Inspection support system and inspection support program

Abstract

To provide a drug inspection support system and program that can reduce the processing time required to identify drug identification information based on drug inspection images. [Solution] The inspection support system (100) identifies the drug identification information of one or more drugs based on one or more code images that satisfy pre-set selection conditions from among the code images showing the drug identification information of drugs contained in inspection images captured by one or more imaging units, and compares the identified drug identification information of the drug to be matched with the drug identification information of the drug contained in the matching data of the drug to be matched.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection support system and an inspection support program used to support the work of pharmacists and the like who inspect drugs dispensed based on verification data such as prescription data.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, an inspection support system used to support the inspection work of pharmacists and the like who inspect drugs dispensed based on prescription data is known. Also, in this type of inspection support system, drug identification information of a drug may be specified based on a code image such as a barcode included in an inspection image obtained by photographing the drug (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, the inspection image may contain a code image that should not originally be a processing target. If the drug identification information of the drug is specified based on all the code images included in the inspection image, the processing time may be unnecessarily long.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an inspection support system and an inspection support program capable of shortening the processing time for specifying the drug identification information of a drug based on an inspection image obtained by photographing the drug.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The inspection support system according to the present invention comprises an identification processing unit that identifies the drug identification information of one or more drugs based on one or more code images that satisfy pre-set selection conditions from among code images showing drug identification information of drugs contained in inspection images captured by one or more imaging units, and a matching processing unit that compares the drug identification information of the drug to be matched identified by the identification processing unit with the drug identification information of the drug contained in the matching data of the drug to be matched.

[0007] The inspection support program according to the present invention is an inspection support program that causes one or more processors to execute an identification step of identifying drug identification information for one or more drugs based on one or more code images that satisfy pre-set selection conditions from among code images showing drug identification information of drugs contained in inspection images captured by one or more imaging units, and a matching step of comparing the drug identification information of the drug to be matched identified in the identification step with the drug identification information of the drug contained in the matching data to be matched. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, an inspection support system and an inspection support program are provided that can shorten the processing time for identifying drug identification information of a drug based on an inspection image of the drug. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the configuration of an inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the configuration of an inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of inspection support processing performed by the inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5]Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a matching process performed by the inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of an inspection image for an inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of the display screen of an inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the display screen of an inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of a sheet printed by an inspection support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings to facilitate understanding of the invention. Note that the following embodiments are examples that embody the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. In these embodiments, the vertical direction D1, the left-right direction D2, and the front-back direction D3 are defined as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0011] [Medical System 1] As shown in Figure 1, the medical system 1 includes an inspection support system 100, a dispensing support system 200, and a claims processing system 300. The inspection support system 100, the dispensing support system 200, and the claims processing system 300 are connected via a network N1 such as a LAN or the Internet.

[0012] [Pharmacy support system 200] The dispensing support system 200 receives prescription data from a higher-level system such as an electronic medical record system or a prescription order system. The prescription data includes basic information such as patient ID, patient name, gender, age, ward, attending physician, and attending pharmacist, as well as drug information such as the type of medication prescribed to the patient (drug name, drug ID, YJ code, GS1 code, etc.), dosage, administration, start date of administration, duration of administration, and end date of administration. Based on the prescription data, the dispensing support system 200 generates dispensing data to be used by dispensing equipment such as tablet packaging machines and powder packaging machines, and transmits it to the dispensing equipment.

[0013] The dispensing support system 200 stores prescription data in a shared format in a pre-configured storage device. This allows the inspection support system 100 to retrieve the prescription data from the storage device of the dispensing support system 200. It is also conceivable that prescription data may be proactively transmitted from the dispensing support system 200 to the inspection support system 100. The prescription data retrieved from the dispensing support system 200 may be, for example, data in an original format edited by the dispensing support system 200. The prescription data retrieved by the inspection support system 100 is not limited to prescription data retrieved by the dispensing support system 200 from a higher-level system, but may also be dispensing data generated by the dispensing support system 200 based on the prescription data.

[0014] [Medical Claim System 300] The claims system 300 receives medical data, such as medical treatment details and prescription data, from higher-level systems such as electronic medical record systems or prescription order systems. The claims system 300 is then used to support claims processing tasks, such as calculating medical expenses and issuing invoices based on the medical data.

[0015] Here, the receipt system 300 stores prescription data in a shareable state in a preset storage device. Thereby, the audit support system 100 can acquire prescription data from the storage device of the receipt system 300. Also, it is conceivable that prescription data is actively transmitted from the receipt system 300 to the audit support system 100. The prescription data acquired from the receipt system 300 is, for example, in a text file format defined by the NSIPS specification.

[0016] [Audit Support System 100] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the audit support system 100 includes a control unit 10, an operation display unit 20, a storage unit 30, a weighing device 50, an information reading unit 60, a photographing device 70, and the like. In the present embodiment, the audit support system 100 includes an information processing device 80, and the control unit 10, the operation display unit 20, and the storage unit 30 are provided in the information processing device 80. The audit support system 100 is used to support the work of medical staff such as pharmacists who perform the final audit of drugs dispensed based on prescription data in medical institutions such as hospitals, geriatric health facilities, or pharmacies. Also, in the present embodiment, the prescription data is an example of the collation data in the present invention, but the collation data in the present invention may be various data including drug identification information such as a drug name or a drug code that can identify the drug to be collated, and the amount of the drug to be collated. For example, in other embodiments, the collation data may be drug order data transmitted from an orderer to an order recipient, and may include drug identification information of the drug to be ordered (the drug to be collated) and the order quantity (the amount of the drug to be collated). Also, the collation data may include data related to drugs corresponding to a plurality of patients (drug users) as well as a single patient (drug user).

[0017] The information processing device 80 is a terminal such as a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or a personal computer. The weighing device 50, the information reading unit 60, and the imaging device 70 are communicably connected to the control unit 10 in accordance with a communication standard such as USB, RS232C, or Bluetooth (registered trademark). Further, on the front surface of the information processing device 80, an imaging unit 81 capable of imaging the front of the information processing device 80 is provided.

[0018] The operation display unit 20 is a user interface that displays various information and receives user operations by being controlled by the control unit 10. Further, the operation display unit 20 is provided with an imaging unit 21 used for imaging a user existing in front of the audit support system 100.

[0019] The operation display unit 20 includes a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and an operation unit such as a touch panel disposed on the display unit. In the audit support system 100, the control unit 10 causes the operation display unit 20 to display various operation keys, and receives various user operations by detecting operations of the operation keys with the touch panel. The operation display unit 20 may include a mouse or a keyboard.

[0020] The storage unit 30 stores prescription data acquired from the dispensing support system 200 or the receipt system 300 by the control unit 10. For example, the control unit 10 refers to a shared folder in a storage device of the dispensing support system 200 or the receipt system 300 at a predetermined timing, and acquires the prescription data if there is unacquired prescription data in the shared folder.

[0021] Furthermore, the memory unit 30 stores various databases, such as a drug master and a patient master. The drug master and patient master can be updated by linking with the dispensing support system 200 or the claims system 300, etc. The drug master includes information such as drug code, standard quantity, host code, drug name, general drug name, JAN code, RSS code, YJ code (individual drug code), GS1 code, drug bottle code, dosage form code (powder, tablet, liquid, topical drug, etc.), form code, type of highly toxic / controlled drug (psychotropic drug, narcotic), management (vehicle height, safe, cold storage, etc.), and unit (dispensing unit). The drug master also includes information such as weight per unit quantity (single) (unwrapped tablet), weight per PTP sheet, weight of one tablet with tabs on the top of the PTP, weight of one tablet without tabs on the top of the PTP, number of tablets per PTP sheet, and file names of drug images (unwrapped drug, packaged product). A PTP sheet is a packaging material that individually contains multiple tablets or capsules. On the other hand, the patient master contains information such as each patient's patient code, name, date of birth, and gender.

[0022] Furthermore, the inspection support system 100 may be connected to an external server device or another inspection support system via the network N1. In the inspection support system 100, when the control unit 10 receives information on the drug master or some drugs in the drug master from the server device or the other inspection support system, it updates the drug master stored in the storage unit 30 based on that information. As a result, users such as pharmacies or hospitals where the inspection support system 100 is installed do not need to perform maintenance on the drug master, and administrators can perform maintenance on the drug master in the inspection support system 100 using management sensors provided by the server device or the other inspection support system.

[0023] Furthermore, the storage unit 30 stores an inspection support program that is executed by the control unit 10. The inspection support program is downloaded, for example, via the network N1, or read from a recording medium by a disk drive and installed in the storage unit 30.

[0024] The weighing device 50 comprises a weighing unit 51 and a weighing tray 52, and is used to weigh pharmaceuticals. The weighing result from the weighing unit 51 is input to the control unit 10. In other embodiments, the weighing device 50 may be provided with multiple weighing units 51. Figures 2 and 3 show the weighing unit 51 without the weighing tray 52 placed on it.

