Prefilled Syringe Plunger Depth Measurement Despite Tray Artifacts
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital image-based syringe inspection systems face challenges in accurately determining plunger depth due to tray-induced optical artifacts, which lead to erroneous measurements in prefilled syringes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that uses a digital image data acquisition device with a backlight and image sensor to capture a silhouette of the syringe and plunger, overcoming tray-induced optical artifacts by positioning the syringe and plunger between the sensor and backlight, and employing edge detection parameters to disregard tray artifacts, thereby determining plunger depth accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a digital image-based inspection system is used to measure plunger depth, then measurement speed and automation are improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to tray-induced optical artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system segments the image processing by identifying and separating the syringe region from the tray background. Edge detection parameters are applied specifically to the syringe silhouette while tray artifacts are disregarded, allowing automated high-speed inspection without precision loss
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the optical parameters by using backlight illumination to create high-contrast silhouettes of the syringe and plunger. This parameter change allows the measurement system to focus on the silhouette edges rather than being affected by the tray's optical properties, maintaining both speed and precision
2Measurement precision
If backlight illumination is used to capture syringe silhouette, then plunger depth measurement is improved, but tray-induced optical artifacts worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by using edge detection parameters that are specifically tuned to identify the syringe and plunger silhouettes while disregarding tray artifacts. The processing focuses locally on the relevant edges rather than attempting to process the entire image uniformly
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of trying to eliminate tray artifacts directly, the system inverts the approach by focusing on what needs to be measured (the syringe and plunger silhouettes) and using edge detection to identify only those features, effectively ignoring the harmful tray artifacts in the process
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 provides precise and efficient plunger depth measurement, improving quality control by reducing errors and increasing throughput, while requiring fewer personnel compared to manual methods.
Implementation Method 1
The digital image data acquisition device may include an image sensor and a backlight. The digital image data acquisition device may be configured to cause the backlight to emit light having a predetermined intensity.
Data Source
AI summary
Automatic prefilled syringe inspection systems, apparatus and methods are provided. The automatic syringe inspection systems, apparatus and methods may determine a plunger depth within a syringe that has been pre-filled with a medication. The plunger depth may be based on digital image data that is representative of a silhouette of at least a portion of a tubular vessel and at least a portion of a plunger within the tubular vessel.