Dispensing method for small package traditional Chinese medicine

Abstract

The application provides a small package traditional Chinese medicine dispensing method, which comprises the following steps: S1, providing a traditional Chinese medicine cutting and dispensing device; S2, obtaining a prescription to be dispensed; S3, distributing a corresponding number of medicine boxes on a conveying device; S4, judging in advance whether the medicine box needs to be dispensed when it moves to the next position, if yes, controlling the corresponding dispensing device to dispense the small package traditional Chinese medicine, and controlling the conveying device to work and move the medicine box to the next position; if not, moving the medicine box to the next position; S5, judging whether the medicine box needs to be dispensed at the current position, if yes, cutting and dropping the small package traditional Chinese medicine dispensed in step S4 into the medicine box below, and if not, repeating step S4. The small package traditional Chinese medicine dispensing method can improve the speed and convenience of traditional Chinese medicine dispensing.

Description

Methods of dispensing small packages of traditional Chinese medicine Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine. Background Technology

[0002] Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) refers to medicines used in traditional Chinese medicine. Currently, TCM medicines are usually obtained in two ways: one is that doctors in TCM pharmacies manually weigh the medicine according to the prescription, and the other is that doctors in TCM hospitals manually combine and distribute small packages of medicines according to the prescription. In the distribution process, doctors need to manually cut the rolled medicine packages into smaller packages. The first method is less efficient and is only suitable for TCM pharmacies in small alleys. The second method is significantly more efficient than the first, but it still requires manual operation. Doctors are prone to fatigue during long periods of operation, which can lead to errors in dispensing medicines and potential medication safety issues. Moreover, this method is only suitable for dispensing small batches of medicines; dispensing large batches of medicines will further reduce efficiency and accuracy.

[0003] In view of this, it is necessary to improve the existing methods for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine in order to solve the above problems. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a method for dispensing small-package traditional Chinese medicine, so as to solve the problems of low accuracy and efficiency of existing manual dispensing of traditional Chinese medicine.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a method for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine, the method comprising the following steps:

[0006] S1: Provide a Chinese medicine cutting and dispensing device, the Chinese medicine cutting and dispensing device includes a multi-row dispensing device for dispensing medicine outward, a cutting device corresponding to each row of dispensing devices, a conveying device disposed below the multi-row dispensing devices, and a medicine frame disposed on the conveying device for holding small packages of Chinese medicine.

[0007] S2: Obtain the prescription to be prepared;

[0008] S3: Distribute the corresponding number of medicine boxes and place them on the conveyor device;

[0009] S4: Determine in advance whether medicine needs to be dispensed when the medicine box moves to the next position. If so, control the corresponding medicine dispensing device to release the small package of medicine, and at the same time control the conveying device to work and move the medicine box to the next position; if not, directly control the conveying device to work and move the medicine box to the next position.

[0010] S5: Determine whether the medicine box needs to dispense medicine at its current position. If yes, activate the cutting device to cut off the small package of medicine dispensed in step S4 and drop it into the medicine box below. If no, repeat step S4 until a medicine box moves to the bottom of the last medicine dispensing device.

[0011] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method for dispensing small-package traditional Chinese medicine further includes step S21 after step S2: determining whether the small-package traditional Chinese medicine on the multiple dispensing devices is sufficient; if so, proceeding to step S3; if not, determining whether manual dispensing is required; if so, canceling the dispensing task; if not, replenishing the medicine and then determining whether the small-package traditional Chinese medicine on the multiple dispensing devices is sufficient again.

[0012] As a further improvement of the present invention, in step S4, after the medicine box is moved to the next position, it is necessary to determine whether the conveying device has completed its work. If yes, then step S5 is executed; otherwise, a fault alarm is issued.

[0013] As a further improvement of the present invention, in step S5: after the small package of Chinese medicine released in step S4 is cut off and falls into the medicine box below, step S51 is also included: determine whether the medicine dispensing is completed. If yes, update the inventory and repeat step S4. If no, issue a fault alarm.

[0014] As a further improvement of the present invention, the method for dispensing small-package traditional Chinese medicine further includes step S6 after step S5: determining in advance whether medicine needs to be dispensed when the medicine frame moves to the next position; if so, controlling the corresponding dispensing device to release the small-package traditional Chinese medicine, while preparing the outer packaging machine, controlling the conveying device to work, moving the medicine frame to the next position, moving the medicine frame below the last dispensing device to the outer packaging machine, until the last medicine frame moves to the outer packaging machine, stopping the operation of the conveying device, and the prescription dispensing is completed; if not, directly controlling the conveying device to work, moving the medicine frame to the next position, and repeating step S5.

