Description:DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an automated management system and method;
More specifically, the present invention focuses on an automated pharmacy inventory management system which utilizes advanced technologies such as visual inspection, image recognition, Identifiable tag generation and scanning, and IoT (Internet of Things) integration for efficient storage, management and dispensation of prescription medical consumables.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Medicines signify one of the most essential commodities in the modern lifestyle for addressing various health problems and improving the overall quality of life. In light of variety of emerging diseases, abundant medicine types are available currently. The existing situation with respect to use of large quantities of medicines, the corresponding pharmacies and medical institutions are also getting bigger and widespread. The proficient management of the inventories for prescription medical consumables has become very important in order to provide increased operational efficiency and inventory control. Moreover, the well-organized inventory management also leads to improved service and care for the patients resulting in greater customer satisfaction.
Traditional methods of inventory management for prescription medical consumables in pharmacies and healthcare facilities rely heavily on manual processes. These methods often involve pharmacists physically checking stock levels, manually recording medical consumable details, and verifying prescriptions by visually inspecting the medical consumables. The obvious disadvantages of these manual processes are their time intensive nature. However, the most critical limitation of these methods, especially in case of larger inventories, is their error-prone nature which may lead to issues such as incorrect medical consumable dispensation, stock discrepancies, and difficulty in tracking expiry dates.
Automation of the inventory management has been proposed as the foremost solution to addresses these problems associated with manual approaches. Over the years, several attempts have been made to automate parts of the inventory management process. For instance, barcode scanning systems have been introduced to improve the accuracy of medical consumable identification and reduce manual entry errors. Additionally, some advanced pharmacy management systems incorporate basic software to manage inventory levels and generate alerts for low stock or approaching expiry dates. Few of the recent pharmaceutical inventory management systems have employed advanced technologies including image processing, location identifiers, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags etc. for well-organized storage, management, tracking and dispensation of medicines in large repositories.
However, these existing systems still rely on significant manual intervention and lack the integration of advanced technologies such as image recognition and IoT for real-time tracking and automation. There remains a need for a comprehensive automated system that can accurately manage the medical consumable inventory, verify prescriptions, and provide real-time updates, thereby reducing the burden on pharmacists and enhancing patient safety.
The present invention describes an automated inventory management and dispensation system for medical consumables, that utilizes advanced technologies such as visual inspection, image recognition, Identifiable tag scanning, and IoT integration to ensure accurate placement, tracking and dispensation of prescription medical consumables and enhanced patient safety.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of the invention is to provide an automated inventory management and dispensation system for medical consumables, aiming to ensure accurate placement and dispensation of prescription medical consumables, improve inventory tracking, and enhance patient safety.
Further important object of the invention includes utilization of advanced technologies such as visual inspection, image recognition, Identifiable tag scanning, and IoT (Internet of Things) integration for providing a robust inventory management solution for modern pharmacies and healthcare facilities.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings constitute a part of this specification and illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the following with reference to the drawings, which are for the purpose of illustrating the present preferred embodiments of the invention and not for the purpose of limiting the same.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denotes the same elements.
In the drawings:
Figure 1 illustrates the workflow and components involved in the central warehouse operations and smart rack configuration process within an automated pharmacy inventory management and medical consumable dispensation system. It depicts the steps involved in configuring and labeling storage racks with unique Identifiable tags, mapping them to specific retail stores, and organizing products into Identifiable tag-labeled containers for transport. The portable shelf, shown in the image, is prepared with these containers, ready for dispatch to retail stores. The process ensures that inventory is accurately tracked from the central warehouse to the retail locations, with each step meticulously managed to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the inventory system.
