Medicine setting system

Abstract

To provide a technology capable of enhancing efficiency of work of pharmacists and the like for setting medicine packages to a medication calendar to bring it into a usable state.SOLUTION: A medicine setting system 1 comprises: a medicine delivery apparatus 2 for creating and delivering a medicine package in which a medicine is packaged; and a medicine setting apparatus 3 for setting the medicine package to a medicine setting instrument. The medicine setting system includes package body conveyance means for conveying the medicine package from the medicine delivery apparatus 2 toward the medicine setting apparatus 3. The medicine setting system executes operation of creating the medicine package, conveying and supplying the created medicine package to the medicine setting apparatus 3, and setting the medicine package supplied to the medicine setting apparatus 3 to the medicine setting instrument.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medicine setting system for setting packaged medicines in a medicine dosing calendar. [Background technology]

[0002] In nursing homes, hospitals, etc., devices called medication calendars or medicine calendars are used. Medication calendars have multiple medicine storage sections, and packages (medicine packages) containing medicines corresponding to patients and dosing times are set in each medicine storage section. One such medication calendar is disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-258999 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, such medication calendars are usually prepared for use by a pharmacist or the like by manually inserting the drug packages into the drug storage section (hereinafter also referred to as simply preparing a medication calendar). However, if a person puts the wrong drug packages in, it may lead to a mistake in administering medication to the patient. For this reason, this work requires carefulness. Therefore, when a large number of medication calendars must be prepared for a large facility such as a large hospital, the work becomes very time-consuming.

[0005] In other words, the more medication calendars are produced, the more medication packages need to be set. Therefore, if many medication packages are produced, and then the tasks of receiving and sorting the produced medication packages, and then setting each of them in the appropriate place on the medication calendar, are performed manually, it takes a huge amount of time, is complicated, and is prone to errors.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists and others who set drug packages on a medication calendar and make them ready for use. An object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists and others who set drug packages on medication calendars or the like to make them ready for use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of a related invention for solving the above problem is a drug setting system comprising a drug dispensing device that prepares and dispenses drug packages containing packed drugs, and a drug setting device that sets the drug packages in a drug setting device, the drug setting system having a package transport means that transports the drug packages from the drug dispensing device to the drug setting device, and is capable of transporting and supplying the prepared and dispensed drug packages to the drug setting device, and setting the drug packages supplied to the drug setting device in the drug setting device.

[0008] According to this aspect, the work of preparing the medicine packaging, the work of carrying the prepared medicine packaging to the medicine setting device and supplying it, and the work of setting the medicine packaging in the medicine setting device can be automated, which can simplify the work of pharmacists, etc., and ultimately improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists, etc.

[0009] The above aspects preferably include cutting means for cutting to create individual said pharmaceutical packets containing individual pharmaceutical doses.

[0010] According to this preferable aspect, it is not necessary for a person to manually cut the medicine packaging strip, and the efficiency of the work of pharmacists and the like can be improved.

[0011] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the operation of setting one of the previously prepared drug packages into the drug setting device, the operation of creating another individual drug package by cutting, and the operation of sealing the drug to create yet another drug package are carried out in parallel.

[0012] According to this preferred aspect, the operation of preparing the drug packaging to be set later can be performed while the operation of setting previously prepared drug packaging into the drug setting device is being performed, thereby shortening the time required to complete the work of setting drug packaging into multiple drug setting devices.

[0013] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the package transport means has an inter-device package transport means provided across the drug dispensing device and the drug setting device, and that the drug dispensing device, when dispensing multiple drug packages, is switchable between an external dispensing mode in which a drug packaging band in which the multiple drug packages are connected in a band-like shape is dispensed to the outside without passing through the inter-device package transport means and without supplying it to the drug setting device, and a supply mode in which the drug packages are transported and supplied to the drug setting device via the inter-device package transport means.

[0014] In this preferred embodiment, the medicine setting system can also be used as a normal packaging machine.

[0015] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the drug dispensing device is capable of producing a drug packaging band in which a plurality of the drug packages are connected in a strip-like shape, and that the drug packaging band is capable of producing a same-patient dressing in which each of the plurality of drug packages connected in a strip-like shape contains drugs prescribed to the same patient but with different dosing periods.

[0016] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the drug setting device is capable of setting the drug packaging in each of multiple drug storage sections, and that each of the multiple individually divided drug packages can be set in a separate drug storage section simultaneously.

[0017] According to this preferred aspect, the time required to complete the task of setting medicine packages in a plurality of medicine setting devices can be reduced.

[0018] In the preferred aspect described above, the drug setting device is capable of setting the drug packaging in each of a plurality of drug storage units, and it is further preferable that n (n is an integer of 2 or more) of the same patient dressings are transported and supplied from the drug dispensing device to the drug setting device, each of the n same patient dressings is cut to form a drug package one by one from each of the same patient dressings, and the n formed drug packages are simultaneously transported by a robot arm and set in each of the different corresponding drug storage units simultaneously.

[0019] In the above-mentioned aspect, the drug dispensing device is a device that prepares and dispenses the drug packaging in which drugs are packaged based on prescription data, and it is preferable that a confirmation operation is performed to confirm whether the drugs packaged and / or to be packaged in the drug packaging match the prescription contents.

[0020] This preferable aspect can prevent problems such as an incorrect drug being contained in a drug package for some reason.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention is a drug setting system that includes a drug dispensing device that prepares and dispenses drug packages in which drugs are packaged, and sets the drug packages in a drug setting device, wherein the drug setting device is capable of setting the drug packages in each of a plurality of drug storage units, and has a package transport means that transports the drug packages from the drug dispensing device to the drug setting device, transports the plurality of drug packages dispensed from the drug dispensing device to the drug setting device, and sets the drug packages corresponding to each of the plurality of drug storage units.

[0022] According to this aspect, the work of preparing the medicine packaging, the work of carrying the prepared medicine packaging to the medicine setting tool, and the work of setting the medicine packaging in the medicine setting tool can be automated, which can simplify the work of pharmacists, etc., and ultimately improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists, etc. One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a drug setting system comprising a drug dispensing device which prepares and dispenses drug packages in which drugs are packed, and a drug setting device which sets the drug packages in a drug setting device, the drug setting system having a package transport means which transports the drug packages from the drug dispensing device to the drug setting device, and is capable of transporting and supplying the prepared and dispensed drug packages to the drug setting device and setting the drug packages supplied to the drug setting device in the drug setting device, the drug setting device being a container which is open at the top and has an inner space partitioned into drug storage sections, and the drug setting device being capable of setting drug packages containing drugs corresponding to the patient and the timing of taking the drugs in each drug storage section. One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a drug setting system comprising a cutting means for cutting a drug packaging band in which multiple drug packages are connected in a band shape to create individual drug packages each containing a single dose of drug, and a drug setting device for setting the drug packages in a drug setting device, wherein the drug setting device is capable of transporting and supplying the individual drug packages to the drug setting device and setting the drug packages supplied to the drug setting device in the drug setting device, the drug setting device being a container with an open top and an inner space divided into drug storage sections, and the drug setting device being capable of setting drug packages each containing a drug corresponding to a patient and time of administration in each drug storage section. One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a drug setting system which includes a drug dispensing device which prepares and dispenses drug packages in which drugs are packaged, and which sets the drug packages in a drug setting device, wherein the drug setting device is a container which is open at the top and has an inner space partitioned into drug storage sections, and into which the drug packages can be set, and the drug setting system has a package transport means which transports the drug packages from the drug dispensing device to the drug setting device, and which is capable of transporting the multiple drug packages dispensed from the drug dispensing device to the drug setting device and setting the drug packages corresponding to each of the multiple drug storage sections. One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a drug setting system comprising a medicine pouch supplying device and a drug setting device which sets the drug packaging in a drug setting device, wherein the medicine pouch supplying device has a packaging band attachment section which attaches a drug packaging band in which a plurality of the drug packages are connected in a band shape, and a payout mechanism which pays out the drug packaging band, and is capable of executing an operation of setting the drug packages supplied to the drug setting device by the medicine pouch supplying device in the drug setting device, wherein the drug setting device is a container which is open at the top and whose inner space is partitioned into drug storage sections, and wherein the drug setting device is capable of setting drug packages containing drugs corresponding to the patient and the timing of taking the drug in each drug storage section. Each of the above aspects preferably includes a cutting means for cutting a pharmaceutical package band in which a plurality of pharmaceutical packages are connected in a band shape to produce individual pharmaceutical packages each containing a single dose of pharmaceutical. In each of the above aspects, it is preferable that the plurality of medicine containing portions are distributed in a matrix form in a plan view. In each of the above aspects, it is preferable that the medicine setting device contains a plurality of medicine packages each containing medicines prescribed for different patients and having the same dosing timing. In each of the above aspects, it is preferable that the medicine setting device contains a plurality of medicine packages 25 each containing medicines prescribed for one patient and to be taken at different times. Effect of the Invention

[0023] The present invention can improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists and others who set drug packages on a medication calendar to make it ready for use. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a medicine set system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the inside of the medicine set system of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of the main part of the medicine packaging device in FIG. 2, where (a) shows how individual medicine packages are produced one by one, and (b) shows how a medicine packaging strip is produced. [Figure 4] 3 is an explanatory diagram showing drug packaging bands produced by the drug dispensing device of FIG. 2, where (a) shows a band for the same patient, and (b) shows a band for the same dosing period. [Diagram 5] 3 is a front view showing the transport means within the setting apparatus, the inter-apparatus package transport means, the robot arm, and the medicine packaging apparatus in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of a main part of the inter-apparatus package transport means of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of a part of the inter-apparatus package transport means, a robot arm, and a part of the medicine packaging apparatus in FIG. 5. [Figure 8] 2 is a front view showing a medication calendar for setting the medicine packaging in the medicine setting system of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a plurality of medication calendars are introduced into the medicine setting device of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cart of FIG. 9. [Figure 11] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of a state in which a plurality of medication calendars are held in the medicine setting device, following FIG. 9, in which (a) and (b) are held in that order. [Figure 12] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of a first set device storage section holding a plurality of medication calendars; FIG. [Figure 13] 10A to 10E are explanatory diagrams showing how medicine packages are transported from the medicine dispensing device to the medicine setting device, in the order of (a) to (e). [Figure 14] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how multiple drug packages are simultaneously transported by a transport means within the setting device, in which the packages are transported in the order (a), (b). [Figure 15] 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of a first row setting operation being performed on a first medication calendar, in which setting is performed in the order of (a) and (b). [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the first medication calendar that has undergone the first row set operation being moved from the first set tool storage section to the second set tool storage section, in the order of (a) and (b). [Figure 17] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of a first row setting operation being performed on a second medication calendar, in which the calendar is set in the order of (a) and (b). [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the process of performing a first row set operation on multiple previously introduced medication calendars, and then introducing multiple new medication calendars, in which the calendars are introduced in the order of (a) and (b). [Figure 19] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a state where one of the multiple newly introduced medication calendars is moved to the package set area, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a state where one of the multiple newly introduced medication calendars is moved to the second set storage section, and one of the multiple previously introduced medication calendars is moved to the first set storage section. [Figure 20] 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first row set operation has been completed for all medication calendars belonging to a medication calendar group, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first medication calendar that has undergone the second row set operation is moved to the second set tool storage section, and another medication calendar is moved to the first set tool storage section. [Figure 21] 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of a second row setting operation being performed on a first medication calendar, in which the calendar is set in the order of (a) and (b). [Figure 22] 1A is a schematic diagram showing how four medicine packages are set in the first row of a first medication calendar, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram showing how three medicine packages are set in the first row of a second medication calendar. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the operation of setting a plurality of medicine packages in one medicine container in the first row setting operation for the first medication calendar, in which the medicine packages are set in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 24] FIG. 9 is a front view showing a medication calendar different from that shown in FIG. 8. [Diagram 25] This is an explanatory diagram showing how to perform a multiple target setting operation different from the embodiment described above, and is a schematic diagram showing how to perform an operation to set all of the drug packaging to be set on one medication calendar, in which the settings are made in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 26] FIG. 25 is a front view showing a medication calendar different from that shown in FIGS. 8 and 24. [Figure 27] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a medicine setting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of the inside of the medicine setting device of FIG. 27. [Figure 29] 28. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross section of the medicine supplying device of FIG. 28 taken along line AA, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross section of the medicine supplying device of FIG. 28 taken along line BB. [Diagram 30] 28A and 28B are diagrams showing the lead-out portion of FIG. 27, in which (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a plan view. [Diagram 31] 29A and 29B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of the state in which drug packages are conveyed by the supply-side package conveying means and the inter-apparatus package conveying means in FIG. 28, in which the packages are conveyed in the order of (a) and (b). [Diagram 32] 31 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a drawer portion different from that in FIG. 30, (a) and (b) each showing a different drawer portion. [Diagram 33] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a medication tray, which is a medicine setting tool different from the medication calendar of FIG. 8. [Diagram 34]13A and 13B are diagrams showing a medicine set system according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a front view and (b) is a plan view. [Diagram 35] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a medicine setting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0026] A medicine setting system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a medicine dispensing device 2, a medicine setting device 3, and a display device 4, as shown in FIG.

