Drug supply device and drug inspection method in drug supply device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9776755-B2
Application number	US-201414329716-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2014
Priority date	Jan 11, 2012
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A drug supply device includes a hopper that collects solid drugs discharged from tablet cases on the basis of predetermined prescription data, an inspection device that inspects the solid drugs introduced from the hopper, and a packaging device that fills and packages the inspected solid drugs into a packaging sheet. The inspection device includes inspection containers that each hold a single administration dosage of the solid drugs, a movement mechanism that moves the inspection containers, and an imaging device that captures an image of the solid drugs in the inspection containers. As a result of capturing the image of the solid drugs in the inspection container by the imaging device, when a number of the solid drugs is different from the prescription data, the solid drugs are disposed of.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A drug supply device comprising:
a plurality of tablet cases in which solid drugs are stored while being categorized by type;
a hopper that collects single administration solid drugs, which are solid drugs for a single administration dosage, discharged from the tablet cases on the basis of predetermined prescription data;
an inspection device that inspects the single administration solid drugs discharged by the hopper; and
a packaging device that fills and packages the single administration solid drugs inspected by the inspection device into a packaging sheet, wherein:
the inspection device includes:
an inspection container that holds the single administration solid drugs discharged from the hopper;
a movement mechanism that moves the inspection container; and
an imaging device that captures an image of the single administration solid drugs in the inspection container,

based on a result that the inspection device inspects the single administration solid drugs by which the imaging device captures the image of the single administration solid drugs in the inspection container, the single administration solid drugs are disposed of toward a disposal container, when a number of the single administration solid drugs is different from the prescription data, and the single administration solid drugs are packaged by the packing device, when the number of the single administration solid drugs is same as the prescription data, and
the movement mechanism includes an introduction position at which the single administration solid drugs are discharged from the hopper into the inspection container, an imaging position at which an image of the single administration solid drugs in the inspection container is captured by the imaging device, a disposal position at which the single administration solid drugs are disposed of, and a filling position at which the single administration solid drugs are discharged into the packaging device.

2. The drug supply device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the movement mechanism is formed by a turntable and an electric operation mechanism that rotatably supports the turntable, and
the turntable includes a plurality of inspection containers on an upper surface of the turntable.

3. The drug supply device according to claim 2 , wherein the disposal position is arranged at a position that is opposite to the imaging position with respect to the introduction position.

4. The drug supply device according to claim 3 , wherein, when the number of the single administration solid drugs is different from the prescription data, the drug supply device moves the inspection container to the disposal position and disposes of the single administration solid drugs at the disposal position, and after that, the drug supply device moves the inspection container to the introduction position, discharges a new set of solid drugs for the single administration dosage based on the prescription data from the tablet cases, and discharges the new set of solid drugs for the single administration dosage from the hopper into the inspection container.

5. The drug supply device according to claim 2 , wherein, when the number of the single administration solid drugs is different from the prescription data, the drug supply device moves the inspection container to the disposal position and disposes of the single administration solid drugs at the disposal position, and after that, the drug supply device moves the inspection container to the introduction position, discharges a new set of solid drugs for the single administration dosage based on the prescription data from the tablet cases, and discharges the new set of solid drugs for the single administration dosage from the hopper into the inspection container.

6. The drug supply device according to claim 1 , wherein the disposal position is arranged at a position that is opposite to the imaging position with respect to the introduction position.

7. The drug supply device according to claim 6 , wherein, when the number of the single administration solid drugs is different from the prescription data, the drug supply device moves the inspection container to the disposal position and disposes of the single administration solid drugs at the disposal position, and after that, the drug supply device moves the inspection container to the introduction position, discharges a new set of solid drugs for the single administration dosage based on the prescription data from the tablet cases, and discharges the new set of solid drugs for the single administration dosage from the hopper into the inspection container.

8. The drug supply device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the number of the single administration solid drugs is different from the prescription data, the drug supply device moves the inspection container to the disposal position and disposes of the single administration solid drugs at the disposal position, and after that, the drug supply device moves the inspection container to the introduction position, discharges a new set of solid drugs for the single administration dosage based on the prescription data from the tablet cases, and discharges the new set of solid drugs for the single administration dosage from the hopper into the inspection container.

9. A drug supply device comprising:
a plurality of tablet cases in which solid drugs are stored while being categorized by type;
a hopper that collects solid drugs discharged from the tablet cases on the basis of predetermined prescription data;
an inspection device that inspects the solid drugs discharged by the hopper; and
a packaging device that fills and packages the solid drugs inspected by the inspection device into a packaging sheet, wherein:
an inspection device is arranged in a pathway through which the solid drugs are conveyed from the tablet cases to the packaging device, the inspection device includes a turntable, and the turntable includes an inspection container into which the solid drugs discharged from the tablet cases are introduced;
the turntable is configured to be rotated by an electric operation mechanism to a solid drug introduction position at which the solid drugs are introduced from the hopper into the inspection container, an imaging position at which an image of the solid drugs in the inspection container is captured by an imaging device, a filling position at which the solid drugs in the inspection container can move toward the packaging device, and a disposal position at which the solid drugs are disposed of from inside the inspection container;
the inspection container receives the solid drugs from the hopper at the solid drug introduction position and moves to the imaging position;
when it is determined that the number of the solid drugs is as specified by the prescription data on the basis of the imaging performed by the imaging device, the inspection container is moved to the filling position; and
when it is determined that the number of the solid drugs is not as specified by the prescription data on the basis of the imaging, the inspection container is moved to the disposal position, and after the solid drugs are disposed of toward a disposal container at the disposal position, the inspection container is moved to the solid drug introduction position, the inspection container newly receives the solid drugs from the hopper at the solid drug introduction position and moves to the imaging position, and based on another determination as to whether or not the number of the solid drugs is as specified by the prescription data made on the basis of the imaging performed by the imaging device, the inspection container is moved to either the filling position or the disposal position in the same mann

Assignees

• Panasonic Healthcare Co Ltd
• Panasonic Healthcare Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kondo Akira
• Takahashi Hideyuki
• Mori Takashi

Classifications

• G07F17/0092

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

• G07F11/62

  in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles · CPC title

• G07F9/026

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title

• G01N21/9508

  Capsules; Tablets · CPC title

• B65B61/06

  by cutting · CPC title