Medical agent dispensing device and medical agent dispensing method

Abstract

To enable an efficient dispense of a medical agent.SOLUTION: A medical agent dispensing cassette (1) includes: a second rotor (13) for delivering the medical agent by rotation; and a first displacement member (16A) and a second displacement member (16B) to which the medical agent delivered on the second rotor is in contact by the second rotor. The second rotor can execute a normal feed operation and reverse feed operation. When a count sensor does not detect a presence of the medical agent for a first predefined period of time, the second rotor temporarily switches the normal feed operation to the reverse feed operation so as to execute a first switching operation in which the medical agent on a medical agent passage path is fed reversely by a first distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medicine dispensing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an example of an unspecified cassette that can dispense any type of medicine (e.g., tablets, capsules) in unit amounts (e.g., one tablet at a time) by changing the drive conditions. The unspecified cassette of Patent Document 1 comprises a first rotor, a second rotor, a height regulating body, and a width regulating body. In the unspecified cassette, the medicine inserted is discharged from the first rotor to the second rotor by the rotation of the first rotor, and then transported toward the dispensing outlet by the rotation of the second rotor. The medicine on the second rotor is transported to the dispensing outlet by the height regulating body and width regulating body, lined up one tablet at a time in the circumferential direction on the second rotor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 159819 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The upstream side of the dispensing outlet (the medicine guide area that guides the medicine to the dispensing outlet) is regulated to a predetermined width by a width regulating body and a side wall member arranged in a position opposite the width regulating body so that the medicine is dispensed in a lined up state one tablet at a time. In Patent Document 1, the side wall member is a fixed member. Therefore, depending on the shape of the medicine, the medicine may get caught on the fixed member, hindering the transport of the medicine, or the medicine may be damaged by contacting the fixed member.

[0005] An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a medicine dispensing device that is capable of dispensing medicines efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A drug dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a drug dispensing device that transports a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the outlet, and comprises a rotating member that rotates to transport the drug, and a displacement member with which the drug comes into contact as it is transported on the rotating member by the rotating member, a passageway for the drug that is located downstream of the displacement member on the rotating member is defined to a predetermined width, and the displacement member is suspended from above a horizontal plane including the rotating member. A drug dispensing method according to one aspect of the present invention is a drug dispensing method by a drug dispensing device that transports a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the outlet, the method including a step of transporting the drug by rotating a rotating member, and a step of adjusting an orientation or position of the drug by the drug being transported on the rotating member by the rotating member coming into contact with a displacement member, wherein a passage path for the drug on the rotating member that is located downstream of the displacement member is defined to a predetermined width, and the displacement member is suspended from above a horizontal plane including the rotating member. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the medicine dispensing device according to one aspect of the present invention, medicine can be efficiently dispensed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a state in which a medicine dispensing cassette is attached to a motor base, FIG. 2B is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the motor base, and FIG. 2C is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a count sensor. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a medicine dispensing cassette. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a medicine dispensing cassette with a cover part removed, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing a part of the medicine dispensing cassette in this state. [Figure 4]FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional view of a first rotating body and a second rotating body, and FIG. 4B is a diagram showing an example of the periphery of the first rotating body. [Diagram 5] 1A is a perspective view showing a comparative example of a second rotating body, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a second rotating body 13. FIG. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are diagrams showing configuration examples of a height restricting body and a width restricting body. [Figure 7] 13(a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining how to prevent overlapping of dividable tablets near the dispensing outlet. [Figure 8] 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of adjustment of the transfer height and transfer width. [Figure 9] FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing an example of a configuration of a guide member, and FIG. 4B is a plan view showing an example of a configuration of a first displacement member and a second displacement member. [Figure 10] 13(a) and 13(b) are views for explaining an example of transport of a dividable tablet when the cross-sectional shape of the first displacement member is D-shaped. FIG. [Figure 11] 6(a) to 6(c) are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of the second rotating body. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a comparative example of a guide member. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a medicine dispensing cassette and a motor base. [Figure 14] 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the second rotating body. [Figure 15] 6A and 6B are diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the second rotating body. [Figure 16] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a process in the medicine dispensing cassette. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a medicine dispensing cassette according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Embodiment 1] An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 16. First, a state in which a medicine dispensing cassette 1 (medicine dispensing device) is attached to a motor base 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 (a) is a perspective view showing a state in which the medicine dispensing cassette 1 is attached to the motor base 10, (b) is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the motor base 10, and (c) is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of a count sensor 101.

[0010] As shown in (a) of Fig. 1, by connecting the medicine dispensing cassette 1 to the motor base 10, dispensing of the dividable tablet by the medicine dispensing cassette 1 is realized under the control of the motor base 10. The medicine dispensing cassette 1 is a member that feeds an inserted dividable tablet sequentially to a dispensing outlet 17 (see (c) of Fig. 1) and dispenses the dividable tablet from the dispensing outlet 17. The motor base 10 is a member that controls the operation of the medicine dispensing cassette 1 by being connected to the motor base 10 when the medicine dispensing cassette 1 is placed thereon.

[0011] The medicine to be dispensed by the medicine dispensing cassette 1 does not refer to medicines contained in medicine containers that cannot be taken (e.g., ampoules or vials), but rather to medicines that are not contained in medicine containers that cannot be taken, or medicines themselves that are not wrapped in packaging that cannot be taken. In this specification, the medicine to be dispensed is described as being a divided tablet (e.g., a tablet divided into approximately half (half tablet)) (hereinafter referred to as a divided tablet). Note that the medicine dispensing cassette 1 may also be used to dispense undivided tablets (a single tablet) or capsules, but it functions effectively when handling medicines that are easily damaged or cracked. These points are the same for the medicine dispensing cassettes in the following embodiments.

[0012] In this specification, a medicine dispensing cassette that dispenses a unit amount of any type of medicine by changing the driving conditions will be described as an example. That is, a medicine dispensing cassette that is provided in a medicine packaging device that packages medicines, together with a fixed cassette that dispenses a predetermined type of medicine and a manual preparation unit that manually prepares medicines, etc. will be described as an example. However, the function of the medicine dispensing cassette described in this specification can also be applied to a medicine dispensing device that, for example, sequentially feeds a plurality of input medicines and counts and dispenses at least a portion of the fed medicines.

[0013] [Motor base configuration] As shown in FIG. 1(b), the motor base 10 includes a count sensor 101, a connector 102, and driving members 103 to 106.

[0014] As shown in (c) of Fig. 1, the count sensor 101 is a sensor that detects the dividable tablets that are sent out from the second rotor 13 of the medicine dispensing cassette 1 and have passed (fallen) through the dispensing outlet 17. The count sensor 101 detects the dividable tablets that have passed through the dispensing outlet 17, thereby counting the number of the dividable tablets. The count sensor 101 is disposed so that a detection range for the target is formed on the path along which the dividable tablets sent out from the second rotor 13 pass (see "optical axis" in (c) of Fig. 1).

[0015] The count sensor 101 is a so-called light-receiving sensor that identifies the presence or absence of an object within a detection range by receiving (or not receiving) light emitted from a light-emitting unit with a light-receiving unit located opposite the light-emitting unit. However, the count sensor 101 may be a so-called reflection-type sensor that identifies the presence or absence of an object within a detection range by receiving light emitted from the light-emitting unit by an object and receiving the reflected light with the light-receiving unit. In this case, the light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are arranged side by side.

[0016] The connector 102 supplies power to the drug dispensing cassette 1 by being connected to a connector (not shown) of the drug dispensing cassette 1. The driving members 103 and 104 are respectively connected to a first rotation mechanism for rotating the first rotor 12 of the drug dispensing cassette 1 shown in Fig. 2 and a second rotation mechanism for rotating the second rotor 13, and supply power to the first rotation mechanism and the second rotation mechanism. The driving members 105 and 106 are respectively connected to a height restriction body moving mechanism for moving the height restriction body 14 of the drug dispensing cassette 1 shown in Fig. 2 and a width restriction body moving mechanism for moving the width restriction body 15, and supply power to the height restriction body moving mechanism and the width restriction body moving mechanism.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 13, the motor base 10 includes a control unit 50 and a storage unit 60, which will be described later.

[0018] In the following description, the motor base 10 is assumed to include the control unit 50 and the storage unit 60, but is not limited thereto. For example, the control unit 50 and the storage unit 60 may be realized by a control device that is provided separately from the motor base 10 and the medicine dispensing cassette 1 and controls the operation of the medicine dispensing cassette 1. In this case, the control device is connected to the motor base 10 and controls the operation of the motor base 10, thereby controlling the operation of the medicine dispensing cassette 1.

[0019] In addition, the medicine dispensing cassette 1 and the motor base 10 are separate mechanisms, but may be integrated. In this case, for example, the medicine dispensing cassette 1 may include the count sensor 101, the control unit 50, and the memory unit 60.

