Pill imaging apparatus, pill imaging system, and apparatus for inspection and / or printing of pills

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide a tablet imaging apparatus, a tablet imaging system, and an apparatus for inspecting and / or printing a tablet, which are capable of improving the performance of detecting the presence or absence of a printing failure or a foreign substance, contributing to an improvement in the quality of a tablet, and suppressing an increase in the size of the apparatus.SOLUTION: A tablet imaging device 40 according to the present invention includes an illumination device 42 and an imaging device 41, wherein the illumination device 42 includes an enhancement illumination unit 43 that performs enhancement illumination and a homogeneous illumination unit 44 that performs homogeneous illumination and emits light of a color different from that of the enhancement illumination as the homogeneous illumination, and the imaging device 41 is configured to output image data Gx as an imaging result by the homogeneous illumination and the enhancement illumination by imaging the tablet T from one imaging position Px while the tablet T passes through an imaging area Rx.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for printing and inspecting tablets that are conveyed. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, tablet printing devices have been provided that print on tablets while transporting them. For example, Patent Document 1 below discloses a tablet printing device that prints on the tablets using a print head device while transporting the tablets using a transport device. In addition, in the tablet printing device of Patent Document 1, the tablets printed on the transport path are imaged by an inspection imaging device, and the image is used to determine whether the printing is good or bad. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-57788 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, in a device that prints on tablets, such as the tablet printing device of Patent Document 1, inspection is performed to determine whether the printing is appropriate. However, if foreign matter is attached to the tablet before printing, there is a problem that the ink and the foreign matter may overlap during the inspection after printing, making it impossible to accurately determine whether the printing is appropriate or whether the foreign matter is present.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a tablet imaging device, a tablet imaging system, and an apparatus for inspecting and / or printing tablets that can improve the performance of detecting printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, contribute to improving the quality of tablets, and prevent the device from becoming larger. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present invention first considered installing a device to detect foreign objects upstream of a printing device. However, devices that print on tablets require acquiring printing information, such as the tablet's outer shape and position, before printing, which necessitates the installation of an image capturing device to acquire the printing information. Therefore, installing a foreign object detection device in addition to the image capturing device upstream of the printing device would result in problems such as increased costs and a longer tablet transport path to ensure space on the transport path, leading to an increase in the size of the device.

[0007] Next, the inventors of the present invention considered a configuration that has both the functions of acquiring information for printing and detecting foreign objects before printing. Here, the inventors of the present invention considered a configuration in which a backlight is provided below the foreign object detection device. However, the tablet transport path may be equipped with a conveyor belt or suction box for transporting the tablets while adsorbing them, making it extremely difficult to provide a backlight on the transport path. Furthermore, inkjet tablet printing has traditionally had various issues, but it has only become practical by resolving these issues (such as by providing edible ink). Therefore, inkjet tablet printing technology is relatively new, and as its practical application progresses, various issues have arisen and various requests have been heard. For example, there is a desire to print across the score line on tablets with a score line.

[0008] The inventors of the present invention have investigated a configuration that can detect the outer shape and orientation of a tablet, the shift distance from the center line of the conveying path, the presence and orientation of a score line, etc. (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as "tablet shape characteristics") using a single device without using a backlight or the like. As a result of their investigation, the inventors of the present invention have discovered that tablet shape characteristics can be suitably detected by using an illumination device when imaging a tablet to provide accentuated illumination on the surface of the tablet distal to the conveying path. The inventors of the present invention have also discovered that if accentuated illumination is used while irradiating the tablet with light of a different color as homogeneous illumination, the tablet's irregularities become less noticeable and foreign matter stands out. Furthermore, the inventors of the present invention have discovered that if a tablet is imaged while illuminating the imaging area of ​​the tablet with accentuated illumination and homogeneous illumination, the image can be used to simultaneously identify tablet shape characteristics and detect foreign matter.

[0009] (1) The tablet imaging device of the present invention, provided based on the above findings, is a tablet imaging device configured to image, in an imaging area, a tablet being transported on a transport path formed by a transport device, in such a manner that the proximal surface of the tablet relative to the transport path contacts the transport path and the distal surface of the tablet relative to the transport path is exposed to an imaging area on the transport path during transport, the tablet imaging device comprising an illumination device and an imaging device, wherein the illumination device has an emphasis illumination unit that performs emphasis illumination by irradiating light from the side onto the distal surface of the tablet, and a homogeneous illumination unit that performs homogeneous illumination on the distal surface and side surfaces of the tablet and irradiates light of a different color from the emphasis illumination as the homogeneous illumination, and the imaging device is configured to image the tablet from one imaging position located at a distance from the distal surface of the tablet in the thickness direction of the tablet while the tablet is passing through the imaging area, and output image data as the imaging result obtained by the homogeneous illumination and the emphasis illumination.

[0010] (1) According to the tablet imaging device of the present invention, a tablet can be irradiated with accentuated illumination and homogeneous illumination using different colors of light and imaged as a single image. Furthermore, the image data (image data) captured by the imaging device can be processed using an image processing device (image processing device) to extract an accentuated image in which the color of the accentuated illumination light is extracted, and a homogeneous image in which the color of the homogeneous illumination light is extracted. Here, the accentuated image is an image in which light is irradiated from the side of the tablet, emphasizing the tablet's irregularities, making it suitable for detecting tablet shape characteristics (e.g., the tablet's outer shape, the angle of the secant line, etc.). Therefore, the accentuated image can be suitably used as an image for identifying the printing position. Furthermore, the homogeneous image is an image in which the irregularities are less noticeable while the color differences are prominent, making it suitable for detecting foreign matter attached to the tablet. Therefore, the homogeneous image can be suitably used as an image for detecting foreign matter.

[0011] Thus, the tablet imaging device can acquire, in a single image capture, a single image data set that can be separated into an enhanced image suitable for identifying the printing position and a homogeneous image suitable for detecting foreign matter. Furthermore, for example, by placing the tablet imaging device of the present invention upstream of a printing device and using the tablet imaging device to image tablets before printing, the image data can be utilized to both identify the printing position and detect foreign matter before printing. Therefore, using the tablet imaging device of the present invention, when inspecting printability, overlapping ink and foreign matter can be detected as a printing defect, and foreign matter can be detected when the foreign matter is hidden by the ink. Furthermore, when extracting an enhanced image and a homogeneous image from a single image data set, the tablet imaging device of the present invention can accurately extract these images due to differences in light color, and also makes features contained in each image (shades and foreign matter) more readily apparent. Therefore, in inspections using each image, the detection accuracy of tablet shape characteristics, foreign matter, and the like can be improved. As a result, the tablet imaging device of the present invention can improve the detection performance for printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, thereby contributing to improving tablet quality.