[0027] The display device 4 is a device capable of displaying various information, specifically, a touch panel that combines a device for displaying information such as a liquid crystal panel with a position input device such as a touch pad. In other words, the display device 4 is also a part (input receiving part) that accepts operations (input) by a user, and by inputting information to the display device 4, various operations can be requested from the medicine set system 1 or each device and each apparatus belonging to the medicine set system 1.

[0028] The medicine dispensing device 2 has a control unit (not shown). The control unit includes a calculation unit such as a CPU, a memory unit (storage means) having a main memory device such as a ROM and a RAM, and a communication unit such as an I / O port. This allows the medicine dispensing device 2 to transmit and receive various signals and information to and from external devices (such as a host control device (not shown), dispensing devices such as the medicine setting device 3, and an external PC (not shown)). In addition, the control unit is capable of storing various information.

[0029] The medicine dispensing device 2 is a tablet packaging machine that packages tablets into packaging paper for each dose based on prescription data. Note that the medicine dispensing device 2 of this embodiment is capable of receiving prescription data from a higher-level control device (higher-level control system) not shown.

[0030] The prescription data is information on the prescription of the medicines contained in each medicine package 25 (see FIG. 3) dispensed from the medicine dispensing device 2. In other words, the prescription data is information on the prescription of the medicines contained in each of all the medicine packages 25 contained in the medication calendar 80 (medicine setting device) (described in detail later).

[0031] The prescription data includes information regarding the contents of the prescription required to dispense the medication contained in each medication package 25, and information for identifying and managing the prescription itself. Specifically, the information on the contents of a prescription includes information on the patient to whom the drug is prescribed, such as the patient's name, age, sex, height, and weight, as well as information on the drug provided to the patient, such as the drug name, amount, usage, dosage, and duration of use.Information for identifying and managing prescriptions also includes the prescription number, Rp number (recipe number), and date of issuance of the prescription. In other words, the prescription data is data that includes the necessary information among these pieces of information.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the medicine dispensing device 2 has a medicine storage section 10, a manual medicine supply section 11 capable of supplying medicines by hand, and a medicine packaging device 12.

[0033] The medicine storage unit 10 is a shelf member on which a plurality of medicine cassettes (medicine containers) each containing medicines (tablets) are arranged. In addition, a medicine feeder (not shown) provided integrally with each medicine cassette (or provided on the shelf member) can automatically supply the medicines contained in each medicine cassette to the medicine packaging device 12. On the other hand, the manual medicine supply unit 11 is a part where a person manually supplies medicines to the medicine dispensing device 2.

[0034] From the above, the medicine dispensing device 2 can perform the operation of producing the medicine package 25 (or the medicine package strip 26) described below in an automatic supply mode in which medicines are automatically supplied from a medicine cassette, and in a manual supply mode in which medicines are manually supplied to the manual medicine supply unit 11. It can also perform a semi-automatic supply mode in which some of the multiple medicines contained in the medicine package 25 are supplied automatically and the other parts are supplied manually.

[0035] As shown in Figure 3, the medicine packaging device 12 has a medicine packaging paper holding means for holding a roll-shaped medicine packaging paper 15, a sheet feeding means 16 for unwinding and feeding the roll-shaped medicine packaging paper 15, a hopper device 17, a bag forming device 18, and a cutting device 19 (cutting means). Hopper device 17 has an internal lid portion 17a that can be opened and closed, and is a device into which unpackaged medicines (tablets) supplied to medicine packaging device 12 are poured. In this embodiment, medicines are poured into hopper device 17 with lid portion 17a in a closed state, and after the medicines temporarily remain inside hopper device 17, lid portion 17a transitions to an open state, and the medicines are discharged to the lower side of hopper device 17.

[0036] The bag forming device 18 is a device that folds the medicine packaging paper 15 fed by the sheet feeding means 16 in half at approximately the center of the width direction, and after medicine is poured from the hopper device 17 between the inner surfaces of the folded medicine packaging paper 15, it crimps the folded medicine packaging paper 15 into a bag shape.

[0037] The cutting device 19 is equipped with a cutter (cutting blade) capable of cutting the medicine packaging paper 15, and forms medicine packaging 25 by cutting the medicine packaging paper 15 that contains medicine inside and is shaped like a bag (see Figure 3 (a)).

[0038] Moreover, the medicine packaging device 12 of this embodiment has a camera (photographing means) not shown. In this embodiment, the camera is provided at a position where it can photograph the medicine in the hopper device 17, and by photographing the medicine in the hopper device 17, it is possible to execute a pre-packaging confirmation operation (confirmation operation) for confirming whether the medicine contained in the medicine package 25 matches the prescription contents.

[0039] Specifically, the medicines in the hopper device 17 are photographed, and the color of each medicine, the contents of the markings, the number of medicines photographed, and other available information are obtained from the image obtained by photographing. Then, the number (quantity) and type (drug type) of the medicines to be packaged are identified based on the information obtained by photographing and the medicine confirmation information previously stored in the memory unit of the medicine dispensing device 2. In other words, it identifies how many tablets are to be packaged and what type of tablets are to be packaged. The "medicine confirmation information" is a database or the like that stores information obtainable by photography in association with information that can identify the type of medicine, such as the medicine name and a number (ID) assigned to the medicine. The "medicine confirmation information" may also be a master image of the medicine. The master image here may be the image (image information) itself that is created in advance by photography, or may be information that is stored (registered) in association with the image and the medicine name, etc.

[0040] Then, the specified information (information on the number and type of drugs) and prescription data, etc. (information created based on the prescription data or prescription, information related to the prescription) are referenced. This executes a discrimination operation to determine whether the number of drugs and the type of each drug to be packaged for each packet (for one dosing period) match the contents of the prescription. Then, various operations are performed as required depending on the results of this discrimination operation. That is, if there is a match, an operation to package the drugs is performed as is. On the other hand, if there is no match, packaging continues, but an operation to notify the user of the discrimination result or an operation to stop packaging is performed.

[0041] The confirmation operation performed by the medicine dispensing device 2 of this embodiment is not limited to this, and may be a post-packaging confirmation operation for confirming whether or not the medicine already contained in the medicine package 25 matches the prescription. In this case, a camera (photographing means) (not shown) is provided at a position where the prepared medicine package 25 can be photographed, and at least a part of the medicine packaging paper 15 is made transparent. That is, the medicine package 25 is formed so that the medicine inside can be visually confirmed. Then, the medicine package 25 is photographed to prepare the medicine contained therein, and an operation similar to the pre-packaging confirmation operation described above is performed. The checking operation performed by the medicine dispensing device 2 may be either a pre-packaging checking operation or a post-packaging checking operation, or both. One or more cameras may be provided as necessary.

[0042] Furthermore, in the dispensing operation of producing and dispensing a plurality of drug packages 25, the drug dispensing device 2 of this embodiment is capable of producing the drug packages 25 individually (individually) one by one (see FIG. 3(a)) and dispensing them (individual dispensing operation). In addition, it is also capable of producing and dispensing a drug packaging band 26 (see FIG. 3(b)) (drug bandage dispensing operation). In either case, in this embodiment, one drug package 25 contains (contains) one dose of drug.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 4, the medicine packaging band 26 is a continuous body of medicine packages 25 formed by connecting a plurality of medicine packages 25 in a band shape. The medicine packaging band 26 has a header section 28 (attached part) at the beginning, and a plurality of medicine packages 25 are continuous following the header section 28. The header section 28 is an empty packet bag (blank packet) that does not contain any medicine. For convenience of drawing, reference numerals are given to only some of the drug packages 25, and reference numerals are omitted for the other drug packages 25. Similarly, in the following description, when the same thing or things with the same main parts are depicted multiple times in each drawing, some reference numerals are omitted as necessary.

[0044] The medicine dispensing device 2 of this embodiment is capable of producing, as the medicine packaging band 26, a same patient band 30 (see FIG. 4(a)) and a same dosing period band 31 (see FIG. 4(b)).

[0045] Each of the multiple drug packages 25 belonging to the same patient dressing 30 contains drugs prescribed for the same patient at different times (does not overlap). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4(a), a total of 28 drug packages 25 belong to the same patient dressing 30. The first drug package 25 contains a drug prescribed for "Sato" and is to be taken after breakfast on a specific date. The second to fourth drug packages 25 all contain drugs prescribed for the same "Sato", and from the second onwards, the drugs are to be taken "after lunch", "after dinner", and "before going to bed", respectively. The fifth drug package 25 contains a drug prescribed for the same "Sato" and is to be taken "after breakfast" on the next day (the day after the above-mentioned specific date).

[0046] Similarly, the multiple medicine packages 25 belonging to the same patient dressing 30 contain medicines corresponding to 28 doses (4 times per day for 7 days) taken by the same person, Mr. Sato, each packaged in a different medicine package 25 for each medicine to be taken at one time. In other words, a medicine contained in one medicine package 25 belonging to the same patient dressing 30 is taken at a different time than the medicines contained in any other medicine packages 25 belonging to the same patient dressing 30. Note that "different times" here refers to at least one of the days (dates) and times (rough times, such as before, between, or after meals) that the medicine is taken.

[0047] In the same-dose-period division packet 31, the drugs contained in each of the multiple drug packages 25 belonging to the same division packet 31 are drugs prescribed for different patients and taken at the same time. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4(b), a total of 28 drug packages 25 belong to the same-dose-period division packet 31. The first drug package 25 contains a drug prescribed for the first person, "Sato", and is to be taken after breakfast on a specific date. The second drug package 25 contains a drug prescribed for the second person, "Suzuki", and is to be taken after breakfast on the same day. Similarly, drugs for 28 different people are contained in different drug packages 25, and the drugs contained in each drug package 25 are to be taken at the same time. Note that "at the same time" here means that the date and time of taking the drug are the same.

[0048] The above-mentioned drug packaging band 26 (same patient packing 30, same dosing period packing 31) is a continuation of a plurality of drug packages 25 each containing related drugs. Here, the plurality of drug packages 25 containing such related drugs can be produced separately one by one by an individual dispensing operation. That is, when different drug packages 25 are produced one by one in succession by an individual dispensing operation, the plurality of drug packages 25 produced in succession may contain drugs prescribed for different patients with the same dosing period in different drug packages 25 for each patient. Similarly, the plurality of drug packages 25 produced in succession may contain drugs prescribed for the same patient with different dosing periods in different drug packages 25 for each dosing period.

