Medicine monitoring method and system for medicine cabinet

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of medicine management, particularly relates to a medicine monitoring method and system for a medicine cabinet, and realizes accurate monitoring of medicine use by integrating an automatic drawer control system and a position sensing technology. Specifically, when an authorized user needs to take the medicine, the system can automatically identify and open the corresponding medicine drawer and record the taking time of the medicine and user information. Afterwards, the system can automatically assess whether the medicine needs to be supplemented or not according to the use frequency and the current stock of the medicine, and notifies a medicine manager or a central management system of the supplement demand. Therefore, the efficiency of medicine management is improved, the use and storage of the medicine are ensured to meet the specified requirements, and the effectiveness of medicine supervision is enhanced. By implementing the monitoring method, a hospital can better manage medicine resources, medicine waste is reduced, and meanwhile the quality of medical services and the satisfaction degree of patients are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of medicine management, and in particular relates to a medicine monitoring method and system for a medicine cabinet. Background Art

[0002] In the modern medical environment, hospital pharmacies have the important responsibility of providing patients with safe, accurate and timely drug services. However, traditional drug management methods rely on manual records and manual inspections, which have many shortcomings, such as low work efficiency, prone to errors, and difficulty in drug traceability. Especially in busy hospital pharmacies, faced with a large number of drug types and frequent drug circulation, how to ensure that each drug can be accurately managed and tracked has become an urgent problem to be solved.

[0003] At present, a major challenge facing hospital pharmacies is how to efficiently monitor the flow of drugs, including drug access records, inventory management, and timely replenishment. Traditional drug management methods cannot obtain real-time drug usage dynamics, nor can they automatically identify when and who has taken which drug, which has brought great inconvenience to drug safety supervision. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a medicine monitoring method and system for a medicine cabinet, which realizes accurate monitoring of medicine use by integrating an automated drawer control system and position sensing technology to solve the problems raised in the above background technology.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet, comprising the following steps:

[0006] (a) The medicine cabinet control system receives an opening instruction from an authorized user and identifies the target drawer to be operated based on the instruction; (b) After identifying the target drawer, the control system starts the target drawer motor and performs the opening action; (c) The drawer motor responds to the start signal and drives the target drawer to move until it is fully opened, during which the position sensor installed in the drawer is triggered; (d) After the position sensor detects a change in the drawer state, it records the opening time and transmits this information back to the control system; (e) The control system receives the time information, updates the most recent use time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer in the database, and calculates the time interval since the last use; (f) Based on the updated use time, the control system evaluates the drug inventory. If the inventory is lower than the pre-set reminder level, a replenishment demand is generated; (g) After the replenishment demand is generated, it is sent to the designated drug management personnel or central management system through the network module; (h) While sending the replenishment demand, the control system waits to receive a confirmation reply from the management personnel or the system. After receiving the confirmation, the control system commands the drawer motor to close the drawer and records the end of this operation.

[0007] Preferably, step (a) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0008] (a1) The authorized user communicates the intention to open the drawer to the system, which is accompanied by the unique number of the target drawer;

[0009] (a2) The system receives the opening signal in (a1) and locks the drawer number in the information;

[0010] (a3) Use the number locked in step (a2) as a variable input into the positioning equation to calculate the target drawer position, Pdrawer = g(Ndrawer) where Ndrawer is the target drawer number locked in step (a2), g is a process that represents the operation of using the number to determine the drawer position, and Pdrawer is the drawer position information obtained in step (a3), and this position information is used to construct the instruction set in step (a4);

[0011] (a4) The output of the positioning equation represents the location information of the target drawer, which is used to construct the instruction set;

[0012] The instruction set (a5) directs the motor to move according to the content constructed in (a4) to open the target drawer.

[0013] Preferably, step (b) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0014] (b1) The control system completes the resolution of the target drawer identifier;

[0015] (b2) using the formula Imotor = g(IDdrawer), where IDdrawer is the drawer identifier parsed in (b1), g represents the process of determining the motor start command, and Imotor represents the generated motor start command;

[0016] (b3) After Imotor is generated, Sdrawer = h(Imotor) is executed, where h represents the process of the motor starting causing the drawer state to change, and Sdrawer is the state of the drawer;

[0017] (b4) The drawer status Sdrawer is recorded by the system and serves as the basis for subsequent operations.