[0015] As a further improvement of the present invention, in steps S4, S5 and S6, it is only determined whether the dispensing device above the corresponding medicine frame needs to dispense medicine.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, each of the dispensing devices further includes multiple rolls of medicine containing small packages of traditional Chinese medicine and capable of dispensing medicine to the outside of the dispensing device. After step S3, step S31 is further included: dispensing medicine from the rolls of medicine in each of the dispensing devices.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, each of the dispensing devices includes two of the aforementioned medicine rolls.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, the number of drug dispensing devices is nine.

[0019] The beneficial effects of this invention are: the small-package Chinese medicine dispensing method of this invention can realize automated judgment, cutting, and dispensing processes, and can realize continuous distribution of multiple doses of medicine. Before the conveying device moves, it judges whether medicine needs to be dispensed and controls the dispensing device to release the small-package Chinese medicine in advance. After the medicine frame moves into place, the small-package Chinese medicine can be directly cut off, which can improve the speed and convenience of Chinese medicine dispensing. Through multiple judgments, the accuracy of dispensing can be achieved. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating the method for dispensing small-package traditional Chinese medicine according to the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the small-package traditional Chinese medicine dispensing method of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0023] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0024] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this invention described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the method for dispensing small-package traditional Chinese medicine according to the present invention includes the following steps:

[0026] S1: A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) cutting and dispensing device is provided. The TCM cutting and dispensing device includes multiple rows of dispensing devices for feeding medicine outwards, a cutting device corresponding to each row of dispensing devices, a conveying device disposed below the multiple rows of dispensing devices, and a medicine frame disposed on the conveying device for receiving small packages of TCM. Each dispensing device also includes multiple rolls of medicine that hold rolls of small packages of TCM and can feed medicine outwards from the dispensing device. In this embodiment, each dispensing device includes two rolls of medicine. The two rolls of medicine can contain the same medicinal materials or different medicinal materials. In addition, in this embodiment, the number of dispensing devices is nine.

[0027] S2: Obtain the prescription to be prepared;

[0028] S21: Determine whether the small packaged Chinese medicines on the multiple dispensing devices are sufficient. If yes, proceed to step S3. If no, determine whether manual dispensing is required. If yes, cancel the dispensing task. If no, replenish the medicine and then determine whether the small packaged Chinese medicines on the multiple dispensing devices are sufficient again.

[0029] S3: Distribute the corresponding number of medicine boxes onto the conveyor device; in this step, they are not placed all at once under the medicine dispensing device, but rather placed on the conveyor device and gradually moved to the area below the medicine dispensing device by the conveyor device.

[0030] S31: Distribute the dispensing of the medicine rolls in each of the medicine dispensing devices; since each medicine dispensing device can be equipped with multiple medicine rolls, this step can distribute the work of the corresponding medicine rolls on each medicine dispensing device.

[0031] S4: Determine in advance whether medicine needs to be dispensed when the medicine box moves to the next position. If so, control the corresponding dispensing device to release the small package of medicine, and simultaneously control the conveying device to move the medicine box to the next position. Determine whether the conveying device has completed its work. If so, proceed to step S5; otherwise, issue a fault alarm. If medicine does not need to be dispensed when the medicine box moves to the next position, directly control the conveying device to move the medicine box to the next position. During the movement, there may be a situation where a new medicine box is moved below the dispensing device. For example, if there are only three medicine boxes on the conveying device, the fourth medicine box will be moved below the first dispensing device after the next movement.

[0032] In step S4, if medicine needs to be dispensed, the medicine dispensing device is controlled to release the small package of medicine before the conveying device moves. In this way, the medicine pack can be directly controlled to cut after the medicine frame moves into place, which can improve the cutting efficiency. Here, the medicine frame refers to all the medicine frames located below the medicine dispensing device. That is, it is necessary to determine whether the medicine dispensing device above all the medicine frames at the next position dispenses medicine.

[0033] S5: Determine whether medicine needs to be dispensed from the medicine box at its current position. If yes, activate the cutting device to cut off the small package of medicine released in step S4 and drop it into the medicine box below. If no, repeat step S4 until a medicine box moves to the bottom of the last medicine dispensing device. In step S5, after the medicine box moves into place, determine again whether medicine needs to be dispensed from the corresponding position. Only after two accurate determinations are made will the small package of medicine be cut off, thereby improving the accuracy of the determination.

[0034] S51: Determine whether the drug dispensing is complete. If yes, update the inventory and repeat step S4. If not, issue a fault alarm.

