Tablet storage and take-out apparatus

• US 8,041,102 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2005
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Yuyama Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Kumano, Yoshinori, Yuyama, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Newman; Michael A
• Application Number:
  US10/587,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20070169838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,465 Days
• Field of Search: 382/141, 382/142, 382/143, 382/153, 382/181, 382/255, 382/274, 382/317, 221/155, 222/154
• US Class Current: 382/142
• 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 medicines, and delivers as many tablets of such descriptions as designated by prescription data into a vial (3) and retrieves it. An imaging device (400) is provided for photographing the interior of the vial before a cap is applied to the vial (3) after tablets are dispensed into the vial (3). Accordingly, a quick and easy auditing process is possible without removing the cap of a retrieved vial.

Claims

1. A tablet storage and take-out apparatus comprising:

a vial supply part for storing vials and supplying the vials one by one;

a labeling part for putting a label with prescription information on the vial supplied from the vial supply part;

a tablet supply part for storing plural kinds of tablets and filling the vial with a specified number and type of the tablets according to prescription data of a prescription;

a cap supply part for storing caps for plugging the vials and supplying the caps one by one;

a capping part for plugging the vial, which is filled with tablets, with the cap supplied from the cap supply part; and

a storage part for storing the vials filled with the tablets and plugged with the cap so that the vials can be taken out by an operator through take-out ports,

the apparatus further comprising;

a photographing unit for photographing an interior of the vial after filling the vial with the tablets and before attaching the cap on the vial;

a storing unit for storing an image photographed by the photographing unit;

a prescription reading unit for reading a barcode of the prescription;

an indicating unit for indicating the take-out port storing the vial containing the tablets corresponding to the prescription read by the prescription reading unit; and

a displaying unit for displaying a vial take-out error confirmation screen on an operation display panel when the vial is taken out from the indicated take-out port,

wherein the take-out ports, the prescription reading unit and the displaying unit are positioned in the front surface of the apparatus, and

wherein the displaying unit is operable to display both the prescription data of the prescription and an image of the tablet corresponding to the prescription data of the prescription from the image photographed by the photographing unit and stored in the storing unit on the vial take-out error confirmation screen so as to permit auditing of whether the tablets have been filled in accordance with the prescription data.

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

a vial reading unit for reading a barcode of a label of the vial; and

a displaying unit for displaying on the operation display panel the image of the tablet contained in the vial read out by the vial reading unit from the image photographed by the photographing unit and stored in the storing unit.

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

a photo list displaying unit for displaying on the operation display panel a dispensed vial photo list screen including the image photographed by the photographing unit; and

a displaying unit for displaying on the operation display panel the image of the tablet of the specific prescription data specified in the dispensed vial photo list screen from the image photographed by the photographing unit and stored in the storing unit.

4. 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 unit for focus controlling the photographing unit according to the detection value of the focus control sensor,

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

5. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 4, further comprising an initializing unit for initializing the photographing unit in accordance with a command from the control section.

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

7. The tablet storage and take-out apparatus as in claim 4, wherein the focus control sensor is one which irradiates multiple times the surface of the tablets contained in the vial, and wherein the focus control unit adopts as the detection value the mean value of the multiple detection values of the focus control sensor.

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