Dispensing audit support apparatus and dispensing audit support method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11594322-B2
Application number	US-201916662233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2019
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a dispensing audit support apparatus and a dispensing audit support method with a high collation accuracy robustness. According to a dispensing audit support apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention, since a position, shape and size of a region of interest are set according to a position of a collation-target medicine in a captured image, and a position, shape and size of a master image are set according to the set region of interest, it is possible to avoid or reduce distortion of the medicine shape, blur, inclusion of an end part into the image, and the like due to the position and orientation of the collation-target medicine. Therefore, influence on collation accuracy is small, and it is possible to enhance the robustness of the collation accuracy.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing audit support apparatus comprising:
a non-transitory and tangible recording medium configured to store a master image showing a medicine;
a camera configured to image an audit-target medicine to obtain a captured image; and
a processor, wherein the processor performs:
detecting a position of the audit-target medicine in the captured image;
determining a distance between the detected position of the audit-target medicine and a center of the captured image;
setting a region of interest in the image of the audit-target medicine, wherein a position; shape and size of the region of interest are set based on the detected position of the audit-target medicine in the captured image of the audit-target medicine;
reading out the master image showing a medicine written in a prescription from the non-transitory and tangible recording medium and generating a template based on the read master image, wherein a position, shape and size of the template are set according to the set region of interest; and
collating the template with the region of interest and outputting information indicating whether the audit-target medicine and the medicine shown by the master image are the same or not,

wherein the processor sets the region of interest smaller as the distance between the detected position of the audit-target medicine and the center of the captured image is longer, and generates the template smaller as the set region of interest is smaller, and
wherein the processor sets the region of interest in the image of the audit-target medicine in such a manner that the region of interest in the image of the audit-target medicine is moved more in a direction to the center of the captured image as the distance between the detected position of the audit-target medicine and the center of the captured image is longer, and generates the template in such a manner that the template for the master image is moved more as an amount of movement of the region of interest is larger.

2. The dispensing audit support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs:
moving the position of the region of interest in the captured image based on a direction of illumination relative to the audit-target medicine, and
moving the position of the template for the master image according to the region of interest being moved.

3. The dispensing audit support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs:
setting the region of interest and the template to be in shapes similar to the audit-target medicine, when a distance between the position of the audit-target medicine and a center of the captured image is equal to or below a threshold, and setting the region of interest and the template to be in rectangular shapes, when the distance between the position of the audit-target medicine and the center of the captured image exceeds the threshold.

4. The dispensing audit support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs:
turning at least one of the region of interest and the template in such a manner that orientations of the region of interest and the template match each other, and performing the collation.

5. The dispensing audit support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor further performs:
magnifying or reducing at least one of the region of interest and the template in such a manner that sizes of the region of interest and the template match each other, and performing the collation.

6. The dispensing audit support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each of the template and the region of interest includes an engraved stamp area showing an engraved stamp provided on the medicine.

7. The dispensing audit support apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the master image is an image based on an image obtained by imaging the audit-target medicine with the camera under lighting which is used when the collation is performed.

8. A dispensing audit support method by a dispensing audit support apparatus including a master image non-transitory and tangible recording medium configured to store a master image showing a medicine, and a camera configured to image an audit-target medicine to obtain a captured image, the method comprising:
a medicine detecting process of detecting a position of the audit-target medicine in the captured image, by the dispensing audit support apparatus;
a distance determining process of determining a distance between the detected position of the audit-target medicine and a center of the captured image;
a region of interest setting process of setting a region of interest in the image of the audit-target medicine, wherein a position, shape and size of the region of interest are set based on the detected position of the audit-target medicine in the captured image of the audit-target medicine, by the dispensing audit support apparatus;
a template generating process of reading the master image showing a medicine written in a prescription from the master image non-transitory and tangible recording medium and generating a template according to the region of interest based on the read master image, by the dispensing audit support apparatus; and
a collating process of collating the template with the region of interest and outputting information indicating whether the medicine shown by the captured image and the medicine shown by the master image are the same or not, by the dispensing audit support apparatus,
wherein the region of interest is set smaller as the distance between the detected position of the audit-target medicine and the center of the captured image is longer, and the template is generated smaller as the set region of interest is smaller, and
wherein the region of interest in the image of the audit-target medicine is set in such a manner that the region of interest in the image of the audit-target medicine is moved more in a direction to the center of the captured image as the distance between the detected position of the audit-target medicine and the center of the captured image is longer, and the template is generated in such a manner that the template for the master image is moved more as an amount of movement of the region of interest is larger.

Assignees

• Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co Ltd

Inventors

• Iwami Kazuchika

Classifications

• G06T7/001 Primary

  using an image reference approach · CPC title

• G06T7/0002

  Inspection of images, e.g. flaw detection · CPC title

• G01N21/85

  Investigating moving fluids or granular solids · CPC title

• G16H30/20

  for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS · CPC title

• G06T2207/20212

  Image combination · CPC title