[0018] Preferably, step (c) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0019] (c1) the start signal Sstart is received by the drawer motor;

[0020] (c2) The motor converts Sstart into motion energy, which is expressed as Emotion = f(Sstart), where f represents the conversion process and Emotion represents the generated motion energy;

[0021] (c3) The motion energy Emotion drives the target drawer to move until the position sensor Psensor is triggered. This process can be expressed as Psensor = q(Emotion), where q represents the relationship between the drawer movement and the position sensor triggering;

[0022] (c4) The position sensor Psensor is triggered to confirm that the drawer is fully opened, and the system records this event as Lstatus, that is, Lstatus = r (Psensor), where r represents the recording process.

[0023] Preferably, step (d) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0024] (d1) The position sensor detects a change in the drawer state and generates a state change signal Schange;

[0025] (d2) Calculate the current time Tcurrent based on Schange, using the formula Tcurrent=t(Schange), where t represents the process of obtaining the current time;

[0026] (d3) recording the time Tcurrent and storing it in association with the drawer state to form a record entry Erecord, that is, Erecord = u(Tcurrent), where u represents the recording process;

[0027] (d4) The record entry Erecord is transmitted to the control system, and the control system receives the record entry and updates the drawer status information.

[0028] Preferably, step (e) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0029] (e1) The control system receives the time information Tcurrent;

[0030] (e2) updating the last use time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer in the database to TlastUse = Tcurrent;

[0031] (e3) Read the last use time TpreviousUse;

[0032] (e4) Calculate the time interval Tinterval as Tinterval=TlastUse-TpreviousUse;

[0033] (e5) The time interval Tinterval is stored in the database as the value of TpreviousUse for the next calculation.

[0034] Preferably, step (f) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0035] (f1) The control system evaluates the drug inventory Q based on the updated usage time TlastUse;

[0036] (f2) Setting a reminder level Qthreshold, when the drug inventory Q falls below this level, triggering a replenishment request;

[0037] (f3) Compare the current stock Q with the warning level Qthreshold, that is, C = Q-Qthreshold;

[0038] (f4) If C<0, it indicates that replenishment is needed, and the control system generates a replenishment demand signal;

[0039] (f5) Send a replenishment request signal to the procurement system, record the replenishment request, and update the drug inventory status.

[0040] Preferably, step (g) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0041] (g1) After generating the supplementary demand, record the demand information D and prepare for transmission;

[0042] (g2) Determine the recipient address R according to the preset address list A;

[0043] (g3) construct a message packet M, which includes the demand information D and the recipient address R;

[0044] (g4) Sending message packet M to recipient address R through the network module;

[0045] (g5) Confirm the sending status S, and if S indicates success, update the drug management record to reflect that the refill request has been sent.

[0046] Preferably, step (h) comprises the following sub-steps:

[0047] (h1) When the replenishment request is sent, the control system enters the waiting mode W, ready to receive a confirmation reply;

[0048] (h2) After receiving the confirmation information C, the control system verifies the validity of C;

[0049] (h3) After the verification is passed, the control system outputs a motor start signal Sm, and instructs the drawer motor to perform a closing action based on Sm;

[0050] (h4) After the drawer is closed, the control system receives a completion signal Sf to confirm that the operation is complete;

[0051] (h5) The control system updates the operation log L based on Sf to record the completion status of this operation.

[0052] Another aspect of the present invention provides a medicine monitoring system for a medicine cabinet, comprising:

[0053] Instruction receiving and parsing module: responsible for receiving the opening instruction from the authorized user and parsing the information of the target drawer to be operated;

[0054] Drawer motor start module: according to the information provided by the instruction receiving and parsing module, start the corresponding target drawer motor and execute the drawer opening action;

[0055] Drawer movement execution module: After the motor responds to the start signal, it controls the drawer to move along the guide rail until it is fully opened, during which the position sensor is triggered;

[0056] Position sensing and information recording module: The position sensor detects the state change of the drawer and records the time when the drawer is opened, and then transmits this information back to the control system;

[0057] Database update and calculation module: receiving time information, updating the most recent use time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer in the database, and calculating the time interval since the last use based on the new time data;

[0058] Stock evaluation and replenishment demand generation module: evaluates drug stock based on the latest usage time, and generates replenishment demand when the stock is found to be lower than the preset threshold;

[0059] Supplementary demand sending module: sends the supplementary demand generated by the inventory assessment and supplementary demand generation module to the drug management personnel or the central management system through the network interface;

[0060] Confirmation feedback and operation end recording module: After sending the supplementary request, wait for the confirmation reply. After receiving the confirmation, send a closing command to the drawer motor and record the end status of the operation.

