Detection and characterization of defects in pharmaceutical cylindrical containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12259337-B2
Application number	US-202017032664-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2020
Priority date	Jan 23, 2020
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

An apparatus for inspecting a pharmaceutical cylindrical container made of glass or of a polymer is provided. A corresponding method for inspecting the pharmaceutical cylindrical container made of glass or of a polymer and to a bundle of pharmaceutical cylindrical containers made of glass or of a polymer is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for inspecting a pharmaceutical cylindrical container made of glass or polymer, the apparatus comprising:
a support device configured to support the pharmaceutical cylindrical container and rotate the pharmaceutical cylindrical container around a longitudinal axis;
a light receiving unit comprising a main camera configured to acquire an image of the pharmaceutical cylindrical container;
a light emitting unit comprising, with respect to the main camera, a bright field light source, a radial dark field light source, and an axial dark field light source; and
a control unit configured to control the support device, the light emitting unit, and the light receiving unit to acquire a plurality of images of the pharmaceutical cylindrical container, the plurality of images comprising images taken when only the bright field light source is activated and when only the axial and/or radial dark field light sources are activated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support device supports the pharmaceutical cylindrical container so that the longitudinal axis and a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis define a horizontal plane, wherein:
the main camera has a centerline that intersects the horizontal plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 0° or more and 30° or less, 0° or more and 20° or less, and 0° or more and 10° or less, and/or
the bright field light source has a centerline that intersects the horizontal plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 0° or more and 30° or less, 0° or more and 20° or less, and 0° or more and 10° or less, and/or
the axial dark field light source has a centerline that intersects the horizontal plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 0° or more and 30° or less, 0° or more and 20° or less, and 0° or more and 20° or less, and/or
the radial dark field light source has a centerline that intersects the horizontal plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 100 or more and 90° or less, 450 or more and 90° or less, and 700 or more and 90° or less.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support device supports the pharmaceutical cylindrical container so that the longitudinal axis and a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis define a vertical plane, wherein:
the main camera has a centerline that intersects the vertical plane at an angle of 60° or more and 90° or less, 70° or more and 90° or less, and 80° or more and 90° or less, and/or
the bright field light source has a centerline that intersects the vertical plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 60° or more and 90° or less, 70° or more and 90° or less, and 80° or more and 90° or less, and/or
the axial dark field light source has a centerline that intersects the vertical plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 0° or more and 30° or less, 0° or more and 20° or less, and 0° or more and 20° or less, and/or
the radial dark field light source has a centerline that intersects the vertical plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 0° or more and 70° or less, 0° or more and 45° or less, and 0° or more and 20° or less.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support device supports the pharmaceutical cylindrical container so that a horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis and a vertical axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis intersect a middle of a cylindrical part of the pharmaceutical cylindrical container at a transversal plane, wherein:
the main camera has a centerline that intersects the transversal plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 0° or more and 30° or less, 0° or more and 20° or less, and 0° or more and 10° or less, and/or
the bright field light source has a centerline that intersects the transversal plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 0° or more and 30° or less, 0° or more and 20° or less, and 0° or more and 10° or less, and/or
the axial dark field light source has a centerline that intersects the transversal plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 60° or more and 90° or less, 70° or more and 90° or less, and 80° or more and 90° or less, and/or
the radial dark field light source has a centerline that intersects the transversal plane at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 0° or more and 70° or less, 0° or more and 45° or less, and 0° or more and 20° or less.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light receiving unit further comprises a plurality of cameras.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of the cameras is between 5 to 25 cameras.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit comprises a property selected from the group consisting of: the bright field light source having a light emitting plane that has a size in a range a range selected from a group consisting of 20 cm 2 to 2000 cm 2 , 15 cm 2 to 1000 cm 2 , and 25 cm 2 to 600 cm 2 ; the radial dark field light source having a light emitting plane that has a size in a range a range selected from a group consisting of 0.5 cm 2 to 2000 cm 2 , 0.8 cm 2 to 1000 cm 2 , and 1 cm 2 to 400 cm 2 ; the axial dark field light source having a light emitting plane that has a size in a range a range selected from a group consisting of 0.5 cm 2 to 1000 cm 2 , 0.8 cm 2 to 200 cm 2 , and 1.0 cm 2 to 64 cm 2 ; and any combinations thereof.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bright field light source, the radial dark field light source, and the axial dark field light source each comprise a light emitting plane, wherein:
the light emitting planes have a property selected from the group consisting of: a color temperature between 2000 K and 7000 K, a color temperature between 3000 K to 6000 K, a color temperature between 4000 K to 5000 K, and combinations thereof, and/or
the light emitting planes of the axial and the radial dark field light sources each have a luminous flux that are higher than a luminous flux of the light emitting plane of the bright field light source; and/or
the support device has a distance between each of the light emitting planes that is in a range selected from a group consisting of 5 to 50 cm, 8 to 30 cm, 10 to 20 cm, and combinations thereof.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the light emitting unit has a first light emitting plane and a second light emitting plane adjoining each other, wherein the first light emitting plane and the second light emitting plane intersect at an angle in a range selected from a group consisting of 10° to 80 °, 30° to 60°, and 40° to 50°.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support device comprises at least two support wheels and a friction wheel arranged such that the pharmaceutical cylindrical container is on the support wheels and is rotatable around the longitudinal axis by the friction wheel.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to control the support device, the light emitting unit, and the light receiving unit to perform a task selected from a group consisting of: measure the pharmaceutical cylindrical container in 0.3 to 10 seconds; rotate the pharmaceutical cylindrical container 360° around the longitudinal axis; rotate the pharmaceutical cylindrical container in increments between 0.5° and 4°; rotate the pharmaceutical cylindrical container in between the image acquisitions;
activate/deactivate the main camera based on the speed of a friction wheel; and any combinations thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls t

Assignees

• Schott Pharma Schweiz Ag

Inventors

• Pfister Andreas
• Wedlich Melchior
• Kläger Christian

Classifications

• G01N21/958

  Inspecting transparent materials {or objects, e.g. windscreens (for conveyed flat sheet or rod G01N21/896)} · CPC title

• G01N21/9009 Primary

  Non-optical constructional details affecting optical inspection, e.g. cleaning mechanisms for optical parts, vibration reduction · CPC title

• G01N21/01

  Arrangements or apparatus for facilitating the optical investigation · CPC title

• G01N21/90 Primary

  in a container or its contents (G01N21/91 takes precedence) · CPC title