Tablet storage and take-out apparatus

• US 20070169838A1
• Filed: 01/17/2005
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Yuyama, Shoji, Kumano, Yoshinori
• Granted Patent: US 8,041,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 141/107
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/70 in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/10 with associated dispensing of containers, e.g. cups or other articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

A tablet storing/retrieving device which stores a plurality of kinds of many medicines, and fills as many tablets of such descriptions as designated by prescription data into a vial (3) and retrieves it, wherein an imaging means (400) is provided for photographing the interior of the vial before a cap is set to the vial (3) after tablets are filled into the vial (3). Accordingly, a quick, easy auditing is possible without removing the cap of a retrieved vial.

Claims

1. A tablet storage and take-out apparatus for storing plural kinds of tablets, filling the tablets of kind and number according to a prescription data in a vial and taking out the vial, the apparatus comprising a photographing means for photographing the interior of the vial before attaching the cap on the vial after filling the vial with the tablets.

2. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

a focus control sensor for irradiating the surface of the filled tablets in the vial; and

a focus control means for focus controlling the photographing means according to the detection value of the focus control sensor;

wherein the photographing data of the photographing means after focus controlling by the focus control means is transferred to a control section of the tablet storage and take-out apparatus.

3. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising an initializing means for initializing the photographing means in accordance with a command from the control section.

4. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a contrast control means for controlling the contrast of the photographing means in accordance with a command from the control section.

5. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the focus control sensor is one which irradiates multiple times the surface of the filled tablets in the vial, and wherein the focus control means adopts as the detection value the mean value of the multiple detection values of the focus control sensor.

6. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a supporting member for supporting the photographing means on the body of the tablet storage and take-out apparatus, the supporting means being movable horizontally in front and rear and left and light directions and also movable vertically.

7. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising an initializing means for initializing the photographing means in accordance with a command from the control section.

8. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising a contrast control means for controlling the contrast of the photographing means in accordance with a command from the control section.

9. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a contrast control means for controlling the contrast of the photographing means in accordance with a command from the control section.

10. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising a supporting member for supporting the photographing means on the body of the tablet storage and take-out apparatus, the supporting means being movable horizontally in front and rear and left and light directions and also movable vertically.

11. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a supporting member for supporting the photographing means on the body of the tablet storage and take-out apparatus, the supporting means being movable horizontally in front and rear and left and light directions and also movable vertically.

12. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising a supporting member for supporting the photographing means on the body of the tablet storage and take-out apparatus, the supporting means being movable horizontally in front and rear and left and light directions and also movable vertically.

13. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising a supporting member for supporting the photographing means on the body of the tablet storage and take-out apparatus, the supporting means being movable horizontally in front and rear and left and light directions and also movable vertically.