Medicine put-out device

Abstract

To provide a medicine put-out device capable of further facilitating folding operation, and further suppressing occurrence of a trouble.SOLUTION: A medicine put-out device 1 for packaging a medicine is provided inside with a container storage device 23 for storing a plurality of powder storage containers 4, and is further provided with a container movement device 28 for moving the powder storage container 4. A prescribed powder storage container 4 is taken out from the container storage device 23 and placed on a container holding stand 36, to thereby enable folding operation. Further, a display device 3 is provided, and information on powder stored in the powder storage containers 4 stored at present in the container storage device 23 is displayed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medicine dispensing device, and more particularly to a medicine dispensing device that dispenses powdered medicine. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, large hospitals and pharmacies have been introducing medicine dispensing machines with powder medicine packaging functions. These medicine dispensing machines are capable of packaging individual doses of powder medicine based on prescription information, automating most of the powder medicine packaging work that was previously performed.

[0003] Such a medicine dispensing device is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. The medicine dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a powder medicine packaging device that packages powder medicine individually for each dose.

[0004] More specifically, in this powdered medicine packaging device, before carrying out a packaging operation in which powdered medicine is individually packaged for each dose, the powdered medicine to be used in the packaging operation needs to be placed in an input hopper. The amount of powdered medicine required for the packaging operation is fed into the feeding hopper, but this required amount is measured out manually by the device user, such as a pharmacist. That is, the user takes the medicine bottle containing the prescribed powdered medicine from the medicine shelf, measures out the required amount using a scale such as a balance, and feeds it into the feeding hopper.

[0005] As soon as powdered medicine is poured into the feeding hopper, the trough is vibrated and the distribution tray is rotated. As a result, the powdered medicine fed into the feeding hopper falls from the bottom opening of the feeding hopper into the trough. As the medicine moves along the trough toward the tip, the flow of the medicine becomes laminar. In other words, the distribution of the medicine in the cross section perpendicular to the flow becomes constant, and the distance the medicine travels per unit time also becomes constant.

[0006] This allows the powdered medicine to be dispersed evenly and move slowly toward the tip at a constant speed. The powdered medicine moving at the front falls from the tip of the trough into the distribution tray. The powdered medicine that follows also falls into the distribution tray at a constant rate per time. As mentioned above, the distribution tray rotates at a predetermined speed. Therefore, the powdered medicine falling from the trough onto the distribution tray is evenly dispersed on the distribution tray. In other words, the powdered medicine falls onto the distribution tray little by little, and since the distribution tray rotates at a constant speed, the powdered medicine is evenly dispersed on the distribution tray.

[0007] Once the powdered medicine has finished falling onto the distribution tray, the rotation of the distribution tray is temporarily stopped. Then, the scraping device is brought into contact with the top surface of the distribution tray, and the distribution tray is rotated an angle corresponding to the number of divisions. For example, if the medicine is to be divided into three packets, the distribution tray is rotated 120 degrees (one-third of 360 degrees). This operation causes one packet of powdered medicine to gather around the scraping device, and the collected packet of powdered medicine is then placed into the packaging hopper by the scraping device. The powdered medicine that has fallen from the packaging hopper is then packaged by the packaging device, completing the packaging operation. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-85703 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, with the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the work of measuring out the amount of powder medicine to be used must always be performed manually, which is troublesome. Therefore, there has been a desire to automate the packaging process and various related tasks.

[0010] However, if there is an error in the tasks of identifying a container containing a specific drug from a shelf, weighing it, and dispensing it, there is a risk that a patient may take a different drug than intended or the wrong amount of drug. Such cases could be life-threatening, so care must be taken when automating these tasks.

[0011] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a medicine dispensing device that enables further simplification of packaging operations and further suppresses the occurrence of malfunctions. The present invention also provides a medicine dispensing device that performs a packaging verification operation to verify whether a packaging operation performed in the past was performed correctly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] One aspect of the present invention developed to solve the above-mentioned problems is a medicine dispensing device comprising a powder medicine storage container, a container mounting device, a distribution tray, an operation display unit combining a display device and an input device, a control unit, and a medicine packaging device, wherein the medicine dispensing device performs a packaging operation by operating the operation display unit to mount the powder medicine storage container on the container mounting device, discharge the powder medicine from the mounted powder medicine storage container onto the distribution tray, divide the powder medicine into a predetermined number of pieces, and individually package and discharge the divided powder medicines in the medicine packaging device, and the control unit stores a prescription history including information on packaging operations performed in the past. This drug dispensing device displays a history list screen on the operation display unit and performs a packaging verification operation to verify whether packaging operations performed in the past were performed correctly.The prescription history list screen has a condition input area and a prescription display area.When conditions specifying a prescription are input in the condition input area, the control unit displays a list of prescriptions that satisfy the input conditions in the prescription display area.When a specific prescription is selected from the list of prescriptions, the control unit displays a history screen on the operation display unit that shows specific content including information about the dispensing date of powdered medicine and the patient name for the selected prescription. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a medicine dispensing device that removes a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a powdered medicine storage container, divides the powdered medicine into a predetermined number of doses, and packages and discharges them in single doses. The medicine dispensing device has a distribution tray that distributes the powdered medicine discharged from the powdered medicine storage container, and a control device. Before discharging the powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container into the distribution tray, the control device determines whether the planned supply amount (unit: weight or mass) to be supplied to the distribution tray is less than a specified value Q1 (unit: weight or mass). If the control device determines that the planned supply amount is less than the specified value Q1, it makes a change to increase the number of days of the prescription for which the planned supply amount is prescribed, and supplies an amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q1 to the distribution tray. Based on the dose of powdered medicine prescribed by the doctor, the medicine dispensing device divides the supplied amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q1 into a predetermined number, and packages the powdered medicine into single doses. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a medicine dispensing device that removes a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a powdered medicine storage container, divides the powdered medicine into a predetermined number of doses, and packages and discharges them in single doses. The medicine dispensing device has a distribution tray that distributes the powdered medicine discharged from the powdered medicine storage container, and a control device. Before discharging the powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container into the distribution tray, the control device determines whether the planned amount to be supplied to the distribution tray (units: weight or mass) is less than a specified value Q1 (units: weight or mass). If the control device determines that the planned amount to be supplied is less than the specified value Q1, it makes a change to increase the number of doses per day or per administration for the prescribed prescription by the planned amount, and supplies an amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q1 to the distribution tray. Based on the dose of powdered medicine prescribed by the doctor, the medicine dispensing device divides the supplied amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q1 into a predetermined number, and packages the powdered medicine into single doses. In a preferred embodiment, the control device determines whether the planned amount of powdered medicine to be supplied to the distribution tray is less than a specified value Q1 before discharging the powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container into the distribution tray, and if an amount of powdered medicine greater than or equal to the specified value Q1 has been supplied to the distribution tray, notifies the user that an amount of powdered medicine greater than or equal to the specified value Q1 has been supplied to the distribution tray, or if an amount of powdered medicine greater than or equal to the specified value Q1 has been supplied to the distribution tray, notifies the user that an amount of powdered medicine greater than or equal to the specified value Q1 has been supplied to the distribution tray. An even more preferred embodiment is a medicine dispensing device that further has a printing means, a journal printer, and an operation display unit, and the operation of notifying the user is an operation of printing a message urging disposal on the excess portion of the medicine bag output from the printing means by the printing means, an operation of printing a message urging disposal on paper media output from the journal printer by the journal printer, or an operation of displaying a predetermined message on the operation display unit. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a medicine dispensing device that removes a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a powdered medicine storage container, divides the powdered medicine into a predetermined number of pieces, and packages and discharges them in single doses. The medicine dispensing device has a distribution tray that distributes the powdered medicine discharged from the powdered medicine storage container and a control device. The control device calculates a specified value Q2 based on the bulk specific gravity of the type of powdered medicine to be supplied to the distribution tray, and before discharging the powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container to the distribution tray, determines whether the planned amount to be supplied to the distribution tray (units: weight or mass) is less than the specified value Q2 (units: weight or mass). If it determines that the planned amount to be supplied is less than the specified value Q2, it makes a change to increase the number of days of the prescription for which the planned amount is prescribed, and supplies an amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q2 to the distribution tray. The medicine dispensing device divides the supplied amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q2 into a predetermined number based on the dose of powdered medicine prescribed by the doctor, and packages the powdered medicine into single doses. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a medicine dispensing device that removes a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a powdered medicine storage container, divides the powdered medicine into a predetermined number of doses, and packages and discharges them in single doses. The medicine dispensing device has a distribution tray that distributes the powdered medicine discharged from the powdered medicine storage container and a control device. The control device calculates a specified value Q2 based on the bulk specific gravity of the type of powdered medicine to be supplied to the distribution tray, and before discharging the powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container to the distribution tray, determines whether the planned amount to be supplied to the distribution tray (units: weight or mass) is less than the specified value Q2 (units: weight or mass). If it determines that the planned amount to be supplied is less than the specified value Q2, it makes a change to increase the number of doses per day or per administration for the prescribed prescription, and supplies an amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q2 to the distribution tray. The medicine dispensing device divides the supplied amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q2 into a predetermined number based on the dose of powdered medicine prescribed by the doctor, and packages the powdered medicine into single doses. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above problems, is a method of dispensing powdered medicine using a medicine dispensing device that removes a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a powdered medicine storage container, divides the powdered medicine into a predetermined number of doses, and packages and dispenses them in single doses. The medicine dispensing device has a distribution tray that distributes the powdered medicine discharged from the powdered medicine storage container, and before dispensing the powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container to the distribution tray, it determines whether the planned supply amount (unit: weight or mass) to be supplied to the distribution tray is less than a specified value Q1 (unit: weight or mass).If it determines that the planned supply amount is less than the specified value Q1, it makes a change to increase the number of days of the prescription for which the planned supply amount is prescribed, and supplies an amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q1 to the distribution tray, and divides the supplied amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q1 into a predetermined number based on the dose of powdered medicine prescribed by the doctor, and packages the powdered medicine into single doses. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a method of dispensing powdered medicine using a medicine dispensing device that removes a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a powdered medicine storage container, divides the powdered medicine into a predetermined number of doses, and packages and dispenses them in single doses. The medicine dispensing device has a distribution tray that distributes the powdered medicine discharged from the powdered medicine storage container, and before dispensing the powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container to the distribution tray, it determines whether the planned amount to be supplied (unit: weight or mass) to the distribution tray is less than a specified value Q1 (unit: weight or mass).If it determines that the planned amount to be supplied is less than the specified value Q1, it makes a change to increase the number of doses per day or per dose of the prescribed prescription, and supplies an amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q1 to the distribution tray, and divides the supplied amount of powdered medicine equal to or greater than the specified value Q1 into a predetermined number based on the dose of powdered medicine prescribed by the doctor, and packages the powdered medicine into single doses. Another aspect of the present invention, which has been developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a medicine dispensing device that takes out a predetermined amount of powder medicine from a powder medicine storage container, divides it into a predetermined number of pieces, and then packages and discharges them individually, wherein the powder medicine storage container stores powder medicine and has a discharge outlet portion that serves as a discharge outlet for discharging the stored powder medicine, and is provided therein with a medicine container arrangement area, a medicine division area, and a medicine packaging area, the medicine container arrangement area is provided with a container storage device for storing a plurality of the powder medicine storage containers, and the medicine division area is provided with a distribution tray that distributes the powder medicine discharged from the powder medicine storage container, and a medicine dispenser that dispenses powder medicine put into the distribution tray. The drug dispensing device is provided with a scraping device for scraping out powdered medicine, and a drug packaging device is provided in the drug packaging area, and the scraping device is able to scrape out the powdered medicine from the distribution tray and drop it into the drug packaging area, and the drug packaging device is able to perform a packaging operation to package the powdered medicine.The drug dispensing device has a display device for displaying various information, and is capable of displaying on the display device a display switching means that can switch between information about the powdered medicine contained in the powdered medicine storage container currently stored in the container storage device and information about the powdered medicine contained in the powdered medicine storage container stored on an external management shelf. In a preferred embodiment, the drug dispensing device is provided with an operating device for performing various input operations, the operating device being a touch panel type that is integrated with the display device, and the display device is capable of displaying a speed control screen for controlling the discharge speed of powdered medicine into the distribution tray, the speed control screen displaying a circular operation image, and when a motion of touching the area where the operation image is displayed and tracing in a circumferential direction is detected, the drug dispensing device determines a target discharge speed according to the tracing direction and tracing distance, and performs a powdered medicine discharge operation so as to achieve the determined discharge speed. In a further preferred embodiment, the speed control screen further displays a speed display image that displays a value indicating the current target discharge speed, and the speed display image is temporarily displayed outside the operation image when the target discharge speed has changed. In a further preferred embodiment, a container mounting device is provided that discharges powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container, and the speed control screen can further display an observation image, which is a moving image of the discharge outlet portion of the powdered medicine storage container placed on the container mounting device and its surroundings, when the powdered medicine storage container is placed on the container mounting device, and while the distribution tray is rotating, the observation image showing the current state of the discharge outlet portion and its surroundings and the operation image are displayed simultaneously on one screen. In a further preferred embodiment, the medicine dispensing device changes the display color of the operation image in accordance with a change in the target discharge speed. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a medicine dispensing device that takes out a predetermined amount of powder medicine from a powder medicine storage container, divides it into a predetermined number of pieces, and further packages and discharges them individually, wherein the powder medicine storage container stores powder medicine and has a discharge outlet portion that serves as a discharge outlet for discharging the stored powder medicine, and is provided inside with a medicine container arrangement area, a medicine dividing area, and a medicine packaging area, and the medicine container arrangement area is provided with a container storage device for storing a plurality of the powder medicine storage containers, and the medicine dividing area is provided with a distribution tray that distributes the powder medicine discharged from the powder medicine storage containers and a scraping device for scraping out the powder medicine put into the distribution tray, and the medicine packaging area is provided with a medicine packaging device, and the scraping device scrapes out the powder medicine from the distribution tray and drops it into the medicine packaging area, This medicine dispensing device is capable of performing a packaging operation to package powdered medicine, has a display device for displaying various information, and is capable of displaying information on the display device regarding the powdered medicine contained in the powdered medicine storage container currently stored in the container storage device.It is also equipped with an operating device for performing various input operations, the operating device being a touch panel type integrated with the display device, and the display device being capable of displaying a speed control screen for controlling the discharge speed of the powdered medicine into the distribution tray.The speed control screen displays a circular operation image, and when a motion of touching the area where the operation image is displayed and tracing in a circumferential direction is detected, the device determines a target discharge speed depending on the tracing direction and tracing distance, and performs the discharge operation of the powdered medicine to achieve the determined discharge speed. In a preferred aspect, the speed control screen further displays a speed display image that displays a value indicating the current target discharge speed, and the speed display image is temporarily displayed outside the operation image when the target discharge speed has changed. In a further preferred embodiment, a container mounting device is provided that discharges powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container, and the speed control screen can further display an observation image, which is a moving image of the discharge outlet portion of the powdered medicine storage container placed on the container mounting device and its surroundings, when the powdered medicine storage container is placed on the container mounting device, and while the distribution tray is rotating, the observation image showing the current state of the discharge outlet portion and its surroundings and the operation image are displayed simultaneously on one screen. In a further preferred embodiment, the medicine dispensing device changes the display color of the operation image in accordance with a change in the target discharge speed. Another aspect of the present invention, developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, is a medicine dispensing device that takes out a predetermined amount of powdered medicine from a powdered medicine storage container, divides it into a predetermined number of pieces, and then packages and discharges them individually, the device comprising: a distribution tray that distributes the powdered medicine discharged from the powdered medicine storage container; and a scraping device for scraping out the powdered medicine put into the distribution tray, the scraping device comprising an arm member whose tip side moves up and down, a scraping plate provided at the tip of the arm member, and a scraping-out plate protruding from the scraping plate, the distribution tray having a continuous annular groove portion, and in the packaging operation, the scraping plate is inserted into the groove portion of the distribution tray and the scraping plate and the distribution tray are moved relative to each other to perform a scraping operation of scraping the powdered medicine on the distribution tray near the scraping plate, and a scraping-out operation of scraping the powdered medicine scraped near the scraping plate out of the distribution tray by the scraping-out plate. The medicine dispensing device is further capable of performing an operation consisting of the scraping action and the scraping action multiple times to divide the powdered medicine on the distribution tray into packets each and scrape them out of the distribution tray, and in this operation, the distance of the relative movement in the scraping action targeting one packet of powdered medicine is variable depending on the number of divisions of the powdered medicine, and depending on the distance of the relative movement in the scraping action targeting one packet of powdered medicine, it is possible to perform either a single scraping action in which one packet of powdered medicine is scraped out by a single scraping action and scraping action, or a multiple scraping action in which one packet of powdered medicine is scraped out by a multiple scraping action and scraping action, and when the multiple scraping actions are performed, the distance of the relative movement in the scraping action performed first is longer than the distance of the relative movement in the scraping action performed last. In this aspect, the multiple scraping operations can include a maximum amount scraping operation accompanied by a scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed by a predetermined maximum movement amount, and a minimum amount scraping operation accompanied by a scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed by a predetermined minimum movement amount.It is preferable to perform at least one maximum amount scraping operation, and to perform the scraping operation and the scraping operation with a movement amount smaller than the movement distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation performed in the maximum amount scraping operation, provided that the value obtained by subtracting the movement distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation performed in the maximum amount scraping operation from the movement distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation targeting one packet of powdered medicine is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and further perform the minimum amount scraping operation. In this aspect, the relative movement is achieved by rotating the distribution plate while the scraper plate is inserted into the groove-shaped portion of the distribution plate, and it is preferable that the rotation angle of the distribution plate is calculated from the pulse amount of the motor that rotates the distribution plate. This aspect is capable of performing a maximum amount scraping operation accompanied by a scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed with a predetermined maximum movement amount, and it is preferable that the multiple scraping operation is performed when the distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation aimed at one packet of powdered medicine is greater than the distance of the relative movement in the maximum amount scraping operation, and that the single scraping operation is performed when the distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation aimed at one packet of powdered medicine is less than or equal to the distance of the relative movement in the maximum amount scraping operation. This aspect makes it possible to perform a minimum amount scraping operation accompanied by a scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed with a predetermined minimum movement amount, and it is preferable that the minimum amount scraping operation is an operation in which the distribution plate is rotated a distance equal to the width of the scraping plate while the scraping plate is inserted into the groove-shaped portion of the distribution plate. In this aspect, a minimum amount scraping operation accompanied by a scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed by a predetermined minimum movement amount can be performed, and the multiple scraping operations are an operation in which a maximum amount scraping operation accompanied by a scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed by a predetermined maximum movement amount, and a residual scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed by a movement amount smaller than the maximum amount scraping operation, and the multiple scraping operations include an operation of calculating the number of times the maximum amount scraping operation is performed, and calculating the relative movement in the residual scraping operation based on the number of times the maximum amount scraping operation is performed. An operation is performed to calculate the amount of relative movement in the residual scraping operation, and if the amount of relative movement in the residual scraping operation is more than twice the amount of relative movement in the minimum amount scraping operation, two residual scraping operations are performed, and if the amount of relative movement in the residual scraping operation is less than twice the amount of relative movement in the minimum amount scraping operation, one residual scraping operation is performed, and if two residual scraping operations are performed, it is preferable that the second residual scraping operation be the minimum amount scraping operation. Another aspect related to the present invention is a medicine dispensing device that takes out a predetermined amount of powder medicine from a powder medicine storage container, divides it into a predetermined number of pieces, and then packages and discharges them individually, wherein the powder medicine storage container stores the powder medicine and has a discharge outlet portion that serves as a discharge port for discharging the stored powder medicine, and is provided inside with a medicine container arrangement area, a medicine dividing area, and a medicine packaging area, and the medicine container arrangement area is provided with a container storage device for storing a plurality of the powder medicine storage containers, and the medicine dividing area is provided with a distribution tray that distributes the powder medicine discharged from the powder medicine storage container, a scraping device that scrapes out the powder medicine put into the distribution tray, and a container mounting device on which the powder medicine storage container is placed and which acts on the powder medicine storage container to discharge the powder medicine from the powder medicine storage container, The medicine packaging area is provided with a medicine packaging device, and further provided is a container moving device for moving the powder medicine storage container, the container moving device is capable of performing the operation of removing a predetermined powder medicine storage container from the container storage device and placing it on the container loading device, discharging the powder medicine from the powder medicine storage container placed on the container loading device and depositing it into the distribution tray, scraping the powder medicine from the distribution tray using the scraping device and dropping it into the medicine packaging area, and the medicine packaging device is capable of performing a packaging operation to package the powder medicine, and has a display device for displaying various information, and is capable of displaying information about the powder medicine stored in the powder medicine storage container currently stored in the container storage device on the display device.

[0013] The medicine dispensing device of this aspect takes out a predetermined amount of powder medicine from a powder medicine storage container based on pre-entered prescription information, divides it into a predetermined number of pieces, and then packages and discharges it individually.It is capable of removing a predetermined powder medicine storage container from a container storage device and placing it on a container loading device, discharging the powder medicine from the powder medicine storage container placed on the container loading device and depositing it into a distribution tray, and dividing it on the distribution tray and then packaging it. That is, it is not necessary to measure out the amount of powder medicine to be used and pour it into a powder medicine container, which further simplifies the packaging operation. The medicine dispensing device of this aspect is also equipped with a display device that can display information about the powdered medicine contained in the powdered medicine container. This allows the user to perform various operations while checking detailed information about the medicine to be used, thereby preventing problems such as incorrect type or amount of medicine during various operations.

[0014] This aspect is provided with an operating device for performing various input operations, the operating device being a touch panel type that is integrated with the display device, and the display device being capable of displaying a speed control screen for controlling the discharge speed of the powdered medicine into the distribution tray, the speed control screen displaying a circular operation image, and when a motion of touching the area where the operation image is displayed and tracing in a circumferential direction is detected, it is preferable that the target discharge speed is determined according to the tracing direction and tracing distance, and the powdered medicine is discharged so as to achieve the determined discharge speed.

[0015] In this preferred aspect, the operating device for performing various input operations is integrated with the display device, eliminating the need to reserve a dedicated area for the operating device on the main body, etc., and improving design flexibility. In this preferred aspect, when a circular operating image is displayed, touching and tracing the area where the operating image is displayed in a circumferential direction changes the dispensing speed (supply speed) of the powdered medicine being dispensed (supplied) to the dispensing tray. This allows the touch panel type operating device to give the user a feeling of operation similar to that of a dial. This improves operability when changing the speed. The discharge rate (supply rate) of the powdered medicine is the amount discharged per unit time. That is, by performing the above-mentioned operations on the operation image, the discharge rate can be changed.

[0016] In this aspect, it is further preferable that the speed control screen further displays a speed display image that displays a value indicating the current target discharge speed, and that the speed display image is temporarily displayed outside the operation image on the condition that the target discharge speed has changed.

[0017] In this preferred aspect, when the powdered medicine discharge rate (supply rate) is changed on the rate control screen, a rate display image is temporarily displayed outside the operation image, allowing the user to reliably grasp the current discharge rate (supply rate). More specifically, when operating the operation image by touching it with a finger or the like, the finger or the like may overlap the display screen, making it difficult to see the portion displaying the discharge speed. Therefore, in this aspect, a speed display image is displayed outside the operation image, which is the portion that is touched by the finger or the like, so that the discharge speed can be confirmed at a glance even during an operation to change the speed. In other words, by making the discharge speed easily graspable, it is possible to easily change the discharge speed.

[0018] More preferably, the powdered medicine storage container has an outlet portion through which the powdered medicine is discharged, and the speed control screen can further display an observation image, which is a moving image of the outlet portion of the powdered medicine storage container placed on the container loading device and its surroundings, when the powdered medicine storage container is placed on the container loading device, and while the distribution tray is rotating, the observation image showing the current state of the outlet portion and its surroundings and the operation image are displayed simultaneously on one screen.

[0019] According to this aspect, the discharge speed (supply speed) of the powdered medicine can be changed while observing the state of the discharge port of the powdered medicine storage container and its surroundings during the packaging operation. In other words, since the discharge speed can be changed based on the actual situation, a more appropriate discharge operation (supply operation) can be performed.

[0020] More preferably, the display color of the operation image changes in accordance with the change in the target discharge speed.

[0021] This aspect makes it easier to understand the current discharge rate.

[0022] In this aspect, at the start of the packaging operation, a first history storage operation is performed to store information about the packaging operation to be performed, and at the completion of the packaging operation, a second history storage operation is performed to store information about the packaging operation that has been successfully completed.It is preferable that either the information stored in the first history storage operation or the information stored in the second history storage operation be selected, and the packaging operation be re-executed based on the selected information.

[0023] In this preferred aspect, at the start of the packaging operation, a first history storage operation is performed to store information about the packaging operation to be performed, and at the completion of the packaging operation, a second history storage operation is performed to store information about the packaging operation that was successfully completed. That is, in addition to the normal operation history obtained when the packaging operation is successfully completed, an operation history obtained at the start of the packaging operation is also obtained and stored. Then, the packaging operation can be re-executed based on each operation history. In other words, not only can a packaging operation that has been successfully completed be re-executed based on past information, but a packaging operation that has been attempted can also be re-executed based on past information. This means that even if the packaging operation is interrupted for some reason, if the reason is a minor one that can be quickly resolved, the problem can be quickly resolved and the operation can be restarted. Even if a problem occurs during the packaging operation, it can be restarted without the need for complicated input operations, making the packaging operation easier to perform.

[0024] In this aspect, theoretical values ​​of drug-related values ​​relating to the powdered medicine discharged from the powdered medicine storage container during the packaging operation can be input or calculated, actual measured values ​​of the drug-related values ​​can be obtained directly during the packaging operation or can be calculated from values ​​obtained directly during the packaging operation, and a printing operation can be performed to output various information to a printing medium, and it is preferable that the theoretical values ​​and the actual measured values ​​can be output during the printing operation.