[0020] [Configuration of drug dispensing cassette] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the medicine dispensing cassette 1. Fig. 3(a) is a perspective view showing a configuration example of the medicine dispensing cassette 1 with the cover part 11 removed, and Fig. 3(b) is a plan view showing a part of the medicine dispensing cassette 1 in that state.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the medicine dispensing cassette 1 mainly includes a cover portion 11, a first rotating body 12, a second rotating body 13, a height regulating body 14, a width regulating body 15, and a guide member 16.

[0022] In the medicine dispensing cassette 1, the dividable tablet is fed into the first rotor 12. Thereafter, the dividable tablet is transferred from the first rotor 12 to the second rotor 13 in the transfer area Ar1 by the rotation of the first rotor 12, and falls from the second rotor 13 to the dispensing outlet 17 by the rotation of the second rotor 13. In addition, the dividable tablets on the second rotor 13 are aligned in a row by the height restricting body 14 and the width restricting body 15. Each member will be described in detail below.

[0023] <Cover section / discharge outlet> The cover part 11 is a part of a housing provided on the upper part (the input side of the dividable tablet) of the medicine dispensing cassette 1, and protects the inside of the medicine dispensing cassette 1. The dispensing outlet 17 is an opening through which the dividable tablet transported by the second rotating body 13 falls.

[0024] <First rotating body and second rotating body> The first rotating body 12 and the second rotating body 13 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of the first rotating body 12 and the second rotating body 13, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of the peripheral part of the first rotating body 12. Figure 5(a) is a perspective view showing a comparative example of the second rotating body 13, and (b) is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the second rotating body 13.

[0025] The first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 function as a drug transport mechanism that transports the inserted dividable tablet to the dispensing outlet 17. Specifically, in the case of forward feeding, the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 transport the inserted dividable tablet toward the dispensing outlet 17. In the case of reverse feeding, the second rotor 13 transports the dividable tablet placed on the second rotor 13 in the opposite direction to the forward feeding direction. In other words, the second rotor 13 can switch between a forward feeding operation that forwards the dividable tablet and a reverse feeding operation that reverses the dividable tablet. However, the first rotor 12 may also be capable of switching between a forward feeding operation and a reverse feeding operation, similar to the second rotor 13. Note that forward feeding may be referred to as forward rotation, and reverse feeding may be referred to as reverse rotation.

[0026] The first rotor 12 is a rotating member (inner disk, inner ring) that rotates to move the inserted dividable tablet to the outer periphery (diametrically outward). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the first rotor 12 is a disk-shaped rotating member that rotates around a first shaft portion 12A.

[0027] 2, 3(a), and 4(a), a partition wall 18 is erected along the outer periphery of the first rotating body 12. This allows the inserted dividable tablet to be placed on the first rotating body 12. Specifically, the inserted dividable tablet is contained in a storage space partitioned by the first rotating body 12 and the partition wall 18.

[0028] 4(a), the first rotor 12 is disposed so as to be inclined with respect to the XY plane (e.g., the mounting surface of the medicine dispensing cassette 1). In other words, the first shaft portion 12A of the first rotor 12 is disposed so as to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the Z-axis direction (vertical direction).

[0029] 2 to 4, a plurality of ridges 12B for preventing the dividable tablet fed into the first rotor 12 from rolling on the upper surface of the first rotor 12 are radially provided on the upper surface of the first rotor 12. The dividable tablet fed into the first rotor 12 moves to the outer periphery by centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the first rotor 12.

[0030] As shown in (a) and (b) of Figure 4, the side surface 12C of the peripheral end of each ridge portion 12B has an inclination so as to be approximately parallel to the surface of the second rotor 13 on which the dividable tablet is placed. This makes it possible to prevent the dividable tablet from being damaged when it moves between the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13. In particular, it makes it possible to prevent the dividable tablet from being damaged when it is returned from the second rotor 13 to the first rotor 12 during reverse feeding.

[0031] Generally, tablets are coated with a protective film around them to prevent breakage. However, in the case of a divided tablet, the divided surface is not coated with a protective film. Therefore, divided tablets are weaker against external impacts and more easily broken than non-divided tablets. In other words, divided tablets are prone to generating powder or fragments from the divided surface. Therefore, in a medicine dispensing cassette 1 that handles divided tablets, it is useful for the side surface 12C to have the above-mentioned inclination.

[0032] The sizes and positional relationship between the first rotating body 12 and the second rotating body 13 are specified so that gaps are generated at least in the transfer region Ar1 and the opposing region Ar2. The transfer region Ar1 is a region where the dividable tablet transfers from the first rotating body 12 to the second rotating body 13. The opposing region Ar2 is a region adjacent to the lower part of the partition wall 18, opposing the transfer region Ar1.

[0033] In general, a gap is provided between the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 so that the first rotor 12 does not come into contact with the second rotor 13. However, the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 are not designed to intentionally provide a gap in consideration of the transfer of the medicine in the transfer area Ar1. When handling a dividable tablet as in the medicine dispensing cassette 1, powder or fragments are likely to be generated as described above. Therefore, by intentionally providing a gap (at least making it larger than before), it becomes possible to drop the powder or fragments below the first rotor 12 and collect them.

[0034] Here, for example, consider the case where a divided tablet (first divided tablet) is dispensed, and then a divided tablet (second divided tablet) of a different type from the first divided tablet is dispensed. When there is no gap, the amount of powder or fragments of the first divided tablet remaining on the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 is greater than when there is a gap. Therefore, when there is no gap, there is a higher possibility that the powder or fragments of the first divided tablet will be dispensed together with the second divided tablet than when there is a gap. It is not preferable from the viewpoint of safety that the medicine to be dispensed is dispensed together with the powder or fragments of other medicines. Therefore, it is useful to provide a gap in the medicine dispensing cassette 1 that handles divided tablets. However, the gap is limited to a size that does not allow the divided tablet to fall.

[0035] In addition, a collecting section 19 (storage section) is provided at the bottom of the moving area Ar1 to collect powder or fragments that have fallen through the gap. By providing the collecting section 19, the collected powder or fragments can be easily collected, for example, when disassembling and cleaning the medicine dispensing cassette 1. Therefore, the effort required for cleaning the medicine dispensing cassette 1 can be reduced. The collecting section 19 may be detachably provided at the bottom of the moving area Ar1. Also, the collecting section may be provided at the bottom of the facing area Ar2. Also, the collecting section may be provided along the bottom of at least one of the inner and outer circumferential parts of the second rotor 13.

[0036] The medicine dispensing cassette 1 also incorporates a first rotation mechanism that rotates the first rotor 12. The first rotation mechanism is realized, for example, by a first shaft portion 12A and a drive member (not shown) that rotates the first shaft portion 12A around a first rotation axis of the first shaft portion 12A. The drive member of the first rotation mechanism is connected to a drive member 103 of the motor base 10, so that the first rotor 12 rotates by receiving power from the motor base 10. The drive of the first rotation mechanism is controlled by a rotor control unit 51 (see FIG. 13).

[0037] 2 to 4, the second rotating body 13 is an annular rotating member and is disposed so as to be located above the first rotating body 12 (in the +Z-axis direction). The second rotating body 13 is disposed horizontally so that the second rotation axis of the second rotating body 13 extends in the ±Z-axis directions and the upper surface thereof is approximately parallel to the XY plane. In other words, the second rotation axis of the second rotating body 13 extends in a different direction from the first rotation axis of the first rotating body 12.

[0038] In addition, when viewed from the axial direction of the second rotating shaft (+Z axis direction), the second rotating body 13 is arranged along the outer periphery of the first rotating body 12, and is a rotating member (outer disk, outer wheel) that rotates to transport a divided tablet placed on the second rotating body 13, for example, to the dispensing outlet 17.

[0039] During forward feeding, the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 rotate in the same direction so that the inserted dividable tablet is transported toward the dispensing outlet 17. At least a portion of the dividable tablet that has been transferred from the first rotor 12 to the second rotor 13 in the transfer area Ar1 is forward fed to the dispensing outlet 17, and the remaining dividable tablets are dropped toward the first rotor 12 by the height regulating body 14, the width regulating body 15 and the guide member 16 (first displacement member 16A and second displacement member 16B).

[0040] The medicine dispensing cassette 1 incorporates a second rotation mechanism that rotates the second rotor 13. The second rotation mechanism is realized, for example, by a gear member 13A (see FIG. 5(b)) provided along the side surface of the second rotor 13. The second rotor 13 rotates by receiving power from the motor base 10 when the driving member 104 of the motor base 10 is fitted into the gear member 13A. The driving of the second rotation mechanism is also controlled by the rotor control unit 51.

