Spectroscopic measurement device and article inspection apparatus including the same

Abstract

To provide a spectroscopic measurement device and an article inspection apparatus capable of adjusting an amount of light acquired by a light detection section to an appropriate amount of light.SOLUTION: A spectroscopic measurement device includes: a light source section 3 that irradiates a tablet W with light from a light source 30; and a light detection section 4 that measures a spectral characteristic of transmitted light emitted from the light source section 3 and transmitted through the tablet W with a spectroscope 42. The light source section 3 is configured such that a relative distance D1 to the tablet W is adjustable, and the light detection section 4 is configured such that a relative distance D2 to the tablet W is adjustable.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a spectroscopic measurement device and an article inspection device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an inspection device that includes a light source and a sensor that is a light-receiving element, which are arranged facing each other along the vertical direction, which is the direction of the rotation axis of a rotor that transports the molded product, sandwiching the molded product and the rotor.The light or electromagnetic waves emitted from the light source that have passed through the molded product are made incident on the sensor as signal light, and the signal light is analyzed to inspect whether the molded product contains any foreign matter and / or whether the components and other qualities of the molded product are appropriate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-112199 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the transmittance of a molded product can vary significantly depending on the physical properties of the molded product. For this reason, in the case of a device that performs transmittance measurement, such as the inspection device described in Patent Document 1, if the molded product to be measured changes, the measurement data may fall outside the measurable range of the light detection unit depending on the physical properties of the new molded product.

[0005] It is desirable to be able to adjust the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit so that the measurement data falls within the measurement range of the light detection unit even when the molded product to be measured changes.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a spectroscopic measurement device and an article inspection device that can adjust the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit to an appropriate amount of light. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The spectroscopic measuring device of the present invention comprises a light source unit that irradiates light from a light source onto an object, and a light detection unit that measures the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light irradiated from the light source unit and transmitted through the object using a spectroscope, and the light source unit and the light detection unit are configured to be adjustable with the relative distance to the object as the adjustment target.

[0008] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measuring device of the present invention is configured so that the light source unit and the light detection unit are able to adjust the relative distance from the object, and therefore by changing the relative distance from at least one of the light source unit and the light detection unit to the object, the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light.

[0009] In the spectroscopic measurement device of the present invention, the light detection unit includes a light receiving member having a light receiving end facing the object, and a light receiving optical fiber having an incident end face into which light that has passed through the light receiving member is incident, and it is preferable that the light receiving optical fiber is configured to be adjustable so that the relative distance of the incident end face to the object is the adjustment target.

[0010] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measuring device of the present invention is configured so that the relative distance of the incident end face of the receiving fiber in the light detecting unit to the object can be adjusted, and therefore the amount of light acquired by the light detecting unit can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the relative distance of the incident end face of the receiving fiber to the object.

[0011] In the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention, the light detection unit includes a light-receiving member having a light-receiving end facing the object, and a light-receiving optical fiber having an incident end surface into which light that has passed through the light-receiving member is incident, and it is preferable that the light-receiving member is configured to be adjustable with a light-receiving diameter, which is the size of the opening at the light-receiving end through which light from the object is incident, as an adjustment target.

[0012] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measuring device of the present invention is configured to be able to adjust the light receiving diameter, which is the size of the opening through which light from an object enters at the light receiving end of the light receiving member, so that the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by also adjusting the light receiving diameter of the light receiving end of the light receiving member.

[0013] In the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention, the light detection section may include a variable optical attenuator that is capable of attenuating the transmitted light transmitted to the spectrometer and that can change the amount of attenuation by adjusting the amount of attenuation.

[0014] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measurement device of the present invention has a light detection unit that is capable of attenuating the transmitted light transmitted to the spectrometer and has a variable optical attenuator that can change the amount of attenuation, so that the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the amount of attenuation of the transmitted light transmitted to the spectrometer using the variable optical attenuator.

[0015] In the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention, the light source unit preferably includes a light-emitting element having a light-emitting end facing the object, and a light guide that guides light from the light source from the light source to the light-emitting element and has an exit end surface from which the light exits, and the light guide is preferably configured to be adjustable so that the relative distance of the exit end surface to the object is the adjustment target.

[0016] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measuring device of the present invention is configured so that the relative distance of the light guide's emitting end surface to the object can be adjusted, and therefore the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the relative distance of the light guide's emitting end surface to the object.

[0017] In the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention, the light source unit preferably includes a light-projecting member having a light-projecting end facing the object, and a light guide that guides light from the light source from the light source to the light-projecting member and has an exit end surface from which the light exits, and the light-projecting member is preferably configured to be adjustable with a light projection diameter, which is the size of the opening at the light-projecting end through which light from the light source exits, as an adjustment target.

[0018] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measuring device of the present invention is configured to be able to adjust the projection diameter, which is the size of the opening through which light from the light source is emitted at the projection end of the light-emitting member, so that the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by also adjusting the projection diameter of the projection end of the light-emitting member.

[0019] In the spectroscopic measurement device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the light source is configured to be adjustable so that the amount of light to be emitted is adjustable.

[0020] With this configuration, the spectroscopic measurement device of the present invention is configured so that the light source is capable of adjusting the amount of light it irradiates, and therefore the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit can be adjusted to an appropriate amount by adjusting the amount of light from the light source.