[0025] The weighing unit 51 has a load cell, which is a load transducer that measures the weight of the object to be weighed placed on the weighing unit 51. The weighing tray 52 is used by being placed on the weighing unit 51, and one or more chemicals to be weighed are placed on the weighing tray 52.

[0026] In the weighing device 50, a weighing tray 52 is placed on the weighing unit 51, and the weight of the chemicals placed on the weighing tray 52 is weighed by the weighing unit 51. Note that the weighing result from the weighing unit 51 of the weighing device 50 includes the weight of the weighing tray 52. ​​Therefore, the control unit 10 performs a tare process to obtain the weighing result of the weighing unit 51 as the result of the weighing unit 51 by subtracting the weight of the weighing tray 52.

[0027] However, the weight of each weighing tray 52 differs depending on the type of weighing tray 52. ​​Furthermore, even weighing trays 52 of the same type may have different weights due to individual variations. Therefore, in the inspection support system 100, the weight of each weighing tray 52 is pre-registered. Specifically, each weighing tray 52 is assigned unique code information. When a pre-set weight registration operation is performed on the operation display unit 20, the control unit 10 stores in the storage unit 30 the tray identification information indicated by the code information attached to the weighing tray 52 placed on the weighing unit 51, and the weight weighed by the weighing unit 51, in association with each other. This allows the control unit 10 to perform the tare process using the weight corresponding to the weighing tray 52.

[0028] Furthermore, when registering the weight of each weighing tray 52, the control unit 10 stores an image of the weighing tray 52's appearance, captured by the camera 70, in the storage unit 30 in association with the tray identification information. The control unit 10 then groups similar images of the weighing trays 52's appearance, based on their shape, size, color, etc., stored in the storage unit 30, associating each group with the others. The control unit 10 also calculates the average weight of each weighing tray 52 weighed by the weighing unit 51 for each group of weighing trays 52, and stores this average weight in the storage unit 30, associating it with the group of weighing trays 52. As a result, even if the tray identification information cannot be read correctly from the weighing tray 52, the control unit 10 can identify the group of weighing trays 52 based on the image of the weighing tray 52 captured by the camera 70 and the images of the weighing trays 52 that are pre-stored in the storage unit 30. The control unit 10 can then perform the tare process when using the weighing tray 52, based on the average weight of the weighing tray 52 associated with the identified group.

[0029] Furthermore, the weighing tray 52 may contain drug containers with a circular cross-section, such as eye drops. On the other hand, as will be described later, the inspection support system 100 allows the control unit 10 to acquire drug identification information from code information contained in the inspection image captured by the imaging device 70. However, drug containers with a circular cross-section may rotate on the weighing tray 52, and there is a risk that the code information attached to such drug containers cannot be captured by the imaging device 70. For this reason, it is conceivable that an adhesive member with adhesive properties is placed on the weighing tray 52. ​​This would prevent the drug container from rotating from that position if the user places the drug container on the adhesive member with the code information facing upwards, increasing the likelihood that the code information of the drug container can be captured by the imaging device 70. The adhesive member may be fixed to the weighing tray 52 by a fixing method such as attachment. On the other hand, the adhesive member may not be fixed to the weighing tray 52 and may have a weight that restricts its movement by its own weight. Even in this case, when a chemical container with a circular cross-section is placed on the adhesive member, the movement of the adhesive member is also restricted, increasing the likelihood that the code information of the chemical container can be captured by the imaging device 70. Furthermore, a chemical placement platform may be detachably attached to the weighing tray 52, which has one or more consecutive V-shaped protrusions and recesses as a chemical placement area. For example, the chemical placement platform may be a firm, lightweight, sponge-like elastic member, and the V-shaped protrusions and recesses on the chemical placement platform may be formed as elongated grooves. Using the chemical placement platform configured in this manner, even if the chemical container has an elliptical or substantially oblong cross-section, and the code information is attached to a portion of the cross-section of the chemical container that has a smaller area when viewed from the longitudinal direction, it is possible to place the chemical container on the weighing tray 52 with the code information facing upward within the imaging device 70, and to photograph the chemical container with the imaging device 70 in a state where the code information can be photographed.

[0030] The information reading unit 60 is a barcode reader capable of reading code information such as one-dimensional codes (JAN, GS1) or two-dimensional codes (QR code®) and inputting the read code information to the control unit 10.

[0031] Specifically, the information reading unit 60 is used to read prescription identification information from code information written on medicine bags, etc., in order to identify prescription data. For example, the prescription identification information is printed on the medicine bag by the dispensing support system 200. The prescription identification information includes a prescription number for identifying prescription data, and an Rp number for identifying prescription data of the same usage unit (hereinafter referred to as Rp data) that should be contained in the same medicine bag included in the prescription data. Note that the prescription identification information may be other information such as order information, as long as it is information that can identify prescription data and Rp data.

[0032] Furthermore, when the prescription identification information is read from a medicine bag or the like by the information reading unit 60, the control unit 10 obtains prescription data corresponding to the prescription identification information from the storage unit 30. Also, when the drug identification information is read from the drug packaging material by the information reading unit 60, the control unit 10 can identify the type of drug corresponding to the drug identification information based on the drug master. In addition, the control unit 10 can identify the drug identification information of a drug based on the code information read from the drug, such as a PTP sheet, by the information reading unit 60, and compare that drug identification information with the drug identification information of the prescription drug included in the prescription data to be compared.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the imaging device 70 includes two imaging units 711 and 712 and two illumination units 721 and 722. In the imaging device 70, the imaging units 711 and 712 are located at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction D2, but their positions are the same in the up-down direction D1 and the front-back direction D3. Similarly, in the imaging device 70, the illumination units 721 and 722 are located at positions spaced apart in the left-right direction D2, but their positions are the same in the up-down direction D1 and the front-back direction D3. In other embodiments, the imaging device 70 may have one imaging unit or three or more imaging units, or one illumination unit or three or more illumination units. In other embodiments, the imaging units 711 and 712 may be located at positions spaced apart in the front-back direction D3, but their positions are the same in the up-down direction D1 and the left-right direction D2.

[0034] The imaging units 711 and 712 are digital cameras used to photograph a subject and acquire still images or videos. The imaging units 711 and 712 are directed vertically downward and photograph a predetermined range that includes part or all of the weighing tray 52 placed on the weighing unit 51. In other embodiments, the imaging units 711 and 712 may also photograph a range that includes part or all of the weighing unit 51 at different angles.

[0035] In the inspection support system 100, according to control instructions from the control unit 10, the imaging units 711 and 712 of the imaging device 70 each capture the aforementioned imaging range and acquire inspection images. These inspection images are used for identifying drug identification information in the inspection support processing described later. Furthermore, the control unit 10 can refer to the images of the imaging range of the imaging units 711 and 712 of the imaging device 70 even when it is not the timing for capturing the inspection images by the imaging device 70. The control unit 10 can control the imaging units 711 and 712 to capture images simultaneously, but it can also capture images at individual timings. The control unit 10 then stores the inspection images captured by imaging unit 711 and the inspection images captured by imaging unit 712 in the storage unit 30 in a manner that allows for identification. This allows the control unit 10 to subsequently refer to the inspection images captured by imaging units 711 and 712 of the imaging device 70 and stored in the storage unit 30.

[0036] The illumination unit 721 has a light source such as an LED or fluorescent lamp that emits light to illuminate the shooting range of the imaging unit 711. The illumination unit 722 has a light source such as an LED or fluorescent lamp that emits light to illuminate the shooting range of the imaging unit 712. The control unit 10 can control the illumination units 721 and 722 to light them simultaneously, but it can also light them individually at different timings.

[0037] In particular, the illumination units 721 and 722 do not directly irradiate light towards the shooting range of the imaging units 711 and 712, but rather irradiate light in a direction different from the shooting range and cause diffusely reflected light to irradiate towards the shooting range. Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the illumination unit 722 is located below the imaging unit 712 and irradiates light toward the reflective member 722A located above it, causing the light reflected by the reflective member 722A to irradiate towards the shooting range. Specifically, the illumination unit 722 comprises a plurality of LEDs arranged in the front-to-back direction D3 of the inspection support system 100, and a cover member that covers the plurality of LEDs and diffuses the light from each LED toward the reflective member 722A. As a result, the diffused light irradiated from each LED of the illumination unit 722 and diffused by the cover member is further reflected by the reflective member 722A and irradiated toward the shooting range. The reflective member 722A may be, for example, the top surface of the imaging device 70, or it may be provided separately from the top surface. The cover member may be detachable. Furthermore, the cover member may not have a light-diffusing function, and the reflective member 722A may be a hemispherical reflective member, a curved reflective member, or a reflective member with irregularities for diffusely reflecting light. The illumination unit 721 is configured similarly. As a result, in the imaging device 70, diffused light is irradiated onto the imaging range, making it possible to suppress the occurrence of overexposure in images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712 compared to when light is directly irradiated from the illumination units 721 and 722 onto the imaging range.