[0012] Furthermore, the tablet imaging device of the present invention is configured to image a tablet from one imaging position so that image data under homogeneous illumination and accentuated illumination can be output by imaging the tablet while it passes through the imaging area (for example, one imaging). In other words, the tablet imaging device of the present invention has a homogeneous illumination unit and an accentuated illumination unit that irradiate the tablet with light so as to correspond to one position (imaging position) where the tablet can be imaged as one image. Therefore, the tablet imaging device of the present invention occupies less space on the conveying path than, for example, a case in which the illumination device and imaging device for the accentuated illumination unit and the illumination device and imaging device for the homogeneous illumination unit are arranged side by side in the conveying direction of the conveying path. Therefore, the tablet imaging device of the present invention can prevent the conveying path of devices including a printing device and an appearance inspection device from becoming longer, and can prevent the entire device from becoming larger.

[0013] In this way, the tablet imaging device of the present invention can improve the performance of detecting printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, contribute to improving the quality of tablets, and prevent the device from becoming larger.

[0014] (2) In the tablet imaging device of the present invention, the highlighting illumination unit may irradiate light of one of the three primary colors of light, and the homogeneous illumination unit may irradiate light of at least one of the remaining two colors.

[0015] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the color of light from the homogeneous illumination unit and the color of light from the enhanced illumination unit are less likely to interfere with each other, making it easier to extract images (enhanced image and homogeneous image) from one image data with greater accuracy and making it easier to bring out the features contained in each image. As a result, the tablet imaging device of the present invention further improves the detection performance for printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, contributes to improving the quality of tablets, and can prevent the device from becoming larger.

[0016] The inventors of the present invention then investigated the optimal light color for each of accentuated illumination and homogeneous illumination. As a result, the inventors of the present invention discovered that irradiating both red and green light as homogeneous illumination can improve the accuracy of detecting red and black foreign bodies. Furthermore, there is a strong demand in the pharmaceutical industry for detecting red and black foreign bodies in particular. The above-described configuration meets this demand. On the other hand, they discovered that blue light, having a small wavelength, tends to create shadows, making it suitable for accentuated illumination.

[0017] In the tablet imaging device of the present invention, the highlighting illumination unit may irradiate blue light, and the homogeneous illumination unit may irradiate red light and green light.

[0018] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the enhanced image makes unevenness more prominent, and the homogeneous image makes red or black foreign matter more prominent. Therefore, the above-mentioned tablet imaging device can further improve the accuracy in extracting tablet shape characteristics and detecting foreign matter.

[0019] (3) The tablet imaging system of the present invention comprises the tablet imaging device described in (1) or (2) above, and an image processing device that acquires and processes the image data, and is characterized in that the image processing device uses the image data to perform image processing on each of the imaging results obtained by the enhanced illumination and the imaging results obtained by the uniform illumination.

[0020] According to the tablet imaging system of the present invention, it is possible to obtain, from one image data, an image for identifying a printing position (enhanced image) and an image for detecting foreign matter (homogeneous image) as imaging results. Furthermore, when extracting an enhanced image and a homogeneous image from one image data, the tablet imaging system of the present invention can accurately extract these images due to differences in light color, and also makes features contained in each image (shades and foreign matter) more likely to appear. Therefore, in inspections using each image, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of tablet shape characteristics, foreign matter, etc. Therefore, according to the tablet imaging system of the present invention, in inspections of printability, overlapping ink and foreign matter can be detected as a printing defect, and foreign matter can be detected when the foreign matter is hidden by ink. As a result, the tablet imaging system of the present invention improves the detection performance of printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, contributing to improved tablet quality and suppressing the increase in size of the device.

[0021] (4) In the tablet imaging system of the present invention, the image processing may include a process of extracting an enhanced image as an imaging result obtained by the enhanced illumination and a homogeneous image as an imaging result obtained by the homogeneous illumination from the image data based on differences in the color of light.

[0022] According to the above-described configuration, an image for identifying a printing position (enhanced image) and an image for detecting foreign matter (homogeneous image) can be obtained from a single image data based on differences in light color. Furthermore, in the tablet imaging system of the present invention, when extracting an enhanced image and a homogeneous image from a single image data, the differences in light color allow these images to be extracted with high accuracy, and features contained in each image (shades and foreign matter) become more likely to appear. Therefore, in inspections using each image, the detection accuracy of tablet shape characteristics, foreign matter, etc. can be improved. Therefore, according to the tablet imaging system of the present invention, in inspections of printability, overlapping ink and foreign matter can be detected as a printing defect, and foreign matter can be detected when the foreign matter is hidden by ink. As a result, the tablet imaging system of the present invention improves the detection performance of printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, contributing to improved tablet quality and suppressing device size increase.

[0023] (5) In the tablet imaging system of the present invention, the image processing may further include obtaining brightness values ​​of the enhanced image and the homogenous image.

[0024] According to the above-described configuration, an image for identifying a printing position (enhanced image) and an image for detecting foreign matter (homogeneous image) can be obtained from a single image data based on differences in light color. Furthermore, in the tablet imaging system of the present invention, when extracting an enhanced image and a homogeneous image from a single image data, the differences in light color allow these images to be extracted with high accuracy, and the features (shades and foreign matter) contained in each image are more likely to appear as brightness values. Therefore, in inspections using each image, the detection accuracy of tablet shape characteristics, foreign matter, etc. can be improved. Therefore, according to the tablet imaging system of the present invention, in inspections of printability, overlapping ink and foreign matter can be detected as a printing defect, and foreign matter can be detected when the foreign matter is hidden by ink. As a result, the tablet imaging system of the present invention improves the detection performance of printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, contributing to improved tablet quality and suppressing device size increase.

[0025] (6) The device for inspecting and / or printing tablets of the present invention is characterized by comprising the tablet imaging system described in (3) above and the conveying device.

[0026] In the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention, an image for identifying the printing position (enhanced image) and an image for detecting foreign matter (homogeneous image) can be obtained from a single image data obtained by a single imaging operation using a tablet imaging device. Furthermore, for example, by arranging the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention upstream of a printing device, both the identification of the printing position and the detection of foreign matter can be performed before printing. Therefore, by using the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention, when inspecting printability, overlapping of ink and foreign matter can be detected as a printing defect, and foreign matter can be detected when the foreign matter is hidden by ink. As a result, the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention improves the detection performance for printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, contributing to improved tablet quality and suppressing the increase in size of the device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a tablet imaging device, a tablet imaging system, and an apparatus for inspecting and / or printing tablets that can improve the detection performance for printing defects and the presence or absence of foreign matter, contribute to improving the quality of tablets, and prevent the apparatus from becoming larger. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing an entire tablet print inspection device including a tablet imaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2A and 2B are diagrams showing a part of the conveying path of the tablet printing inspection device of FIG. 1, where (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view. [Figure 3] 2A is a schematic diagram showing a tablet imaging system including the tablet imaging device and the control device of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the tablet imaging device of FIG. 1 as seen from the left side. [Figure 4] 1. (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the incident range of the tablet imaging device of FIG. 1. (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the tablet imaging device of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device provided in the tablet print inspection device of FIG. 1. [Figure 6]2A and 2B are diagrams showing an example of processing of an image captured by the tablet imaging device of Fig. 1. (a) shows an example of image data, (b) shows an example of an enhanced image, and (c) shows an example of a homogenous image. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entirety of a tablet print inspection device 1 (a device for inspecting and / or printing tablets) equipped with a tablet imaging device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] In this specification, the term "tablet" refers to a solid preparation having a predetermined shape. In addition, the solid preparation in this specification may or may not be classified as a pharmaceutical product.