[0049] In addition, when producing one drug package 25 by an individual dispensing operation, it is produced by cutting off each of the leading and trailing ends (the leading and trailing ends in the feeding direction of the drug packaging paper 15) of the part corresponding to one drug package 25 (see Figure 3 (a)). On the other hand, when preparing drug packaging strip 26, the leading end of the portion corresponding to the leading portion (header portion 28 or first drug package 25) and the trailing end of the portion corresponding to the last drug package 25 are cut (see FIG. 3(b)). That is, both drug packages 25 and drug packaging strip 26 are formed by cutting.

[0050] Here, the medicine packaging device 12 (see FIG. 2) has a printing means (not shown). Therefore, when producing the medicine packages 25 (individual medicine packages 25 or medicine packaging strip 26), as shown in FIG. 4, desired printing can be applied to each of the medicine packages 25 or their associated parts (header portion 28, etc.).

[0051] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, a drug information display 33 is attached to the header portion 28 of the drug packaging strip 26. The drug information display 33 is a code (sign or code) including packaging-related information, which is information about the drug packaging 25 connected to the header portion 28 to which the display is attached, and is a barcode in this embodiment. Note that the drug information display 33 is not limited to a one-dimensional code, and may be a two-dimensional code. It is sufficient that the information can be acquired by a reading device (not shown) described later.

[0052] The packaging-related information included in the drug information label 33 is information that can identify the drug contained in the drug package 25 that belongs to the drug packaging band 26 to which the drug information label 33 is attached. In other words, by reading the packaging-related information, it is possible to obtain information such as the person who takes the drug contained in the drug package 25 that belongs to the drug packaging band 26 (the patient to whom the drug has been prescribed) and the time of taking the drug. The packaging-related information is information associated with prescription data, etc., and may be information that can identify a drug contained in a drug package 25 belonging to the drug packaging strip 26 together with the prescription data, etc. For example, the packaging-related information may be an ID, etc., of an individually assigned drug packaging strip 26, and this ID and information on a drug contained in a drug package 25 belonging to the drug packaging strip 26 are stored in association with each other as prescription data, etc. (data created from prescription data). Then, by referring to the prescription data based on the packaging-related information, information such as the person taking the drug contained in the drug package 25 and the time of taking the drug is obtained.

[0053] Furthermore, when performing a dispensing operation to dispense the prepared medicine packages 25 (individual medicine packages 25 or medicine packaging strips 26), the medicine dispensing device 2 can switch between an external dispensing mode and a supply mode.

[0054] In the external dispensing mode, a dispensing operation is performed to dispense the medicine packages 25 from a dispensing outlet 37 (see FIG. 1) formed in a housing 36 of the medicine dispensing device 2. In this embodiment, when a plurality of medicine packages 25 are dispensed in the external dispensing mode, a medicine packaging strip 26 is created and dispensed. The dispensing outlet 37 is a hole that communicates between the inside and outside of the housing 36, and opens in a direction different from the direction in which the medicine setting device 3 is located. Therefore, by dispensing the medicine packaging strip 26 from the dispensing outlet 37, the medicine packaging strip 26 is directly dispensed to a position (location) where a user of the system (such as a pharmacist) can receive it.

[0055] The supply mode is a mode for supplying the medicine packaging 25 to the medicine setting device 3, and a dispensing operation is performed to dispense the medicine packaging 25 from inside the medicine dispensing device 2 to inside the medicine setting device 3. In this embodiment, when the medicine packaging 25 is supplied to the medicine setting device 3, it is dispensed by an individual dispensing operation. That is, the medicine packaging 25 is transported one packet at a time toward the medicine setting device 3 (this transport operation will be described in detail later). In other words, the supply mode is an operation for supplying the medicine packaging 25 toward an apparatus performing a downstream process when a series of operations (described in detail later) of producing and transporting the medicine packaging 25 and setting it in the medication calendar 80 is performed.

[0056] As shown in Fig. 2, the medicine setting device 3 has two medicine setting tool storage sections 40 consisting of a first setting tool storage section 40a and a second setting tool storage section 40b. Each medicine setting tool storage section 40 is capable of storing a plurality of medication calendars 80 (described in detail later).

[0057] The first set tool storage section 40a is a portion located on the lower side of the internal space of the housing 42 of the medicine setting device 3, and the second set tool storage section 40b is a portion located above it. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 42 of the medicine setting device 3 is provided with a door section 45. The door section 45 is located on the front side of the first set tool storage section 40a, and the first set tool storage section 40a is opened to the outside by opening the door section 45 (see FIG. 9). That is, it is possible to introduce a plurality of medication calendars 80 into the first set tool storage section 40a (see FIG. 9) and to remove a plurality of medication calendars 80 from the first set tool storage section 40a. The housing 42 is formed with a door portion 45 and a window portion 46 formed above it, so that the inside can be seen from the outside even when the door portion 45 is closed.

[0058] As shown in Fig. 2, the inside of the medicine setting device 3 is provided with a conveying means 50 within the setting device, a first set tool moving device 51, a second set tool moving device 52, a first calendar holding device 53, and a second calendar holding device 54. The medicine setting device 3 also has a control unit (not shown) equipped with a calculation unit, a memory unit, and a communication unit. Therefore, the medicine setting device 3 can transmit and receive various signals and various information between external devices (such as a higher-level control device (not shown), dispensing devices such as the medicine setting device 3, and an external PC (not shown)), and can store various information as necessary.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the in-setting device transport means 50 has a base member 57 and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) pickup devices 58 attached to the base member 57. Pick-up device 58 has an arm section and a hand section, and is a device capable of using the hand section to pinch (grab) drug packaging 25. Note that the hand section is not limited to a gripping tool and may be a vacuum pad or the like, as long as it can grip, pinch, hold, or otherwise transport drug packaging 25.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 2, the first set tool moving device 51 is a device that grips one medication calendar 80 in the first set tool storage section 40a and transports it to the second set tool storage section 40b (see Fig. 16, etc.). That is, it has two holding devices that grip the two left and right held parts 85a (see Fig. 8) of the medication calendar 80, respectively, and a belt-type lifting device that lifts and lowers the two holding devices.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 2, the second set tool moving device 52 is a device that grips one medication calendar 80 in the second set tool storage section 40b and transports it to the first set tool storage section 40a (see Fig. 19, etc.). The second set tool moving device 52 also has two holding devices that grip the two left and right held parts 85a (see Fig. 8) of the medication calendar 80, respectively, and a belt-type lifting device that lifts and lowers the two holding devices.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 2, the first calendar holding device 53 is a device capable of holding a plurality of medication calendars 80 within the first set tool accommodating section 40a, and has a one-side holding device 53a and an other-side holding device 53b arranged on the left and right sides, respectively. The one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b are devices capable of holding one side held portion 85a and the other side held portion 85a of the medication calendar 80, respectively. In addition, each of them has a built-in robot equipped with an engagement piece capable of engaging with one of the held portions 85a, and a moving device formed of a support pulley and a belt (or a sprocket and a rail) that moves the engagement piece in the forward and backward directions.

[0063] Therefore, the first calendar holding device 53 is capable of moving the held medication calendar 80 in the forward and backward directions (directions approaching the door portion 45) while holding the medication calendar 80 with the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b. In addition, the first calendar holding device 53 is configured so that the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b can be raised and lowered simultaneously by a belt-type lifting device or the like.

[0064] As shown in Fig. 2, the second calendar holding device 54 is a device capable of holding a plurality of medication calendars 80 in the second set tool storage section 40b, and has a one-side holding device 54a and an other-side holding device 54b arranged on the left and right sides, respectively, like the first calendar holding device 53. A robot is built into the one-side holding device 54a and the other-side holding device 54b, and is capable of moving the held medication calendar 80 in the forward and backward directions while holding the medication calendar 80. Specifically, the second calendar holding device 54 can move the medication calendar 80 in the direction away from the door section 45 on the opposite side to the first calendar holding device 53.

[0065] 2, the medicine setting system 1 of this embodiment has an inter-device package transport means 63 provided across the medicine dispensing device 2 and the medicine setting device 3. That is, holes communicating the inside and outside are provided in the side wall portion of the housing 36 of the medicine dispensing device 2 and the side wall portion of the housing 42 of the medicine setting device 3 (not shown), and the inter-device package transport means 63 is provided between the inside of the medicine dispensing device 2 and the inside of the medicine setting device 3.

[0066] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inter-apparatus package transport means 63 has one long distance conveyor section 64 and multiple short distance conveyor sections 65 arranged in a row. That is, from the downstream side in the transport direction, it has a first short distance conveyor section 65a to a fourth short distance conveyor section 65d. A gap is provided between the long distance conveyor section 64 and the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d and between two adjacent short distance conveyor sections 65. Each conveyor section can be operated and stopped individually.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 6, the long-distance conveyor section 64 is composed of an upper conveyor section 67 and a lower conveyor section 68. The upper conveyor section 67 has a one-side conveyor section 67a having two pulleys arranged at positions apart in the conveying direction and rotating on a vertical axis, a belt member suspended with tension between the two pulleys, and a roller train section 67b having multiple rollers rotating on a vertical axis arranged at intervals in the conveying direction. The rollers belonging to the roller train section 67b are attached so as to rotate idly without being driven independently. The lower conveyor section 68 is a belt conveyor having two pulleys that rotate on horizontal axes and a belt member suspended with tension between the two pulleys.

[0068] From the above, long-distance conveyor section 64 is capable of transporting drug package 25 in an upright position (see FIG. 13). That is, drug package 25 is disposed on the upper side of lower conveyor section 68, and drug package 25 is sandwiched and transported between one-side conveyor section 67a and rollers belonging to roller row section 67b.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 6, the short distance conveyor section 65 is also composed of an upper conveyor section 67 and a lower conveyor section 68. These have substantially the same configuration as the long distance conveyor section 64 described above, except that the conveying distance is shorter, so duplicated detailed explanations will be omitted. The upper conveyor section 67 may have one or more rollers.

[0070] As described above, the medicine dispensing device 2 can switch between an external dispensing mode and a supply mode. As shown in Fig. 7, the medicine packaging device 12 of the medicine dispensing device 2 is provided with a packet standby area 70 downstream of the cutting device 19 (see Fig. 3).

[0071] The packet waiting area 70 is an area where the drug packages 25 sent from the upstream side (cutting device 19) temporarily wait when performing an individual dispensing operation, etc. A robot arm 73 is provided near the packet waiting area 70 and the inter-apparatus packet transport means 63 (long-distance conveyor section 64). This robot arm 73 is capable of clamping and transporting the drug packages 25.

[0072] In the supply mode, one packet of drug packaging 25 produced by cutting device 19 is transported to packet standby area 70 and waits in packet standby area 70. Then, the waiting drug packaging 25 is grasped by robot arm 73 and moved to long-distance conveyor section 64, after which drug packaging 25 is transported by inter-device packet transport means 63 (described in detail below). Conversely, in the external dispensing mode, the prepared medicine packaging strip 26 (see FIG. 4) passes through the packet standby area 70, is conveyed along the discharge path 75, and is dispensed from the dispensing opening 37 (see FIG. 1).

[0073] Next, a description will be given of the medication calendar 80 (medicine setting tool) for setting the medicine package 25 in the medicine setting system 1 of this embodiment (described in detail later).

[0074] 8, the medication calendar 80 is also called a medicine calendar, and is configured by providing a sheet-like (flat) base material 81 with a plurality of medicine storage sections 82. The medication calendar 80 also has an electronic paper 83 (information display section), a hanging hook section 84, and a rod-shaped section 85 for holding.

[0075] The medicine containing section 82 is a portion formed in a pocket shape (bag shape) and has a structure that allows an object to be placed inside from the top. Each medicine containing section 82 is formed to be able to contain one or a plurality of medicine packages 25.