[0025] In this preferred aspect, when the results of the packaging operation, etc., are output to a print medium, the theoretical values ​​and actual measured values ​​for each operation, such as the total amount of medicine used, can be printed on the same medium. This allows the user to easily compare the "theoretical values" and "actual measured values," and easily determine whether or not a packaging error occurred and the exact value of any packaging error that did occur. The user can then perform the next packaging operation based on this information, making it easy to perform a more accurate packaging operation.

[0026] More preferably, the print medium is a medicine bag for packaging powdered medicine, and the length of the medicine bag is changed depending on the content to be printed in the printing operation.

[0027] According to this preferred aspect, the length of the medicine envelope, which is the printing medium, can be changed depending on the amount of written content, making it possible to make the printed content easier to read. The medicine envelope is a envelope created based on prescription information, which includes information to identify the patient and information on how to use the prescribed medicine, such as when to take the medicine, the dosage, the number of times to take the medicine, and the interval between doses. In other words, the medicine bag in this aspect is individually made for a specific individual, and the basic bag length is determined based on prescription information. Furthermore, based on the prescription information, the bag is divided into a predetermined number of compartments as needed, and each compartment is filled with one dose of powdered medicine.

[0028] In this aspect, it is preferable that the speed at which powdered medicine is discharged into the distribution tray can be obtained, and that a graph showing changes in the discharge speed in accordance with the progress of the packaging operation performed in the past can be displayed.

[0029] In this preferred aspect, the discharge rate of the powdered medicine into the distribution tray can be acquired, and a graph showing the change in the discharge rate as the packaging operation performed in the past progresses can be displayed. This allows the user to not only detect whether the discharge of the powdered medicine is complete, but also to check whether the powdered medicine is supplied smoothly from the start to the end of the discharge. In other words, it is possible to check not only whether the discharge of the powdered medicine is complete, but also the status of the discharge process. Furthermore, by displaying the progress of the discharge speed in a graph, the user can more easily check the status of the discharge process.

[0030] This aspect is a moving image relating to the packaging operation carried out in the past, and is capable of displaying a past packaging image, which is a moving image of the distribution tray and the area around the distribution tray during the operation, and a graph showing the change in the amount of powdered medicine discharged into the distribution tray as the packaging operation carried out in the past progresses, or the change in the speed at which powdered medicine is discharged into the distribution tray as the operation progresses, and it is preferable that the past packaging image and the graph for the same packaging operation are displayed on the same screen.

[0031] In this preferred aspect, a moving image of a previously performed packaging operation and a graph showing the change in the amount of medicine supplied (or the change in the medicine supply speed) over time during that previously performed packaging operation can be displayed on the same screen. This allows the user to check the specific details of past packaging operations while checking the changes in the medicine supply amount and supply speed over time. For example, when the supply amount or supply speed suddenly changes, it becomes possible to grasp in detail what happened around the distribution tray. In this way, this preferable aspect makes it possible to verify the details of past packaging operations, and even if a malfunction occurs, it is easy to identify the cause. The user can perform the next packaging operation based on this information, making it easy to perform a more accurate packaging operation.

[0032] More preferably, a time display section is further displayed that shows the total time from the start time to the end time of the packaging operation displayed in the past packaging image and the time within the total time at which the past packaging image being displayed is.

[0033] In this more preferable aspect, it is easy to understand which point in time between the start time and the end time the currently displayed content of the past packing operation represents, i.e., it is easy to understand what happened at what point in time.

[0034] More preferably, when a past packing operation in which a problem occurred during its execution is the subject of the analysis, an error time display operation is performed in which the time at which the error occurred is highlighted on the graph.

[0035] In this more preferable aspect, by highlighting the time when the problem occurred, the user viewing the video of the past packaging operation can be encouraged to pay particular attention to the operations at and around the time when the problem occurred. In other words, this prevents the user from missing important details such as what happened at the moment when the problem occurred in the past packaging operation, what happened just before the problem occurred, and what happened after the problem occurred.

[0036] In this aspect, it is possible to calculate the inventory amount, which is the amount of powder medicine stored inside and outside the powder medicine storage container, and the reserved amount, which is the amount of powder medicine to be used in the packaging operation scheduled to be performed in the future, and a comparison operation is performed to compare the inventory amount with the reserved amount, and if the result of the comparison operation shows that there will be a shortage of powder medicine in the packaging operation to be performed in the future, it is preferable to perform an alarm operation to alert the user of the future shortage of powder medicine.

[0037] In this preferred aspect, the amount of medicine to be used in a future packaging operation is calculated and compared with the inventory amount. If the comparison reveals a future shortage of medicine, the user is notified of the future shortage of medicine. In other words, by making the user aware of the future shortage of medicine, it is possible to encourage the user to secure medicine in advance and prevent the packaging operation from being interrupted due to a shortage of medicine. This allows the packaging operation to be carried out smoothly.

[0038] More preferably, a packing progress screen can be displayed to display the progress of the packing operation currently being performed, and if the comparison operation shows that there will be a shortage of powdered medicine in the packing operation to be performed in the future, a first notification operation is performed to notify the user that there will be a shortage of powdered medicine, and the first notification operation is an operation to display a part of the packing progress screen in a more prominent manner than its surroundings, and by performing a specified operation on the part that is highlighted in the first notification operation, a weighing reservation notification screen is displayed, and the weighing reservation notification screen displays the shortage amount, which is the amount of powdered medicine that will be short in the packing operation to be performed in the future, and an operation is started to fill the specified powdered medicine storage container with the powdered medicine that will be short in the future, provided that a specified operation has been performed on the weighing reservation notification screen.

[0039] However, when powdered medicine is scraped out by the scraping device, there is a risk that the powdered medicine will adhere to the part of the scraping device that scrapes out the powdered medicine due to reasons such as the generation of static electricity. If powdered medicine adheres to the scraping device, the amount of powdered medicine scraped out may be less than the specified amount, and it may become impossible to package the correct amount of powdered medicine.

[0040] Therefore, in this aspect, the scraping device comprises an arm member whose tip side rises and falls, a scraping plate provided at the tip of the arm member, and a scraping plate protruding from the scraping plate, and the distribution plate has a continuous groove-shaped portion in a ring shape, and in the packaging operation, the scraping plate is inserted into the groove-shaped portion of the distribution plate and the scraping plate and the distribution plate are moved relative to each other to perform a scraping operation in which the powdered medicine on the distribution plate is scraped near the scraping plate, and the scraping plate is moved in a direction transverse to the circumferential direction of the groove-shaped portion while remaining in contact with the upper surface of the groove-shaped portion to perform a scraping operation in which the powdered medicine scraped near the scraping plate is scraped out of the distribution plate, and after performing the operation of scraping the powdered medicine out of the distribution plate, it is preferable that the scraping plate is moved in the opposite direction to when the scraping operation was performed while remaining in contact with the upper surface of the groove-shaped portion, and then moved in the same direction as the scraping operation.

[0041] In this preferred aspect, after performing the scraping operation to scrape the powdered medicine out of the distribution tray, the scraping plate of the scraping device is moved in the opposite direction to the scraping operation while remaining in contact with the upper surface of the groove-shaped portion of the distribution tray. This allows the powdered medicine adhering to the scraping plate to fall into the distribution tray. Then, by performing an operation to move the scraping plate in the same direction as the scraping operation, the powdered medicine that fell into the distribution tray can be scraped out. In other words, according to this preferred aspect, the powdered medicine adhering to the scraping plate can be scraped out after falling into the distribution tray, preventing a decrease in the amount of powdered medicine scraped out due to the powdered medicine adhering to the scraping plate.

[0042] In this aspect, the scraping device includes an arm member whose tip side moves up and down, a scraping plate provided at the tip of the arm member, and a scraping-out plate protruding from the scraping plate, and the distribution tray has a continuous groove portion in a ring shape, and in the packaging operation, the scraping plate is inserted into the groove portion of the distribution tray, and the scraping plate and the distribution tray are moved relative to each other to perform a scraping operation of scraping the powdered medicine on the distribution tray near the scraping plate, and a scraping-out operation of scraping the powdered medicine scraped near the scraping plate out of the distribution tray by the scraping-out plate, and further, an operation consisting of the scraping operation and the scraping-out operation is performed multiple times to divide the powdered medicine on the distribution tray into packets each and scrape them out of the distribution tray. It is possible to perform an operation of discharging powdered medicine, and in this operation, the distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation aimed at one packet of powdered medicine varies depending on the number of divisions of the powdered medicine. Depending on the distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation aimed at one packet of powdered medicine, it is possible to perform either a single scraping-out operation in which one packet of powdered medicine is scraped out by a single scraping operation and scraping-out operation, or a multiple scraping-out operation in which one packet of powdered medicine is scraped out by a multiple scraping operation and scraping-out operation. When the multiple scraping-out operation is performed, it is preferable that the distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation performed first is longer than the distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation performed last.

[0043] Here, when the scraper plate and the distribution plate are moved relative to each other to scrape the powdered medicine, if the distance of the relative movement is too long, the amount of powdered medicine gathered will increase, and the scraped powdered medicine may reach not only the periphery of the scraper plate but also positions far from the scraper plate. In this case, even if the scraping operation is performed, there is a possibility that the powdered medicine far from the scraper plate will not be scraped. This is undesirable from the perspective of packaging an accurate amount of powdered medicine, as the amount of powdered medicine scraped will be less than the specified amount.

[0044] Therefore, in the preferred aspect described above, multiple scraping operations are performed according to the distance of the relative movement, and one packet of powdered medicine is scraped out in multiple batches, making it possible to position the scraped powdered medicine only around the scraping plate. Furthermore, when scraping the powdered medicine for the final scraping operation, the distance of the relative movement is shorter than when scraping the powdered medicine for the preceding scraping operations. In other words, when scraping the powdered medicine for the final scraping operation, it is possible to more reliably position the powdered medicine only around the scraping plate. This prevents the powdered medicine from being collected far away from the scraping plate and being unable to be scraped out, making it possible to package the exact amount of powdered medicine.

[0045] More preferably, the multiple scraping operations can include a maximum amount scraping operation accompanied by a scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed by a predetermined maximum movement amount, and a minimum amount scraping operation accompanied by a scraping operation in which the relative movement is performed by a predetermined minimum movement amount, and at least one maximum amount scraping operation is performed, and the scraping operation and the scraping operation are performed with a movement amount smaller than the movement distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation performed in the maximum amount scraping operation, provided that the value obtained by subtracting the movement distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation performed in the maximum amount scraping operation from the movement distance of the relative movement in the scraping operation targeting one packet of powdered medicine is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and then the minimum amount scraping operation is performed. This preferred aspect allows for more reliable packaging of precise amounts of powdered medicine.

[0046] In this aspect, the powder medicine storage container has a lid member for opening and closing the discharge outlet formed in the discharge outlet portion, and the container moving device is provided with a lid engagement portion for opening and closing the lid member and a container holding portion capable of holding the powder medicine storage container in a tightly closed state, and it is preferable that the container holding portion performs a temporary closing operation to close the lid member at a position away from the powder medicine storage container, and then brings the container holding portion into contact with the powder medicine storage container and performs an operation to hold the powder medicine storage container and a main closing operation to close the lid member.

[0047] According to this preferred aspect, when the powder medicine container is moved by the container moving device, the powder medicine does not spill out of the powder medicine container due to the impact caused by contact between the container moving device and the powder medicine container, so that the powder medicine is not unexpectedly supplied to the distribution tray, and the correct amount of powder medicine can be dispensed and packaged.

[0048] In this aspect, it is preferable that a plurality of the container mounting devices are provided, a different powder medicine storage container is mounted on each of the plurality of container mounting devices, and an operation of discharging powder medicine from each of the powder medicine storage containers is possible, and while powder medicine is being discharged from at least one of the powder medicine storage containers, the powder medicine storage container from which the powder medicine has been discharged can be moved to a position away from the container mounting device, and a new powder medicine storage container can be placed on the container mounting device on which the powder medicine storage container from which the powder medicine has been discharged was mounted.

[0049] According to this preferable aspect, even when mixing, dividing, and packaging powdered medicines in quantities greater than the number of container mounting devices provided in the medicine dispensing device, highly accurate packaging operations can be performed without spilling of powdered medicines when changing containers.

[0050] In yet another aspect related to the present invention, a control device for controlling a plurality of dispensing machines based on prescription data including information on medicines to be provided to patients, and a medicine dispensing device, the medicine dispensing device being provided with a distribution tray for distributing powdered medicine discharged from a powdered medicine storage container, and a container mounting device on which the powdered medicine storage container is placed and which acts on the powdered medicine storage container to discharge the powdered medicine from the powdered medicine storage container, the powdered medicine being discharged from the powdered medicine storage container placed on the container mounting device and being placed on the distribution tray, and The dispensing device includes a medicine weighing device for weighing the target medicine and a temporary stand device for temporarily placing the powder medicine container, and the powder medicine container is provided with a container-side information storage means capable of storing at least container information for identifying one of the powder medicine containers from the plurality of powder medicine containers, and the temporary stand device and the container mounting device are provided with information reading means for reading the state stored in the container-side information storage means, and the temporary stand device an information storage operation in which the container information of the placed powdered medicine storage container is read by the information reading means and the read information is stored temporarily or semi-permanently by the medicine weighing device; an information transmission operation in which the container information received by the medicine weighing device and information related to the weighed powdered medicine stored in the medicine weighing device are transmitted from the medicine weighing device to the medicine dispensing device; and an information transmission operation in which the medicine dispensing device adds at least the container information to the prescription data based on the information transmitted from the medicine weighing device and the prescription data previously received by the medicine dispensing device. and an information creation operation of creating powdered medicine-related information by associating information received from the medicine weighing device including a powder medicine container, and when the powdered medicine storage container that was placed on the temporary table device is placed on the container mounting device, the container information of the powdered medicine storage container is read by the information reading means of the container mounting device, and a prescription corresponding to a packaging operation to be performed later is identified based on the container information read by the information reading means of the container mounting device and the powdered medicine-related information, and then the packaging operation is performed.

[0051] In this aspect, when the medicine weighed by the medicine weighing device is stored in the powder medicine storage container, the powder medicine storage container is placed on a dedicated temporary table device. This makes it possible to store the medicine in a state where the powder medicine storage container is in a stable position compared to when the powder medicine storage container is placed directly on a desk or the like. Furthermore, when the powder medicine storage container is placed on the temporary placement table device, container information for identifying the container is acquired, and powder medicine-related information is created by associating this container information with prescription data. Then, when the powder medicine storage container is placed on the container placement device, the container information is read again and compared with the powder medicine-related information to identify the prescription using the medicine stored in the powder medicine storage container. That is, after the operation for identifying the prescription using the medicine stored in the powder medicine storage container is performed, the packaging operation according to that prescription is performed. This prevents the accidental use of a powder medicine storage container containing medicine not prescribed, and more reliably enables the packaging operation according to the specified prescription to be performed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0052] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a medicine dispensing device that can further simplify the packaging operation and further prevent the occurrence of unexpected malfunctions. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0053] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a medicine dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the housing of the main unit of FIG. 1 in a see-through manner. [Figure 3] 1. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the main unit of FIG. 1 as viewed from a different angle, with the door portion open. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the medicine division region of FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a powder medicine cassette mounting master screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a medicine master screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a patient master screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a prescription input screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a simple input screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a format selection screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a powder medicine cassette selection screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. [Figure 13] 12 is a diagram showing a state in which an input is made to a character input section on the powder medicine cassette selection screen of FIG. 11. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a missing cassette notification screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a packing progress screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 16] 16 is an enlarged view of a graph displayed on the packing progress screen of FIG. 15. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a speed control screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 18] 18A and 18B are explanatory diagrams showing how to operate the speed operation unit on the speed control screen of FIG. 17, where (a) shows the state where a finger touches the speed operation unit, and (b) shows the state after the finger has moved from the state in (a). [Figure 19] FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of a portion of the speed control screen of FIG. 17, showing the speed display section. [Figure 20] FIG. 18 is an enlarged view of a portion of the speed control screen of FIG. 17, showing how the speed display section is displayed while the speed operating section is being operated. [Figure 21] 18 is a diagram showing a state in which a full screen display operation is performed on the speed control screen of FIG. 17. FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a layout setting screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a weighing reservation notification screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a graph portion displayed on the weighing reservation notification screen of FIG. 23. [Figure 25]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a prescription history list screen of the present embodiment. [Figure 26] 26 is a diagram showing a state in which prescriptions are displayed in a list in the prescription display area on the prescription history list screen of FIG. 25. FIG. [Figure 27] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a weighing history screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a past video display screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a packing history display screen according to the present embodiment. [Figure 30] FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a part of a speed control screen different from that shown in FIG. 17. [Figure 31] 2 is a block diagram showing a powdered medicine dispensing business support system constructed by linking the medicine dispensing device of FIG. 1 with a control device, etc. [Figure 32] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a specific structure of the scraping device of FIG. 4. [Figure 33] This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of scraping a packet of powdered medicine near the scraping plate and then scraping it out of the distribution tray in the medicine dispensing device of Figure 1, where the powdered medicine is scraped in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 34] 1. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation|movement which scrapes out one packet of powder medicine to the outside of the distribution tray in the medicine dispensing device of FIG. 1, and scrapes out the powder medicine in the order of (a) - (d). [Figure 35] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing operations different from those of the medicine dispensing device of this embodiment, in which (a) shows the operation of rotating the distribution tray half a turn, and (b) shows the area around the scraper plate after the operation of (a) is completed. [Figure 36] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure for executing a scraping operation for scraping out one packet of powdered medicine. [Figure 37] 2 is a perspective view showing an automatic medicine container employed in the medicine dispensing device of FIG. 1, showing a state in which the automatic medicine container is placed on a container holder. FIG. [Figure 38] 38A and 38B are cross-sectional views of the automatic medicine container shown in FIG. 37, in which (a) shows a state in which the lid member is open, and (b) shows a state in which the lid member is closed. [Figure 39] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the container moving device shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 40] 40A and 40B are perspective views showing the tip end portion of the arm portion shown in FIG. 39, where (a) shows a position in which the suction surface of the container holding portion is horizontal, and (b) shows a position in which the suction surface of the container holding portion is upright. [Figure 41] An explanatory diagram showing how the tip portion of the arm shown in Figure 39 moves the automatic medicine container from the container holding stand, and how the tip portion of the arm is positioned at a distance above the automatic medicine container to close the lid member. [Figure 42] Following Figure 41, this is an explanatory diagram showing how the tip portion of the arm is used to move the automatic medicine container from the container holder, where (a) shows how the tip portion of the arm is temporarily moved away from the automatic medicine container, and (b) shows how the tip portion of the arm is brought into contact with the automatic medicine container to close the lid member. [Figure 43] This is an explanatory diagram showing how one automatic medicine container is replaced while all automatic medicine containers are placed on the container holders and powdered medicine is being discharged into the distribution tray, and the automatic medicine container is replaced in the order of (a) to (c). [Figure 44] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a paper medium output by a printing operation performed by the powder medicine packing device of the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 45] FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a weighing history screen in a form different from that of FIG. 27. [Figure 46] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a manual medicine container different from that shown in FIG. [Figure 47] 47 is an exploded perspective view showing a storage space forming member of the manual medicine container shown in FIG. 46. FIG. [Figure 48] FIG. 47 is a cross-sectional view of the manual medicine container shown in FIG. 46, with the lid portion omitted. [Figure 49] 47 is an exploded perspective view showing the bottom forming member of the manual medicine container shown in FIG. 46. FIG. [Figure 50] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing how the storage space forming member is attached to the bottom forming member, with the lid portion omitted. FIG. [Figure 51]FIG. 47 is an explanatory diagram showing how the manual medicine container shown in FIG. 46 is placed on a temporary placement table, in which the manual medicine container is shown in a transparent manner with the lid portion omitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0054] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are examples of specific embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0055] As shown in Figure 1, the powder medicine packaging device 1 (drug dispensing device) of this embodiment is configured to include a main body device 2, an operation display unit 3 (display device, operation device), a control unit (not shown), a manual medicine container 5, a medicine weighing device 6, a journal printer 7, and a barcode reader 8. This powder medicine packaging device 1 is a device that, by operating the operation display unit 3, automatically removes and weighs powder medicine contained in a medicine container (a powder medicine storage container, which is an automatic medicine container 4 described below or a manual medicine container 5 described above), divides it into a predetermined number of portions, and packages them.

[0056] The main device 2 is formed by incorporating various devices into a housing 10, and specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, a medicine container arrangement area 12, a medicine division area 13, and a medicine packaging area 14 are provided inside the housing 10. A dehumidifier (not shown) and a temperature regulator (not shown) are provided inside the housing 10, making it possible to maintain the internal temperature and humidity within a certain range.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a door portion 16 is provided in a portion of the housing 10 that forms the outer wall surface of the medicine container placement area 12. Door section 16 is a section for inserting and removing automatic medicine container 4 into and from housing 10, and is provided inside thereof with temporary container placement section 18 for temporarily placing automatic medicine container 4. Door section 16 and temporary container placement section 18 function as an introduction section when introducing a medicine container into housing 10, and also function as an extraction section when removing a medicine container from inside housing 10.

[0058] The temporary container rest section 18 is a section that can hold the automatic medicine container 4 by mechanical engagement, and by placing the automatic medicine container 4, the automatic medicine container 4 and the temporary container rest section 18 enter an engaged state. Conversely, when the automatic medicine container 4 and the temporary container rest section 18 are engaged, by lifting the automatic medicine container 4, they enter a disengaged state. In other words, the automatic medicine container 4 can be removed from the temporary container rest section 18.

[0059] This temporary container placement section 18 is provided with an information reading means for reading information from the automatic medicine container 4 and a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the automatic medicine container 4.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 2, the medicine container placement area 12 is provided with a container storage section 23 (container storage device) that holds the automatic medicine containers 4. Note that in Fig. 2, only some of the automatic medicine containers 4 are labeled with reference numerals, and the reference numerals for the other automatic medicine containers 4 are omitted. The container storage section 23 is equipped with a drum member 25 that is installed in an upright position, and this drum member 25 is rotatable about a rotation axis that extends vertically. In other words, the vertical drum member 25 is rotatable horizontally using a motor or the like as a power source.

[0061] A plurality of container mounting portions are provided on the outer peripheral surface of this drum member 25, and the automatic medicine containers 4 are held in these container mounting portions. Each container mounting part holds the automatic medicine container 4 by mechanical engagement, and by pushing the automatic medicine container 4 in, the automatic medicine container 4 and the container mounting part are engaged. Conversely, when the automatic medicine container 4 and the container mounting part are engaged, by pulling the automatic medicine container 4 outward, they are disengaged.

[0062] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the drum member 25 is divided into three sections in the vertical direction, and a plurality of container installation sections are formed in each of the divided sections. In other words, a group of 11 container installation sections is provided across three levels. That is, the container storage section 23 can hold a total of 33 automatic medicine containers 4.

[0063] This container installation section is structured to have a protruding member that protrudes outward, and when automatic medicine container 4 is attached in the correct position, this protruding member is retracted.

[0064] In addition, optical sensors are provided inside and outside the drum member 25, respectively, and are capable of detecting whether or not the protruding member of the container installation portion is protruding.

[0065] In addition, in the medicine container placement area 12, an information reading means (not shown) is provided near the drum member 25. This makes it possible to acquire information from each automatic medicine container 4 held by the drum member 25. More specifically, it is possible to acquire information from a container-side information storage means (described in detail later) attached to each automatic medicine container 4.

[0066] A container moving device 28 is provided in the area extending from the medicine container placement area 12 to the medicine dividing area 13. The container moving device 28 has a structure including an arm unit 30 and a lifting mechanism 31, and the arm unit 30 can be moved in the vertical direction by the lifting mechanism 31. In addition, a magnet is provided at the tip of arm portion 30, and by attracting an iron plate attached integrally to automatic medicine container 4, automatic medicine container 4 can be held.

[0067] In the drug division area 13, a distribution tray 35, a container holding stand 36 (container mounting device), a scraping device 37, a cleaning device 38, a drug inlet 39, and a camera member 40 are provided in the space located behind the front door 34 (see Figure 1), as shown in Figure 4. More specifically, in the medicine dividing area 13, two parallel distribution trays 35 are installed in a submerged state.

[0068] A container holder 36, a scraping device 37, and a cleaning device 38 are provided around each distribution tray 35. Three container holders 36, one scraping device 37, and one cleaning device 38 are associated with one distribution tray 35.

[0069] In addition, around the distribution tray 35 and between the two distribution trays 35, a medicine inlet 39 is provided for supplying powdered medicine one packet at a time to the medicine packaging area 14, and a partition plate device 41 is provided at a position adjacent to this medicine inlet 39. The partition plate device 41 includes a box-shaped main body and a standing plate attached to the main body so that it can be raised and lowered. The standing plate can be switched between a protruding state in which most of the standing plate protrudes outward from the main body, and a retracted state in which the standing plate is retracted within the main body.

[0070] Here, in each packaging operation (described in detail later), when the powdered medicine distributed on one distribution tray 35 is scooped up by the scraping device 37 and poured into the medicine inlet 39, depending on the type of powdered medicine being poured, it is conceivable that the powdered medicine may fly farther than necessary. In other words, it is conceivable that the powdered medicine may fly all the way to the other distribution tray 35. Therefore, in the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment, the partition plate device 41 is in a protruding state to prevent the powder medicine from flying all the way to the other side of the distribution tray 35. In other words, the upright portion of the partition plate device 41 functions as a blocking wall to prevent the powder medicine from flying all the way to the other side of the distribution tray 35.

[0071] The distribution tray 35 is provided with a continuous annular medicine feeding groove, and is rotatable by a rotation mechanism (not shown).

[0072] The container holder 36 is structured to include a vibration table portion and a weight measuring means.