[0031] Furthermore, the "tablet shape characteristics" in this specification include the outer shape of the tablet T, the presence or absence of a score line Tc, the direction (angle) of the score line Tc, the direction (posture) of the tablet T relative to the conveying path center line Lc when the tablet T has an irregular shape such as a rugby ball shape, an ellipse, or an oblong shape, and the shift distance of the tablet T relative to the conveying path center line Lc (position on the conveying path C). In other words, the tablet shape characteristics are a concept that includes the characteristics that appear as the shape of the tablet T and its relative position with respect to the conveying path C. Furthermore, in this specification, information on the tablet shape characteristics may be simply referred to as "tablet shape characteristic information."

[0032] Furthermore, "inspection" in this specification includes inspection to identify the printing position on the tablet (tablet shape identification inspection) and inspection to check for any abnormalities in the appearance of the tablet, such as chipped tablets, mixing with different tablets, or the presence of foreign matter (visual inspection).

[0033] In the following description, the up-down direction when the tablet print inspection device 1 is installed may be simply referred to as the "up-down direction H." Furthermore, within the up-down direction H, the upper side may be simply referred to as the "upper side H1," and the lower side may be simply referred to as the "lower side H2."

[0034] 1, the tablet printing inspection device 1 includes a supply unit 10, an alignment device 20, a transport unit 30, a sorting and recovery device 70, and a control device 80. The tablet printing inspection device 1 also includes a tablet imaging device 40, a printing device 50, and an inspection unit 60.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 1, the supply unit 10 includes a hopper 11 and a vibrating feeder 12. The hopper 11 is a member into which tablets T are fed. The vibrating feeder 12 vibrates the tablets T fed into the hopper 11 and feeds them to the aligning device 20. The aligning device 20 aligns the fed tablets T in a line and transfers them to the conveying unit 30.

[0036] The transport unit 30 transports tablets T. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport unit 30 is composed of a pair of transport devices 31. Specifically, the transport unit 30 includes a pair of transport devices, namely, a transport device 31A arranged upstream and a transport device 31B arranged downstream in the transport path of the tablets T. Each of the transport devices 31A and 31B is provided with a tablet imaging device 40, a printing device 50, and an inspection unit 60. The tablets T supplied from the alignment device 20 to the transport unit 30 are transported by the transport device 31A to an area (transfer area R1) where the transport devices 31A and 31B overlap in the vertical direction H, and are transferred from the transport device 31A to the transport device 31B in the transfer area R1. That is, it can be said that the transport devices 31 (transfer device 31A, conveyance device 31B) form upstream and downstream transport paths C, respectively, and the transport unit 30 forms the transport path C of the entire device.

[0037] The conveying device 31A and the conveying device 31B have the same configuration except for the fact that they are in a state where the left and right sides are reversed and the positions where they are arranged. Therefore, in the following description, the conveying device 31A and the conveying device 31B may be collectively referred to simply as the "conveying device 31." Furthermore, the conveying direction of the tablets T by the conveying device 31 may be simply referred to as the "conveying direction D."

[0038] The conveying device 31 conveys the tablets T supplied from the alignment device 20. In other words, the conveying device 31 forms a conveying path C that conveys the tablets T from upstream to downstream while adsorbing the tablets T. In this specification, the upstream side of the conveying path C for the tablets T may be simply referred to as "upstream," and the downstream side of the conveying path C for the tablets T may be simply referred to as "downstream."

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2(a), the conveying device 31 is equipped with two endless annular conveying belts 32. Also, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the conveying device 31 has a gap formed between the two conveying belts 32, which serves as a suction port 33. As shown in FIG. 2(a), in the tablet printing inspection device 1 of this embodiment, the suction port 33 is formed in the shape of a slit, as the gap formed between the two conveying belts 32. Furthermore, the conveying device 31 is equipped with a drive unit (not shown) that drives the conveying belts 32, and a suction box (not shown) that applies negative pressure to the suction port 33.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 1, the conveying device 31 is provided with an inverting section 34. The conveying device 31 uses the conveying belt 32 at the upper side H1 as the outgoing path and the conveying belt 32 at the lower side H2 as the returning path, and conveys the tablets T by adsorbing them onto the conveying belt 32 by the action of negative pressure. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, the tablets T, which were arranged at the upper side H1 of the conveying belt 32 upstream of the inverting section 34, are turned upside down by passing through the inverting section 34, and the tablets T are conveyed while being positioned at the lower side H2 of the conveying belt 32 downstream of the inverting section 34.

[0041] The tablet imaging device 40 captures an image of the tablet T on the conveying path C. As shown in FIG. 1, in the tablet print inspection device 1 of this embodiment, the tablet imaging device 40 is disposed at a position upstream of the printing device 50. The image captured by the tablet imaging device 40 is used to identify the printing position by the printing device 50. The configurations and functions of the tablet imaging device 40 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 3.

[0042] The printing device 50 prints on the tablets T on the transport path C. The printing device 50 has an inkjet head unit and an ink tank. The printing device 50 prints on the tablets T on the transport path C by ejecting ink from ejection nozzles provided in the head unit.

[0043] The inspection unit 60 is for performing an appearance inspection of the tablet T. The inspection unit 60 is a unit including a surface inspection device, a 3D inspection device, and a side surface inspection device. The surface inspection device captures images for determining the quality of the printing applied to the tablet T. The 3D inspection device irradiates laser light for acquiring 3D data of the tablet T. The side surface inspection device captures images for inspecting the shape of the side surface of the tablet T.

[0044] The sorting and recovery device 70 is equipped with various detection sensors, a sorting chute, a recovery container, a good product conveyor, etc. for sorting the tablets T. The sorting and recovery device 70 operates under the control of the control device 80, sorts out defective products from good products, and recovers the defective products while recovering the good products to a good product recovery section (not shown).

[0045] The control device 80 controls the operation of the entire device. The control device 80 has a hardware configuration including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory), all of which are not shown. In this hardware configuration, the CPU performs calculations according to a predetermined program, causing the control device 80 to execute operations according to the loaded program. For example, the control device 80 controls the operations of each component, such as the transport unit 30, the alignment device 20, the printing device 50, and the sorting and recovery device 70.

[0046] <Overall operation of tablet printing inspection device> Next, we will explain the operation of the tablet print inspection device 1, which is executed under the control of the control device 80. The tablet print inspection device 1 is capable of performing both printing of tablets T and visual inspection of tablets T on a single line.

[0047] First, an operator puts tablets T into the hopper 11. The control device 80 controls the vibrating feeder 12 and the aligning device 20 so that the tablets T put into the hopper 11 are supplied from the vibrating feeder 12 to the aligning device 20 and transferred to the conveying unit 30. The control device 80 also controls the conveying unit 30 so that the tablets T supplied from the aligning device 20 to the conveying unit 30 are conveyed while being adsorbed. As a result, the tablets T are conveyed while being adsorbed to the suction port 33 of the conveying device 31A.