[0076] In the medication calendar 80 of this embodiment, the medicine containing sections 82 are distributed in a planar matrix when viewed from the front. In this embodiment, 28 medicine containing sections 82 are provided in a 4×7 matrix. More specifically, this medication calendar 80 is a group medication calendar 80 (first medication set device) for a group including 28 different people. That is, each of the multiple medication storage sections 82 is a section for storing medication packages 25 that contain medications prescribed for different people (patients). Also, the medication packages 25 stored in each of the multiple medication storage sections 82 contain medications to be taken at the same time (after breakfast on x month x day). In other words, this medication calendar 80 contains a plurality of medication packages 25 each containing medications that are prescribed for different patients and have the same dosing timing.

[0077] Electronic paper 83 is a visual display medium, on which predetermined display contents such as characters can be electrically rewritten. Specifically, electronic paper 83 can change the display contents based on signals received from an external device, and has an internal battery. In addition, after the display contents have been displayed (or rewritten), the display of the display contents is maintained even in a power-off state. Note that "characters, etc." here refers to letters, numbers, symbols, figures, graphs, tables, pictures, or other codes.

[0078] Here, the medicine setting device 3 of the present embodiment is capable of a setting tool information display operation for displaying, on the electronic paper 83, information (setting tool related information) relating to the medication calendar 80 to which the electronic paper 83 is attached. The "setting tool related information" referred to here may be information about the medication calendar 80 to which the electronic paper 83 displaying information is attached, as well as information about the medication package 25 to be contained in the medication calendar 80. For example, it may be the name of the facility in which the medication calendar 80 is used, or the name of the hospital, ward, or room in which the medication calendar 80 is used. It may also be the date and time of administration of the medication package 25 contained in the medication calendar 80, or information identifying the inspector who inspected the medication contained in the medication package 25 (inspector name, staff ID, etc.). Furthermore, it may be a combination of the above-mentioned information. In addition, as the "setting tool related information", a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) may be displayed as identification information. In other words, information whose contents cannot be directly confirmed by visual inspection may be used as the "setting tool related information". In this case, an external device equipped with a scanner or the like may read the setting tool related information, and the external device may acquire information about the drug package 25 contained in the medication calendar 80 displaying the setting tool related information. Furthermore, the external device may be in a state capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from a device belonging to the drug setting system 1. In other words, the above-mentioned information about the drug package 25 may be acquired based on information acquired by reading the setting tool related information and information stored in a memory unit of any of the devices belonging to the drug setting system 1.

[0079] For example, in the example of Fig. 8, a group identification display showing the name of a group to which multiple patients belong and a dosage time specific display showing the time of administration are displayed as set tool related information on one of the multiple electronic papers 83. The group identification display is the part that displays the characters "Group A", and the dosage time specific display is the part that displays the characters "xx month xx day after breakfast".

[0080] Furthermore, on the base material 81, recipient identification information corresponding to each medicine containing section 82 is written at a position adjacent to each medicine containing section 82. The recipient identification information is information for identifying which patient (person receiving the medicine) the medicine package 25 to be contained (set) in the corresponding medicine containing section 82 belongs to. Specifically, it is a portion in which the recipient's surname is written in characters, and in the example of the medicine containing section 82 in the upper left corner of FIG. 8 (the medicine containing section 82 in the (1,1) element of the matrix), it is the portion written as "Sato". In other words, the medicine containing section 82 corresponding to the recipient identification information "Sato" contains the medicine package 25 in which the medicine to be taken by Mr. Sato after breakfast on a certain month and a certain day is packaged. The same is true for the other medicine containing sections 82.

[0081] The hanging hook portion 84 is a portion used when hanging the medication calendar 80 from the hanging rod portion 93 (see Figure 9) of the cart 88, and extends upward from the upper side of the base material 81 so that the tip portion is curved.

[0082] The held rod-shaped portion 85 is a portion that extends in the left-right direction (horizontal direction and width direction) when the medication calendar 80 is viewed from the front. The held rod-shaped portion 85 has a held portion 85a at one end side and the other end side in the left-right direction. One held portion 85a is a portion that extends in a cantilever shape from a portion where one end (left end) of the base material 81 is located toward the outside (left side), and the other held portion 85a is a portion that extends in a cantilever shape from a portion where the other end (right end) of the base material 81 is located toward the outside (right side). In other words, the held portions 85a are located at the same height, and both are located outside the base material 81 in the width direction of the base material 81.

[0083] Note that suspension hook part 84 and held rod part 85 may be formed integrally. In this case, suspension hook part 84 and held rod part 85 may be made separable (detachable) from base material 81 by forming the lower end side of held rod part 85 into a clip shape, for example.

[0084] Next, a procedure for forming a medication calendar group (medicine set device group) using the medicine set system 1 of this embodiment will be described. A medication calendar group is a group of a plurality of medication calendars 80, and each medication calendar 80 belonging to the group is in a state in which all the medication packages 25 to be set have been set. In one medication calendar 80, the state in which "all the medication packages 25 to be set have been set" means that, in the case where there are one or more medication packages 25 to be stored in each of the plurality of medication storage sections of the medication calendar 80, all of them are stored, and the medication storage section 82 that should be emptied is empty.

[0085] In this embodiment, a multiple target set operation is possible in which all of the drug packages 25 to be set on each of multiple medication calendars 80 are set, and this multiple target set operation can target up to 28 medication calendars 80. In other words, when the number of medication calendars 80 belonging to a medication calendar group is 28 or less, it is possible to form the medication calendar group by performing a multiple target set operation once. In the following description, a case where a medication calendar group to which 28 medication calendars belong is formed will be described.

[0086] In addition, the multiple medication calendars 80 belonging to the medication calendar group formed in this embodiment are each used at a different time. That is, the time of taking the medicine contained in the medicine package 25 set in each medication calendar 80 is different for each medication calendar 80. That is, the first medication calendar 80 is for setting the medication package 25 containing medication to be taken after breakfast on a certain month and date (see FIG. 8). The next, second medication calendar 80 is for setting the medication package 25 containing medication to be taken after lunch on the same day (see FIG. 17). Similarly, the third, fourth, and fifth medication calendars 80 (detailed illustrations omitted) set the medication contained in the medication package 25 to be taken after dinner on the same day, before going to bed on the same day, and after breakfast the next day, respectively.

[0087] 15 and 17, for example, all of the medicine containers 82 in the (1,1) component of the matrix are assigned to "Sato", and all of the medicine containers 82 in the (1,2) component of the matrix are assigned to "Suzuki". In other words, the same patient is assigned to the medicine containers 82 in corresponding portions of the multiple medication calendars 80 (medicine packages 25 containing medicines prescribed for the same patient are set).

[0088] From the above, for example, the medicine containers 82 in the (1,1) and (1,2) components of the first medication calendar 80 are set with medicine packages 25 containing medicines to be taken by "Sato" and "Suzuki" after breakfast on the xth of the month, respectively. Similarly, the medicine containers 82 in the (1,1) and (1,2) components of the second medication calendar 80 are set with medicine packages 25 containing medicines to be taken by "Sato" and "Suzuki" after lunch on the xth of the month, respectively. In this way, medicine packages 25 containing medicines prescribed for the same patient are set in corresponding parts of each medication calendar 80, and medicine packages 25 containing medicines to be taken at the same time are set in the same medication calendar 80.

[0089] In the medicine setting system 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 9, a calendar introduction step is executed in which a plurality of medicine setting calendars 80 are introduced into the medicine setting device 3 by a cart 88. In the calendar introduction step, the maximum number of medicine setting calendars 80 that can be introduced at one time is half the maximum number (28) of medicine setting calendars 80 that can be targeted in the multiple target setting operation, and is 14 in this embodiment.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 10, the cart 88 has a handle portion 89 which is held by the user, a connecting portion 90, a wheel mounting portion 91, multiple casters 92 (wheels) (four in this embodiment), and a hanging rod portion 93.

[0091] The connecting portion 90 is a frame-shaped portion that is located between the handle portion 89 and the wheel attachment portion 91 and connects them together.

[0092] The wheel attachment portion 91 is a frame-like portion having a generally rectangular ring shape in a plan view, and the casters 92 are fixed to the lower side thereof.

[0093] The hanging rod portion 93 is a rod-shaped portion that is provided forward of the handle portion 89 and extends in the front-rear direction (horizontal direction). In this embodiment, the hanging rod portion 93 has a locking recess 93a formed on the upper side that can lock the above-mentioned hanging hook portion 84 (see FIG. 8). A plurality of locking recesses 93a (14 in this embodiment) are provided and are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the hanging rod portion 93. The cart 88 of this embodiment is of a type that is used by a person holding a handle 89 located at the rear and pushing it forward (see FIG. 10).

[0094] In the calendar introduction step, as shown in Fig. 9, a plurality of medication calendars 80 are hung from the hanging rod portion 93 of the cart 88, so that the plurality of medication calendars 80 are locked to the cart 88. That is, the hanging hook portion 84 (see Fig. 8) of each medication calendar 80 is locked to the locking recess 93a (see Fig. 10).

[0095] At this time, the medication calendars 80 are hung in a position in which the front side (the side on which the medicine containing section 82 is located) faces backward in the traveling direction. Here, the multiple medication calendars 80 introduced in the calendar introduction step are all medication calendars 80 for the same target group and are of the same shape (approximately the same shape). That is, the size of each base material 81, the number of medicine containing sections 82, the position of each medicine containing section 82 relative to the base material 81, the positions and sizes of the medicine containing sections 82 in corresponding parts (having the same matrix components), etc. are the same. In addition, the positions of other parts (electronic paper 83, hanging hook section 84, held rod section 85) relative to the base material 81, the number and size of each other part, etc. are the same. That is, the multiple medication calendars 80 all have the same number of medicine containing sections 82 arranged in the same distribution (see Figures 15 and 17).

[0096] When a part or the whole of the cart 88 and the plurality of medication calendars 80 are introduced into the first set tool storage section 40a, as shown in Fig. 11, the one-side holding device 53a of the first calendar holding device 53 is positioned below one of the held parts 85a of each of the plurality of medication calendars 80. The other-side holding device 53b of the first calendar holding device 53 is positioned below the other held part 85a. At this time, the wheel attachment portion 91 and the plurality of casters 92 of the cart 88 are positioned within a gap 95 formed below the medicine setting device 3 (inter-device package transport means 63) (see FIG. 9).

[0097] In this state, an operation is performed to raise the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b. As a result, the multiple medication calendars 80 held by the cart 88 are held by the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b (see FIG. 11(b)). That is, in each medication calendar 80, one of the held portions 85a is held (placed) by the one-side holding device 53a, and the other of the held portions 85a is held (placed) by the other-side holding device 53b. In addition, the hanging hook portion 84 transitions from a state in which it is engaged (hanging) with the hanging rod portion 93 to a state in which it is released from the engagement. In addition, the operation of raising the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b may be performed on the condition that a sensor provided in the first set tool storage section 40a detects the cart 88, or may be performed when the user makes a specified input to the display device 4.

[0098] 12, a plurality of medication calendars 80 are arranged in the first set tool housing 40a and held by the first calendar holding device 53. In this state, the cart 88 is removed (discharged) and the door 45 is closed. The cart 88 may be manually discharged by a person, or may be automatically discharged by providing a push-out mechanism (push-out unit) not shown.

[0099] In this embodiment, before starting the operation of setting the medicine packages 25, the medicine setting device 3 transmits a signal to the electronic paper 83 of all introduced medicine prescription calendars 80, causing the electronic paper 83 to execute the above-mentioned operation of displaying the setting tool information. This operation of displaying information on the electronic paper 83 may be executed during the medicine packages 25 setting operation for multiple objects, or may be executed after the operation for multiple objects is completed. It may be executed from when the medicine prescription calendar 80 is introduced into the medicine setting device 3 until it is removed. In this embodiment, the medicine setting device 3 acquires or creates information to be displayed on the electronic paper 83 based on the prescription data, and displays it.

