Pill inspection apparatus and pill inspection method

1. A pill inspection apparatus comprising:

an illumination portion for irradiating light to a medical envelope in which at least a translucent pill is enclosed, the translucent pill having a roundish shape that operates as a lens having a refraction index that varies from an outer periphery toward a center of the translucent pill with light passing through the center traveling more straightly than through an outer periphery;

an imaging portion for acquiring a transmission image of the irradiated medical envelope; and

an image processing portion for detecting, as the translucent pill, a pill having a brightness value of its outer periphery lower than that of its center using the transmission image, wherein

the illumination portion includes a light emitting portion, and a light-collecting portion for focusing the light toward the imaging portion is provided between the light emitting portion and the medical envelope such as to improve inspection irrespective of a shooting position, wherein whether the translucent pill is directly below the imaging portion in a vertical direction or deviated from directly below the imaging portion laterally to a side of the imaging portion, the light-collecting portion directs light emitted by said light emitting portion through the center of the translucent pill substantially straightly to the imaging portion with a high brightness, while light passing through the outer periphery of the translucent pill which enters the imaging portion has a low brightness, whereby the combination of the light-collecting portion and the translucent pill having a roundish shape that operates as a lens enhances inspection of the translucent pill regardless of position.

2. The pill inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light emitting portion emits diffusion light, and a parallel light converting portion for converting the diffusion light into parallel light is provided between the light emitting portion and the light-collecting portion.

3. The pill inspection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the light-collecting portion is a convex lens or a Fresnel lens.

4. The pill inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a domical illumination portion is provided between the medical envelope and the imaging portion.

5. A pill inspection method comprising:

a step of irradiating light from a light emitting portion of an illumination portion to a medical envelope in which at least a translucent pill is enclosed to acquire a transmission image, the translucent pill having a roundish shape operating as a lens wherein the refraction index varies from an outer periphery toward a center of the translucent pill with light passing through the center traveling more straightly than through an outer periphery;

a step of detecting, as the translucent pill, a pill having a brightness value of its outer periphery lower than that of its center using the transmission image; and

a step of collecting the light from the light emitting portion of the illumination portion including focusing the light into an imaging portion with a light-collecting portion such as to improve inspection irrespective of a shooting position, including whether the translucent pill is directly below the imaging portion in a vertical direction or deviated from directly below the imaging portion laterally to a side of the imaging portion, the light-collecting portion directs light emitted by said light emitting portion through the center of the translucent pill substantially straightly to the imaging portion with a high brightness, while light passing through the outer periphery of the translucent pill which enters the imaging portion has a low brightness, whereby the combination of the light-collecting portion and the translucent pill having a roundish shape that operates as a lens enhances inspection of the translucent pill regardless of position.

6. The pill inspection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein a domical illumination portion is provided between the medical envelope and the imaging portion.

7. The pill inspection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a domical illumination portion is provided between the medical envelope and the imaging portion.

8. The pill inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-collecting portion converges the light inwardly toward the imaging portion.

9. The pill inspection method of claim 5 , wherein said step of collecting the light from an illumination portion includes converging the light inwardly toward the imaging portion.

10. The pill inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light-collecting portion is a convex lens or a Fresnel lens that converges the light inwardly toward the imaging portion.

11. The pill inspection method of claim 5 , wherein said step of collecting the light from an illumination portion includes providing a light-collecting portion with a convex lens or a Fresnel lens that converges the light inwardly toward the imaging portion.

12. The pill inspection apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a distance from the imaging portion to the light-collecting portion is based on a focal distance of the light-collecting portion.

13. The pill inspection method of claim 5 , further including setting a distance from the imaging portion to a light-collecting portion based on a focal distance of the light-collecting portion.

14. The pill inspection method of claim 5 , further including providing said at least a translucent pill along with a plurality of additional pills within said medical envelope, and said steps of collecting light and detecting concurrently inspecting said plurality of additional pills within said medical envelope.

15. The pill inspection method of claim 14 , wherein said plurality of additional pills includes at least one opaque pill.

16. The pill inspection method of claim 15 , further including counting a number of pills within the medical envelope based on said detecting.