GSL IntelliSys - Designing Gen 2 of the Popular IntelliVault Drug Storage and Retrieval System
GSL Solutions is the brainchild of engineer Steve Garrett and pharmacist Shelton Louie. The company’s popular drug storage and retrieval product line includes several products that track and store medicines. Each product can be used alone or combined with other products for a seamless workflow.
All of the products use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to track medications. The full suite of GSL Solutions products are integrated in a single software to reduce labor and improve medication security and patient safety.
The IntelliVault is a Gen 2 product that was created following the success of the first generation IntelliCab. The IntelliVault was designed to meet a very specific need: secure drug storage and access to controlled medications.
The IntelliVault MTB (Meds-to-Bed) is a modified version of the IntelliVault, and is designed to provide safe and secure storage of controlled medications that can then be dispensed at the patient’s bedside.
The IntelliCab is the original IntelliSys product. It provides secure drug storage for non-controlled medications. It uses RFID-based tracking to identify, track, and store prescriptions.
The Challenge
Following the massive marketplace success of the the first generation IntelliCab, the team at GSL found itself facing a new challenge based on the medical community’s growing need for safe, secure storage of controlled medications.
The original IntelliCab provided secure storage, but individual RFID tracked SmartBaskets could still be accessed by anyone in the pharmacy. Unauthorized access would set off an alarm, but did not stop someone from accessing the medication inside. Pharmacies were using a variety of methods to keep controlled medications secure; some even went as far as purchasing gun safes to store the medications.
Obviously, this was not a great solution. Needs change, and products must change with them. Based on the success of the IntelliCab, GSL was 100% ready to reinvest in updating the popular IntelliSys products, building on the successes of the first generation products as well as making design updates that would improve the company’s ability to meet user needs in the future.
Following the powerful collaboration between our two companies that created the original IntelliCab, GSL turned once more to the team at Timberline to tackle the product’s next evolution.
What We Did
First, we needed to provide an industrial design “facelift” while ensuring ease of use for pharmacists and technicians.
The IntelliVault products are designed to be workhorses; that means they must be able to withstand the wear and tear of daily use. We also needed to be sure that, when service was necessary, it could be done efficiently, with minimal interruptions to a busy pharmacy.
To achieve this end, Timberline revamped the product’s industrial design to include new injection molded features and styling, including new rounded corners and injection molded top and front panels. We also redesigned the cabinet’s access points to make it easier for technicians to check diagnostics, replace components, and perform other service tasks.
In addition to providing easier access, these design updates also addressed ease of manufacturing. The new injection molded panels meant less assembly and reduced labor during manufacturing. These all translate to reduced manufacturing costs for the customer.
Next, we needed to address the storage system’s new functionality requirements.
This included electronic and mechanical design for new performance features, most importantly the IntelliVault’s new mechanical and electrical lock system that would securely hold medications until the system authenticates and approves access for pickup.
The new IntelliVault’s discrete “pick to light” system was the result of these efforts. Once a customer arrives for pickup, the system alerts the IntelliVault and provides a light notification for the correct drawer. The technician then uses their unique ID badge to open the locked drawer and access the medication. Safe, secure, easy to use.
To further enhance functionality, a thermal printer was integrated into the products’ cab top server. This would allow pharmacy employees to print out customer information.
Finally, we needed to create a modular family of products that could be integrated to work together, dependent on a pharmacy’s unique needs.
To achieve this end, Timberline designed the products in several configurations that would incorporate many of the same components for ease of manufacturing. This included 2, 3, and 4-drawer options. All models include flexible configurations for access points.
Project Management Expertise
Timberline’s design expertise is matched by our team’s deep project management experience. This was a complex project, with over two dozen vendors involved in total. Because of our previous experience working together, GSL knew they could leave the management of all of these vendors in Timberline’s very capable hands. Once the new product designs were complete, our team continued to manage the project to make manufacturing a painless process for our customer.
This included startup tooling and production startup. Timberline was an invaluable partner during this process, acting as a technical partner and interface between production and the customer, allowing the customer to focus on their own core competencies.
The Result
This collaboration with GSL resulted in an expanded product line that continues to make GSL an industry leader, with GSL products making their way into many of the major pharmacy chains throughout the county. In addition, the new IntelliVault M2B is replacing hospitals’ outdated tray systems in major hospitals to provide safer, more secure storage and medication dispensing.
On top of the IntelliVault products’ market success, the new generation of products is easier and more cost effective to manufacture, easier to operate, and more secure than ever before.