[0073] The vibration table is provided with a container holding means for holding a medicine container (automatic medicine container 4 or manual medicine container 5). In this embodiment, a magnet (electromagnet) is used as the container holding means.

[0074] The gravity measuring means measures the weight of the medicine container directly or indirectly.

[0075] Therefore, by placing a medicine container on the container holder 36, the medicine container is vibrated, and the powdered medicine contained in the medicine container is discharged onto the distribution tray 35. The change in weight of the medicine container accompanying the discharge of the powdered medicine can be detected by the gravity measuring means.

[0076] The camera member 40 is installed in a position where it can photograph the periphery of the container holding table 36, and functions as an imaging device that photographs the periphery of the drug discharge portion (discharge port portion, described in detail later) of the drug container placed on the container holding table 36. For example, a digital imager such as a CCD camera can be suitably used as the camera member 40. In this embodiment, a camera element 40 is provided that captures images of the area around the container holding stand 36 adjacent to the distribution tray 35 on one side, and a camera element 40 is provided that captures images of the area around the container holding stand 36 adjacent to the distribution tray 35 on the other side, and each is capable of performing separate imaging operations.

[0077] The medicine packaging area 14 is provided with a known medicine packaging device and a printing means. The medicine packaging device is a machine for packaging medicines one by one, and is composed of a sheet supplying device and a sealing device. That is, the sheet supplying device forms a bag-shaped sheet into individual sachets to create individual sachets, and the powder medicine sealing device supplied from the medicine dividing area 13 seals and packages the individual doses of medicine into individual sachets. The printing means is a machine for printing predetermined information on the sachet.

[0078] Automatic medicine container 4 is a container with an external shape that is approximately rectangular parallelepiped, and is provided with medicine discharge section 187 (see Figures 37, 38, etc.) for discharging powdered medicine or powdered medicine stored inside to the outside. This medicine discharge section 187 is an opening-like portion that connects the inside to the outside. Note that this medicine discharge section 187 can be opened larger by removing surrounding components, and also functions as a medicine input section for introducing medicine. Furthermore, iron plates are attached to two different surfaces of this automatic medicine container 4. The iron plate attached to one surface is a part that is attracted to the magnet of arm unit 30 when automatic medicine container 4 is held by arm unit 30. The iron plate attached to the other surface is a part that is attracted to the magnet of container holder 36 when placing automatic medicine container 4 on container holder 36, which will be described later. Additionally, this automatic medicine container 4 is provided with an RFID tag, which allows information about the medicine contained therein to be stored. That is, this RFID tag functions as a container-side information storage means.

[0079] The operation display unit 3 is a so-called touch panel, which is formed by combining a display device such as a liquid crystal panel with a position input device such as a touch pad. The powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment displays various screens on the operation display unit 3, and can perform various operations described below by touching a specific part with a dielectric such as a finger or a touch pen (hereinafter simply referred to as a finger, etc.).

[0080] The control unit includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM (EEPROM), and a data storage unit. The CPU is a processor that executes various calculations. The ROM is a non-volatile memory in which programs such as the BIOS are pre-stored, and the RAM is a volatile or non-volatile memory used to expand various programs and temporarily store data.

[0081] The data storage unit is a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) that stores various programs and data. More specifically, various databases are stored in the data storage unit, such as a "drug master" that stores various information related to drugs, an "excipient drug master" that stores information related to drugs that require excipient operations, a "regular dose master" that stores information related to the recommended dose of a drug, a "patient master" that stores information related to patients who have been prescribed drugs, and an "average body weight master" that stores information related to the average body weight of patients who have been prescribed drugs. In addition, the information stored in these databases is stored in an appropriately associated state.

[0082] Manual medicine container 5 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped container and has roughly the same structure as automatic medicine container 4. Manual medicine container 5 differs from automatic medicine container 4 in that it has a medicine inlet section that is located separately from the medicine outlet section. That is, in manual medicine container 5, a medicine input part is provided in the upper part of manual medicine container 5. This medicine input part is a through-hole-like part that communicates the inside and outside, and is formed so that the outer part has a larger cross-sectional area than the inner part.

[0083] The medicine weighing device 6 includes a balance table and an RFID reader / writer. By placing a medicine container on the medicine weighing device 6, the weight of the medicine container can be measured, and information can be read from and written to an RFID tag attached to the medicine container. In other words, the medicine weighing device 6 is configured to include a weight measuring means for measuring the weight of the medicine container, and an information reading means and an information writing means for reading and writing information to the container-side information storage means of the medicine container.

[0084] The journal printer 7 is a device for printing and outputting various information such as the history of packaging operations and prescription records on a medium such as paper.

[0085] The barcode reader 8 is capable of reading barcodes written on original boxes, medicine bottles, etc. of medicines.

[0086] The various devices such as sensors and camera components built into the main body device 2, the medicine weighing device 6, the journal printer 7, and the barcode reader 8 are capable of sending and receiving various information to and from the above-mentioned control unit. In other words, these are connected via a communication network such as a LAN, and are capable of sending and receiving signals.

[0087] Next, the operations that can be performed by the powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0088] The powdered medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing a "database editing operation" to add, delete, or change information in various databases, a "packaging operation" to package powdered medicine into single doses, a "printing operation" to issue various documents, a "reservation management operation" to notify of shortages of medicines for future packaging operations, a "packaging verification operation" to verify the contents of packaging operations performed in the past, a "maintenance operation" to properly execute packaging operations, and a "re-packaging operation" to re-execute packaging operations based on previously issued history. [Database editing behavior]

[0089] In the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment, screens corresponding to various databases are displayed, and it is possible to add, delete, and change information in each database. Specifically, various screens can be displayed, including a powder medicine cassette mounting master screen (see FIG. 5), a drug master screen (see FIG. 6), a patient master screen (see FIG. 7), an excipient drug master screen (not shown), a recommended dose master screen (not shown), and an average body weight master screen (not shown). Information can be added, deleted, or changed on each screen, or on other screens that are displayed by operating each screen. Each screen has a "CSV output" button and a "Print" button. By touching the displayed area of ​​these buttons (hereinafter, the user touching the button-shaped area displayed on the screen will also be referred to as "pressing"), the contents registered in the database can be output as a CSV file or printed out on a medium such as paper.

[0090] The powder medicine cassette mounting master screen (see FIG. 5) is a screen corresponding to a database that stores information about medicines contained in medicine containers (automatic medicine containers 4). On this screen, it is possible to register information such as the drug code, drug name, maximum amount to be implemented, standard amount to be filled, amount used, amount in stock, serial number, expiration date, etc. for each drug.

[0091] The drug master screen (see Figure 6) is a screen corresponding to a database that stores information about drugs. The drugs registered in this database are those that may be prescribed by doctors, regardless of whether they are stored in a drug container or not. In other words, while the powder medicine cassette mounting master screen targets drugs stored in a drug container, the drug master screen targets all drugs that may be prescribed. On this drug master screen (see Figure 6), it is possible to register information for each drug, such as the drug code, drug name, unit code, marking, shelf number (the management number of the shelf where it is stored), management flag (whether special management is required for handling), drug name (abbreviation), whether it is to be washed (whether the drug requires cleaning of the distribution tray 35), stability coefficient, specific gravity, vibration coefficient, and image.

[0092] The patient master screen (see FIG. 7) is a screen corresponding to a database that stores information about patients to whom medicines have been prescribed. This patient master screen (see Figure 7) allows you to register information for each patient, such as patient ID, patient name (kanji), patient name (kana), date of birth, ward name, handover details, address, telephone number, and fax number. The "ward name" is the name of the ward to which the department visited by the patient belongs, and is entered as necessary.

[0093] The excipient drug master screen (not shown) is a screen corresponding to a database that stores information about drugs that are prescribed with additives added for increasing the amount, diluting, etc. The recommended dose master screen (not shown) is a screen corresponding to a database that stores information regarding the dosage of medicines determined in relation to age, weight, etc. The average weight master screen (not shown) is a screen corresponding to a database that stores information about average weights corresponding to predetermined age ranges. [Saving operation]

[0094] The powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of carrying out a packaging operation to package medicines in single doses, while referring as necessary to information about the prescription entered in a previously performed "prescription input operation." More specifically, it is possible to carry out a "first packaging operation" in which powdered medicine contained in an automatic medicine container 4 held in the container storage section 23 is packaged, a "second packaging operation" in which powdered medicine contained in an automatic medicine container 4 stored on an external management shelf is packaged, and a "third packaging operation" in which powdered medicine contained in a manual medicine container 5 is packaged.

[0095] During each packaging operation, powder medicine packaging device 1 is capable of automatically storing automatic medicine container 4 in container storage section 23, removing automatic medicine container 4 from container storage section 23, moving the removed automatic medicine container 4 near distribution tray 35, placing automatic medicine container 4 on container holding stand 36, pouring a predetermined amount of medicine into distribution tray 35, supplying the medicine from distribution tray 35 to the medicine packaging device one dose at a time, and returning automatic medicine container 4 to container storage section 23.

[0096] When the "first packaging operation" and the "second packaging operation" are performed, a "cassette selection operation" is performed to select the medicine container to be used based on information about the prescription, and the selected medicine container is used to perform each packaging operation.

[0097] Here, when the "first packaging operation" is performed, if the automatic medicine container 4 selected in the "cassette selection operation" is not held on the drum member 25, a "cassette absence notification operation" is performed to notify the user of this. In this case, it is possible to perform the first packaging operation again after performing the "filling operation" to hold the automatic medicine container 4 on the drum member 25 as necessary.

[0098] These "prescription input operation," "cassette selection operation," "filling operation," "first packaging operation," "second packaging operation," and "third packaging operation" will each be described in detail. [Prescription input operation]

[0099] The prescription input operation is an operation for displaying a prescription input screen (see FIG. 8) on the operation display unit 3 and inputting information about the prescription. In addition, in the prescription input operation, a registration operation is performed as necessary to automatically register the input information in a predetermined database.

[0100] The prescription input screen has input fields for each item, allowing users to enter information about the patient, such as the patient ID and patient name, information about the medical institution and department to which the doctor who prescribed the medication belongs, and information about the prescribed medication, such as the name, usage, and dosage.

[0101] The powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment has an input assistance function that allows a drug name to be selected from a list. Specifically, a simple input screen (see FIG. 9) is displayed, and the drug name can be input by selecting the drug name from the list.

[0102] The simple input screen is provided with a character input section 45 for inputting a character string to be used in a search, and a setting button 46 for setting search conditions. The user can narrow down the drugs on the list by entering a predetermined character string into the character input section 45 and / or pressing one of the three setting buttons 46. Then, by pressing one of the drug names displayed on the list, the drug name is selected.

[0103] The character input section 45 is a section for inputting characters or character strings (hereinafter also simply referred to as character strings, etc.) to be used as keywords for identifying medicines. When a character string, etc. is input into this character input section 45, only medicines that start with the input character string, etc. are displayed in a list. For example, when the character "A" is input into the character input section 45, only medicines whose name starts with "A" are displayed in a list. That is, the powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment performs a comparison operation to compare the character string input to the character input unit 45 with the character string when the medicine name is read in kana. Then, it performs a display operation to display in a list only medicines whose character string when the medicine name is read in kana begins with the input character string.

[0104] In this embodiment, when a character string is input into the character input section 45, the display contents of the list are changed every time a character is input. To explain this in a specific example, suppose that the character string "aiu" is input into the character input unit 45. First, after the character "a" is input, only drugs whose first character in the drug name is "a" are displayed. Then, when "i" is input after "a" and the character string "ai" is input into the character input unit 45, only drugs whose first character in the drug name is "a" and whose second character is "i" are displayed. In other words, only drugs whose drug names, when read in kana, begin with "ai" are displayed. In this way, as a character string is input into the character input unit 45, the list display changes with each input character.

[0105] The setting buttons 46 are composed of a "powdered medicine" button, a "tablet" button, and a "cassette" button, and by pressing any one of these buttons, the type of medicine to be searched for is determined. That is, when the "Powdered Medicine" button is pressed, only powdered medicines are displayed in the list of all medicines. Similarly, when the "Tablet" button is pressed, only tablets are displayed in the list of all medicines, and when the "Cassette" button is pressed, only medicines already stored in the automatic medicine container 4 are displayed in the list.

[0106] Here, if nothing is input in the character input section 45 and one of the setting buttons 46 is pressed, only the medicines corresponding to the pressed setting button 46 are displayed in the list. On the other hand, if a character string is input in the character input section 45 and one of the setting buttons 46 is pressed, only the medicines corresponding to the pressed setting button 46 and whose names begin with the input character string are displayed in the list. That is, only medicines that satisfy the conditions set by operating either or both of the character input section 45 and the setting button 46 are displayed in the list.

[0107] In this way, the easy input screen allows the number of medicines listed to be reduced based on specific conditions, and it is possible to list only medicines that meet certain conditions, such as those containing a specific character string in their name, being powder medicine, being tablets, or already being stored in the automatic medicine container 4. Naturally, it is also possible to narrow down the list so that medicines that meet certain conditions are not listed, such as medicines that need to be washed.

[0108] It should be noted that "chemicals to be washed" are chemicals that are expected to cause serious problems if they are unintentionally mixed with other chemicals (so-called contamination) in the distribution tray 35, and require cleaning of the distribution tray 35 (details will be described later) either before or after the packaging operation. Specifically, when a packaging operation is performed following a predetermined packaging operation, there is a possibility that a small amount of the chemicals discharged onto the distribution tray 35 in the preceding packaging operation may remain on the distribution tray 35. In this case, if another packaging operation is subsequently performed, there is a possibility that the above-mentioned mixing of chemicals (so-called contamination) may occur. Therefore, a configuration is provided in which chemicals that could cause serious problems if unintentionally mixed in can be designated as chemicals to be washed, and a cleaning operation is prompted to be performed when the chemicals are used in a packaging operation.

[0109] In the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, in the initial state (at the time of shipment), all medicines registered in the database are set as medicines to be washed, that is, medicines that require a cleaning operation (described in detail later) of the distribution tray 35 either before or after the packaging operation. In other words, the setting is such that the cleaning operation of the distribution tray 35 is always performed whenever a packaging operation is performed.

[0110] In this embodiment, the user can change this setting by performing a predetermined operation. That is, the user can appropriately select whether or not to include the medicines displayed on the prescription input screen in the washing process. Furthermore, when the displayed medicine is to be washed, it is possible to set the timing of the cleaning operation, i.e., whether or not the cleaning operation is necessary before the packaging operation, or whether or not the cleaning operation is necessary after the packaging operation.

[0111] The powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment is configured to automatically determine whether or not a cleaning operation is necessary based on the set medicine information, and to automatically carry out the cleaning operation if necessary. That is, when a medicine is selected and packaging operation is started, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment automatically determines whether or not a cleaning operation is required. More specifically, based on the setting results stored in the data storage unit, it determines whether or not the medicine requires cleaning operation before packaging operation, and whether or not cleaning operation is required after packaging operation. Generally, cleaning is required after using poisons, narcotics, psychotropic drugs, powerful drugs, colored medicines, medicines that tend to adhere to the distribution tray 35 (medicines that need to be washed).

[0112] If it is determined that one or both cleaning operations are necessary, the cleaning operations are automatically performed, which is preferable because it reduces the effort required during packaging operations compared to a configuration in which the decision on whether to perform a cleaning operation is manually set each time a packaging operation is performed.

[0113] Furthermore, the prescription input screen (see FIG. 8) allows the user to input information about the prescribed drug usage, such as when to take the drug, how many times to take it, and the interval between doses, as well as the packaging format of the prescribed drug.

[0114] Information regarding drug usage can be entered using a usage code, and when a usage code is entered, the associated dosing time, number of doses, and dosing interval are automatically entered.

[0115] The medicine packaging style is an item for selecting the type of packaging operation to be used when packaging prescribed medicines into individual doses. This packaging style is selected and input from a group of options consisting of "crushed," "automatic cassette," and "manual cassette."

[0116] "Crush" refers to a form in which tablets are crushed into powder and then packaged. In other words, this option is selected when the prescribed medicine is a tablet and the powdered tablets are introduced into the manual medicine container 5 to perform the packaging operation.

[0117] "Automatic cassette" is a mode in which powdered medicine contained in automatic medicine container 4 is supplied to distribution tray 35 and packaged. In other words, this is an option to be selected when the prescribed medicine is already contained in automatic medicine container 4 and the medicine contained in automatic medicine container 4 is to be used for packaging.

[0118] The "manually prepared cassette" is a form in which powdered medicine is introduced into a manual medicine container 5 and then packaged. In other words, this is an option to be selected when a pharmacist manually introduces prescribed medicine into a manual medicine container 5 and performs the packaging operation.

[0119] In this embodiment, when a medicine name corresponding to "tablet" is input as the medicine name, "crushed" is automatically selected.

[0120] On the other hand, when a medicine corresponding to "powdered medicine" is entered as the medicine name, powdered medicine packaging device 1 performs a determination operation to determine whether the entered medicine is a medicine contained in automatic medicine container 4 of container storage unit 23. That is, powdered medicine packaging device 1 compares the entered information with the information stored in the data storage unit (or information acquired by the sensor) and automatically determines whether the prescribed medicine is contained in automatic medicine container 4.

[0121] If the result of the determination is that the medicine is stored in an automatic medicine container 4, the "automatic cassette" is automatically selected, and if not, the "manually distributed cassette" is automatically selected.

[0122] In this embodiment, the user can change the automatically selected packaging form by operating the operation display unit 3. Specifically, in the powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment, the type selection screen (see FIG. 10) is displayed, and the item can be changed by pressing either the "automatic cassette" button or the "manual cassette" button. That is, when the "automatic cassette" button is pressed, the "automatic cassette" is selected, and when the "manual cassette" button is pressed, the "manual cassette" is selected. [Cassette selection operation]

[0123] In the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when the prescribed medicine is "powder medicine" and the packaging format selected on the prescription input screen is "automatic cassette," it is possible to perform the first packaging operation or the second packaging operation to package the medicine into individual doses. When the first packaging operation or the second packaging operation is performed, a cassette selection operation is performed to select an automatic medicine container 4 containing the medicine to be packaged, and the packaging operation is performed using the selected automatic medicine container 4. In other words, the automatic medicine container 4 to be used is selected in the cassette selection operation, and the packaging operation is performed using the selected automatic medicine container 4.

[0124] In powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1, a powder medicine cassette selection screen (see FIG. 11) is displayed on operation display unit 3, and automatic medicine container 4 can be selected on this screen. This powder medicine cassette selection screen can be switched between a state in which medicines stored in automatic medicine containers 4 held by container storage unit 23 are displayed as a list, and a state in which medicines stored in automatic medicine containers 4 stored on an external management shelf are displayed as a list. By pressing the display area of ​​each medicine displayed in the list, it is possible to select the automatic medicine container 4 that stores the medicine to be used in the packaging operation.

[0125] This powdered medicine cassette selection screen (see FIG. 11) is provided with a medicine display section 48, a display switching button 49, and a character input section 50.

[0126] The drug display section 48 is a section for displaying a list of drug names that meet the conditions based on the operation of the display switching button 49 and / or the input results in the character input section 50. Among the drug names displayed in the list, those that require careful handling, such as narcotics, investigational drugs, poisons, powerful drugs, and psychotropic drugs, are highlighted with a message indicating this.

[0127] Specifically, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, a diagonally extending strip-shaped area (bottom right of the figure) is provided near one of the four corners of the roughly horizontally elongated rectangular display area displaying the names of each drug, and the background color of the area is a different color from the surrounding area and a message is written in that color. This allows the user to identify at a glance which drugs require careful handling.

[0128] Display switch button 49 is a button for switching the medicines displayed in medicine display unit 48. Each time this display switch button 49 is pressed, it switches between a state in which medicines stored in automatic medicine containers 4 held by container storage unit 23 (hereinafter also referred to as internal medicines) are displayed and a state in which medicines stored in automatic medicine containers 4 stored on an external management shelf (hereinafter also referred to as external medicines) are displayed. This display switching button 49 displays "Display outside management shelf" (see FIG. 11) when internal medicines are displayed in medicine display section 48, and displays "Display inside management shelf" (see FIG. 13) when external medicines are displayed. When the button is pressed and the display in medicine display section 48 switches, the text displayed on the button also switches.

[0129] The character input section 50 is a section for inputting a character string or the like to be used as a keyword for identifying a drug. When a character string or the like is input into this character input section 50, only drugs whose names begin with the input character string or the like are displayed in the drug display section 48. That is, like the character input section 45 of the simple input screen (see FIG. 9), this character input section 50 is a section for inputting keywords for narrowing down the display targets to be displayed in the list. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, when the character "A" is input into the character input section 50, only drugs whose names start with "A" are displayed. As with the character input unit 45 described above, the character input unit 50 is also configured so that the display content changes every time a character is input.

[0130] That is, on this powdered medicine cassette selection screen, either internal medicines or external medicines are selected, and only medicines belonging to the selected group are displayed in a list. When a character string or the like is entered into the character input section 50, only medicines belonging to the selected group and whose names begin with the entered character string or the like are displayed in a list. When one or more medicines are displayed in a list, if the user presses the area in which one of the medicines is displayed, the automatic medicine container 4 containing the medicine displayed in the pressed area will be selected, and the selected automatic medicine container 4 will be used in the packaging operation. [Cassette missing notification]

[0131] In the cassette selection operation, when an automatic medicine container 4 held by container storage unit 23 is selected, a holding container confirmation operation (described in detail below) is performed to confirm the automatic medicine container 4 currently held in container storage unit 23. Then, based on the information acquired in the holding container confirmation operation, a holding determination operation is performed to determine whether or not the automatic medicine container 4 selected in the cassette selection operation is currently held in container storage unit 23. If, as a result of this determination, the automatic medicine container 4 selected in the cassette selection operation is not held in container storage unit 23, a cassette absence notification operation is performed. That is, the cassette absence notification operation is performed on the condition that the selected automatic medicine container 4 is not currently held in the container storage unit 23.

[0132] In the following description, an automatic medicine container 4 that is scheduled to be used in the first packaging operation to be performed and that is not currently held in the container storage section 23 will also be simply referred to as a "missing cassette."

[0133] The missing cassette notification operation involves displaying a missing cassette notification screen (see Figure 14) on the operation display unit 3, and displaying a list of the management number and the names of the drugs contained in each missing cassette whose presence was confirmed in the above-mentioned retention determination operation.

[0134] Incidentally, when performing a packaging operation using multiple powdered medicines, the presence of multiple missing cassettes may be confirmed. For example, when attempting to package three types of powdered medicines after mixing them in the first packaging operation, if none of the automatic medicine containers 4 that respectively contain the three medicines are held in the container storage unit 23, three missing cassettes will be confirmed.

[0135] Therefore, in this embodiment, all the missing cassettes that exist are displayed in a list on one screen, so that even if multiple missing cassettes are found, they can be checked at a glance.

[0136] This missing cassette notification screen (see FIG. 14) displays a refill window open button 58, a refill button 59, and a collection button 60.

[0137] The filling window opening button 58 is a button for opening the door portion 16, and when pressed, the door portion 16 is brought into an open state.

[0138] The filling button 59 is a button used in the filling operation described later, and is a button for holding the automatic medicine container 4 placed on the temporary container placing section 18 in the container storage section 23.

[0139] In the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to replenish the automatic medicine container 4 that is missing a cassette by selecting a missing cassette from the list and operating the filling window open button 58 and the filling button 59 as appropriate. In other words, by separately preparing an automatic medicine container 4 filled with the medicine to be stored in the missing cassette and performing a filling operation to hold this automatic medicine container 4 in the container storage section 23, it is possible to ensure that there are no missing cassettes in the packaging operation to be performed. First, the filling operation for holding the automatic medicine container 4 in the container storage unit 23 will be specifically described below. [Filling action]

[0140] In powder medicine packaging device 1, a large number of automatic medicine containers 4 are held in container storage unit 23, each containing a medicine. Powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing a filling operation to hold a new automatic medicine container 4 in container storage unit 23.

[0141] Prior to this operation, the automatic medicine container 4 is filled with medicine. This medicine filling work is performed manually by a pharmacist. Furthermore, as the medicine is filled, information about the filled medicine is stored in the RFID tag of the automatic medicine container 4. That is, information such as the name of the medicine, the filling date, and the amount filled is stored.

[0142] Then, the operation display unit 3 is appropriately operated to open the door unit 16. At this time, as the door unit 16 opens, the safety device is activated, and the container moving device 28 is temporarily put into a non-operating state.

[0143] Then, the new automatic medicine container 4 to be held in container storage section 23 is placed on temporary container placement section 18. This operation is performed manually by the user. With the automatic medicine container 4 placed on temporary container placement section 18, and with operation display section 3 displayed, by pressing fill button 59, door section 16 is closed and the filling operation begins.

[0144] First, an information reading operation is performed by the information reading means of the temporary container placement unit 18 to read the information stored in the RFID tag of the automatic medicine container 4, and a weight measuring operation is performed by the weight measuring means of the temporary container placement unit 18 to measure the weight of the automatic medicine container 4. In the information reading operation, the type of medicine newly filled into the automatic medicine container 4 is acquired. Then, based on this result, a verification operation is performed to verify whether the type of newly filled medicine is the medicine that should be filled into the missing cassette (automatic medicine container 4) selected by the user. In other words, an operation is performed to determine whether the type of newly filled medicine is correct. If the result of the determination operation indicates that the type of medicine to be filled is incorrect, a notification operation to that effect, such as a message display on the operation display unit 3, is carried out, and the filling operation is stopped.

[0145] Furthermore, the powder medicine packing device 1 performs a fill amount calculation operation to calculate the amount of medicine to be filled into the automatic medicine container 4 based on the value measured in the weight measurement operation. The calculation result is stored in the data storage unit, and is also stored in the RFID tag of the automatic medicine container 4 as necessary. That is, the powder medicine packaging device 1 performs an information writing operation to store the weight of the automatic medicine container 4 measured in the weight measurement operation, and if necessary, performs an information writing operation to store the medicine filling amount calculated in the required filling amount calculation operation in the RFID tag.