[0061] The drug monitoring method and system for a medicine cabinet proposed by the present invention have the following advantages compared with the prior art:

[0062] The present invention realizes accurate monitoring of drug use by integrating an automated drawer control system with position sensing technology. Specifically, when an authorized user needs to take medicine, the system will automatically identify and open the corresponding medicine drawer, and record the time of taking the medicine and the user information. Subsequently, the system can automatically evaluate whether the medicine needs to be replenished based on the frequency of use and current inventory of the medicine, and notify the drug management personnel or the central management system of the replenishment demand. This not only improves the efficiency of drug management, but also ensures that the use and storage of drugs meet the prescribed requirements, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of drug supervision. By implementing this monitoring method, hospitals can better manage drug resources, reduce drug waste, and at the same time improve the quality of medical services and patient satisfaction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0063] Figure 1 It is a flow chart of the drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet of the present invention;

[0064] Figure 2 The block diagram of the drug monitoring system for a medicine cabinet of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. The specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the present invention. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0066] The present invention provides a drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet, which aims to achieve accurate monitoring of drug use by integrating an automated drawer control system and position sensing technology. The details are as follows:

[0067] like Figure 1 As shown, in this embodiment, the drug monitoring method for the medicine cabinet includes the following steps:

[0068] (a) The medicine cabinet control system receives an opening instruction from an authorized user and identifies a target drawer to be operated based on the instruction; specifically, the following sub-steps are included:

[0069] (a1) The authorized user communicates the intention to open the system, which is accompanied by the unique number of the target drawer; specifically, the user first needs to be authenticated, such as through a security mechanism such as a password, fingerprint or facial recognition to confirm his access rights. The authorized user selects the required medicines through an interactive interface (such as a touch screen or a dedicated terminal) and enters or selects the unique number of the target drawer.

[0070] (a2) The system receives the opening signal in (a1) and locks the drawer number in the information; the control system continuously monitors the input signal from the user end. Once a valid opening request is detected, it immediately reads and locks the input target drawer number, and the number information is recorded as the input variable for the next step.

[0071] (a3) Use the number locked in step (a2) as a variable input into the positioning equation to calculate the target drawer position, Pdrawer = g(Ndrawer) where Ndrawer is the target drawer number locked in step (a2), g is a process that represents the operation of using the number to determine the drawer position, and Pdrawer is the drawer position information obtained in step (a3), and this position information is used to construct the instruction set in step (a4);

[0072] (a4) The output of the positioning equation represents the position information of the target drawer, which is used to construct the instruction set; based on the Pdrawer position information, the control system generates an instruction set that contains all the details required to start the corresponding motor to open the target drawer. The instruction set may include, but is not limited to, parameters such as motor start sequence, rotation direction, speed, and rotation angle.

[0073] (a5) The instruction set instructs the motor to move according to the content constructed in (a4) to open the target drawer. The control system sends instructions to the corresponding motor according to the parameters defined in the instruction set to drive the motor to work. The motor starts according to the received instructions and drives the drawer to move along the track until it is fully opened. During the opening process, the position sensor monitors the movement status of the drawer to ensure that the drawer stops correctly in the fully open position.

[0074] Through the above steps, the system can accurately open the correct drawer according to the instructions of the authorized user, and provide a basis for subsequent drug use records and inventory management. In addition, this design also improves the safety and management efficiency of the medicine cabinet.

[0075] (b) After identifying the target drawer, the control system starts the motor of the target drawer and performs the opening action; specifically, the control system includes the following sub-steps:

[0076] (b1) The control system completes the resolution of the target drawer identifier; after the user issues a request to open the drawer, the control system has locked the identifier of the target drawer (IDdrawer). At this point, the control system further resolves the identifier to ensure that it corresponds to a valid and existing drawer. The resolution process may include checking the database or configuration file to confirm whether the drawer is in an openable state (for example, whether it has been locked by other users, whether there is sufficient authority to open it, etc.).

[0077] (b2) Using the formula Imotor=g(IDdrawer), where IDdrawer is the drawer identifier parsed in (b1), g represents the process of determining the motor start command, and Imotor represents the generated motor start command; the control system applies a predetermined function g to generate the motor start command Imotor based on the parsed drawer identifier IDdrawer. Here, the function g may be a set of logical rules or a lookup table that maps the drawer identifier to a corresponding motor control sequence.

[0078] For example, different drawers may be connected to different motors, or the same motor may open different drawers through different control signals. Therefore, Imotor contains parameters such as motor number, starting voltage, and running time.

[0079] (b3) After Imotor is generated, Sdrawer = h(Imotor) is executed, where h represents the process of the motor starting to change the state of the drawer, and Sdrawer is the state of the drawer; once the Imotor instruction is generated, the control system immediately sends this instruction to the specified motor. Function h describes the actual action of the motor after receiving Imotor, that is, the motor starts to work according to the instruction, driving the drawer to move along the guide rail until it opens. During this process, there may be a feedback mechanism to monitor the working status of the motor and the position of the drawer to ensure that the action is carried out as expected.