[0038] However, the aforementioned inspection images may contain code images that should not be processed, and identifying the drug identification information of a drug based on all the code images contained in the inspection images may unnecessarily increase processing time. In contrast, the inspection support system 100 according to this embodiment can shorten the processing time required to identify the drug identification information of a drug based on the inspection images of the drug.

[0039] Furthermore, in the inspection support system 100, in order to ensure high judgment accuracy in the matching process that determines the suitability of the drug identification information or weight of the drug to be matched based on the drug information contained in the prescription data, it is desirable to perform the matching process for each drug. For example, after a process to read the drug identification information from one drug or a process to obtain the weight of the drug is performed, it is conceivable that similar processes be performed sequentially for other drugs. In this case, it is possible to ensure high judgment accuracy in the matching process, but the required time will be long. On the other hand, in order to shorten the required time for the matching process, it is desirable to perform the matching process for multiple drugs together. For example, a process to read the drug identification information of multiple drugs or a process to obtain the total weight of multiple drugs is performed based on an inspection image of multiple drugs taken of the drugs. However, in such a configuration, the required time for the matching process can be shortened, but the judgment accuracy of the matching process will decrease. In contrast, the inspection support system 100 according to this embodiment makes it possible to appropriately select and achieve either ensuring high judgment accuracy in the matching process or shortening the required time for the matching process.

[0040] Specifically, in the inspection support system 100, the control unit 10 includes various processing units such as an imaging processing unit 11, a specific processing unit 12, a selection processing unit 14, a matching processing unit 13, and a notification processing unit 15. The control unit 10 functions as these various processing units by executing various processes according to the inspection support program. Some or all of these various processing units may be electronic circuits.

[0041] The imaging processing unit 11 controls the imaging device 70 to perform processing for imaging the weighing tray 52 placed on the weighing unit 51. In particular, the imaging processing unit 11 performs imaging to acquire the inspection image using the imaging device 70 when it detects that the weighing tray 52 is present in a preset area within the imaging range of the imaging device 70. The imaging processing unit 11 may also perform imaging to acquire the inspection image using the imaging device 70 in response to user operation on the operation display unit 20.

[0042] The identification processing unit 12 identifies the drug identification information of one or more drugs based on one or more code images, such as one-dimensional codes or two-dimensional codes, that satisfy pre-set selection conditions, from among the code images that indicate the drug identification information of drugs contained in the inspection images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712. In other words, the identification processing unit 12 may not perform the drug identification information identification processing based on some of the code images contained in the inspection images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712.

[0043] The matching processing unit 13 compares the drug identification information of the drug to be matched, identified by the identification processing unit 12, with the drug identification information of the prescription drug included in the matching prescription data. The matching processing unit 12 also compares the weight of the drug to be matched, identified by the identification processing unit 12, with the total weight of the prescription drugs included in the matching prescription data. Specifically, the matching processing unit 13 determines whether the drug indicated by the drug identification information identified by the identification processing unit 12 is included in the prescription data as the prescription drug.

[0044] The selection processing unit 14 sets the matching mode of the matching process performed by the matching processing unit 13 to either a first matching mode in which the matching process is performed individually for each of the multiple drugs, or a second matching mode in which the matching process for multiple drugs is performed together, based on a preset mode selection condition. In the first matching mode, the matching process is performed sequentially for each drug, so the accuracy of the determination in the matching process is higher than in the second matching mode. In the second matching mode, the matching process for multiple drugs is performed together, so the time required for the matching process is shorter than in the first matching mode.

[0045] In particular, the second matching mode includes a third matching mode and a fourth matching mode. The selection processing unit 14 selects one of the first matching mode, the third matching mode, and the fourth matching mode as the matching mode for the matching process based on the mode selection conditions. In the third matching mode, the matching process compares the drug identification information of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data with the drug identification information of multiple drugs to be matched. In the fourth matching mode, the matching process compares the drug identification information of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data with multiple drug identification information read from the multiple drugs to be matched, and compares the total weight of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data with the total weight of the multiple drugs to be matched. That is, in both the third and fourth matching modes, the drug identification information of multiple drugs is matched together, but in the third matching mode, the total weight is not matched.

[0046] In this embodiment, the inspection support system 100 has a "single drug mode" as an example of the first matching mode. The inspection support system 100 also has a "simplified mode" as an example of the second and third matching modes, and a "all drug mode" as an example of the second and fourth matching modes.

[0047] The notification processing unit 15 performs output processing such as display output, audio output, transmission output, or print output to notify the user of the verification results by the verification processing unit 13. In particular, the notification processing unit 15 individually notifies the user of the results of the verification between the drug identification information of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data and the drug identification information of multiple drugs to be verified, and the results of the verification between the total weight of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data and the total weight of multiple drugs to be verified.

[0048] [Inspection support processing] The following describes an example of the procedure for inspection support processing performed by the control unit 10 in the inspection support system 100 according to the inspection support program, with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 4 and 5. Specifically, the inspection support processing is started when the inspection support system 100 is powered on, returns from power-saving mode, or initiated by the user. The inspection support processing is also terminated when the inspection support system 100 is powered off, enters power-saving mode, or initiated by the user. The control unit 10 can identify the user of the inspection support system 100 by performing user authentication by inputting a user ID and password using the operation display unit 20, or by performing user authentication based on the user's face using the camera unit.

[0049] <Step S1> In step S1, the control unit 10 determines whether a selection operation for selecting the matching mode of the matching process has been performed. If it determines that the selection operation has been performed (S1:Yes), it proceeds to step S2. If it determines that the selection operation has not been performed (S1:No), it proceeds to step S3.

[0050] For example, the initial value of the matching mode is the all-chemicals mode. The control unit 10 determines that a selection operation has been performed when a user operates the switching key displayed on the operation display unit 20, or when an operation is performed to select a mode to be used from among the multiple matching modes. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the matching modes to be used by each user are pre-registered, and the control unit 10 may automatically select the matching mode according to the user recognized as a user of the inspection support system 100.

[0051] <Step S2> In step S2, the selection processing unit 14 of the control unit 10 selects the matching mode in the inspection support system 100 according to the selection operation. Specifically, each time the switching key is operated, the selection processing unit 14 switches the matching mode in the order of the all-drug mode, the single-drug mode, and the simplified mode. Alternatively, the selection processing unit 14 may select any of the matching modes from a list displaying the all-drug mode, the single-drug mode, and the simplified mode, according to the user operation. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the selection processing unit 14 may be able to select a matching mode to execute from any two of the matching modes among the all-drug mode, the single-drug mode, and the simplified mode, or it may be able to select a matching mode to execute from four or more pre-set matching modes. In addition, the selection processing unit 14 may be able to select different matching modes for multiple drugs included as prescribed drugs in the prescription data, according to the user operation.

[0052] <Step S3> In step S3, the control unit 10 determines whether the pre-set inspection start conditions have been met. If it is determined that the inspection start conditions have not been met (S3: No), the process proceeds to step S31. On the other hand, if it is determined that the inspection start conditions have been met (S3: Yes), the process proceeds to step S33.

[0053] Specifically, the condition for starting the inspection is that a pre-set prescription selection operation is performed on the operation display unit 20 to select the prescription data to be matched in the inspection support process, and then a pre-set inspection start operation is performed. Alternatively, the condition for starting the inspection may be that the information reading unit 60 reads prescription identification information corresponding to the prescription data to be matched in the inspection support process, and then a pre-set inspection start operation is performed. The inspection start operation is, for example, the operation key K71 (see Figure 7) on the display screen D7, which will be described later. Furthermore, the selection of the matching mode in steps S1 to S2 may be performed after the prescription data to be matched is selected in step S3.

[0054] <Step S31> In step S31, the control unit 10 determines whether the pre-set loading start conditions have been met. If it is determined that the loading start conditions have been met (S31: Yes), the process proceeds to step S32. On the other hand, if it is determined that the loading start conditions have not been met (S31: No), the process returns to step S1. If the control unit 10 determines that the loading start conditions have not been met and the illumination units 721 and 722 are lit, it turns off the illumination units 721 and 722.

[0055] The loading start condition is that the user's face authentication is successfully completed based on the user's face captured by the imaging unit 81 of the information processing device 80 and a face that has been pre-registered and associated with each user. Alternatively, the loading start condition may simply be that the imaging unit 81 of the information processing device 80 detects an object such as a user in front of the information processing device 80.

[0056] <Step S32> In step S32, the control unit 10 performs a notification process to inform the user that it is time to load the weighing tray 52 into the inspection support system 100. Specifically, the notification process involves turning on the lights of the illumination units 721 and 722, which are off in the initial state of the inspection support system 100. This eliminates the need to display on the operation display unit 20 that it is time to load the weighing tray 52. ​​For example, it is possible to display a selection screen for selecting prescription data to be compared in the inspection support process on the operation display unit 20 while allowing the user to understand that it is time to load the weighing tray 52.