[0146] When door unit 16 is in the closed state, the operation restriction on container moving device 28 by the safety device described above is released, and container moving device 28 becomes movable. Then, on the condition that the filling amount calculation operation and the weight measurement operation are completed, arm unit 30 approaches temporary container placement unit 18 and holds automatic medicine container 4.

[0147] Then, after arm unit 30 moves automatic medicine container 4 to the vicinity of container storage unit 23, it pushes automatic medicine container 4 into drum member 25, bringing automatic medicine container 4 into engagement with drum member 25. In this state, the magnetic force of the magnet attached to the tip of arm unit 30 is eliminated, and arm unit 30 is moved away from automatic medicine container 4. At this time, the attachment position of the newly held automatic medicine container 4 relative to the drum member 25, that is, the position information of the automatic medicine container 4 in the held state, is obtained and stored in the data storage unit.

[0148] In this embodiment, by repeatedly carrying out such a filling operation, it is possible to make the drum member 25 hold the automatic medicine container 4.

[0149] In this embodiment, when the automatic medicine container 4 is held, a container posture determination operation is performed to determine whether the automatic medicine container 4 is correctly attached (this will be described in detail later).

[0150] Next, a case where such a refilling operation is performed from the missing cassette notification screen (see FIG. 14) will be described. The user presses the part that displays either the control number or the drug name in the list to select the missing cassette to be filled. Then, the filling window open button 58 is pressed to open the door 16, and the automatic medicine container 4 is placed on the temporary container storage section 18. At this time, the automatic medicine container 4 is pre-filled with the medicine to be stored in the selected missing cassette. With the automatic medicine container 4 placed on the temporary container storage section 18, the filling button 59 is pressed to close the door 16 and start the above-mentioned filling operation. As a result, the automatic medicine container 4 filled with the powdered medicine to be used in the upcoming packaging operation is held in the container storage section 23. In other words, the missing cassette for which the missing cassette notification screen was displayed is replenished, and there will be no missing cassettes in the upcoming packaging operation. [First packaging operation]

[0151] In the first packaging operation, the automatic medicine container 4 to be used in the packaging operation is selected in the cassette selection operation described above, and when it is confirmed that the selected automatic medicine container 4 is held in the container storage section 23, a cassette removal operation is performed to remove the selected automatic medicine container 4 from the container storage section 23.

[0152] That is, powder medicine packaging device 1 rotates drum member 25 to bring automatic medicine container 4 to be removed close to container moving device 28. Then, arm unit 30, which is part of container moving device 28, holds automatic medicine container 4. In other words, a magnet provided on the tip side of arm unit 30 attracts an iron plate attached integrally to automatic medicine container 4. Then, arm unit 30 takes out automatic medicine container 4 from container storage unit 23, moves automatic medicine container 4 to container holder 36, and places automatic medicine container 4 on container holder 36.

[0153] In this embodiment, an information reading means is provided near the container holding stand 36, making it possible to perform an information reading operation to read information stored in the RFID tag of an automatic medicine container 4 placed on the container holding stand 36. This information reading operation confirms the type of medicine (powdered medicine) contained in the automatic medicine container 4. That is, a confirmation operation is performed to confirm whether the automatic medicine container 4 containing the medicine to be used has been correctly selected and transported.

[0154] If it is confirmed as a result of the confirmation operation that the automatic medicine container 4 containing the medicine to be used is placed on the container holder 36, the vibration table portion of the container holder 36 starts vibrating, the automatic medicine container 4 vibrates, and the powdered medicine contained in the automatic medicine container 4 slowly falls onto the distribution tray 35. In other words, the powdered medicine is supplied (discharged) from the inside of the automatic medicine container 4 to the distribution tray 35.

[0155] More specifically, when automatic medicine container 4 is placed on container holder 36, automatic medicine container 4 is firmly attached by the container holding means of the vibration table. That is, automatic medicine container 4 and container holder 36 are in close contact over a wide area, and the magnet of the container holding means attracts the iron plate of automatic medicine container 4, so automatic medicine container 4 is firmly attached. Therefore, when the vibration table vibrates, the automatic medicine container 4 also vibrates at the same frequency. As a result, the powdered medicine contained inside the automatic medicine container 4 moves slowly toward the discharge port and is discharged from the discharge port to the outside.

[0156] In addition, accompanying the supply operation (discharge operation) of powdered medicine from the automatic medicine container 4 to the distribution tray 35, a feeder rotation operation for rotating the distribution tray 35 is performed.

[0157] Here, before and during the vibration operation by the vibration table unit, a weight measurement operation is carried out to measure the weight of the placed automatic medicine container 4 based on the value detected by the weight measurement means of the container holding table 36. In other words, while powdered medicine is being supplied (discharged) from the automatic medicine container 4 to the distribution tray 35, the weight of the automatic medicine container 4 is constantly detected, and the vibration operation of the vibration table section is stopped when the amount of powdered medicine supplied (the amount discharged, that is, the amount that falls onto the distribution tray 35) reaches a predetermined amount. The weight of the automatic medicine container 4 obtained before the start of the vibration operation is stored as the original weight, and the current weight obtained while the vibration operation is being performed is stored as the current weight.

[0158] During the vibration operation, the weight of the automatic medicine container 4 is constantly detected to confirm whether the powdered medicine is being smoothly supplied to the distribution tray 35. In other words, it is confirmed whether the powdered medicine is being supplied correctly without clogging the discharge port of the automatic medicine container 4. In other words, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment continues to acquire the current weight of the automatic medicine container 4 while performing the vibration operation, and by comparing the acquired current weight with the original weight acquired before starting, continuously calculates the amount of powder medicine to be supplied (the value obtained by subtracting the current weight from the original weight). The vibration operation is stopped when the amount of powdered medicine supplied reaches a specified amount. In other words, the vibration operation is stopped when the current weight of the automatic medicine container 4 is less than the original weight obtained before the vibration operation started by a specified amount.

[0159] Although not particularly limited, it is desirable that the vibration operation be performed with a reduced amplitude and a lowered vibration frequency after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the vibration operation. In other words, it is desirable to perform a low-output vibration operation with a smaller amplitude and a lowered vibration frequency than the immediately preceding operation for a predetermined period before the vibration operation is stopped. For example, the low-power vibration operation may be performed when the amount of powder medicine supplied is a predetermined amount (for example, a few grams) less than the specified amount (the amount to be finally supplied). That is, an amount (a few grams) of a few percent of the specified amount to be finally supplied may be supplied by the low-power vibration operation.

[0160] When mixing multiple powdered medicines and then packaging them, the operation of placing the automatic medicine container 4 on the container holder 36 is repeated, and multiple automatic medicine containers 4 are placed on different container holders 36. Then, by performing a vibration operation on each container holder 36, multiple types of powdered medicine are supplied to the distribution tray 35. In this case, multiple types of powdered medicines are mixed together as the feeder rotates.

[0161] Then, when the specified amount of powdered medicine is supplied to distribution tray 35 and the vibration operation is stopped, arm unit 30 returns automatic medicine container 4 to container storage unit 23. At this time, the weight of automatic medicine container 4 when the supply of medicine to distribution tray 35 is completed is measured by the weight measuring means of container holder 36, and an information writing operation is performed to store the measured weight in RFID. Thereafter, automatic medicine container 4 is returned to container storage unit 23. That is, the arm unit 30 moves the automatic medicine container 4 from the container holder 36 to the container storage unit 23 .

[0162] On the other hand, after the vibration operation of the distribution tray 35 has stopped, the rotation of the distribution tray 35 is stopped. Then, a medicine dividing operation is performed in which the powdered medicine supplied to the distribution tray 35 is poured into the medicine inlet 39 one dose at a time. In the medicine dividing operation, the tip end portion of the scraping device 37 is lowered and brought close to the distribution tray 35. Then, the distribution tray 35 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of divisions, so that one dose of powdered medicine is gathered around the tip end portion of the scraping device 37. In this state, the scraping device 37 is operated to scoop up the powdered medicine gathered around the scraping device 37 and put it into the medicine inlet 39. By repeating this operation, the medicine dividing operation is performed in which the medicine supplied to the distribution tray 35 is poured into the medicine inlet 39 one dose at a time.

[0163] The medicine for one dose input into the medicine inlet 39 reaches the medicine packaging area 14 and is supplied to the medicine packaging device, where it is packaged one dose at a time. When this series of operations is completed, all of the medicines supplied to the distribution tray 35 are supplied to the medicine packaging device, and packaging is completed, thereby completing the first packaging operation.

[0164] In the first packaging operation described above, when the automatic medicine container 4 is returned to the container storage section 23, it is passed through the temporary container placement section 18 and then returned to the container storage section 23. Then, in the temporary container placement section 18, a re-weighing operation is performed to re-weigh the automatic medicine container 4.

[0165] That is, when the automatic medicine container 4 is returned from the container holding table 36 to the container storage section 23, the automatic medicine container 4 is first moved from the container holding table 36 to the temporary container placement section 18. Then, the weight of the automatic medicine container 4 is measured by the weight measuring means of the temporary container placement section 18. In this embodiment, as described above, the weight of the automatic medicine container 4 when the supply of medicine to the distribution tray 35 is completed is measured by the weight measuring means of the container holder 36. That is, a double measurement operation is performed in which the weight is measured by the container holder 36 and also by the temporary container placement section 18.

[0166] Then, an information reading operation is performed to read the information stored in the RFID tag, and the weight of the automatic medicine container 4 measured by the container holding table 36 when the supply of the medicine is completed is compared with the weight measured by the temporary container placement unit 18 to determine whether they match. In other words, an operation is performed to check whether the weight measuring means of the container holding table 36 is functioning correctly. Here, the term "matched" in this specification does not necessarily mean a perfect match, but may be regarded as a match allowing for a slight measurement error.

[0167] A confirmation operation may be performed to confirm whether the amount of powdered medicine to be supplied calculated in the above process is correct. That is, the weight of automatic medicine container 4 before the start of medicine supply (the above-mentioned original weight) may be compared with the weight of automatic medicine container 4 detected by temporary container storage unit 18, and the amount of powdered medicine to be supplied (a value obtained by subtracting the weight detected by temporary container storage unit 18 from the original weight) may be calculated. Then, this amount of powdered medicine to be supplied may be compared with the amount of powdered medicine to be supplied calculated in the above process (a value obtained by subtracting the current weight from the original weight) to determine whether they match.

[0168] If the result of these checking operations is that the amount of powdered medicine supplied and the measured weight of container holder 36 are normal, automatic medicine container 4 is moved to container storage unit 23, and the first packaging operation is completed normally. On the other hand, if the amount of powdered medicine supplied or the weight measurement value of the container holder 36 is not normal, a notification operation such as displaying a message on the operation display unit 3 is carried out to notify the user of this fact. [Second packaging operation]

[0169] The second packaging operation differs from the first packaging operation in that the medicine is supplied to the distribution tray 35 from an automatic medicine container 4 stored on an external management shelf, rather than from an automatic medicine container 4 held in the container storage unit 23. A detailed description of operations that are the same as those in the first packaging operation described above will be omitted.

[0170] In the cassette selection operation described above, when an automatic medicine container 4 stored on an external management shelf is selected and the user then performs a predetermined operation on the operation display unit 3, the second packaging operation begins. In this operation, first, the door portion 16 is opened.

[0171] In this state, an automatic medicine container 4 is manually taken out from an external management shelf and placed on temporary container storage section 18, and a predetermined operation is performed on operation display section 3. This confirms that the automatic medicine container 4 has been placed on temporary container storage section 18. At this time, an information reading operation is performed to read the information stored in the RFID tag of the automatic medicine container 4, and a confirmation operation is performed to confirm whether the automatic medicine container 4 selected by the user has been correctly placed on temporary container storage section 18. In other words, it is determined whether the type of medicine stored in the selected automatic medicine container 4 matches the type of medicine stored in the automatic medicine container 4 placed on temporary container storage section 18. Furthermore, a weight measurement operation is performed to measure the weight of the automatic medicine container 4 placed on the temporary container placement unit 18, and an information writing operation is performed to store the measured weight in the RFID tag.

[0172] Then, the door section 16 is closed, the arm section 30 moves the automatic medicine container 4 from the temporary container placement section 18 to the container holding table 36, and the automatic medicine container 4 is placed on the container holding table 36.

[0173] From this state, similar to the first packaging operation described above, medicines are supplied to the distribution tray 35 and then supplied dose by dose to the medicine packaging device. The medicine packaging device then packages the supplied powder medicine dose by dose. As a result, the medicines supplied to the distribution tray 35 are packaged into a predetermined number of packages. Then, when the operation of supplying medicine to distribution tray 35 is completed, arm unit 30 returns automatic medicine container 4 to temporary container placement unit 18, door unit 16 opens, and the second packaging operation is completed. [Third packaging operation]

[0174] In the third packaging operation, a predetermined operation is performed with the message "Please place the manual distribution cassette" displayed on the operation display unit 3, and the front door 34 is raised. That is, the front of the medicine dividing area 13 in the housing 10 is opened. If the container moving device 28 is operating, such as when the first packaging operation or the second packaging operation is being performed, a notification operation is performed to notify the user that the front door 34 cannot be lifted. Specifically, this notification operation is an operation of sounding an alarm. If this notification operation is performed, the third packaging operation is stopped.

[0175] When the front door 34 is raised, an operator manually places a manual medicine container 5, which has been filled with medicine in advance, on the container holder 36. At this time, an information reading operation is performed to read the information stored in the RFID tag of the manual medicine container 5, and a confirmation operation is performed to confirm whether the manual medicine container 5 to be used is correctly placed on the container holder 36. In this confirmation operation, when it is confirmed that the manual medicine container 5 is correctly placed on the container holder 36, the message display on the operation display unit 3 ends. In this state, a predetermined operation is performed to lower the front door 34, and the front door 34 is placed in a closed state. Then, medicine is supplied from the manual medicine container 5 to the distribution tray 35, and is supplied to the medicine packaging device one dose at a time.

[0176] When the packaging operation is complete, the message "Please remove the manual distribution cassette" is displayed on the operation display unit 3. In this state, a predetermined operation is performed to raise the front door 34 again. After removing the manual medicine container 5, the user performs a predetermined operation on the operation display unit 3 to lower the front door 34 and close it.

[0177] Here, in the third packaging operation, unlike the first packaging operation described above, no operation is performed to measure the amount of medicine to be supplied, and all of the medicine contained in the manual medicine container 5 is supplied to the distribution tray 35. In other words, the manual medicine container 5 needs to be filled with a specified amount of medicine (the amount to be finally supplied).

[0178] In each of the packaging operations described above, it is possible to carry out packaging operations using one distribution tray 35 as well as packaging operations using two distribution trays 35. In other words, it is possible to switch between packaging operations using one distribution tray 35 and packaging operations using multiple distribution trays 35 as needed.

[0179] Specifically, in each packaging operation, when a predetermined number or more of medicines are mixed and packaged, the packaging operation is performed using two distribution trays 35. Note that the "predetermined number or more" here refers to the number of container holders 36 (three in this embodiment) arranged adjacent to one distribution tray 35. In this operation, the partition plate device 41 is shifted from the protruding state to the retracted state, i.e., the upright plate portion is not positioned near the medicine inlet 39. Then, the powdered medicine is dropped onto each distribution tray 35, and the same medicine dividing operation as described above is performed in each distribution tray 35.

[0180] However, there may be a case where it is necessary to mix and package a predetermined number of medicines, which is equal to or greater than the number (six in this embodiment) of container holders 36 provided inside the housing 10. The operation performed in such a case will be described in detail below. When all the automatic medicine containers 4 to be used are placed on the container holder 36, the container moving device 28 performs an automatic exchange operation to exchange the automatic medicine containers 4 as needed. On the other hand, if the automatic medicine container 4 to be used is stored on an external management shelf, a recommendation operation is performed to prompt the user to manually prepare the automatic medicine container 4 to be used. In addition, a manual distribution setting operation can be performed to set one or more medicines to be discharged from the manual medicine container 5 to the distribution tray 35. [Automatic exchange operation]

[0181] In the automatic exchange operation, after supplying powdered medicine from a predetermined automatic medicine container 4 to the distribution tray 35, the arm unit 30 moves this automatic medicine container 4 from the container holder 36 to the container storage unit 23. Subsequently, the arm unit 30 moves a new automatic medicine container 4 from the container storage unit 23 to the container holder 36, and supplies powdered medicine from the new automatic medicine container 4 to the distribution tray 35. By repeating this operation a predetermined number of times, all of the required powdered medicine is supplied to the distribution tray 35. [Recommended Action]

[0182] In the recommendation operation, a message is displayed on operation display unit 3 urging the user to prepare a specified automatic medicine container 4. Then, the automatic medicine container 4 that has completed the operation of supplying powdered medicine to distribution tray 35 is moved to container storage unit 23 (or temporary container placement unit 18), and door unit 16 is transitioned to an open state. Then, as with the second packaging operation described above, the automatic medicine container 4 that has been manually removed from an external management shelf is placed on temporary container placement unit 18. Note that if the automatic medicine container 4 has been moved to temporary container placement unit 18, after the automatic medicine container 4 has been removed, a new automatic medicine container 4 is placed on temporary container placement unit 18. At this time, similar to the second packaging operation described above, the information reading operation, weight measurement operation, and information writing operation are performed as appropriate, and the arm unit 30 moves the automatic medicine container 4 from the temporary container placement unit 18 to the container holding table 36. By repeating this operation a predetermined number of times, all the necessary powdered medicine is supplied to the distribution tray 35. [Manual setting operation]

[0183] When performing a packaging operation in which a predetermined number (six in this embodiment) or more of medicines are mixed and packaged, a selection operation can be performed in advance to select the medicine to be discharged from the manual medicine container 5 onto the distribution tray 35. That is, a predetermined medicine is selected from the plurality of medicines displayed on the operation display unit 3, and the medicine to be discharged from the manual medicine container 5 onto the distribution tray 35 is selected. For example, when seven types of medicines are mixed and packaged, a selection operation can be performed in which five medicines are discharged from the automatic medicine container 4 onto the distribution tray 35, and the remaining two medicines are discharged from the manual medicine container 5 onto the distribution tray 35. In this case, a packaging operation can be performed in which one of all the container holders 36 is used as the container holder 36 for placing the manual medicine container 5, and all the other container holders 36 are used as the container holders 36 for placing the automatic medicine containers 4. The operations of placing the automatic medicine containers 4 and manual medicine containers 5 on the container holder 36 and removing the automatic medicine containers 4 and manual medicine containers 5 from the container holder 36 are performed in the same procedure as the packaging operation described above.

[0184] In the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, a packaging progress screen (see Figure 15) is displayed while each of the above-mentioned packaging operations is being performed, and a progress display operation is possible that displays the progress status when supplying medicine to the distribution tray 35. Furthermore, during the execution of each of the above-described packaging operations, a monitoring operation can be performed to check the situation around the distribution tray 35. The progress display operation and monitoring operation will be described in detail below. [Progress display behavior]

[0185] The progress display operation is an operation that is performed with the packaging progress screen (see FIG. 15) displayed on the operation display unit 3, as described above.

[0186] 15, the packaging progress screen is provided with a supply medicine display area 65 that displays a list of each medicine to be supplied to the distribution tray 35. In this supply medicine display area 65, it is possible to switch between a state in which the medicines to be supplied to one of the two distribution trays 35 are displayed in a list, and a state in which the medicines to be supplied to the other distribution tray 35 are displayed in a list.

[0187] In addition, the supply medicine display area 65 displays, for each medicine, the name of the medicine, the packaging form, the timing and number of times to take it, the supply progress rate, and a notification symbol 77a indicating that the medicine is being supplied or a notification symbol 77b indicating that the medicine has been supplied. As shown in Fig. 16, the supply progress rate is displayed as a graph (reference numeral 66 in the figure). The total length of this graph (reference numeral 66a in the figure) indicates the total supply amount (the amount to be finally supplied), and the part of a different color (reference numeral 66b in the figure) indicates the amount already supplied to the distribution tray 35 (the current supply amount). In other words, the supply progress rate is the ratio of the current supply amount to the final supply amount.

[0188] Incidentally, the packing progress screen is provided with a cassette remaining amount button 68, as shown in Fig. 15. Pressing this cassette remaining amount button 68 displays a weighing reservation notification screen (see Fig. 23, which will be described in detail later).

[0189] In addition, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, if there is a medicine that is expected to run short in the future among the medicines scheduled to be used in an unperformed packaging operation, a highlighting operation (first notification operation) is performed to make this cassette remaining amount button 68 stand out more than its surroundings. More specifically, when the "Issue" button is pressed after inputting information about the prescription on the prescription input screen (see Figure 8) described above, if the remaining amount of medicine contained in the medicine container among the medicines provided in the input prescription is less than the amount used in the packaging operation corresponding to the input prescription, a highlighting operation is performed. This highlighting operation is an operation that performs a flashing operation that changes the color of the cassette remaining amount button 68 at predetermined intervals, and a frame display operation that displays a frame of a different color from the surrounding area on the edge. Additionally, when a powder medicine dispensing operation support system 161 (described in detail later) is constructed, a notification operation is performed to notify the user of a future medicine shortage as needed when prescription data is transmitted from the control device 160 to the powder medicine packing device 1. That is, when transmitting prescription data, a notification operation is performed if, for one or more prescriptions included in the prescription data transmitted at one time, the remaining amount of medicine contained in the medicine container provided for the prescription falls below the amount used in the packing operation corresponding to the prescription. This notification operation may be performed by one or more devices of the powder medicine packing device 1, the control device 160, and the external PC 162.

[0190] Here, the notification action performed when there is a drug that is predicted to run short in the future is not limited to the highlighting action described above. For example, a message notifying that there will be a drug shortage in the future or a message urging the user to refill the drug may be displayed on a display provided on the operation and display unit 3 or various devices, or an error announcement action may be performed to notify the user of the drug shortage in the future by audio. In other words, the drug that will run short in the future (a drug that is preferable to be refilled now) may be notified to the user by an action of generating audio from an audio generating device such as a speaker device provided on the operation and display unit 3 or various devices. In other words, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment notifies the user of the medicine that will need to be refilled in the future, thereby encouraging the user to refill the medicine, and making it possible to prevent any medicine shortages that may occur in the future. [Monitoring operation]

[0191] The powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment can perform a monitoring operation that displays the periphery of the distribution tray 35 to which the medicine is supplied by displaying a speed control screen (FIG. 17) during each of the packaging operations described above. In detail, it is possible to perform a monitoring operation that displays the periphery of the medicine discharge portion of the medicine container placed on the container holding stand 36 arranged adjacent to the distribution tray 35. On the speed control screen, a speed adjustment operation can be performed to change the discharge speed (amount discharged per unit time) of the medicine (powdered medicine) to the distribution tray 35 as needed. This allows the user to check whether the packaging operation is being performed normally, and allows the user to perform the packaging operation while adjusting the speed at which the medicine is discharged into the distribution tray 35 to a preferred speed. In addition, in the monitoring operation, when medicine containers are placed on a plurality of container holders 36 arranged adjacent to the distribution tray 35, the medicine discharge portions of all the medicine containers and their surrounding areas can be displayed.

[0192] When the "real-time video" button (not shown) is pressed on the operation display unit 3, the speed control screen (FIG. 17) is displayed. This speed control screen is provided with an operation display unit 80, a speed operation unit 81 (operation image), a packing stop button 82, and a packing management area 85 that displays an AF button 83.

[0193] At one end of the sachet management area 85 in the left-right direction, a first operation display unit 80a and a first speed operating unit 81a are displayed in that order from top to bottom, and a first sachet stop button 82a and a first AF button 83a are displayed side by side below the first speed operating unit 81a. The first speed operating unit 81a is a part for increasing or decreasing the vibration magnitude (hereinafter also referred to as the vibration level) of all container holding stands 36 (three in this embodiment) adjacent to one distribution tray 35 (the operation of changing the vibration level will be described later).

[0194] At the other end in the left-right direction, a second operation display unit 80b and a second speed operating unit 81b are displayed in that order from the top, and a second packaging stop button 82b and a second AF button 83b are displayed in parallel below the second speed operating unit 81b. The second speed control unit 81b is a part for increasing or decreasing the vibration magnitude (hereinafter also referred to as the vibration level) of all container holding stands 36 (three in this embodiment) adjacent to the other distribution tray 35 (the operation of changing the vibration level will be described later).

[0195] That is, the first operation display unit 80a and the second operation display unit 80b are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and below them, the first speed operating unit 81a and the second speed operating unit 81b are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Here, one distribution tray 35 associated with the first speed operating unit 81a and the other distribution tray 35 associated with the second speed operating unit 81b are also arranged side by side in the left-right direction. The arrangement order of the first speed operation unit 81a and the second speed operation unit 81b corresponds to the arrangement order of the two corresponding distribution trays 35. In other words, when one distribution tray 35 is located on the left and the other distribution tray 35 is located on the right, the first speed operation unit 81a corresponding to one distribution tray 35 is displayed on the left of the operation display unit 3, and the second speed operation unit 81b corresponding to the other distribution tray 35 is displayed on the right of the operation display unit 3.

[0196] The first packing stop button 82a and the first AF button 83a are arranged side by side near the bottom end and near one end in the left-right direction of the packing management area 85. The second packing stop button 82b and the second AF button 83b are arranged side by side near the bottom end and near the other end in the left-right direction of the packing management area 85. In other words, of the corners of the packing management area 85, which is substantially rectangular in shape when viewed from the front, the first packing stop button 82a and the first AF button 83a are located near one lower corner, and the second packing stop button 82b and the second AF button 83b are located near the other lower corner.