[0048] The control device 80 then controls the tablet imaging device 40 to image the tablet T while it is being transported by the transport device 31A (on the transport path C). The control device 80 also uses the image data Gx captured by the tablet imaging device 40 to identify tablet shape characteristics and detect foreign matter (first inspection). That is, the tablet printing inspection device 1 also inspects for foreign matter, etc. in the area (imaging region Rx) where the tablet shape characteristics are recognized. Furthermore, the control device 80 controls the printing device 50 to perform printing on the tablet T based on the tablet shape characteristic information. The processing of the image data Gx by the control device 80 will be described in detail later.

[0049] Thereafter, the control device 80 controls the inspection unit 60 to capture images of the printed tablets T. Then, the control device 80 acquires images for appearance inspection from the inspection unit 60 and executes various processes to determine whether the printing of each tablet T is good or bad, whether there are any defects (cracks, chips, foreign matter, etc.), whether there are any different types of tablets T mixed in, etc. (second inspection).

[0050] In this way, the tablet printing inspection device 1 of this embodiment performs a first inspection on tablets T in an unprinted state, and then performs a second inspection on tablets T that have become printed tablets to determine whether the printing on each tablet T is good or bad, whether there are any defects, etc.

[0051] Next, when the tablets T are handed over from the conveying device 31A to the conveying device 31B, the control device 80 performs the same processes (identifying the printing position, printing, visual inspection, etc.) and operations on the conveying path C of the conveying device 31B. Then, the control device 80 determines whether the tablets T are good or bad based on various data on both sides of the tablets T, and then controls the operation of the sorting and recovery device 70 so that tablets T in which an abnormality is detected are recovered as defective products, and tablets T in which no abnormality is found are recovered to a good product recovery section (not shown).

[0052] As described above, the tablet print inspection device 1 of this embodiment can perform both printing on tablets T and visual inspection of the front and back surfaces of tablets T using a single device. In other words, the tablet print inspection device 1 can complete a series of operations, from printing on unprinted tablets T to visual inspection, using a single device. Furthermore, the tablet print inspection device 1 can be used as an inspection device with the printing function turned off. Furthermore, the tablet print inspection device 1 can be used as a printing device with the visual inspection function turned off. Therefore, the tablet print inspection device 1 of this embodiment can be flexibly operated depending on the type and application of tablets T. For example, even in situations where the tablets T to be inspected or printed on vary depending on the day, there is no need to prepare multiple devices, and a single device can be used flexibly.

[0053] Although the tablet printing inspection device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the device for inspecting and / or printing tablets of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the tablet printing inspection device 1 of the present embodiment has been described as an example in which printing and inspection are performed on both the front and back surfaces of the tablet T, but the device for inspecting and / or printing tablets of the present invention may be configured to print and / or inspect only one surface of the tablet.

[0054] Furthermore, in the tablet printing inspection device 1 of this embodiment, an example in which the slit-shaped suction port 33 is used has been shown, but the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention may have a hole-shaped suction port. That is, when the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention transports tablets on a conveying path while suctioning them, the suction port may have any shape. Furthermore, the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention does not have to transport tablets while suctioning them. For example, the tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention may be configured to provide a recess in the conveying path and transport the tablets by fitting them into the recess. The tablet inspection and / or printing device of the present invention can select from a variety of methods for holding tablets on the conveying path.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been shown in which printing on tablets T is performed using the tablet print inspection device 1, but the tablet printing device of the present invention may be used for printing on capsules and the like in addition to printing on tablets. In other words, the tablet printing device of the present invention does not have to be used exclusively for printing on tablets.

[0056] <About the tablet imaging system> Next, the tablet imaging system 90 and the tablet imaging device 40 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0057] The tablet imaging device 40 captures an image of the tablet T on the conveying path C while irradiating it with light. Furthermore, the control device 80 (image processing device) performs various processes, such as obtaining printing information (tablet shape characteristic information) and detecting foreign matter, based on the image data Gx captured by the tablet imaging device 40. That is, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the control device 80 and the tablet imaging device 40 can be said to constitute a tablet imaging system 90 that obtains printing information, detects foreign matter, etc. Below, the configuration of the tablet imaging device 40 will first be described, and then the various processes performed by the control device 80 will be described.

[0058] <About the tablet imaging device> The tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment is used for an inspection (tablet shape identification inspection) to identify the printing position of the tablet T. Note that the tablet imaging device of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the tablet imaging device may also be used for an inspection (visual inspection) to check for abnormalities in the appearance of the tablet, such as chipped tablets, mixed-in tablets, or the presence or absence of foreign matter.

[0059] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example will be described in which an image of a tablet T is taken using the tablet imaging device 40, but the tablet imaging device of the present invention may be used to take images of capsules, etc., in addition to taking images of tablets. In other words, the tablet imaging device of the present invention does not have to be used exclusively for taking images of tablets.

[0060] The tablet imaging device 40 images the tablet T conveyed on the conveying path C in the imaging area Rx. Note that the tablet T to be imaged by the tablet imaging device 40 is conveyed in such a manner that the proximal surface Tb of the tablet T relative to the conveying path C contacts the conveying path C and the distal surface Ta of the tablet T relative to the conveying path C is exposed to the imaging area Rx on the conveying path C during conveyance. In addition, in the tablet printing inspection device 1 of this embodiment, the tablet T is conveyed while being adsorbed by the conveying device 31.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 3(a), the tablet imaging device 40 includes an imaging device 41 and an illumination device 42. The tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment is disposed at a position upstream of the printing device 50 (see Fig. 1). In this specification, the area on the conveying path C that is to be imaged by the tablet imaging device 40 may be simply referred to as the "imaging area Rx".

[0062] In this specification, the thickness direction of the tablet T on the conveying path C may be simply referred to as the "thickness direction K." Furthermore, within the thickness direction K, the direction away from the conveying path C based on the tablet T on the conveying path C may be referred to as the "distal direction K1," and the direction approaching the conveying path C based on the tablet T on the conveying path C may be referred to as the "proximal direction K2."

[0063] The imaging device 41 is a camera capable of capturing a color image. That is, the imaging device 41 is a camera capable of capturing an image (RGB image) including components of each color of RGB, which are the three primary colors of light.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the imaging device 41 images the tablet T from one imaging position Px located at a distance from the distal surface Ta in the thickness direction K. The imaging position Px is a fixed position. The imaging position Px is a position corresponding to one imaging region Rx. In addition, the imaging position Px can be said to be a fixed position for imaging the tablet T that has reached the imaging region Rx while being transported. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the imaging device 41 images the tablet T through an opening 47 provided at the top of the illumination device 42. The imaging device 41 images the tablet T while the tablet T is passing through the imaging region Rx. In the tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment, the imaging device 41 images the tablet T that has reached the imaging region Rx once. When the tablet T is detected by a detection sensor (not shown), the imaging device 41 images the tablet T that has reached the imaging region Rx.

[0065] The imaging device 41 is configured to capture an image of the tablet T and output image data Gx as the imaging result obtained by the uniform illumination and the highlighted illumination. The imaging device 41 then transmits the image data Gx to the control device 80 (image processing device).