[0080] (b4) The drawer status Sdrawer is recorded by the system as the basis for subsequent operations. When the drawer is successfully opened, the control system will record the drawer status information Sdrawer, including but not limited to the opening timestamp, the identity information of the operating user, etc. This status information is crucial for subsequent drug use tracking, inventory management and security audits. The control system can also trigger other related tasks based on this status information, such as updating drug inventory, reminding to refill drugs, etc.

[0081] Through the above steps, the medicine cabinet control system can not only effectively control the opening of individual drawers, but also ensure that each operation is correctly recorded, thereby improving the safety and efficiency of medicine management.

[0082] (c) The drawer motor responds to the start signal and drives the target drawer to move until it is fully opened, during which the position sensor installed in the drawer is triggered; specifically, the following sub-steps are included:

[0083] (c1) The start signal Sstart is received by the drawer motor; when the control system sends the start signal to the motor, the circuit board inside the motor receives and decodes the signal. This signal may be a digital signal transmitted via CAN bus, RS-485 or other communication protocols. After the motor control unit detects a valid start signal, it is ready to execute the next step.

[0084] (c2) The motor converts Sstart into motion energy, expressed as Emotion = f(Sstart), where f represents the conversion process and Emotion represents the generated motion energy; after receiving the start signal, the control logic inside the motor starts to work and calculates the required current intensity and direction to generate the necessary rotational torque. The motor generates rotational motion by adjusting its internal electromagnetic field. This process is described by the function f, which converts the start signal into actual mechanical motion energy Emotion. The size of Emotion depends on the parameter values ​​of Sstart, such as voltage level, duration and frequency.

[0085] (c3) The motion energy Emotion drives the target drawer to move until the position sensor Psensor is triggered. This process can be expressed as Psensor = q(Emotion), where q represents the relationship between the drawer movement and the triggering of the position sensor. The rotational motion generated by the motor is transmitted to the drawer's sliding device through a transmission mechanism (such as gears or belts), causing the drawer to move outward along the guide rail.

[0086] The position sensor installed on the drawer monitors the position change of the drawer. As the drawer moves, the sensor gradually approaches its trigger point. When the drawer reaches the fully open position, the position sensor is triggered, indicating that the drawer has been fully opened.

[0087] (c4) The position sensor Psensor is triggered to confirm that the drawer is fully opened, and the system records this event as Lstatus, that is, Lstatus = r (Psensor), where r represents the recording process. After the position sensor Psensor is triggered, it sends a signal to the control system indicating that the drawer has reached its maximum opening position.

[0088] After the control system receives the signal from the position sensor, it records this event through function r and saves it as Lstatus, that is, the drawer status record.

[0089] In addition, the control system may also record other relevant information, such as operation time, operator identity, etc., for easy tracking and auditing.

[0090] Through the above steps, the medicine cabinet system can not only automatically control the opening of the drawer, but also monitor the status of the drawer in real time to ensure the safety and reliability of the operation. This is crucial to ensure the safety of the drug storage environment and meet compliance requirements.

[0091] (d) After the position sensor detects the drawer state change, it records the opening time and transmits this information back to the control system; specifically, it includes the following sub-steps:

[0092] (d1) The position sensor detects the change in the state of the drawer and generates a state change signal Schange; the position sensor is usually a photoelectric sensor, a magnetic switch or a proximity sensor, which can detect the displacement change of the drawer relative to a fixed position. When the state of the drawer changes (for example, from closed to open or vice versa), the position sensor detects this change and generates a state change signal. This signal is a digital signal used to notify the control system that the drawer state has changed.

[0093] (d2) Based on Schange, calculate the current time Tcurrent, the formula is Tcurrent = t(Schange), where t represents the process of obtaining the current time; when the position sensor generates the Schange signal, the sensor or the microcontroller connected to it will immediately read the current timestamp, and this process can be represented by the function t. The timestamp can be provided by the real-time clock (RTC) integrated in the sensor module, or the current time obtained from an external server through the Network Time Protocol (NTP). The calculated current time Tcurrent is the exact moment when the drawer state changes.

[0094] (d3) Record the time Tcurrent and store it in association with the drawer state to form a record entry Erecord, that is, Erecord = u(Tcurrent), where u represents the recording process; the microcontroller or sensor module packages the current time and the drawer state information into a record entry. The creation process of this record entry can be represented by function u, which is responsible for storing the timestamp and state information in association. The purpose of this is to be able to track when the drawer is opened or closed, and the duration of each operation.