[0021] The object inspection device of the present invention comprises a spectroscopic measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, an inspection unit that inspects the quality of the object based on the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the spectrometer, and a conveying unit that conveys the object to the spectroscopic measuring device, and is configured to be adjustable by adjusting the conveying speed of the conveying unit, thereby adjusting the exposure time of the spectrometer.

[0022] With this configuration, the item inspection device of the present invention is configured to be able to adjust the exposure time of the spectrometer by adjusting the conveying speed of the conveying section, so that the amount of light acquired by the light detection section can also be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the exposure time of the spectrometer.

[0023] The object inspection device according to the present invention further includes a control unit that adjusts the adjustment object, and the control unit adjusts the adjustment object at predetermined adjustment intervals, while recording the spectrum obtained by the spectrometer at each adjustment interval, and is configured to set the adjustment value of the adjustment object corresponding to the spectrum when the count value of the wavelength with the greatest light intensity in the recorded spectrum becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold as the light intensity adjustment value.

[0024] With this configuration, in the article inspection device according to the present invention, the control unit adjusts the adjustment target at predetermined adjustment intervals while recording the spectrum obtained by the spectrometer at each adjustment interval, and sets the adjustment value for the adjustment target corresponding to the spectrum when the count value for the wavelength with the greatest light intensity in the recorded spectrum falls below a predetermined threshold as the light intensity adjustment value.This allows the control unit to adjust the light intensity acquired by the light detection unit to an appropriate light intensity.Furthermore, the control unit can measure the spectral characteristics of the article using the adjusted light intensity adjustment value.

[0025] The object inspection device according to the present invention comprises a spectroscopic measurement device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a control unit that adjusts the object to be adjusted, wherein the control unit adjusts the object to be adjusted at predetermined adjustment intervals, records the spectrum obtained by the spectrometer at each adjustment interval, and sets the adjustment value of the object to be adjusted corresponding to the spectrum when the count value of the wavelength with the greatest light intensity in the recorded spectrum becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold as the light intensity adjustment value.

[0026] With this configuration, in the article inspection device according to the present invention, the control unit adjusts the adjustment target at predetermined adjustment intervals while recording the spectrum obtained by the spectrometer at each adjustment interval, and sets the adjustment value for the adjustment target corresponding to the spectrum when the count value for the wavelength with the greatest light intensity in the recorded spectrum falls below a predetermined threshold as the light intensity adjustment value.This allows the control unit to adjust the light intensity acquired by the light detection unit to an appropriate light intensity.Furthermore, the control unit can measure the spectral characteristics of the article using the adjusted light intensity adjustment value. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a spectroscopic measurement device and an article inspection device that can adjust the amount of light acquired by a light detection unit to an appropriate amount of light. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a spectroscopic measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of an article inspection device equipped with a spectroscopic measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a spectroscopic measurement device and a transfer disk according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a graph showing a plurality of patterns of spectra recorded under light amount adjustment control. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship between the light source output and the count value recorded in the light amount adjustment control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, an article inspection device equipped with a spectroscopic measurement device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0030] In this embodiment, when an item to be inspected is transported individually along a transport path by a transport unit and reaches a predetermined inspection position, the item inspection device irradiates light onto the item, which is in a fixed position at the predetermined inspection position, and inspects the quality of the item based on the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light that passes through the item upon irradiation with this light (also called irradiated light).

[0031] The items to be inspected are items that are relatively close in size to the area irradiated with light, and include items with an outer diameter φ of several mm to several tens of mm that can be transported individually without packaging, bite-sized items, as well as items and molded products of a predetermined shape manufactured using existing manufacturing equipment or manufacturing equipment without inspection functions, and especially items that do not change shape during transportation.

[0032] Examples of such articles include pharmaceutical preparations such as tablets, capsules, lozenges, and drops, as well as candy and chocolate. The following description will be given taking as an example an article to be inspected a tablet W that is circular in plan view, has a height (thickness) smaller than its diameter, and is roughly cylindrical in side view. Note that the article to be inspected is not limited to a circular shape in plan view, and articles of various shapes such as an oval shape or a polygonal shape can also be used.

[0033] The conveying unit may be, for example, a conveying unit configured to align and convey articles individually, such as a conveying belt, a conveying disk, or a conveying chute. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a conveying disk 11 (see FIG. 1) is used as the conveying unit.

[0034] As shown in Fig. 1, the conveying disk 11 is a conveying unit configured to suck tablets W into suction holes on its outer peripheral surface and convey them in the circumferential direction while rotating horizontally. In the conveying disk 11, the tablets W are conveyed with their upper and lower surfaces kept horizontal as their sides are sucked into the suction holes. In Fig. 1, only a portion of the outer peripheral side of the conveying disk 11 is shown.

[0035] The article inspection device 10 according to this embodiment includes a spectroscopic measurement device 1 and a control device 2.

[0036] [Spectrometer] The spectroscopic measurement device 1 includes a light source unit 3, a light detection unit 4, and a spectroscopic controller 5 (see FIG. 2). The spectroscopic measurement device 1 irradiates a tablet W to be measured with broadband light (visible light, near-infrared to terahertz light (terahertz waves)), and measures the spectral characteristics of the light that has passed through the tablet W in response to the irradiation of this light. In this embodiment, the above-mentioned control device 2 and spectroscopic controller 5 constitute a control unit.