[0057] <Step S33> In step S33, the control unit 10 determines whether the automatic mode selection function is enabled or disabled. The automatic mode selection function is a function that automatically selects the matching mode based on preset mode selection conditions. The control unit 10 can switch the automatic mode selection function on and off according to user operation. If the automatic mode selection function is enabled (S33: Yes), the process proceeds to step S34, and if the automatic mode selection function is not enabled (S33: No), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0058] <Step S34> In step S34, the selection processing unit 14 of the control unit 10 automatically selects the matching mode based on the preset mode selection conditions.

[0059] For example, the mode selection conditions include selecting the single-drug mode as the matching mode when the prescription data contains a specific type of drug pre-configured, and selecting the all-drug mode as the matching mode when the prescription data does not contain the specific type of drug. The specific type of drug is, for example, a highly potent drug, a narcotic, a high-risk drug, an anticancer drug, an expensive drug, a drug whose inventory needs to be strictly managed, a drug for which weight verification is important, and a drug such as a PTP sheet containing tablets in multiples of seven. This ensures high accuracy in the matching process when the specific type of drug is included by using the single-drug mode, and shortens the time required for the matching process when the specific type of drug is not included by using the all-drug mode. Note that whether or not a drug is of a specific type can be arbitrarily registered in the drug master for each drug or drug group.

[0060] Furthermore, the mode selection conditions may include selecting a different matching mode for some of the prescription drugs included in the prescription data from the matching mode for other drugs. Specifically, the selection processing unit 14 may select the single-drug mode as the matching mode for a specific type of drug that has been set in advance when the prescription data includes that specific type of drug, and select the all-drug mode or the simplified mode as the matching mode for the other drugs. For example, if the prescription data includes four types of prescription drugs, and one of them is the specific type of drug, the single-drug mode will be selected for that specific type of drug, and the all-drug mode or the simplified mode will be selected for the remaining three types of drugs. This ensures high judgment accuracy in the matching process for the specific type of drug using the single-drug mode, and shortens the time required for the matching process for the other drugs using the all-drug mode or the simplified mode.

[0061] Furthermore, the mode selection conditions may include selecting the single-drug mode as the matching mode when the dispensing time or the current time falls within a predetermined period such as nighttime or a holiday, and selecting the simplified mode or the all-drug mode as the matching mode when the dispensing time or the current time does not fall within a predetermined period. This allows for highly accurate verification using the single-drug mode during relatively less busy periods such as nighttime or holidays, and reduces verification time using the simplified mode during other busy periods. The effect of reducing verification time is greater when the simplified mode is selected than when the all-drug mode is selected.

[0062] Furthermore, the mode selection conditions may include selecting the all-drug mode as the matching mode when the dispensing type of the prescription data is for outpatient or inpatient care, and selecting the single-drug mode as the matching mode when the dispensing type of the prescription data is for home-care patients. This ensures high judgment accuracy in the matching process using the single-drug mode when the patient is at home, and shortens the time required for the matching process using the simplified mode or the all-drug mode for other cases.

[0063] In step S34, the selection processing unit 14 may select the matching mode based on one or more of the multiple mode selection conditions described herein that have been set in advance. The selection processing unit 14 may also be able to set the content of the mode selection conditions in response to user operation.

[0064] <Step S4> In step S4, the control unit 10 determines whether the matching mode is the all-drug mode. If the matching mode is not the all-drug mode (S4: No), the process proceeds to step S5. If the matching mode is the all-drug mode (S4: Yes), the process proceeds to step S41. In addition, in step S4, the control unit 10 also determines that the matching mode is the all-drug mode if the matching mode for some of the drugs included in the prescription data is the all-drug mode.

[0065] <Step S41> In step S41, the control unit 10 executes a first matching process, which is the matching process corresponding to all drug modes. In the first matching process, the drug identification information of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data is compared with the drug identification information of the multiple drugs to be matched, and the total weight of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data is compared with the total weight of the multiple drugs to be matched. Then, in the first matching process, the matching processes for multiple drugs are executed together in steps S17 and S20 described later. Details of the first matching process will be explained later with reference to Figure 5.

[0066] <Step S42> In step S42, the control unit 10 determines whether or not there are any drugs in the prescription data to be compared that are selected in the single-drug mode. If it is determined that there are drugs in the single-drug mode that are selected (S42:Yes), the process proceeds to step S51. In step S51, described later, the second matching process described later is performed only for the drugs in the single-drug mode that are selected, and then the verification support process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that there are no drugs in the single-drug mode that are selected (S42:No), the verification support process ends, and the process returns to step S1.

[0067] <Step S5> In step S5, the control unit 10 determines whether the matching mode is the simplified mode. If the matching mode is the simplified mode (S5: Yes), the process proceeds to step S6; if the matching mode is not the simplified mode (S5: No), the process proceeds to step S51. In addition, in step S5, if the matching mode for some of the drugs included in the prescription data is the simplified mode, the control unit 10 also determines that the matching mode is the simplified mode.

[0068] In this embodiment, we will describe the case where the inspection support system 100 has three types of matching modes: all-chemical mode, single-chemical mode, and simplified mode. On the other hand, in other embodiments, if the simplified mode is not available, steps S5 to S7, etc., are omitted, and if the all-chemical mode is not available (S4: No), the process proceeds to step S51. Also, if the inspection support system 100 does not have the all-chemical mode, steps S4, S41, S42, etc., are omitted. Similarly, if the inspection support system 100 does not have the single-chemical mode, steps S7, S42, S51, etc., are omitted. Furthermore, the matching modes may include a batch weighing mode, which is used when chemical matching is performed individually for each chemical using the information reading unit 60, and weight inspection is performed collectively by placing all chemicals on the weighing unit 51. For example, in the batch weighing mode, the control unit 10 first identifies the drug identification information for each drug included in the prescription data based on the code information read from the drug by the information reading unit 60, and then compares the drug identification information with the drug identification information of the prescription drug included in the prescription data to be compared. Subsequently, the control unit 10 determines whether the difference between the total weight of all drugs to be compared placed on the weighing unit 51 and the total weight corresponding to the total amount of all drugs included in the prescription data to be compared is within a preset range. For example, the batch weighing mode is used in place of the all-drug mode or the single-drug mode.

[0069] <Step S51> In step S51, the control unit 10 executes the second verification process, which is the verification process corresponding to the single-drug mode. When the second verification process is completed, the inspection support process ends and the process returns to step S1.

[0070] In the second matching process, the control unit 10 first identifies the drug identification information of the drug to be matched based on the code image of the drug included in the inspection image captured by the imaging device 70, matches the drug identification information with the drug identification information of the prescription drug included in the matching prescription data, and reports the result of the matching. Alternatively, the control unit 10 may identify the drug identification information of the drug based on the code information read from the drug by the information reading unit 60, matches the drug identification information with the drug identification information of the prescription drug included in the matching prescription data, and reports the result of the matching. If the matching result of the drug identification information is normal, the control unit 10 then determines whether the difference between the weight of the drug to be matched placed on the weighing unit 51 and the weight corresponding to the total amount of the drug included in the matching prescription data is within a preset range, and reports the result of the determination. If there is an abnormality in the matching result, the control unit 10 notifies the user of the abnormality by displaying it on the operation display unit 20, etc., and then can perform the matching again for the drug corresponding to the matching result in response to the user's operation. Subsequently, the control unit 10 repeatedly performs the same process for each prescription drug included in the prescription data to be matched, and terminates the second matching process when the matching of all prescription drugs included in the prescription data to be matched is successfully completed. Note that the matching of drug identification information and the matching of drug weight may be performed in the reverse order.

[0071] <Step S6> In step S6, the control unit 10 executes the third matching process, which is the matching process corresponding to the simplified mode. The simplified mode is a matching mode in which, for multiple drugs, the matching process of drug identification information in steps S13 to S17 (see Figure 5) of the first matching process is executed collectively, and the matching process of drug weight in steps S19 to S21 (see Figure 5) is omitted. That is, in the third matching process, the drug identification information of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data is matched with the drug identification information of the multiple drugs to be matched, but the total weight of multiple prescription drugs included in the prescription data is not matched with the total weight of the multiple drugs to be matched.

[0072] <Step S7> In step S7, the control unit 10 determines whether there are any drugs remaining in the prescription data to be compared that are selected for the single-drug mode. If it is determined that there are drugs remaining that are selected for the single-drug mode (S7:Yes), the process proceeds to step S51. In step S51, the second matching process is performed only for the drugs selected for the single-drug mode, and then the verification support process ends. On the other hand, if it is determined that there are no drugs remaining that are selected for the single-drug mode (S7:No), the verification support process ends, and the process returns to step S1.

[0073] [First matching process] The following describes an example of the procedure for the first matching process performed in step S41, with reference to the flowchart in Figure 5.

[0074] <Step S11> In step S11, the control unit 10 performs a notification process to inform the user that the drug inspection by the inspection support system 100 has begun. Specifically, the notification process involves displaying a message on the operation display unit 20 prompting the user to load the weighing tray 52, such as "Please set the tray." The control unit 10 may omit step S11 if it has already detected that the weighing tray 52 is loaded when executing step S11. For example, the control unit 10 detects that the weighing tray 52 is loaded when the weighing value from the weighing unit 51 is greater than a preset value. Alternatively, the control unit 10 may detect whether the weighing tray 52 is loaded based on the detection result of a sensor (not shown) that detects whether the weighing tray 52 is loaded, or on the image captured by the imaging device 70.