[0197] Here, the parts displayed on one side in the left-right direction correspond to one of the two distribution trays 35, and the parts displayed on the other side in the left-right direction correspond to the other of the two distribution trays 35. In other words, the parts displayed on one side are parts for checking and controlling the packaging operation performed on one distribution tray 35, and the parts displayed on the other side are parts for checking and controlling the packaging operation performed on the other distribution tray 35. Incidentally, although the components displayed on one end and the components displayed on the other end target different distribution trays 35, they are both components for checking and controlling the packaging operation and are capable of similar operations. Therefore, in the following, only the components displayed on one end will be explained, and redundant explanations of the components displayed on the other end will be omitted.

[0198] The first operation display unit 80a is a section for displaying a moving image (observation image) captured by the camera member 40 that captures the discharge outlet of the medicine container and its surroundings on the container holding table 36 adjacent to one of the distribution trays 35. In other words, by checking the moving image displayed on the first operation display unit 80a, it is possible to confirm the current status of the discharge outlet of the medicine container and its surroundings.

[0199] The first speed operation section 81 a is a section displayed on the screen of the operation display section 3, and is made up of a circular operation button section 88 and a speed display section 89 located inside the operation button section 88. By moving a finger or the like while keeping it in contact with the portion where the operation button section 88 is displayed, it is possible to increase or decrease the magnitude of vibration of the container holder 36. By changing the magnitude of vibration of the container holder 36, it is possible to change the discharge speed when the powdered medicine is discharged from the medicine container to the distribution tray 35.

[0200] That is, it is possible to perform an operation to reduce the vibration amplitude of the container holder 36 and lower the vibration frequency, and an operation to increase the vibration amplitude of the container holder 36 and raise the vibration frequency. By appropriately performing these operations, it is possible to change the vibration pattern in stages. As the vibration pattern of container holder 36 changes, the vibration transmitted from container holder 36 to the chemical containers increases or decreases, and the vibration of the chemical containers placed on container holder 36 also increases or decreases. As the vibration of the chemical containers changes, the discharge speed at which the chemical containers are discharged from the chemical containers to distribution tray 35 changes.

[0201] As the vibration of the medicine container increases, the discharge speed from the medicine container to the distribution tray 35 increases. In other words, the amount discharged per unit time increases. On the other hand, as the vibration of the medicine container decreases, the discharge speed from the medicine container to the distribution tray 35 decreases. The amount discharged per unit time decreases. In this embodiment, the vibration pattern of the container holder 36 is increased or decreased in stages, so that the discharge speed at which the medicine containers are discharged into the distribution tray 35 can be increased or decreased in stages.

[0202] More specifically, when changing the discharge speed, as shown in Fig. 18, touch the area where the operation button section 88 is displayed with a finger or the like, and while maintaining the state where the finger or the like is touching this area, move the finger or the like in an arc. In other words, move the finger or the like clockwise (or counterclockwise) as if tracing the area where the operation button section 88 is displayed.

[0203] In this embodiment, when the circumferential length of the operation button portion 88 is L, the ejection speed increases by one step every time the finger or the like is moved clockwise by 1 / 4L, and decreases by one step every time the finger or the like is moved counterclockwise by 1 / 4L. For this reason, for example, when a finger or the like makes one clockwise revolution along the operation button section 88 from the part that the finger or the like first touches, the ejection speed becomes four levels faster. Conversely, when a finger or the like makes one counterclockwise revolution along the operation button section 88, the ejection speed becomes four levels slower. In other words, in this embodiment, the ejection speed is structured to change in stages depending on the operation.

[0204] This structure, which changes the discharge speed by drawing an arc with a finger or the like while keeping the finger in contact with the dial, allows the user to feel as if they are operating a dial when changing the speed, thereby improving the operability when changing the speed. Furthermore, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, each packaging operation is performed in a sealed space (inside the housing 10) with the door unit 16 and front door 34 closed. Therefore, unlike conventional medicine packaging devices, it is difficult to operate the dial while directly visually observing the area where the medicine is dispensed. Therefore, in the present invention, the discharge speed of the powder medicine can be changed by operating the operation button unit 88 while the area around the medicine discharge portion of the medicine container placed on the container holder 36 is displayed on the operation display unit 3. This allows the status of the powder medicine being dispensed to be clearly visible, improving safety. Furthermore, by providing the user with the same operational feel as in the past, the user can operate the device without any discomfort.

[0205] In the powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment, the speed can be changed simply by changing the direction of movement while keeping a finger or the like in contact with the screen. Therefore, the speed can be easily changed without taking your eyes off the first operation display unit 80a for a long time. Furthermore, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, speed can be changed in multiple stages in a short period of time by increasing the speed of movement of the fingers, etc., and conversely, speed can be changed gradually by decreasing the speed of movement. This configuration is preferable because it makes it easy to make fine adjustments to the speed. In other words, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment provides a comfortable operating feel, as if the user were holding the dial, checking the first operation display unit 80a, and turning the dial appropriately to change the speed.

[0206] The speed display section 89 is a section for displaying the current discharge speed, and displays a number ("4" in FIG. 19) indicating the speed level (vibration level level). That is, there are cases where the user wants to accurately grasp the current speed while continuing to monitor the first operation display unit 80a. Therefore, by providing the speed display unit 89, the user can confirm the accurate current discharge speed.

[0207] In the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when the discharge speed changes, the color of the operation button section 88 changes according to the speed. Also, a speed notification section 91 (a speed display image) is displayed for a predetermined time (for example, a few seconds) (see FIG. 19). The speed indicator 91 is a portion that is temporarily displayed above the first speed operating unit 81a (at the 12 o'clock position) and has a shape that combines an upper, generally circular portion with a lower, generally inverted triangular portion. A number indicating the speed ("4" in FIG. 19) is displayed inside the speed indicator 91.

[0208] This speed notification section 91 is a section that is temporarily displayed when the discharge speed has changed. For example, when the speed is changed from "3" to "4" or from "5" to "4", the new speed of "4" is displayed. By displaying the speed notification section 91 in this manner, the current speed can be reliably confirmed.

[0209] 20, when a finger or the like is touching the upper side of the first speed operating unit 81a, the hand or the like overlaps the speed display unit 89, making it difficult to see the speed displayed on the speed display unit 89. In this state, it is difficult to check the speed by just glancing at the speed display unit 89. Therefore, in this embodiment, the speed notification section 91 is displayed in a position where it will not be placed in the hands or the like, thereby making it possible to visually confirm the current speed with certainty.

[0210] Note that the speed notification section 91 is also configured to change color according to the speed, just like the operation button section 88. In this embodiment, the color of the operation button section 88 corresponding to each speed is the same as the color of the speed notification section 91 corresponding to that speed. In other words, the speed notification section 91 is displayed in the same color as the operation button section 88.

[0211] In addition, on the speed control screen of this embodiment, a full-screen display operation can be performed to display the first operation display section 80a (or the second operation display section 80b) over substantially the entire area of ​​the package management area 85.

[0212] When the full screen display operation is performed, as shown in Figure 21, the first operation display section 80a is displayed in the upper part of the package management area 85, and a band-shaped section 93 is displayed near the bottom end. A first speed operating unit 81a is displayed near the bottom end of the upper part and near one end in the left-right direction. That is, the first speed operating unit 81a is displayed so that part of the first operation display unit 80a overlaps with the first speed operating unit 81a. In addition, the band-shaped portion 93 has a packaging stop button 82 and an AF button 83 arranged side by side near one end in the left-right direction.

[0213] The packaging stop button 82 is a button for stopping the packaging operation, and when pressed, the packaging operation is stopped.

[0214] The AF button 83 is a button for ending the state in which the discharge speed can be changed manually and for automatically changing the discharge speed. In other words, by pressing the AF button while the discharge speed can be changed, the state transitions to one in which the discharge speed is automatically set. [Printing Operation]

[0215] The powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment is capable of executing a printing operation in which predetermined information is printed on a paper medium or a print medium of a packing bag and output.

[0216] The printing operation can output any of the following documents: "Filling Record," "Filling List," "Manual Distribution Instructions," "Out of Stock List," "Deletion / Recovery List," and "Dispensing Record." In detail, only the "Dispensing Record" can be printed on both paper and sachets, while the other documents can only be printed on paper.

[0217] The "filling record" is a document that mainly displays information about the results of the filling operation. The "filling list" is a document that mainly displays information about the list of medicines currently filled in the automatic medicine container 4. The "Manual Packaging Instructions" is a document that mainly displays information regarding the details of the packaging operation to be performed. More specifically, it is a type of document that displays information such as the name of the drug to be contained in the manual medicine container 5 and the details of the packaging operation to be performed using the manual medicine container 5. The "Deletion / Recall List" is a document that primarily displays historical information such as the names of drugs deleted or recalled by the user, and the dates and times of deletion and recall. The "dispensing record" is a document that mainly displays information regarding the packaging operation after the dispensing operation has been performed.

[0218] In the initial state (state at the time of shipment), when each document is output, the settings are such that items predetermined for each document are output. In the powder medicine dispensing and packing device 1 of this embodiment, a layout setting screen (see FIG. 22) can be displayed, and the items to be printed on each document can be changed.

[0219] As shown in Figure 22, the layout setting screen has a layout information display area 98 that displays information about various layouts, an item display area 99 that displays a list of printable items, and a preview area 100 that displays the output results.

[0220] In the layout information display area 98, it is possible to select one of the various registered layouts and display the control number and name of the selected layout.

[0221] The item display area 99 is a section for displaying a list of printable items. When a layout is selected in the layout information display area 98, the items to be printed in the selected layout are displayed in a list.

[0222] Here, on the layout setting screen, it is possible to add or delete items to be printed in the selected layout. In other words, by adding or deleting items to be displayed in the item display area 99 and selecting items to be printed from the displayed list, the items to be output in the selected layout can be changed.

[0223] The preview area 100 is an area for displaying the content that will be output in the printing operation that is about to be performed. More specifically, it is an area for displaying the content that will be output when the item selected in the item display area 99 is printed in the layout selected in the layout information display area 98. In this way, by configuring the system so that the contents can be checked before actually carrying out the printing operation, it is possible to prevent the need to redo the output due to a setting error.

[0224] Incidentally, in the printing operation of this embodiment, as described above, it is possible to output a "dispensing record." When this "dispensing record" is output, it is possible to display the "theoretical value" of the amount of medicine theoretically required in the packaging operation (drug-related value), the "actual value" which is the amount of medicine actually packaged, the "calculated value" calculated based on the "actual value", the "weighing result" which indicates whether the packaging operation was completed successfully, and items such as the "weighing feeder".

[0225] When displaying the "theoretical value," it is possible to display one or more theoretical values ​​selected from the amounts of medicine based on different criteria, such as the total amount of medicine required per packaging operation, the amount of packaged medicine used per day, or the amount of packaged medicine used per time.

[0226] For example, it is possible to simultaneously display the theoretical value of the "total amount of medicine required per packaging operation" and the theoretical value of the "daily amount of medicine packaged in the packaging operation." That is, when theoretical values ​​are displayed, not only may theoretical values ​​based on one standard be displayed, but also theoretical values ​​based on different standards may be displayed.

[0227] In this case, one of them may be calculated based on the other. For example, the theoretical value of "the amount of medicine to be packaged per day" may be calculated from the theoretical value of "the total amount of medicine required per packaging operation" and displayed.

[0228] When displaying the "actual measured value," it is also possible to display one or more selected actual measured values ​​of amounts of medicine based on different criteria, such as the total amount of medicine required per packaging operation, the amount of packaged medicine used per day, the amount of packaged medicine used per time, etc. These are all values ​​measured during the packaging operation by the weight measuring means of the temporary container placement unit 18 or the container holding table 36. In other words, they are values ​​obtained by a situation response during the packaging operation.

[0229] When displaying these actual measurement values, not only may actual measurement values ​​based on one standard be displayed, but also actual measurement values ​​based on different standards may be displayed.

[0230] In this way, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment can output a document that lists both the "theoretical value" that is the target when carrying out the packaging operation and the "actual value" measured during the actual packaging operation. This allows the user to easily compare the "theoretical value" and the "actual value," and can determine whether or not a packaging error has occurred and the exact value of the packaging error.

[0231] As described above, the powder medicine dispensing and packing device 1 of this embodiment is capable of outputting various types of information onto paper media. That is, it is possible to output paper media such as that shown in FIG. More specifically, the paper medium shown in FIG. 44 has printed on its upper portion the start time of the packaging operation, the theoretical value of the "total amount of medicine required per packaging operation," and the theoretical value of the "daily use amount of packaged medicine." Furthermore, below that, for each type of medicine mixed in the packaging operation, the name of the medicine, the actual measured amount of the medicine, the theoretical amount of the medicine, and the ID of the "weighing feeder" are printed. The "weighing feeder" ID is information that identifies the container holder 36 on which the medicine container containing the medicine was placed during the packaging operation, and is an identification symbol formed by a combination of letters and numbers. Furthermore, further below that, the end time of the packaging operation and the total number of packages (the total number of packages when each medicine is packaged) are printed. [Reservation management operations]

[0232] In the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when a packaging operation to be performed in the future is in a waiting state, a weighing reservation notification screen (see Figure 23) is displayed on the operation display unit 3, and it is possible to display a list of medicines that are scheduled to be used in the packaging operation that is waiting to be performed. At this time, the amount of each medicine required for the packaging operation in the waiting state is calculated, and an inventory comparison operation is performed to compare the amount of medicine in stock. If the result of the inventory comparison operation indicates that there will be a shortage of medicine in the future, an informing operation is performed to notify the user of this fact.

[0233] The "waiting for execution state" refers to a state in which, despite an operation to execute a packaging operation, the packaging operation cannot be executed immediately due to reasons such as another packaging operation currently being executed. In this case, the target packaging operation is scheduled to be executed in the future, and is in a state of waiting for execution until the packaging operation becomes executable. Then, once the packaging operation becomes executable and is executed, the waiting for execution state is canceled.

[0234] Furthermore, if there are multiple packaging operations waiting to be executed, the packaging operations will be executed in order according to a predetermined sequence. In other words, the waiting states will be cleared in order.

[0235] As shown in FIG. 23, the weighing reservation notification screen has a patient information display area 105 and a medicine display area 106.

[0236] The patient information display area 105 displays patients who have been prescribed one or more drugs among drugs that are used one or more times in the packaging operation currently waiting to be executed. For each patient to be displayed, information about the patient, such as the patient name, patient ID, and number of packets, is displayed. The "number of packets" is information indicating how many packets will be intended for the patient when one or more single doses of medicine are sealed in one packet in a future packaging operation.

[0237] To explain this in more detail using an example, suppose there are three packaging operations waiting to be executed, and the medicines to be packaged in the first packaging operation have been prescribed for "Yuyama Ichiro" and "Yuyama Niiro," the medicines to be packaged in the second packaging operation have been prescribed for "Yuyama Niiro" and "Yuyama Sanro," and the medicines to be packaged in the third packaging operation have been prescribed for "Yuyama Shiro." In this case, "Yuyama Ichiro," "Yuyama Niiro," "Yuyama Sanro," and "Yuyama Shiro" will be displayed side by side in patient information display area 105.

[0238] In the medicine display area 106, a list of medicines that will be used at least once in all packaging operations currently waiting to be executed is displayed. For each medicine, the name of the medicine, the reserved amount, and the stock amount are displayed, and the shortage amount is also displayed as necessary.

[0239] The "reserved amount" is the amount of the target medicine that will be required in the future, and is the cumulative value of the amount used in each packaging operation that is currently waiting to be executed. In other words, it is the total value of the amount planned to be used in each packaging operation that is currently waiting to be executed.

[0240] The "stock amount" is the amount of the target drug currently stored in the automatic drug container 4 held in the container storage unit 23 or the automatic drug container 4 stored on the management shelf.

[0241] The reserved amount and stock amount are displayed not only by letters and numbers but also by graphs. As shown in Figure 24, the total length (reference number 108 in the figure) indicates the maximum amount, and the part of a different color (reference number 109 in the figure) indicates the current amount. The maximum reserved amount is the same as the maximum stock amount, and is the maximum capacity (capable amount) of the automatic medicine container 4 that contains the target medicine.

[0242] In addition, if the target drug is stored in two automatic drug containers 4, the inventory amount is the sum of the current storage capacities of the two automatic drug containers 4, and the maximum inventory amount is the sum of the maximum storage capacities of the two automatic drug containers 4. Furthermore, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when the medicine to be used is contained in two automatic medicine containers 4 in the packaging operation described above, the medicine with the least remaining amount is used first. That is, the amount of medicine contained in each of the two automatic medicine containers 4 is obtained by the information reading operation, and a remaining amount comparison operation can be performed to compare these amounts. This operation then identifies the automatic medicine container 4 with the least remaining amount, and a selection use operation can be performed to use the identified automatic medicine container 4 for the packaging operation.

[0243] In the powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment, a comparison operation (comparison operation) is performed to compare the reserved amount with the stock amount, and if the reserved amount exceeds the stock amount, a shortage calculation operation is performed to calculate the shortage amount. Then, a shortage notification operation (notification operation) is performed to display the calculated shortage amount and flash a frame.

[0244] This frame is displayed on the edge of the area of ​​the drug display area 106 that displays each drug individually, and is displayed in a flashing manner that alternates between displaying and hiding at a predetermined interval (for example, every 2 seconds).

[0245] Furthermore, when this shortage notification operation is being performed, the user can touch the area displaying the shortage amount of medicine to display a screen for performing the refilling operation to refill that medicine.

[0246] This filling operation is performed in the same procedure as the filling operation described above. Briefly, when the user performs a predetermined operation, the automatic medicine container 4 for storing the missing medicine is transported to the door 16 by the container moving device 28, and the door 16 is opened. Then, the user takes out automatic medicine container 4 and manually fills the shortage amount or more of medicine into automatic medicine container 4. At the same time, an external device performs an operation to store the amount of medicine filled in the RFID of automatic medicine container 4. Furthermore, the automatic medicine container 4 filled with medicine is placed on the temporary container placement section 18 of the door section 16, and a predetermined operation (for example, pressing the complete button) is performed.

[0247] At this time, temporary container placement unit 18 performs a filling verification operation to re-measure the weight of automatic medicine container 4. If this operation determines that the automatic medicine container 4 is filled with the correct amount of medicine (more than the shortage amount), an operation is performed to move automatic medicine container 4 to container storage unit 23 or container holder 36. Note that the case of moving to container holder 36 occurs when the next packaging operation to be performed is a packaging operation using automatic medicine container 4 filled with medicine. On the other hand, if the result of the filling verification operation shows that the medicine contained in the automatic medicine container 4 is still insufficient, a notification operation (for example, a message is displayed on the operation display unit 3) is performed to prompt the user to remove the automatic medicine container 4 again and fill it with medicine. Alternatively, a screen is displayed that allows the user to select whether to switch to a packaging operation using an automatic medicine container 4 stored on an external management shelf or a manual medicine container 5. [Package verification operation]

[0248] The powdered medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing a packaging verification operation for verifying whether or not a packaging operation performed in the past was performed correctly. In this packing verification operation, the prescription history list screen (see FIG. 25) is displayed in advance, any prescription is selected, and the packing verification operation is performed on the packing operation related to the selected prescription.

[0249] As shown in FIG. 25, the prescription history list screen includes a condition input area 115 for specifying the prescription of the packaging operation to be verified, and a prescription display area 116 for displaying a list of prescriptions.

[0250] In the condition input area 115, it is possible to input items such as the patient name, start date, end date, start time, and end time, which are specific conditions for the prescription. At this time, when entering the patient name, the user can select a specific patient from a list (not shown) that is displayed after pressing the patient list call button 117, or can directly enter characters. The start and end dates can be entered by specifying the date and time on a calendar screen (not shown) that is displayed by selecting the input field.

[0251] After entering conditions in the condition input area 115, pressing the display button 118 causes a list of prescriptions that satisfy the entered conditions to be displayed in the prescription display area . That is, when a patient name is entered, prescriptions for patients matching this patient name will be displayed in a list. Also, when a start date and an end date are entered, prescriptions that fall within the period in which the prescription date was entered will be displayed in a list, and when a start time and an end time are entered, prescriptions that fall within the period in which the prescription time was entered will be displayed in a list. Note that when multiple conditions are entered, prescriptions that meet all of the multiple conditions will be displayed.

[0252] On the other hand, when the display button 118 is pressed without any conditions being entered in the condition input area 115, all recorded prescriptions are displayed in a list in the prescription display area 116. The display button 118 is configured to say "Display" when any item has been entered in the condition input area 115, and to say "Display all" when nothing has been entered (as shown in Figure 25).

[0253] When prescriptions are displayed in a list in the prescription display area 116 (see FIG. 26), each line corresponds to a different prescription. By touching the area where one of the lines is displayed with a finger or the like, it is possible to transition the prescription corresponding to the line displayed in the touched area from an unselected state to a selected state. If the delete button 119 is pressed while a prescription is selected, a process of deleting the selected prescription from the list is executed. Furthermore, if a predetermined operation is performed while a prescription is selected, a weighing history screen (see FIG. 27) is displayed, which displays specific details about the selected prescription.

[0254] As shown in Figure 27, the weighing history screen has a date display section 125, a patient name display section 126, an explanation display section 127, an error display section 128, a drug information display section 129, a progress display section 130, an allocation video button 131, a flow rate button 132, and a weighing value button 133.

[0255] The date display section 125 is a section for displaying the date of administration and the date of dispensing of the packaged medicine.

[0256] The patient name display section 126 is a section for displaying information relating to the name of the patient who has been prescribed the packaged medicine.

[0257] The explanation display section 127 is a section for displaying information regarding the administration of the packaged medicine, such as the timing of administration, the method of administration, and the prescribed amount.

[0258] The error display section 128 is a section for displaying information (hereinafter also referred to as error information) about problems that occurred during the packaging operation related to the displayed prescription. If multiple problems have occurred, multiple pieces of error information are displayed in a list.

[0259] By touching the area where any of the error information is displayed with a finger or the like, the error information displayed in the area where the touch was made can be switched from an unselected state to a selected state. Here, if multiple pieces of error information are displayed, any one of the pieces of error information can be selected. In other words, all of the error information other than the selected piece of error information will be switched to an unselected state.

[0260] The drug information display section 129 is a section for displaying information about each drug used in the packaging operation, such as the drug name, the allocated amount, information indicating the distribution tray 35 used in the packaging operation, and information about the packaging operation format.

[0261] The transition display section 130 is a section that displays information showing the transition of the flow rate or weighing value of the medicine, and specifically, it is a section that displays a graph (flow rate in Figure 27) with time on the horizontal axis and flow rate or weighing value on the vertical axis. Here, the "flow rate" is the absolute value of the amount of medicine supplied to the distribution tray 35 between successive times, and the "weighed value" is the integrated value of the amount of medicine supplied to the distribution tray 35 up to a predetermined time. In other words, the transition display unit 130 can be said to be a part for displaying the transition of the amount of medicine supplied to the distribution tray 35 during the packaging operation to be displayed. When drugs are displayed in the drug information display unit 129, selecting a displayed drug causes a line corresponding to the selected drug in the graph to be highlighted. That is, the line is displayed in bold, the color of the line changes, or the line blinks.

[0262] The powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of displaying a graph showing the change in flow rate or weighing value over time, allowing the user to immediately determine whether the packaging operation performed resulted in normal changes in flow rate or weighing value, and if not, how much of a difference there is. Here, as parts of the powder medicine packaging device 1, such as the distribution tray 35 and the container holder 36, deteriorate over time, the flow rate or weighing value may change slightly differently from normal. That is, the change may be slightly different from normal, but not to a degree that would be problematic. The powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment allows the user to immediately recognize such changes, making it possible to predict future problems related to deterioration over time.

[0263] Furthermore, when information about a malfunction is displayed in error display section 128, a display symbol 135 indicating the time at which the error information selected in error display section 128 occurred is displayed (error time display operation). In other words, it is possible to select a malfunction that occurred in a packaging operation that was previously performed, and once a malfunction has been selected, it is possible to perform a notification operation that visually notifies the user of the time at which the selected malfunction occurred in a graph.

[0264] The allocation video button 131 is a button for displaying a past video display screen (see FIG. 28, etc.) which will be described later.

[0265] The flow rate button 132 and the weighed value button 133 are buttons for switching the items of the graph displayed in the transition display section 130. That is, when the flow rate button 132 is pressed, the value indicated on the vertical axis of the graph becomes "flow rate," and when the weighed value button 133 is pressed, the value indicated on the vertical axis of the graph becomes "weighed value."

[0266] In the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment, by displaying a past video display screen (see FIG. 28, etc.), it is possible to verify the time leading up to the malfunction and the operations performed around the distribution tray 35 at the time the error occurred. In addition, it is possible to confirm the transition of the flow rate or weighing value over time by comparing it with the operations actually performed around the distribution tray 35.

[0267] The past video display screen is provided with, from the top down, a past action display area 138 for displaying videos shot in the past, a seek bar display area 139 (time display section), and a graph display area 140.

[0268] In the past action display area 138, a first past action display section 145 and a second past action display section 146 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0269] The first past operation display unit 145 is a section for displaying a moving image captured and recorded by the camera member 40 that captures an image of the medicine discharge portion of the medicine container on the container holding stand 36 adjacent to one of the distribution trays 35 and its surroundings. In other words, it is a section for displaying a moving image (past packaging image) showing the state of the surrounding area of ​​one of the distribution trays 35 during a packaging operation performed on one of the distribution trays 35 among packaging operations performed in the past.

[0270] The second past operation display unit 146 is a section for displaying a video imaged and recorded by the camera member 40 that photographs the medicine discharge portion of the medicine container on the container holding stand 36 adjacent to the other dispensing tray 35 and its surroundings. In other words, it is a section for displaying a video image showing the state of the surrounding area of ​​the other dispensing tray 35 during a packaging operation performed on the other dispensing tray 35 among packaging operations performed in the past.

[0271] In the seek bar display area 139, a play button 148, a stop button 149, and a seek bar 150 are displayed.