[0037] (Light source part) The light source unit 3 is configured to irradiate broadband light onto the tablet W passing through a predetermined inspection position, i.e., onto the tablet W being conveyed (moving). In this embodiment, the light source unit 3 is arranged on the opposite side (lower side in this embodiment) from the light detection unit 4 across the conveyance path of the tablet W so as to irradiate light from one side (lower side in this embodiment) of a pair of circular end faces of the approximately cylindrical tablet W to the other side (upper side in this embodiment).

[0038] The conveying path of the tablet W is an area through which the tablet W passes during conveyance. The predetermined inspection position is a position on the conveying path of the tablet W where the light source unit 3 and the light detection unit 4 are arranged.

[0039] The light source unit 3 includes a light source 30 , a light guide 31 , and a light projecting member 32 .

[0040] The light source 30 is composed of a broadband light source, such as a halogen lamp, in order to irradiate broadband light onto the tablet W to be measured, and is provided at a predetermined position as a light source unit integrally assembled with a lamp holding means (not shown) and a case having heat dissipation fins, and is connected to a power supply unit (neither of which is shown).

[0041] Broadband light refers to light that includes visible light, near-infrared light, and terahertz light (terahertz waves). The wavelength of the irradiated light does not need to cover all of these; for example, a wavelength band of 400-2500 nm can easily pass through a measured object such as a tablet and is less likely to cause damage from ultraviolet rays, so the light may be limited to this wavelength band or the near-infrared band within this wavelength band. Furthermore, if the absorption spectrum of the component to be measured is known, only the wavelength band corresponding to the absorption spectrum may be used.

[0042] The light source 30 is configured to be able to adjust the amount of light emitted. For example, the light source 30 is connected to a spectral controller 5 (described later), and the light source output is adjusted based on instructions from the spectral controller 5, thereby making it possible to adjust the amount of light.

[0043] Furthermore, the light source 30 may have a dimming unit with a built-in dimming plate (not shown), and the light intensity may be adjusted by the dimming unit. In this case, the light source 30 is connected to the spectral controller 5 (described later), and the dimming unit is controlled based on instructions from the spectral controller 5, thereby making it possible to adjust the light intensity.

[0044] The light guide 31 is formed by bundling a large number of glass optical fibers, and guides light from the light source 30 to the light projecting member 32. The light guide 31 has an exit end surface 31a from which light from the light source 30 exits.

[0045] The light guide 31 has an exit end surface 31a at the end opposite to the light source 30 (upper side in this embodiment) that faces the tablet W via the light projecting member 32. Light emitted from the light source 30 is emitted from the exit end surface 31a of the light guide 31 toward the light projecting member 32. In this embodiment, the exit end surface 31a means the tip surface of the light guide in which glass optical fibers are bundled together, and does not include the outer periphery that covers the exit end surface 31a.

[0046] The light source 30 and the light guide 31 are housed in a light source unit main body 33 made of a housing. The light source unit main body 33 may have any structure as long as it can integrally support the light source 30 and the light guide 31, and may be formed of a bracket or the like instead of a housing.

[0047] The light projecting member 32 is disposed on the side of the light exit end surface 31a of the light guide 31, and more specifically, is disposed above the light source main body 33. The light projecting member 32 is fixed to the upper surface of the light source main body 33 by a fastening member (not shown).

[0048] The light-projecting member 32 has a light-projecting end 32a facing the tablet W at the end on the opposite side (upper side in this embodiment) from the light source main body 33. The light-projecting member 32 is configured, for example, from a cylindrical or hollow member having a passage formed therein through which light passes.

[0049] The light projection end 32a is provided with an aperture mechanism 34 that can adjust the size of the opening through which light from the light source 30 emitted from the exit end surface 31a of the light guide 31 exits, i.e., the diameter of the opening (hereinafter referred to as the "light projection diameter") φ1.

[0050] The diaphragm mechanism 34 may have any configuration as long as it can adjust the light projection diameter φ1, and for example, an iris consisting of multiple movable blades can be used. The diaphragm mechanism 34 includes, for example, a stepping motor as a drive source for driving a mechanism such as multiple movable blades that can adjust the light projection diameter φ1. The diaphragm mechanism 34 is connected to the spectral controller 5, which will be described later, and the drive of the drive source is controlled based on instructions from the spectral controller 5, thereby making it possible to adjust the light projection diameter φ1.

[0051] The light emitted from the light source 30 is irradiated onto the tablet W via the light guide 31 and the light projecting member 32 described above.

[0052] (Photodetector) The light detection unit 4 is positioned on the opposite side (in this embodiment, the upper side) from the light source unit 3 across the conveying path of the tablet W, so as to face the other (in this embodiment, the upper side) of a pair of circular end faces of the approximately cylindrical tablet W.

[0053] The light detection unit 4 includes a receiving optical fiber 40, a light receiving member 41, a spectrometer 42, and a variable optical attenuator (VOA) 43.

[0054] The receiving fiber 40 is configured to receive the transmitted light that has passed through the tablet W at a predetermined inspection position through the light receiving member 41. The transmitted light that has passed through the tablet W and passed through the light receiving member 41 enters the receiving fiber 40 from an end face (hereinafter referred to as the "incident end face") 40a of the incident surface of the receiving fiber 40. The transmitted light that has entered the receiving fiber 40 passes through the receiving fiber 40, passes through the variable optical attenuator 43, and reaches the spectroscope 42.

[0055] A tapered optical fiber with a large input diameter and a small output diameter can be used as the receiving optical fiber 40. This allows the transmitted light to be incident on the spectroscope 42 more efficiently.

