Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Abstract: An Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator that transports medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes about a substantially aseptic admixing chamber. In a preferred implementation, a gripper assembly is configured to substantially universally grasp and retain syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes. In an illustrative embodiment, a gripping device may include claws configured to grasp a plurality of different types of IV bags, each type having a different fill port configuration. Embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate a transport assembly to place a fill port of the bag, vial or syringe into register with a filling port such as a cannula located at a filling station, or be equipped with carousel transport systems that are adapted to convey bags, vials, and syringes to the admixture system and deliver constituted medications in bags, vials or syringes to an egress area.

Abstract: In a preferred implementation, an automated pharmacy admixture system (APAS) prepares intermediary IV bags as drug sources for creating highly diluted patient doses in syringes. During the compounding process the APAS may align needles with a vial seal opening so as to ensure repeated entry through the same vial puncture site via precise control of needle position, needle bevel orientation, and needle entry speed. These techniques can in certain implementations substantially improve bung pressure sealing and reduced particulate generation. The APAS optionally creates drug order queues for incoming drug orders wherein the orders can be sorted by priority, drug type or patient location. A phantom queue can be combined with the incoming drug order queues to include frequently used medicaments to minimize operator loading of the APAS.

Abstract: Some methods and related apparatus for manipulating a fluid conduit for insertion into a substantially re-sealable membrane include determining an orientation and position of a fluid conduit relative to the membrane. In an illustrative example, a syringe needle having a beveled leading edge may be manipulated by an automated device to be oriented and aligned with an aperture made upon a previous insertion of a needle into a membrane. In some examples, a predetermined number of insertions may be made in the same aperture by aligning and orienting one or more needles with the aperture. In some examples, multiple needle insertions may be controlled to produce apertures that are substantially spaced apart. Such procedures may, for example, advantageously extend the integrity of the membrane against leakage and/or contamination.

Abstract: Gripper devices for handling syringes and automated pharmacy admixture systems (APASs) that utilize such gripper devices. The gripper devices may include various gripper finger profiles, substantially tapered or angled gripping surfaces and/or gripper fingers interleaving to reduce radial distortion of the syringes to be grasped while opposing axial motion of the syringes.

Abstract: Automated system and techniques for controlling fluid transfers among medical containers such as syringes, vials and IV bag are disclosed. In one aspect, an automated method for substantially balancing a pressure within a medical container such as a vial with ambient pressure using a fluid transfer device such as a needled syringe is disclosed. In another aspect, an automated method for substantially removing a volume of air from a medical container such as an IV bag using a fast pull technique is disclosed.

Abstract: Systems and methods to reduce bioburden on at least a portion of a fluid transfer port include supplying a dose of radiation to the portion in optical communication with at least one source of radiation. In an illustrative example, a medical container, such as a vial or IV bag, receives a dose of ultraviolet (UV) energy substantially at a predetermined region of a fluid transfer site. In some examples, such a sanitization process may precede a fluid transfer operation in which a fluid is transferred into or out of the medical container by passing through the sanitized region. Such fluid transfers may be used in automated or semi-automated pharmaceutical processes, such as drug reconstitution. Various embodiments may further include one or more seal assemblies, each seal assembly having an aperture through which the radiation dose is supplied from the source to a controlled region on the fluid transfer port.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Abstract: Systems and methods to reduce bioburden on at least a portion of a fluid transfer port include supplying a dose of radiation to the portion in optical communication with at least one source of radiation. In an illustrative example, a medical container, such as a vial or IV bag, receives a dose of ultraviolet (UV) energy substantially at a predetermined region of a fluid transfer site. In some examples, such a sanitization process may precede a fluid transfer operation in which a fluid is transferred into or out of the medical container by passing through the sanitized region. Such fluid transfers may be used in automated or semi-automated pharmaceutical processes, such as drug reconstitution. Various embodiments may further include one or more seal assemblies, each seal assembly having an aperture through which the radiation dose is supplied from the source to a controlled region on the fluid transfer port.