[0272] The play button 148 is a button for playing back a video in the first past action display section 145 and / or the second past action display section 146, and pressing the button starts playing back the video.

[0273] The stop button 149 is a button for stopping the video being played in the first past action display section 145 and / or the second past action display section 146, and pressing this button stops the playback of the video.

[0274] The seek bar 150 indicates the current playback position of the video displayed in the past action display area 138, and visually indicates which part of the video is currently being displayed between the start and end. By operating the seek bar 150, it is possible to change the playback position of the video.

[0275] The graph display area 140 is a section for displaying a graph similar to the graph displayed in the transition display section 130 described above.

[0276] The past video display screen displays a video showing the state of the area around the distribution tray 35 during a past packaging operation, and a graph showing the change in the amount of medicine supplied to the distribution tray 35 during this packaging operation, all on the same screen. The displayed graph highlights the time when a problem occurred during the packaging operation. Therefore, when the user checks what happened around the distribution tray 35 at the time of the malfunction and the time before and after, the user can easily grasp the situation by simply comparing these, which simplifies the user's checking operation. [Maintenance Operation]

[0277] In the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, a cleaning operation can be performed as needed to clean the distribution tray 35. This allows the remaining medicine to be completely removed even if a small amount of medicine remains on the distribution tray 35 during the packaging operation. In other words, when medicine is supplied to the distribution tray 35 in a subsequent packaging operation, the supplied medicine and the remaining medicine will not be mixed together (so-called contamination will not occur).

[0278] In the cleaning operation, the tip end portion of the cleaning device 38 is lowered to be close to the distribution tray 35. Then, an operation is performed to rotate the distribution tray 35 at a predetermined speed. The cleaning device 38 is provided with a suction device that sucks up remaining medicine, and has a rotatable brush-like part and a suction port for the suction device formed at the tip end portion. In other words, the cleaning operation involves the brush-like portion in contact with the distribution tray 35 scraping out the remaining medicine, and the suction device sucking up the remaining medicine that has been blown up. [Repackaging operation]

[0279] The powdered medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is configured to perform a history storage operation that stores execution conditions for each packaging operation that has been performed as history information. The execution conditions include information such as the name of each drug used in the packaging operation, the total amount of each drug used, the amount per dose, the timing of administration, and the number of doses.

[0280] This history storage operation is configured to store not only performance history information, which is history information of the packaging operations that have been performed, but also completion history information, which is history information only of packaging operations that have been completed successfully. In other words, it is possible to execute an operation to store performance history information (first history storage operation) and an operation to store completion history information (second history storage operation).

[0281] It is then possible to execute a first re-packaging operation, in which the packaging operation is carried out again based on the history information (execution history information) of the packaging operation that has been carried out, and a second re-packaging operation, in which the packaging operation is carried out again based on the history information (completion history information) of the packaging operation that has been completed successfully.

[0282] To explain in more detail, in the powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment, by operating the operation display unit 3, a packing history display screen (see FIG. 29) can be displayed.

[0283] The packing history display screen is provided with a history display area 155 that displays a list of medicines for which packing operations have been performed in the past. By performing a predetermined operation, it is possible to switch between a state in which the history of packing operations that have been performed in the past is displayed as a list for each operation, and a state in which the history of packing operations that have been successfully completed in the past is displayed as a list for each operation.

[0284] Then, by selecting one of the listed actions and pressing the "Reissue" button, the previously performed packing action can be performed again.

[0285] In other words, in this embodiment, the packaging operation can be performed again based on the execution history information, and when a packaging operation that was interrupted for some reason is performed again, it can be performed without detailed setting operations, which has the advantage that complicated operations are not required when resuming the operation. For example, if the packaging operation has been completed halfway, it is possible to easily open the packaging bag, re-introduce the medicine into the medicine container (automatic medicine container 4, manual medicine container 5), and then perform the operation again. [Other actions]

[0286] Furthermore, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment can appropriately perform various operations such as a holding container confirmation operation, a container attitude determination operation, a holding position change operation, a movement distance shortening operation, a vibration pattern change operation, a measuring means adjustment operation, etc. Each operation will be described in detail. [Holding container check operation]

[0287] The holding container confirmation operation is an operation for acquiring information regarding the position of the automatic medicine containers 4 held in the container storage unit 23, the type of medicine contained in each automatic medicine container 4, and the weight of the medicine container. In this holding container confirmation operation, the drum member 25 is rotated, and an information reading operation is performed in which information is read from the RFID tags of the automatic medicine containers 4 attached to each tier using an information reading device (not shown) provided at a position corresponding to each tier of the drum member 25.

[0288] Here, the number of information reading devices is less than the number of container installation portions of the above-described drum member 25. That is, in this embodiment, by configuring the drum member 25 to rotate and read information, it is possible to reduce the number of information reading devices to be attached.

[0289] After carrying out this holding container confirmation operation, the names of the medicines contained in all of the automatic medicine containers 4 held in the container storage unit 23, the weights of the medicines contained, the holding positions, etc. may be printed and output on a medium such as paper. Although not particularly limited, it is desirable that this printing operation be carried out when the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 is started up (immediately after the power is turned on). [Container posture detection operation]

[0290] The container posture determination operation is an operation for determining whether the automatic medicine container 4 is held correctly in the container storage unit 23 or not. That is, whether or not the protruding member of the container installation section is retracted is detected by an optical sensor built into the drum member 25. In addition, the drum member 25 is rotated, and the optical sensor provided on the outside of the drum member 25 detects whether or not the automatic medicine container 4 protrudes from a specified position. Based on the detection results from these two optical sensors, it is determined whether or not the automatic medicine container 4 is installed in the correct position.

[0291] In this way, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is configured to be able to perform the holding container confirmation operation and the container posture determination operation by rotating the drum member 25. This rotation operation of the drum member 25 is configured to be performed automatically when the powder medicine packaging device 1 is started (immediately after power is turned on). Note that, in addition to being performed at start-up or during the above-mentioned packaging operation, this may also be performed at a predetermined time, such as before the start of work for the day, before each packaging operation, at regular intervals, or immediately after the door unit 16 is closed. [Holding position change operation]

[0292] The powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing a holding position changing operation, which changes the mounting position of the automatic medicine container 4 in the container storage unit 23, as a unique operation. This holding position change operation is an operation of automatically changing the holding position of the automatic medicine container 4 in the container storage unit 23 based on the frequency of use of each automatic medicine container 4 held in the container storage unit 23.

[0293] For example, during an influenza epidemic or during the pollen season, the amount of a specific medicine used will be significantly higher. In other words, in the packaging operation that is performed, the automatic medicine container 4 containing the specific medicine will be used more frequently than other automatic medicine containers 4.

[0294] Therefore, the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment performs a holding position change operation in such a situation, and places the automatic medicine container 4 that is used more frequently near the distribution tray 35.

[0295] Specifically, the drum member 25 that holds the automatic medicine container 4 in the container storage section 23 is located above the distribution tray 35. Therefore, the lower side of the drum member 25 is closer to the distribution tray 35 than the upper side.

[0296] Therefore, when the arm unit 30 takes out the automatic medicine container 4 from the container storage unit 23 and moves it to the container holding stand 36, if the automatic medicine container 4 is taken out and moved from below the drum member 25, the moving distance can be made shorter than if the automatic medicine container 4 is taken out and moved from above.

[0297] In other words, by performing the holding position change operation and moving the holding position of the frequently used automatic medicine container 4 from above to below the drum member 25, it is possible to shorten the moving distance of the automatic medicine container 4 when performing the packaging operation, making it possible to perform the packaging operation more efficiently.

[0298] That is, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment stores the number of times that the automatic medicine containers 4 have been used in the packaging operation. Then, when the number of times that a specific automatic medicine container 4 has been used reaches or exceeds a specific number, or exceeds the number of times that another automatic medicine container 4 has been used by a specific number, the specific automatic medicine container 4 that was held on the upper side of the drum member 25 is moved to the lower side.

[0299] At this time, if there is a vacant space on the lower level side and an automatic medicine container 4 can be held, the predetermined automatic medicine container 4 is moved directly to the lower level side. On the other hand, if there is no free space on the lower level to hold the automatic medicine container 4, the automatic medicine container 4 currently held on the lower level is temporarily placed in a sheltered location such as a temporary container storage area 18, and after the specified automatic medicine container 4 is moved from the upper level to the lower level, the automatic medicine container 4 in the sheltered location is moved to the upper level. [Movement distance reduction]

[0300] When the above-mentioned packaging operations are performed consecutively, if the automatic medicine container 4 used in the preceding packaging operation is to be used in the subsequent packaging operation, an operation to shorten the travel distance may be performed as necessary. In this movement distance shortening operation, after the powdered medicine (medicine) is discharged from the automatic medicine container 4 onto the distribution tray 35 in the preceding packaging operation, instead of moving the automatic medicine container 4 from the container holding table 36 to the container storage section 23, the automatic medicine container 4 is moved to the temporary container placement section 18. Then, in the subsequent packaging operation, the automatic medicine container 4 is moved from the temporary container placement section 18 to the container holding table 36. This makes it possible to shorten the movement distance of the automatic medicine container 4.

[0301] If there is a container holder 36 that will not be used in the preceding packaging operation, instead of moving the automatic medicine container 4 from the container holder 36 to the container storage section 23, the automatic medicine container 4 may be moved to the unused container holder 36. In this case, in the subsequent packaging operation, the automatic medicine container 4 is moved from the container holder 36 that will not be used in the preceding packaging operation to a predetermined container holder 36. This also shortens the moving distance of the automatic medicine container 4. [Vibration pattern change operation]

[0302] The powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing a vibration pattern changing operation to increase or decrease the amplitude when vibrating the vibration table section.

[0303] In more detail, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, as described above, when each packaging operation is performed, the vibration table portion of the container holding table 36 is vibrated, and medicine is supplied from inside the medicine container held by the container holding table 36 to the distribution tray 35.

[0304] Here, even though the vibration table unit continues to vibrate, there may be cases where the chemical stops being supplied from the chemical container or the amount supplied per unit time becomes extremely small. In this case, the cause may be that the powdered chemical sticks and forms clumps inside the automatic chemical container 4, or there is no chemical inside the automatic chemical container 4.

[0305] In addition, a situation in which there is no medicine inside the automatic medicine container 4 may occur if the above-mentioned reservation management operation is not performed properly for some reason, the missing amount is not displayed and the packaging operation is started, and the weight measuring means of the container holding table 36 is unable to detect that there is no medicine inside the automatic medicine container 4.

[0306] In this embodiment, when the supply amount per unit time falls below a certain level despite the continued vibration of the vibration table, a vibration pattern change operation is first performed to increase the amplitude of the vibration and to break up the clumps of medicine. That is, first, it is assumed that clumps of medicine have formed, and the cause is attempted to be eliminated. In this case, if the cause is the clumps of medicine as expected, increasing the amplitude and vibrating the automatic medicine container 4 more strongly may break up the clumps and eliminate the cause.

[0307] If the supply amount per unit time is less than a certain amount despite the vibration pattern change operation being performed to increase the amplitude, the vibration of the vibration table section is stopped and an alarm operation is performed to notify the user that the specified amount of medicine is not being supplied to the distribution tray 35 per unit time. This notification operation is performed by displaying a predetermined message on the operation display unit 3, emitting a sound such as a voice or an alarm, or emitting light such as turning on a separately provided emergency light.

[0308] Furthermore, in the powdered medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment, after this notification operation is performed, stock-out processing is performed as appropriate. That is, the automatic medicine container 4 from which the medicine could not be discharged is removed from the main body device 2 by using the arm portion 30 or manually, and the automatic medicine container 4 is inspected by the user.

[0309] At this time, if the powdered medicine has solidified and formed clumps inside the automatic medicine container 4, the user breaks up the clumps. Also, if it is confirmed that there is no medicine inside the automatic medicine container 4, the user fills it with medicine.

[0310] Thereafter, the automatic medicine container 4 that has been inspected is placed on the container holder 36 using the arm unit 30 or manually, and the supply of medicine to the distribution tray 35 is resumed. That is, the vibration of the vibration table unit is resumed, and the distribution tray 35 is rotated again. As described above, in the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment, the weight of the automatic medicine container 4 is constantly detected while medicine is being supplied from the automatic medicine container 4 to the distribution tray 35. In other words, the weight of the medicine supplied to the distribution tray 35 before the interruption is stored. Therefore, when the supply of medicine to the distribution tray 35 is resumed, the remaining supply amount is calculated based on the weight of the medicine supplied to the distribution tray 35 before the interruption, and the calculated supply amount of medicine is supplied to the distribution tray 35.

[0311] In this embodiment, if the supply amount per unit time is less than a certain amount despite the execution of a vibration pattern change operation to increase the amplitude, the vibration of the vibration table unit is stopped, and an operation is automatically performed to move the automatic medicine container 4 to the temporary container placement unit 18 by the arm unit 30. Then, the user opens the door unit 16 and removes the automatic medicine container 4.

[0312] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the manual medicine container 5 is used when performing the third packaging operation, but this is not limiting, and the third packaging operation may also be performed using the automatic medicine container 4. In other words, the automatic medicine container 4 may be used instead of the manual medicine container 5.

[0313] The data storage unit is not limited to an HDD built into the main device 2, but may be an external HDD connected to the main device 2 via a cable or the like. Also, a configuration in which an HDD built into the main device 2 and an external HDD are used together is also acceptable.

[0314] In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the discharge speed of the powdered medicine into the distribution tray 35 is changed by operating the operation button unit 88. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Fig. 30, a speed increase button and a speed decrease button may be provided so that pressing each button increases or decreases the speed. Also, a memory section that visually displays the speed levels, such as a bar-shaped scale, may be provided near the speed increase button and the speed decrease button.

[0315] In addition to the above operations, if a sudden change in the discharge speed is detected due to external vibration or impact when powdered medicine (medicine) is being supplied from inside the medicine container to the distribution tray 35, an alarm operation is performed to notify the user of this (for example, a warning message is displayed on the operation display unit 3, an alarm sound is emitted, etc.), and a message may be displayed on the operation display unit 3 to allow the user to select whether or not to perform an emergency stop. If an emergency stop is not performed, the packaging operation may be continued as is, and an operation may be performed to record in the history information that the discharge speed has changed suddenly (the occurrence of an abnormality).

[0316] In addition to the above operations, the total weight of the sachet divided into one or more doses formed by each sachet operation and the powdered medicine contained therein may be calculated, and the calculated result may be printed directly on the sachet or on a medium such as paper.

[0317] For example, a long sheet, which is the raw material for sachets and is wound around a core tube in a roll and stored inside the housing 10, has an RFID tag attached to the core tube. By reading the information written in the RFID tag, it is possible to perform a weight acquisition operation to acquire the weight of the long sheet. Here, a weight acquisition operation is performed before and after each packaging operation, and the acquired weights are compared to calculate the weight of the sachet produced in the target packaging operation.The total weight of the sachet and the powdered medicine contained therein is then calculated from the calculated weight of the sachet and the total amount of medicine used (total discharged) in the packaging operation.

[0318] As another example, the information on the RFID tag attached to the core tube may be read to obtain the length of the output long sheet, and the weight of the produced sachet may be calculated from this length and the total weight of the unused long sheet.The total weight of the sachet and the powdered medicine contained therein may then be calculated from the weight of the sachet calculated in this way and the total amount of medicine used (total discharged) in the packaging operation.

[0319] Furthermore, when forming the sachet, if the total weight of the sachet and the powdered medicine contained therein is printed directly, the user can simply place the formed sachet on a scale and perform an audit while looking at the printed contents, thereby improving the convenience of the work. When printing the total weight of the sachet and the powdered medicine contained therein, it may be printed together with other information, such as the weighing start time, voucher number, age, weight, medicine name, daily amount (theoretical value and / or actual value), total amount (theoretical value and / or actual value), total weight including medicine (theoretical value and / or actual value), number of minutes, number of days, etc.

[0320] Among the above-mentioned packaging operations, when a packaging operation using an automatic medicine container 4 is performed, a container switching operation may be performed to switch the medicine container to be used from the automatic medicine container 4 to the manual medicine container 5 before the operation of discharging powdered medicine into the distribution tray 35 is started. That is, a predetermined chemical is selected from a list of chemicals to be used in the packaging operation to be performed (or the packaging operation currently being performed) on the operation display unit 3, and a predetermined operation is performed to set the chemical to be discharged from the manual chemical container 5 to the distribution tray 35. Then, before (or during) the packaging operation, the front door 34 is temporarily lifted, and the manual chemical container 5, which has already been filled with the chemical, is placed on the container holder 36.

[0321] In the above example, a moving image relating to the packaging operation is displayed, but still images may also be displayed. For example, a photographing operation is performed every few seconds while the packaging operation is being performed. Meanwhile, a barcode for identifying the prescription (packaging operation) is printed on the packaging bag formed during the packaging operation. Then, an operation is performed to read the barcode information using a predetermined reading device, and a corresponding still image is displayed on the operation display unit 3. This allows confirmation of whether the medicine has been properly discharged into the distribution tray 35. The reading device may be provided integrally with the main body device 2, or may be provided separately and connected via a communication network.

[0322] In the above example, when a packaging operation is performed to mix and package a predetermined number (six in this embodiment) or more of medicines, the packaging operation is performed using both the automatic medicine container 4 and the manual medicine container 5. In this packaging operation, the manual medicine container 5 may be used to specify the medicine to be discharged into the distribution tray 35, and an operation may be performed to prompt the user to select the desired medicine.

[0323] Specifically, when registering medicines in the "medicine master" during database editing, the "manual distribution cassette priority" item (item for specifying the priority) can be entered. For example, this item can be selected from high, medium, and low. When performing a packaging operation to mix a predetermined number (six in this embodiment) or more of medicines, the medicines are displayed as recommended manual preparation in order of priority (or displayed in a list so that the differences in priority are clear).

[0324] In addition, if the number of medicines (hereinafter also referred to as the set number) to be used with the manual medicine container 5 is set in advance (or specified by the user), and there are more medicines with the same priority than the set number, only the set number may be presented in the order of registration.

[0325] Furthermore, the above-mentioned priority setting can be implemented as appropriate, but it is preferable to set it taking into consideration high-risk drugs such as narcotics, poisons, psychotropic drugs, and powerful drugs, as well as granular drugs, colored drugs, and drugs that must be stored in a cool place. For example, high-risk chemicals may be rated "low" to reduce the possibility of cross-contamination. Chemicals that are prone to scattering may be rated "low" to reduce the effort required to fill the manual chemical container 5 with the chemical. Conversely, chemicals that are easy to fill into the manual chemical container 5, such as granular medicines, may be rated "high." Colored medicines may be rated "low" to prevent the manual chemical container 5 from becoming discolored.

[0326] As described above, the medicine container of this embodiment is equipped with an information recording member (RFID chip), allowing for appropriate information reading and writing operations. This enables the following operations. Note that although some of the explanations may overlap, all of them comply with the configuration and operations described above.

[0327] The RFID records the name of the medicine and the remaining amount of the medicine in the medicine container. When the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment is started, the types and remaining amounts of medicine contained in all medicine containers mounted on the drum member 25 are read from the RFID tags and recorded in the control unit. That is, the drum member 25 is rotated, and the RFID information is read by an information reading device (an information reading device and an information writing device provided integrally or separately). Also, which medicine containers are contained in which positions on the drum member 25 are confirmed and recorded.

[0328] In this embodiment, an information reading / writing device is provided near the container holder 36. When a medicine container is taken out of the container storage unit 23 to be packaged and placed on the container holder 36, it is confirmed whether the medicine is a target medicine.

[0329] Furthermore, when the dispensing operation is completed, the remaining amount of medicine in the medicine container recorded on the RFID tag is rewritten by an information reading / writing device located near the container holder 36.

[0330] After the packaging is completed and before the medicine container is returned to the container storage section 23, the medicine container is placed in the temporary container storage section 18 and the weight of the medicine container is measured again. In this way, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment double-checks the weight of the medicine.

[0331] After the medicine container is returned from the container temporary storage section 18 to the container storage section 23, the drum member 25 is rotated to bring the returned medicine container close to the information reading / writing device, and it is confirmed that the medicine container returned to the container storage section 23 is the original medicine container.

[0332] When a medicine container is placed in powder medicine packing device 1 from the outside, information about the medicine contained in the medicine container is input via operation and display unit 3. Then, by placing the medicine container in temporary container placement unit 18 and performing a predetermined operation, the weight of the medicine container is measured and the weight is written to the RFID. Furthermore, the medicine information is read from the RFID, and it is confirmed that the medicine is the one input by the user.

[0333] The same applies when the medicine container runs low on medicine and is then refilled with medicine and placed in powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1. If the medicine container is low in medicine, the medicine container is moved from the container holder 36 or the container storage section 23 to the temporary container placement section 18 of the door section 16. Then, the door section 16 automatically opens, allowing the user to remove the medicine container.

[0334] When packaging medicines that are not normally stored in the container storage section 23 (hereinafter also referred to as emergency medicines), the medicine container containing the medicine is placed into the powder medicine packaging device 1 using the procedure described above, and in this case too, information about the medicine (emergency medicine) is read from the RFID and it is confirmed that it is the medicine entered by the user. When emergency medicines are used, the medicine containers are directly transferred to the container holder 36 and dispensing begins. Once the medicine container filled with the emergency medicine has been dispensed, it is immediately moved to the temporary container storage section 18. The door section 16 then automatically opens, allowing the user to remove the medicine container.

[0335] The sliding front door 34 does not need to be opened during normal operation, but if a problem occurs and the front door 34 is opened, the drug containers in the container storage section 23 can be freely inserted and removed. Therefore, to ensure that the drug containers have not been swapped and to reconfirm their positions, when the front door 34 is closed, the types and remaining amounts of drugs contained in all drug containers mounted on the drum member 25 are read from the RFID tags and recorded in the control unit, just as when the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 is started. That is, the drum member 25 is rotated, and the RFID information is read by the information reading and writing device. The positions of the drug containers stored on the drum member 25 are also confirmed and recorded.

[0336] As shown in Fig. 31, the above-described powder medicine packing device 1 can transmit and receive data (signals) to and from the control device 160 via a communication network such as a local area network (LAN), thereby enabling the construction of a powder medicine dispensing work support system 161. This powder medicine dispensing work support system 161 will be described in detail.

[0337] As shown in Figure 31, this powdered medicine dispensing business support system 161 includes a control device 160, a medicine weighing device 6, and a powdered medicine packaging device 1, and the control device 160 and other dispensing equipment (the medicine weighing device 6 and the powdered medicine packaging device 1) are connected together via a communication network such as an in-house communication network (LAN) so that they can send and receive data (signals) with each other. The control device 160 is also connected to an external PC 162 used by a doctor in a state in which data can be transmitted and received between them. When the doctor inputs information about the prescription into the external PC 162, prescription data to be used by each device constituting the powdered medicine dispensing business support system 161 is created.

[0338] That is, when a doctor inputs prescription-related data into external PC 162, a signal is sent from external PC 162 to control device 160, and control device 160 creates prescription-related data (hereinafter also simply referred to as prescription data) to be sent to powder medicine packing device 1. Then, a determination operation is performed to determine whether the prescription included in this prescription data is a prescription that can be automatically processed by powder medicine packing device 1 alone. Note that this determination operation may be performed by control device 160, or may be performed by powder medicine packing device 1 after prescription data is sent from control device 160 to powder medicine packing device 1.

[0339] This determination operation is an operation for determining whether or not the prescription included in the prescription data can be packaged by the first packaging operation or the second packaging operation described above. If the result of this determination operation is that the prescription included in the prescription data is a prescription that can be automatically processed by the powder medicine packaging device 1 alone and can be handled by the first packaging operation, the first packaging operation is carried out. Also, if the prescription included in the prescription data is a prescription that can be automatically processed by the powder medicine packaging device 1 alone but the first packaging operation cannot be carried out, the second packaging operation is carried out.

[0340] With this configuration, prescriptions that can be packaged by the first packaging operation or the second packaging operation can be processed automatically by simply inputting data into the external PC 162. This makes it possible to package powdered medicines without inputting data into the powdered medicine packaging device 1.

[0341] Here, an operation of filling powdered medicine (medicine) into the automatic medicine container 4 that can be performed in the powdered medicine dispensing business support system 161 will be described. Similar to the filling operation described above, powder medicine dispensing operation support system 161 is also capable of causing powder medicine packaging device 1 to hold automatic medicine container 4 in drum member 25. In addition, when powder medicine is filled into automatic medicine container 4 stored on an external management shelf, powder medicine dispensing operation support system 161 is also capable of registering the filling of powder medicine into automatic medicine container 4 in control device 160. This registration operation will be described in detail.

[0342] First, prior to operation, powdered medicine is filled into the automatic medicine container 4. This filling operation is performed manually by a pharmacist. Furthermore, as the medicine is filled, various information is stored in the RFID tag of the automatic medicine container 4. More specifically, information such as the name of the person who performed the filling operation (or the filler ID), the date of filling, the amount filled, and the name of the medicine filled is stored.

[0343] Then, the operation display unit 3 is operated to open the door unit 16, and the automatic medicine container 4 filled with the powder medicine is placed on the temporary container storage unit 18. At this time, the control unit 160 is operated, causing a signal to be sent from the control unit 160 to the powder medicine packaging device 1. When the powder medicine packaging device 1 receives the signal, a weight measurement operation is performed by the weight measuring means of the temporary container storage unit 18 to measure the weight of the automatic medicine container 4. In addition, an information writing operation is performed to store the measured weight in the RFID tag of the automatic medicine container 4.

[0344] When the weight measurement operation and information writing operation are completed, a signal indicating the completion of the operation is sent from powder medicine packing device 1 to control device 160. Then, a message prompting the user to remove automatic medicine container 4 from door 16 is displayed on operation display unit 3. When the user removes automatic medicine container 4 in this state, the series of registration operations is completed.