[0056] The light-receiving fiber 40 is housed in a light-receiving body 44 made of a housing. The light-receiving body 44 may have any structure capable of supporting the light-receiving fiber 40, and may be formed not only by a housing but also by a bracket, for example. The light-receiving body 44 may be capable of integrally supporting the spectrometer 42 and the variable optical attenuator 43 in addition to the light-receiving fiber 40.

[0057] The light-receiving member 41 is disposed on the incident end surface 40a side of the light-receiving fiber 40, and more specifically, is disposed below the light-receiving body 44. The light-receiving member 41 is fixed to the lower surface of the light-receiving body 44 by a fastening member (not shown).

[0058] The light receiving member 41 has a light receiving end 41a facing the tablet W at the end on the opposite side (lower side in this embodiment) from the light receiving main body 44. The light receiving member 41 is configured, for example, from a cylindrical or hollow member having a passage formed therein through which light passes.

[0059] The light receiving end 41a is provided with an aperture mechanism 45 that can adjust the size of the opening into which the light transmitted through the tablet W is incident, that is, the diameter of the opening (hereinafter referred to as "light receiving diameter") φ2.

[0060] As with the aperture mechanism 34, the aperture mechanism 45 may have any configuration as long as it is capable of adjusting the light-receiving diameter φ2, and for example, an iris consisting of multiple movable blades can be used. The aperture mechanism 45 includes, for example, a stepping motor as a drive source for driving a mechanism such as multiple movable blades that can adjust the light-receiving diameter φ2. The aperture mechanism 45 is connected to the spectral controller 5, which will be described later, and the drive of the drive source is controlled based on instructions from the spectral controller 5, thereby making it possible to adjust the light-receiving diameter φ2.

[0061] The spectroscope 42 performs spectrometry using, for example, a grating that utilizes differences in the diffraction angle depending on the wavelength of light. Specifically, the light that enters the spectroscope 42 is irradiated onto a grating (diffraction grating) and separated into individual wavelength components. The light separated into individual wavelength components is then detected for each wavelength component by a row of photodetector elements. The light intensity for each wavelength component is then measured. The grating is an optical element with multiple grooves engraved on its surface.

[0062] The variable optical attenuator 43 is provided on the optical path between the receiving optical fiber 40 and the spectrometer 42. The variable optical attenuator 43 is configured to be able to attenuate the transmitted light transmitted from the receiving optical fiber 40 to the spectrometer 42 and to change the amount of attenuation. The variable optical attenuator 43 is connected to the spectroscopic controller 5, which will be described later, and is able to change the amount of attenuation of the light intensity based on instructions from the spectroscopic controller 5.

[0063] In this way, the light detection unit 4 receives the transmitted light irradiated from the light source unit 3 and transmitted through the tablet W via the light receiving member 41 with the receiving optical fiber 40, and measures the spectral characteristics of the transmitted light transmitted through the variable optical attenuator 43 with the spectroscope 42.

[0064] (spectral controller) As shown in FIG. 2, in addition to the above-mentioned control device 2, spectrometer 42, variable optical attenuator 43, light source 30, aperture mechanism 34, and aperture mechanism 45, a first adjustment unit 51, a second adjustment unit 52, a third adjustment unit 53, and a fourth adjustment unit 54 are connected to the spectroscopic controller 5.

[0065] 1, the first adjustment unit 51 adjusts the relative distance D1 of the light source unit 3 with respect to the tablet W. In other words, the first adjustment unit 51 moves the light source unit 3 in a direction approaching or moving away from the tablet W (in the vertical direction in this embodiment).

[0066] The first adjustment unit 51 may be any mechanism capable of adjusting the position of the light source unit 3, and may be, for example, an adjustment mechanism such as an ELECYLINDER (registered trademark), a rack and pinion mechanism, a ball screw mechanism, or a combination of these adjustment mechanisms, and may further be provided with various actuators that drive these adjustment mechanisms.

[0067] The spectral controller 5 controls the driving of the actuator of the first adjustment unit 51 to adjust the relative distance D1 of the light source unit 3 to the tablet W (bottom surface of the tablet).

[0068] Here, the above-mentioned distance D1 is the distance between the light-projecting member 32 and the tablet W, specifically the distance between the light-projecting end 32a of the light-projecting member 32 and the bottom surface of the tablet W. Therefore, adjusting the distance D1 by the first adjustment unit 51 corresponds to adjusting the distance between the light-projecting member 32 and the tablet W.

[0069] The second adjustment unit 52 adjusts the relative distance D2 of the light detection unit 4 with respect to the tablet W. In other words, the second adjustment unit 52 moves the light detection unit 4 in a direction (in the vertical direction in this embodiment) approaching or moving away from the tablet W. Note that the light receiving member 41 and the light receiving unit main body 44 may be moved while the positions of the spectroscope 42 and the variable optical attenuator 43 remain unchanged.

[0070] The second adjustment unit 52, like the first adjustment unit 51, may be any mechanism capable of adjusting the position of the light detection unit 4, and may be, for example, an adjustment mechanism such as an ELECYLINDER (registered trademark), a rack and pinion mechanism, a ball screw mechanism, or a combination of these adjustment mechanisms, and may further be provided with various actuators that drive these adjustment mechanisms.

[0071] The spectroscopic controller 5 controls the driving of the actuator of the second adjustment section 52 to adjust the relative distance D2 of the light detection section 4 to the tablet W (top surface of the tablet).