[0075] <Step S12> In step S12, the control unit 10 determines whether the preset shooting start conditions for acquiring inspection images by the imaging device 70 have been met. If it is determined that the shooting start conditions have been met (S12:Yes), the process proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if it is determined that the shooting start conditions have not been met (S12:No), the process waits in step S12.

[0076] Specifically, the shooting start condition is the detection, based on the image captured by the imaging device 70, that the weighing tray 52 has been loaded to a preset loading position. For example, the weighing tray 52 is equipped with code information, such as a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code, indicating tray identification information, which is positioned such that when the weighing tray 52 is loaded to a predetermined position, this code information falls within a preset detection range in the image captured by the imaging device 70. The control unit 10 may also arbitrarily set the detection range according to user operation. The control unit 10 determines that the shooting start condition has been met when the code information of the weighing tray 52 is detected within the detection range. As a result, the user only needs to load the weighing tray 52, and the imaging device 70 will start taking images for inspection, thus eliminating the need for the user to perform operations to start taking images for inspection by the imaging device 70. Furthermore, since the loading of the weighing tray 52 is detected using the imaging device 70, there is no need to separately provide a sensor or the like to detect that the weighing tray 52 has been loaded. In addition, since the control unit 10 processes only the image of the detection target area within the imaging range of the imaging device 70, the processing load is reduced compared to when the entire imaging range is processed. It is also possible that the weighing tray 52 does not contain the code information, and the shooting start condition may be that the user performs a shooting start operation on the operation display unit 20.

[0077] <Step S13> In steps S13 to S18, the control unit 10 performs a drug determination process to examine the drug identification information of the drug. Specifically, in step S13, the imaging processing unit 11 of the control unit 10 performs imaging to acquire an image for examination using the imaging units 711 and 712 with the illumination units 721 and 722 lit, stores the examination image in the storage unit 30, and turns off the illumination units 721 and 722. In the processing from step S14 onwards, described later, either one of the examination images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712 may be used as the processing target, or both may be used. If the illumination units 721 and 722 are off when step S13 is executed, the control unit 10 turns on the illumination units 721 and 722 in step S13, and then performs imaging using the imaging units 711 and 712.

[0078] Here, in order to capture the inspection images clearly, it is desirable that the illumination of the lighting units 721 and 722 be sufficiently high. However, if the illumination is high, the inspection images captured by the inspection support system 100 may exhibit so-called overexposure, where some brightness levels exceed a predetermined value. Therefore, in step S13, the shooting processing unit 11 considers performing shooting with the shooting units 711 and 712 under different lighting conditions provided by the lighting units 721 and 722. Specifically, the shooting processing unit 11 simultaneously lights up the lighting units 721 and 722 at a preset first illumination level and performs simultaneous shooting with the shooting units 711 and 712, storing the captured images in the storage unit 30 as inspection images. Subsequently, the control unit 10 performs shooting with the shooting units 711 and 712 while lighting up the lighting units 721 and 722 at a preset second illumination level that is higher than the first illumination level, and stores the captured images in the storage unit 30 as auxiliary images. If the inspection image does not have overexposure, the control unit 10 uses only the inspection image to execute the processing described later from step S14 onwards. On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines that the inspection image has overexposure, or if the drug identification information is not properly identified in the steps S14 to S16 described later using the inspection image, it is possible to re-execute steps S14 to S16 described later using the auxiliary image. That is, the shooting to acquire the auxiliary image is performed in advance at the same time as the shooting to acquire the inspection image, and processing using the auxiliary image is performed only when necessary. In another embodiment, the control unit 10 may always execute steps S14 to S16 described later for the inspection image and the auxiliary image in parallel to confirm that there is no difference in the drug identification information identification results based on both.

[0079] Furthermore, if overexposure occurs in the inspection image, there is a risk that the drug identification information based on the code information cannot be accurately identified. Therefore, the control unit 10 determines whether or not overexposure has occurred in the inspection image taken in step S13, and if overexposure has occurred, it retakes the inspection image. For example, the control unit 10 determines that overexposure has occurred if there are pixels with a brightness of a predetermined value or higher in the inspection image. When the control unit 10 retakes the inspection image, it performs shooting with the shooting units 711 and 712 with only one of the illumination units 721 and 722 lit. In particular, if the area where overexposure has occurred is closer to the illumination unit 721 than to the illumination unit 722, the control unit 10 turns off the illumination unit 721 and performs shooting with the shooting units 711 and 712 with only the illumination unit 722 lit. Similarly, if the area where overexposure occurs is closer to the illumination unit 722 than to the illumination unit 721, the control unit 10 turns off the illumination unit 722 and performs imaging with the imaging units 711 and 712 while only the illumination unit 721 is lit. In addition, the control unit 10 may individually determine whether it is necessary to re-image the inspection image with each imaging unit 711 and 712 based on the inspection image taken by each imaging unit 711 and 712, and may perform re-image of the inspection image with either one or both of the imaging units 711 and 712.

[0080] <Step S14> In step S14, the control unit 10 identifies one or more code images contained in the inspection image and performs a process to crop and extract each of the code images. A detailed explanation of the code image extraction method is omitted as it can utilize conventionally known techniques. However, for example, the control unit 10 may extract the code images contained in the inspection image based on the inspection image and pre-set feature quantities such as the shape and size of the code images. The control unit 10 may also use artificial intelligence to extract images similar to the pre-set code images from among the images contained in the inspection image as the code images. Furthermore, the control unit 10 may update the feature quantities of the code images extracted in step S14 using machine learning. In this embodiment, the code images extracted in step S14 are rectangular images. The size of the code images extracted in step S14 may be pre-set by the ratio of the long side to the short side of the code image. For example, the control unit 10 may, after obtaining the length of either the longitudinal or transverse direction of the code image from the code image, calculate the length of the other direction based on the ratio and determine the size of the code image to be extracted.

[0081] <Step S15> In step S15, the control unit 10 selects code images from the code images extracted in step S14 that satisfy pre-set selection conditions. Specifically, the selection conditions include, as will be described later, one or more of the following: the code image is not missing any part in the inspection image; the code image is similar to a pre-set shape; and the code image is not duplicated in the inspection image. Specific examples of the selection conditions will be explained below with reference to Figure 6.

[0082] <Removal of partially missing code images> First, let's explain the case where the selection criteria include the code image being one in which no part is missing in the inspection image. In this case, the control unit 10 excludes code images in which part is protruding from the outside in the inspection image from the processing target of the specific processing in step S16.

[0083] Specifically, in the inspection image P1 shown in Figure 6, some of the coordinate values ​​of the rectangular extracted image B11 of drug M1, which is extracted as a code image from the inspection image P1, indicate that they are outside the area of ​​the inspection image P1. Therefore, the control unit 10 determines that the extracted image B11 is a partially incomplete code image if some of the coordinate values ​​of the extracted image B11 indicate that they are outside the area of ​​the inspection image P1. For example, if the X coordinate range of the inspection image P1 is 0 to 30000 and the Y coordinate range is 0 to 30000, the control unit 10 determines that the extracted image B11 is a partially incomplete code image if the X or Y coordinate of the extracted image B11 is a negative value, or if the X or Y coordinate of the extracted image B11 is a value greater than 30000. Furthermore, the control unit 10 may determine that the extracted image B11 is a partially missing code image if the size of the region in the extracted image B11 extracted from the inspection image P1 whose coordinate values ​​indicate that it is outside the inspection image P1 is greater than or equal to a preset range.

[0084] <Exclusion of code images that do not resemble pre-defined shapes> Next, we will describe the case where the selection criteria include the code image being similar to a pre-set specific shape that should be selected as the target of the specific processing in step S16. In this case, the control unit 10 excludes code images from the inspection images that are not similar to the specific shape from the target of the specific processing in step S16.

[0085] Specifically, the control unit 10 determines that a code image extracted from the inspection image P1 is similar to the specified shape if the ratio of the length direction to the width direction of the code image is a rectangle that is equal to or greater than a predetermined specific ratio. For example, as shown in Figure 6, the extracted image B21 of drug M2 extracted as a code image from the inspection image P1 is a rectangle whose ratio of the length direction to the width direction is equal to or greater than the specified ratio, and is therefore determined to be a code image similar to the specified shape. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6, the extracted image B22 of drug M2 extracted as a code image from the inspection image P1 is a rectangle whose ratio of the length direction to the width direction is less than the specified ratio, and is therefore determined not to be a code image similar to the specified shape. Similarly, for the extracted images B31 and B32 of drug M3 shown in Figure 6, extracted image B31 is determined to be a code image similar to the specified shape, and extracted image B32 is determined not to be a code image similar to the specified shape. Furthermore, the control unit 10 may process only the code images corresponding to the same drug that have been determined to be complete as described above, and determine their similarity to the specific shape. Also, the method for determining whether the code image is similar to the specific shape is not limited to that described herein.

