Importance

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Abstract

A medical cart is provided with a keyless locking system for drawers containing narcotics and for other drawers containing pharmaceuticals. Some personnel may be authorized with codes to open both the narcotics and pharmaceutical drawers while other personnel may have codes that open the pharmaceutical drawers but do not open the narcotics drawers. Preferably, an audit trail is provided to know who had or tried to access the drawers and when the access was attempted and accomplished. To this end there is a memory store and read-out port that allows downloading or read-out of the audit trail. The medical cart has a simplified locking system with fewer and more reliable components comprising cam operated locking bars that operate locking rods that latch with latch portions on the slidable drawers in the cart. The drawers may be automatically locked upon slamming them to a closed position. Preferably, an associated timer causes an automatic relocking operation or a lock switch may be operated to set the locking mechanism to lock the drawer when it is pushed into its closed position. Also, a light source may be provided to illuminate the control panel and drawers. A motion sensor may switch the light off when the cart is put in motion. A light level sensor may sense the ambient light level and switch the light on when the cart enters a darkened room. A mechanical override may be provided to allow access to the contents in the drawers in the event of electronic failure.

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First Claim