Figure 2 provides a detailed representation of the structural design and key components of the smart rack used in an automated inventory management system. The front view shows the aluminum-coated stainless-steel rack equipped with trays and multiple illuminating elements that indicate the status and position of stored items. Each tray can be flat or can be inclined at a 0 – 85 degree angle to ensure stability and easy access to the contents. The top view highlights the acrylic-coated inclined trays, while the side view emphasizes the ang elements platform design, facilitating better visibility and accessibility. Illuminating objects, such as LEDs, are positioned on the racks and are used to guide the placement and retrieval of medical consumables. In the front and side views, these are placed below each tray and are color-coded (e.g., red, green, blue), which correspond to different statuses or categories of medical consumables. The system is managed by a Master Control Unit (MCU) located at the bottom of the rack, which coordinates the functions of the illumination elements and integrates with the uninterrupted power supply (UPS) to ensure continuous operation. This setup optimizes the storage, retrieval, and dispensation of pharmaceutical products in a highly organized and efficient manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present disclosure present technological improvements as a solution to one or more of the above-mentioned technical problems recognized by the inventor in existing techniques.
The present disclosure introduces an automated inventory management and dispensation system for medical consumables that enables accurate placement and dispensation of prescription medical consumables, improve inventory tracking, and enhance patient safety.
According to an aspect of the invention, the said automated inventory management system includes Smart Rack Engine, an AI-driven, cloud-native platform that orchestrates the entire process, from dispatching products based on retail demand to optimizing delivery routes and conducting inventory audits at both the warehouse and retail levels.
According to further aspect of the present invention, the system integrates with the ERP at a central warehouse, where smart racks are configured for use at retail locations. Products are labeled elements with Identifiable tags and packed into containers, which are then organized into portable shelves for efficient transport. These shelves are designed to streamline the logistics of delivering and stocking retail stores. Upon arrival at the retail center, the system uses Identifiable tag scanning and color-coded Illumination elements to ensure accurate product placement on retail shelves, replacing old stock with new in a seamless manner. The retail shelves are wirelessly connected to the Smart Rack Engine, enabling real-time communication and control.
According to another aspect of the invention, the said automated inventory management system comprises Racks for placement of medical consumables which include a specific design and color-coded illumination elements lights along with and Identifiable tag scanners to facilitate storage of medical consumables according to unique color codes based on their classification (e.g., ingredients, schedule, expiry date) and accurate dispensation. The rack design is characterized by a strong and slanted structure which prevent medical consumables from falling during retrieval and it also provides options for open or closed individual medicine boxes.
According to an aspect of the present invention, the said automated inventory management system employs advanced technologies which encompass AI/Embedded systems for visual inspection, image analysis, and automation, Raspberry Pi as the central control unit for running AI models and controlling illumination elements, Bluetooth/Short-Range Communication Devices for communication between components and IoT for connecting and managing all the devices and sensors in the system.
This comprehensive system not only enhances operational efficiency by automating and streamlining processes but also significantly improves patient safety by reducing the likelihood of errors in medication dispensation.
The objects and the advantages of the invention are achieved by the process elaborated in the present disclosure.
DETAILED ELEMENTS DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the present disclosure and ways in which the disclosed embodiments can be implemented. Although some modes of carrying out the present disclosure have been disclosed, those skilled in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practicing the present disclosure are also possible.
The present invention describes an automated inventory management and dispensation system for medical consumables to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and safety of pharmaceutical storage, retrieval, and dispensation processes. The said system integrates advanced technologies, including programable Illumination elements, high-resolution cameras, AI-driven image recognition software, Identifiable tag scanners, and IoT communication devices, to provide a comprehensive solution for modern pharmacy operations.
The following description illustrates workflow and components involved in the central warehouse operations and smart rack configuration process within an automated pharmacy inventory management and medical consumable dispensation system.
According to an embodiment of the invention, an AI based smart rack engine (1), a cloud-native application is responsible for several critical functions. It manages product dispatch as requested by retail stores using Identifiable tag-enabled boxes, conducts inventory audits at both warehouse and retail points of sale (PoS), tracks point-to-point delivery to ensure the correct products reach their destinations, and optimizes delivery routes for efficiency. The Smart Rack Engine integrates seamlessly with the backend inventory management system, central warehouse, and retail shelves, facilitating real-time updates and synchronized operations across the entire pharmacy network.