[0100] Here, a package setting area 98 is provided on the front side of the first set tool housing section 40a (near the door section 45 (see FIG. 1)), and an operation of setting the drug package 25 on the medication calendar 80 arranged in the package setting area 98 is performed. This package setting area 98 may be formed by providing a mechanism capable of holding the medication calendar 80 on the front side of the first calendar holding device 53. That is, it may be an area where the medication calendar 80 held by the mechanism is located. It may also be an area where the medication calendar 80 held on the frontmost side of the first calendar holding device 53 is located. When the multiple medication calendars 80 are introduced into the first set tool receiving portion 40a, one medication calendar 80 is positioned in the package set area 98 (or moved to the package set area 98).

[0101] On the other hand, the medicine dispensing device 2 dispenses the medicine packages 25 in the supply mode. That is, as described above, drug packages 25 are prepared one by one and conveyed to long-distance conveyor section 64. Then, drug packages 25 introduced into long-distance conveyor section 64 are conveyed to a predetermined position as shown in FIG.

[0102] Specifically, the drug package 25 introduced into the long-distance conveyor section 64 is transported via the long-distance conveyor section 64 to one of the four short-distance conveyor sections 65, and is made to wait at that short-distance conveyor section 65. That is, the first short-distance conveyor section 65a to the fourth short-distance conveyor section 65d become the first waiting position to the fourth waiting position for the drug package 25, respectively.

[0103] First, when the drug package 25 is transported to the first short distance conveyor section 65a, the long distance conveyor section 64 and the four short distance conveyor sections 65 are operated. Then, after the drug package 25 is transported by the long distance conveyor section 64, the drug package 25 is transferred from the long distance conveyor section 64 to the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d. At this time, first, a part of the drug package 25 is located on the lower conveyor section 68 of the long distance conveyor section 64, and the other part is located on the lower conveyor section 68 of the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d (a state in which the drug package 25 straddles the gap between the conveyors). After this state, the drug package 25 is transported by the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d.

[0104] Similarly, the drug package 25 is transferred from the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d to the third short distance conveyor section 65c, then from the third short distance conveyor section 65c to the second short distance conveyor section 65b, and then from the second short distance conveyor section 65b to the first short distance conveyor section 65a. Then, the operation of the first short distance conveyor section 65a is stopped, so that the drug package 25 is placed in a standby state at the first standby position (first short distance conveyor section 65a).

[0105] When the drug package 25 is transported to the second short distance conveyor section 65b, the long distance conveyor section 64 and the second short distance conveyor section 65b to the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d are operated, and the first short distance conveyor section 65a is stopped. Then, in the same procedure as above, the drug package 25 is transferred in the order of the long distance conveyor section 64, the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d, the third short distance conveyor section 65c, and the second short distance conveyor section 65b. Then, the operation of the second short distance conveyor section 65b is stopped, so that the drug package 25 is in a standby state at the second standby position (the second short distance conveyor section 65b).

[0106] That is, when the drug package 25 is to be transported to any one of the short distance conveyor sections 65, the operation of the short distance conveyor section 65 located downstream of the destination short distance conveyor section 65 is stopped, and the transport is performed with the other conveyor sections operating. For example, when the drug package 25 is to be transported to the third short distance conveyor section 65c, the operation of the first short distance conveyor section 65a and the second short distance conveyor section 65b is stopped, and when the drug package 25 is to be transported to the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d, the operation of the first short distance conveyor section 65a to the third short distance conveyor section 65c is stopped.

[0107] When there are multiple destinations, the destination that is further downstream is given priority. For example, when two separately formed drug packages 25 are to be transported to the first and third waiting positions, respectively, they are transported to the first waiting position, and then transported to the third waiting position. Therefore, when four separately formed drug packages 25 are to be transported to four waiting positions, they are transported to the first waiting position, then to the second waiting position, then to the third waiting position, and finally to the fourth waiting position, in that order.

[0108] Next, with the drug packaging 25 waiting at one or more of the multiple (four) waiting positions, the drug packaging 25 is transported from the waiting position to the drug storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80 by the transport means 50 within the setting device, as shown in Figures 14 and 15.

[0109] That is, the medicine setting system 1 of this embodiment has a package transport means for transporting the medicine package 25 from the preparation position (prepared position) to the medicine storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80. As shown in Fig. 5, the package transport means is composed of an internal transport path (not shown) of the medicine packaging device 12, a robot arm 73 in the medicine dispensing device 2, an inter-device package transport means 63, and an in-setting device transport means 50.

[0110] As shown in Fig. 14, each pickup device 58 of the in-setting device conveying means 50 corresponds to a different waiting position, and specifically, the four pickup devices 58 correspond to the first waiting position to the fourth waiting position in order from the left. Each pickup device 58 is capable of clamping a medicine package 25 in the corresponding waiting position.

[0111] Therefore, when the drug packages 25 are transported by the in-setting device transport means 50, a plurality (four) of pickup devices 58 are simultaneously brought close to a plurality (four) of waiting positions. Then, when a drug package 25 is present at each of the corresponding waiting positions, the four pickup devices 58 clamp the drug package 25. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, when a drug package 25 is waiting at each of the four waiting positions, each of the four pickup devices 58 clamps the drug package 25 at the waiting position corresponding to itself.

[0112] Then, the base member 57 and the four pick-up devices 58 are moved upward (see FIG. 14) and positioned near the medication calendar 80 placed in the package setting area 98 (see FIG. 15(a)). Here, the in-setting device conveying means 50 executes an operation of setting a drug package 25 for each row of the multiple drug containers 82 arranged in a matrix. That is, the four pickup devices 58 move to the upper side of the drug containers 82 belonging to a predetermined row (the first row at the top in FIG. 15) and release (release) the drug packages 25 that they were holding, thereby putting (inserting) the drug packages 25 into the drug containers 82.

[0113] In this way, in the multiple target setting operation, an operation of setting the medicine package 25 to be set (needed to be set) in the medicine storage section 82 belonging to the first row (hereinafter referred to as the first row setting operation) is performed on the first medication calendar 80a. Then, when the first row setting operation is performed on the first medication calendar 80a, as shown in FIG. 16, the first set tool moving device 51 (see FIG. 2) moves the first medication calendar 80a from the package set area 98 to the second set tool storage section 40b. Then, the first medication calendar 80a is held by the second calendar holding device 54 of the second set tool storage section 40b.

[0114] Around the same time (or at the same time), the second medication calendar 80b is moved to the package setting area 98. Then, the first row setting operation is executed for the second medication calendar 80b (see FIG. 17). That is, an operation (partial setting operation) is performed to set the medicine packages 25 that need to be set in only some (only the medicine containers 82 belonging to the first row) of the medicine containers 82 of the first medication calendar 80a. Then, before performing an operation to set the medicine packages 25 that need to be set in the medicine containers 82 of other rows of the first medication calendar 80a, an operation to set the medicine packages 25 that need to be set is performed in only some of the second medication calendar 80b.

[0115] In other words, after the operation of setting the medicine packages 25 on one medication calendar 80a is started, when only a part of all the medicine packages 25 to be set are set (when the partial setting operation is executed), the operation of setting the medicine packages 25 on one medication calendar 80a is temporarily interrupted. Then, before all the medicine packages 25 to be set are set on one medication calendar 80a, the operation of setting the medicine packages 25 on another medication calendar 80b is started. In this case, the medicine container 82 in which the medicine package 25 is set in the first medication calendar 80a and the medicine container 82 in which the medicine package 25 is set in the second medication calendar 80b both belong to the first row. In other words, they are corresponding parts of the multiple medicine containers 82 arranged in the same distribution on each of the medication calendars 80a and 80b.

[0116] When the first row set operation is completed for the second medication calendar 80b (see FIG. 17(b)), the second medication calendar 80b is moved to the second set tool storage section 40b (not shown) in the same manner as the first medication calendar 80a. By repeating this, as shown in FIG. 18(a), a state is reached in which a plurality of (14) medication calendars 80 are held in the second set tool storage section 40b. At this time, all of the plurality of medication calendars 80 held in the second set tool storage section 40b have already undergone the first row set operation.

[0117] In this embodiment, the first medication calendar 80a is moved to the second set tool storage section 40b in order, and the medication calendar 80 moved next is positioned in front of the medication calendar 80 moved immediately before. Therefore, the 14 medication calendars 80 held in the second set tool storage section 40b at this time are arranged in the order of the first medication calendar 80a, the second medication calendar 80b, etc. from the back side. At this time, each medication calendar 80 is also in a position where the front side faces the front side.

[0118] In this state, as shown in FIG. 18(a), a plurality (14 pieces) of medication calendars 80 are newly introduced into the first set storage section 40a, and the door section 45 is closed (see FIG. 18(b)). This introduction is performed in the same manner as described above. These plurality (14 pieces) of medication calendars 80 are the remaining medication calendars 80 of the medication calendar group described above.

[0119] Then, the multiple object set operation is continued. That is, as shown in Fig. 19(a), for the 15th medication calendar 80 (the first of the multiple newly introduced medication calendars 80), this medication calendar 80 is moved to the package set area 98 as necessary, and the first row set operation is performed.

[0120] Then, as shown in FIG. 19(b), an operation of moving the 15th medication calendar 80 from the package set area 98 to the second set storage section 40b and an operation of moving the 16th medication calendar 80 to the package set area 98 are performed. Also, an operation of moving the first medication calendar 80 from the second set storage section 40b to the first set storage section 40a is performed. Specifically, the first medication calendar 80 is moved to the rear side of the 28th medication calendar 80. These operations may be performed in parallel or one by one in a predetermined order.

[0121] When the first row set operation is performed on the 16th medication calendar 80, the operation of moving this medication calendar 80 to the second set tool storage section 40b and the operation of moving the 17th medication calendar 80 to the package set area 98 are performed in the same manner as described above (not shown). In addition, the operation of moving the second medication calendar 80 from the second set tool storage section 40b to the first set tool storage section 40a is performed (not shown). Then, by repeating this operation, as shown in FIG. 20(a), all (28) medication calendars 80 introduced into the medicine setting device 3 have already been subjected to the first row set operation.

[0122] At this time, the multiple (14) medication calendars 80 introduced in advance are positioned in the first set tool storage section 40a, and the first medication calendar 80a, the second medication calendar 80b, the third medication calendar 80, etc. are lined up in this order from the front side. At this time, the front side of each medication calendar 80 faces the front side. The remaining (14) medication calendars 80 introduced subsequently are positioned in the second set tool storage section 40b. At this time, the 15th (first of the newly introduced) medication calendar 80, the 16th (second of the newly introduced) medication calendar 80, the 17th medication calendar 80, etc. are lined up in this order from the back side, and all of them are in a state where the front side faces the front side.

[0123] Next, an operation of setting the medicine packages 25 to be set in the medicine storage sections 82 belonging to the second row (the second row from the top) for each medication calendar 80 (hereinafter, referred to as the second row setting operation) is performed.

[0124] That is, the operation of moving the first medication calendar 80 to the package set area 98 as necessary is performed, and the second row set operation is performed on the first medication calendar 80 (see FIG. 21). Then, the operation of moving the first medication calendar 80 for which the second row set operation has been completed to the second set tool storage section 40b and the operation of moving the second medication calendar 80 to the package set area 98 are performed (see FIG. 20(b)). In addition, the operation of moving the 15th medication calendar 80 (the first of the newly introduced ones) from the second set tool storage section 40b to the first set tool storage section 40a is performed. Then, by repeating this operation, all (28) medication calendars 80 introduced into the medicine setting device 3 are in a state in which the first row set operation and the second row set operation have already been performed.