[0041] Also, as shown in FIG. 5(b), in the medicine dispensing cassette 1, no ribs are provided around the entire circumference of the inner and outer peripheries of the second rotor 13. As described above, the divisible tablet is easily damaged. As shown in FIG. 5(a), if the rib 130A is provided on the inner periphery of the second rotor 13, when the divisible tablet is returned from the second rotor 13 to the first rotor 12, the divisible tablet may come into contact with the rib 130A and be damaged. Also, as shown in FIG. 5(a), if the rib 130B is provided on the outer periphery of the second rotor 13, when the divisible tablet is transported from the second rotor 13 to the dispensing outlet 17, the divisible tablet may come into contact with the rib 130B and be damaged. Also, if the rib 130A or 130B prevents the divisible tablet from being transported, the subsequent divisible tablet may ride up on the divisible tablet. This is due to the fact that the divisible tablet is not rounded like an undivided tablet, but has a special shape that is partially flat.

[0042] In the medicine dispensing cassette 1, no ribs are provided on the inner and outer periphery of the second rotor 13, thereby preventing breakage of the dividable tablet and facilitating transport to the first rotor 12 or the dispensing outlet 17. Furthermore, no ribs are provided on the inner and outer periphery of the second rotor 13, which makes it easier for powder or fragments of the dividable tablet on the second rotor 13 to fall from the inner or outer periphery of the second rotor 13 to its lower part (e.g., a storage section).

[0043] <Height and width regulation bodies> The height regulating body 14 and the width regulating body 15 will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. Figures 6(a) and 6(b) are diagrams showing configuration examples of the height regulating body 14 and the width regulating body 15. Figures 7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams for explaining prevention of overlapping of dividable tablets near the dispensing outlet 17. Figures 8(a) and 8(b) are diagrams for explaining an adjustment example of the transport height W1 and the transport width W22.

[0044] The height regulating body 14 and the width regulating body 15 are regulating bodies that define the width of a passage path for the dividable tablets to regulate the passage of the dividable tablets sequentially fed by the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 according to the size of the dividable tablets, and are movable to change the width of the passage path. The height regulating body 14 and the width regulating body 15 define a passage path Ro for the dividable tablets on the second rotor 13, along which the dividable tablets can be transported to the dispensing outlet 17 in a row.

[0045] The height restricting body (height guide) 14 restricts the transfer height W1 shown in FIG. 6(a) as the width of the passage path. The width restricting body 15 restricts the transfer widths W21 and W22 shown in FIG. 3(b) as the width of the passage path. The transfer height W1 is the distance between the lower surface of the first height restricting portion 14A of the height restricting body 14 and the upper surface of the second rotating body 13. In other words, the transfer height W1 is the distance of the height restricting body 14 from the surface of the passage path Ro. The transfer width W21 is the distance from the inner periphery of the second rotating body 13 to the first wall surface 15S1 of the width restricting body 15, and the transfer width W22 is the distance from the guide member 16 to the second wall surface 15S2 of the width restricting body 15.

[0046] As shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 6, the height restricting body 14 includes a first height restricting portion 14A and a second height restricting portion 14B. The first height restricting portion 14A is a member that prevents the dividable tablet placed on the second rotating body 13 from being transported to the dispensing outlet 17 in a state where the tablets are stacked in the height direction (+Z axis direction) during forward feeding. The first height restricting portion 14A is disposed so as to be located downstream of the medicine transport direction during forward feeding with respect to the movement region Ar1 and above the second rotating body 13. As shown in (a) of FIG. 6, the first height restricting portion 14A extends from the outer periphery to the inner periphery of the second rotating body 13 and along the medicine transport direction.

[0047] The height regulating body 14 moves in the ±Z-axis direction to define the transfer height W1 on the upper surface of the second rotating body 13. The medicine dispensing cassette 1 has a built-in height regulating body moving mechanism that controls the movement of the first height regulating part 14A. The height regulating body moving mechanism includes, for example, a screw member 14C. As shown in (a) of FIG. 6, the screw member 14C is provided in engagement with a screw receiving part formed on the height regulating body 14. In this embodiment, the screw member 14C is connected to the driving member 105 of the motor base 10, and the screw member 14C rotates by receiving power from the motor base 10, and the height regulating body 14 moves in the ±Z-axis direction. As a result, the transfer height W1 is adjusted according to the size of the inserted dividable tablet. The driving of the height regulating body moving mechanism is controlled, for example, by the regulating body control part 52 (see FIG. 13).

[0048] The second height regulating portion 14B is a member that prevents the dividable tablets placed on the second rotor 13 from being transported to the dispensing outlet 17 in a state where they are stacked in the height direction during forward feeding, similar to the first height regulating portion 14A. The second height regulating portion 14B is disposed so as to be located upstream of the dispensing outlet 17 in the drug transport direction during forward feeding and above the second rotor 13. That is, the second height regulating portion 14B is provided at the tip of the height regulating portion 14. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the second height regulating portion 14B has a step 14B1 formed so that the height is slightly lowered toward the drug transport direction during forward feeding.

[0049] Consider a state in which the conveyance of the dividable tablet MD1 is hindered by the guide member 16 during forward feeding, as shown in (a) of Fig. 7. Note that in Fig. 7, the shapes of the dividable tablets MD1, MD2, and MD3 are substantially the same, but the orientations of the dividable tablets MD1, MD2, and MD3 are different from one another. Therefore, in Fig. 7, the shapes of the dividable tablets MD1, MD2, and MD3 are illustrated as being different from one another.

[0050] If forward feeding continues while the conveyance of the dividable tablet MD1 is impeded, the dividable tablet MD2 may be pushed by the dividable tablet MD3 and run onto the dividable tablet MD1 stopped by the guide member 16.

[0051] When the dividable tablet MD2 is conveyed to the dispensing outlet 17 with the dividable tablet MD1 on top of it, two dividable tablets are dispensed from the dispensing outlet 17 at a time. When two dividable tablets are dispensed at a time, the count sensor 101 may erroneously count the two dividable tablets as one dividable tablet. By providing the second height regulating portion 14B, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the dividable tablet MD2 on the dividable tablet MD1 can be caused to come into contact with a step 14B1 and fall. This prevents the dividable tablets from being dispensed in a stacked state, thereby preventing the above-mentioned miscounting from occurring.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3B and FIG. 6A, the width restricting body (width guide) 15 is disposed together with the height restricting body 14 so as to be located downstream of the medicine transport direction during forward feeding and above the second rotor 13 with respect to the moving area Ar1. As shown in FIG. 3B, the width restricting body 15 has a first wall surface 15S1 (curved surface) having a diameter larger than the diameter of the inner periphery of the second rotor 13, and a second wall surface 15S2 located downstream of the first wall surface 15S1 in the medicine transport direction during forward feeding. The transport widths W21 and W22 can be adjusted by the width restricting body 15 moving in the approximately ±Y-axis direction. The positional relationship between the width restricting body 15 and the second rotor 13 is specified so that the minimum transport width W21 can be formed in a part of the circumferential direction of the first wall surface 15S1.

[0053] The width restricting body 15 moves approximately in the ±Y-axis direction to define the transport widths W21 and W22 on the upper surface of the second rotor 13. As shown in Fig. 3(a), the medicine dispensing cassette 1 has a built-in width restricting body moving mechanism that controls the movement of the width restricting body 15. As shown in Fig. 3(a), the width restricting body moving mechanism includes, for example, a screw member 15A1 and a piston portion 15A2.

[0054] The piston portion 15A2 moves the width regulating body 15 along the piston portion 15A2. In this embodiment, the screw member 15A1 is connected to the driving member 106 of the motor base 10, and the screw member 15A1 rotates by receiving power from the motor base 10. Power generated by the rotation of the screw member 15A1 is transmitted to the piston portion 15A2, and the width regulating body 15 connected to the piston portion 15A2 moves due to the power. As a result, the transport widths W21 and W22 are adjusted according to the size of the inserted dividable tablet. The drive of the width regulating body moving mechanism is controlled by, for example, the regulating body control unit 52.

[0055] 6(b), the width restricting body 15 includes an opening 15B that accommodates a portion of the second height restricting portion 14B so that the second height restricting portion 14B can move in the ±Z-axis directions. By providing the opening 15B, the second height restricting portion 14B can be disposed on the passage path Ro regardless of fluctuations in the transport width W22. Therefore, even if two dividable tablets are transported overlapping each other, the upper dividable tablet can be reliably dropped by the second height restricting portion 14B.

[0056] (Adjustment of transfer height and transfer width) As a pre-processing for dispensing a dividable tablet, a process for adjusting the transport height W1, transport widths W21 and W22 is performed. The transport height W1 and transport width W22 are calculated based on the type of dividable tablet to be inserted. Specifically, the transport height W1 and transport width W22 are calculated based on the diameter and thickness of the tablet (approximately circular shape) before being divided into the dividable tablet, which are included in the drug data related to the dividable tablet to be inserted. This calculation may be performed by a host system of the drug dispensing cassette 1, or may be performed by the control unit 50 of the drug dispensing cassette 1.

[0057] An example of calculating the transport height W1 and transport width W22 will be described. The transport width W22 may be set to a value that allows a plurality of dividable tablets to be transported to the dispensing outlet 17 in a single row, regardless of the thickness (B) of the dividable tablet.

