Medicine photographing apparatus, medicine shape measuring apparatus and medicine dispensing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016343151-A1
Application number	US-201515114788-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 30, 2015
Priority date	Feb 6, 2014
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a medicine photographing apparatus for reducing time and effort of a user operation at the time of measuring shapes of medicines, and a medicine shape measuring apparatus and a medicine dispensing apparatus which include the medicine photographing apparatus.
A medicine photographing apparatus 7 includes a medicine holding part 81 , a lighting part 82 , a photographing part 83 , a housing 71 and a pivotally supporting part. The medicine holding part 81 , the lighting part 82 and the photographing part 83 are contained in the housing having light shielding property. The medicine holding part 81 is provided between the lighting part 82 and the photographing part 83 . Further, the medicine holding part 81 can hold a medicine with a portion having translucency and pivotally move due to the pivotally supporting part.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A medicine dispensing apparatus, comprising:
a medicine photographing apparatus configured to photograph a medicine; a shape measuring part configured to measure a shape of the medicine based on a photographed image photographed by the medicine photographing apparatus; a medicine cassette configured to dispense a desired type of medicine by changing one or both of a height and a width of a dispensing path through which the medicine is dispensed; an adjusting part on which the medicine cassette can be detachably mounted and which can change one or both of the height and the width of the dispensing path in the medicine cassette; and a control part configured to control the adjusting part according to the shape of the medicine measured by the shape measuring part to change one or both of the height and the width of the dispensing path in the medicine cassette mounted on the adjusting part.

17 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein when a driving condition containing one or both of the height and the width of the dispensing path corresponding to the medicine is stored in a storage part, the control part controls the adjusting part according to the driving condition, and when the driving condition is not stored in the storage part, the control part controls the adjusting part according to the shape of the medicine measured by the shape measuring part.

18 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the adjusting part includes a plurality of adjusting parts, the medicine cassette includes a plurality of medicine cassettes, and
the plurality of adjusting parts are individually provided at a plurality of mounting parts which includes a plurality of driving parts configured to drive the plurality of medicine cassettes respectively.

19 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the medicine cassette includes a plurality of medicine cassettes and the adjusting part is commonly provided among the plurality of medicine cassettes.

20 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the control part controls the adjusting part according to a size of the medicine to change one or both of the height and the width of the dispensing path in the medicine cassette mounted on the adjusting part.

21 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the medicine photographing apparatus and the adjusting part are provided on a same side surface of the medicine dispensing apparatus.

22 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising an operating monitor, and
wherein the operating monitor and the adjusting part are provided on a same side surface of the medicine dispensing apparatus.

23 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising a vial bottle dispensing part through which a vial bottle containing the medicine dispensed from the medicine cassette is dispensed, and
wherein the vial bottle dispensing part and the adjusting part are provided on a same side surface of the medicine dispensing apparatus.

24 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising:
an operating monitor used for operating the medicine dispensing apparatus; and a vial bottle dispensing part through which a vial bottle containing the medicine dispensed from the medicine cassette is dispensed, and wherein the medicine photographing apparatus, the operating monitor, the vial bottle dispensing part and the adjusting part are provided on a same side surface of the medicine dispensing apparatus.

25 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the medicine cassette includes a plurality of medicine cassettes and the plurality of medicine cassettes are provided on a surface perpendicular to a side surface on which the adjusting part is provided.

26 . The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the medicine photographing apparatus includes:
a photographing unit including a lighting part and a photographing part; a medicine holding part which is provided between the lighting part and the photographing part and can hold the medicine with a portion having translucency; a housing in which the photographing unit and the medicine holding part are contained, the housing having light shielding property; and a pivotally supporting part configured to pivotally support one or both of the photographing unit and the medicine holding part.

Assignees

• Yuyama Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koike Naoki
• Fukada Masao

Classifications

• G07F17/0092

  for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles (medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00) · CPC title

• G06T7/60 Primary

  Analysis of geometric attributes · CPC title

• G01B11/24 Primary

  for measuring contours or curvatures · CPC title

• G01B11/02

  for measuring length, width or thickness (G01B11/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61J7/0084

  for multiple medicaments · CPC title