The central warehouse (2) plays a crucial role, where shelves are configured with unique IDs before being installed at retail stores. Containers or boxes are printed and labeled with Identifiable tags, encoding vital information linking them to specific shelves and retail locations. Each box, containing a single Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), is mapped to a designated shelf and retail store, ensuring that each product is correctly identified and associated with its designated storage location. The system then fills these boxes with the appropriate products and organizes them into a portable shelf for efficient transportation. Once configured, the portable shelf is dispatched to the retail store, ensuring that all items are accounted for. Additionally, the system supports regular and random inventory audits at both the warehouse and retail shelves, utilizing AI-powered image recognition and standard CCTV/security cameras to verify the accuracy of stock levels.
At the retail store (3), newly configured shelves with unique IDs are installed and managed by the Smart Rack Engine, enabling seamless inventory updates and real-time monitoring.
A computing device (4) at the central warehouse manages and monitors all these activities, serving as a command center that interfaces with the Smart Rack Engine and the warehouse ERP system. The portable shelf (5) houses Identifiable tag-labeled elements boxes, and is designed for quick and efficient transfer by delivery personnel, ensuring that products are securely delivered from the warehouse to the retail store.
Upon arrival at the retail store, the portable shelf’s boxes are scanned using an identifiable tag scanner, activating the corresponding ILLUMINATION ELEMENTS indicator on the retail shelf to guide the replacement process. This process is repeated until all boxes on the retail shelf are replaced with newly received stock, ensuring that inventory is continuously updated and accurate. The system further enhances retail center operations (7) by providing functionalities such as retail sales, where the product added to an invoice triggers a specific ILLUMINATION ELEMENTS on the retail shelf to guide the pharmacist to the correct item. Additionally, each product on an invoice illuminates a color-coded ILLUMINATION ELEMENTS, and if multiple counters are involved, different colors are used to distinguish between them. A digital replica of the retail shelf is displayed on the monitor at the PoS, with the same color-coded lights that appear on the physical shelf, ensuring accuracy in inventory tracking and sales.
Retail shelves are wirelessly connected (8) to the Smart Rack Engine, ensuring that data regarding inventory levels, sales, and product placements are updated in real-time, reducing the likelihood of errors and enhancing operational efficiency. An AI-driven audit model (9) performs regular and random audits to reconcile inventory records with physical stock. Standard security cameras monitor and verify product counts at both the retail store and central warehouse, ensuring transparency and accuracy. Products are stored in Identifiable tag-labeled elements boxes or containers (10), which facilitate easy tracking and management throughout the system. These containers are essential for the efficient organization and transport of inventory, securely holding individual SKUs.
1. System Components:
a. Storage Racks and Illumination elements:
The core of the system is its specially designed storage racks, which are engineered to securely hold and organize medical consumables. Each storage rack is constructed to accommodate various types and sizes of medical consumable containers, ensuring that medical consumables are stored in an orderly and accessible manner.
• Design Features: The storage rack is designed to securely hold and organize medical consumables. These racks are constructed from durable materials such as Aluminum-coated stainless steel, anodized Aluminum, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE); Anodized Aluminum; Stainless Steel; Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP); Tempered or Laminated Glass; Polycarbonate; Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP); Powder-Coated Steel; ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) Plastic; Borosilicate Glass; Epoxy-Coated Steel that ensure stability and longevity. The configuration of these racks is adaptable, allowing for a flat arrangement or an inclined setup at any angle between 0 degrees and 85 degrees. This flexibility in design accommodates various storage needs and ensures that the medical consumables remain securely organized regardless of the specific angle chosen. The racks can be customized with open or closed box designs, depending on the specific storage requirements of the pharmacy.