[0058] From this viewpoint, the transport width W22 is set, for example, to be greater than 1 and less than 2 times the radius (A) of the dividable tablet. Note that the radius of the dividable tablet is determined by dividing the diameter of the tablet before being divided into dividable tablets, which is included in the drug data related to the dividable tablet to be inserted, by 2.

[0059] Setting the distance greater than one time the radius of the dividable tablet allows the dividable tablet to be transported in a lying state to the dispensing outlet 17. The lying state refers to a state in which the divided surface does not face the surface of the second rotor 13 (a state in which the dividable tablet is not standing up). Setting the distance less than twice the radius of the dividable tablet prevents the dividable tablets in a lying state from being transported in two rows.

[0060] Dividable tablets are divided evenly so that the tablet is roughly halved, but in some cases, they may not be divided evenly (e.g., one tablet is divided 4:6). In this case, it is necessary to set the transport width W22 to be greater than 1x the radius of the dividable tablet so that the larger divided tablet can also be transported lying down. Therefore, the transport width W22 is set to be greater than 1x the radius of the dividable tablet.

[0061] Also, as shown in FIG. 8(b), when the thickness of the dividable tablet is relatively thick (a predetermined thickness or more), the dividable tablets may be conveyed on the second rotor 13 in a lined-up state in the direction of the transport width W22. In consideration of this point, when the thickness of the dividable tablet is a predetermined thickness or more, the transport width W22 may be set to less than twice the thickness of the dividable tablet. By setting the transport width W22 to less than twice the thickness of the dividable tablet, it is possible to prevent the dividable tablets in a lined-up state from being conveyed in the direction of the transport width W22. The predetermined thickness may be set through experiments or the like. In the example of FIG. 8, the thickness of the dividable tablet is considered to be a predetermined thickness or more when twice the thickness of the dividable tablet is 1.3 times or more the radius of the dividable tablet.

[0062] The transport width W21 may be set to a size large enough to transport a relatively thick dividable tablet in an upright state. Even if a relatively thick dividable tablet stands upright, the transport width W22 setting described above prevents multiple dividable tablets from being lined up in the direction of the transport width W22 on the passage path Ro of the transport width W22.

[0063] 8(a), when the thickness of the dividable tablet is relatively thin (less than a predetermined thickness), it is unlikely that the dividable tablets will be lined up in an upright state along the transport width W22 and transported on the second rotor 13. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the transport width W22 taking into account the uprightness of the dividable tablet (i.e., the thickness of the dividable tablet).

[0064] In the examples of (a) and (b) of FIG. 8, the transport width W22 is set to be, for example, 1.3 times (1.3A) the radius of the dividable tablet.

[0065] In addition, when the thickness of the divided tablet is less than a predetermined value, the transfer height W1 is set to a value greater than one time the thickness of the divided tablet and less than two times the thickness. In other words, in this case, the transfer height W1 is set according to the dimension in the thickness direction of the divided tablet. In addition, when the thickness of the divided tablet is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the transfer height W1 is set to a value greater than one time the radius of the divided tablet and less than two times the thickness of the divided tablet. In other words, in this case, the transfer height W1 is set taking into consideration the dimension in a direction other than the thickness direction of the divided tablet (the radius if the tablet has a circular cross section).

[0066] As described above, if the dividable tablet is relatively thin, it is unlikely that the dividable tablet will be transported in an upright state. Therefore, the transport height W1 may be set to a value that can prevent two overlapping dividable tablets from being transported over the second rotor 13 (a value that can reliably transport one dividable tablet) without taking into consideration that the dividable tablet will be transported in an upright state over the second rotor 13.

[0067] For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 8, when twice the thickness of the divided tablet is less than the transport width W22 (in the example of Figure 8, less than 1.3 times the radius of the divided tablet), the transport height W1 is set to 1.1 times the thickness of the divided tablet (1.1B).

[0068] However, if a relatively thin divisible tablet were to stand up, the divisible tablets would be conveyed in a line in the direction of the transport width W22 and dispensed from the dispensing outlet 17. For this reason, it is preferable that the relatively thin divisible tablet is conveyed to the dispensing outlet 17 in a lying state. If the transport width W22 is set in consideration of the fact that the relatively thin divisible tablet may be dispensed in an upright state, the transport width W22 would be too small and the lying divisible tablet would not be conveyed to the dispensing outlet 17. For this reason, the transport width W22 is set as described above, assuming that the relatively thin divisible tablet is unlikely to stand up (i.e., allowing it to stand up). In order to reliably prevent the relatively thin divisible tablet from being dispensed in an upright state, if the thickness of the divisible tablet is less than a predetermined value, the transport height W1 may be set to be less than the radius of the divisible tablet.

[0069] On the other hand, if the dividable tablet is relatively thick, it may be transported in an upright state. Therefore, the transport height W1 is set to a value larger than the radius of the dividable tablet so that the dividable tablet can be transported on the second rotor 13 even in an upright state. On the other hand, since it is necessary to prevent two dividable tablets from being transported on the second rotor 13 in a vertically overlapping state, the transport height W1 is set to a value less than twice the thickness of the dividable tablet.

[0070] For example, as shown in (b) of Figure 8, when the transport width W22 is equal to or greater than twice the thickness of the divided tablet (in the example of Figure 8, equal to or greater than 1.3 times the radius of the divided tablet), the transport height W1 is set to 1.1 times the radius of the divided tablet (1.1A).

[0071] In a typical medicine dispensing cassette, it is assumed that the medicine will be dispensed in a lying state, so the transport height W1 is set to be greater than 1x but less than 2x the thickness of the medicine, and the transport width W22 is set to be greater than 1x but less than 2x the diameter of the medicine. This is because medicines that are not dividable tablets tend to lie flat.

[0072] On the other hand, the medicine dispensing cassette 1 handles dividable tablets. Therefore, it is necessary to set the transport height W1 and transport width W22 in consideration of the possibility that the dividable tablet may be dispensed in an upright state. By setting the transport height W1 and transport width W22 as described above, the dividable tablets can be aligned in a row at least on the passage path Ro from the guide member 16 to the dispensing outlet 17, regardless of the state in which the dividable tablets are transported on the second rotating body 13.

[0073] Therefore, the medicine dispensing cassette 1 can dispense not only dividable tablets in a lying state, but also dividable tablets in an upright state one by one. Since it can dispense even upright dividable tablets, it is possible to improve the efficiency of dispensing dividable tablets. It is also possible to prevent two dividable tablets from being dispensed in an overlapping state.

[0074] In the above, an example of calculating the transport height W1 and transport width W22 using the thickness and radius of the dividable tablet has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The thickness of the dividable tablet used in the calculation may be the first part having the smallest dimension (also called the short side) among the dimensions of the length (diameter), width (radius), and height (thickness) of the dividable tablet. In addition, the radius of the dividable tablet used in the calculation may be the second part (also called the middle side) having the second smallest dimension among the dimensions of the length, width, and height of the dividable tablet.

[0075] In other words, the transport width W22 may be set to be greater than one time the second portion of the dividable tablet and less than two times the second portion. If the first portion of the dividable tablet has a predetermined length or more (e.g., the thickness of the dividable tablet is a predetermined thickness or more), the transport width W22 may be set to be less than two times the first portion of the dividable tablet.

[0076] Furthermore, when the first portion of the dividable tablet is less than a predetermined value (e.g., first portion×2<transport width W22, i.e., first portion<transport width W22 / 2), the transport height W1 may be set to a value greater than 1x the first portion and less than 2x the first portion. Furthermore, when the first portion of the dividable tablet is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (e.g., first portion×2≧transport width W22, i.e., first portion≧transport width W22 / 2), the transport height W1 may be set to a value greater than 1x the second portion of the dividable tablet and less than 2x the first portion.

[0077] In addition, in the above example, when twice the thickness of the divided tablet is the same as the transport width W22 (1.3 times the radius of the divided tablet), the transport height W1 is set by the setting method shown in Figure 8(b), but the transport height W1 may also be set by the setting method shown in Figure 8(a).

[0078] <Guide parts> The guide member 16 will be described with reference to Figs. 9 to 12. Fig. 9(a) is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the guide member 16, and Fig. 9(b) is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B. Figs. 10(a) and 10(b) are views for explaining an example of conveying a dividable tablet when the cross-sectional shape of the first displacement member 16A is a D-shape. Fig. 11(a) to (c) are views for explaining an example of the operation of the second rotating body 13. Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a guide member 160 as a comparative example.

[0079] As shown in (a) of FIG. 9, the medicine dispensing cassette 1 includes a guide member 16 in the vicinity of the dispensing outlet 17, which defines a part of the passage path Ro of the dividable tablet formed by the second rotating body 13 connected to the dispensing outlet 17 and guides the dividable tablet to the dispensing outlet 17. As shown in (b) of FIG. 3, the guide member 16 is erected at a position facing the second wall surface 15S2 of the width regulating body 15 and defines a part of the passage path Ro together with the second wall surface 15S2. The passage path Ro defined by the guide member 16 can be said to be an end region (medicine guide region) on the second rotating body 13 where the dividable tablet that has passed through the first wall surface 15S1 is guided to the dispensing outlet 17.

