Pharmaceutical Container Inspection for Wall-Adhered Particle Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated visual inspection systems are ineffective for inspecting ready-to-use pharmaceutical containers for particles and defects, particularly those adhered to the container walls, and manual inspection is limited by human vision, failing to detect particles smaller than 80 microns effectively.
Innovation Solution
An automated system utilizing multiple cameras, lighting sources, and a processor to inspect the entirety of a container, including transition regions, capable of detecting particles as small as 25 microns, and configured to handle variations in wall thickness and material properties, with optional coatings to enhance detection and reduce contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual visual inspection is used, then the system is simple and easy to operate, but the detection precision is limited to particles of 80 microns or greater
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated optical inspection system that uses multiple cameras, lighting sources, and image processing algorithms to detect particles as small as 25 microns, eliminating the limitations of human vision while maintaining operational simplicity through automation
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates optical copies (images) of the container interior using multiple cameras and lighting sources, allowing digital analysis and particle detection without physically contacting or manipulating the container, thereby achieving high detection precision through image processing
2Measurement precision
If conventional automated visual inspection systems are used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision is insufficient for detecting particles on container walls and in transition regions
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system is divided into multiple specialized components including cameras positioned at different locations (body, shoulder, top, bottom), multiple lighting sources, and separate image processing algorithms for different container regions, allowing each component to optimize for its specific detection task and achieve comprehensive high-precision inspection
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from single-point or limited-area inspection to three-dimensional comprehensive inspection by positioning cameras and lighting sources to capture images of the entire container interior including transition regions and wall surfaces, adding spatial dimensions to the detection capability
3Reliability
If coatings are applied to container walls to reduce contamination, then the purity is improved, but object-generated harmful factors increase due to potential coating flakes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the physical and chemical parameters of the coating material and application process to create a coating that is firmly bonded to the container wall, reducing the likelihood of flake formation while maintaining the coating's protective and purification functions
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection system provides feedback by detecting and identifying potential coating defects or flakes on the container walls, allowing for quality control and rejection of contaminated containers, thereby ensuring that the coating application process achieves the desired purity without generating harmful flakes
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for coating pharmaceutical vessels. e.g. with a coating set that includes an oxygen barrier layer, that reduce the amount of particles present on the coated vessels. The present disclosure also relates to methods and systems for removing particles from vessels, e.g. after a coating is applied to an inner surface of the vessel. The present disclosure also relates to methods and systems for inspecting pharmaceutical vessels for particles prior to filling using machine-based visual analysis. Each of the above may be controlled and performed by one or more processors, thereby enabling a fully automated coating, cleaning, and/or inspecting operation for pharmaceutical vessels.