[0086] <Remove duplicate images> Next, we will describe the case where the selection criteria include the fact that the code images are not duplicates in the inspection images. In this case, the control unit 10 selects only one of the duplicate code images in the inspection images as the target of the specific processing in step S16, and excludes the other code image from being processed in step S16.

[0087] Specifically, the control unit 10 identifies the region of the image corresponding to one of the drugs included in the inspection image by detecting the boundary between the drug and the region outside of it. For example, in the example shown in Figure 6, the region A1 of the box-shaped drug M1, the region A2 of the drug M2 such as a PTP sheet, and the region A3 of the drug M3 such as a PTP sheet included in the inspection image P1 are identified.

[0088] Next, the control unit 10 calculates the area of ​​the region where the region of the image corresponding to each drug and the extracted image extracted as a code image from the inspection image overlap. If this area is 80% or more of the area of ​​the extracted image, the control unit 10 determines that the extracted image is a code image corresponding to the drug. For example, in the example shown in Figure 6, the control unit 10 calculates the area where region A2 of drug M2 and extracted image B21 overlap. If this area is 80% or more of the area of ​​extracted image B21, the control unit 10 determines that extracted image B21 is a code image corresponding to drug M2. Then, if there are multiple code images corresponding to the same drug, the control unit 10 classifies the code images into groups corresponding to the drug. That is, if the inspection image contains code images for multiple drugs, the code images corresponding to each drug are classified into groups corresponding to the drug. For example, in the example shown in Figure 6, multiple extracted images B21 are classified as code images belonging to the group corresponding to drug M2, and multiple extracted images B31 are classified as code images belonging to the group corresponding to drug M3. The control unit 10 may classify only the code images corresponding to the same drug that are determined to be complete and similar to the specified shape, as described above, into the groups for processing. Subsequently, the control unit 10 selects a predetermined number of code images (for example, 1 to 3) from the code images included in each group that are close to the center of the inspection image, as the processing targets for drug identification information in step S16 described later, and excludes the other code images from the processing targets for the specified processing. This makes it possible to select code images with less distortion as the processing targets for drug identification information in step S16 described later.

[0089] Furthermore, if the control unit 10 performs imaging to acquire inspection images using multiple imaging units 711 and 712, and performs the first matching process using the multiple inspection images, it may determine whether or not there is overlap in the code images in the inspection images based on the multiple inspection images and the amount of positional shift that occurs between each inspection image due to the difference in the imaging range of the imaging units 711 and 712.

[0090] Specifically, the control unit 10, in the inspection support system 100, has previously placed a predetermined linear member, such as a tape indicating the center of the weighing unit 51 in the left-right direction D2 (the direction in which the imaging units 711 and 712 are arranged side by side) within the imaging range of the imaging units 711 and 712 by the user. The control unit 10 then detects the difference in coordinates of the predetermined linear member in the inspection images captured by each of the imaging units 711 and 712 as an offset value and stores it in the storage unit 30. When imaging is performed by the imaging units 711 and 712 to acquire inspection images during the inspection support process, the control unit 10 aligns one or both of the inspection images based on the offset value. Specifically, the control unit 10 corrects the coordinates in the left-right direction D2 of the inspection image captured by the imaging unit 711 so that the inspection image moves towards the imaging unit 712 by a length of 1 / 2 of the offset value. Similarly, the control unit 10 corrects the coordinates D2 in the left-right direction of the inspection image captured by the imaging unit 712 so that the inspection image moves toward the imaging unit 711 by a length of half the offset value. As a result, when the inspection images captured by imaging units 711 and 712 are considered on the same coordinate axis, the predetermined linear members will overlap.

[0091] Then, when the control unit 10 selects a non-duplicate code image from a plurality of inspection images, it compares the plurality of inspection images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712 on the same coordinate axis. If the coordinates of the two code images in both inspection images are within a preset range, it determines that the code images are duplicates and selects only one of the code images to be processed. In particular, in inspection images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712, the closer to the center position of the inspection image, the less distortion there is in the image. Therefore, if code images are duplicated, the control unit 10 selects the code image included in the inspection image that is closer to the center position of the inspection image from among the plurality of inspection images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712 before correction based on the offset value is performed, as the code image to be processed. In another embodiment, if code images are duplicated, the control unit 10 may select one of the preset code images from among the plurality of inspection images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712 as the code image to be processed.

[0092] In other embodiments, the control unit 10 may correct the coordinates in the left-right direction D2 for only one of the multiple inspection images captured by the imaging units 711 and 712 by the length of the offset value toward the other side. In other embodiments, the control unit 10 may synthesize an offset image, such as a blank image, corresponding to half the length of the offset value, at the end of the inspection image captured by the imaging unit 711 on the imaging unit 712 side in the left-right direction D2. Similarly, the control unit 10 may synthesize an offset image, such as a blank image, corresponding to half the length of the offset value, at the end of the inspection image captured by the imaging unit 712 on the imaging unit 711 side in the left-right direction D2. Furthermore, the control unit 10 may, based on the number of code images included in part or all of the inspection image, or the distance between adjacent code images, execute a process to exclude one of the overlapping code images from processing if it is determined that the code images are not densely packed, and may not execute a process to exclude one of the overlapping code images from processing if it is determined that the code images are densely packed.

[0093] Furthermore, if multiple imaging units 711 and 712 perform imaging to acquire multiple images for inspection, and a code image is extracted from these multiple inspection images, the control unit 10 generates a display image by combining the multiple inspection images, which have been aligned using the offset value, on the same coordinate axis, and stores the display image in the storage unit 30 in association with the identification information of the prescription data. Alternatively, the control unit 10 may combine the image with the larger area when the inspection image captured by imaging unit 711 is cropped at the center in the left-right direction D2 of the weighing unit 51, and the image with the larger area when the inspection image captured by imaging unit 712 is cropped at the center in the left-right direction D2 of the weighing unit 51, on the same coordinate axis. In this way, once the display image is stored in the storage unit 30, the control unit 10 can display the display image corresponding to the prescription data to be compared as an inspection history for the prescription data on the operation display unit 20, etc., for example, when the inspection support process is completed or when a user operation is performed. In addition, the inspection history may display multiple inspection images taken by multiple imaging units 711 and 712.

[0094] <Step S16> In step S16, the identification processing unit 12 of the control unit 10 performs an identification process to identify the drug identification information of the drug to be matched based on one or more code images selected in step S15. Specifically, the identification processing unit 12 reads the code information, such as a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code, contained in the code image and identifies the drug identification information of the drug based on the numerical value indicated by the code information. In the all-drug mode, if the inspection image contains multiple code images that satisfy the selection conditions and multiple code images have been selected as targets for the identification process, the identification processing unit 12 will identify the drug identification information of multiple drugs based on the multiple code images. The identification processing unit 12 rotates the code image selected in step S15 to a preset orientation and identifies the drug identification information based on the rotated code image. In step S16, if there are multiple code images classified into groups corresponding to the same drug in step S15, the identification processing unit 12 may perform drug identification information identification processing based on all of the multiple code images. However, it may also identify the drug identification information based on only some (for example, one or two) of the code images instead of all of them.

[0095] <Step S17> In step S17, the matching processing unit 13 of the control unit 10 compares one or more drug identification pieces identified in step S16 with the drug identification pieces of one or more drugs included as prescribed drugs in the prescription data to be processed, and stores the matching result in the storage unit 30 in association with the prescription data. The matching processing unit 13 determines that the matching result is normal if the drug identification pieces identified in step S16 match the drug identification pieces included as prescribed drugs in the prescription data. The matching processing unit 13 determines that the matching result is abnormal if the drug identification pieces identified in step S16 do not match the drug identification pieces included as prescribed drugs in the prescription data.

[0096] Furthermore, prescription data may include drugs that cannot be placed on the weighing unit 51 or drugs that are unsuitable for placement on the weighing unit 51. Therefore, when the code information of a drug is read by the information reading unit 60, the control unit 10 may identify drug identification information based on the code information and add it as the drug identification information identified in step S16. In this case, the control unit 10 may omit the processing in steps S19 to S21 described later. Alternatively, the control unit 10 may add the weight corresponding to the drug corresponding to the code information read by the information reading unit 60 to the total weight obtained in step S19 described later. This makes it possible to successfully complete the matching process in step S17 and the matching process in step S20 described later, even if the prescription includes drugs that cannot be placed on the weighing unit 51 or drugs that are unsuitable for placement on the weighing unit 51.

[0097] <Step S18> In step S18, the notification processing unit 15 of the control unit 10 performs notification processing to notify the verification result in step S17. Specifically, the notification processing unit 15 displays on the operation display unit 20 whether or not the verification result for the drug identification information of the drug is normal.