[0080] The guide member 16 includes a first displacement member 16A, a second displacement member 16B, a fixed member 16C, and a support member 16D.

[0081] (Fixing member) The fixed member 16C is a non-displaceable member installed on the second rotating body 13, and is a sidewall member (first sidewall member) that defines the sidewall of the passage path Ro. Note that the width restricting body 15 can also be said to be a sidewall member (second sidewall member) that defines the sidewall.

[0082] (Support member) The support member 16D extends from the fixed member 16C to the upstream side, and supports the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B so as to be suspended below the support member 16D.

[0083] (Displacement member) The first and second displacement members 16A and 16B are suspended from the support member 16D, and are displaced when they come into contact with the dividable tablet transported by the second rotor 13, and exert a force on the dividable tablet in a direction that counteracts the displacement. As a result, the first and second displacement members 16A and 16B adjust the orientation or position of the dividable tablet, and assist in the transport of the dividable tablet to the downstream side (medicine guide region) defined by a predetermined width (transport width W22).

[0084] The displacement (swing) of the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B can absorb the impact on the dividable tablet. This prevents the dividable tablet from being damaged. Furthermore, the force applied to the dividable tablet can correct its orientation (posture). Furthermore, the position of the dividable tablet can be corrected so that the fixing member 16C does not impede the transportation of the dividable tablet. This prevents the dividable tablet from becoming clogged in the fixing member 16C.

[0085] Specifically, the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B are disposed upstream of the fixed member 16C. This allows the forward-transmitted dividable tablet to come into contact with the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B before coming into contact with the fixed member 16C. This prevents the dividable tablet from being damaged by contact with the fixed member 16C.

[0086] In addition, the first and second displacement members 16A and 16B change the orientation or position of the dividable tablet so as to prevent the dividable tablet from contacting one end (the upstream end) of the fixed member 16C. By changing the orientation or position in this manner, damage to the dividable tablet due to contact with the one end of the fixed member 16C can be prevented, while also preventing the dividable tablet from clogging at that end.

[0087] Furthermore, by providing two displacement members, the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B, the orientation or position of the dividable tablet can be changed in stages, which makes it possible to efficiently prevent clogging of the dividable tablet.

[0088] As described above, dividable tablets are easily damaged. Therefore, in the medicine dispensing cassette 1 that handles dividable tablets, it is beneficial to provide the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B on the guide member 16 so that the dividable tablet can be transported to the dispensing outlet 17 while preventing the tablet from being damaged.

[0089] In addition, unlike rounded tablets, a dividable tablet has a special shape (a shape including a divided surface). Therefore, when the corners of the divided surface come into contact with the width regulating body 15 and the fixing member 16C, the conveyance of the dividable tablet is hindered, and the dividable tablet is likely to become clogged. Therefore, from this viewpoint, it is beneficial to provide the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B.

[0090] 9(a), the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B are connected to the fixed member 16C so that they are arranged in the order of the fixed member 16C, the first displacement member 16A, and the second displacement member 16B when viewed from the dispensing outlet 17. That is, the medicine dispensing cassette 1 includes, as displacement members, the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B arranged upstream of the first displacement member 16A (at a position farther from the dispensing outlet 17).

[0091] As shown in FIG. 9(b), the contact surface 16AS1 (upstream contact surface) of the first displacement member 16A with which the divisible tablet comes into contact during forward feeding is shaped so as not to impede the movement of the divisible tablet. In this case, damage to the divisible tablet when it comes into contact with the first displacement member 16A during forward feeding can be prevented. In addition, the contact surface 16AS2 (downstream contact surface) of the first displacement member 16A with which the divisible tablet comes into contact during reverse feeding also has a shape that does not impede the movement of the divisible tablet. In this case, damage to the divisible tablet when it comes into contact with the first displacement member 16A during reverse feeding can be prevented.

[0092] In this embodiment, both contact surfaces 16AS1 and 16AS2 are curved, and the cross-sectional shape of the first displacement member 16A is circular. However, the first displacement member 16A may have any shape (e.g., polygonal) as long as at least the contact surfaces 16AS1 and 16AS2 do not impede the movement of the dividable tablet. However, if the cross-sectional shape of the first displacement member 16A is circular, it is easy to manufacture the first displacement member 16A that prevents breakage of the dividable tablet.

[0093] Here, consider the case where either of contact surfaces 16AS1 and 16AS2 does not have the above-mentioned shape (i.e., the surface shape (e.g., flat shape) that hinders the movement of the dividable tablet). In this case, the corners of the divided surface are likely to get caught on contact surface 16AS1 or 16AS2, which tends to hinder the transportation of the dividable tablet.

[0094] When the contact surface 16AS2 has a flat shape as shown in Fig. 10(a), the dividable tablet MD is likely to become stuck between the fixed member 16C and the contact surface 16AS2 during reverse feeding as shown in Fig. 10(b). In this case, it is difficult to resolve the stuck state of the dividable tablet by only the forward feeding and reverse feeding operations of the second rotor 13.

[0095] From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the shape of the first displacement member 16A is such that at least the contact surfaces 16AS1 and 16AS2 do not hinder the movement of the dividable tablet. For example, it is preferable that the contact surfaces 16AS1 and 16AS2 are in the shape of a circular arc or a polygonal shape with a relatively large interior angle (e.g., a shape with an interior angle at least greater than 90°).

[0096] In addition, the positional relationship between the first displacement member 16A and the fixed member 16C is specified so that the gap W3 between the first displacement member 16A and the fixed member 16C is large enough that the divisible tablet does not get stuck. In the case of a positional relationship in which the divisible tablet gets stuck, for example, during forward feeding, the corners of the divided surface are likely to come into contact with the fixed member 16C, and the movement of the divisible tablet is likely to be hindered. In addition, the divisible tablet may rotate around the first displacement member 16A as a rotation axis and fall toward the first rotor 12. In order to prevent these problems, the positional relationship is specified as described above.

[0097] In addition, the contact surface 16BS1 (upstream contact surface) of the second displacement member 16B with which the dividable tablet comes into contact when the dividable tablet is fed forward has a shape that does not impede the movement of the dividable tablet. In this case, damage to the dividable tablet when it comes into contact with the second displacement member 16B during forward feeding can be prevented.

[0098] On the other hand, the second displacement member 16B has an inhibition surface 16BS2 (downstream contact surface) that comes into contact with the divided tablet to inhibit its movement when the divided tablet that has come into contact with the first displacement member 16A is fed backwards.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 11(a), even if the dividable tablet is transported in a state where it gets caught on the guide member 16, the dividable tablet MD comes into contact with the first displacement member 16A, and the orientation or position of the dividable tablet MD is corrected. This makes it possible to prevent the dividable tablet MD from getting caught on the guide member 16, and the medicine dispensing cassette 1 can efficiently dispense the dividable tablet MD. The second displacement member 16B also has the same effect. In other words, by providing the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B, the orientation or position of the dividable tablet MD can be corrected in two stages.

[0100] However, depending on the orientation or position of the dividable tablet MD11, the orientation or position of the dividable tablet MD11 may not be fully corrected by the first displacement member 16A during forward feeding, causing the dividable tablet MD11 to get caught on the fixing member 16C, as shown in (b) of Fig. 11. In this case, the movement of the dividable tablet MD12 is hindered by the dividable tablet MD11.

[0101] In this state, when the second rotor 13 performs a reverse feed operation, the dividable tablet MD11 can be hooked on the suppression surface 16BS2 of the second displacement member 16B while the dividable tablet MD12 can be moved in the direction of the first height restriction part 14A, as shown in (c) of Fig. 11. In other words, the interval between the dividable tablets MD11 and MD12 can be widened.

[0102] In this state, when the second rotating body 13 performs the forward feeding operation again, as shown in (a) of Figure 11, the split tablet MD11 can be brought into contact with the first displacement member 16A without the split tablet MD12 being in contact, so that the orientation or position of the split tablet MD11 can be corrected.

[0103] Furthermore, when the dividable tablet MD11 gets caught on the second displacement member 16B during reverse feeding, the orientation or position of the dividable tablet MD11 is likely to be changed to a different orientation or position from when it gets caught on the fixed member 16C. Therefore, by bringing the dividable tablet MD11 into contact with the first displacement member 16A again, the orientation or position of the dividable tablet MD11 is likely to be corrected to an extent that it can pass through the passage route Ro.

[0104] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the cross-sectional shape of the second displacement member 16B is a D-shape in which the suppression surface 16BS2 is flat and the contact surface 16BS1 is curved. The shape of the second displacement member 16B is not limited to this, and may be any shape as long as at least the contact surface 16BS1 and the suppression surface 16BS2 have the shapes described above. When the cross-sectional shape of the second displacement member 16B is approximately D-shaped, it is possible to easily manufacture the second displacement member 16B that prevents damage to the dividable tablet during forward feeding and temporarily suppresses the movement of the dividable tablet during reverse feeding.