• Illumination elements: Each storage rack is equipped with programmable, color-coded Illumination elements that are wirelessly connected to the overall system but are physically connected to each other using wired configurations such as parallel, series, or hybrid connections. These illumination elements play a critical role in guiding the placement and dispensation of medical consumables. Strategically placed to illuminate specific storage compartments, they direct the pharmacist to the correct location on the rack. The color-coding scheme of the illumination elements corresponds to various medical consumable categories, such as ingredients, schedules, dosage forms, and combination medical consumable compositions, simplifying the identification process and reducing the risk of errors. The programmability of the illumination elements allows for customization of the color schemes and illumination patterns to align with the specific needs and workflows of the pharmacy, ensuring flexibility and adaptability in operations.
b. High-Resolution Cameras and Image Recognition Software:
The system employs high-resolution cameras positioned strategically to capture clear images of the medical consumables stored on the racks. These cameras are integral to the visual inspection process, ensuring that the correct medical consumables are placed in the appropriate locations and dispensed as needed.
• AI-Powered Image Recognition: The captured images are processed by an advanced image recognition software powered by AI algorithms. These algorithms are designed to identify and confirm critical medical consumable and medical consumable attributes, including type, batch number, and expiry date. The image recognition process serves as a secondary verification layer, enhancing the system’s accuracy and preventing potential dispensing errors.
• Visual Inspection: The AI algorithms continuously analyze the images captured by the cameras, comparing them against a predefined database of medical consumable images and metadata. This analysis ensures that each medical consumable is correctly identified and matched with its corresponding data, such as Identifiable tag information, before placement or dispensation.
• Identification of a Medical Consumable
• The present invention incorporates advanced algorithms for the identification of medical consumables, ensuring accurate and efficient recognition of pharmaceutical products. The core algorithm utilized is the Recursive Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), which enhances feature extraction across multiple layers by recursively applying convolutional filters. This recursive approach allows for the capture of intricate patterns and details within the medicine strip, improving identification accuracy.
• To address the challenges associated with deep neural networks, such as the vanishing gradient problem, the system employs Skip Connections. These connections facilitate the flow of gradients through the network layers, thereby enhancing model training and improving the overall accuracy of the identification process.
• The system further incorporates Spatial Pyramid Pooling, an advanced pooling technique that captures multi-scale features by aggregating information at various spatial scales. This allows the model to recognize medicine strips with varying sizes and orientations, ensuring robust identification in diverse scenarios.
• CSP (Cross-Stage Partial) Connections are integrated within the network architecture. These connections enable efficient information flow between different stages of the network, reducing the computational load while maintaining high accuracy. The combination of these techniques ensures that the present system reliably identifies medicine strips, even in complex environments.
• Identification of Text on the Medical Consumables
• For the identification of text on medical consumable, the present invention leverages state-of-the-art techniques to ensure precise recognition of textual information. The primary algorithm used is CRAFT (Character-Region Awareness for Text Detection), which employs a VGG-based network combined with up sampling CNNs to detect regions where text is likely to be found on the medicine strip. This approach allows the system to accurately locate and isolate text regions, even in cases where the text may be small or partially obscured.
• Once the text regions are identified, the system utilizes Sequence Models, specifically Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks, to recognize the characters within these regions. These sequence models are adept at handling the sequential nature of text, allowing for accurate character recognition even in complex font styles or distorted text. The integration of CRAFT and sequence models ensures that the present system can accurately identify and interpret text on medicine strips, providing critical information for inventory management and patient safety.
c. Identifiable tag Scanners and Colour Coding:
Each medical consumable managed by the system is assigned a unique Identifiable tag, which encodes essential information, including the medical consumable's batch number, expiry date, and classification details.
