Medicine verification device and boundary recess detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11887293-B2
Application number	US-202017006414-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 28, 2020
Priority date	Mar 26, 2018
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

A medicine verification device of the present invention includes: a detection unit that detects a boundary recess formed at a boundary position between a plurality of packaging bags each of which packs a medicine and is connected to form a continuous packaging bag having a strip-like shape; and an image capturing unit that captures an image of a surface of an imaging target portion on which at least the boundary recess is located a plurality of times while imaging conditions are changed in a state where light is emitted toward the surface of the imaging target portion in the continuous packaging bag, wherein the detection unit detects the boundary recess in the imaging target portion on the basis of the plurality of images captured while changing the imaging conditions by the image capturing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medicine verification device comprising:
a detection unit that detects a boundary recess formed at a boundary position between a plurality of packaging bags each of which packs a medicine and is connected to form a continuous packaging bag having a strip-like shape; and
an image capturing unit that captures an image of a surface of an imaging target portion on which at least the boundary recess is located a plurality of times while imaging conditions are changed in a state where light is emitted toward the surface of the imaging target portion in the continuous packaging bag,
wherein the detection unit detects the boundary recess in the imaging target portion on the basis of the plurality of images captured by the image capturing unit under the imaging conditions changed.

2. The medicine verification device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a light irradiation unit that emits light toward the surface of the imaging target portion when the image capturing unit captures an image,
wherein the light irradiation unit includes a first light emitting unit and a second light emitting unit that emit light in mutually opposite directions in a longitudinal direction of the continuous packaging bag and emits light diagonally toward the surface of the imaging target portion,
the image capturing unit captures an image in a state where the capturing target portion is located between the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit in the longitudinal direction, and
the light irradiation unit changes a light emitting unit used at the time of light emission out of the first light emitting unit and the second light emitting unit when changing the imaging conditions.

3. The medicine verification device according to claim 2 ,
wherein a medicine is packaged in the packaging bag of the continuous packaging bag, and
the image capturing unit captures an image of a surface of the imaging target portion in which at least an end of the packaging bag in which the medicine is packaged and the boundary recess adjacent to the end are located, a plurality of times under the imaging conditions changed.

4. The medicine verification device according to claim 2 ,
wherein the image capturing unit captures a first image of the surface of the imaging target portion while the light irradiation unit emits light toward the surface of the imaging target portion using the first light emitting unit and captures a second image of the surface of the imaging target portion while the light irradiation unit emits light toward the surface of the imaging target portion using the second light emitting unit, and
the detection unit detects the boundary recess in the imaging target portion using the first image and the second image.

5. The medicine verification device according to claim 4 ,
wherein a medicine is packaged in the packaging bag of the continuous packaging bag, and
the image capturing unit captures an image of a surface of the imaging target portion in which at least an end of the packaging bag in which the medicine is packaged and the boundary recess adjacent to the end are located, a plurality of times under the imaging conditions changed.

6. The medicine verification device according to claim 4 ,
wherein the light emission of the second light emitting unit is stopped during the light emission performed by the light irradiation unit toward the surface of the imaging target portion using the first light emitting unit, and
the light emission of the first light emitting unit is stopped during the light emission performed by the light irradiation unit toward the surface of the imaging target portion using the second light emitting unit.

7. The medicine verification device according to claim 6 ,
wherein a medicine is packaged in the packaging bag of the continuous packaging bag, and
the image capturing unit captures an image of a surface of the imaging target portion in which at least an end of the packaging bag in which the medicine is packaged and the boundary recess adjacent to the end are located, a plurality of times under the imaging conditions changed.

8. The medicine verification device according to claim 6 , wherein the detection unit combines a portion in the first image including an image of a region on a side farther from the first light emitting unit out of the imaging target portion and a portion in the second image including an image of a region on a side farther from the second light emitting unit out of the imaging target portion to create a combined image, and the detection unit detects the boundary recess in the imaging target portion on the basis of the combined image.

9. The medicine verification device according to claim 8 ,
wherein a medicine is packaged in the packaging bag of the continuous packaging bag, and
the image capturing unit captures an image of a surface of the imaging target portion in which at least an end of the packaging bag in which the medicine is packaged and the boundary recess adjacent to the end are located, a plurality of times under the imaging conditions changed.

10. The medicine verification device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the image capturing unit includes a first camera and a second camera that images the imaging target portion from mutually opposite directions in a thickness direction of the continuous packaging bag,
the first camera captures an image of one surface of the imaging target portion in the thickness direction,
the second camera captures an image of another surface of the imaging target portion located on the opposite side to the one surface in the thickness direction, and
the detection unit detects the boundary recess in the imaging target portion on the basis of an image captured by the first camera and an image captured by the second camera.

11. The medicine verification device according to claim 10 ,
wherein a medicine is packaged in the packaging bag of the continuous packaging bag, and
the image capturing unit captures an image of a surface of the imaging target portion in which at least an end of the packaging bag in which the medicine is packaged and the boundary recess adjacent to the end are located, a plurality of times under the imaging conditions changed.

12. The medicine verification device according to claim 10 , wherein the detection unit specifies a candidate for the boundary recess appearing in the image captured by the first camera and specifies a candidate for the boundary recess appearing in the image captured by the second camera, and thereafter, the detection unit detects the candidate for the boundary recess appearing in both the image captured by the first camera and the image captured by the second camera, as the boundary recess in the imaging target portion.

13. The medicine verification device according to claim 12 ,
wherein a medicine is packaged in the packaging bag of the continuous packaging bag, and
the image capturing unit captures an image of a surface of the imaging target portion in which at least an end of the packaging bag in which the medicine is packaged and the boundary recess adjacent to the end are located, a plurality of times under the imaging conditions changed.

14. The medicine verification device according to claim 1 ,
wherein a medicine is packaged in the packaging bag of the continuous packaging bag, and
the image capturing unit captures an image of a surface of the imaging target portion in which at least an end of the packaging bag in which the medicine is packaged and the boundary recess adjacent to the end are located, a plurality of times under the imaging conditions changed

Assignees

• Fujifilm Toyama Chemical Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokouchi Koji
• Iwami Kazuchika

Classifications

• G06T7/0004 Primary

  Industrial image inspection · CPC title

• A61J7/0076

  Medicament distribution means (with pill counting devices A61J7/02; with time indication A61J7/04; containers or packages with special means for dispensing contents B65D83/00) · CPC title

• B65B57/14

  and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged · CPC title

• G06T7/97

  Determining parameters from multiple pictures (depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85) · CPC title

• G06V10/141

  Control of illumination · CPC title