[0105] However, the suppression surface 16BS2 may have a curved shape (i.e., the cross-sectional shape of the second displacement member 16B may be circular). In this case, the force of suppressing the movement of the dividable tablet during reverse feeding is weaker than when the suppression surface 16BS2 has a flat shape, but the movement can still be suppressed.

[0106] Here, consider the case where the guide member 16 does not include the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B. For example, consider the case where a guide member 160 is provided instead of the guide member 16, as shown in Fig. 12. The guide member 160 has an inclined contact portion 160A with which the dividable tablet comes into contact when fed forward, to prevent the dividable tablet from getting caught in the guide member 160.

[0107] Because the guide member 160 is fixed, it is difficult to change the orientation of the dividable tablet. As described above, because the dividable tablet has a special shape, it is easy for it to get caught on the contact portion 160A and to climb up on it. If the dividable tablet climbs up on the contact portion 160A, it may fall onto the succeeding dividable tablet, and the two dividable tablets may be dispensed from the dispensing outlet 17 in an overlapping state. Furthermore, the dividable tablet is easily damaged due to contact with the contact portion 160A.

[0108] By providing the guide member 16 with the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B, it becomes easier to correct the orientation or position of the dividable tablet, thereby preventing the dividable tablet from getting caught. In addition, the dividable tablet does not climb up onto the fixed member 16C as described above, which prevents the two dividable tablets from overlapping each other due to the climbing up. Furthermore, the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B prevent the dividable tablet from being damaged.

[0109] Therefore, by providing the guide member 16, it is possible to suppress clogging of the dividable tablet while suppressing the load on the dividable tablet. Therefore, the dividable tablet can be efficiently dispensed. In addition, these effects can be achieved by a simple configuration in which the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B are provided and the second rotor 13 is switched between forward and reverse feed operations.

[0110] (Modification) In this embodiment, the guide member 16 is described as including a first displacement member 16A and a second displacement member 16B as displacement members, but the number of displacement members is not limited to two. For example, there may be only one displacement member. Even in this case, it is possible to suppress clogging of the dividable tablet while suppressing breakage of the dividable tablet. However, when only one displacement member is provided, it is preferable to provide the first displacement member 16A from the viewpoint of efficiently correcting the orientation or position of the dividable tablet and transporting the dividable tablet.

[0111] [Motor base (control unit / storage unit) configuration] The control unit 50 and the storage unit 60 of the motor base 10 will be described with reference to Figs. 13 to 15. Fig. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the medicine dispensing cassette 1 and the motor base 10. Figs. 14(a) and (b) and Figs. 15(a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining an operation example of the second rotating body 13.

[0112] As shown in Fig. 13, the motor base 10 includes a control unit 50 and a storage unit 60 in addition to the above-mentioned components. The control unit 50 comprehensively controls each unit of the motor base 10 and the medicine dispensing cassette 1. The functions of the control unit 50 may be realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program stored in the storage unit 60. The storage unit 60 stores various programs executed by the control unit 50 and data used by the programs.

[0113] The control unit 50 mainly includes a rotating body control unit 51, a regulating body control unit 52, and a timing unit 53.

[0114] The rotating body control unit 51 drives the first rotation mechanism by controlling the driving of the drive member 103, thereby controlling the rotation of the first rotating body 12. The rotating body control unit 51 also drives the second rotation mechanism by controlling the driving of the drive member 104, thereby controlling the rotation of the second rotating body 13. The rotating body control unit 51 controls, for example, the rotation direction and rotation speed of the first rotating body 12 and the second rotating body 13.

[0115] The rotor control unit 51 controls the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 independently. The rotor control unit 51 rotates the first rotor 12 in the forward direction at a constant speed, for example, during the dispensing process of the dividable tablet. On the other hand, the second rotor 13 switches between forward and reverse operations. The rotation speed of the second rotor 13 during forward and reverse feed is set individually. For example, the rotation speed during forward and reverse feed can each be set to multiple stages (e.g., 7 stages). The rotation speed during forward feed is set according to the size of the dividable tablet (diameter of the dividable tablet). For example, the rotation speed during forward feed is set to be higher as the size of the dividable tablet increases.

[0116] When the count sensor 101 does not detect the dividable tablet for a predetermined time (first predetermined time), the rotating body control unit 51 temporarily switches the forward feed operation to a reverse feed operation. In this case, the second rotating body 13 is reversed by a first distance. In other words, the second rotating body 13 reverses the dividable tablet on the passage path Ro by the first distance. This switching operation is referred to as a first switching operation (reverse operation 1).

[0117] 11(b), when the movement of the dividable tablet MD11 is hindered by the fixed member 16C, the dispensing of the dividable tablet MD11 from the dispensing outlet 17 is stopped. When this stopped state continues for a first predetermined time, the rotor control unit 51 determines that the movement of the dividable tablet MD11 is hindered by the fixed member 16C, temporarily switches the forward feed operation to a reverse feed operation, and feeds the second rotor 13 backward by a first distance.

[0118] The first distance corresponds to the distance from the first displacement member 16A to the second displacement member 16B. In this embodiment, the rotor control unit 51 realizes the reverse feed operation of the first distance by, for example, rotating the second rotor 13 about the second rotation axis by about 15°. In addition, the first predetermined time is set to a time sufficient for the dividable tablet present near the first displacement member 16A to be dispensed from the dispensing outlet 17 when the rotation speed of the second rotor 13 during forward feeding is the slowest.

[0119] As shown in (b) of FIG. 11, when the first predetermined time has elapsed after the movement of the dividable tablet MD11 is prevented by the fixing member 16C, the first switching operation is performed, and the dividable tablets MD11 and MD12 are fed backward. Since the first distance is specified as above, when the first switching operation is performed, the movement of the dividable tablet MD11 is prevented by the second displacement member 16B, as shown in (a) of FIG. 14. On the other hand, the dividable tablet MD12 moves beyond the second displacement member 16B toward the first height regulating portion 14A. In other words, the distance between the dividable tablets MD11 and MD12 can be increased.

[0120] The rotation speed during reverse feeding is set to be relatively large. Therefore, even if the separable tablet MD12 comes into contact with the second displacement member 16B, the separable tablet MD12 can move toward the first height regulating portion 14A. As for the separable tablet MD11, since the first distance is regulated as described above, the rotation speed in the reverse feeding direction is small when the separable tablet MD12 moves close to the second displacement member 16B. Therefore, the movement of the separable tablet MD11 in the reverse feeding direction is prevented by the second displacement member 16B.

[0121] Thereafter, by feeding the second rotor 13 forward again, the dividable tablet MD11 can be brought into contact with the first displacement member 16A without being in contact with the dividable tablet MD12. Therefore, as shown in (a) of FIG. 11, the orientation or position of the dividable tablet MD11 is corrected, and the dividable tablet MD11 can be dispensed from the dispensing outlet 17.

[0122] Furthermore, if the count sensor 101 does not detect the dividable tablet for an additional predetermined time (second predetermined time), the rotor control unit 51 temporarily switches the forward feed operation to a reverse feed operation. In this case, the second rotor 13 is reversed a second distance that is longer than the first distance. In other words, the second rotor 13 reverses the dividable tablet on the passage path Ro by the second distance. This switching operation is referred to as a second switching operation (reverse operation 2).

[0123] Specifically, even if the separable tablet MD11 is brought into contact with the first displacement member 16A again after the first switching operation, the separable tablet MD11 may get caught on the fixed member 16C again. When such a state occurs, the dispensing of the separable tablet MD11 is stopped for the first predetermined time plus the second predetermined time. When this stopped state continues for the first predetermined time and the second predetermined time, the rotor control unit 51 determines that the movement of the separable tablet MD11 continues to be hindered by the fixed member 16C, temporarily switches the forward feed operation to a reverse feed operation, and feeds the second rotor 13 backward by the second distance.

[0124] The second distance is longer than the distance from the first displacement member 16A to the second displacement member 16B. As described above, the rotation speed during reverse feeding is set to be relatively large. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14(b), not only the separable tablet MD12 but also the separable tablet MD11 can move beyond the second displacement member 16B to the first height regulating unit 14A even if they come into contact with the second displacement member 16B. In this embodiment, the rotating body control unit 51 realizes a reverse feeding operation for the second distance by, for example, rotating the second rotating body 13 about the second rotation axis by about 30° to 50°. This rotation angle is set based on the rotation speed of the second rotating body 13 during reverse feeding. In other words, this rotation angle is set to a degree that causes the second rotating body 13 to be reversely fed by the second distance, which is longer than the first distance.