[0066] The imaging device 41 of this embodiment is a so-called color camera equipped with a CMOS image sensor. Note that the imaging device is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the imaging device may be equipped with a CCD image sensor. Furthermore, the imaging device may capture an image of the tablet in the imaging area via, for example, a mirror. For example, the imaging device may be disposed to the side of a lighting device. In other words, various relative positions of the imaging device and the lighting device can be selected. Furthermore, the image data Gx may be transmitted from the imaging device 41 to the control device 80 directly from the imaging device 41 to the control device 80, or may be transmitted via an interface such as an image input board.

[0067] 3(b), the illumination device 42 is configured to cover the imaging region Rx. The illumination device 42 also includes an emphasis illumination unit 43 and a homogeneous illumination unit 44. The portion of the illumination device 42 facing the proximal direction K2 is the emphasis illumination unit 43, and the portion facing the distal direction K1 is the homogeneous illumination unit 44. In other words, the emphasis illumination unit 43 is provided in the proximal direction K2 of the homogeneous illumination unit 44.

[0068] The tablet imaging device 40 is configured to image the tablet T from one imaging position Px so that image data Gx obtained by homogeneous illumination and emphasized illumination can be output by a single imaging while the tablet T passes through the imaging region Rx. In other words, the tablet imaging device 40 has an emphasized illumination unit 43 and a homogeneous illumination unit 44 arranged to irradiate the tablet T with light so as to correspond to one position (imaging position Px) where the tablet T can be imaged as one image. Therefore, the tablet imaging device 40 occupies less space on the conveying path C than when, for example, an illumination device and an imaging device for the emphasized illumination unit and an illumination device and an imaging device for the homogeneous illumination unit are arranged side by side in the conveying direction of the conveying path. Therefore, the tablet imaging device 40 can prevent the conveying path C of the tablet print inspection device 1 from becoming longer, and can prevent the entire device from becoming larger.

[0069] In the tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment, the highlighting illumination unit 43 and the homogeneous illumination unit 44 that irradiate light onto the tablet T are configured as a single unit so as to correspond to a single position (imaging position Px) where the tablet T can be imaged as a single image (image data Gx). In other words, in the tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment, the illumination device 42 is configured integrally (unitized) with the members that constitute the highlighting illumination unit 43 and the members that constitute the homogeneous illumination unit 44 being adjacent to and connected to each other. Note that the tablet imaging device of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the illumination device 42 may not have the highlighting illumination unit and the homogeneous illumination unit configured as a unit. For example, in the tablet imaging device of the present invention, the highlighting illumination unit and the homogeneous illumination unit may be separated and arranged to correspond to a single imaging position. In other words, in the tablet imaging device of the present invention, it is sufficient that the highlighting illumination unit and the homogeneous illumination unit are arranged to correspond to a single imaging position, and it does not matter whether they are configured as a unit.

[0070] In the illumination device 42 shown in FIG. 3 as an example, the highlighting illumination section 43 and the homogeneous illumination section 44 do not overlap in the thickness direction K, but the tablet imaging device of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the tablet imaging device of the present invention may be configured so that the highlighting illumination and the homogeneous illumination partially overlap. For example, a part for highlighting illumination (highlighting illumination section) may be provided in a part of the area where homogeneous illumination is performed. To explain this with a more specific example, the illumination device may have an area where both light-emitting elements arranged for homogeneous illumination (e.g., red light-emitting elements and green light-emitting elements) and light-emitting elements arranged for highlighting illumination (e.g., blue light-emitting elements) are mixed.

[0071] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the inner wall 45 of the illumination device 42 is formed to surround and cover the imaging region Rx. The inner wall 45 is provided with a plurality of light-emitting elements 46 that constitute the highlighting illumination unit 43 and the homogeneous illumination unit 44. In the tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment, LEDs are used as the light-emitting elements 46. The plurality of light-emitting elements 46 provided on the inner wall 45 are arranged to irradiate light toward the imaging region Rx. In other words, the inside of the illumination device 42 can be said to be an illuminated space irradiated with light. The illumination device 42 is configured to simultaneously emit light from the plurality of light-emitting elements 46 in accordance with the imaging of the imaging device 41. Note that the tablet imaging device of the present invention may keep the light-emitting elements of the illumination device constantly lit.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the portion of the inner wall 45 facing the proximal direction K2 (proximal inner wall 45a) is formed in an annular shape. In addition, in the illumination device 42 of this embodiment, the portion of the inner wall 45 facing the distal direction K1 (distal inner wall 45b) is formed in a shape that covers the imaging region Rx (dome-shaped in the example shown in FIG. 3(b)). More specifically, the portion of the distal inner wall 45b facing the proximal direction K2 (the portion adjacent to the proximal inner wall 45a) is cylindrical, and has a shape such that the diameter decreases as it goes toward the distal direction K1. The proximal inner wall 45a constitutes the emphasized illumination unit 43, and the distal inner wall 45b constitutes the homogeneous illumination unit 44.

[0073] The emphasis illumination unit 43 performs emphasis illumination. Note that emphasis illumination is an illumination mode that makes it easier for shadows to appear. As emphasis illumination, for example, light can be irradiated from one direction, or light can be irradiated from multiple directions so as to form a small irradiation angle with respect to the target surface (the distal surface Ta of the tablet T). The emphasis illumination unit 43 performs emphasis illumination by irradiating light from the side with respect to the distal surface Ta of the tablet T. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the emphasis illumination unit 43 is configured such that multiple blue light-emitting elements (blue light-emitting elements 46b) are arranged on the proximal inner wall 45a. That is, the emphasis illumination unit 43 of this embodiment irradiates blue light as emphasis illumination.

[0074] The multiple blue light-emitting elements 46b are arranged in a line in the circumferential direction of the annular proximal inner wall 45a. Therefore, the highlighting illumination unit 43 irradiates blue light from the side onto the tablet T that has reached the imaging region Rx. That is, the highlighting illumination unit 43 irradiates blue light so that the irradiation angle with respect to the distal surface Ta of the tablet T becomes small. This makes the outline and the score line Tc of the tablet T stand out in contrast. Therefore, the highlighting illumination unit 43 emphasizes the score line Tc and outer shape of the tablet T.