• Identifiable Tag Assignment: Upon the reception of medical consumables into the pharmacy, identifiable tags are generated and affixed to medical consumable or its packaging. These tags serve as digital identifiers, linking the physical medical consumable or stock keeping unit (SKU) to its electronic record in the inventory management system. The identifiable tags can take various forms, such as Identifiable tags, barcodes, RFID tags, NFC tags, Data Matrix codes, digital watermarks, smart labels, invisible ink codes, or blockchain-embedded tags. Each of these technologies provides a robust method for tracking and managing inventory, ensuring that medical consumables are accurately identified and traceable throughout the pharmacy’s operations.
• Code Scanning: Scanners are installed elements at critical points within the system, particularly at medical consumable placement and dispensation stations. These scanners read the tags to verify the consumable’s identity, ensuring that the correct consumable or medical consumable is placed in the designated location on the storage rack or dispensed to the patient.
• Colour Coding Scheme: The system incorporates a color-coding scheme alongside identifiable tags to enhance the organization and identification of medical consumables within the pharmacy network. This scheme categorizes medical consumables based on critical factors such as active ingredients, schedule classification, dosage forms, and whether the medical consumable is a combination product. The color-coding aids pharmacists in quickly identifying and handling medical consumables, thereby reducing the likelihood of errors during manual operations. Specific colors are assigned to different operational tasks; for example, one color might indicate medical consumables that require patient interaction, another for inventory management tasks, another for scanning processes, and yet another for automation-related activities. The specific colors used can be customized according to the pharmacy’s preferences. This visual categorization streamlines pharmacy operations, ensuring a more efficient and accurate workflow.
d. Control Unit:
The control unit is the central processing hub of the system, responsible for managing the various components and ensuring smooth operation.
• Hardware Configuration: The control unit includes a processor and memory, which are configured to run the system’s software and manage data flow between the components. The unit can be implemented using a Raspberry Pi or similar embedded device, chosen for its ability to efficiently execute the AI models used in visual inspection and the control logic for the Illumination elements and tag or code scanners.
• Functional Overview: The control unit automates the mapping of medical consumable locations on the storage racks based on the scanned data from identifiable tags. When a medical consumable is placed on a rack, the control unit triggers the corresponding illumination elements to illuminate, guiding the pharmacist to the correct placement. During dispensation, the control unit verifies the medical consumable’s identity via Identifiable tag scanning and visual inspection, and it turns off the illumination element after the medical consumable is successfully dispensed.
e. Patient Interface and Mobile App:
To enhance patient engagement and safety, the system includes a patient interface that allows patients to independently verify the details of their prescribed medical consumables.
• Mobile Application: A dedicated mobile application is a part of the system. Patients can use this app to scan the identifiable tags printed on their bills or medical consumable packaging, which provides them with detailed elements information about the medical consumables they are receiving, such as the batch number, expiry date, and dosage instructions. This feature empowers patients to confirm that they have received the correct medication and that it is safe to use.
• User-Friendly Design: The mobile app is designed to be intuitive and easy to use, ensuring that patients of all ages and technical skill levels can access their medical consumable information without difficulty. The app also provides additional functionalities, such as medical consumable reminders and dosage tracking, further enhancing patient compliance and safety.
f. Inventory Management System:
At the heart of the pharmacy’s operational efficiency is the backend inventory management system, which tracks and updates inventory levels in real-time.
• Real-Time Tracking: The system continuously monitors the stock levels of all medical consumables in the pharmacy, updating the inventory database as medical consumables are placed, dispensed, or received. This real-time tracking capability ensures that the pharmacy’s inventory is always accurate, reducing the risk of stockouts or overstocking.
• Integration with Super Master Inventory System: The system integrates with a centralized super master inventory system, enabling centralized management across multiple pharmacy locations. This integration ensures that inventory data is synchronized across all locations, providing a comprehensive overview of stock levels and facilitating efficient inventory control.
• Beginning and end-of-Day Sorting and Updates: The system supports manual beginning and end-of-day sorting and inventory updates, allowing pharmacists to reconcile inventory data with the physical stock. This manual step ensures that any discrepancies are identified and corrected before the system updates the super master inventory.