[0125] After the movement of the divisible tablet MD11 is prevented by the fixed member 16C, when the second predetermined time has elapsed, the second switching operation is performed, and the divisible tablets MD11 and MD12 are fed backward. Since the second distance is specified as above, when the second switching operation is performed, the divisible tablets MD11 and MD12 move beyond the second displacement member 16B and toward the first height regulating unit 14A, as shown in (b) of FIG. 14. In other words, when the operation is switched back to the forward feed operation, the orientation or position of the divisible tablets MD11 and MD12 can be corrected by contacting both the second displacement member 16B and the first displacement member 16A. Therefore, when the second switching operation is performed, the possibility of correcting the orientation or position of the divisible tablet MD11 so that its movement is not prevented by the fixed member 16C is increased compared to the first switching operation.

[0126] In this embodiment, the second switching operation is performed when the count sensor 101 cannot detect a dividable tablet after the first switching operation, but this is not limited to the above. The second switching operation may be performed after the first switching operation is performed several times.

[0127] Furthermore, when the count sensor 101 detects a dividable tablet within the first predetermined time, the rotor control unit 51 also temporarily switches the forward feed operation to a reverse feed operation. In this case, the second rotor 13 is reversed by a third distance. That is, the second rotor 13 reverses the dividable tablet on the passage path Ro by the third distance. This switching operation is referred to as a third switching operation (reverse operation 3).

[0128] As shown in (a) of Fig. 15, consider a case where the dividable tablets MD11 and MD12 are successively dispensed from the dispensing outlet 17. In this case, if the forward feeding operation is continued even after the dividable tablet MD11 is dispensed from the dispensing outlet 17, the dividable tablet MD12 may be dispensed from the dispensing outlet 17 following the dividable tablet MD11. In this case, the count sensor 101 may erroneously count the dividable tablets MD11 and MD12 as a single dividable tablet.

[0129] When the rotating body control unit 51 receives a detection result indicating that the dividable tablet MD11 has been counted from the count sensor 101, it executes the third switching operation. As a result, the second rotating body 13 is temporarily fed in reverse, so that the falling interval between the dividable tablet MD11 and the dividable tablet MD12 can be increased as shown in Fig. 15(b). Therefore, the above-mentioned erroneous counting can be prevented.

[0130] The third distance may be set to a distance that does not cause the above-mentioned erroneous counting through experiments, etc. In this embodiment, the rotating body control unit 51 realizes the reverse feed operation of the third distance by, for example, rotating the second rotating body 13 about the second rotation axis by about 5°.

[0131] The restrictor control unit 52 drives the height restrictor movement mechanism by controlling the drive member 105. This controls the movement of the height restrictor 14 in the ±Z axis direction. The restrictor control unit 52 also drives the width restrictor movement mechanism by controlling the drive member 106. This controls the movement of the width restrictor 15 in the direction in which the piston portion 15A2 extends. As described above, the restrictor control unit 52 controls the movement of the height restrictor 14 and the width restrictor 15 when adjusting the transfer height W1, transfer widths W21 and W22 as a pre-processing of the dispensing process of the divided tablet. The restrictor control unit 52 also controls the movement of the height restrictor 14 and the width restrictor 15 independently.

[0132] The timing unit 53 measures a first predetermined time or a second predetermined time. For example, the timing unit 53 measures the time from when the count sensor 101 detects the dividable tablet. When the timing unit 53 measures the first predetermined time or the second predetermined time, the timing unit 53 notifies the rotating body control unit 51 that the time has elapsed.

[0133] [Processing in drug dispensing cassette] Next, a process example in the medicine dispensing cassette 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a flow chart showing a process example in the medicine dispensing cassette 1. In this embodiment, the rotation speed of the second rotor 13 can be set to seven stages from stage 1 (lowest speed) to stage 7 (highest speed).

[0134] When the dispensing process of the dividable tablet is started after the dividable tablet is fed into the first rotor 12 (inner wheel), the regulator control unit 52 adjusts the transfer height W1 and the transfer widths W21 and W22 by controlling the height regulator 14 and the width regulator 15. Thereafter, the rotor control unit 51 starts a scooping operation of the dividable tablet by rotating the first rotor 12 to transfer the dividable tablet from the first rotor 12 to the second rotor 13 (outer wheel) (S1).

[0135] Thereafter, the rotor control unit 51 causes the second rotor 13 to rotate in a sequential manner (S2). The rotation speed is set to, for example, one of steps 1 to 3 based on the size of the inserted dividable tablet. At this time, the timer unit 53 starts timing a first predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds).

[0136] When the count sensor 101 detects a dividable tablet and acquires the detection result within a first predetermined time from when the timer unit 53 starts timing, the rotor control unit 51 executes a third switching operation (reverse operation 3). That is, the rotor control unit 51 reverses the second rotor 13 by a third distance (e.g., 5°) (S3). The timer unit 53 also resets the timing of the first predetermined time, and then starts timing the first predetermined time again. In this embodiment, the rotation speed during reverse feeding is uniformly set to stage 7.

[0137] That is, the rotating body control unit 51 repeats the processes of S2 and S3 while obtaining the detection result from the count sensor 101 within the first predetermined time. The processes of S2 and S3 are also called a normal dispensing operation, which is a dispensing operation when no clogging occurs in the fixed member 16C.

[0138] On the other hand, when the rotating body control unit 51 does not receive a detection result from the count sensor 101 within a first predetermined time from when the timer unit 53 starts timing (when it receives a notification from the timer unit 53 that the first predetermined time has elapsed), it executes a first switching operation (reverse operation 1). That is, the rotating body control unit 51 feeds the second rotating body 13 backward by a first distance (e.g., 15°) (S4). After processing S4, the rotating body control unit 51 feeds the second rotating body 13 forward again (S5). In addition, when the forward feed starts, the timer unit 53 resets the timing of the first predetermined time and starts timing a second predetermined time (e.g., 4 seconds).

[0139] Thereafter, when the rotating body control unit 51 obtains a detection result from the count sensor 101 within the second predetermined time, it determines that the jam in the fixed member 16C has been cleared and proceeds to the process of S3. In other words, the normal dispensing operation is resumed.

[0140] On the other hand, when the rotating body control unit 51 does not receive a detection result from the count sensor 101 within the second predetermined time (when it receives a notification from the timing unit 53 that the second predetermined time has elapsed), it executes a second switching operation (reverse operation 2). That is, the rotating body control unit 51 feeds the second rotating body 13 backward by a second distance (for example, 30° to 50°) (S6). Then, the process returns to S5. At this time, the timing unit 53 resets the second predetermined time and starts timing the second predetermined time.

[0141] That is, the rotating body control unit 51 repeats the processes of S5 and S6 while it has not obtained a detection result from the count sensor 101 within the second predetermined time. The processes of S5 and S6 are also called a return operation in which the dividable tablet stuck in the fixed member 16C is returned to the front of the second displacement member 16B, and then the dividable tablet is dispensed again.

[0142] The regulating body control unit 52 executes the process of S6 a predetermined number of times (e.g., 5 times), and if no detection result is obtained from the count sensor 101 within a second predetermined time after the process of S5, returns the height regulating body 14 and the width regulating body 15 to their initial positions. The initial position refers to a position where the transfer height W1, transfer widths W21 and W22 are at their maximum values, and where the height regulating body 14 and the width regulating body 15 are fully open. Thereafter, the rotating body control unit 51 performs a reverse feed operation for a predetermined time, and returns the dividable tablet on the second rotating body 13 to the first rotating body 12 (S7). The predetermined time here may be set to a time sufficient for the dividable tablet on the second rotating body 13 to be returned to the first rotating body 12. At this time, the timer unit 53 resets the second predetermined time.

[0143] Thereafter, similarly to S1, the restrictor control unit 52 adjusts the transfer height W1 and the transfer widths W21 and W22 by controlling the height restrictor 14 and the width restrictor 15. In addition, the rotor control unit 51 starts the operation of picking up the dividable tablet by rotating the first rotor 12 (S8). The processes of S7 and S8 are also referred to as reset operations that reset the dispensing process of the dividable tablet.

[0144] Thereafter, a return operation is performed (S9 and S10) in the same manner as in S5 and S6. If the rotating body control unit 51 acquires a detection result from the count sensor 101 within a second predetermined time after the start of forwarding in S9, the rotating body control unit 51 proceeds to the process of S3. That is, the normal dispensing operation is returned to. On the other hand, after the processes of S9 and S10 have been performed a predetermined number of times (e.g., twice), the process of S7 is performed and then this process is terminated. This is because there is a high possibility that the divided tablet will not be efficiently dispensed even if the return operation is performed any further.

[0145] Through the above process, the medicine dispensing cassette 1 can efficiently dispense dividable tablets.

[0146] [Embodiment 2] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. For the sake of convenience, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components having the same functions as those described in the above embodiment, and the description thereof will not be repeated. The same applies to the following embodiments.