[0072] Here, the aforementioned distance D2 is the distance between the light-receiving member 41 and the tablet W, specifically the distance between the light-receiving end 41a of the light-receiving member 41 and the upper surface of the tablet W. Therefore, adjusting the distance D2 by the second adjustment unit 52 corresponds to adjusting the distance between the light-receiving member 41 and the tablet W.

[0073] The third adjustment unit 53 adjusts the relative distance D3 of the emission end surface 31a of the light guide 31 with respect to the tablet W. In other words, the third adjustment unit 53 moves the emission end surface 31a of the light guide 31 in a direction approaching or moving away from the tablet W (in the vertical direction in this embodiment).

[0074] The third adjustment unit 53 may be any mechanism that can adjust the position of the exit end surface 31a of the light guide 31, and may be, for example, an adjustment mechanism such as an ELECYLINDER (registered trademark), a rack and pinion mechanism, or a ball screw mechanism, or a combination of these adjustment mechanisms, and may further be equipped with various actuators that drive these adjustment mechanisms.

[0075] The spectral controller 5 controls the driving of the actuator of the third adjustment unit 53 to adjust the relative distance D3 of the emission end surface 31a of the light guide 31 to the tablet W (bottom surface of the tablet).

[0076] The fourth adjustment unit 54 adjusts the relative distance D4 of the incident end surface 40a of the receiving fiber 40 with respect to the tablet W. In other words, the fourth adjustment unit 54 moves the incident end surface 40a of the receiving fiber 40 in a direction approaching or moving away from the tablet W (in the vertical direction in this embodiment).

[0077] The fourth adjustment unit 54, like the third adjustment unit 53, may be any mechanism capable of adjusting the position of the incident end face 40a of the receiving optical fiber 40, and may be, for example, an adjustment mechanism such as an Elecylinder (registered trademark), a rack and pinion mechanism, a ball screw mechanism, or a combination of these adjustment mechanisms, and may further be provided with various actuators for driving these adjustment mechanisms.

[0078] The spectral controller 5 controls the driving of the actuator of the fourth adjustment unit 54 to adjust the relative distance D4 of the incident end face 40a of the light receiving fiber 40 to the tablet W (top surface of the tablet).

[0079] [Control device] The control device 2 is connected to the spectroscopic controller 5 so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally, and includes an inspection unit 20 .

[0080] The inspection unit 20 has a signal processing unit (not shown) that processes the spectroscopic characteristics obtained by the light detection unit 4 within a predetermined exposure time, and inspects the quality of the tablet W, i.e., determines whether the quality of the tablet W is good or bad, based on the results of the signal processing.

[0081] The signal processing unit calculates the spectral characteristics of the absorbance absorbed by the tablet W from the spectral characteristics obtained by the light detection unit 4. Specifically, the absorbance A at wavelength λ is obtained by the formula A=-log10(I / Ii), which is the common logarithm of the ratio (transmittance) of the light intensity Ii of the incident light to the light intensity I of the transmitted light, and the transmitted amount detected when there is no tablet W at the predetermined inspection position can be calculated as the light intensity Ii of the incident light.

[0082] The inspection unit 20 compares the spectroscopic characteristics of absorbance of a non-defective tablet W obtained in advance (intensity of each wavelength of the spectrum (including when differentiated multiple times), waveform shape, information obtained by extracting the entire or partial region and creating a calibration curve, statistical information) with the spectroscopic characteristics of absorbance of the tablet W to be inspected that has been transported to a predetermined inspection position, and determines whether the quality of the tablet W is good or bad based on the magnitude of the difference. The inspection unit 20 outputs a sorting signal based on the pass / fail result of the determination to a sorting unit (not shown) that sorts the tablets W into normal and defective products.

[0083] Specifically, for example, the quality of the tablet W is judged based on whether the difference amount for each wavelength determined by calculation using a calibration curve obtained by statistical calculation results (such as standard deviation) or statistical methods such as regression is within a predetermined range (a range determined based on the results of statistical calculations or the results of the calibration curve).The quality of the tablet W can also be judged based on whether the sum of the intensities of each wavelength is within a predetermined range.Furthermore, if the components of the tablet W are uniform, the quality of the tablet W may be judged based on whether there is an intensity exceeding a predetermined threshold value set in advance in a region other than the specific wavelength.

[0084] The control device 2 is configured to be able to perform light intensity adjustment control to adjust the amount of transmitted light acquired by the light detection unit 4 to an appropriate amount of light when the measurement object of the spectroscopic measurement device 1 is changed, for example, when the tablet W is changed to another type of tablet W1.

[0085] The control device 2 is connected to a drive motor 12 and an operation display unit 21. The drive motor 12 is, for example, a stepping motor, and functions as a drive source for the conveying disk 11. The control device 2 can adjust the rotation speed of the conveying disk 11, i.e., the conveying speed of the tablets W, by controlling the driving of the drive motor 12. This allows the control device 2 to adjust the exposure time of the spectroscope 42.

[0086] The operation and display unit 21 is, for example, a touch panel display, and is operated by a user to perform various settings and display various information. Note that the operation unit and the display unit may be provided separately.

[0087] The operation display unit 21 displays, for example, images of test results and the like obtained by the control device 2, various setting information, and the like. The control device 2 activates a mode for executing the above-mentioned light amount adjustment control through operation on the operation display unit 21. Note that the light amount adjustment control may be executed based on, for example, a signal from an external computer connected to the control device 2, in addition to operation on the operation display unit 21.

