Robot system, liquid transfer controller, liquid transfer control method, and medicine manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9840343-B2
Application number	US-201514634894-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2015
Priority date	Mar 5, 2014
Publication date	Dec 12, 2017
Grant date	Dec 12, 2017

Abstract

A robot system includes a multi-jointed robot, a syringe actuator which pulls and pushes a plunger of a syringe having a needle; and a controller which controls the multi jointed robot to handle a vessel storing a liquid and the syringe and controls the syringe actuator. The controller includes a first control module which controls the multi-jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of the vessel, a second control module which controls the syringe actuator such that the air in the syringe is sent into the vessel by pushing the plunger in a state where the vessel is positioned on an upper side of the syringe and a tip portion of the needle is positioned on an upper side of the liquid in the vessel after the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot, and a third control module which controls the syringe actuator such that the liquid in the vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger in a state where the tip portion of the needle is positioned in the liquid in the vessel after the second control module controls the syringe actuator.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robot system comprising:
a multi jointed robot;
a syringe actuator configured to pull and push a plunger of a syringe having a needle; and
a controller configured to control the multi-jointed robot to handle a vessel storing a liquid and the syringe and to control the syringe actuator,
wherein the controller comprises
a first control module configured to control the multi jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of the vessel,
a second control module configured to control the syringe actuator such that the air in the syringe is sent into the vessel by pushing the plunger in a state where the vessel is positioned on an upper side of the syringe and a tip portion of the needle is positioned on an upper side of the liquid in the vessel after the first control module controls the multi jointed robot, and
a third control module configured to control the syringe actuator such that the liquid in the vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger in a state where the tip portion of the needle is positioned in the liquid in the vessel after the second control module controls the syringe actuator.

2. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein according to information on a type of the liquid stored in the vessel, the controller (i) causes the first to third module to sequentially operate the multi-jointed robot and the syringe actuator, or (ii) causes the third control module to operate the syringe actuator and does not cause the second control module to operate the syringe actuator after causing the first control module to operate the multi jointed robot.

3. The robot system according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a storage configured to store information in which the type and a characteristic of the liquid are associated,
wherein the controller acquires the characteristic of the liquid corresponding to the type of the liquid stored in the vessel based on the information of the storage, and according to the acquired characteristic, (i) causes the first to third module to sequentially operate the multi-jointed robot and the syringe actuator, or (ii) causes the third control module to operate the syringe actuator and does not cause the second control module to operate the syringe actuator after causing the first control module to operate the multi-jointed robot.

4. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the controller causes the syringe actuator to change an orientation of the syringe or the vessel when the syringe absorbs the liquid in the vessel, an absorption speed of the liquid in the vessel by the syringe, or a rest time after a predetermined amount of the liquid in the vessel is absorbed by the syringe according to information on a type of the liquid.

5. The robot system according to claim 2 ,
wherein the controller causes the syringe actuator to change an orientation of the syringe or the vessel when the syringe absorbs the liquid in the vessel, an absorption speed of the liquid in the vessel by the syringe, or a rest time after a predetermined amount of the liquid in the vessel is absorbed by the syringe according to information on a type of the liquid.

6. The robot system according to claim 3 ,
wherein the controller causes the syringe actuator to change an orientation of the syringe or the vessel when the syringe absorbs the liquid in the vessel, an absorption speed of the liquid in the vessel by the syringe, or a rest time after a predetermined amount of the liquid in the vessel is absorbed by the syringe according to information on a type of the liquid.

7. The robot system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the multi jointed robot includes two multi jointed arms.

8. The robot system according to claim 7 ,
wherein the controller controls the multi jointed robot such that one of the multi jointed arms serves as the syringe actuator.

9. A liquid transfer controller which controls a multi-jointed robot and a syringe actuator configured to pull and push a plunger of a syringe having a needle, comprising:
a first control module configured to control the multi-jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of a vessel storing a liquid;
a second control module configured to control the syringe actuator such that the air in the syringe is sent into the vessel by pushing the plunger in a state where the vessel is positioned on an upper side of the syringe and a tip portion of the needle is positioned on an upper side of the liquid in the vessel after the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot; and
a third control module configured to control the syringe actuator such that the liquid in the vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger in a state where the tip portion of the needle is positioned in the liquid in the vessel after the second control module controls the syringe actuator.

10. The liquid transfer controller according to claim 9 ,
wherein according to information on a type of the liquid stored in the vessel, (i) the multi-jointed robot and the syringe actuator are sequentially operated by the first to third control modules, or (ii) after the multi jointed robot is operated by the first control module, the syringe actuator is operated by the third control module and the syringe actuator is not operated by the second control module.

11. The liquid transfer controller according to claim 10 ,
wherein a characteristic of the liquid corresponding to the type of the liquid stored in the vessel is acquired based on information of a storage storing the information in which the type and the characteristic of the liquid are associated, and according to the acquired characteristic, (i) the multi-jointed robot and the syringe actuator are sequentially operated by the first to third control modules, or (ii) after the multi jointed robot is operated by the first control module, the syringe actuator is operated by the third control module and the syringe actuator is not operated by the second control module.

12. The liquid transfer controller according to claim 9 ,
wherein the multi-jointed robot or the syringe actuator is operated by any one of the first to third control modules such that an orientation of the syringe or the vessel when the syringe absorbs the liquid in the vessel, an absorption speed of the liquid in the vessel by the syringe, or a rest time after a predetermined amount of the liquid in the vessel is absorbed by the syringe is changed according to information on a type of the liquid.

13. A liquid transfer control method which controls a multi-jointed robot and a syringe actuator configured to pull and push a plunger of a syringe having a needle, comprising:
(A) controlling the multi jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of a vessel storing a liquid;
after the control described in A, (B) controlling the syringe actuator such that the air in the syringe is sent into the vessel by pushing the plunger in a state where the vessel is positioned on an upper side of the syringe and a tip portion of the needle is positioned on an upper side of the liquid in the vessel; and
after the control described in B, (C) controlling the syringe actuator such that the liquid in the vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger in a state where the tip portion of the needle is positioned in the liquid in the vessel.

14. The liquid transfer control method according to claim 13 ,
wherein according to information on a type of the liquid stored in the vessel, (i) the multi-jointed robot and the syringe actuator are sequentially operated in the control described in

Assignees

• Yaskawa Electric Corp

Inventors

• Tachibana Kenichi
• Furusawa Fumiaki
• Umeno Makoto

Classifications

• B65B3/003 Primary

  Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like · CPC title

• A61J1/2096

  Combination of a vial and a syringe for transferring or mixing their contents · CPC title

• B25J9/0087

  Dual arms (double SCARA arms B25J9/043) · CPC title

• A61J1/20 Primary

  Arrangements for transferring {or mixing} fluids, e.g. from vial to syringe · CPC title

• A61J1/201

  having one piercing end · CPC title