[0098] Here, Figure 7 shows an example of a display screen D7 that the control unit 10 displays in the notification process in step S18. Display screen D7 displays information such as the patient name, usage instructions, and drug name from the prescription data to be matched. The control unit 10 also displays area A71 on display screen D7, which indicates whether the match result of the drug identification information in step S17 is normal or not for each drug identification information, as the match result of the drug determination process. The match result of the drug determination process in step S18 may be reported in step S21, described later, together with the match result of the weight determination process described later.

[0099] <Step S19> Once the drug determination process is completed, the control unit 10 then performs a weight determination process in steps S19 to S21 to check the total weight of the drugs. In particular, in this embodiment, the control unit 10 can perform the weight determination process regardless of whether the results of the drug determination process are normal or not. Therefore, the control unit 10 performs the weight determination process even if there is an abnormality in the comparison result for one or more of the drugs being compared in the drug determination process.

[0100] First, in step S19, the control unit 10 obtains the total weight of the chemicals placed on the weighing tray 52 based on the weighing result from the weighing unit 51. Specifically, the control unit 10 calculates the total weight of the chemicals by subtracting the weight of the weighing tray 52 from the weighing value from the weighing unit 51. The weight of the weighing tray 52 is pre-registered and associated with each weighing tray 52, as described above.

[0101] <Step S20> In step S20, the matching processing unit 13 of the control unit 10 compares the total weight of the drugs obtained in step S19 with the total weight corresponding to the total amount of drugs included as prescription drugs in the prescription data to be compared, and stores the matching result in the storage unit 30 in association with the prescription data. For example, the matching processing unit 13 calculates the weight of each drug included as a prescription drug in the prescription data based on the prescribed amount of the drug and the weight per unit (single) stored in association with the drug, and calculates the sum of the weights of each drug as the total weight. The matching processing unit 13 then determines that the matching result is normal if the difference between the calculated total weight and the total weight of the drugs obtained in step S19 is within a predetermined range.

[0102] <Step S21> In step S21, the notification processing unit 15 of the control unit 10 performs notification processing to notify the verification result in step S20. Specifically, the notification processing unit 15 displays on the operation display unit 20 whether or not the verification result for the total weight of the drug is normal.

[0103] Specifically, the control unit 10 displays a result image A72 on the display screen D7, which shows the matching result in step S20. The result image A72 includes a region A721 that indicates the range in which the matching result of the total weight of the drugs acquired in step S19 is determined to be normal, and a region A722 that indicates the range in which the matching result of the total weight of the drugs acquired in step S19 is determined to be abnormal. The result image A72 also includes an image A723 that shows the total weight of the drugs acquired in step S19. This allows the user to determine that the matching result of the weight determination process is normal when the position of image A723 is within region A721, and abnormal when the position of image A723 is within region A722. Note that on the display screen D7, the matching results of the drug determination process and the weight determination process are displayed separately, and information on whether both the drug determination process and the weight determination process are normal or not is not displayed. Furthermore, the result image A72 also displays the upper and lower limits of the range of region A721 and the total weight shown in image A723 as numerical values. In addition, the method by which the control unit 10 displays the verification result of the weight determination process is not limited to this, and it may be displayed as OK or NG, similar to the verification result of the drug determination process. Moreover, the verification result of the weight determination process and the verification result of the drug determination process may be displayed on different screens.

[0104] In this embodiment, for the sake of explanation, the case in which the drug determination process (S13-S18) and the weight determination process (S19-S21) are executed in order will be described. On the other hand, in other embodiments, the control unit 10 may execute the drug determination process and the weight determination process substantially in parallel, or it may execute the drug determination process after executing the weight determination process. In other embodiments, the control unit 10 may execute the other process only if the comparison result of the first of the drug determination process and the weight determination process is normal.

[0105] Furthermore, if the comparison result of the weight determination process is not normal, the control unit 10 may, after the completion of the weight determination process, execute an individual determination process to determine the weight of each drug included as a prescription drug in the prescription data, similar to the second comparison process. This allows the user to determine the reason why the comparison result of the weight determination process in the first comparison process was determined to be abnormal. In particular, when the weight determination process is completed, the weighing tray 52 is placed on the weighing unit 51. Therefore, in the individual determination process, the control unit 10 identifies the drug that was removed from the weighing tray 52 when one of the drugs placed on the weighing tray 52 on the weighing unit 51 is removed by the user, and the drug identification information read from that drug by the information reading unit 60 is identified as the drug removed from the weighing tray 52. ​​The control unit 10 may also identify the removed drug based on images captured by the imaging device 70 before and after it is detected that a drug placed on the weighing tray 52 on the weighing unit 51 has been removed by the user. The control unit 10 then determines whether the difference between the weight of the drug removed from the weighing tray 52, which corresponds to the prescribed amount in the prescription data, and the amount of decrease from the weighing result of the weighing unit 51 in the weight determination process, is below a predetermined range. The amount of decrease from the weighing result is the weight that has decreased from the weighing result in the weight determination process due to the drug being removed from the weighing tray 52 after the completion of the weight determination process, and is the difference between the weighing result in the weight determination process and the current weighing result of the weighing unit 51. If the determination result of the individual determination process is abnormal, the control unit 10 displays on the operation display unit 20 that there is an abnormality in the weight of the drug for which the determination result was abnormal. On the other hand, if the determination result of the individual determination process is normal, the control unit 10 similarly performs the individual determination process for the remaining drugs. In the individual determination process for the remaining drugs, the amount of decrease from the weighing result of the weighing unit 51 in the previous individual determination process is used instead of the amount of decrease from the weighing result of the weighing unit 51 in the weight determination process. This makes it easy for the user to identify that the drug whose individual judgment result was abnormal is the cause of the abnormal comparison result in the weight judgment process.

[0106] <Step S22> In step S22, the control unit 10 determines whether the pre-set inspection completion conditions have been met. If it is determined that the inspection completion conditions have been met (S22:Yes), the process proceeds to step S23. On the other hand, if it is determined that the inspection completion conditions have not been met (S22:No), the process waits in step S22. The control unit 10 may return the process to step S11 if a predetermined re-inspection start operation is performed while the process is waiting in step S22. For example, the predetermined re-inspection start operation is the operation of the operation key K71 shown in Figure 7.

[0107] For example, the inspection completion condition may include the performance of a pre-set inspection completion operation on the operation display unit 20. For example, the inspection completion operation may be the operation key K72 shown in Figure 7. The inspection completion condition may also include the lifting of the weighing tray 52 placed on the weighing unit 51. For example, the inspection completion condition may be that the weighing value from the weighing unit 51 becomes 0. Furthermore, if a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the weighing tray 52 in the weighing unit 51 is provided, the inspection completion condition may also be the detection by the sensor that the weighing tray 52 has been lifted or that the weighing tray 52 has been removed from the weighing unit 51. The inspection completion condition may also be that the comparison results of the drug determination process and the weight determination process are both normal.

[0108] <Step S23> In step S23, the control unit 10 uses the imaging device 70 to capture an image of the weighing tray 52 when it is determined that the inspection completion conditions have been met, and stores the evidence image in the storage unit 30 in association with the prescription data. Alternatively, step S23 may be omitted, and the inspection image or composite image captured in step S13 may be stored in the storage unit 30 as the evidence image in association with the prescription data. Furthermore, both the evidence image captured in step S23 and the inspection image or composite image captured in step S13 may be stored in the storage unit 30 in association with the prescription data.

[0109] <Step S24> In step S24, the notification processing unit 15 of the control unit 10 performs a printing process to print the inspection result information, including the verification result of the drug determination process and the verification result of the weight determination process, onto a sheet such as journal paper using a printer (not shown).

[0110] Here, Figure 8 shows an example of the result of the printing process in step S24. As shown in Figure 8, the sheet D8 printed in step S24 includes a region A81 in which the content of the matching result of the chemical determination process is clearly indicated, and a region A82 in which the content of the matching result of the weight determination process is clearly indicated. That is, on sheet D8, the matching results of the chemical determination process and the weight determination process are printed separately, and information on whether both the chemical determination process and the weight determination process are normal or not is not printed. For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, in regions A81 and A82, "○" is shown if the matching result is normal, and "×" is shown if it is not normal.

[0111] As explained above, the inspection support system 100 selects one or more code images that satisfy the selection criteria from among the code images included in the inspection image (S15), and drug identification information is identified based on each of the selected code images (S16). Therefore, compared to, for example, the case in which the drug identification information is identified based on all the code images included in the inspection image, it is possible to shorten the processing time for identifying drug identification information based on the inspection image of the drug, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of inspection work by pharmacists.

[0112] Furthermore, in the inspection support system 100, the matching mode is switched as appropriate during the inspection support process, and the first matching process, the second matching process, or the third matching process is executed in step S41, S51, or S6. Therefore, the user can appropriately select and achieve either ensuring high judgment accuracy in the matching process executed in the inspection support process or shortening the time required for the matching process.

[0113] The following describes other functions that the inspection support system 100 may have.