[0075] The homogeneous illumination unit 44 provides homogeneous illumination. Homogeneous illumination is an illumination mode that reduces the appearance of shadows. For example, light can be irradiated from multiple directions as homogeneous illumination. For example, diffused light can be used as homogeneous illumination. The homogeneous illumination unit 44 provides homogeneous illumination to the distal surface Ta and side surfaces of the tablet T. In the tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment, the homogeneous illumination unit 44 provides homogeneous illumination by irradiating the distal surface Ta and side surfaces of the tablet T with light from multiple directions. As shown in FIG. 3(b), the homogeneous illumination unit 44 is configured such that a plurality of red light-emitting elements (red light-emitting elements 46r) and a plurality of green light-emitting elements (green light-emitting elements 46g) are provided on the distal inner wall 45b. That is, the homogeneous illumination unit 44 of this embodiment irradiates, as homogeneous illumination, two colors of light (red light and green light) different from the color of light irradiated from the highlighting illumination unit 43.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the red light emitting elements 46r and the green light emitting elements 46g are attached to a distal inner wall 45b formed in a shape that covers the imaging region Rx. The red light emitting elements 46r and the green light emitting elements 46g are arranged approximately evenly on the distal inner wall 45b. More specifically, the red light emitting elements 46r and the green light emitting elements 46g are arranged to be aligned in the circumferential direction of the distal inner wall 45b. The red light emitting elements 46r and the green light emitting elements 46g are arranged to be aligned in the thickness direction K on the distal inner wall 45b. That is, the red light emitting elements 46r and the green light emitting elements 46g are arranged to be approximately equally spaced apart in the circumferential direction and the thickness direction K of the distal inner wall 45b. In other words, the red light emitting elements 46r and the green light emitting elements 46g irradiate light toward the imaging region Rx from multiple angles (multiple directions) in the thickness direction K and a direction intersecting the thickness direction K.

[0077] In this way, the homogeneous illumination unit 44 irradiates the tablet T that has reached the imaging region Rx with red light and green light from multiple directions onto the distal surface Ta and sides of the tablet T. Therefore, the homogeneous illumination unit 44 can irradiate the distal surface Ta of the tablet T approximately uniformly, and even if there are irregularities (e.g., a secant line) on the distal surface Ta of the tablet T, a shadow is less likely to appear, making foreign matter stand out.

[0078] As described above, the illumination device 42 has different light colors and illumination modes for the highlighting illumination unit 43 and the homogeneous illumination unit 44. This allows the tablet imaging device 40 to extract different features from the highlighting image G1 and the homogeneous image G2 extracted from the image data Gx obtained by capturing an image of the tablet T. Below, the differences (position, light irradiation angle, etc.) between the highlighting illumination unit 43 and the homogeneous illumination unit 44 will be explained by comparing them.

[0079] The highlight illumination unit 43 and the homogeneous illumination unit 44 have different separation distances in the thickness direction K from the transport path C. For example, as shown in FIG. 3( b), let us assume that a virtual plane including the transport path C is the “transport virtual plane F,” the position where the light-emitting element 46 (blue light-emitting element 46 b) of the highlight illumination unit 43 is arranged is the “highlight illumination position Pa1,” and the position where the light-emitting elements 46 (red light-emitting element 46 r and green light-emitting element 46 g) of the homogeneous illumination unit 44 are arranged is the “homogeneous illumination position Pa2.” Let us assume that the separation distance of the highlight illumination position Pa1 from the transport virtual plane F in the distal direction K1 is the “highlight illumination height M1,” and the separation distance of the homogeneous illumination position Pa2 from the transport virtual plane F in the distal direction K1 is the “homogeneous illumination height M2.” It can be said that the highlight illumination height M1 and the homogeneous illumination height M2 are different. For example, it can be said that the highlight illumination height M1 is smaller (lower) than the homogeneous illumination height M2 (highlight illumination height M1<homogeneous illumination height M2). In other words, the highlighting illumination unit 43 irradiates the tablet T with light at a position relatively closer to the conveying path C than the homogeneous illumination unit 44.

[0080] Furthermore, the light irradiation angles are different between the highlight illumination unit 43 and the homogeneous illumination unit 44. For example, as shown in Fig. 3(b), if the irradiation angle of the light of the highlight illumination unit 43 onto the transport virtual surface F is defined as "highlight illumination irradiation angle N1" and the irradiation angle of the light of the homogeneous illumination unit 44 onto the transport virtual surface F is defined as "homogeneous illumination irradiation angle N2," then it can be said that the highlight illumination irradiation angle N1 is smaller than the homogeneous illumination irradiation angle N2 (highlight illumination irradiation angle N1<homogeneous illumination irradiation angle N2).

[0081] Here, emphasis lighting and uniform lighting will be described in more detail. Emphasis lighting is an illumination mode for highlighting the tablet shape characteristics of the tablet T by using shadows. Furthermore, uniform lighting is an illumination mode for emphasizing changes in shading by reducing the features that appear as the tablet shape characteristics of the tablet T. The incident range for illuminating the tablet T with light is wider in the uniform lighting unit 44 than in the emphasis lighting unit 43.

[0082] The range of incidence of light on tablet T will be described with reference to Fig. 4(a). Fig. 4(a) is a cross-sectional view of the illumination device 42 cut along a plane passing through the center in a plan view, and the cut illumination device 42 viewed from a direction perpendicular to the cut plane. In the following description, the case where the illumination device 42 is cut along a plane passing through the center in a plan view, and the cut illumination device 42 viewed from a direction perpendicular to the cut plane, will be simply referred to as "illumination device center cross-sectional view."

[0083] In the following description, the range of the highlight illumination unit 43 that incidents light onto the tablet T will be referred to as the "highlight illumination incident range U1," and the range of the homogeneous illumination unit 44 that incidents light onto the tablet T will be referred to as the "homogeneous illumination incident range U2." The highlight illumination incident range U1 can be, for example, the length from the proximal end 45c to the distal end 45d of the highlight illumination unit 43 (distal inner wall 45b) in a cross-sectional view of the center of the illumination device. The homogeneous illumination incident range U2 can be, for example, the length from the proximal end 45e to the distal end 45f of the homogeneous illumination unit 44 (distal inner wall 45b). As shown in FIG. 4(a), in the illumination device 42, the homogeneous illumination incident range U2 is wider than the highlight illumination incident range U1 (homogeneous illumination incident range U2>highlight illumination incident range U1).

[0084] That is, the lighting device 42 has an emphasis lighting section 43 that performs emphasis lighting by irradiating the distal surface Ta of the tablet T from the side and irradiating the tablet T with light in an emphasis lighting incident range U1, and a homogeneous lighting section 44 that performs homogeneous lighting by irradiating the tablet T with light in a homogeneous lighting incident range U2 that is wider than the emphasis lighting incident range U1 on the distal surface Ta and side surfaces of the tablet T.

[0085] The highlighting illumination unit 43 is a ring illuminator that irradiates light in a ring shape from the entire periphery of the side of the tablet T. The homogeneous illumination unit 44 is a dome illuminator that irradiates light in a dome shape from all directions onto the distal surface Ta of the tablet T. That is, the illumination device 42 has the highlighting illumination unit 43 that irradiates light from the side onto the distal surface Ta of the tablet T and performs highlighting illumination using ring illumination that irradiates light in a ring shape, and the homogeneous illumination unit 44 that performs homogeneous illumination using dome illumination that irradiates light in a dome shape onto the distal surface Ta and side surface of the tablet T.