[0125] Similarly, the operation of executing the third row set operation for each of the (28) medication calendars 80 is performed in this order, followed by the operation of executing the fourth row set operation for each of the (28) medication calendars 80, and the operation of executing the α-th row set operation (a partial set operation, where α is an integer of 1 or more and the number of rows) for each of the medication calendars 80 is repeated in this manner, starting from the upper row. The α-th row set operation is an operation of setting the medicine package 25 that needs to be set in the medicine container 82 belonging to the target row. In this embodiment, by performing the seventh row set operation, all of the medicine packages 25 that should be set are set in each of all of the (28) medication calendars 80. That is, a medication calendar group is formed.

[0126] At this time, the multiple (14) medication calendars 80 introduced in advance are located in the first set tool storage section 40a, and the remaining multiple (14) medication calendars 80 are located in the second set tool storage section 40b. Then, the door section 45 is opened from the closed state, the cart 88 is introduced into the first set tool storage section 40a, and the multiple medication calendars 80 are taken out from the first set tool storage section 40a in the reverse order to the above-mentioned introduction. After that, the multiple (14) medication calendars 80 held in the second set tool storage section 40b are moved to the first set tool storage section 40a, and the operation of taking out the multiple medication calendars 80 from the first set tool storage section 40a is performed in the same manner.

[0127] In the above-mentioned αth row setting operation, among the multiple drug containing sections 82 belonging to the target row, the drug containing section 82 that has the drug packaging 25 to be set has that drug packaging 25 set, while the drug containing section 82 that is to be emptied has no drug packaging 25 set.

[0128] For example, as shown in FIG. 22, a first medication calendar 80 is set with a medication package 25 containing a medication to be taken after breakfast on a specified day (see FIG. 22(a)). A second medication calendar 80 is set with a medication package 25 containing a medication to be taken after lunch on the same day (see FIG. 22(b)). Then, the medication containers 82 belonging to the first row of each medication calendar 80 are assigned to "Sato", "Suzuki", "Takahashi", and "Watanabe" from the left. Then, medication to be taken after breakfast on a specified day is prescribed for each of the four people, and medication to be taken after lunch on a specified day is prescribed for the three people, "Sato", "Takahashi", and "Watanabe". In such a case, in the first row setting operation for the first medication calendar 80, the target medication packages 25 are set in the four medication storage units 82. Then, in the first row setting operation for the second medication calendar 80 to be executed subsequently, the target medication packages 25 are set in the three medication storage units 82. Specifically, of the four pickup devices 58, the pickup device 58 associated with the second row of the matrix (the medication storage unit 82 assigned to "Suzuki") does not hold (carry) the medication package 25. Meanwhile, the three pickup devices 58 associated with the other rows each hold a medication package 25. Then, the pickup device 58 that does not hold (carry) the medication package 25 does not set the medication package 25 in the medication storage unit 82 associated with it, and sets the medication package 25 in the medication storage unit 82 associated with the other three pickup devices 58. As a result, no medicine package 25 is set in the medicine container 82 in the (1,2) component of the queue assigned to "Suzuki", and medicine packages 25 are set in other medicine containers 82 in the same row.

[0129] In addition, in the above-mentioned multiple target set operation, when the αth row set operation is performed on multiple medication calendars 80 one by one, it may be the case that all of the drug storage sections 82 belonging to the target row in one of the medication calendars 80 should be emptied. In this case, the αth row setting operation may not be performed on that medication calendar 80, and it may be moved out of the package setting area 98.

[0130] For example, in a first medication calendar 80, there are medication packages 25 that should be placed in each of the four medication containers 82 in the first row, and in a second medication calendar 80, all of the four medication containers 82 in the first row should be emptied. In this case, when the first row set operation is performed on each of the multiple medication calendars 80, after the first row set operation is performed on the first medication calendar 80, the first medication calendar 80 is moved from the package set area 98. Then, after the second medication calendar 80 is moved to the package set area 98, the second medication calendar 80 may be moved from the package set area 98 without performing the first row set operation on the second medication calendar 80.

[0131] Further, as shown in FIG. 23, the αth row setting operation in the case where a plurality of medicine packages 25 are set in one medicine containing section 82 will be described. Specifically, we will explain the case where, in one medication calendar 80, of the four medication containers 82 belonging to the first row, there are two medication packages 25 to be set in one medication container 82 in the (1,1) element of the matrix, and there is one medication package 25 to be set in each of the other three medication containers 82. In this case, first, an operation is performed to transport four drug packages 25 from the standby position, and one drug package 25 is set in each drug container 82 belonging to the first row (see FIG. 23(a)). Then, without moving the medication calendar 80 from the package setting area 98, an operation is performed to transport one drug package 25 from the standby position, and one drug package 25 is set in the drug container 82 at the (1,1) component of the matrix (see FIG. 23(b)). As a result, a total of two drug packages 25 are set in the drug container 82 at the (1,1) component of the matrix, and one drug package 25 is set in each of the other three drug containers 82 belonging to the first row.

[0132] That is, in the αth row setting operation for one medication calendar 80, the operation of transporting the medicine packages 25 from the standby position and setting them in the medicine containers 82 may be performed one or more times. The number of times this operation is performed is the maximum number of medicine packages 25 to be set in each of the medicine containers 82 belonging to the target row.

[0133] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the medicine package 25 was set on a medicine calendar 80 (see FIG. 8) that contains a plurality of medicine packages 25, each of which contains medicines prescribed to different patients and having the same dosing period. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, an operation of setting the medicine package 25 on a medicine calendar 100 (medicine setting device, second medicine setting device) that contains a plurality of medicine packages 25, each of which contains medicines prescribed to one patient and having different dosing periods, may be performed.

[0134] 25, the multiple target setting operation may be an operation of setting all the medicine packages 25 to be set on one medication calendar 100 and repeating this (second setting operation). That is, the multiple target setting operation is not limited to the operation of performing partial setting operations on the above-mentioned multiple medication calendars 80 one by one and repeating this (first setting operation). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 25, the first medication calendar 100 is moved to the package set area 98, and the first row set operation is performed on the first medication calendar 100 (see FIG. 25(a)). After that, the first medication calendar 80 is placed in the package set area 98, and the second row set operation is performed on the first medication calendar 80 (see FIG. 25(b)). Similarly, the seventh row set operation (see FIG. 25(c)) is performed sequentially, and all the medicine packages 25 to be set on the first medication calendar 80 are set. Then, the first medication calendar 80 is moved to the second set tool storage section 40b, and the second medication calendar 80 is moved to the package set area 98. Similarly, the operation of setting all the medicine packages 25 to be set on each of the multiple medication calendars 80 is performed. This forms a medication calendar group.

[0135] 26, the medication calendar 101 (medicine setting device) in which the medicine package 25 is set may be a group medication calendar 80 (first medicine setting device) for a group of seven different people. This medication calendar 80 corresponds to a specific date (day of the week), and the medicine containers 82 arranged in a matrix are assigned to different patients in different rows and different dosing times in different columns.

[0136] In the above embodiment, the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be introduced at one time is half (14) of the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be targeted in the multiple target set operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. By enlarging the housing 42 of the medicine setting device 3, the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be introduced at one time may be the same number (28) as the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be targeted in the multiple target set operation. In this case, the number of medication calendars 80 that can be held on the cart 88 (that can be hung from the hanging rod portion 93) may also be the same number (28) as the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be targeted in the multiple target set operation. In this case, the multiple target set operation can be performed continuously without interruption. In addition, the operation of moving the medication calendar 80 that has been moved to the second set tool storage portion 40b after the αth row set operation to the first set tool storage portion 40a may be performed at an appropriate timing. In addition, it is preferable that the medication calendar 80 moved to the second set tool accommodating section 40b after the αth row setting operation is performed is moved from the second set tool accommodating section 40b to the first set tool accommodating section 40a before the αth row setting operation for the last (28th) medication calendar 80 is completed.

[0137] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which either an individual package production operation in which individual drug packages 25 are produced one by one by a cutting device 19, or a band production operation in which a drug package band 26 is produced, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the cutting device 19 may be configured to produce only the drug packaging strip 26, and when performing the individual packet production operation, an operation of cutting the drug packaging strip 26 may be performed at another position downstream of the cutting device 19. That is, a second cutting device (cutting means) may be provided in a portion of the drug dispensing device 2 that is downstream of the cutting device 19 of the drug packaging device 12, and when performing the individual packet production operation, the second cutting device may cut the drug packaging strip 26 to form individual drug packages 25.

[0138] Also, a packaging strip cutting device (cutting means) may be provided between the medicine dispensing device 2 and the medicine setting device 3. That is, the medicine packaging strip 26 may be supplied (conveyed) from the medicine dispensing device 2 to the packaging strip cutting device, the medicine packaging strip 26 may be cut by the packaging strip cutting device to prepare individual medicine packages 25, and the medicine packages 25 may be supplied one by one from the packaging strip cutting device to the medicine setting device 3.

[0139] Also, a cutting device (cutting means) and a packet standby section for standby of individual drug packages 25 may be provided inside the drug setting device 3, and the drug packaging strip 26 may be supplied from the drug dispensing device 2 to the drug setting device 3. That is, the drug setting device 3 cuts the supplied drug packaging strip 26 to prepare individual drug packages 25, and transports the prepared drug packages 25 to the packet standby section. Then, the drug packages 25 are transported from the packet standby section to below the pickup device 58 by a robot arm or conveyor. In this case, the drug packaging strip 26 supplied to the drug setting device 3 is preferably a single patient's worth of bandages 30. That is, the production of the individual medicine packages 25 by cutting may be performed by any device (any equipment) belonging to the medicine set system 1.

[0140] Here, in addition to the drug packaging 25 described above, the drug storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80 may contain drug packaging (or drug containers) with shapes that are difficult to handle with the device, or drug packaging containing drugs that are preferably handled by hand. In such a case, in a multiple target setting operation, no drug packaging may be set in the drug storage section 82 in which such drug packaging (or drug container) should be set, and only those drug packaging that can be set by the drug setting device 3 may be set among the drug packaging to be set.

[0141] That is, the multiple target setting operation described above is an operation of setting all the medicine packages 25 to be set in each of the multiple medication calendars 80, but the present invention is not limited to this. The multiple target setting operation may be an operation of setting only a part (only those that can be set by the medicine setting device 3) of all the medicine packages 25 to be set in each of the multiple medication calendars 80. In such a case, after the multiple target setting operation is completed, an operation of manually setting the medicine packages on appropriate ones of the multiple medication calendars 80 taken out from the medicine setting device 3 may be performed.

[0142] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which information to be displayed on the electronic paper 83 is acquired or created based on prescription data, and the created information is displayed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each medicine package 25 may be provided with an information display such as a code capable of acquiring information about itself, and the medicine setting device 3 may be provided with an information acquisition means for reading information from the code, and the information acquired from the medicine package 25 may be displayed on the electronic paper 83. Furthermore, the information acquired from the medicine package 25 and information that can be acquired or created from information based on prescription data may be displayed on the electronic paper 83. Similarly, characters printed on medicine packaging 25 may be read (character analysis) and the read characters or information that can be obtained or created from information based on the read characters and prescription data may be displayed on electronic paper 83.

[0143] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the α-th row set operation was performed as the partial set operation, and the α-th row set operation was performed in order from the upper row of the medication calendar 80. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The partial set operation may be performed, for example, on a predetermined column. That is, it is sufficient that a predetermined part of all the medicine containers 82 of the medication calendar 80 is the target of the operation. In addition, the α-th row set operation may be performed in order from the lower row. That is, when a plurality of partial set operations are performed on one medication calendar 80, the order of the parts (part of the medicine containers 82) to be operated in each of the first to nth set operations may be changed as appropriate. For example, the α-th row set operation may be performed by performing the fifth row set operation and then performing the second row set operation.

