Solid Contents Verification Using Sonic Pulse Reflection
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Solution Overview
Problem
High volume pharmacies face challenges in accurately verifying the contents of containers filled with medications due to the manual and error-prone nature of existing pill counting methods, which are unsustainable in high-volume dispensing environments.
Innovation Solution
A solid contents verification system utilizing non-contact contents sensors, such as ultrasonic or electromagnetic sensors, to determine the state of contents within containers, including quantity and presence, by emitting and receiving signals to compare against predetermined states stored in a memory or database, allowing for automated verification and flagging of discrepancies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual pill counting or traditional counting mechanisms are used, then verification accuracy can be maintained for small volumes, but productivity becomes insufficient in high-volume pharmacy environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical pill counting with an automated imaging system that captures images of pills in containers and uses computer vision algorithms to count and verify them. This substitution of mechanical/manual processes with automated optical and computational systems enables high-volume processing while maintaining accuracy through digital image analysis rather than physical manipulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies (images) of the physical pill containers and analyzes these images to determine contents. Instead of physically counting each pill, the system captures visual representations and processes them computationally, allowing rapid verification of high volumes of prescriptions without manual intervention.
2Productivity
If automated counting systems are implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity and initial implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system serves multiple functions: it captures images for counting, verifies pill identification, confirms container labeling, and detects visual defects. By making the imaging system multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate specialized devices for each verification task, thereby managing complexity while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically performs verification without requiring pharmacist intervention. The automated imaging and analysis system conducts its own verification process, eliminating the need for human operators to manually count or inspect each container, thus reducing operational complexity despite the advanced technology involved.
3Ease of operation
If traditional verification methods are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but loss of time increases in high-volume environments
Solution Approach 1:
The automated imaging system operates continuously as containers move through the verification point, capturing images at high speed without interruption. This continuous operation eliminates the stop-start nature of manual counting and allows rapid sequential verification of multiple containers, significantly reducing total verification time while maintaining operational simplicity through automated flow.
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 enables accurate and efficient verification of medication contents, reducing human error and increasing processing speed, ensuring correct dispensing of prescriptions in high-volume pharmacy settings.
Implementation Method 1
The contents sensors are directed at an opening of the container and generate a signal based on the amount, presence or absence of contents in the container
Implementation Method 2
contents sensors, such as ultrasonic or electromagnetic sensors, to determine the state of contents within containers, including quantity and presence, by emitting and receiving signals
Data Source
AI summary
Solid contents verification systems and methods are provided. The system includes a contents sensor unit, a container-carrying unit and a control unit. The contents sensor unit has at least one contents sensor configured to send and receive sonic pulses to determine a state of contents in a container. The contents sensor unit is configured to send a signal communicating a state of the contents in a container. The container-carrying unit is configured to hold a container in substantial alignment with the contents sensors to expose the contents to the sonic pulses. The control unit is operatively connected to the contents sensor unit. The control unit is configured to receive the signal communicating the state of the contents and to compare the state of the contents with a desired state of the contents.