[0086] As described above, the tablet imaging device of the present invention may be provided with a portion for performing emphasis illumination (emphasis illumination unit) in a portion of the area where uniform illumination is performed. For example, as in a tablet imaging device 140 shown as a modified example in FIG. 4(b), a red light emitting element 46r and a green light emitting element 46g may be provided in the entire area of ​​the illumination device 142, and an emphasis illumination unit 143 including a blue light emitting element 46b may be provided in a portion of the uniform illumination unit 144. That is, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the tablet imaging device of the present invention may be provided with an illumination device 142 in which the entire incident range U3 with respect to the distal surface Ta of the tablet T is defined as a homogeneous illumination incident range U2, and an emphasis illumination incident range U1 is provided so as to be included in the homogeneous illumination incident range U2 (so as to overlap with the homogeneous illumination incident range U2). In other words, the illumination device provided in the tablet imaging device of the present invention may be provided with a mixed section 145 having the function of both the emphasis illumination unit 143 and the function of the homogeneous illumination unit 144, as in the illumination device 142 shown in FIG. 4(b).

[0087] Although the tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment has been described above, the tablet imaging device of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the colors of light irradiated by the highlighting illumination unit and the homogeneous illumination unit can be selected in various ways depending on the color of the tablet, etc. For example, in this embodiment, of the three primary colors of light, blue, red, and green, blue light is used as highlighting illumination and red light and green light are used as homogeneous illumination, but the highlighting illumination and homogeneous illumination may be light of other colors. Furthermore, the homogeneous illumination may be light of one color. Furthermore, the colors of light of the highlighting illumination and homogeneous illumination are not limited to the three primary colors of light, and other colors may be used.

[0088] The arrangement of the light-emitting elements in the homogeneous illumination unit 44 can be selected in various ways. For example, the homogeneous illumination unit 44 may have light-emitting elements of two colors arranged alternately in the circumferential direction, or may have light-emitting elements of two colors arranged alternately in steps in the thickness direction K. The homogeneous illumination unit 44 may also have light-emitting elements of two colors arranged in a spiral shape toward the summit. Furthermore, the shape of the distal inner wall 45b of the homogeneous illumination unit 44 can be selected as appropriate.

[0089] The tablet imaging device 40 of this embodiment is configured to output one image data Gx by imaging one tablet T. This enables the tablet imaging device 40 to extract multiple pieces of information (printing information and foreign matter presence / absence information) from one image data Gx. Therefore, the tablet imaging device 40 is more advantageous than performing two imaging operations for one tablet T, one for the enhanced image G1 and one for the homogeneous image G2. In other words, the tablet imaging device 40 can complete imaging for the enhanced image G1 and the homogeneous image G2 in one imaging operation. This makes it possible to avoid the burden of data processing and the decrease in imaging accuracy compared to performing two imaging operations.

[0090] The tablet imaging device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may image one tablet multiple times. For example, the tablet imaging device of the present invention may image one tablet twice, using enhanced illumination (imaging for an enhanced image) and homogeneous illumination (imaging for a homogeneous image).

[0091] <Image processing by control device> Next, processing by the control device 80 (image processing device) will be described with reference to Figures 5 and 6. The control device 80 is configured with functional blocks according to the loaded program. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the control device 80 is configured with an image processing unit 81 having a function of processing images. As shown in Figure 5, the image processing unit 81 includes an image decomposition unit 81a, a brightness value extraction unit 81b, a tablet shape characteristic identification unit 81c, and a foreign matter presence / absence determination unit 81d.

[0092] As shown in Figure 5, the control device 80 is configured with control units that control each component of the tablet printing inspection device 1, such as a printing control unit 82 that controls the operation of the printing device 50, an inspection and judgment unit 83 that processes various data obtained from the inspection unit 60, and a sorting control unit 84 that controls the operation of the sorting and recovery device 70.

[0093] The image processing unit 81 acquires image data Gx and performs image processing on each of the imaging results obtained by enhanced illumination and the imaging results obtained by uniform illumination using the image data Gx. In the tablet print inspection device 1 of this embodiment, the control device 80 functions as an image processing device. Each function of the image processing unit 81 will be described below.

[0094] The image decomposition unit 81a performs image processing to extract an enhanced image G1 as an imaging result under enhanced illumination and a homogeneous image G2 as an imaging result under homogeneous illumination from the image data Gx transmitted by the imaging device 41. For example, the image decomposition unit 81a of this embodiment extracts an enhanced image G1 (see FIG. 6(b)) from which the blue component, which is the color of light irradiated from the enhanced illumination unit 43, is extracted, and a homogeneous image G2 (see FIG. 6(c)) from which the red and green components, which are the color of light irradiated from the homogeneous illumination unit 44, are extracted, from the image data Gx (RGB image) shown as an example in FIG. 6(a). Note that FIG. 6(a) shows an example in which a tablet T having a score line Tc and a black foreign matter E attached thereto is imaged.

[0095] The luminance value extraction unit 81b performs image processing to obtain the luminance values ​​of each of the enhanced image G1 and the homogenous image G2. For example, as shown in Fig. 6(b), the luminance value extraction unit 81b extracts the luminance value of the blue component (B component) from the enhanced image G1 and generates B-component luminance value data Db that indicates the luminance value as a waveform. Also, as shown in Fig. 6(c), the luminance value extraction unit 81b extracts the luminance value of the red component (R component) from the homogenous image G2 and generates R-component luminance value data Dr that indicates the luminance value as a waveform, and extracts the luminance value of the green component (G component) and generates G-component luminance value data Dg that indicates the luminance value as a waveform.

[0096] As shown in FIG. 6(b), the enhanced image G1 is an image in which blue light is irradiated from the side of the tablet T, making the area near the outer edge of the tablet T brighter and the secant line Tc darker due to the emphasized shadow, thereby emphasizing the unevenness. The B component luminance value data Db in FIG. 6(b) shows the luminance value on the L1-L1 line of the enhanced image G1 as a waveform. As shown in the B component luminance value data Db in FIG. 6(b), the luminance value near the outer edge of the tablet T exceeds the threshold value X1, and the luminance value of the portion corresponding to the secant line Tc is below the threshold value X2. In this way, the B component luminance value data Db is such that the unevenness of the tablet T is easily reflected in the luminance value.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 6(c) as an example, in the homogeneous image G2, red and green light is irradiated onto the tablet T from multiple directions, making the tablet T's irregularities less noticeable while making red and black foreign matter more conspicuous and dark. The R component luminance value data Dr and G component luminance value data Dg in FIG. 6(c) represent the luminance values ​​on the L2-L2 line of the homogeneous image G2 as waveforms. As shown in the R component luminance value data Dr in FIG. 6(c), for example, if a black foreign matter E is attached to the tablet T, the luminance value in the portion where the black foreign matter E is attached will be below the threshold X3. As shown in the G component luminance value data Dg in FIG. 6(c), the luminance value in the portion where the black foreign matter E is attached will be below the threshold X4. In this way, the R component luminance value data Dr and G component luminance value data Dg are likely to reflect the foreign matter E attached to the tablet T as a color difference from the tablet T in the luminance values.

[0098] As described above, when a black foreign substance is present in the tablet T, both the R component brightness value data Dr and the G component brightness value data Dg will have waveforms in which the brightness value drops in the area where the black foreign substance is present. In other words, black foreign substances can be detected by both the R component and the G component. Note that when a red foreign substance is present in the tablet T, the G component brightness value data Dg will have waveforms in which the brightness value drops in the area where the red foreign substance is present. In other words, red foreign substances can be detected by the G component.

