Pharmacy pill counting vision system

• US 6,738,723 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2003
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ScriptPro LLC
• Original Assignee: ScriptPro LLC
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rodney N.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAH, KAMINI S
• Application Number:
  US10/408,730
• Publication Number:
  US 20030204357A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 702/128, 702/81, 137/2, 221/129, 221/219
• US Class Current: 702/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 7/02 Pill counting devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9508 Capsules; Tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 1/101 by electro-optical means
• CPC Class Codes: G06M 11/00 Counting of objects distributed at random, e.g. on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0324 With control of flow by a condition or characteristic of a fluid

Abstract

A semi-automated pill counting system (10) using digital imaging technology and image recognition software including a modified Hough Transform. The system (10) comprises a light source (12); a modified pharmacist'"'"'s tray (14); a digital camera (16); and a personal computer (PC) (18), with the PC (18) storing and executing the image recognition software. A roughly estimated number of pills are placed upon the tray (16) and illuminated by the light source (12), whereafter a digital image of the pills is produced by the camera (16) and sent via an interface to the PC (18). The image recognition software counts the pills present in the image and displays a count result. Based upon the count result, the pharmacist adds or removes pills to the tray (14), as appropriate, to complete the process.

Claims

1. A system for counting a quantity of pills, the system comprising:

a pharmacist'"'"'s tray upon which the quantity of pills may be arranged;

a digital camera operable to produce a digital image of the quantity of pills arranged upon the pharmacist'"'"'s tray;

a processor interfaced with the digital camera and operable to receive the digital image, execute a program to count the number of pills present in the digital image, and generate a count result; and

a display operable to communicate the count result.

2. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the program uses an image recognition algorithm based upon a Hough Transform.

3. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the Hough Transform is modified in that adjustments of scale are omitted.

4. The system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a light source operable to illuminate the pharmacist'"'"'s tray.

5. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pharmacist'"'"'s tray includes a divided surface on which the pills may be separated into distinct portions.

6. The system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the pharmacist'"'"'s tray further includes a small motor for vibrating the tray to ensure even, single-layer distribution of the pills to be counted.

7. The system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pharmacist'"'"'s tray presents a background surface having a changeable color.

8. The system as set forth in claim 7, wherein removable colored inserts are used to change the changeable color of the background surface.

9. A system for counting a quantity of pills, the system comprising:

a pharmacist'"'"'s tray upon which the quantity of pills may be arranged, wherein the pharmacist'"'"'s tray has a first end and a second end and includes a divided surface, wherein the first end includes a hinged covered portion, and the second end includes a tapered spout through which the pills may be funneled into a vial;

a digital camera operable to produce a digital image of the quantity of pills arranged upon the phammcist'"'"'s tray;

a processor interfaced with the digital camera and operable to receive the digital image, execute a program to count the number of pills present in the digital image, and generate a count result; and

a display operable to communicate the count result.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the program uses an image recognition algorithm based upon a Hough Transform.

11. The system as set forth in claim 10, wherein the Hough Transform is modified in that adjustments of scale are omitted.

12. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the phamiacist'"'"'s tray further includes an anti-reflective surface to avoid image interference.

13. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the pharmacist'"'"'s tray further includes a mechanism for vibrating the tray to ensure single-layer distribution of the pills.

14. A method of counting pills, the pills having one or more visually identifying characteristics, the method comprising:

(a) receiving a desired quantity input of pills, wherein the pills are arranged on a pharmacist'"'"'s tray for counting;

(b) producing a digital image of the pills;

(c) identifying and counting the pills present in the digital image based upon the visually identifying characteristics;

(d) generating a count result; and

(e) displaying the count result.

15. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising the step of (f) adjusting a background color of the pharmacist'"'"'s tray based upon a pill color.

16. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising the step of (f) displaying a number equal to a difference between the desired quantity input and the count result.

17. The method as set forth in claim 14, further comprising the step of (f) indicating, when the count result exceeds the desired quantity input, pills whose removal, based upon the digital image, would cause the count result to equal the desired quantity input.