[0035] S6: Determine in advance whether medicine needs to be dispensed when the medicine box moves to the next position. If yes, control the corresponding dispensing device to dispense the small package of Chinese medicine, prepare the outer packaging machine, control the conveying device to work, move the medicine box to the next position, move the medicine box below the last dispensing device to the outer packaging machine, stop the conveying device, and the prescription dispensing is completed. If no, prepare the outer packaging machine, directly control the conveying device to work, move the medicine box to the next position, move the medicine box below the last dispensing device to the outer packaging machine, and repeat step S5.

[0036] In steps S4, S5, and S6, only the dispensing device above the corresponding medicine box needs to dispense medicine. For example, if two medicine boxes are on the conveyor device, and after the next movement, three medicine boxes will be below the first three dispensing devices, then it is only necessary to determine whether the first three dispensing devices need to dispense medicine, without checking all the dispensing devices. Conversely, if some medicine boxes have already been dispensed, leaving only five medicine boxes on the conveyor device, and after the conveyor device moves again, only four medicine boxes will be below the last four dispensing devices, then it is only necessary to determine whether the last four dispensing devices need to dispense medicine, without checking all the dispensing devices.

[0037] The small-package Chinese medicine dispensing method of the present invention can realize automated judgment, cutting, and dispensing processes, and can realize continuous distribution of multiple doses of medicine. Before the conveying device moves, it judges whether medicine needs to be dispensed and controls the dispensing device to release the small package of Chinese medicine in advance. After the medicine frame moves into place, the small package of Chinese medicine can be cut directly, which can improve the speed and convenience of Chinese medicine dispensing. Through multiple judgments, the accuracy of dispensing can be achieved.

[0038] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0039] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A method for dispensing small packages of traditional Chinese medicine, characterized in that: The method for dispensing small-package traditional Chinese medicine includes the following steps: S1: Providing a traditional Chinese medicine cutting and dispensing device, the traditional Chinese medicine cutting and dispensing device includes a multi-row dispensing device for feeding medicine outwards, a cutting device corresponding to each row of dispensing devices, a conveying device disposed below the multi-row dispensing devices, and a medicine frame disposed on the conveying device for receiving small-package traditional Chinese medicine; S2: Obtaining the prescription to be dispensed; S3: Distributing the corresponding number of medicine frames and placing them on the conveying device; S4: Determine in advance whether medicine needs to be dispensed when the medicine box moves to the next position. If yes, control the corresponding dispensing device to release the small package of Chinese medicine, and simultaneously control the conveying device to move the medicine box to the next position. If no, directly control the conveying device to move the medicine box to the next position. In step S4, after moving the medicine box to the next position, it is necessary to determine whether the conveying device has completed its work. If yes, proceed to step S5. If no, issue a fault alarm. S5: Determine whether medicine needs to be dispensed at the current position of the medicine box. If yes, activate the cutting device to cut off the small package of Chinese medicine released in step S4 and drop it into the medicine box below. If no, repeat step S4 until a medicine box moves to the bottom of the last dispensing device. In step S5, after cutting off the small package of Chinese medicine released in step S4 and dropping it into the medicine box below, step S51 is also included: Determine whether the dispensing is complete. If yes, update the inventory and repeat step S4. If no, issue a fault alarm.

2. The method for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method for dispensing small-package traditional Chinese medicine further includes step S21 after step S2: determining whether there is enough small-package traditional Chinese medicine on the multiple dispensing devices. If yes, proceed to step S3; if no, determine whether manual dispensing is required. If yes, cancel the dispensing task; if no, replenish the medicine and then determine whether there is enough small-package traditional Chinese medicine on the multiple dispensing devices.

3. The method for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method for dispensing small-package traditional Chinese medicine further includes step S6 after step S5: It is determined in advance whether medicine needs to be dispensed when the medicine box moves to the next position. If so, the corresponding dispensing device is controlled to release the small-package traditional Chinese medicine, while simultaneously preparing the outer packaging machine. The conveying device is controlled to move the medicine box to the next position, and the medicine box below the last dispensing device is moved to the outer packaging machine until the last medicine box is moved to the outer packaging machine. The conveying device is then stopped, and the prescription dispensing is completed. If not, the conveying device is directly controlled to move the medicine box to the next position, and step S5 is repeated.

4. The method for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 3, characterized in that: In steps S4, S5 and S6, it is only determined whether the dispensing device above the corresponding medicine box needs to dispense medicine.

5. The method for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the dispensing devices further includes multiple rolls of medicine containing small packages of traditional Chinese medicine and capable of feeding medicine to the outside of the dispensing device. After step S3, step S31 is also included: dispensing medicine from the rolls of medicine in each of the dispensing devices.

6. The method for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 5, characterized in that: Each of the aforementioned dispensing devices includes two of the aforementioned medicine rolls.

7. The method for dispensing small-packaged traditional Chinese medicine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The number of drug dispensing devices is nine.

Images