[0099] In the image processing unit 81 of this embodiment, an example has been shown in which brightness values ​​are extracted for each of the enhanced image G1 and the homogeneous image G2, but the extracted brightness values ​​may be further binarized depending on the shape and color of the tablet T.

[0100] The tablet shape characteristic specifying unit 81c specifies the tablet shape characteristics based on the B component luminance value data Db. Specifically, the tablet shape characteristic specifying unit 81c extracts portions where the luminance value is outside a predetermined threshold range to specify the tablet shape characteristics. To explain by way of example, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the tablet shape characteristic specifying unit 81c extracts the outer shape of the tablet T based on the distribution of portions in the B component luminance value data Db where the luminance value exceeds a first threshold (threshold X1). Furthermore, the tablet shape characteristic specifying unit 81c extracts the presence or absence and orientation of a secant line Tc based on the distribution of portions in the B component luminance value data Db where the luminance value is below a second threshold (threshold X2).

[0101] The control device 80 (printing control unit 82) controls the printing device 50 based on the tablet shape characteristics identified by the tablet shape characteristic identification unit 81c. Specifically, the printing control unit 82 controls the printing device 50 according to the orientation of the tablet T, the shift distance from the conveying path center line Lc, the orientation of the secant line Tc, etc. This allows the tablet printing inspection device 1 to accurately print on the tablet T on the conveying path C.

[0102] The foreign matter presence / absence determination unit 81d determines whether or not foreign matter is attached to the tablet T based on the R component luminance value data Dr and the G component luminance value data Dg. To explain by way of example, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the foreign matter presence / absence determination unit 81d determines that foreign matter is attached when the R component luminance value data Dr has a portion where the luminance value is below a third threshold (threshold X3) or when the G component luminance value data Dg has a portion where the luminance value is below a fourth threshold (threshold X4). In this way, the control device 80 (foreign matter presence / absence determination unit 81d) determines the presence or absence of foreign matter using an image captured before printing.

[0103] The control device 80 determines whether printing is appropriate based on the determination result by the foreign matter presence determination unit 81d and the determination result based on the information acquired from the inspection unit 60. For example, even if the determination result by the inspection determination unit 83 is "no foreign matter," if the determination result by the foreign matter presence determination unit 81d is "foreign matter present," the control device 80 determines that foreign matter is attached to the tablet T. This allows the control device 80 to detect foreign matter that cannot be detected by the information acquired from the inspection unit 60 alone, where the ink in the printed portion and the foreign matter overlap.

[0104] In the tablet printing inspection device 1 of this embodiment, the tablet imaging device 40 is disposed upstream of the printing device 50, so it is possible to both identify the printing position and detect foreign matter on the tablets T before printing. Therefore, the tablet printing inspection device 1 can detect overlapping of ink and foreign matter in the appearance inspection after printing. As a result, the tablet printing inspection device 1 can improve the detection performance of defective products and contribute to improving the quality of the tablets T.

[0105] The thresholds for extracting tablet shape characteristics (thresholds X1 and X2) and the thresholds for detecting foreign matter (thresholds X3 and X4) can be set appropriately depending on the outer shape and color of the tablet T.

[0106] Here, the 3D data of the tablet T obtained by irradiating the tablet T with laser light (for example, 3D data obtained by a 3D inspection device provided in the inspection unit 60) allows for visual inspection of the tablet T, such as the presence or absence of chips in the tablet T, regardless of the color or pattern on the surface of the tablet T. However, it is difficult to detect the presence or absence of foreign matter that does not appear as unevenness in 3D data. In contrast, the tablet imaging device 40 can detect foreign matter based on color differences that appear on the surface of the tablet T. Therefore, when detecting foreign matter, the tablet imaging device 40 is advantageous compared to devices that detect foreign matter based on 3D data. Therefore, the tablet imaging device 40 can also be suitably used as an imaging device for detecting foreign matter in a device for visual inspection of tablets (tablet inspection device) that does not include a printing device 50.

[0107] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example has been shown in which the function of processing images captured by the imaging device 41 (image processing unit) is provided in the control device 80, but the function of processing images captured by the imaging device may be provided in a control device separate from the device (control device) that controls the entire device. For example, in the tablet imaging system and device for tablet inspection and / or printing of the present invention, the image processing control device that processes images captured by the imaging device may be provided as a separate device from the control device of the entire device.

[0108] In addition, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the tablet imaging device 40 is placed upstream of the printing device 50 and the image captured by the tablet imaging device 40 is used for tablet shape identification inspection for printing, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the tablet imaging device of the present invention may be applied as a device for visual inspection in an apparatus that performs both printing and inspection. Furthermore, the tablet imaging device of the present invention may be applied to an apparatus that does not have a printing device (for example, an apparatus dedicated to visual inspection).

[0109] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the specific aspects that the present invention can adopt are not limited to the above-described embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1. Tablet printing inspection equipment (equipment for inspecting and / or printing tablets) 31 Transport device 40 Tablet imaging device 41 Imaging device 42 Lighting equipment 43 Emphasis lighting section 44 Uniform lighting section 80 Control device (image processing device) 90 Tablet Imaging System C transport path G1 weighted image G2 homogeneous image Gx image data Rx imaging area T tablets Ta distal surface Tb proximal surface

Claims

1. A tablet imaging device configured to image, in an imaging area, a tablet that is transported on a transport path formed by a transport device, the tablet being transported in a manner that a proximal surface of the tablet relative to the transport path contacts the transport path and a distal surface of the tablet relative to the transport path is exposed to an imaging area on the transport path during transport, A lighting device and an imaging device are provided, The lighting device includes: an emphasis illumination unit that performs emphasis illumination by irradiating the distal surface of the tablet with light from a side; a homogeneous illumination unit that performs homogeneous illumination on the distal surface and the side surface of the tablet, and irradiates, as the homogeneous illumination, light of a different color from the highlighted illumination, The imaging device is A tablet imaging device characterized in that it is configured to image the tablet from one imaging position located at a distance from the distal surface of the tablet in the thickness direction of the tablet while the tablet is passing through the imaging area, and output image data as the imaging result using the homogeneous illumination and the highlighted illumination.

2. the highlighting illumination unit emits light of one of the three primary colors of light, The tablet imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the homogeneous illumination unit irradiates at least one of the remaining two colors.

3. The tablet imaging device according to claim 1 or 2; an image processing device that acquires and processes the image data; The tablet imaging system is characterized in that the image processing device uses the image data to perform image processing on each of the imaging results obtained by the emphasized illumination and the imaging results obtained by the uniform illumination.

4. The tablet imaging system of claim 3, characterized in that the image processing includes a process of extracting an enhanced image as the imaging result obtained by the enhanced illumination and a homogeneous image as the imaging result obtained by the homogeneous illumination from the image data based on differences in light color.

5. The tablet imaging system of claim 4 , wherein the image processing further comprises obtaining a brightness value for each of the enhanced image and the homogenous image.

6. The tablet imaging system according to claim 3 ; An apparatus for inspecting and / or printing tablets, comprising: the conveying device.

Images