Drug refilling apparatus and method of controlling the same

Abstract

There is provided a drug refilling apparatus. The apparatus includes a main body on which a drug cartridge is mounted, a cartridge mounting unit installed on a top surface of the main body to allow the drug cartridge mounted thereon, an unfastening unit unfastening a fastened state of a cover included in the drug cartridge, and a cartridge locking unit locking or unlocking the drug cartridge while the drug cartridge is being mounted on the cartridge mounting unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A drug refilling apparatus comprising:
 a main body on which a drug cartridge is mounted;   a cartridge mounting unit installed on a top surface of the main body to allow the drug cartridge mounted thereon;   an unfastening unit unfastening a fastened state of a cover included in the drug cartridge; and   a cartridge locking unit locking or unlocking the drug cartridge while the drug cartridge is being mounted on the cartridge mounting unit.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cartridge mounting unit is installed in the main body to be pivotable with a certain angle in such a way that the inside of the drug cartridge faces a direction inclined upwardly with a horizontal direction as a reference when a cover installed on an open surface of the drug cartridge mounted on the cartridge mounting unit opens. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the cartridge mounting unit comprises a position transfer part allowing whether being pivotable to be determined depending on whether being coupled with the main body according to position transfer due to an external force. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the position transfer part comprises a first protrusion and a second protrusion formed to be protruded to fix the cartridge mounting unit to the main body,
 wherein the main body comprises a first protrusion-corresponding element and a second protrusion-corresponding element corresponding to the first protrusion and the second protrusion, respectively, and   wherein the cartridge mounting unit maintains horizontality when the first protrusion is hanged on the first protrusion-corresponding element, pivots after the first protrusion is separated from the first protrusion-corresponding element by an external force, and maintains a pivoted state while the second protrusion is being hanged on the second protrusion-corresponding element.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein an end of the second protrusion-corresponding element, on which the second protrusion is hanged, is formed to be lower than an end of the first protrusion-corresponding element, on which the first protrusion is hanged. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , further comprising at least one hinge coupled with a bottom surface of the cartridge mounting unit and the main body to provide a pivot for the cartridge mounting unit. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a guide driving unit selectively allowing a plurality of guide elements provided on the cartridge mounting unit to ascend or descend to correspond to a shape of the drug cartridge. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the cartridge mounting unit comprises a mounting plate in contact with a rear surface of the drug cartridge and a seating plate, on which a bottom surface of the drug cartridge is seated, and
 wherein the seating plate comprises an ascending slot to allow a plurality of guide elements inserted into guide grooves formed on both sides of the drug cartridge to ascend.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein ascending bars driven by the guide driving unit and insertion elements coupled with bottom ends of the ascending bars and inserted into ascending-guiding grooves formed on the guide driving unit are provided below the guide elements. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a display unit installed on a front part of the main body and displaying a menu screen for operations of refilling drugs and authentication of an access right of an administrator;   an input unit receiving a command by allowing menus displayed on the display unit to be selected to perform a desired operation;   a communication module performing communication with a hospital server; and   a control unit controlling the guide driving unit, the unfastening unit, and the cartridge locking unit to refill the drug cartridge with drugs when the access right of the administrator is authenticated by the hospital server via the communication module.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the guide driving unit comprises:
 a motor driven according to a control signal of the control unit;   a length-variable element, whose length varies, connected to a driving axis of the motor by a belt;   a moving plate straightly reciprocating according to a change of the length of the length-variable element;   a moving bar, whose rear end is coupled with the moving plate, straightly reciprocating; and   a guide block coupled with one side of a top of the moving plate and determining a mounting position of the drug cartridge,   wherein the ascending-guiding grooves, into which the insertion elements are inserted to ascend, are formed on a side surface of the moving bar, and   wherein the length-variable element is formed of as one pair of axes screw-coupled with each other in such a way that a second axis is straightly moved by rotation of a first axis according to driving of the motor, thereby changing the length thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising a movement detection unit detecting a moved position of a bent bar coupled with a bottom of the moving plate to control motor-driving of the guide driving unit,
 wherein the movement detection unit comprises one pair of photo couplers installed to be separated from each other with an interval as a maximum moving distance of the bent bar, and   wherein the control unit determines a rotation direction of the motor according to a detection signal of the movement detection unit and controls the motor to drive and to stop.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the drug cartridge comprises:
 a cartridge body formed in the shape of a box with an open top, in which a space for keeping drugs is provided;   a cover installed on the open top of the cartridge body;   a cover fastening unit fastening the cover;   a memory chip storing identification information given to the drug cartridge and information on drugs kept inside the cartridge body; and   a locking element formed to be protruded backward to be coupled with the drug refilling apparatus,   the drug refilling apparatus further comprising a memory chip recognizing the identification information and the drug information stored in the memory chip.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the unfastening unit comprises:
 a motor driven according to a control of the control unit; and   a key element coupled with a front end of a driving axis of the motor, and   wherein the key element is coupled with a latch element of the cover fastening unit and rotates according to driving of the motor to allow the cover fastening unit to unfasten the cover included in the drug cartridge to be open.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the cartridge locking unit comprises:
 a motor driven according to a control signal of the control unit;   a rotating element, whose cross section is formed in an oval shape, rotating by rotating of the motor;   a pressing element with a step formed on a top end thereof, straightly reciprocating while being pressed by the rotating of the rotating element;   a hook element with a rear end axis-coupled with a bracket and engaged with the step formed on the top of the pressing element, with a front end engaged with the locking element of the drug cartridge, the hook element being rotated while the pressing element is moving; and   an elastic element supported by one side of the pressing element and elastically deformed as the pressing element moves in one direction to provide a restoring force to the pressing element.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the cartridge mounting unit comprises:
 a mounting plate in contact with the rear surface of the drug cartridge; and   a seating plate on which the bottom surface of the drug cartridge is seated, and   wherein the memory recognition unit, the unfastening unit, and the cartridge locking unit are formed in the mounting plate.   
     
     
         17 . A method of controlling a drug refilling apparatus, the method comprising:
 receiving information of an administrator and authenticating an access right thereof;   when the access right of the administrator is authenticated, allowing one selected pair of guide elements corresponding to a width of a drug cartridge to ascend, among a plurality of guide elements provided on a cartridge mounting unit, to refill the drug cartridge managed by the corresponding administrator, with drugs;   mounting the drug cartridge between the one pair of guide elements; and   opening a cover of the drug cartridge and refilling the drug cartridge with the drugs.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising, when the refilling the drug cartridge with the drugs is finished, transmitting information of the drugs refilling the drug cartridge and the information of the administrator to a hospital server,
 wherein the hospital server manages a stock of drugs in real time by using the information of the drugs refilling the drug cartridge and the information of the administrator.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein, in the mounting the drug cartridge, identification information and drug information stored in a memory chip of the drug cartridge are transmitted to a hospital server and authenticity of the drug cartridge is certified. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the opening the cover of the drug cartridge and refilling the drug cartridge with the drugs comprises, allowing the cartridge mounting unit to pivot with a certain angle to the main body before or after the cover is open in such a way that the cover is open and the inside of the drug cartridge faces a direction inclined upwardly with a horizontal direction as a reference, when the cover of the drug cartridge is installed on an open surface.