Vision-Based Pill Counting With Dynamic Lighting and Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for counting pharmaceutical units, such as pills, are slow, cumbersome, and prone to errors due to limited information provision, contamination issues, and calibration requirements, with weight-based systems being insensitive to drift and optical systems requiring heavy resource commitment.
Innovation Solution
An image-based counting system utilizing color cameras and illumination devices with variable and dynamic lighting capabilities to capture multiple images of pills, employing techniques like dynamic focus and multi-wavelength illumination to enhance imaging accuracy and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If weight-based counting systems are used, then contamination control and unit defect detection are improved, but periodic calibration is required and drift sensitivity occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical weight-based counting systems with an optical imaging system that uses cameras and image processing algorithms to detect, identify, and count pharmaceutical units. This substitution eliminates the need for periodic calibration and drift-sensitive transducers while maintaining count accuracy and adding capabilities for visual inspection of unit defects.
2Ease of manufacture
If optical counting systems are used, then calibration requirements are reduced, but resource commitment and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs multiple imaging devices (cameras) positioned at different locations and angles to capture images of pharmaceutical units from various perspectives. This segmentation of the imaging function allows comprehensive visualization and counting while distributing the resource commitment across multiple specialized components rather than requiring a single complex system.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical imaging system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it counts pharmaceutical units, detects unit defects, identifies foreign substances, and provides visual records for verification. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized devices, thereby optimizing resource commitment while comprehensive monitoring is achieved.
3Device complexity
If manual counting methods are used, then system complexity is reduced, but counting speed and accuracy decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automated image processing algorithms that independently analyze captured images to identify, count, and verify pharmaceutical units without requiring manual intervention. The system self-corrects for common issues such as overlapping units, reflections, and varying orientations, thereby achieving high-speed accurate counting with minimal human involvement while maintaining manageable system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are image based counting systems and methods. Image based counting systems and methods employ one or more imaging devices (e.g., one or more color cameras) and one or more illumination devices (e.g., one or more illumination sources to provide variable and/or dynamic lighting). In some examples, the image based counting system provides illumination to a tray upon which one or more items (e.g., pills) are placed. The illuminated items are then imaged by the one or more imaging devices based on one or more imaging techniques or processes to determine and/or present information associated with one or more properties of the item.