• Counting of Medical Consumables
• The present invention employs cutting-edge technology for the counting of medicine tablets, ensuring accurate inventory management. The primary model used for this purpose is Meta’s SAM (Segment Anything Model), a powerful segmentation model that incorporates Vision Transformers along with image encoders and decoders. This model excels in processing spatial information from images, allowing it to effectively segment and count individual tablets within a medicine strip.
• The Vision Transformers within the SAM model enable the system to capture long-range dependencies and contextual information within the image, ensuring that each tablet is accurately identified and counted. The image encoders and decoders work together to process and refine the image data, enhancing the precision of the segmentation process. By leveraging the SAM model, the claimed system can reliably count medical consumables, ensuring that inventory levels are accurately maintained and discrepancies are promptly identified.
g. Communication Devices:
The system leverages modern communication technologies to ensure seamless interaction between its various components.
• Bluetooth and Short-Range Communication: These technologies facilitate communication between the control unit, Illumination elements, Identifiable tag scanners, and the inventory management system. By using short-range wireless communication, the system ensures that data is transmitted quickly and securely between components, reducing latency and improving system responsiveness.
• IoT Integration: The system utilizes Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to enhance connectivity and data sharing. IoT devices are used to connect the storage racks, control unit, and inventory management system, allowing for remote monitoring and control of the pharmacy’s operations.
2. Workflow:
The workflow of the pharmacy inventory management system is designed to be both logical and efficient, ensuring that all processes are streamlined and automated.
a. Medical consumable Reception and Identifiable tag Assignment:
When medical consumables are received at the pharmacy, they are first assigned unique Identifiable tags. These codes contain critical information about each medical consumable, including its batch number, expiry date, and other classification details. This Identifiable tag assignment process is the first step in integrating the medical consumable into the system, linking its physical presence to its digital record in the inventory management system.
b. Storage Rack Placement:
After Identifiable tags are assigned, medical consumables are placed on the designated storage racks. The storage racks, designed with a slanted configuration, provide a secure environment for the medical consumables, preventing them from falling during placement or retrieval.
• Identifiable tag Scanning at Placement: As each medical consumable is placed on a rack, its identifiable tag is scanned by a scanner positioned at the placement point. This scan confirms the medical consumable’s location on the rack and updates the inventory management system with this information, ensuring that the system has an accurate record of where each medical consumable is stored.
c. Illumination Elements Activation:
Once a medical consumable is placed on the storage rack, the corresponding illumination elements for that location is automatically activated. The color-coded illumination elements illuminate to confirm the correct placement of the medical consumable and to guide the pharmacist during retrieval.
• Automated Guidance: The Illumination elements are controlled elements by the system’s control unit, which automates their activation based on the data received from the Identifiable tag scanners. This automated guidance reduces the potential for human error during medical consumable placement and retrieval.
d. Visual Inspection and Image Analysis:
To further ensure the accuracy of the system, high-resolution cameras capture images of the medical consumables on the storage racks. These images are analysed by the AI-powered image recognition software, which verifies that the correct medical consumables have been placed in the correct locations.
• Continuous Monitoring: The image recognition software continuously monitors the images captured by the cameras, comparing them against the stored database of medical consumable images and metadata. This continuous monitoring process ensures that any discrepancies are detected and corrected in real-time.
e. Medical consumable Dispensation:
When a medical consumable is to be dispensed, the system scans its Identifiable tag at the point of dispensation. This scan verifies that the correct medical consumable is being dispensed, matching the Identifiable tag data with the patient’s prescription information.
• ILLUMINATION ELEMENTS Indicator Deactivation: After the medical consumable is dispensed, the illumination elements for its storage location is automatically turned off by the control unit. This deactivation confirms that the medical consumable has been successfully dispensed and that the storage location is now vacant.
f. Patient Verification:
To ensure patient safety and confidence, the system provides a means for patients to independently verify the details of their prescribed medical consumables.