[0345] In the above example, the powder medicine packaging device 1 receives a signal sent from the control device 160, thereby performing the weight measurement operation and information writing operation. However, instead of this, the weight measurement operation and information writing operation may be performed by operating the operation display unit 3. Furthermore, in powdered medicine dispensing work support system 161, when performing a filling operation to hold automatic medicine container 4 in drum member 25, control device 160 may be operated, and powdered medicine packing device 1 may receive a signal transmitted from control device 160 to perform various equivalent operations such as a weight measurement operation, an information writing operation, and moving automatic medicine container 4. In other words, various operations may be performed by operating operation display unit 3, or by receiving a signal from control device 160.

[0346] In powdered medicine packaging device 1, as described above, a medicine container (automatic medicine container 4 or manual medicine container 5) is placed on container holder 36, and a vibration operation is performed on the vibration table portion of container holder 36. Then, the weight of the medicine container obtained before the vibration operation started (original weight) is compared with the current weight of the medicine container (current weight) that is continuously obtained during the vibration operation, and the vibration operation is stopped when the amount of powdered medicine supplied, which is the value obtained by subtracting the current weight from the original weight, reaches a specified amount.

[0347] Here, when the vibration operation is stopped, it is conceivable that powdered medicine will be discharged from the medicine container due to inertia after the vibration operation has stopped. That is, it is conceivable that a small amount of powdered medicine will be supplied to the distribution tray 35 after the vibration operation has stopped. In this case, if the vibration operation is stopped after the amount of powdered medicine actually supplied reaches the planned supply amount, there is a risk that more powdered medicine than the planned supply amount will be supplied to the distribution tray 35. In other words, if the vibration operation is stopped on the condition that the amount of powdered medicine supplied reaches a specified amount, and this specified amount is set to be the same as the planned supply amount, there is a possibility that more powdered medicine than the planned supply amount will be supplied to the distribution tray 35.

[0348] Therefore, in the powder medicine packing device 1 of this embodiment, the amount of powder medicine predicted to be discharged after the vibration operation is stopped is estimated and a specified amount is set. That is, the specified amount is set to be smaller than the planned supply amount, and the vibration operation is stopped when the amount of powder medicine supplied reaches the specified amount.

[0349] More specifically, the powder medicine packaging device 1 is capable of calculating the remaining supply amount from the planned supply amount and the amount of powder medicine already supplied, and also of calculating the supply amount per predetermined time during the ongoing vibration operation. Furthermore, the amount of powder medicine that will flow out of the medicine container due to inertia after the vibration operation stops is derived in advance through experiments or the like and stored in the data storage unit. From this, it is possible to obtain the amount of powder medicine that is predicted to be supplied after the vibration operation stops. Then, after continuing to supply powdered medicine to the distribution tray 35, the vibration operation is stopped when the remaining supply amount becomes the same as the amount of powdered medicine supplied from the medicine container after the vibration operation has stopped. In other words, the "specified amount" that is the condition mentioned above is the value obtained by subtracting the amount of powdered medicine supplied after the vibration operation has stopped from the planned supply amount.

[0350] Here, consider a case where the powder medicine packaging device 1 is momentarily shaken due to, for example, a person bumping into the powder medicine packaging device 1. In this case, the shaking may be transmitted to the medicine containers, the container holder 36, etc., causing a temporary increase in the value of the powder medicine supply amount per time calculated by the powder medicine packaging device 1. In other words, the powder medicine supply amount calculated by the powder medicine packaging device 1 may exceed the amount of powder medicine actually supplied. In this case, the powder medicine packaging device 1 may determine that a sufficient amount has been supplied, even though in fact the amount supplied is not sufficient, and stop vibrating. In other words, there is a possibility that a malfunction may occur in which the amount of powder medicine actually packaged is less than the planned amount.

[0351] Therefore, the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing a vibration operation different from that performed during normal operation when dispensing a small amount. This operation will be described in detail below.

[0352] In the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when a medicine container (automatic medicine container 4 or manual medicine container 5) is placed on the container holding table 36 and the vibration table portion of the container holding table 36 is vibrated, the vibration operation can be performed by changing the amplitude and vibration frequency based on the planned supply amount, the remaining supply amount when a predetermined amount of powder medicine has already been supplied, and the supply amount per predetermined time. For example, when the planned supply amount is small or when the remaining supply amount is small, the amplitude is reduced and the vibration frequency is lowered, thereby making it possible to supply a reduced supply amount per predetermined time. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment, the remaining supply amount is defined as when the remaining supply amount is 4 g or less. In other words, when the remaining supply amount falls below a preset reference value, it is determined that the amount has become small.

[0353] When the vibration operation with reduced amplitude and lowered vibration frequency (hereinafter also referred to as low-power vibration operation) is being performed, the vibration operation is not stopped even if the value of the supply amount per hour of powdered medicine increases suddenly. In other words, under normal circumstances, the vibration operation is stopped abnormally when the value of the supply amount per hour of powdered medicine increases suddenly, but when the remaining supply amount is small, the vibration operation is not stopped even if the value of the supply amount per hour of powdered medicine increases suddenly.

[0354] More specifically, when the low-output vibration operation is being performed, if the acquired supply amount per unit time increases by a reference value (0.3 g in this embodiment) or more from the previously acquired supply amount per unit time, a standby operation is performed for a predetermined time (300 ms in this embodiment). This standby operation temporarily suspends the operation of acquiring the supply amount per unit time when supplying powdered medicine and the operation of determining whether to stop the vibration operation based on the acquired amount. This prevents the vibration operation from being stopped erroneously even if the powdered medicine packaging device 1 is shaken by an external force and the calculated value of the powdered medicine supply amount per unit time increases momentarily. The vibration action performed when discharging a small amount can be performed individually on each container holder 36 .

[0355] Additionally, during low-power vibration operation, powdered medicine is supplied little by little, so the amount supplied per hour does not usually increase suddenly. In other words, if a sudden increase in the amount of powdered medicine supplied per hour is detected during low-power vibration operation, it is highly likely to be a false positive. Therefore, if a sudden increase in the amount of powdered medicine supplied per hour is detected during low-power vibration operation, a very short standby operation is performed and a determination as to whether to temporarily stop the vibration operation is not made. This makes it possible to eliminate the effect of a momentary shaking of the powdered medicine packaging device 1 due to a person bumping into it, preventing malfunction. Furthermore, if the powdered medicine packaging device 1 is subjected to prolonged vibration due to an earthquake or other event, an emergency stop can be performed as usual.

[0356] In addition, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing a stability determination operation to determine whether the container holding table 36 is in a stable state after placing a medicine container (automatic medicine container 4 or manual medicine container 5) on the container holding table 36.

[0357] More specifically, the container holder 36 may be in a state where the value measured by the weight measuring means is unstable, for example, immediately after a medicine container is placed on it. That is, if vibrations caused by the medicine container being placed on it are transmitted, the measured value may differ depending on the measurement time, even though the same object is being detected. That is, depending on the situation, the container holder 36 may be in a stable state where highly accurate measurements are possible, or in an unstable state where highly accurate measurements are not possible.

[0358] Therefore, in this embodiment, a stability determination operation is performed to determine whether or not the container holder 36 is in a stable state. Specifically, the weight of the chemical container is detected by the weight measuring means of the container holding table 36 for a predetermined time (for example, 1 second), and if the detected value does not change significantly during that time (the amount of change is less than a predetermined amount and is within the error range), it is determined that the container holding table 36 is in a stable state.

[0359] Then, when it is confirmed that the container holder 36 is in a stable state, the original weight and current weight of the medicine container are acquired as described above, and the vibration operation is started.

[0360] However, in this type of stability determination operation, it is possible that an erroneous detection will occur due to the container holder 36 temporarily stabilizing for some reason. That is, even if the container holder 36 is not actually in a stable state, there is a possibility that the container holder 36 will be erroneously determined to be in a stable state if the amount of change in weight happens to be small for a predetermined period of time (e.g., one second) during which the stability determination operation is performed. In other words, simply performing this stability determination operation makes it impossible to determine whether the stable state will continue, and therefore there is room for improvement in terms of obtaining weight with high accuracy.

[0361] Therefore, in order to prevent such erroneous detection, the powdered medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment performs a series of operations described below. First, as a first operation, when a medicine container is placed on the container holder 36, a stability determination operation is not immediately performed, but an operation of waiting for a predetermined time is performed. That is, since there is a high possibility that the medicine container is in an unstable state immediately after being placed, an operation of waiting for a predetermined time is performed. Then, a stability determination operation is performed thereafter, and if it is determined that the container holder 36 is in a stable state (if it is determined that the container holder 36 is in a stable state at least temporarily), a second operation is performed.

[0362] In the second operation, the weight of the medicine container is detected by the weight measuring means of the container holder 36 every predetermined time (2.5 ms in this embodiment). The weight detected at this time is compared with the weight obtained immediately before to determine whether the weight has changed significantly (determine whether the stable state continues). Then, on the condition that it is confirmed that the state has remained stable (not unstable) for a certain period of time (1 second in this embodiment), it is determined that the container holder 36 has remained stable. If it is determined that the container holder 36 has remained stable, the third operation is performed.

[0363] In the third operation, the average value of the weight of the medicine container detected every predetermined time (2.5 ms in this embodiment) is acquired as the original weight of the medicine container, and the vibration operation is started. By performing this series of operations from the first to the third operation, it becomes possible to calculate the original weight of the medicine container with high accuracy.

[0364] This series of operations may be performed not only before starting to supply powdered medicine to distribution tray 35, but also when obtaining the weight of the medicine container after completing supply of powdered medicine to distribution tray 35. That is, a series of operations from the first operation to the third operation may be performed, and the average value of the weight of the medicine container detected at predetermined time intervals may be obtained as the weight at the end of supply of the medicine container.

[0365] Here, the scraping device 37 (see FIG. 4 etc.) will be described in more detail. 32, the scraping device 37 has an arm member 171 fixed to the upper surface of a disk-shaped turntable 170, and the arm member 171 protrudes outward from the turntable 170. This makes it possible to rotate almost the entire scraping device 37 by rotating the turntable 170. Further, a scraping plate 172, a partition plate 173, and a scraping plate 174 are attached to the tip side of the arm member 171.

[0366] The scraper plate 172 is a small, disk-shaped member made of thin plate, and is attached so that its thickness direction is perpendicular to the protruding direction of the arm member 171. In other words, the scraper plate 172 is fixed to a surface of the side of the arm member 171 that is perpendicular to the protruding direction, and is in an upright position. A rubber or resin circumferential seal material 175 is provided on the peripheral edge of the scraper plate 172 so as to come into close contact with the upper surface of the distribution tray 35 .

[0367] The partition plate 173 is a thin plate-like member arranged parallel to the scraper plate 172, and has a shape similar to a fan. That is, the partition plate 173 is a roughly triangular plate formed by an arc with a central angle of about 30 degrees and two straight sides.

[0368] The scraping plate 174 is a plate-like member that is in contact with the scraping plate 172 and one straight side that forms the central angle of the partition plate 173, and is arranged so as to be perpendicular to both of them. In other words, it is formed so as to protrude outward from the circular surface of the scraping plate 172. The edge of this scraping plate 174 is also provided with a scraping seal material 176 made of rubber or resin so as to be in close contact with the upper surface of the distribution tray 35 .

[0369] Next, a specific operation of the scraping device 37 during the above-mentioned packaging operation will be described.

[0370] The scraping device 37 of this embodiment is linked to the distribution tray 35, and is capable of performing a scraping operation to gather some of the powdered medicine spread on the distribution tray 35 around the scraping plate 172, and a scraping operation to feed the gathered powdered medicine into the medicine inlet 39. A series of operations consisting of the scraping operation and the scraping operation will be described.

[0371] First, as described above, powdered medicine is discharged from the medicine container onto the distribution tray 35, and the distribution tray 35 rotates, causing the powdered medicine to be spread evenly over the entire upper surface of the distribution tray 35. Then, after the discharge from the medicine container onto the distribution tray 35 stops, the rotation of the distribution tray 35 stops. In this state, as shown in Figure 33(a), the arm member 171 rotates downward, and the peripheral portion of the scraper plate 172 comes into contact with the upper surface of the distribution plate 35 (see Figure 33(b)). In other words, the lower portion of the scraper plate 172 enters the recessed portion of the distribution plate 35.

[0372] In this state, the distribution tray 35 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of divided powdered medicines, and some of the powdered medicines spread on the distribution tray 35 are gathered around the collecting plate 172 (see FIG. 33(c)). Then, by rotating the collecting plate 172, the gathered powdered medicines are poured into the medicine inlet 39.

[0373] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 34, the scraper plate 172 is rotated in a clockwise direction when viewed from the front. Then, the scraper plate 174 also moves as the scraper plate 172 rotates. The scraper plate 174 then comes into contact with the collected powdered medicine (see FIG. 34(b)). At this time, the scraper plate 174 moves in a direction along the arc radius of the cross section of the groove portion of the distribution plate 35, and in a direction from the inside to the outside (from the right to the left in FIG. 34). Therefore, the scraper plate 174 comes into contact with the collected powdered medicine from the radially inside of the distribution plate 35.

[0374] In this state, by continuing to rotate the scraper plate 172, the powdered medicine is pushed to the outer end in the radial direction of the distribution plate 35 (see FIG. 34(c)). Then, the powdered medicine pushed outward from the distribution plate 35 falls into the medicine inlet 39 adjacent to the outside of the distribution plate 35.

[0375] As described above, the scraping plate 174 is provided with a rubber or resin scraping seal 176 (see FIG. 32, etc.) so as to fit closely to the upper surface of the distribution plate 35. As a result, when the scraping plate 174 comes into contact with the distribution plate 35, no gap is formed between the scraping plate 174 and the upper surface of the distribution plate 35. In other words, when the collected powdered medicine is pushed outward, the powdered medicine does not leak out from between the scraping plate 174 and the distribution plate 35. Therefore, when the powdered medicine is introduced into the medicine inlet 39, it is possible to prevent the powdered medicine from remaining on the distribution plate 35.

[0376] However, due to static electricity or other reasons, it is conceivable that a small amount of powdered medicine may adhere to scraping seal material 176. In this case, the powdered medicine adhered to scraping seal material 176 may not be able to drop into medicine inlet 39, which may result in a problem such as the amount of powdered medicine per packet being less than expected.

[0377] Therefore, in this embodiment, when performing the scraping operation, the powdered medicine adhering to the scraping sealing material 176 is removed from the scraping sealing material 176, and a brushing operation is performed to drop the removed powdered medicine into the medicine inlet 39.

[0378] This brushing operation is carried out following the normal scraping operation described above. First, as described above, the scraping plate 174 is moved to a predetermined position near the medicine inlet 39 (see FIG. 34(d)), and almost all of the collected powdered medicine is dropped into the medicine inlet 39. Then, from this state, the scraping plate 172 is rotated in the opposite direction to normal. In other words, the scraping plate 172 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from the front.

[0379] As a result, the scraping seal material 176 of the scraping plate 174 moves along the upper surface of the distribution plate 35 while being in close contact with the upper surface of the distribution plate 35. In other words, the scraping plate 174 moves in a direction along the arc radius of the cross section of the groove portion of the distribution plate 35, and also in a direction from the outside to the inside (from the left to the right in FIG. 34).

[0380] In this way, by moving the scraping seal material 176 while rubbing it against the distribution tray 35, the powdered medicine adhering to the scraping seal material 176 falls onto the distribution tray 35. Then, after the scraping plate 174 has been moved a certain distance, the rotation of the scraping plate 172 is stopped and the scraping plate 172 is rotated in the opposite direction to the previous rotation direction. In other words, the rotation of the scraping plate 172 is stopped, and then it is rotated in the normal clockwise direction when viewed from the front. This allows the powdered medicine that has been dropped onto the distribution plate 35 by the reverse rotation of the scraper plate 172 to be pushed to the outer radial end of the distribution plate 35 and introduced into the medicine inlet 39 adjacent to the outside of the distribution plate 35. It is preferable that the speed of the rotation of the scraper plate 172 in the reverse direction and the subsequent rotation of the scraper plate 172 in the normal direction, i.e., the rotation speed during the brushing operation, be equal to or faster than the normal rotation speed. This makes it possible to more effectively remove powdered medicine adhering to the scraper plate 172, and also minimizes the time required for unnecessary operations that are added to the actual dispensing operation.

[0381] Moreover, it is possible to select whether or not to perform the above-mentioned shaking-off operation for each medicine. More specifically, with an appropriate screen, such as the medicine master screen (see FIG. 6) or the prescription input screen (see FIG. 8), displayed, the user can select whether or not to set the medicine displayed on the screen as a medicine requiring a cleaning operation after the packaging operation by performing a predetermined operation. When a medicine preset as requiring a cleaning operation is selected as the target of the packaging operation, a cleaning operation is automatically performed following the normal scraping operation. In other words, if the medicines to be packaged include one or more medicines requiring a cleaning operation, the cleaning operation is automatically performed. If none of the medicines to be packaged require a cleaning operation, the cleaning operation is not performed.

[0382] In the above-described brushing-off operation, the powdered medicine adhering to the scraping plate 172 is dropped onto the distribution tray 35 by rotating the scraping plate 172 in the reverse direction. However, the brushing-off operation performed by the powdered medicine packaging device 1 is not limited to this. For example, the arm member 171 may be vibrated to cause the powdered medicine adhering to the scraper plate 172 to fall onto the distribution tray 35, and then a rotational operation may be performed to rotate the scraper plate 172 in the same direction as normal, and the powdered medicine that has fallen onto the distribution tray 35 may be pushed to the outer radial end of the distribution tray 35.

[0383] As described above, when performing the packaging operation, the distribution tray 35 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of powdered medicines to be divided (see FIG. 33(b), etc.). For example, if the powdered medicines supplied onto the distribution tray 35 are to be divided into 30 packets, the distribution tray 35 is rotated by 12 degrees, which is 30 parts of a full 360 degrees rotation.

[0384] When the number of packets to be divided is small, the angle corresponding to the division number also increases. For example, when dividing into two packets, as shown in Figure 35(a), the distribution plate 35 rotates 180 degrees. At this time, as the angle corresponding to the division number increases, the area on the top surface of the distribution plate 35 where the powdered medicine for one packet is collected increases. For example, when the distribution plate 35 rotates 90 degrees, the powdered medicine spreads over an area that occupies one-quarter of the entire circumference of the distribution plate 35, but as described above, when the distribution plate 35 rotates 180 degrees, the powdered medicine spreads over an area that occupies half the circumference of the distribution plate 35.

[0385] However, when powdered medicine that has been spread over a wide area is collected in one operation in this way, there is a problem in that the pile of powdered medicine collected around the scraper plate 172 extends circumferentially around the distribution tray 35, as shown in Figure 35(b). In such a case, when the scraper plate 172 is rotated and the powdered medicine is pushed to the medicine inlet 39 by the scraper plate 174 (see Figure 34, etc.), the part of the collected powdered medicine close to the scraper plate 172 (the part indicated by α in Figure 35(b)) can be introduced into the medicine inlet 39, but the part far from the scraper plate 172 (the part indicated by β in Figure 35(b)) cannot be introduced into the medicine inlet 39.

[0386] Therefore, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when the angle corresponding to the division number is equal to or greater than a certain angle when the distribution tray 35 is rotated in the packaging operation, an insertion operation (multiple scraping operation) can be performed in which one packet is divided into multiple portions and inserted into the medicine inlet 39. This operation will be described in detail below with reference to FIG.

[0387] First, the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 determines whether the angle by which distribution tray 35 is rotated for one packet is greater than a predetermined angle. When distribution tray 35 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of divisions, the rotation angle is varied by varying the pulse amount of the motor that rotates distribution tray 35. In other words, the angle by which distribution tray 35 rotates and the pulse amount of the motor at that time are correlated, and the angle by which distribution tray 35 rotates can be calculated from the pulse amount of the motor. For this reason, in this embodiment, a discrimination operation is performed to determine whether the pulse amount Z required to rotate the distribution plate 35 for one packet is greater than the specified amount X (STEP 1), thereby determining whether the angle at which the distribution plate 35 is rotated for one packet is greater than a predetermined angle.

[0388] In this embodiment, the number of motor pulses required to rotate the distribution plate 35 one revolution is 50,000 pulses. The specified amount X is 2,200 pulses, which is 4.4 percent of the number of motor pulses required to rotate one revolution. In other words, it is about a few percent (about 1 to 9 percent) of the number of motor pulses required to rotate one revolution. In addition, in this embodiment, when rotating the distribution plate 35 by an angle corresponding to the number of divisions, a rotation that requires a pulse amount greater than the specified amount X at one time is not performed. In other words, the specified amount X is the maximum pulse amount for one rotation when rotating the distribution plate 35 by an angle corresponding to the number of divisions.

[0389] If the result of the discrimination operation is that the angle to be rotated for one packet is less than the specified angle (No in STEP 1 and the pulse amount Z is less than the specified amount X), the distribution plate 35 is moved by an angle corresponding to the division number as usual, and then the powdered medicine is fed into the medicine inlet 39 by the scraping device 37 (single scraping operation, STEP 9).

[0390] On the other hand, if the angle of rotation for one packet is greater than the predetermined angle (if the answer is Yes in STEP 1 and the pulse amount Z is greater than the specified amount X), one packet of powdered medicine is divided into multiple operations and fed into the medicine inlet 39. In this case, the number of feeding operations to feed one packet of powdered medicine into the medicine inlet 39 and the angle by which the distribution tray 35 is rotated for each feeding operation (the amount of pulses required to move the distribution tray 35) are calculated, and multiple feeding operations are performed.

[0391] To explain more specifically, in this case, an injection operation of rotating the distribution tray 35 by a specified amount X (hereinafter also referred to as the maximum amount scraping operation) and an injection operation of rotating the distribution tray 35 by a pulse amount smaller than the specified amount X (hereinafter also referred to as the residual scraping operation) are appropriately performed to inject the powdered medicine into the medicine inlet 39. That is, if the angle of rotation for one packet is greater than the specified angle (Yes in STEP 1), first, the number of times n the maximum amount scraping operation will be performed, the number of times n2 the remaining amount scraping operation will be performed, and the angle by which the distribution plate 35 will be rotated during the remaining amount scraping operation (the number of pulses required to move the distribution plate 35) are calculated.

[0392] First, the calculation result S is calculated by the following formula (1), and the integer part of the calculation result S is calculated to obtain the number of times n the maximum amount scraping operation is performed (STEP 2). At this time, the integer part of the calculation result S is the number of times n the maximum amount scraping operation is performed. S=Z / X (1)

[0393] Next, the number of times n2 the residual scraping operation is performed and the angle by which the distribution plate 35 is rotated in each residual scraping operation (the amount of pulses required to move the distribution plate 35) are calculated. Specifically, the total number of pulses P required to move the distribution plate 35 during the residual scraping operation, which is performed once or multiple times, is calculated, and based on the calculated total number of pulses P, the number of times n2 the residual scraping operation is performed and the rotation angle of the distribution plate 35 during each residual scraping operation are calculated.

[0394] More specifically, first, the following equation (2) is calculated to calculate the total pulse amount P required for the residual scraping operation (STEP 3). P = Z - nX (2)

[0395] Once the total pulse amount P is calculated, it is determined whether or not the total pulse amount P is equal to or greater than twice the specified amount X2 (STEP 4). The specified amount X2 is the amount of pulses required to move the distribution tray 35 by the same amount as the width of the scraper plate 172 (see FIG. 32, etc.), which is 600 pulses in this embodiment.

[0396] If the result of this determination is that the total pulse amount P is equal to or greater than twice the specified amount X2 (YES in STEP 4), two residual scraping operations are performed. That is, the amount of pulses required to rotate the distribution tray 35 in each of the two residual scraping operations is calculated (STEP 5), and n maximum amount scraping operations and two residual scraping operations are performed (STEP 6). The amount of pulses required to rotate the distribution dish 35 in each residual scraping operation is the total amount of pulses P minus the specified amount X2, which is the amount of pulses required to rotate the distribution dish 35 in the first residual scraping operation, and the specified amount X2 is the amount of pulses required to rotate the distribution dish 35 in the second residual scraping operation.In other words, if the result of the discrimination operation is that the total amount of pulses P is equal to or greater than twice the specified amount X2, the residual scraping operation is performed twice (n2=2), and the amount of pulses required to rotate the distribution dish 35 in the last residual scraping operation is the specified amount X2 (minimum amount scraping operation).

[0397] On the other hand, if the total pulse amount P is smaller than twice the specified amount X2 (No in STEP 4), one residual scraping operation is performed. That is, the amount of pulses required to rotate the distribution tray 35 for each residual scraping operation is calculated (STEP 7), and n maximum amount scraping operations and one residual scraping operation are performed (STEP 8). In this case, the total pulse amount P is the amount of pulses for rotating the distribution dish 35 in the residual scraping operation. In other words, if the result of the discrimination operation is that the total pulse amount P is smaller than twice the specified amount X2, the residual scraping operation is performed once to rotate the distribution dish 35 with the same pulse amount as the total pulse amount P (n2=1).

[0398] The above operation will be explained in detail using specific examples for the case where the motor pulse amount Z required to rotate one packet is 4167 pulses and the case where the motor pulse amount Z required to rotate one packet is 5556 pulses.

[0399] First, we will explain the case where the motor pulse amount Z required to rotate one packet is 4167 pulses. In this case, the calculation result S in the above formula (1) is 4167 pulses / 2200 pulses, or 1.89.... Therefore, since the integer part is 1, the number of times n the maximum amount scraping operation is performed is 1 (STEP 2). Next, the total pulse amount P calculated using equation (2) above is 1967 pulses (4167 - 1 x 2200) (STEP 3). This total pulse amount P is greater than 1200 pulses, which is twice X2 (Yes in STEP 4), so the pulse amount for rotating distribution plate 35 in the first residue scraping operation is 1367 pulses (1967 - 600), and the pulse amount for rotating distribution plate 35 in the second residue scraping operation is 600 pulses (STEP 5). In other words, in this case, one packet's worth is introduced into medicine inlet 39 in three separate operations, with one maximum amount scraping operation and two residue scraping operations being performed (STEP 6). In other words, the distribution plate 35 is rotated at 2200 pulses and then the powdered medicine is scraped out by the scraping device 37 (first time), then the distribution plate 35 is rotated at 1367 pulses and then the powdered medicine is scraped out by the scraping device 37 (second time), and finally the distribution plate 35 is rotated at 600 pulses and then the powdered medicine is scraped out by the scraping device 37 (third time).