[0088] [Light intensity adjustment control] When the tablet W to be measured by the spectroscopic measuring device 1 is changed to another type of tablet W1, the control device 2 controls at least one of the first adjustment unit 51 and the second adjustment unit 52 through the spectroscopic controller 5 to automatically adjust the light source unit 3 or the light detection unit 4, or both, to their initial positions according to the changed tablet W1.

[0089] The initial position may be stored in advance in the ROM of the control device 2 for each measurement object, or may be calculated based on the measurement object input via the operation display unit 21.

[0090] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the control device 2 drives the drive motor 12 by a predetermined drive amount, thereby automatically transporting the sample of the modified tablet W1 adsorbed on the transport disk 11 to the measurement position P of the spectroscopic measurement device 1, i.e., a predetermined inspection position.

[0091] The sample of tablet W1 is adsorbed to an adsorption position on the conveying disk 11 designated by the user, for example, by marking, before the automatic conveyance. Here, the control device 2 returns the drive motor 12 to its origin before the sample of tablet W1 is adsorbed to the conveying disk 11. Note that this return to its origin may be performed before the light source unit 3 and the light detection unit 4 are adjusted to their initial positions.

[0092] Next, the control device 2 or the spectral controller 5 performs adjustments corresponding to one or more of the following adjustment items (1) to (9). In other words, the control device 2 or the spectral controller 5 performs adjustments for one or more of the following adjustment items: exposure time, attenuation of transmitted light, light source intensity, distance D1, distance D2, distance D3, distance D4, light projection diameter φ1, and light reception diameter φ2. The user has designated in advance which of the following adjustment items (1) to (9) to adjust. For example, the user may designate one or more adjustment items via the operation / display unit 21 before performing light intensity adjustment control. The control device 2 or the spectral controller 5 performs adjustments corresponding to the designated adjustment items. Note that each of the following adjustments (1) to (9) is performed automatically by the control device 2 or the spectral controller 5. (1) Adjusting the exposure time (2) Adjustment by variable optical attenuator 43 (3) Adjusting the light intensity of the light source 30 (4) Adjustment of distance D1 (5) Adjustment of distance D2 (6) Adjustment of distance D3 (7) Adjustment of distance D4 (8) Adjustment of the projection diameter φ1 (9) Adjustment of the light receiving diameter φ2

[0093] Here, among the adjustment items (1) to (9) above, the case of adjusting the light intensity of the light source 30 (item (3)) will be described.

[0094] The control device 2 reduces the light source output from a predetermined adjustment start output at a predetermined adjustment interval (for example, a predetermined rate), while recording the spectrum for each light source output. That is, the control device 2 alternately records the spectrum and reduces the light source output, and records the spectrum at each light source output. This spectrum recording is performed a predetermined number of times (including the adjustment start output).

[0095] The patterns of the spectra recorded for a predetermined number of adjustments are, for example, as shown in Fig. 4. In the example shown in Fig. 4, spectra for n patterns corresponding to the predetermined number of adjustments are recorded.

[0096] At this time, the control device 2 sets the wavelength with the greatest light intensity (or the wavelength with the highest brightness value) in the recorded spectrum as the target wavelength λ1, and also records the light intensity (e.g., count value) of the target wavelength λ1 at each light source output. For example, the count value of the target wavelength λ1 when the light source output is reduced by 2% from the adjustment start output is as shown in Figure 5. The predetermined number of adjustments in the example shown in Figure 5 is 40.

[0097] Then, the control device 2 completes the adjustment by setting the light source output corresponding to the spectrum pattern (pattern 15 in the example shown in FIG. 4) when the count value of the target wavelength λ1 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value (see FIG. 4) as the light intensity adjustment value. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the light source output of 60% becomes the light intensity adjustment value. After the adjustment is completed, the control device 2 and the spectral controller 5 measure the tablet W to be measured with the light source output of the above-mentioned light intensity adjustment value. Note that the light intensity adjustment value may be the light source output at the time of the previous measurement when the light intensity adjustment value becomes equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value.

[0098] The predetermined threshold is determined based on the following criteria.

[0099] It is known that the absorbance and transmittance of the tablet W1 vary depending on its thickness. When the product inspection device 10 is actually in operation, tablets W1 of different thicknesses from the sample tablets W1 used in the light intensity adjustment control are often measured, and variations in thickness result in large fluctuations in light intensity. In particular, when the tablet W1 is thin, there is a risk that the spectral count value obtained by the spectrometer 42 will be outside the measurement range of the spectrometer 42. The measurement range of the spectrometer 42 is the range of A / D conversion of the spectrometer and varies depending on the specifications of the spectrometer 42.

[0100] Furthermore, when creating the calibration curve, tablets W1 having different main components are measured, and therefore the transmittance may differ further.

[0101] For this reason, the predetermined threshold value is preferably set to a value that is approximately 20% to 30% lower than the value at which the count value of the spectroscope 42 falls outside the measurement range.

[0102] The control device 2 may increase the light source output at a predetermined adjustment interval (for example, a predetermined rate) from a predetermined adjustment start output. In this case, the control device 2 sets the light source output corresponding to the spectrum pattern when the count value of the target wavelength λ1 becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, or the light source output at the time of the measurement immediately before the count value becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, as the light intensity adjustment value.

