Inspection system and method with a control process that inspects different medications

• US 9,238,518 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Issued: 01/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edge Medical Properties, LLC
• Original Assignee: Edge Medical Properties, LLC
• Inventors: Luciano, Robert A. Jr., White, Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): GERRITY, STEPHEN FRANCIS
• Application Number:
  US13/473,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290129A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,343 Days
• Field of Search: 533/96, 534/73, 534/74, 53/52, 53/53, 53/54, 535/02, 531/54, 532/35, 532/37, 382/141, 382/143, 700/244, 702/81, 702/82, 702/84
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 35/54 Feeding articles along multiple paths to a single packaging position
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/103 for packaging pills or tablets
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 57/10 responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 9/06 Enclosing successive articles, or quantities of material, in a longitudinally-folded web, or in a web folded into a tube about the articles or quantities of material placed upon it
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 75/42 Chains of interconnected packages
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9508 Capsules; Tablets
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/66 Trinkets, e.g. shirt buttons or jewellery items recognising microscopic objects G06V20/69
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0092 for assembling and dispensing of pharmaceutical articles medical dispensers for private use, A61J7/00

Abstract

An inspection system and method that inspects at least two different medications is described. The automated filling station houses at least two different medications. The automated inspection station receives the medications associated with one of the packages. The measurement device associated with the automated inspection station is configured to examine the different medications and generate a measured medication value for the different medications. The measured medication value is received by the inspection control process module. Additionally, the expected medication value is received by the inspection control process module. The inspection result state is then selected by the inspection control process module. The inspection control module compares the expected medication value to the measured medication value. The inspection result state includes a positive inspection result state, a negative inspection result state, and an inconclusive inspection result state.

Claims

1. An inspection system that inspects at least two different medications, the inspection system comprising:

an automated filling station that has a supply of at least two different medications, which are received by a plurality of packages;

an automated inspection station that receives the at least two different medications;

a plurality of measurement devices, wherein each measurement device is configured to examine the different medications and generate a measured medication value for the different medications;

an inspection control process module communicatively coupled to the automated filling station and the automated inspection station, wherein a plurality of measured medication values generated by the plurality of measurement devices are received by the inspection control process module;

an expected medication value received by the inspection control process module; and

an inspection result state selected by the inspection control process module, when the inspection control module compares the expected medication value to the measured medication values, wherein the inspection result state includes a positive inspection result state, a negative inspection result state, and an inconclusive inspection result state.

2. The inspection system of claim 1, wherein at least one measurement device examines the different medications before the automated filling station fills each package with the different medications.

3. The inspection system of claim 1, wherein at least one measurement device examines the different medications after the automated filling station fills each package with the different medications.

4. The inspection system of claim 1 further comprises two measurement devices, in which a first measurement device examines the different medications before the automated filling station fills each package with the different medications, and a second measurement device examines the different medications after the automated filling station fills each package with different medications.

5. The inspection system of claim 1, wherein the automated filling station houses the automated inspection station, the measurement device, and the inspection control process module.

6. The inspection system of claim 1 further comprising a stand-alone inspection station housing that is communicatively coupled to the automated filling station, the stand-alone inspection station housing including the automated inspection station, the measurement device and the inspection control process module.

7. The inspection system of claim 1 further comprising a stand-alone inspection control process module that is communicatively coupled to the inspection station and the automated filling station, wherein the measurement device is housed by the automated inspection station.

8. The inspection system of claim 1 further comprising a process control module communicatively coupled to the automated filling station, the automated inspection station and the inspection control module, the process control module configured to convey the medications according to the inspection result state.

9. The inspection system of claim 1 further comprising a second inspection system that generates a second inspection result state, in which the inspection result state and the second inspection result state are analyzed by an analytical module.

10. The inspection system of claim 1 wherein the measurement device is selected from the group consisting of a camera, a video, a precision weighing component, and an X-ray.

