prescription order is tracked to ensure that only associated containers are packaged together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 10987279
    Abstract: Systems and methods for manually filling a prescription order. A manual fill device may be incorporated into a manual fill center of a pharmacy operated by one or more pharmacists and/or pharmacist technicians to manually fill certain prescription containers. The manual fill device may include a control unit which may operate at the direction of the order processing device. The manual fill device may also include a distribution section automating distribution of containers for manual fulfillment, and a manual section in which a pharmacist may utilize available pharmaceuticals to manually fill orders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategie Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 10964420
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system uses pucks disposed on a pallet to accommodate a plurality of container sizes into which pharmaceuticals can be dispensed. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and identifies a size of container into which a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order should be dispensed. A pallet sizing and pucking device is configured: to configure a pallet with a plurality of pucks adapted to accommodate containers and to configure the pucks on a pallet in a manner that will facilitate efficient fulfillment of the pharmaceutical order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Publication number: 20200407093
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system uses a physical parameter that occurs during attaching cap to a pharmaceutical container to determine if the cap is properly engaged. The physical parameter may be torque on the cap when placed on the container. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and sends the order to a dispensing device that fills the container with a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order. A cap device is configured to apply the cap the container containing the pharmaceutical from the dispensing device, wherein the cap device is configured to sense the physical parameter, e.g., torque, to the cap when applying the cap to the container.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Publication date: December 31, 2020
    Inventor: Jonathan W. JOPLIN
  • Publication number: 20200360237
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system receives pharmaceutical orders and uses a loading device to label containers and load the labeled containers onto a pallet. The loading device is configured with at least one container drop assembly that receives containers to be labelled and loaded onto the pallet and that is in communication with a label assembly configured to print and apply labels to the containers. The loading device also includes at least one loading rotary wheel configured to receive the labelled containers and hold the labelled containers in a pick position to be moved from the pick position to a predetermined position on the pallet. The loading device may be configured to accommodate multiple sizes of containers and to consolidate multiple sizes of labelled containers into a single loading rotary wheel for loading onto the pallet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventors: Jonathan W. JOPLIN, Robert E. HOFFMAN
  • Publication number: 20200346806
    Abstract: A system comprising a staging area and a packing area. The staging area may include a plurality of staging bins and a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins. A staging bin of the plurality of staging bins may be configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein. Such staging bin may be configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle. The packing area may include a slide, a scanner, and a wrap seal conveyor. The shuttle may be configured to release the component onto the slide, and the scanner may be operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 10800565
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system uses a physical parameter that occurs during attaching cap to a pharmaceutical container to determine if the cap is properly engaged. The physical parameter may be torque on the cap when placed on the container. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and sends the order to a dispensing device that fills the container with a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order. A cap device is configured to apply the cap the container containing the pharmaceutical from the dispensing device, wherein the cap device is configured to sense the physical parameter, e.g., torque, to the cap when applying the cap to the container.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 10777310
    Abstract: An automated dispensing device for a pharmaceutical order filling system includes an order processing device to receive a pharmaceutical order. The order processing device includes a cell for containing an available quantity of a pharmaceutical of the pharmaceutical order, and an insert received in the cell. The insert has a dispensing tube, and is adapted to receive the available quantity of the pharmaceutical and to dispense a measured quantity of the pharmaceutical through the dispensing tube. The cell includes a funnel having a weighted gate adapted to receive the dispensing tube of the insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 10751254
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system receives pharmaceutical orders and uses a loading device to label containers and load the labeled containers onto a pallet. The loading device is configured with at least one container drop assembly that receives containers to be labelled and loaded onto the pallet and that is in communication with a label assembly configured to print and apply labels to the containers. The loading device also includes at least one loading rotary wheel configured to receive the labelled containers and hold the labelled containers in a pick position to be moved from the pick position to a predetermined position on the pallet. The loading device may be configured to accommodate multiple sizes of containers and to consolidate multiple sizes of labelled containers into a single loading rotary wheel for loading onto the pallet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Robert Hoffman
  • Patent number: 10745162
    Abstract: A system comprising a staging area and a packing area. The staging area may include a plurality of staging bins and a shuttle moveable along the plurality of staging bins. A staging bin of the plurality of staging bins may be configured to selectively retain a component of an order therein. Such staging bin may be configured to selectively release the component to the shuttle. The packing area may include a slide, a scanner, and a wrap seal conveyor. The shuttle may be configured to release the component onto the slide, and the scanner may be operable to scan and verify the component during placement of the component onto the wrap seal conveyor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Robert E. Hoffman
  • Patent number: 10748108
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical filling system for a high volume pharmacy is described. The system can include a manual pick/pack device and method. The system may include a rotation assembly, a left door and a right door, both positioned below the rotation assembly, a left divider positioned below the left door, and a right divider positioned below the right door, and a left gathering table positioned below the left divider, and a right gathering table positioned below the right divider. The system may also include a control device in electronic communication with the rotation assembly, the doors and the dividers for control of same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. Hoffman, Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Publication number: 20200246966
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system uses pucks disposed on a pallet to accommodate a plurality of container sizes into which pharmaceuticals can be dispensed. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and identifies a size of container into which a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order should be dispensed. A pallet sizing and pucking device is configured: to configure a pallet with a plurality of pucks adapted to accommodate containers and to configure the pucks on a pallet in a manner that will facilitate efficient fulfillment of the pharmaceutical order.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: August 6, 2020
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin
  • Patent number: 10661993
    Abstract: Method and systems for accumulation are described. In one embodiment, a dispensing station includes a receiving opening, a dispensing opening and a storage area. The dispensing station receives and dispenses a container. A transportable storage system includes multiple partitions disposed on a carrier portion to define multiple carriage sections. The carriage sections are electronically identifiable and selectively hold or eject the container. A bin apparatus for receiving the container includes a movable portion to selectively hold and release the container. A control unit for commanding the bin apparatus to dispense the container to a desired carriage section of the transportable storage system is provided. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan W. Joplin, Jerry W. Christopher, Charles E. Eller
  • Patent number: 10639786
    Abstract: A pharmaceutical order filling system uses pucks disposed on a pallet to accommodate a plurality of container sizes into which pharmaceuticals can be dispensed. An order processing device receives a pharmaceutical order and identifies a size of container into which a pharmaceutical in the pharmaceutical order should be dispensed. A pallet sizing and pucking device is configured: to configure a pallet with a plurality of pucks adapted to accommodate containers and to configure the pucks on a pallet in a manner that will facilitate efficient fulfillment of the pharmaceutical order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: Express Scripts Strategic Development, Inc.
    Inventor: Jonathan W. Joplin