[0103] The above describes the adjustment of the light intensity of the light source 30 in (3), but for the other (1), (2), (4) to (9), similarly to (3), recording of the spectrum and adjustment of the parameters corresponding to each adjustment item are performed a predetermined number of times at a predetermined adjustment interval. Note that, similarly to (3), for the other (1), (2), (4) to (9), the adjustment start value, the predetermined adjustment interval, and the predetermined number of adjustments for each parameter are determined in advance.

[0104] For example, in the adjustment item (1), the predetermined adjustment interval is set to a predetermined time interval, and the light intensity adjustment value is set to the exposure time corresponding to the spectrum pattern when the count value of the target wavelength λ1 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. In this case, after the adjustment is completed, the control device 2 and the spectral controller 5 measure the tablet W to be measured with the exposure time of the above-mentioned light intensity adjustment value.

[0105] In the adjustment item (2), the predetermined adjustment interval is set to a predetermined attenuation interval, and the attenuation amount corresponding to the spectrum pattern when the count value of the target wavelength λ1 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold is set to the light intensity adjustment value. In this case, after the adjustment is completed, the control device 2 and the spectral controller 5 measure the tablet W to be measured with the attenuation amount of the above-mentioned light intensity adjustment value.

[0106] In the adjustment items (4) to (7), the predetermined adjustment interval is set to a predetermined movement amount (for example, 0.1 mm), and the respective distances corresponding to the spectrum pattern when the count value of the target wavelength λ1 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold are set to the light intensity adjustment values. In this case, after the adjustment is completed, the control device 2 and the spectral controller 5 measure the tablet W to be measured at the distances of the respective light intensity adjustment values.

[0107] When making the adjustments (4) to (7), it is also possible to adjust the distance D3 while keeping the distance D1 fixed, or to adjust the distance D4 while keeping the distance D2 fixed.

[0108] In the adjustment items (8) and (9), a predetermined adjustment interval is set to a predetermined diameter variable amount, and the light intensity adjustment values ​​are set to the projection diameter and the light receiving diameter corresponding to the spectrum pattern when the count value of the target wavelength λ1 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. In this case, after the adjustment is completed, the control device 2 and the spectroscopy controller 5 measure the tablet W to be measured with the projection diameter or the light receiving diameter, or both, of the above-mentioned light intensity adjustment values.

[0109] Next, a case where adjustment is performed by combining two of the adjustment items (1) to (9) above will be described.

[0110] The control device 2 adjusts one adjustment item while also adjusting other adjustment items at predetermined adjustment intervals for each predetermined adjustment interval for the first adjustment item. That is, the control device 2 performs a round-robin adjustment of the first adjustment item and the other adjustment items at each adjustment interval. The control device 2 then determines the count value of the target wavelength λ1 obtained by the round-robin adjustment that is closest to the predetermined threshold, and sets the parameter value of the first adjustment item and the parameter value of the other adjustment item at which the count value was obtained as the light intensity adjustment value.

[0111] [Action and effect] As described above, according to the spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment, the light source unit 3 is configured to be able to adjust the relative distance D1 with respect to the tablet W. Therefore, by changing the relative distance D1 of the light source unit 3 with respect to the tablet W, the distance between the light-projecting member 32 and the tablet W can be adjusted, and the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light.

[0112] Furthermore, according to the spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment, the light detection unit 4 is configured to be able to adjust the relative distance D2 with respect to the tablet W. Therefore, by changing the relative distance D2 of the light detection unit 4 with respect to the tablet W, the distance between the light receiving member 41 and the tablet W can be adjusted, and the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light.

[0113] Furthermore, according to the spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment, the light receiving fiber 40 of the light detection unit 4 is configured so that the relative distance D4 of the incident end face 40a to the tablet W can be adjusted, and therefore the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the relative distance D4 of the incident end face 40a of the light receiving fiber 40 to the tablet W.

[0114] Furthermore, according to the spectroscopic measuring device of this embodiment, the light receiving diameter φ2, which is the size of the opening through which light from the tablet W enters at the light receiving end 41a of the light receiving member 41, is configured to be adjustable, so that the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the light receiving diameter φ2 of the light receiving end 41a of the light receiving member 41.

[0115] Furthermore, according to the spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment, the light detection unit 4 has a variable optical attenuator 43 that can attenuate the transmitted light transmitted to the spectrometer 42 and change the amount of attenuation. Therefore, the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount by adjusting the amount of attenuation of the transmitted light transmitted to the spectrometer 42 using the variable optical attenuator 43.

[0116] Furthermore, according to the spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment, the light guide 31 is configured to be adjustable in the relative distance D3 of the exit end surface 31a to the tablet W, so that the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the relative distance D3 of the exit end surface 31a of the light guide 31 to the tablet W.

[0117] Furthermore, according to the spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment, the projection diameter φ1, which is the size of the opening through which light from the light source 30 is emitted at the projection end 32a of the light-projecting member 32, is adjustable. Therefore, the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the projection diameter φ1 of the projection end 32a of the light-projecting member 32.

[0118] Furthermore, according to the spectroscopic measurement device of this embodiment, the light source 30 is configured to be able to adjust the amount of light emitted, so that the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can be adjusted to an appropriate amount by adjusting the amount of light from the light source 30.

[0119] According to the object inspection device of this embodiment, the exposure time of the spectrometer 42 can be adjusted by adjusting the conveying speed of the conveying disk 11, so the amount of light acquired by the light detection unit 4 can also be adjusted to an appropriate amount of light by adjusting the exposure time of the spectrometer 42.