[0095] (d4) The record entry Erecord is transmitted to the control system, and the control system receives the record entry and updates the drawer status information. The generated record entry is sent to the central control system via a communication interface (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, wired connection, etc.).

[0096] After receiving the Erecord, the control system will update the status information of the drawer and may record this information in the database for subsequent analysis or reporting. The control system may also take further actions based on the new status information, such as sending notifications to managers or automatically performing certain operations according to preset rules.

[0097] Through such a mechanism, the medicine cabinet system can monitor the status of each drawer in real time and keep the latest status records, which is extremely important for managing drug access, maintaining safety standards and improving work efficiency.

[0098] (e) The control system receives the time information, updates the most recent use time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer in the database, and calculates the time interval since the last use; specifically, it includes the following sub-steps:

[0099] (e1) The control system receives time information Tcurrent; the control system receives the timestamp of the drawer status change from the position sensor or the drawer status detection system through the network or the internal bus. The received data may also include the drawer number or other identifier to facilitate the control system to determine which drawer status has changed.

[0100] (e2) Update the last usage time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer in the database to TlastUse = Tcurrent; the control system parses the received information packet, extracts the timestamp Tcurrent and the drawer number, and then accesses the corresponding table entry in the database to find the medicine record associated with the drawer, and updates the last usage time field of the medicine to the received timestamp.

[0101] (e3) Read the last use time TpreviousUse; while updating the most recent use time, the control system also needs to read the last use time TpreviousUse of the drug, which is usually obtained by directly querying the database. If this is the first time a drug is used, TpreviousUse may be empty or the default initialization time.

[0102] (e4) Calculate the time interval Tinterval as Tinterval=TlastUse-TpreviousUse; the control system calculates the time difference between the last use and the current use. This step may involve converting the timestamps into the same time unit (such as seconds or minutes) for ease of calculation.

[0103] (e5) The time interval Tinterval is stored in the database as the value of TpreviousUse for the next calculation. The calculated time interval is stored in the database and can be used as an independent field to record the frequency of drug use.

[0104] At the same time, the value of Tinterval will replace the original TpreviousUse and become the reference time for the next calculation. This update operation ensures that the time information in the database is always up to date and provides a continuous historical usage record.

[0105] Through the above steps, the medicine cabinet management system can not only accurately record the use time of medicines, but also dynamically monitor the frequency of medicine use and make corresponding decisions based on this information, such as notifying staff to replenish medicines or reminding users that a certain medicine is about to expire.

[0106] (f) The control system evaluates the drug inventory based on the updated usage time, and generates a replenishment request if the inventory is lower than a preset reminder level; specifically, the following sub-steps are included:

[0107] (f1) The control system evaluates the drug inventory Q based on the updated usage time TlastUse; the control system first needs to estimate the current drug inventory Q based on the latest TlastUse and the average daily consumption of the drug. The average daily consumption can be calculated based on historical data or can be a preset fixed value.

[0108] For example, if the average daily consumption of a drug is known to be D, the amount of the drug consumed can be estimated based on the difference between the last use time and the current time, thereby calculating the remaining stock Q = initial quantity - D*(Tcurrent - TlastUse) / time unit.

[0109] (f2) Set the reminder level Qthreshold. When the drug inventory Q falls below this level, the replenishment demand is triggered. The reminder level is a preset threshold that determines when the drug replenishment demand should be triggered. This threshold can be set based on the importance of the drug, the difficulty of supply, and the average replenishment time.

[0110] For example, for some critical drugs, you may want to initiate a refill request when the remaining quantity is sufficient to support a few days to avoid the risk of supply interruption.

[0111] (f3) Compare the current stock Q with the warning level Qthreshold, that is, C = Q-Qthreshold; the control system performs a subtraction operation between Q and Qthreshold to obtain C. The value of C reflects the difference between the current stock and the warning level.

[0112] (f4) If C<0, it indicates that replenishment is needed, and the control system generates a replenishment demand signal; the control system will generate a replenishment demand signal, which can be the setting of an internal flag or a message or instruction.

[0113] (f5) Send a replenishment request signal to the purchasing system, record the replenishment request, and update the drug inventory status. The control system sends the replenishment request signal to the system or department responsible for drug procurement.

[0114] At the same time, information such as the time of occurrence of the replenishment request, type of medicine, and estimated replenishment quantity is recorded in the database.

[0115] Update the drug inventory status, such as marking the drug status as "low stock" or "refill requested".

