Medicine Verification Imaging with Conditional Vibration Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medicine verification devices face challenges in accurately verifying the type and number of medicines due to factors like overlapping medicines in packaging bags, which can lead to inaccurate identification and require improved criteria for determining when to apply external forces for correction.
Innovation Solution
A medicine verification device that includes an arrangement unit, an image capturing unit, a prescription condition information acquisition unit, an external force application unit, and a control unit, which determines whether to apply an external force based on conditions such as differences in the number or shape of medicines in the image compared to prescription conditions, and their posture and imaging conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If medicines are densely packed in a packaging bag, then the packaging efficiency is improved, but the verification accuracy deteriorates due to overlapping medicines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vibration to the packaging bag containing medicines to separate overlapping medicines and improve image capture quality. The vibration mechanism causes medicines to shift positions and separate, allowing the imaging device to capture clear images of individual medicines even when they were densely packed, thus resolving the contradiction between packaging efficiency and verification accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If vibration is applied to separate medicines, then the verification accuracy is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional vibrating means
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the vibration function into the existing packaging bag handling system, making the packaging bag serve multiple purposes: both as a container for medicines and as a medium to transmit vibration for separation. This multi-functionality approach improves verification accuracy while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
3Speed
If the medicine position is not optimized, then the imaging speed is improved, but the verification accuracy deteriorates due to unfavorable positions and postures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies vibration to the packaging bag before image capture to preliminarily separate and optimize medicine positions and postures. This preliminary action ensures that when the imaging device captures the image, the medicines are in favorable positions for accurate verification, thus resolving the contradiction between imaging speed and verification accuracy.
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
This approach enhances the accuracy and speed of medicine verification by appropriately determining when to apply external forces, improving the identification of medicines even when they are densely packed or in unfavorable positions.
Implementation Method 1
an external force application unit that executes an external force applying operation of applying an external force to the verification target medicine disposed on the arrangement unit to move the verification target medicine
Data Source
AI summary
In the present invention, an image of a verification target medicine disposed on an arrangement unit is captured, prescription condition information indicating a prescription condition is acquired, an external force application unit is caused to execute an external force applying operation of applying an external force to the medicine disposed on the arrangement unit to move the medicine when an operation execution condition is satisfied, wherein the operation execution condition includes at least one of: a first operation execution condition that the number of the verification target medicines appearing in the image differs from the quantity of the medicines specified from the prescription condition information; and a second operation execution condition that a shape of the verification target medicine appearing in the image differs from a shape corresponding to a type of the medicine specified from the prescription condition information.