Abstract: Systems and methods to reduce bioburden on at least a portion of a fluid transfer port include supplying a dose of radiation to the portion in optical communication with at least one source of radiation. In an illustrative example, a medical container, such as a vial or IV bag, receives a dose of ultraviolet (UV) energy substantially at a predetermined region of a fluid transfer site. In some examples, such a sanitization process may precede a fluid transfer operation in which a fluid is transferred into or out of the medical container by passing through the sanitized region. Such fluid transfers may be used in automated or semi-automated pharmaceutical processes, such as drug reconstitution. Various embodiments may further include one or more seal assemblies, each seal assembly having an aperture through which the radiation dose is supplied from the source to a controlled region on the fluid transfer port.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Abstract: In a preferred implementation, an automated pharmacy admixture system (APAS) prepares intermediary IV bags as drug sources for creating highly diluted patient doses in syringes. During the compounding process the APAS may align needles with a vial seal opening so as to ensure repeated entry through the same vial puncture site via precise control of needle position, needle bevel orientation, and needle entry speed. These techniques can in certain implementations substantially improve bung pressure sealing and reduced particulate generation. The APAS optionally creates drug order queues for incoming drug orders wherein the orders can be sorted by priority, drug type or patient location. A phantom queue can be combined with the incoming drug order queues to include frequently used medicaments to minimize operator loading of the APAS.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Abstract: In a preferred embodiment, an automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator system to transport medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes in a compounding chamber regulated to a pressure below atmospheric pressure. In a preferred implementation, the manipulator system is configured to grasp and convey syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes from a storage system in an adjacent chamber regulated at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Various embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate the manipulator system to bring a fill port of an IV bag, vial, or syringe into register with a filling port at a fluid transfer station in the chamber. A preferred implementation includes a sanitization system that can substantially sanitize a bung on a fill port of a vial or IV bag in preparation for transport to the fluid transfer station.

Abstract: An Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator that transports medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes about a substantially aseptic admixing chamber. In a preferred implementation, a gripper assembly is configured to substantially universally grasp and retain syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes. In an illustrative embodiment, a gripping device may include claws configured to grasp a plurality of different types of IV bags, each type having a different fill port configuration. Embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate a transport assembly to place a fill port of the bag, vial or syringe into register with a filling port such as a cannula located at a filling station, or be equipped with carousel transport systems that are adapted to convey bags, vials, and syringes to the admixture system and deliver constituted medications in bags, vials or syringes to an egress area.

Abstract: An Automated Pharmacy Admixture System (APAS) may include a manipulator that transports medical containers such as bags, vials, or syringes about a substantially aseptic admixing chamber. In a preferred implementation, a gripper assembly is configured to substantially universally grasp and retain syringes, IV bags, and vials of varying shapes and sizes. In an illustrative embodiment, a gripping device may include claws configured to grasp a plurality of different types of IV bags, each type having a different fill port configuration. Embodiments may include a controller adapted to actuate a transport assembly to place a fill port of the bag, vial or syringe into register with a filling port such as a cannula located at a filling station, or be equipped with carousel transport systems that are adapted to convey bags, vials, and syringes to the admixture system and deliver constituted medications in bags, vials or syringes to an egress area.

Abstract: Automated system and techniques for controlling fluid transfers among medical containers such as syringes, vials and IV bag are disclosed. In one aspect, an automated method for substantially balancing a pressure within a medical container such as a vial with ambient pressure using a fluid transfer device such as a needled syringe is disclosed. In another aspect, an automated method for substantially removing a volume of air from a medical container such as an IV bag using a fast pull technique is disclosed.

Abstract: Gripper devices for handling syringes and automated pharmacy admixture systems (APASs) that utilize such gripper devices. The gripper devices may include various gripper finger profiles, substantially tapered or angled gripping surfaces and/or gripper fingers interleaving to reduce radial distortion of the syringes to be grasped while opposing axial motion of the syringes.