IP Library Granted Patent US 12,551,408
Granted Patent B2
US 12,551,408 · App. 18/915,274 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Drug imaging device and drug packaging device

Inventors: Naoki Koike (Osaka, JP); Masao Fukada (Osaka, JP); Ryosuke Fukamori (Osaka, JP); Thanhxuan Huynh (Osaka, JP)
Assignee: YUYAMA MFG. CO., LTD.
A61J3/074B65B1/30B65B5/103G06T7/0012G06T2207/30242
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,551,408
App. No.
18/915,274
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A drug packaging device includes a drug accommodating/dispensing unit that supplies various types of drugs, a drug packaging portion in which a drug supplied from the drug accommodating/dispensing unit is packaged in a packaging sheet, a drug packaging introducing member that drops the drug to be packaged into the packaging sheet in the drug packaging portion), a pooling portion that pools, upstream of this drug packaging introducing member, the drug, and a drug imaging device that captures an image of the drug in the pooling portion. The drug imaging device performs an imaging process of capturing an image of the drug in the pooling portion in a non-backlit state, and an imaging process of capturing an image of the drug in the pooling portion in a backlit state.

Claims (48)

1 . A drug imaging device comprising:

an imaging unit configured for drug image capture;

a controller configured to

determine that a dosage period includes a first drug and a second drug,

determine whether a separate pooling condition is satisfied by the first drug and the second drug,

transfer the first drug into a first pooling portion in response to determining that the separate pooling condition is satisfied by the first drug and the second drug,

photograph the first drug in the first pooling portion without the second drug,

transfer the second drug to one of the first pooling portion or a second pooling portion, and

photograph the second drug in the one of the first pooling portion or the second pooling portion without the first drug.

2 . The drug imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the separate pooling condition indicates that the first drug and the second drug are visually similar.

3 . The drug imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the separate pooling condition indicates separate pooling of any unregistered drugs, and

the controller determines that at least one of the first drug and the second drug is unregistered.

4 . The drug imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the separate pooling condition identifies at least one of the first drug and the second drug for separate pooling.

5 . The drug imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the separate pooling condition indicates separate pooling of cassette-dispensed drugs and manually-dispensed drugs, and

the controller determines that the first drug is cassette-dispensed and the second drug is manually-dispensed.

6 . The drug imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is further configured to determine that the dosage period further includes a third drug,

the separate pooling condition indicates that a maximum number of drugs is exceeded by the first drug, the second drug, and the third drug.

7 . The drug imaging device according to claim 6 , wherein the separate pooling condition indicates that the first drug and the third drug are a common type of drug, and that the second drug is a different type of drug.

8 . The drug imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the separate pooling condition indicates that a maximum number of drugs inspectable within a single inspection is exceeded by the first drug and the second drug.

9 . The drug imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to

determine whether each pooling condition among a plurality of separate pooling conditions is satisfied by the first drug and the second drug, and

transfer the first drug into a first pooling portion in response to determining that at least one separate pooling condition among the plurality of separate pooling conditions is satisfied by the first drug and the second drug.

10 . A drug packaging device comprising:

a drug supply unit configured to supply the first drug and the second drug;

a drug packaging portion configured to package the first drug and the second drug supplied from the drug supply unit with one or more packaging sheets;

a plurality of pooling portions, including the first pooling portion and the second pooling portion, each pooling portion among the plurality of pooling portions configured to temporarily pool, upstream of the drug packaging portion, the first drug and the second drug supplied from the drug supply unit;

the drug imaging device according to claim 1 ; and

an image output unit configured for output of images captured by the drug imaging device.

11 . A drug packaging device comprising:

a drug supply unit configured to supply various types of drugs;

a drug packaging portion configured to package the drugs supplied from the drug supply unit in a packaging sheet;

a pooling portion configured to temporarily pool, upstream of the drug packaging portion, the drugs supplied from the drug supply unit;

an imaging unit configured to capture an image of the inside of the pooling portion; and

a controller configured to, in a case in which feature data of the drugs supplied from the supply unit specified by prescription information is not stored in a storage unit,

create the feature data for drugs supplied in a first packet on the basis of the image captured by the imaging unit, and

count a number of drugs in a second and subsequent packets with reference to this feature data.

12 . A drug imaging device comprising:

an imaging unit configured for drug image capture;

a controller configured to

determine that a dosage period includes a first drug and a second drug,

determine whether the first drug and the second drug comply with at least one separate pooling condition,

transfer the first drug into a first pooling portion in response to determining that the first drug and the second drug do not comply with the at least one separate pooling condition,

photograph the first drug in the first pooling portion without the second drug,

transfer the second drug to one of the first pooling portion or a second pooling portion, and

photograph the second drug in the one of the first pooling portion or the second pooling portion without the first drug.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2024
From: KOIKE, NAOKI; FUKADA, MASAO; FUKAMORI, RYOSUKE; HUYNH, THANHXUAN
To: YUYAMA MFG. CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 069383/0395 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2020-148162 · Sep 3, 2020 · national
JP 2021-139595 · Aug 30, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 18043897
Related Publication 20250032360A1 · Jan 30, 2025
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