Rotary Scanning Optical Sensor for Medicament Dispersion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for counting medicaments in pharmacies face challenges with accurate counting when objects are in disorderly formation, as they often obscure each other, leading to counting errors, especially when using single or multiple discrete sensors.
Innovation Solution
A system with a funnel-shaped hopper that disperses objects radially using gravity, combined with a rotary scanning optical sensor system that scans an annular region, ensuring objects are evenly distributed and counted accurately, and an electronic digital signal processor that analyzes the signals to determine quantity and size.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple discrete sensors are used to detect objects, then the sensing coverage area is increased, but objects may still obscure each other when passing through the sensing region simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing region is divided into multiple discrete sensor elements arranged in a matrix pattern, where each sensor independently detects objects passing through its specific zone. This segmentation allows simultaneous detection of multiple objects at different positions without mutual obscuration, as each sensor only detects objects within its designated sensing area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the obscuration problem by removing objects from a single-file queue and distributing them across multiple parallel sensing paths. By extracting objects from a constrained flow pattern and allowing them to pass through distributed sensor elements simultaneously, the system eliminates the mutual obscuration that occurs in single-sensor systems.
2Productivity
If objects are allowed to pass through the sensor in any formation, then counting speed is increased, but counting accuracy decreases due to obscuration errors
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple discrete sensor elements are merged into a unified sensing system that processes signals from all sensors simultaneously. The system combines the detection capabilities of individual sensors into a collective counting function, allowing objects to pass through in any formation while maintaining both speed and accuracy through parallel detection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a single-point detection approach to a two-dimensional array of sensors. By adding the spatial dimension of multiple sensing positions, objects can pass through the sensing region in parallel without obscuring each other, enabling high-speed counting while maintaining accuracy through distributed detection across different spatial locations.
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
The system ensures precise and accurate counting of medicaments by ensuring objects are evenly distributed and scanned multiple times, reducing the likelihood of obscuration and improving counting accuracy and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a scanning optical sensor system that detects the evenly distributed objects passing through an annular sensing region
Implementation Method 2
A system with a funnel-shaped hopper that disperses objects radially using gravity
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for counting and inspecting medicaments and other small objects whereby the objects are poured into a funnel. From the funnel, the objects fall onto the sharp point of a concentric cone, dispersing the objects on their way outwards causing dispersion and lateral singulation. Objects are vertically singulated when falling from the bottom edge of the cone. Objects are circularly scanned from just below the edge of the cone. A high speed processor resolves the scanned path in sufficiently small segments to determine width, and angular position measurements of the objects. The height measurements are resolved by the number of scans that show the objects in the same location before falling out of view. By calculations based on recurring sequential scans of objects at the same location, a total count can be made as well as sizes and irregularities of the objects.