[0116] Through the above steps, the drug management system can automatically monitor the use of drugs and initiate replenishment requests in a timely manner, thereby ensuring sufficient supply of drugs and reducing the risk of service interruption due to out-of-stock. In addition, such a system can also help optimize inventory management, reduce unnecessary drug backlogs, improve efficiency and reduce costs.

[0117] (g) After the replenishment demand is generated, it is sent to the designated drug management personnel or central management system through the network module; specifically, it includes the following sub-steps:

[0118] (g1) After generating the replenishment demand, record the demand information D and prepare for transmission; the demand information includes but is not limited to the name of the drug, the quantity required for replenishment, the priority, the expected arrival time, etc. This information is recorded to ensure that important details are not lost during the transmission process. Preparing for transmission means converting the demand information into a data format suitable for network transmission, such as JSON or XML.

[0119] (g2) Determine the recipient address R based on the preset address list A; the address list A should contain the contact information of all relevant personnel or systems that may receive the replenishment request notification, such as email addresses, instant messaging software IDs or API interface URLs. The control system selects the appropriate R from A, depending on the urgency of the request, the type of drug, and other preset rules (for example, certain drugs can only be handled by specific personnel).

[0120] (g3) Construct a message package M, which contains the demand information D and the recipient address R; the message package M is a structured data packet that contains the demand information D and the recipient address R. This step may involve creating a template message and then filling in the demand information and the recipient address. If necessary, additional information may be added, such as the sender's identification, sending timestamp, etc., to track the status of the message.

[0121] (g4) Send the message packet M to the recipient address R through the network module; use the network module (such as HTTP client, SMTP client or other applicable communication protocols) to send the message packet M. The network module should have error handling capabilities to deal with possible network problems, such as connection failure, timeout, etc. A retry mechanism may need to be configured to ensure that the message is successfully sent.

[0122] (g5) Confirm the sending status S. If S indicates success, update the drug management record to reflect that the replenishment request has been sent. After the sending is completed, the network module should return a sending status S to indicate whether the sending is successful.

[0123] If S indicates that the request was sent successfully, the record should be updated in the drug management system to reflect that the request for replenishment has been sent. At the same time, the sending timestamp, the recipient's response (if any), and other information can also be recorded as a basis for subsequent audits or troubleshooting.

[0124] Through the above steps, the drug management system can effectively manage drug replenishment requests and ensure that these requests can be correctly communicated to the corresponding responsible persons or systems, thereby ensuring the smooth operation of the drug supply chain.

[0125] (h) While sending the replenishment request, the control system waits for a confirmation reply from the manager or the system. After receiving the confirmation, the control system commands the drawer motor to close the drawer and records the end of the operation. The specific steps include the following:

[0126] (h1) When the replenishment request is sent, the control system enters the waiting mode W, ready to receive the confirmation reply; the control system needs to configure a listening thread or process to receive the confirmation reply from the external system. Entering the waiting mode means that the control system will not perform other operations until the confirmation message C is received. The control system may also need to set a timeout to prevent the confirmation message from being received for a long time due to network problems.

[0127] (h2) After receiving the confirmation information C, the control system verifies the validity of C; the confirmation information C may contain a confirmation code, a timestamp, and possibly a signature or hash value to verify the authenticity of the information. The control system needs to check this information to ensure that the confirmation information comes from the expected source and has not been tampered with. If the verification fails, the control system should record the abnormal situation and may need to resend the supplementary request or notify the administrator to handle it.

[0128] (h3) After verification, the control system outputs a motor start signal Sm, and instructs the drawer motor to perform the closing action based on Sm; once the confirmation information passes the verification, the control system generates a start signal. This signal is designed to be compatible with the drawer motor control interface and can directly trigger the motor action. After receiving Sm, the drawer motor starts to execute the drawer closing operation.

[0129] (h4) After the drawer is closed, the control system receives a completion signal Sf to confirm that the operation is complete; after the drawer motor completes the closing action, it will send a completion signal Sf to the control system. After the control system receives Sf, it confirms that the drawer has been completely closed and the operation is complete. If Sf is not received within the predetermined time, the control system should trigger an alarm or take other measures, such as trying to send Sm again or notifying the administrator.

[0130] (h5) The control system updates the operation log L based on Sf to record the completion status of this operation. After receiving Sf, the control system updates its operation log L to record the completion status of the replenishment request, confirmation reply, and drawer closing operation. The log entries may include but are not limited to key information such as operation time, confirmation information content, and drawer closing status. In addition, if an abnormality occurs at any stage, it should also be recorded for subsequent analysis and improvement.

[0131] Through the above steps, the control system can automatically manage and monitor the important links in the drug replenishment process and improve the accuracy and efficiency of operations.

