Medicine Dispensing Apparatus Adherence Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medicine dispensing apparatuses face challenges in accurately counting medicines due to overlapping or adherence issues during packaging, leading to potential discrepancies in the number of medicines dispensed.
Innovation Solution
A medicine dispensing apparatus with a medicine check part that includes a camera device to photograph the inner wall of a wrapping hopper, determining if medicines are adhering and using a controller to compare images with a baseline to detect adherence and output alarms, along with a medicine number check part for accurate counting before packaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If photographing is performed after packaging, then counting can be done, but medicines may overlap and contact making accurate counting impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs photographing of medicines before they are packaged into the dispensing paper. The camera captures images of medicines in the hopper at positions before the packaging process, preventing overlap and contact issues that would occur after packaging. This preliminary measurement approach ensures accurate counting while avoiding the problems of post-packaging photographing.
2Measurement precision
If photographing is performed before packaging, then counting can be done, but medicines may adhere to introduction member causing dosage errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary detection device that photographs medicines in the hopper before they are transferred to the dispensing paper. By capturing images at this intermediate stage and using image processing to count medicines, the system can detect adherence issues and prevent dosage errors without directly interfering with the packaging process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the camera captures images of medicines, the controller processes these images to detect adherence to the introduction member, and based on this detection, the system can alert operators or adjust the packaging process. This closed-loop feedback ensures dosage accuracy by identifying and addressing adherence problems before they affect the final product.
3Productivity
If medicines are counted after packaging, then packaging can proceed, but overlapping medicines prevent accurate counting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the counting operation before the packaging process by photographing medicines in the hopper. This preliminary counting ensures accuracy is established before medicines are packaged and potentially overlapped, while the packaging process itself proceeds without interruption, maintaining productivity.
4Measurement precision
If medicines are counted before packaging, then accurate counting is possible, but adherence to introduction member causes dosage errors
Solution Approach 1:
The camera acts as an intermediary that detects medicines in the hopper before packaging. By using image processing technology, the system can identify medicines that have adhered to the introduction member and differentiate them from properly positioned medicines, thereby maintaining both counting accuracy and dosage reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from image analysis to detect adherence issues. When medicines are detected adhering to the introduction member, the system can generate alerts or prevent packaging of affected doses, ensuring dosage accuracy while maintaining the ability to count before packaging.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Ensures accurate counting and packaging of medicines by detecting adherence and overlapping issues, preventing errors in the number of medicines dispensed per dose package.
Implementation Method 1
a camera device for taking an image of an inner wall face of the medicine wrapping hopper
Data Source
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AI summary
A medicine dispensing apparatus comprises a medicine containing/dispensing unit (11) for supplying medicines of various kinds; a medicine wrapping part (45) for wrapping the medicine supplied from the medicine containing/dispensing unit (11) for every one dose package by a dispensing paper (S); a medicine wrapping hopper (73) for falling down the medicine for one dose package into a dispensing paper S in the medicine wrapping part (45) and a medicine check part (5) for determining depending on a photographed image of the medicine wrapping hopper (73) whether or not the medicine is adheres to the introduction part.