Importance

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Abstract

A dispensing apparatus comprises a robot device (14) having gripping means (20a, 20b) presentable to a plurality of stations, each station being adapted to provide an operation in a sequence of operations such as to produce a measured quantity or dose from a supply of a hazardous substance, and one of the stations (32) comprising a multi-syringe receiving and filling station comprising syringe receiving means (106) capable of receiving and holding syringes of different sizes each adapted to contain a said substance, the said station having means (95) for operating each syringe when located at that station whereby syringes of different sizes may be operated automatically as selected. The said station may comprise a hazardous liquid filling station for filling items one of which comprises a syringe. The hazardous substance dispensed by the apparatus may comprise a radionuclide, a cytotoxin, a chemotherapeutic agent or a dangerous substance containing one or more bacteriological or viral ingredients or material used in positron emission topography. The said sequence of operations including operations at the filling station may include operations to: (a) elute material from a concentrated source to a user stock source, e.g. in a stock bottle; (b) preparation of different strength doses from the stock source; and (c) preparation of individual patient doses from the appropriate selected doses.

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First Claim