[0114] [Horizontal adjustment support function] In the inspection support system 100, it is desirable for the weighing unit 51 to be in a horizontal position in order to improve the weighing accuracy of the weighing unit 51. For this reason, the weighing unit 51 may be provided with adjustment units (not shown) for adjusting the height of multiple parts of the weighing unit 51. The user can then place a spirit level on the weighing unit 51 and view the spirit level from vertically above, thereby adjusting the weighing unit 51 to be in a horizontal position using the adjustment units. However, in the inspection support system 100, the weighing unit 51 is built into the device, and even if a spirit level is placed on the weighing unit 51, it is not possible to view the spirit level from vertically above.

[0115] Therefore, the inspection support system 100 is thought to be equipped with a horizontal adjustment support function that assists in the horizontal adjustment of the weighing unit 51 based on the inspection image captured by the imaging unit 711. Specifically, in the inspection support system 100, when the user initiates a horizontal adjustment operation, the control unit 10 uses the imaging unit 711 to photograph a spirit level, which is placed in a preset position vertically below the imaging unit 711 on the weighing unit 51, from vertically above. The control unit 10 then determines and reports the horizontal state of the weighing unit 51 based on the inspection image of the spirit level captured by the imaging unit 711.

[0116] Specifically, it is conceivable that the level can be checked for horizontality by the position of a detection member of a predetermined shape, such as a perfect circle, within the liquid when the level is viewed from vertically above. In this case, the control unit 10 crops a predetermined judgment range from the inspection image of the level captured by the imaging unit 711. Then, it performs a binarization process on the cropped inspection image, binarizing it using a predetermined threshold that can distinguish between the color of the detection member and the liquid. For example, in the binarization process, the area of ​​the detection member becomes white, and the area of ​​the liquid excluding the detection member becomes black. After that, the control unit 10 uses image processing to determine whether the shape of the white area corresponding to the detection member in the binarized inspection image is close to a perfect circle, and quantifies the determination result. For example, the control unit 10 notifies the user of the horizontality by displaying a value closer to 100 as the determination result on the operation display unit 20, the closer the shape of the white area corresponding to the detection member in the binarized inspection image is to a perfect circle.

[0117] Furthermore, it is conceivable that the level can be checked for horizontality by the position or shape of a bubble in the liquid when the level is viewed from vertically above. In this case, the control unit 10 crops a predetermined judgment range from the inspection image of the level captured by the imaging unit 711. Then, it performs a binarization process on the cropped inspection image, binarizing it using a predetermined threshold that can distinguish between the bubble and the liquid. For example, in the binarization process, the bubble area is made white and the liquid area excluding the detection member is made black. After that, the control unit 10 uses image processing to determine whether the shape of the white area corresponding to the bubble in the binarized inspection image is close to a perfect circle, or whether the white area corresponding to the bubble is located at a predetermined position in the binarized inspection image, and quantifies the determination result. For example, the control unit 10 notifies the user of the horizontal state by displaying a value close to 100 as the determination result on the operation display unit 20, depending on whether the shape of the white area corresponding to the bubble in the binarized inspection image is closer to a perfect circle, or whether the white area corresponding to the bubble in the binarized inspection image is closer to a preset position.

[0118] In other embodiments, the control unit 10 may display a pre-set message on the operation display unit 20 according to the determination result. In particular, the control unit 10 may display information on the operation display unit 20 indicating the adjustments to be made to the adjustment unit according to the determination result in order to bring the weighing unit 51 to a horizontal position.

[0119] [Medicine Transfer Management Function] As described above, the inspection support system 100 has the function of reading drug identification information from drugs using the information reading unit 60 or the imaging device 70, and the function of weighing drugs using the weighing device 50. Therefore, it is conceivable that the control unit 10 of the inspection support system 100 has a drug transfer management function that manages the history of drug transfers to third parties. For example, the drug transfer management function can be used when drugs are transferred between multiple pharmacies or medical institutions such as hospitals.

[0120] Specifically, the control unit 10 accepts input of information about the recipient of the drug in response to user operation on the operation display unit 20. The control unit 10 also accepts input of drug identification information of the drug to be transferred through user operation on the operation display unit 20, reading of drug identification information by the information reading unit 60, or reading of drug identification information based on a code image captured by the imaging device 70.

[0121] Next, the control unit 10 receives input of the amount of the drug to be transferred in response to user operation on the operation display unit 20. For example, the amount to be transferred is the weight of the drug. If the number of drugs is entered as the amount to be transferred, the control unit 10 calculates the weight corresponding to the number of drugs as the amount to be transferred based on the information on the weight of the drug stored in the drug master. The control unit 10 then performs a verification process to compare the weighing result of the drug to be transferred, which is weighed by the weighing unit 51 using the weighing device 50, with the amount to be transferred. Specifically, in the verification process, the control unit 10 determines whether the difference between the weighing result of the drug to be transferred and the amount to be transferred is within a preset range. The control unit 10 may also accept the weighing result of the drug to be transferred, which is weighed by the weighing unit 51 using the weighing device 50, as the amount to be transferred.

[0122] Subsequently, when a pre-set completion operation is performed, the control unit 10 stores transfer information, including the recipient's information and the information of the drugs to be transferred, in the storage unit 30, and prints the transfer information using a printer (not shown). The control unit 10 may accept the completion operation only if the transfer quantity has been entered for all drugs entered as the drugs to be transferred. The control unit 10 may also transmit the transfer information to an external information processing device via the network N1.

[0123] For example, Figure 9 shows sheet D9, which is an example of the printed output of the transfer information. As shown in Figure 9, sheet D9 prints at least the drug identification information of the drug to be transferred, and the amount of the drug to be transferred converted into the number of tablets. Note that sheet D9 may also display the amount of the drug to be transferred by weight, the number of tablets, or both.

[0124] [Notes on the invention] The following is an overview of the invention extracted from the above-described embodiments. Note that each configuration and processing function described below can be selected and combined as desired.

[0125] [Note 1] A determination processing unit identifies the drug identification information of one or more drugs based on one or more code images that satisfy pre-set selection conditions from among the code images showing drug identification information of drugs contained in inspection images captured by one or more imaging units, A matching processing unit that compares the drug identification information of the drug to be matched, identified by the identification processing unit, with the drug identification information of the drug included in the matching data of the drug to be matched, An inspection support system equipped with the following features.

[0126] [Note 2] The aforementioned selection criteria include the code image being one in which no parts are missing. The inspection support system described in Appendix 1.

[0127] [Note 3] The aforementioned selection criteria include the code image being similar to a pre-set specific shape. The inspection support system described in Appendix 1 or 2.

[0128] [Note 4] The selection criteria include the fact that the code images in the inspection images are not duplicated. An inspection support system as described in any of the appendices 1 to 3.

[0129] [Note 5] The identification processing unit determines whether or not there is overlap in the code images in the inspection images based on the multiple inspection images captured by the multiple imaging units and a preset offset value which is the amount of positional shift that occurs between each of the inspection images. The inspection support system described in Appendix 4.

[0130] [Note 6] The imaging processing unit is provided with a detection unit that initiates imaging when it detects the presence of a tray on which a drug is placed within a preset area of ​​the imaging range of the imaging unit. An inspection support system as described in any of the appendices 1 to 5.

[0131] [Note 7] One or more processors, A selection step in which the drug identification information of one or more drugs is identified based on one or more code images that satisfy pre-set selection conditions from among the code images showing drug identification information of drugs contained in inspection images captured by one or more imaging units, A matching step which involves comparing the drug identification information of the drug to be matched, identified by the aforementioned specific step, with the drug identification information of the drug included in the matching data for the drug to be matched. An inspection support program to enable the execution of this process.

Claims

1. A determination processing unit identifies the drug identification information of one or more drugs based on one or more code images that satisfy pre-set selection conditions from among the code images showing drug identification information of drugs contained in inspection images captured by one or more imaging units, A matching processing unit that compares the drug identification information of the drug to be matched, identified by the identification processing unit, with the drug identification information of the drug included in the matching data of the drug to be matched, An inspection support system equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned selection criteria include the code image being one in which no parts are missing. The inspection support system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned selection criteria include the code image being similar to a pre-set specific shape. The inspection support system according to claim 1.

4. The selection criteria include the fact that the code images in the inspection images are not duplicated. The inspection support system according to claim 1.

5. The identification processing unit determines whether or not there is overlap in the code images in the inspection images based on the multiple inspection images captured by the multiple imaging units and a preset offset value which is the amount of positional shift that occurs between each of the inspection images. The inspection support system according to claim 4.

6. The imaging processing unit is provided with a detection unit that initiates imaging when it detects the presence of a tray on which a drug is placed within a preset area of ​​the imaging range of the imaging unit. An inspection support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. One or more processors, A selection step in which the drug identification information of one or more drugs is identified based on one or more code images that satisfy pre-set selection conditions from among the code images showing drug identification information of drugs contained in inspection images captured by one or more imaging units, A matching step which involves comparing the drug identification information of the drug to be matched, identified by the aforementioned specific step, with the drug identification information of the drug included in the matching data for the drug to be matched. An inspection support program to enable the execution of this process.

Images