Patent · US Active

Pill inspection apparatus and pill inspection method

US9958400B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
2References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 9, 2014
Grant dateMay 1, 2018
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 7, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/8841
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A pill inspection apparatus of the present invention includes: an illumination portion 30 for irradiating light to a medical envelope 20 in which at least a translucent pill 22 is enclosed; an imaging portion 11 for acquiring a transmission image of the irradiated medical envelope 20; and an image processing portion 12 for detecting, as the translucent pill 22, a pill having a brightness value of its outer periphery lower than that of its center using the transmission image, the illumination portion 30 includes a light emitting portion 31, and a light-collecting portion 33 for collecting light is provided between the light emitting portion 31 and the medical envelope 20. By obtaining a uniform outline of the translucent pill 22 irrespective of a shooting position, it is possible to inspect the translucent pill 22 irrespective of a permeation rate.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.