11. An inspection system that inspects at least two different medications, the inspection system comprising:

an automated filling system that houses at least two different medications, which are received by a plurality of packages;

an automated inspection system that receives the plurality of medications associated with at least one of the packages;

at least two measurement modules, in which each measurement module is configured to examine the different medications and generate a measured medication value for the different medications;

an inspection control process module communicatively coupled to the automated filling system and the automated inspection system, wherein a plurality of measured medication values generated by the plurality of measurement modules are value is received by the inspection control process module;

an expected medication value received by the inspection control process module; and

an inspection result state selected by the inspection control process module, when the inspection control module compares the expected medication value to the measured medication values, wherein the inspection result state includes,

a positive inspection result state corresponding to the measured medication value being in a range approximating the expected medication value,

a negative inspection result state corresponding to the measured medication value being outside a range approximating the expected medication value, and

an inconclusive inspection result state corresponding to comparison between the measured medication value and the expected medication value being inconclusive.

12. The inspection system of claim 11, wherein at least one measurement module examines the different medications before the automated filling system fills each package with the different medications.

13. The inspection system of claim 11, wherein at least one measurement module examines the different medications after the automated filling system fills each package with the different medications.

14. The inspection system of claim 11 that includes a first measurement module that examines the different medications before the automated filling system fills each package with the different medications, and a second measurement module that examines the different medications after the automated filling system fills each package with different medications.

15. The inspection system of claim 11, wherein the automated filling system houses the automated inspection system, the measurement modules and the inspection control process module.

16. The inspection system of claim 11 further comprising a stand-alone inspection housing that is communicatively coupled to the automated filling system, the stand-alone inspection housing including the automated inspection system, the measurement modules and the inspection control process module.

17. The inspection system of claim 11 further comprising a stand-alone inspection control process module that is communicatively coupled to the inspection system and the automated filling system, wherein the measurement modules are housed by the automated inspection system.

18. The inspection system of claim 11 further comprising a process control module communicatively coupled to the automated filling system, the automated inspection system and the inspection control module, the process control module configured to convey the medications according to the inspection result state.

19. The inspection system of claim 11 further comprising a second inspection system that generates a second inspection result state, in which the inspection result state and the second inspection result state are analyzed by an analytical module.

20. The inspection system of claim 11 wherein the measurement device is selected from the group consisting of a camera, a video, a precision weighing component, and an X-ray.

21. An inspection method that inspects at least two different medications, the method comprising:

housing at least two different medications in a plurality of packages, wherein the medications and the packages are filled by an automated filling system;

enabling an automated inspection system to receive the plurality of medications associated with at least one of the packages;

examining the different medications with at least two measurement modules, in which each measurement module is configured to examine the different medications and generate a measure medication value for the different medications;

communicatively coupling an inspection control process module with the automated filling system and the automated inspection system, wherein a plurality of measured medication values generated by the plurality of measurement devices is received by the inspection control process module;

communicating an expected medication value to the inspection control process module; and

enabling the inspection control process module to select an inspection result state, when the inspection control module compares the expected medication value to the measured medication values, wherein the inspection result state includes a positive inspection result state, a negative inspection result state, and an inconclusive inspection result state.

22. The inspection method of claim 21, wherein at least one measurement module examines the different medications before the automated filling system fills each package with the different medications.

23. The inspection method of claim 21, wherein at least one measurement module examines the different medications after the automated filling system fills each package with the different medications.

24. The inspection method of claim 21 that includes a first measurement module to examine the different medications before the automated filling system fills each package with the different medications, and enabling a second measurement module to examine the different medications after the automated filling system fills each package with different medications.

25. The inspection method of claim 21, wherein the automated filling system houses the automated inspection system, the measurement modules and the inspection control process module.

26. The inspection method of claim 21 further comprising enabling a stand-alone inspection housing to communicate with the automated filling system, wherein the stand-alone inspection housing includes the automated inspection system, the measurement modules and the inspection control process module.

27. The inspection method of claim 21 further comprising enabling a stand-alone inspection control process module to be communicatively coupled to the inspection system and the automated filling system, wherein the measurement modules are housed by the automated inspection system.

28. The inspection method of claim 21 further comprising enabling a process control module to be communicatively coupled to the automated filling system, the automated inspection system and the inspection control module, the process control module configured to convey the medications according to the inspection result state.

29. The inspection method of claim 21 further comprising a second inspection system that generates a second inspection result state, in which the inspection result state and the second inspection result state are analyzed by an analytical module.

30. The inspection method of claim 21 wherein the measurement device is selected from the group consisting of a camera, a video, a precision weighing component, and an X-ray.