[0147] Fig. 17 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a medicine dispensing cassette 1A which is a modified example of the medicine dispensing cassette 1. As shown in Fig. 17, the medicine dispensing cassette 1A includes a first rotating body 12, a second rotating body 13, a height regulating body 14 and a width regulating body 15, similar to the medicine dispensing cassette 1. However, the medicine dispensing cassette 1A includes a transport member 31 which transports the dividable tablet MD dropped from the dispensing outlet 17 to the dispensing outlet 17A. Also, in the medicine dispensing cassette 1A, unlike the medicine dispensing cassette 1, the guide member 16 (at least the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B) is not provided on the second rotating body 13.

[0148] The conveying member 31 is a strip-shaped member extending below the dispensing outlet 17 to the dispensing outlet 17A for counting the number of dividable tablets dispensed. That is, a count sensor (not shown) is provided near the dispensing outlet 17A. In this embodiment, the conveying member 31 extends in the ±X-axis direction. The conveying member 31 may be realized by, for example, a belt conveyor.

[0149] On the second rotor 13, the dividable tablets MD are aligned in a row by the height restricting body 14 and the width restricting body 15. In this state, the dividable tablets MD fall one by one from the dispensing outlet 17 to the conveying member 31. The dividable tablets MD that have fallen into the conveying member 31 are conveyed by the conveying member 31 to the dispensing outlet 17A.

[0150] The conveying member 31 is provided with a side wall 31A for preventing the dividable tablet MD, which has fallen from the dispensing outlet 17, from falling at a location other than the dispensing outlet 17A. The side wall 31A is provided on the side of the conveying member 31 opposite to the side on which the first displacement member 16A and the second displacement member 16B are provided. The relative position between the second rotating body 13 and the conveying member 31 is determined so that the dividable tablet MD, which has fallen from the dispensing outlet 17, is conveyed on the conveying member 31 along the side of the side wall 31A.

[0151] In this embodiment, the control unit 50 controls the forward and reverse operations of the conveying member 31. The control unit 50 controls the operation of the conveying member 31 in the same manner as the control of the second rotating body 13 by the rotating body control unit 51 in embodiment 1. In other words, the conveying member 31 functions as a medicine conveying mechanism that conveys the dividable tablet MD forward or reverse.

[0152] In addition, for the second rotating body 13, a forward feed operation is performed at a rotation speed according to the size of the divided tablet, and, for example, when a reverse feed operation is performed on the conveying member 31, the forward feed operation may be temporarily stopped or a third switching operation may be performed.

[0153] Moreover, the medicine dispensing cassette is not limited to the medicine dispensing cassette 1 and 1A. As long as a displacing member (first displacing member 16A and / or second displacing member 16B) is provided near the dispensing outlet 17 or 17A, the other members may be realized by any materials. For example, the medicine dispensing cassette may have a first rotor 12 that does not have a predetermined inclination, and the heights of the first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 may be substantially the same. The first rotor 12 and the second rotor 13 may be integrated. Furthermore, the medicine dispensing cassette may not have a rotor, and may be realized by a belt-shaped conveying member from the input portion where the dividable tablet is input to the dispensing outlet.

[0154] [Embodiment 3] As described in the first embodiment, the transport height W1 and transport width W22 are calculated based on the diameter of the dividable tablet included in the drug data related to the input dividable tablet, and the positions of the height regulating body 14 and the width regulating body 15 are adjusted based on the calculation result. Therefore, the drug dispensing cassette 1 is capable of dispensing multiple types of dividable tablets. In other words, the drug dispensing cassette 1 functions not as a drug dispensing cassette dedicated to dispensing any dividable tablet, but as a drug dispensing cassette capable of dispensing multiple types of dividable tablets.

[0155] The main components of the medicine dispensing cassette of this embodiment are as follows. A medicine dispensing cassette that sequentially transfers an input medicine to a dispensing outlet, and dispenses the medicine from the dispensing outlet, The drug is a divided tablet, a restricting body that defines a passage path width for the dividable tablets to restrict the passage of the dividable tablets fed in sequence in accordance with their sizes and is movable to change the passage path width; The regulating body is configured to move so that the width of the passage path becomes a value calculated based on the size of the dividable tablet contained in the medicine data related to the dividable tablet to be inserted.

[0156] [Software implementation example] The control block of the motor base 10 (particularly the control unit 50) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software.

[0157] In the latter case, the motor base 10 includes a computer that executes instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. The computer includes, for example, one or more processors, and a computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. The object of the present invention is achieved by the processor reading the program from the recording medium and executing it in the computer. The processor may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The recording medium may be a "non-transient tangible medium," such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), tape, disk, card, semiconductor memory, programmable logic circuit, or the like. The computer may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program. The program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or broadcast waves) that can transmit the program. One aspect of the present invention may also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[0158] [Another expression according to one aspect of the present disclosure] A drug dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a drug dispensing device that transports a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the outlet, and comprises a drug transport mechanism that transports the drug, and a displacement member that is displaced upon contact with the drug transported by the drug transport mechanism and that exerts a force on the drug in a direction that cancels the displacement, thereby adjusting the orientation or position of the drug and assisting the transport of the drug downstream defined by a predetermined width.

[0159] A drug dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a drug dispensing device that transports a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the outlet, and comprises a rotating member that transports the drug by rotating, and a displacement member that is displaced toward the center of rotation of the rotating member when the drug transported on the rotating member comes into contact with the rotating member, and a passage path for the drug on the rotating member that is located downstream of the displacement member is defined to a predetermined width.

[0160] A drug dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a drug dispensing device that transports a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the dispensing outlet, the drug dispensing device comprising a first disk-shaped rotor, a second annular rotor arranged on the outer periphery of the first rotor and configured to transport the drug by rotating, and a displacement member with which the drug transported on the second rotor by the second rotor comes into contact, the second rotor is capable of performing a forward feed operation to forward the drug and a reverse feed operation to reverse the drug in a direction opposite to the forward feed direction, the drug passage path located downstream of the displacement member on the second rotor is defined to a predetermined width, and the displacement member is suspended upstream of a side wall member that defines the side wall of the passage path.

[0161] A drug dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a drug dispensing device that transports a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the dispensing outlet, the drug dispensing device comprising a rotating member that rotates to transport the drug, and a displacement member with which the drug transported on the rotating member by the rotating member comes into contact, the rotating member is capable of performing a forward feed operation that forwards the drug and a reverse feed operation that reverses the drug in a direction opposite to the forward feed direction, the drug passage path located downstream of the displacement member on the rotating member is defined to a predetermined width, the displacement member is suspended upstream of a side wall member that defines a side wall of the passage path, and when a sensor that detects the drug that has passed through the dispensing outlet does not detect the drug for a first predetermined time, the rotating member temporarily switches the forward feed operation to the reverse feed operation to perform a first switching operation that reverses the drug on the drug passage path a first distance.

[0162] In one embodiment of the drug dispensing device of the present invention, the rotating member performs the first switching operation, and then performs the forward feeding operation, and if the sensor does not detect the drug for a second predetermined time from the start of the forward feeding operation after performing the first switching operation, the forward feeding operation may be temporarily switched to the reverse feeding operation, thereby performing a second switching operation to reverse the drug on the passage path a second distance longer than the first distance.

[0163] A drug dispensing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a drug dispensing device that transports a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the outlet, and comprises a rotating member that rotates to transport the drug, and a displacement member with which the drug comes into contact as it is transported on the rotating member by the rotating member, a passageway for the drug that is located downstream of the displacement member on the rotating member is defined to a predetermined width, and the displacement member is suspended from above a horizontal plane including the rotating member.

[0164] A drug dispensing method according to one aspect of the present invention is a drug dispensing method by a drug dispensing device that transports a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the outlet, the method including a step of transporting the drug by rotating a rotating member, and a step of adjusting an orientation or position of the drug by the drug being transported on the rotating member by the rotating member coming into contact with a displacement member, wherein a passage path for the drug on the rotating member that is located downstream of the displacement member is defined to a predetermined width, and the displacement member is suspended from above a horizontal plane including the rotating member.

[0165] [Additional Notes] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0166] 1, 1A Drug dispensing cassette (drug dispensing device) 12 First rotating body (drug delivery mechanism) 13 Second rotating body (drug delivery mechanism) 14 Height Control Body 16A First displacement member (displacement member) 16B Second displacement member (displacement member) 16C Fixing member (side wall member) 16AS1, 16AS2 contact surface 16BS2 Suppression surface 16BS1 Contact surface 17, 17A Outlet 101 Count sensor (sensor) A Radius of the divided tablet (radius of the drug) B. Thickness of the divided tablet (thickness of the drug) MD, MD1-3, MD11, MD12 Dividable Tablets (Medicine) Ro Passage route W1 Transfer height (passage path width)

Claims

[Claim 1] A drug dispensing device that conveys a drug to a dispensing outlet and dispenses the drug from the dispensing outlet, A rotating member that rotates to deliver the drug; a displacement member with which the drug transported on the rotating member by the rotating member comes into contact, The passageway of the medicine located downstream of the displacement member in the rotating member is defined to have a predetermined width, A medicine dispensing device, wherein the displacement member is suspended from above a horizontal plane including the rotating member.

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