Medication Sachet OCR Using Reference Locations for Unknown Layouts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medication dispensers require knowledge of the layout on medication sachets to extract and dispense medication information, failing if the layout is unknown.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that captures and processes images of medication sachets to identify text strings for dispense dates, times, and patient identifiers without prior knowledge of the layout, using OCR and image processing to determine and set locations for this information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the medication dispenser uses a fixed layout to extract information from medication sachets, then the information extraction process is simple and fast, but the system cannot handle sachets with unknown or varying layouts
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing an image of the first medication sachet and identifying text strings for dispense date and time before processing subsequent sachets. This preliminary image capture and text identification establishes reference locations that are then used to extract information from following sachets without requiring full layout knowledge, thereby resolving the contradiction between handling unknown layouts and maintaining simple extraction processes
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary approach by using the first sachet as a reference model. The locations of text strings (dispense date and time) identified from the first sachet's image serve as intermediary reference points that mediate the extraction process for subsequent sachets, allowing the system to handle varying layouts while maintaining efficient information extraction
2Reliability
If the medication dispenser requires layout knowledge to extract information, then the extraction process is reliable, but the system fails when the layout is not known
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by automatically capturing an image of the first medication sachet and identifying text strings for dispense date and time without requiring external layout information. The system uses this self-acquired reference data to then extract information from subsequent sachets, thereby achieving both reliability through consistent extraction and flexibility in handling unknown layouts
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a reference copy of the first sachet's text string locations (dispense date and time) and uses this copied reference information to extract corresponding data from subsequent sachets. This copying approach ensures reliable extraction by maintaining consistent reference points while adapting to different sachet layouts
3Measurement precision
If the system processes each sachet independently without using previous sachet information, then the process is straightforward, but the extraction becomes less accurate for subsequent sachets
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by processing the first medication sachet to identify text string locations for dispense date and time before processing subsequent sachets. This preliminary processing creates reference locations that improve the accuracy of information extraction from subsequent sachets while adding minimal processing complexity, as the reference data is established only once
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method and system for extracting information from medication sachets (201, 301, 401). In the present invention, locations (208, 209) of dispense date (203) and dispense time (204) on a medication sachet (201) are determined and, by using these locations (208, 209), the dispense date (303) and dispense time (304) for another medication sachet (301) is determined. The invention also relates to a medication dispenser (400).