Medicine Inspection Device Database Scope Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current medicine inspection systems face inefficiencies in similarity determination, leading to excessive alarms and increased operational complexity due to the broad reference scope of inspection databases, which can result in cumbersome processes and high processing loads.

Innovation Solution

A medicine inspection device with a controlled database reference scope, allowing for limited similarity determination modes such as preparation medicine limiting, adopted medicine limiting, identical divided and packaged medicine limiting, and prescription history limiting, to focus on relevant medicines and reduce unnecessary similarity checks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the reference scope of the inspection database is set to include all registered medicines for comprehensive similarity determination, then the completeness of similarity detection is improved, but the processing load and operation complexity become excessive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompleteness of similarity detectionVSAvoidoperation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the inspection database into multiple categorized groups (e.g., same generic name medicines, same manufacturer medicines, medicines with similar indications) rather than treating it as a single undifferentiated whole. This segmentation allows the system to perform similarity determination on restricted subsets of medicines rather than the entire database, reducing processing load while maintaining detection completeness for relevant medicines.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different reference scopes to different inspection scenarios. Instead of using a uniform reference scope for all similarity determinations, the system dynamically adjusts the reference scope based on the specific medicine being inspected and the inspection context, thereby optimizing the balance between detection completeness and processing efficiency for each case.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Measurement precision

If the reference scope of the inspection database is expanded to all registered medicines, then the accuracy of similarity determination is improved, but the processing time and load increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of similarity determinationVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the large inspection database into multiple smaller categorized subsets (such as medicines with the same generic name, same manufacturer, or similar therapeutic indications). By performing similarity determination on these segmented subsets rather than the entire database, the system maintains accurate comparison within relevant categories while significantly reducing overall processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by selectively determining similarity only for medicines within specific categories rather than performing exhaustive comparison with all registered medicines. This partial similarity determination focuses computational resources on the most relevant comparisons, achieving sufficient accuracy for safety purposes without the time cost of complete database scanning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If similarity determination is performed against the entire inspection database, then the comprehensiveness of medicine safety checking is improved, but the productivity of the inspection process decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecomprehensiveness of medicine safety checkingVSAvoidinspection efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the similarity determination process into multiple targeted comparisons against categorized medicine groups rather than a single exhaustive comparison against the entire database. This segmentation enables the system to maintain comprehensive safety checking within relevant categories while improving inspection throughput by processing smaller, focused datasets in parallel or sequence.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial similarity determination by limiting comparisons to medically relevant categories (such as same generic name or same therapeutic class) rather than performing exhaustive comparisons with all registered medicines. This approach achieves sufficient comprehensiveness for patient safety while significantly improving inspection efficiency by reducing the total number of comparisons required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9994347B2Medicine inspection device and medicine packaging system
Publication Date: 2018.06.12 YUYAMA MFG CO LTD

AI summary

A system for individually packaging medicine is provided with a medicine inspection device that is capable of performing inspection of medicine that is individually packaged using a device for individually packaging medicine or the like. The control device of the medicine inspection device is provided with an inspection database in which images of medicine are stored as master images and is capable of carrying out an inspection task using image matching processing that involves an image acquired by imaging. The control is also capable of performing similarity determination for determining whether a medicine that is similar to a medicine that is packaged in an individual wrapper is present in the inspection database in a state in which the reference scope of the inspection database is restricted.