[0400] Next, let us consider the case where the motor pulse amount Z required to rotate one packet is 5555.55 pulses. In this case, the pulse amount Z is rounded off to the nearest integer to obtain 5556. The calculation result S in the above formula (1) is 5556 pulses / 2200 pulses, which is 2.52.... Therefore, since the integer part is 2, the number of times n the maximum amount scraping operation is performed is 2 (STEP 2). Next, the total pulse amount P calculated using equation (2) above is 1,156 pulses (5,556 - 2 x 2,200) (STEP 3). This total pulse amount P is smaller than 1,200 pulses, which is twice X2 (No in STEP 4), so the amount of pulses required to rotate distribution tray 35 in the first residue scraping operation remains 1,156 pulses (STEP 7), and a second residue scraping operation is not performed. In other words, in this case, one packet's worth is fed into medicine inlet 39 in three separate operations, with two maximum amount scraping operations and one residue scraping operation being performed (STEP 8). In other words, the distribution plate 35 is rotated at 2200 pulses and then the powdered medicine is scraped out by the scraping device 37 (first time), then the distribution plate 35 is rotated at 2200 pulses and then the powdered medicine is scraped out by the scraping device 37 (second time), and finally the distribution plate 35 is rotated at 1156 pulses and then the powdered medicine is scraped out by the scraping device 37 (third time).

[0401] As described above, the powdered medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of performing the third packaging operation using a manual medicine container 5. Furthermore, when performing packaging operations using an automatic medicine container 4, such as the first packaging operation or the second packaging operation, a container switching operation can be performed to switch the medicine container to be used from the automatic medicine container 4 to a manual medicine container 5 before starting the operation of discharging powdered medicine onto the distribution tray 35. In such a packaging operation, when a plurality of powdered medicines are discharged onto the distribution tray 35 to perform the packaging operation, the packaging operation may be performed using two or more manual medicine containers 5. For example, of the three container holders 36 corresponding to one distribution tray 35 (see FIG. 4, etc.), one may be equipped with an automatic medicine container 4 to discharge powdered medicine, and the other two may be equipped with manual medicine containers 5 to discharge powdered medicine.

[0402] Here, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when two or more manual medicine containers 5 are used, it is possible to perform an operation of placing two or more manual medicine containers 5 on the container holder 36 at one time and dispensing the powder medicine from each manual medicine container 5, and an operation of sequentially placing two or more manual medicine containers 5 on one container holder 36 and dispensing the powder medicine. Specifically, the latter operation is an operation of dispensing the powder medicine from a previously installed manual medicine container 5, replacing the manual medicine container 5 from which the powder medicine has been dispensed with a new manual medicine container 5, and dispensing the powder medicine from the new manual medicine container 5. These operations are described in detail below.

[0403] When a packaging operation using two or more manual medicine containers 5 is performed, the operation display unit 3 displays a message prompting the user to place a predetermined number of manual medicine containers 5 on the container holder 36, a start button to start discharging powdered medicine from the medicine containers to the distribution tray 35, and an open / close button to raise and lower the front door 34 (see Figure 1, etc.).

[0404] When placing all the manual medicine containers 5 to be used on the container holder 36 at once, the user touches the open / close button to raise the front door 34, places all the predetermined number of manual medicine containers 5 on the container holder 36, and then touches the open / close button again to lower the front door 34. Then, by pressing the start button, powdered medicine is dispensed from the medicine containers placed on the container holder 36 onto the distribution tray 35.

[0405] On the other hand, when dispensing powdered medicine by placing the manual medicine containers 5 to be used one after another on the container holder 36 rather than all at once, the user touches the open / close button to raise the front door 34, places fewer than the predetermined number of manual medicine containers 5 on the container holder 36, and then touches the open / close button again to lower the front door 34. Then, by pressing the start button, powdered medicine is dispensed from the medicine containers placed on the container holder 36 onto the distribution tray 35. In this case, when the dispensing of the powdered medicine is completed, a message prompting the user to place the remaining manual medicine containers 5 on the container holder 36 is displayed on the operation display unit 3. In this state, the user touches the open / close button to raise the front door 34, places the remaining manual medicine containers 5 on the container holder 36, and then touches the open / close button again to lower the front door 34. Then, by pressing the start button, the powdered medicine is dispensed from the medicine containers placed on the container holder 36 onto the distribution tray 35.

[0406] That is, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when a packaging operation using two or more manual medicine containers 5 is performed, it is possible to discharge the powder medicine into the distribution tray 35 with only a number of manual medicine containers 5 fewer than the number of manual medicine containers 5 to be used set on the container holder 36. This makes it possible to perform both an operation in which two or more manual medicine containers 5 are placed on the container holder 36 at one time and the powder medicine is discharged from each manual medicine container 5 simultaneously, and an operation in which two or more manual medicine containers 5 are placed sequentially on one container holder 36 and the powder medicine is discharged sequentially.

[0407] As described above, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment can be operated with the same type of powder medicine loaded into two or more automatic medicine containers 4 held in the container storage section 23. Here, when powdered medicine is discharged from the automatic medicine container 4 onto the distribution tray 35 in the first packaging operation, if the amount of powdered medicine stored in the automatic medicine container 4 is less than the amount planned to be supplied to the distribution tray 35, it is possible that the powdered medicine stored therein will be used up while the operation of discharging the powdered medicine onto the distribution tray 35 is being carried out.

[0408] Therefore, in the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, when the powder medicine to be discharged into the distribution tray 35 is stored in two or more automatic medicine containers 4 and the amount of powder medicine stored in one of the automatic medicine containers 4 is less than the amount planned to be supplied to the distribution tray 35, the refill cassette preparation operation described below can be performed.

[0409] First, as with normal packaging operations, the first automatic medicine container 4 containing a smaller amount of powdered medicine than the planned amount to be supplied is placed on the container holding stand 36, and the discharge of powdered medicine into the distribution tray 35 is started. Then, while powdered medicine is being discharged from the first automatic medicine container 4 onto the distribution tray 35, the arm unit 30 places (temporarily places) a second automatic medicine container 4 containing the same type of powdered medicine as the first automatic medicine container 4 on an unused container holder 36. Note that the container holder 36 on which the second automatic medicine container 4 is placed may be any container holder 36 as long as no medicine container is placed on it, but it is preferable to place it on a container holder 36 that is close to the container holder 36 on which the first automatic medicine container 4 is placed.

[0410] Then, when the powdered medicine stored in the first automatic medicine container 4 is used up, the arm unit 30 moves the first automatic medicine container 4 to the container storage unit 23, and places the second automatic medicine container 4 on the container holder 36 on which the first automatic medicine container 4 was placed. Then, the remaining powdered medicine is discharged from the second automatic medicine container 4 onto the distribution tray 35. In other words, by placing a second automatic medicine container 4 containing the same type of powdered medicine near a first automatic medicine container 4 where a shortage of powdered medicine is predicted, it is possible to quickly install the second automatic medicine container 4 in place of the first automatic medicine container 4.

[0411] Here, the specific structures of the automatic medicine container 4 and the arm portion 30 of the container moving device 28 of this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 37, the automatic medicine container 4 has a structure including a container body 180, a lid member 181, a lower iron plate member 182, and an upper iron plate member 183. More specifically, two upper iron plate members 183 are fixed integrally to one of two opposing faces in the short direction (height direction in Figure 37) of the container body 180, and a lower iron plate member 182 is fixed integrally to the other. In the following explanation, when explaining the up-down direction of the automatic medicine container 4, the explanation will be based on the posture in Figure 37.

[0412] Container body 180 is a rectangular parallelepiped container, and its interior is roughly divided into powdered medicine storage section 185 for storing powdered medicine, and desiccant storage section 186, as shown in Fig. 38. Also, a medicine discharge section 187 is provided at one longitudinal end of container body 180. This medicine discharge section 187 can be opened wider by removing surrounding members, and functions as a medicine input section for introducing medicine into container body 180. This medicine discharge section 187 is provided with medicine discharge port 188 (discharge port) near the bottom end, which connects the inside and outside of container body 180.

[0413] The lid member 181 has a structure including a movable lid portion 190 in the shape of an upright plate, and an engagement piece 191 and a pad portion 192 that both protrude inward from the inner surface of the movable lid portion 190. The engagement piece 191 protrudes inward from a position slightly above the center in the height direction on the inner surface of the movable lid portion 190, and the pad portion 192 protrudes inward from near the bottom end. This lid member 181 is attached integrally to the container body 180 so that the movable lid portion 190 covers the end portion of the container body 180 where the medicine outlet 188 is located. Then, when attached to the container body 180, the lid member 181 is able to swing around a part of the engagement piece portion 191.

[0414] That is, as shown in Figure 38(a), by pressing the upper side of the movable lid part 190 outward in the longitudinal direction of the container body 180, the lower end side of the movable lid part 190 approaches the container body 180. Then, the pad part 192 located on the lower end side of the movable lid part 190 closes the medicine discharge outlet 188, thereby closing the lid (see Figure 38(b)). Conversely, when the lid is in the closed state, pressing the upper side of movable lid part 190 inward in the longitudinal direction of container body 180 moves the lower end side of movable lid part 190 outward in the longitudinal direction of container body 180. Then, pad part 192 located on the lower end side of movable lid part 190 moves away from chemical outlet 188, thereby opening chemical outlet 188 and bringing the lid into an open state (see FIG. 38(a)).

[0415] As shown in Figure 39, the arm unit 30 has a structure including a main arm member 201 attached to a lifting platform 200 of the lifting mechanism 31, an intermediate arm member 202 attached to the tip side of the main arm member 201, and a hand unit 203 attached to the tip side of the intermediate arm member 202.

[0416] The main arm member 201 is attached to the lifting platform 200 via a vertical shaft (not shown), and is rotatable in the horizontal direction around the lifting platform 200 . The intermediate arm member 202 is also attached to the tip of the trunk arm member 201 via a vertical shaft (not shown), and is rotatable in the horizontal direction around the tip of the trunk arm member 201.

[0417] The hand portion 203 is roughly composed of a main portion 204 and a container holding portion 205 , which are integrally attached via a mounting bracket 206 . The main part 204 is attached to the tip of the intermediate arm member 202 via a vertical shaft (not shown), and is rotatable in the horizontal direction around the tip of the intermediate arm member 202.

[0418] As shown in Figure 40, container holding part 205 is rotatably attached via a horizontal shaft to mounting bracket 206, which is laid horizontally. Therefore, container holding part 205 can take either a parallel position (see Figure 40(a)) or a vertical position (see Figure 40(b)).

[0419] The container holding part 205 is configured to include an electromagnet (not shown) for attracting the medicine container, and an opening / closing member 207 (lid engaging part, see FIG. 41). Specifically, an opening 208 is provided in the surface of container holding section 205 that is pressed against the medicine container when the medicine container is sucked (the lower surface in FIG. 41), and an opening / closing member 207 is provided on the back side of this opening 208. Opening / closing member 207 is a substantially "L"-shaped plate-shaped member that is made up of two continuous abutment plates that form a substantially "L" shape in side view. This opening / closing member 207 is attached so as to be able to swing freely around the base of the two abutment plates. The opening and closing member 207 can be swung by the power of a solenoid, a motor, or the like (not shown).

[0420] 41, when automatic medicine container 4 is sucked by container holder 205, the portion of lid member 181 that protrudes outward can be inserted into opening 208, and this portion that protrudes outward can be positioned between the two abutment plates of opening / closing member 207. Then, by swinging opening / closing member 207 in this state, lid member 181 can be opened and closed.

[0421] Next, we will explain in detail the operation of the packaging operation when, after discharging powdered medicine from the automatic medicine container 4 onto the distribution tray 35, the automatic medicine container 4 placed on the container holding stand 36 is moved by the arm unit 30.

[0422] First, as shown in Figure 41, container holding part 205 of arm part 30 is brought close to automatic medicine container 4, and the suction surface of container holding part 205 (lower surface in Figure 41) and the surface to which upper iron plate member 183 of automatic medicine container 4 is attached (upper surface in Figure 41) are opposed to each other with a gap between them. In other words, the suction surface of container holding part 205 is positioned at a predetermined distance L (1 mm to 3 mm, 1.5 mm in this embodiment) from the upper surface of automatic medicine container 4. Then, in this state, the opening / closing member 207 is swung to close the lid member 181 (temporary closing operation). At this time, the electromagnet of the container holding part 205 is de-energized to eliminate the attraction force, so that the cassette is not naturally attracted even when brought as close as 1 mm, and is not swung by the force of attraction.

[0423] 42(a), container holding part 205 is raised and separated from automatic medicine container 4. As a result, the upper end portion of lid member 181, which was positioned between the two abutment plates of open / close member 207, is now positioned below open / close member 207. In other words, the engagement between open / close member 207 and lid member 181 is released, and even if open / close member 207 is swung, it will not come into contact with lid member 181.

[0424] From this state, container holder 205 is again brought close to automatic medicine container 4, and the suction surface of container holder 205 (the lower surface in FIG. 42) and the surface of automatic medicine container 4 to which upper iron plate member 183 is attached (the upper surface in FIG. 42) are brought into close contact. Then, a magnetic force is generated in the electromagnet (not shown) of container holder 205, and automatic medicine container 4 is attracted to container holder 205. Then, opening / closing member 207 is swung again, and an operation to close lid member 181 is performed (full closing operation). This operation to close lid member 181 brings lid member 181 into a firmly closed state. Then, arm unit 30 is operated in this state, and automatic medicine container 4 is moved together with container holder 205.

[0425] In this manner, in this embodiment, before the automatic medicine container 4 is adsorbed to the container holding unit 205, the container holding unit 205 and the automatic medicine container 4 are separated, and then the lid member 181 of the automatic medicine container 4 is closed, temporarily closing the lid member 181. This makes it possible to prevent the powdered medicine from spilling out of the automatic medicine container 4 due to the impact when the container holding unit 205 is adsorbed to the automatic medicine container 4.

[0426] As described above, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment is capable of mixing and packaging a predetermined number of medicines, which is greater than the number of container holding stands 36 (six in this embodiment) provided inside the housing 10, by replacing the automatic medicine containers 4 using the container moving device 28. This operation is described in detail below.

[0427] As shown in FIG. 43(a), first, different automatic medicine containers 4 (automatic medicine containers 4a to 4f) are placed on all of the container holders 36, and powdered medicine is discharged from each automatic medicine container 4.

[0428] Then, the automatic medicine container 4a, from which the powdered medicine has been discharged, is moved by the arm unit 30 (see FIG. 43(b)), and a medicine container is no longer placed on the container holder 36 on which the automatic medicine container 4a was placed. Then, a new automatic medicine container 4g is placed on this container holder 36 (see FIG. 43(c)). That is, the new automatic medicine container 4g is moved by the arm unit 30, and the new automatic medicine container 4g is placed on the container holder 36.

[0429] In this way, by sequentially replacing the automatic medicine containers 4 that have completed discharging the powdered medicine stored therein with new automatic medicine containers 4, it becomes possible to mix and package medicines in quantities greater than the number of container holders 36 (six in this embodiment). For example, as described above, by placing automatic medicine containers 4 on all of the container holders 36 and discharging the powdered medicine, and then replacing one automatic medicine container 4, it becomes possible to mix seven types of medicines. Furthermore, by replacing the automatic medicine containers 4 placed on all of the container holders 36 once, it becomes possible to mix 12 types of medicines, and by replacing each of them twice, it becomes possible to mix 18 types of medicines.

[0430] Additionally, the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment can prevent unintended discharge of powder medicine when the automatic medicine container 4 is suctioned by temporarily closing the lid member 181 as described above. In other words, the automatic medicine container 4 can be moved without spilling the powder medicine. Therefore, even if a specific automatic medicine container 4 is replaced while supplying powder medicine from another automatic medicine container 4 to the distribution tray 35, the powder medicine will not spill from the automatic medicine container 4 being moved. In other words, excessive powder medicine will not be discharged onto the distribution tray 35 due to the movement of the automatic medicine container 4, and highly accurate packaging operations can be performed even when mixing medicines greater than the number of container holders 36 (six in this embodiment). That is, in conventional powder medicine packaging devices, medicine containers are not generally replaced during the operation of dispensing medicines of the same prescription due to concerns about packaging errors caused by spillage. In contrast, the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment eliminates such concerns, making it possible to safely mix a large number of medicines.

[0431] In the powder medicine packaging device 1 of this embodiment, instead of the weighing history screen shown in Figure 27 above (hereinafter also referred to as the first weighing history screen), a weighing history screen such as that shown in Figure 45 (hereinafter also referred to as the second weighing history screen) may be displayed. The second weighing history screen, like the first weighing history screen described above, has a date display section 125, a patient name display section 126, an explanation display section 127, an error display section 128, a drug information display section 229, a progress display section 130, an allocation video button 131, a flow rate button 132, and a weighing value button 133, but the locations of each section and button are different.

[0432] Unlike the drug information display section 129 of the first weighing history screen described above, the drug information display section 229 of the second weighing history screen is displayed from near one end of the screen to near the other end in the left-right direction. This makes it possible to display important items such as "drug name," "target amount," "allocation amount," "allocation time," "remaining amount at the start of allocation," and "allocation start time" on a single screen. In other words, important items can be confirmed at a glance without having to scroll the displayed content on the drug information display section 229.

[0433] In the powder medicine dispensing and packaging device 1 of this embodiment, a manual medicine container 300 with an open medicine inlet as shown in FIG. 46 can be used in place of the manual medicine container 5 described above.

[0434] As shown in FIG. 46, the manual medicine container 300 is composed of a storage space forming member 301 and a bottom forming member 302.

[0435] 47, the storage space forming member 301 has a main body 303 whose four sides are completely covered by side walls 304 and whose top and bottom sides are open. That is, the main body 303 is rectangular in plan view and has an opening 305 at the top, through which the medicine can be injected.

[0436] 48, an opening 306 is also provided in the bottom portion of the main body 303. The opening area of ​​this lower opening 306 is smaller than that of the upper opening 305. These two openings 305, 306 are spaced apart and face each other, and each serves as an opening that communicates the space surrounded by the side wall 304 with the outside.

[0437] An RFID tag is provided on the side of main body 303, and is capable of storing information about the medicine to be dispensed and the ID (an identifier for identifying a specific medicine container from among multiple medicine containers) of manual medicine container 300. In other words, this RFID tag functions as a container-side information storage means.

[0438] As shown in Figure 47, guide pieces 309 are provided on a pair of side surfaces of main body 303. Guide pieces 309 are formed integrally with side wall 304 on the long side of main body 303, and protrude horizontally from side wall 304 (based on the position when placed on container holder 36). Guide pieces 309 extend along the long sides of side wall 304. Stopper 307 is formed at one end. Stopper 307 is located at the end portion of guide piece 309 and is a portion with a large cross-sectional area.

[0439] Furthermore, the storage space forming member 301 has a lid portion 308 that can be attached to the top of the main body portion 303, and by attaching the lid portion 308, the opening 305 located on the upper side can be closed.

[0440] The bottom forming member 302 is a member formed by processing a steel plate containing magnetic components such as ferrite, and as shown in Figures 48 and 49, both sides of the bottom 310 are bent upward at the center to form an inclined wall 311.

[0441] 49, one longitudinal end of bottom forming member 302 does not have a vertical wall portion, and the side is open. This open side constitutes medicine discharge section 315. On the other hand, the other longitudinal end of bottom forming member 302 has vertical wall 316, and the side is closed.

[0442] Furthermore, a plurality of protrusions 325 are provided on the bottom 310 of the bottom forming member 302 near the medicine discharge portion 315 .

[0443] As shown in FIG. 46 and other figures, the overall length of the bottom forming member 302 is longer than the overall length of the storage space forming member 301.

[0444] A guide receiving member 313 is provided on the outer periphery of the inclined wall 311 of the bottom forming member 302 .

[0445] As shown in FIG. 49, the guide receiving member 313 is composed of a receiving portion forming member 317 and an elastic member 320.

[0446] Guide receiving member 313 has a substantially rectangular box shape. A cover portion 318 is provided on the top surface of guide receiving member 313, and a slit portion 319 with which the above-mentioned guide piece 309 engages is formed between the top surface of the box-shaped portion and cover portion 318. Note that slit portion 319 is open on the side of drug discharge portion 315 and closed on the side of vertical wall 316.

[0447] Inside the guide receiving member 313, two pins 324 are provided hanging down from the ceiling.

[0448] The elastic members 320 are provided on the inclined wall 311 of the bottom forming member 302 and attached to a support base 321 that protrudes outward like a shelf. That is, a support base 32 is provided on the outer periphery of the inclined wall 311, and two elastic members 320 are erected on this support base. Specifically, the elastic member 320 is a spring. A receiving member 322 is provided on the upper part of the elastic member 320, and this receiving member 322 has a recess 323 formed therein.

[0449] The receiving portion forming member 317 is a member that is attached so as to cover the elastic member 320 , and an internal pin 324 is capable of engaging with a recess 323 of the elastic member 320 .

[0450] Reservoir space forming member 301 can be attached integrally to bottom forming member 302 via guide receiving member 313. That is, as shown in Figure 50, guide piece 309 of reservoir space forming member 301 is engaged with slit portion 319 of guide receiving member 313, and the two are integrated to form manual medicine container 300.

[0451] Here, since the guide receiving member 313 has the elastic member 320 as described above, the storage space forming member 301 and the bottom forming member 302 are integrated with the elastic member 320 interposed between them. Furthermore, as described above, the drug discharge section 315 side of the slit section 319 is open and the vertical wall 316 side is closed, so that the storage space forming member 301 can be removed from the bottom forming member 302 by moving the storage space forming member 301 toward the drug discharge section 315 along the longitudinal direction of the bottom forming member 302.

[0452] As shown in FIG. 48, the opening 306 on the lower side of the storage space forming member 301 is not in contact with the bottom 310 of the bottom forming member 302, and there is a gap between them.

[0453] Here, this manual medicine container 300 can be used in the same manner as the manual medicine container 5 described above. That is, the medicine is put into storage space forming member 301, and manual medicine container 300 is manually carried into housing 10 and placed on the desired container holder 36. Then, the vibration table part of container holder 36 is vibrated to discharge the medicine from medicine discharge part 315.

[0454] At this time, in manual medicine container 300, storage space forming member 301 and bottom forming member 302 are integrated via elastic member 320, so bottom forming member 302 vibrates to move the medicine, but the vibration amount of storage space forming member 301 is smaller than that of bottom forming member 302. In this way, by making the vibration amounts of storage space forming member 301 and bottom forming member 302 different, it becomes possible to smoothly move...

Claims

1. A medicine dispensing device including a powdered medicine container, a container mounting device, a distribution tray, an operation display unit that combines a display device and an input device, a control unit, and a medicine packaging device, The medicine dispensing device performs a packaging operation by operating the operation display unit, which involves placing a powder medicine container on the container placing device, discharging powder medicine from the placed powder medicine container onto a distribution tray, dividing the powder medicine into a predetermined number of pieces, and individually packaging and discharging the divided powder medicines in the medicine packaging device. the control unit displays a prescription history list screen including information on packaging operations performed in the past on the operation display unit, and performs a packaging verification operation to verify whether the packaging operations performed in the past were performed correctly; The prescription history list screen has a condition input area and a prescription display area, When a condition specifying a prescription is input in the condition input area, the control unit displays a list of prescriptions that satisfy the input condition in the prescription display area; When a specific prescription is selected from the list of prescriptions, the drug dispensing device displays a history screen on the operation display unit that shows specific details including information on the dispensing date of the powdered medicine and the patient name for the selected prescription.

2. The history screen has at least a date display section, a patient name display section, an explanation display section, an error display section, a drug information display section, and a transition display section, The instruction display section displays information about taking the powdered medicine in the packets, such as the timing of administration, dosage, and prescribed amount. The medicine dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs an operation of displaying, on the error display unit, error information relating to a problem that occurs during the packaging operation relating to the displayed prescription.

3. The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit includes an operation of displaying a plurality of pieces of error information on the error display unit when a plurality of malfunctions occur.

4. The medicine dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein the control unit includes an operation of transitioning the error information displayed in the touched portion from an unselected state to a selected state when the portion where any of the plurality of error information is displayed is touched with a finger.

5. The history screen further includes a medicine information display section, The medicine information display unit displays information about each powder medicine used in the packaging operation, The medicine dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit performs an operation of displaying information on the medicine name, the allocated amount, and the type of packaging operation of each of the powdered medicines on the medicine information display unit.

6. The history screen further includes a transition display section, The drug dispensing device of claim 5, wherein the trend display unit is for displaying the trend in the amount of powdered medicine supplied to the distribution tray, and includes information indicating the flow rate indicating the amount of powdered medicine supplied to the distribution tray between successive times, or the trend in the weighing value representing the cumulative amount of powdered medicine supplied to the distribution tray up to a specified time.

7. The medicine dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein when information regarding a malfunction is displayed in the error display section that shows the error information, a display symbol indicating the time when the error information that is selected in the error display section occurred is displayed.

8. The history screen further includes an allocation video button; The control unit includes an operation of displaying a past video display screen when the allocation video button is pressed, 2. The medicine dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the past video display screen is provided with a past action display area for displaying videos captured in the past, a seek bar display area, and a graph display area.

9. The medicine dispensing device of claim 8, wherein the graph display area displays a graph showing the change in the amount of powdered medicine supplied to the distribution tray during the packaging operation, and can highlight the time when a malfunction occurred during the packaging operation.

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