• Mobile App Verification: Patients can use the mobile application to scan the Identifiable tag on their bill or medical consumable packaging. This scan provides them with detailed elements information about the medical consumable, including its batch number, expiry date, and dosage instructions, allowing them to confirm that they have received the correct medication.
g. End of Day Sorting and Inventory Update:
At the end of each day, pharmacists perform manual end-of-day sorting to reconcile the physical inventory with the digital records in the inventory management system.
• Inventory Synchronization: After sorting, the inventory management system is updated in real-time, ensuring that the physical stock levels are accurately reflected in the system. This process also synchronizes the data with the super master inventory system, maintaining consistency across all pharmacy locations.
The pharmacy inventory management system offers numerous benefits that enhance both operational efficiency and patient safety:
• Accuracy and Efficiency: The automated processes and real-time monitoring significantly reduce the likelihood of errors in medical consumable placement and dispensation, ensuring that patients receive the correct medications every time.
• Real-Time Tracking: Continuous updates to the inventory system enable accurate stock management, preventing stockouts and overstocking, and ensuring that the pharmacy is always well-supplied.
• Patient Safety: By allowing patients to verify medical consumable information independently, the system enhances patient confidence and ensures that they have access to safe and effective medications.
• Streamlined Operations: Automation reduces the manual workload for pharmacists, allowing them to focus on patient care and other critical tasks, thereby improving overall operational efficiency.
In an additional embodiment of the automated pharmacy inventory management and drug dispensation system, the system is designed to facilitate the return, reuse, and refill of storage boxes (QR code-labeled or identifiable tag-labeled boxes) that were previously dispatched to retail stores. After the products in the boxes at the retail locations have been utilized or near depletion, the empty or partially empty boxes are returned to the central warehouse.
Upon arrival at the warehouse, these returned boxes undergo a systematic process as follows:
1. Inspection and Verification: The boxes are inspected to ensure they are in good condition for reuse. Any damaged boxes are flagged for repair or replacement, while those in good condition proceed to the next stage.
2. SKU Removal and Reassignment: Any remaining SKUs (Stock Keeping Units) within the returned boxes are removed and reassigned within the warehouse inventory system. The contents of the boxes are verified against the central inventory database to ensure accurate record-keeping.
3. Refill Process: After verification and sanitization, the boxes are refilled with the appropriate SKUs as per new orders from retail stores. The system uses its backend inventory management system to determine the required products, which are then loaded into the boxes according to the updated inventory needs.
4. Re-labeling and Re-configuration: Once refilled, the boxes are re-labeled with updated QR codes or identifiable tags, linking them to the new SKUs and their designated retail destinations. The Smart Rack Engine ensures that the information encoded in the labels corresponds accurately with the updated inventory records.
5. Dispatch: The refilled and re-labeled boxes are organized into portable shelves and dispatched back to the retail stores, where they are seamlessly integrated into the retail shelves for use in dispensing medical consumables.