[0120] [Variations] In this embodiment, the configuration in which the light projection diameter φ1 can be adjusted by the diaphragm mechanism 34 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the light projection diameter φ1 may be adjusted by replacing the light projection member 32 with a light projection member having a different light projection diameter. In this case, the diaphragm mechanism 34 is not necessary.

[0121] In addition, in this embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the light-receiving diameter φ2 can be adjusted by the diaphragm mechanism 45, but this is not limiting, and the light-receiving diameter φ2 may be adjusted, for example, by replacing the light-receiving member 41 with a light-receiving member having a different light-receiving diameter. In this case, the diaphragm mechanism 45 is not necessary.

[0122] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the fourth adjustment unit 54 can adjust the relative distance D4 of the incident end face 40a of the receiving fiber 40 to the tablet W, but this is not limited to this, and the distance D4 may also be adjustable, for example, by replacing the receiving member 41 with a receiving member of a different length.

[0123] In addition, in this embodiment, the adjustment of (1) exposure time is listed as an adjustment item in the light intensity adjustment control, but this does not have to be an adjustment item. In this case, the control device 2 may output an alarm if the light intensity is insufficient even after adjusting one or more of the adjustment items (2) to (9) in the light intensity adjustment control. Furthermore, after outputting this alarm, the control device 2 may reduce the transport speed of the transport disk 11 to extend the exposure time of the spectroscope 42. This makes it possible to deal with the insufficient light intensity.

[0124] While an embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention, and it is intended that all such modifications and equivalents be included in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 1 Spectrometer 2. Control device 3 Light source section 4. Light detection unit 5 Spectroscopic Controller 10. Item inspection equipment 11 Transfer disk (transfer section) 12 Drive motor 21 Operation display section 30 light source 31 Light Guide 31a Output end face 32 Light-emitting member 32a Light emitting end 33 Light source body 34 Aperture mechanism 40 Receiving fiber 40a Incidence end face 41 Light receiving member 41a Light receiving end 42 Spectrometer 43 Variable Optical Attenuator 44 Light receiving unit body 45 Aperture mechanism 51 1st adjustment section 52 2nd adjustment section 53 3rd adjustment section 54 4th adjustment section W Tablet (item) φ1 Light projection diameter φ2 light receiving diameter

Claims

1. a light source unit (3) that irradiates light from a light source (30) onto an article (W); a light detection unit (4) that measures the spectral characteristics of transmitted light irradiated from the light source unit and transmitted through the article using a spectroscope (42); The light source unit and the light detection unit are configured to be adjustable with a relative distance (D1, D2) from the object as an adjustment target.

2. The light detection unit includes a light receiving member (41) having a light receiving end (41a) facing the object, and a light receiving optical fiber (40) having an incident end surface (40a) onto which light that has passed through the light receiving member is incident, 2. The spectrometer according to claim 1, wherein the receiving fiber is configured to be adjustable so that a relative distance (D4) of the incident end face to the object is adjustable.

3. The light detection unit includes a light receiving member (41) having a light receiving end (41a) facing the object, and a light receiving optical fiber (40) having an incident end surface (40a) onto which light that has passed through the light receiving member is incident, The spectroscopic measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the light receiving member is configured to be adjustable such that a light receiving diameter (φ2), which is the size of an opening at the light receiving end through which light from the object is incident, is adjustable.

4. 2. The spectroscopic measurement device according to claim 1, wherein the light detection section has a variable optical attenuator (43) capable of attenuating the transmitted light transmitted to the spectroscope and whose attenuation amount is adjustable.

5. the light source unit includes a light-emitting member (32) having a light-emitting end (32a) facing the object, and a light guide (31) that guides light of the light source from the light source to the light-emitting member and has an exit end surface (31a) from which the light exits, The spectroscopic measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the light guide is configured to be adjustable so that a relative distance (D3) of the light exit end surface to the object is an adjustable object.

6. the light source unit includes a light-emitting member (32) having a light-emitting end (32a) facing the object, and a light guide (31) that guides light of the light source from the light source to the light-emitting member and has an exit end surface (31a) from which the light exits, The spectroscopic measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the light projecting member is configured to be adjustable such that a projection diameter (φ1) that is the size of an opening at the light projecting end through which light from the light source is emitted is adjustable.

7. The spectroscopic measurement device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to be adjustable so that the amount of light emitted is adjustable.

8. A spectroscopic measurement device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7; an inspection unit (20) that inspects the quality of the item based on the spectroscopic characteristics measured by the spectrometer; a conveying unit (11) that conveys the object to the spectroscopic measurement device, An article inspection device configured so that the exposure time of the spectrometer can be adjusted by adjusting the conveying speed of the conveying unit.

9. Further provided is a control unit (2, 5) that adjusts the adjustment target, The control unit adjusts the adjustment target at predetermined adjustment intervals, records the spectrum obtained by the spectrometer at each adjustment interval, and sets the adjustment value of the adjustment target corresponding to the spectrum when the count value of the wavelength with the highest light intensity in the recorded spectrum becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold as the light intensity adjustment value.

10. A spectroscopic measurement device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7; a control unit (2, 5) that adjusts the adjustment target, The control unit adjusts the adjustment target at predetermined adjustment intervals, records the spectrum obtained by the spectrometer at each adjustment interval, and sets the adjustment value of the adjustment target corresponding to the spectrum when the count value of the wavelength with the highest light intensity in the recorded spectrum becomes equal to or less than a predetermined threshold as the light intensity adjustment value.

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