[0132] On the other hand, this embodiment also provides a medicine monitoring system for a medicine cabinet, such as Figure 2 As shown, including:

[0133] Instruction receiving and parsing module: responsible for receiving the opening instruction from the authorized user and parsing the information of the target drawer to be operated;

[0134] Drawer motor start module: according to the information provided by the instruction receiving and parsing module, start the corresponding target drawer motor and execute the drawer opening action;

[0135] Drawer movement execution module: After the motor responds to the start signal, it controls the drawer to move along the guide rail until it is fully opened, during which the position sensor is triggered;

[0136] Position sensing and information recording module: The position sensor detects the state change of the drawer and records the time when the drawer is opened, and then transmits this information back to the control system;

[0137] Database update and calculation module: receiving time information, updating the most recent use time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer in the database, and calculating the time interval since the last use based on the new time data;

[0138] Stock evaluation and replenishment demand generation module: evaluates drug stock based on the latest usage time, and generates replenishment demand when the stock is found to be lower than the preset threshold;

[0139] Supplementary demand sending module: sends the supplementary demand generated by the inventory assessment and supplementary demand generation module to the drug management personnel or the central management system through the network interface;

[0140] Confirmation feedback and operation end recording module: After sending the supplementary request, wait for the confirmation reply. After receiving the confirmation, send a closing command to the drawer motor and record the end status of the operation.

[0141] In addition, the above modules are also used to implement other steps of the above-mentioned drug monitoring method for the medicine cabinet when executed, which will not be described one by one here.

[0142] In summary, accurate monitoring of drug use is achieved through integrated automated drawer control systems and position sensing technology.

[0143] Specifically, when an authorized user needs to take medicine, the system will automatically identify and open the corresponding medicine drawer, and record the time of taking the medicine and the user information. Subsequently, the system can automatically evaluate whether the medicine needs to be replenished based on the frequency of use and current inventory of the medicine, and notify the medicine manager or central management system of the replenishment demand. This not only improves the efficiency of medicine management, but also ensures that the use and storage of medicines meet the prescribed requirements, and enhances the effectiveness of medicine supervision. By implementing this monitoring method, hospitals can better manage medicine resources, reduce medicine waste, and improve the quality of medical services and patient satisfaction.

[0144] Finally, it should be noted that the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, it is still possible for those skilled in the art to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments or to make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features therein. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet, characterized in that: The steps include: (a) The medicine cabinet control system receives an opening instruction from an authorized user and identifies a target drawer to be operated based on the instruction; (b) after identifying the target drawer, the control system starts the motor of the target drawer and performs the opening action; (c) the drawer motor responds to the start signal and drives the target drawer to move until it is fully opened, during which the position sensor installed in the drawer is triggered; (d) After the position sensor detects the change in the drawer state, it records the opening time and transmits this information back to the control system; (e) the control system receives the time information, updates the database with the most recent use time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer, and calculates the time interval since the last use; (f) Based on the updated usage time, the control system evaluates the drug inventory and generates a refill request if the inventory is below a pre-set alert level; (g) After the replenishment demand is generated, it is sent to the designated drug management personnel or central management system through the network module; (h) While sending the replenishment request, the control system waits to receive a confirmation reply from the manager or the system. After receiving the confirmation, the control system commands the drawer motor to close the drawer and records the end of the operation.

2. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet according to claim 1, characterized in that: Step (a) comprises the following sub-steps: (a1) The authorized user communicates the intention to open the drawer to the system, which is accompanied by the unique number of the target drawer; (a2) The system receives the opening signal in (a1) and locks the drawer number in the information; (a3) Use the number locked in step (a2) as a variable input into the positioning equation to calculate the target drawer position, Pdrawer = g(Ndrawer) where Ndrawer is the target drawer number locked in step (a2), g is a process that represents the operation of using the number to determine the drawer position, and Pdrawer is the drawer position information obtained in step (a3), and this position information is used to construct the instruction set in step (a4); (a4) The output of the positioning equation represents the location information of the target drawer, which is used to construct the instruction set; The instruction set (a5) directs the motor to move according to the content constructed in (a4) to open the target drawer.

3. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet according to claim 2, characterized in that: Step (b) comprises the following sub-steps: (b1) The control system completes the resolution of the target drawer identifier; (b2) using the formula Imotor = g(IDdrawer), where IDdrawer is the drawer identifier parsed in (b1), g represents the process of determining the motor start command, and Imotor represents the generated motor start command; (b3) After Imotor is generated, Sdrawer = h(Imotor) is executed, where h represents the process of the motor starting causing the drawer state to change, and Sdrawer is the state of the drawer; (b4) The drawer status Sdrawer is recorded by the system and serves as the basis for subsequent operations.

4. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet according to claim 3, characterized in that: Step (c) comprises the following sub-steps: (c1) the start signal Sstart is received by the drawer motor; (c2) The motor converts Sstart into motion energy, which is expressed as Emotion = f(Sstart), where f represents the conversion process and Emotion represents the generated motion energy; (c3) The motion energy Emotion drives the target drawer to move until the position sensor Psensor is triggered. This process can be expressed as Psensor = q(Emotion), where q represents the relationship between the drawer movement and the position sensor triggering; (c4) The position sensor Psensor is triggered to confirm that the drawer is fully opened, and the system records this event as Lstatus, that is, Lstatus = r (Psensor), where r represents the recording process.

5. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet according to claim 4, characterized in that: Step (d) comprises the following sub-steps: (d1) The position sensor detects a change in the drawer state and generates a state change signal Schange; (d2) Calculate the current time Tcurrent based on Schange, using the formula Tcurrent=t(Schange), where t represents the process of obtaining the current time; (d3) recording the time Tcurrent and storing it in association with the drawer state to form a record entry Erecord, that is, Erecord = u(Tcurrent), where u represents the recording process; (d4) The record entry Erecord is transmitted to the control system, and the control system receives the record entry and updates the drawer status information.

6. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet according to claim 5, characterized in that: Step (e) comprises the following sub-steps: (e1) The control system receives the time information Tcurrent; (e2) updating the last use time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer in the database to TlastUse = Tcurrent; (e3) Read the last use time TpreviousUse; (e4) Calculate the time interval Tinterval as Tinterval=TlastUse-TpreviousUse; (e5) The time interval Tinterval is stored in the database as the value of TpreviousUse for the next calculation.

7. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet according to claim 6, characterized in that: Step (f) comprises the following sub-steps: (f1) The control system evaluates the drug inventory Q based on the updated usage time TlastUse; (f2) Setting a reminder level Qthreshold, when the drug inventory Q falls below this level, triggering a replenishment request; (f3) Compare the current stock Q with the warning level Qthreshold, that is, C = Q-Qthreshold; (f4) If C<0, it indicates that replenishment is needed, and the control system generates a replenishment demand signal; (f5) Send a replenishment request signal to the procurement system, record the replenishment request, and update the drug inventory status.

8. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet according to claim 7, characterized in that: Step (g) comprises the following sub-steps: (g1) After generating the supplementary demand, record the demand information D and prepare for transmission; (g2) Determine the recipient address R according to the preset address list A; (g3) construct a message packet M, which includes the demand information D and the recipient address R; (g4) Sending message packet M to recipient address R through the network module; (g5) Confirm the sending status S, and if S indicates success, update the drug management record to reflect that the refill request has been sent.

9. A drug monitoring method for a medicine cabinet according to claim 8, characterized in that: Step (h) comprises the following sub-steps: (h1) When the replenishment request is sent, the control system enters the waiting mode W, ready to receive a confirmation reply; (h2) After receiving the confirmation information C, the control system verifies the validity of C; (h3) After the verification is passed, the control system outputs a motor start signal Sm, and instructs the drawer motor to perform a closing action based on Sm; (h4) After the drawer is closed, the control system receives a completion signal Sf to confirm that the operation is complete; (h5) The control system updates the operation log L based on Sf to record the completion status of this operation.

10. A drug monitoring system for a medicine cabinet, characterized in that: include: Instruction receiving and parsing module: responsible for receiving the opening instruction from the authorized user and parsing the information of the target drawer to be operated; Drawer motor start module: according to the information provided by the instruction receiving and parsing module, start the corresponding target drawer motor and execute the drawer opening action; Drawer movement execution module: After the motor responds to the start signal, it controls the drawer to move along the guide rail until it is fully opened, during which the position sensor is triggered; Position sensing and information recording module: The position sensor detects the state change of the drawer and records the time when the drawer is opened, and then transmits this information back to the control system; Database update and calculation module: receiving time information, updating the most recent use time of the medicine in the corresponding drawer in the database, and calculating the time interval since the last use based on the new time data; Stock evaluation and replenishment demand generation module: evaluates drug stock based on the latest usage time, and generates replenishment demand when the stock is found to be lower than the preset threshold; Supplementary demand sending module: sends the supplementary demand generated by the inventory assessment and supplementary demand generation module to the drug management personnel or the central management system through the network interface; Confirmation feedback and operation end recording module: After sending the supplementary request, wait for the confirmation reply. After receiving the confirmation, send a closing command to the drawer motor and record the end status of the operation.

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