, Claims:We Claim:
1. An automated inventory management and dispensation system for medical consumables, the said system comprising:
- a cloud-native AI-based smart rack engine;
- storage racks constructed from a durable material such as Aluminum coated stainless-steel; High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE); Anodized Aluminum; Stainless Steel; Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP); Tempered or Laminated Glass; Polycarbonate; Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP); Powder-Coated Steel; ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) Plastic; Borosilicate Glass; Epoxy-Coated Steel;
- high-resolution camera positioned to capture images of consumables stored on the racks, with AI-driven image recognition software continuously monitoring and comparing the captured images against a predefined database of images of medical consumables and metadata to verify its identity;
- an identifiable tag scanner at medical consumable placement and dispensation points, configured to verify medical consumable identity based on identifiable tag data and update the inventory management system accordingly;
- a control unit implemented using a Raspberry Pi or a similar embedded device, comprising a processor and memory, configured to execute AI models for visual inspection and manage the control logic for the Illumination elements and Identifiable tag scanners;
- a mobile application for patient use, providing functionalities such as medical consumable reminders, dosage tracking, and patient safety alerts, enabling patients to verify medical consumable details by scanning Identifiable tags on their bills or medical consumable packaging;
- a backend inventory management system that tracks and updates inventory levels in real-time, configured to perform manual end-of-day sorting and reconcile inventory data with physical stock before updating a centralized super master inventory system;
- a portable shelf configured to transport Identifiable tag-labeled elements boxes from the central warehouse to retail stores, with scanning and illumination guidance for the replacement of old boxes with new ones at retail shelves;
- short-range communication devices and Internet of Thing (IoT) technologies facilitating communication between the control unit, Illumination elements, Identifiable tag scanners, and the inventory management system;
wherein the cloud-native AI-based smart rack engine is configured to:
- receive and process product dispatch requests using Identifiable tag-enabled elements boxes, ensuring precise product identification and tracking across the entire inventory system;
- conduct real-time inventory audits at both the central warehouse and retail points of sale, leveraging AI-driven mechanisms to reconcile inventory records with actual physical stock;
- track point-to-point delivery of products, providing continuous monitoring of product movement and location from the central warehouse to retail stores, thereby ensuring accurate and timely delivery to designated destinations;
- optimize delivery routes using AI algorithms that assess factors such as distance, traffic conditions, and delivery schedules, facilitating efficient and cost-effective product dispatch operations.
2. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the smart rack engine is configured to integrate with a centralized ERP system at the central warehouse, allowing for the configuration of new retail shelves, labelling of identifiable tag boxes, and real-time synchronization of inventory data across multiple locations.
3. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the portable shelves used for transporting products from the central warehouse to retail stores are designed with scanning and illumination mechanisms that guide the replacement of old boxes with new ones upon arrival at the retail store.
4. The system as claimed Claim 1, wherein the AI-based audit model is configured to perform random inventory audits using existing CCTV or security cameras to count products at the retail store or central warehouse, providing an additional layer of security and accuracy.
5. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the mobile application provides additional functionalities including medical consumable reminders, dosage tracking, and patient safety alerts, enhancing patient compliance and safety.
6. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the Smart Rack Engine integrates IoT devices for enhanced connectivity between the central warehouse, retail shelves, and the backend inventory management system, allowing for remote monitoring and control of pharmacy operations.
7. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the storage racks and portable shelves are equipped with a color-coding scheme that categorizes medical consumables based on factors such as active ingredients, schedule classification, dosage forms, and combination products, wherein: green nodes indicate medical consumables that require patient interaction; blue nodes are designated for inventory management tasks; red nodes are used for scanning processes; and grey nodes represent automation-related activities, thereby enabling pharmacists to quickly identify and handle medical consumables, reducing the likelihood of errors during manual operations, wherein the specific colors assigned to each function can be customized according to the pharmacy’s operational preferences.
8. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the storage rack has a configurable design that can be flat or inclined at any angle ranging from 0 degrees to 85 degrees to securely hold and organize medical consumables.
9. The system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the control unit is implemented using a Raspberry Pi or a similar embedded device configured to execute AI models for visual inspection and control logic for the Illumination elements and Identifiable tag scanners.
10. The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pharmacy storekeeper is enabled elements to perform an automated audit by selecting a random box containing medicines or other retail goods, spreading the contents in a specified area, and using the system’s AI-driven image recognition capability to identify the brand, quantity, and chemical or common name of each product, thereby ensuring accurate inventory checks and verification.
11. The system as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the pharmacy storekeeper can automatically verify medicines during disbursement by presenting the products in a specified area for photographic capture, with the system subsequently identifying the brand, quantity, and common name of the products, and cross-verifying this information against the prescription on the user’s order to ensure correct dispensation.