[0144] In the above embodiment, the medicine dispensing device 2 is a tablet packaging machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the medicine dispensing device 2 may be a powder medicine packaging machine that packages powder medicine into packaging paper for each dose based on prescription data. This powder medicine packaging machine may be capable of performing a dispensing operation with automatic supply and a dispensing operation with manual supply, similar to the above-mentioned tablet packaging machine. In the dispensing operation with automatic supply, a weighing operation may be performed to weigh the powder medicine.

[0145] Next, a medicine setting device 201 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, the same parts as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted.

[0146] The medicine setting device 201 of this embodiment has a medicine bag supplying device 202, a main body device 203, and a display device 4. The main body device 203 has a structure substantially identical to that of the medicine setting device 3 in the above-mentioned embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In other words, the medicine setting device 201 of this embodiment is formed by integrating the medicine setting device 3 and the medicine bag supplying device 202 described above. The medicine package supplying device 202 also has a control unit (not shown) equipped with a calculation unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit, and is capable of transmitting and receiving various signals and various information between external devices (such as a host control device (not shown), a dispensing device such as a medicine packaging machine, and an external PC (not shown)). Also, various information can be stored.

[0147] Medicine bag supplying device 202 has a housing 236 provided with a plurality (four) of drawer groups 220 (packaging supply unit groups) consisting of first drawer group 220a to fourth drawer group 220d. Each of the multiple drawer groups 220 has multiple drawer sections 222 (medicine packaging supply sections), and in this embodiment has two drawer sections 222 consisting of a first drawer section 222a and a second drawer section 222b. At this time, the multiple drawer groups 220 are formed at positions offset from each other in the horizontal direction.

[0148] As shown in FIG. 28, the medicine bag supplying device 202 has therein a supply side package transport means 225 for transporting the medicine packages 25 from each of the drawers 222 to the inter-device package transport means 263 below.

[0149] Here, the medicine setting device 201 of this embodiment has a package transport means for transporting the medicine package 25 from the preparation position (prepared position) to the medicine storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80. This package transport means is composed of a supply side package transport means 225, an inter-device package transport means 263, and an in-device transport means 50.

[0150] The supply side package conveying means 225 has a plurality (four) of individual conveying means 226 (upstream conveying sections) consisting of a first individual conveying means 226a to a fourth individual conveying means 226d (see FIG. 29(a)). Each individual conveying means 226 has a hand section capable of clamping a drug package 25, a front-rear movement mechanism (e.g., an extension mechanism of an arm section, etc.) for moving the hand section in the front-rear direction (front-rear direction), and a belt-type lifting device for lifting and lowering the hand section and the front-rear movement mechanism.

[0151] The individual conveying means 226 are each associated with a different drawer group 220 in a one-to-one relationship. Specifically, the first individual conveying means 226a is associated with the first drawer group 220a, and similarly, the second individual conveying means 226b to the fourth individual conveying means 226d are each associated with the second drawer group 220b to the fourth drawer group 220d, respectively. Each individual conveying means 226 conveys the drug package 25 produced in the drawer section 222 belonging to the associated drawer group 220 to the inter-apparatus packet conveying means 263.

[0152] For example, first individual conveying means 226a is a device that conveys drug packages 25 from one of drawers 222 (first drawer 222a, second drawer 222b) belonging to first drawer group 220a to inter-apparatus package conveying means 263. Similarly, second individual conveying means 226b to fourth individual conveying means 226d convey drug packages 25 from one of two drawers 222 belonging to second drawer group 220b to fourth drawer group 220d, respectively.

[0153] The inter-apparatus package transport means 263 is substantially the same as the inter-apparatus package transport means 63 described above, and is capable of transporting the drug package 25 in an upright position. The inter-apparatus package transport means 263 of this embodiment differs from the above embodiment in the structure of the upper conveyor section (detailed illustration omitted), and a second-side conveyor section (not shown) is provided instead of the roller train section 67b (see FIG. 6). The second-side conveyor section has two pulleys that rotate on a vertical axis, and a belt member. That is, the drug package 25 is sandwiched between the one-side conveyor section 67a and the second-side conveyor section.

[0154] As shown in FIG. 30, the pull-out section 222 has therein a wrapping band attachment section 230, a wrapping body gripping section 231, a tension pulley section 232, and a wrapping body cutting device 233 (cutting means).

[0155] The wrapping band attachment section 230 is a section for attaching the medicine wrapping band 26 (see FIG. 4) wound in a roll, and has a core. Packet gripping portion 231 is a portion that grips a portion of the unwound medicine packaging strip 26, and has two rollers that rotate on a vertical axis. That is, the two rollers pinch and grip a portion of medicine packaging strip 26.

[0156] Here, at least one of the core of the packing band attachment unit 230 and the two rollers of the package gripping unit 231 can be rotated by the power of a motor or the like (not shown). That is, the pull-out unit 222 has a pay-out mechanism for automatically paying out and feeding the medicine packing band 26.

[0157] The tension pulley portion 232 is a roller that rotates on a vertical axis, and is a roller that is applied to the unwound medicine packaging strip 26 so as to apply a certain tension to the unwound medicine packaging strip 26.

[0158] The packaging body cutting device 233 has a main body section 233a equipped with a cutter (cutting blade) capable of cutting the medicine packaging band 26 (medicine packaging paper), and a sensor section 233b that detects the cutting position of the medicine packaging band 26. In other words, the packaging body cutting device 233 is a device that performs a packaging band cutting operation to cut the medicine packaging band 26, thereby forming one medicine package 25.

[0159] That is, each of the drawers 222 can be switched between a state in which it is drawn out from the main body (housing 236) of the medicine package supplying device 202 and a state in which it is pushed in, and in the drawn-out state, medicine packaging strip 26 can be attached. Also, each of the drawers 222 can perform a packaging strip cutting operation for cutting medicine packaging strip 26 to create one medicine package 25.

[0160] The wrapping strip cutting operation may be an operation of gripping a part of the medicine wrapping strip 26 with a hand part of the individual conveying means 226 and cutting the medicine wrapping strip 26 with the wrapping cutter 233. In this case, the individual conveying means 226 conveys one (single packet) of medicine packages 25 formed by the gripped part as is. Furthermore, for the wrapping band cutting operation, a holding means (not shown) for holding one prepared drug package 25 may be provided downstream of the main body 233a of the wrapping body cutting device 233. In this case, one drug package 25 is produced by cutting, and the drug package 25 is made to wait by the holding means. Then, the individual conveying means 226 grasps the drug package 25 waiting by the holding means with a hand portion and conveys it downward.

[0161] Next, a procedure for forming a medication calendar group using the medicine set device 201 of this embodiment will be described. Note that a case where a medication calendar group similar to the above is formed will be described as an example.

[0162] First, the medicine bag supplying device 202 performs a medicine bag supplying operation of preparing medicine packages 25 and transporting them one by one toward the medicine setting device 201. At this time, prior to this medicine bag supplying operation, similar to the above, a plurality of medication calendars 80 are introduced into the main body device 203 by the cart 88. In addition, prior to the medicine bag supplying operation, medicine packaging bands 26 are set in the first drawer sections 222a belonging to each of the first drawer group 220a to the fourth drawer group 220d of the medicine bag supplying device 202.

[0163] Specifically, the first drawer section 222a of the first drawer group 220a is fitted with identical patient dressings 30 (see Figure 4) formed by a series of medication packages 25 each containing the medication prescribed for "Sato". That is, the same patient dressing 30 is formed by a series of drug packages 25 to be set in the drug storage section 82 located at the (1,1) component of the matrix in each drug calendar 80 (see FIG. 8) belonging to the drug calendar group. That is, the first drug package 25 belonging to the same patient dressing 30 is a drug package to be set in the drug storage section 82 located at the (1,1) component of the first drug calendar 80. The second drug package 25 is a drug package to be set in the drug storage section 82 located at the (1,1) component of the second drug calendar 80. Similarly, each drug package 25 is to be set in a different drug calendar 80, and each is to be set in the drug storage section 82 located at the (1,1) component of the drug calendar 80.

[0164] Similarly, the same patient dressings 30 to be attached to the first drawer section 222a of the second drawer group 220b are formed by connecting together drug packages 25 to be set in drug storage sections 82 located in the (1, 2) components of different medication calendars 80. In addition, the same patient dressings 30 to be attached to the first drawer section 222a of the third drawer group 220c are formed by connecting together drug packages 25 to be set in drug storage sections 82 located in the (1, 3) components of different medication calendars 80. The same patient dressings 30 to be attached to the first drawer section 222a of the fourth drawer group 220d are formed by connecting together drug packages 25 to be set in drug storage sections 82 located in the (1, 4) components of different medication calendars 80.

[0165] That is, the first drawer section 222a of each of the first drawer group 220a to the fourth drawer group 220d is fitted with a medicine packaging strip 26 including medicine packages 25 to be set in the first row setting operation. That is, each drawer group 220 is associated with a medicine storage section 82 in a different column of the medication calendar 80. Therefore, the four medicine packaging strips 26 fitted to the four drawer groups 220 at this time each include medicine packages 25 to be set in medicine storage sections 82 in different positions (columns) of the same row (first row).

[0166] The medicine packaging strip 26 to be attached to the drawer section 222 is prepared in advance by an external device (tablet packaging machine) or the like. When the medicine packaging strip 26 is attached to the drawer section 222, the medicine information display 33 (see FIG. 4) on the medicine packaging strip 26 is read by a reading device (not shown) equipped with a scanner or the like. This executes a supply section identification operation for identifying the drawer section 222 to which the medicine packaging strip 26 is to be attached. The reading device may be formed integrally with the medicine setting device 201, or may be a portable device capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the medicine setting device 201.

[0167] Specifically, the reading device reads the medicine information display 33 to obtain information from the medicine information display 33. Then, based on the obtained information and information such as prescription data stored in the control unit of the medicine setting device 201, the drawer unit 222 in which the medicine packaging strip 26 with the medicine information display 33 should be attached is specified. This completes the supply unit specifying operation.

[0168] Then, when the supply unit specifying operation is completed, a set guidance operation is executed to notify the user of the result of the supply unit specifying operation. The set guidance operation may be, for example, an operation of automatically shifting the specified drawer unit 222 to a state where it is drawn out toward the front (sliding it toward the front). Alternatively, it may be an operation of displaying a message such as "Please attach it to the drawer number XX" on the display device 4, encouraging the user to attach the medicine packaging strip 26 to the specified drawer unit 222, by attaching an ID or the like (unique number) to all the drawers 222 in advance. Furthermore, it may be an operation of outputting a similar message by voice or the like. Alternatively, it may be an operation of lighting or blinking the lamp member of the specified drawer unit 222, by providing a lamp member such as an LED to all the drawers 222. It may be an operation of executing a plurality of these operations.

[0169] In the medicine package supply operation, a first individual conveying operation is performed in which medicine packages 25 are prepared in first drawer section 222a of first drawer group 220a and conveyed by first individual conveying means 226a to inter-apparatus package conveying means 263. In parallel with this, a second individual conveying operation is performed in which medicine packages 25 are prepared in first drawer section 222a of second drawer group 220b and conveyed by second individual conveying means 226b to inter-apparatus package conveying means 263. Similarly, in parallel, a third individual conveying operation and a fourth individual conveying operation are performed in which medicine packages 25 are conveyed from drawer sections 222 belonging to the associated drawer group 220 by third individual conveying means 226c and fourth individual conveying means 226d.

[0170] 31, the lower end sides of the first individual conveying means 226a to the fourth individual conveying means 226d become standby positions for the medicine packages 25 on the medicine package supplying device 202 side. Similarly to the above-described embodiment, the lower end sides of the four pickup devices 58 become standby positions for the medicine packages 25 on the main device 203 side (first standby position to fourth standby position from the downstream side).

