Adaptable Code Reader for Medicinal Substance Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional record-keeping systems for medicinal substances are laborious and prone to human error due to the need for manual entry of information from varying human-readable codes, which can lead to misinterpretation and mismanagement of medicinal substance inventories across different jurisdictions with different coding standards.
Innovation Solution
A computerized system capable of reading and interpreting multiple machine-readable codes compliant with different coding standards, using a code reader, recognition component, storage component, and processing component to identify medicinal substances accurately and efficiently, regardless of the coding standard used.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If manual record-keeping systems are used to enter medicinal substance information, then the system can handle various human-readable documentation formats, but the process becomes laborious and prone to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of reading and transcribing human-readable documentation with an automated optical scanning system. The scanner reads machine-readable codes (barcodes) on medicinal substance containers, automatically capturing information such as drug name, concentration, and quantity without human intervention, thereby eliminating transcription errors while maintaining adaptability to various code formats.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates an automated digital copy of information from physical medicinal substance labels through machine-readable codes. Instead of manually copying information from human-readable text, the scanner optically captures and digitizes the data directly from barcodes, ensuring accurate replication of information across different documentation formats without human error.
2Productivity
If a scanner is employed to read computer-readable codes, then information extraction becomes automated, but the system is limited to one coding standard and cannot operate properly with codes from other standards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal scanning system capable of reading multiple types of machine-readable codes including barcodes, QR codes, and data matrices. The system incorporates a database of various coding standards and automatically selects the appropriate decoding algorithm based on the code type detected, enabling a single system to handle diverse coding standards from different jurisdictions while maintaining full automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts its reading and interpretation methods based on the specific code format encountered. It automatically detects the type of machine-readable code presented and adjusts its decoding parameters accordingly, allowing the automated extraction process to remain effective across varying coding standards without requiring manual reconfiguration.
3Ease of operation
If technicians manually read and enter information from documentation, then they can interpret human-readable alphanumeric characters, but small text size and varying units of measurement cause confusion and errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the human visual and cognitive process of reading and interpreting small alphanumeric text with an automated optical scanning system. The scanner precisely captures machine-readable codes that encode information such as concentration and quantity, eliminating the confusion caused by small text size and varying units of measurement while maintaining ease of operation through automatic data extraction.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a computerized method and system for identifying a medicinal substance from a plurality of different machine-readable codes that are each compliant with a different coding standard. A code reader reads a machine-readable code and transmits a signal indicative of the machine-readable code in response. A recognition identifies the coding standard with which the machine-readable code complies. Based on the identification by the recognition unit, computer-executable instructions specific to decoding information according the identified standard are selected and executed to decode the information encoded pursuant to the identified coding standard.