[0171] That is, when the first individual conveying operation is performed, the drug package 25 is introduced from the first individual conveying means 226a to the inter-apparatus packet conveying means 263, and is conveyed to the first waiting position. As in the above-mentioned embodiment, in this embodiment, the drug package 25 whose waiting position on the main body device 203 side is further downstream is conveyed preferentially. Therefore, for example, when the drug package 25 is conveyed to the lower end side by the second individual conveying operation before the first individual conveying operation, this drug package 25 is made to wait at the waiting position of the drug package 25 on the drug packet supplying device 202 side. Similarly, the second individual conveying operation, the third individual conveying operation, and the fourth individual conveying operation are performed, and then the drug package 25 is conveyed by the inter-apparatus packet conveying means 263, whereby the drug package 25 is conveyed to the second waiting position, the third waiting position, and the fourth waiting position on the main body device 203 side.

[0172] When all the medicine packages 25 to be transported have been transported to the lower end sides of the four pickup devices 58, the transport means 50 in the setting device performs an operation of transporting the medicine packages 25, similar to the embodiment described above. That is, one to four medicine packages 25 are transported from the standby position on the main device 203 side to the medicine storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80. Then, a first row setting operation is performed for the first medication calendar 80, similar to the embodiment described above.

[0173] Next, similarly to the above, an operation of conveying the medicine package 25 to be used in the first row set operation for the second medication calendar 80 is executed, and the first row set operation is executed for the second medication calendar 80. Similarly, as in the above embodiment, the first row set operation is executed one by one for all medication calendars 80 belonging to the medication calendar group.

[0174] At this time, while the first row set operation is being performed for one medication calendar 80, an operation is performed to prepare the medicine package 25 to be set in the first row set operation for the other medication calendar 80 to be performed later. Also, an operation is performed to transport the prepared medicine package 25 to a standby position on the main device 203 side. That is, the operation of setting the medicine package 25 on the medication calendar 80, the operation of preparing the medicine package 25, and the operation of transporting the medicine package 25 are performed in parallel.

[0175] When the first row setting operation is performed on the plurality of medication calendars 80 in this manner, a reservation setting process is performed in which the medicine packaging bands 26 are attached to the four second drawer sections 222b of the medicine bag supplying device 202.

[0176] In this step, a drug packaging band 26 including drug packages 25 to be set in the second row setting operation is attached to the second drawer section 222b of each of the first drawer group 220a to the fourth drawer group 220d. Specifically, the same patient dressing 30 attached to the second drawer section 222b of the first drawer group 220a is formed by connecting drug packages 25 to be set in the drug container section 82 located at the (2,1) component of the matrix in each medication calendar 80 belonging to the medication calendar group. Similarly, the same patient dressing 30 including drug packages 25 to be set in the drug container section 82 located at the (2,2) component of the medication calendar 80 is set in the second drawer section 222b of the second drawer group 220b.

[0177] In other words, the four medicine packaging strips 26 attached to the four second drawer sections 222b respectively include medicine packages 25 to be set in different columns of the same row (second row). At this time, the medicine packaging strips 26 including the medicine packages 25 to be set in the medicine containing sections 82 in the columns corresponding to the drawer group 220 to which the respective second drawer sections 222b belong are attached.

[0178] Then, when the first row set operation is completed for all the medication calendars 80 belonging to the medication calendar group, the second row set operation is executed one by one for the plurality of medication calendars 80 for which the first row set operation has already been completed.

[0179] At this time, in the medicine package supply operation, the first individual conveying operation to the fourth individual conveying operation convey the medicine packages 25 prepared in the second drawer sections 222b of the first drawer group 220a to the fourth drawer group 220d, respectively. That is, the medicine packages 25 are conveyed from the second drawer sections 222b to the inter-apparatus package conveying means 263 by each individual conveying operation. Then, in the same manner as described above, the medicine packages 25 are supplied to the main body device 203. In other words, in the operation of performing a second row set operation on the medication calendar 80, the drawer section 222 that produces the medication packaging 25 and is the source of the medication packaging 25 is different from the operation of performing a first row set operation on each medication calendar 80.

[0180] Then, when the second row setting operation is performed on the plurality of medication calendars 80, a reservation setting process is performed in which medicine packaging strips 26 are attached to the four first drawer sections 222a of the medicine bag supplying device 202. This reservation setting process is an operation of setting the medicine packaging strip 26, which includes the medicine packages 25 to be set in the third row setting operation, in each of the first drawer sections 222a.

[0181] That is, the reserved setting process is a process of attaching a medicine packaging strip 26 to either one of the four first drawer sections 222a and the four second drawer sections 222b that were not used in the previous (currently being executed) αth row setting operation. At this time, a medicine packaging strip 26 including a series of medicine packages 25 to be set in the following αth row setting operation is attached to each drawer section 222. The medicine packaging strip 26 attached to each drawer section 222 includes medicine packages 25 to be stored in the medicine storage section 82 located in the row corresponding to that drawer section.

[0182] By repeating the above operations and steps, all of the medicine packages 25 to be set are set in each of all of the medication calendars 80. That is, a medication calendar group is formed.

[0183] In the above embodiment, the medicine package supplying device 202 is located on the right side of the medicine setting device 201 (see FIG. 28), but the present invention is not limited to this and may be located on the left side of the medicine setting device 201. In the above embodiment, the medicine packaging strip 26 is unwound to the left, but as shown in FIG. 32, it may be unwound to the right. In this case, the medicine packaging strip 26 may be wound clockwise (see FIG. 32(a)) or counterclockwise (see FIG. 32(b)). It may be wound counterclockwise when the medicine bag supplying device 202 is positioned to the right of the medicine setting device 201, and may be wound clockwise when the medicine bag supplying device 202 is positioned to the left. In either case, it is preferable to wind the medicine packaging strip 26 so that the printed portion is positioned in front of the pull-out section, as shown in FIG. 32.

[0184] In the above embodiment, the header portion 28 is provided on the drug packaging strip 26, but the drug packaging strip 26 does not necessarily have to be provided with the header portion 28. In this case, the above-mentioned code may be attached to each drug package 25 belonging to the drug packaging strip 26. Then, the code or characters may be read from the drug package 25, and the supply unit identification operation may be performed based on the read information. Furthermore, in addition to the header portion 28, the above-mentioned drug information display 33 may be attached to any part of the produced drug packaging strip 26.

[0185] In the above embodiment, the example in which the medication calendar 80 is used as the medicine setting tool is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the medicine setting tool may be a medicine distribution tray 380 (medicine setting tool) shown in FIG.

[0186] The medication tray 380 is a container with an open top, and the inner space is divided into 28 small spaces 382 (medicine storage sections) by partition members 380a, and each small space 382 is a place (portion) for setting a medicine package 25. In this medication tray 380, the multiple small spaces 382 are distributed in a matrix shape in a plan view.

[0187] The medication distribution tray 380 may store a plurality of medication packages 25 each containing medications prescribed to different patients with the same dosing time, similar to the medication calendar 80 described above. It may also store a plurality of medication packages 25 each containing medications prescribed to a single patient with different dosing times. Furthermore, each row of the plurality of small spaces 382 may be assigned to a different patient, and each column may be assigned to a different dosing time. That is, the medication tray 380 is used to set one or more drug packages 25 to be set in each small space 382, ​​similar to the medication calendar 80 described above.

[0188] Next, the medicine setting system 1 for setting the medicine packages 25 on such a medicine distribution tray 380 will be described in detail below.

[0189] A medicine setting system 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a medicine dispensing device 2 and a medicine setting device 303, as shown in FIG. The medicine setting device 303 includes a setting tool supplying device 310 , a setting tool storage device 311 , a medicine setting section 312 , a transport conveyor 313 , and a tray receiving device 314 .

[0190] The set tool supplying device 310 is a device capable of holding a plurality of medication trays 380 in a vertically stacked state, and is a device capable of supplying the medication trays 380 one by one to the set tool storage device 311. The left interior of the setting tool storage device 311 is a first setting tool storage section 311a, and the right interior is a second setting tool storage section 311b. The transport conveyor 313 transports the medicine distribution tray 380 on which all the medicine packages 25 to be set are set from the second setting tool storage section 311b to the tray receiving device 314. The tray receiving device 314 is a device that can hold a plurality of medicine distribution trays 380 on which medicine packages 25 are set, stacked vertically, and can remove the medicine distribution trays 380.

[0191] In this medicine setting system 301, the medicine packages 25 are supplied from the medicine dispensing device 2 to the medicine setting section 312. Meanwhile, the medicine distribution tray 380 is supplied from the first setting tool storage section 311a to the medicine setting section 312. Then, a partial setting operation is performed to set only a part of the medicine packages 25 that need to be set on the medicine distribution tray 380. Then, the medicine distribution tray 380 on which the medicine packages 25 are set is transported to the second setting tool storage section 311b. That is, the medicine setting system 301 has a transport device that transports the medicine packages 25 from the medicine dispensing device 2 to the medicine setting section 312, a transport device (pickup device) that sets the medicine packages 25 on the medicine distribution tray 380, and a transport device that transports the medicine distribution tray 380 from the medicine dispensing device 2 to the second setting tool storage section 311b.

[0192] The first set tool storage section 311a and the second set tool storage section 311b are also devices capable of holding a plurality of medication trays 380 stacked vertically. A device for moving the medication trays 380 from the second set tool storage section 311b to the first set tool storage section 311a is provided near the upper end.

[0193] As described above, the drug setting system 301 of this embodiment, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, circulates multiple drug distribution trays 380 and performs a partial setting operation on each one, and by repeating this, it is possible to set the drug packaging 25 to be set in each of the multiple drug distribution trays 380.

[0194] That is, the medicine distribution trays 380 transported from the medicine setting section 312 to the second set tool storage section 311b are stacked so that the trays that have been partially set earlier are at the top. Then, of the stacked medicine distribution trays 380, the one located at the top is transported to the first set tool storage section 311a.

[0195] In the first set tool storage section 311a, the lowest one of the stacked medicine distribution trays 380 is supplied to the medicine setting section 312. Then, the medicine distribution trays 380 stacked on the medicine distribution trays 380 each move downward.

[0196] 35, in the above-mentioned medicine setting system 301, a medicine package supplying device 202 may be provided instead of the medicine dispensing device 2 to form a single medicine setting device 401. The above-mentioned medicine setting device 303 is the main device of this medicine setting device 401. [Explanation of symbols]

[0197] 1,301;medicine setting system, 2;medicine dispensing device, 3,201,303,401;medicine setting device, 19;cutting device (cutting means), 233;package cutting device (cutting means) 25;medicine packaging, 26;medicine packaging strip, 30;same-patient dressing, 80,80a,80b,100,101;medication calendar (medicine setting device), 82;medicine storage section, 380;medication tray (medicine setting device), 382;small space (medicine storage section)

Claims

[Claim 1] A medicine setting system including a medicine dispensing device that prepares and dispenses medicine packages in which medicines are packaged, and a medicine setting device that sets the medicine packages in a medicine setting tool, a package transport means for transporting the drug package from the drug dispensing device to the drug setting device; The medicine package that has been prepared and dispensed is transported to the medicine setting device and is then set in the medicine setting tool. The medicine setting tool is a container with an open top, and the inner space is divided into medicine containers, and a medicine package containing medicine corresponding to a patient and a dosing time can be set in each medicine container by a medicine setting device. The medicine setting system is as follows: A drug set system that performs the following operations in parallel: (1) The operation of preparing medicine packages by the medicine dispensing device. (2) Transport of pharmaceutical packages by package transport means. (3) Setting of the medicine packaging into the medicine setting tool by the medicine setting device.

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