Blister-strip inspection device
The invention relates to a blister strip inspection device ( 10 ) for sensing blister segments ( 12 ) of a blister strip ( 14 ), having an image acquisition device ( 16 ) which is arranged to capture images of the blister strip ( 14 ), wherein the image acquisition device ( 16 ) comprises a digital camera ( 18.1 ), an advance sensing device ( 24 ) for continuously sensing an advance (x) of the blister strip ( 14 ), and an evaluating unit ( 40 ) which is connected to the digital camera ( 18.1 ) and to the advance sensing device ( 24 ), and which is configured to automatically perform a method having the following steps: (v) sensing the advance of the blister strip ( 14 ), (vi) determining a target time (t i ), at least also on the basis of the advance, at which a blister segment ( 12 .i) is completely in the field of view ( 20.1 ) of the digital camera, and (vii) acquiring an image with the digital camera ( 18.1 ) at said target time (t i ), wherein the digital camera ( 18.1 ) is a video camera which has a field of view ( 20.1, 20.2 ) and is formed to capture an image sequence consisting of temporally successive images. According to the invention, it is envisaged that the evaluating unit ( 40 ) is configured to automatically (i) determine the target time (t) at which a blister segment ( 12 .i ) is completely in the field of view ( 20.1, 20.2 ), at least also on the basis of the advance (x), (ii) take an image (A F ) from the image sequence such that a monitoring image is generated, (iii) store the monitoring image and (v) repeat steps (i) to (iii) such that a monitoring image sequence is generated, and the evaluating unit ( 40 ) is configured to automatically: sense at least one preceding image at a time that lies shortly before the target time (t i ) and/or acquire at least one following image (A) at a time that lies shortly after the target time, determine which of the images sufficiently completely contains the greatest portion of a blister segment ( 12 ) by means of image recognition, and store said image (A) as a monitoring image.
1. A blister strip inspection device for sensing blister segments of a blister strip, comprising:
(a) a blister strip advancing unit configured to advance a blister strip along a path;
(b) a digital video camera which has a field of view, the digital video camera configured and positioned relative to the blister strip advancing unit to capture an image sequence of temporally successive images of a blister segment of an advancing blister strip within the field of view;
(c) an evaluating unit which is operatively connected to the digital camera and configured to automatically:
(i) receive the image sequence of the temporally successive images of the blister segment of a blister strip;
(ii) identify a bar code on the blister segment in one of the temporally successive images of the image sequence;
(iii) select an image from the image sequence based at least partially on a location of the bar code on the blister segment;
(iv) evaluate characteristics of contents of the blister segment, wherein the contents comprise one or more medicaments;
(v) compare the characteristics of the contents of the blister segment to characteristics of expected contents of the blister segment; and
(vi) confirm or question whether the contents of the blister segment are correct based on the comparison performed in (v).
2. The blister strip inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein the blister strip advancing unit comprises a coiling device that includes a coiler and a drive motor for driving the coiler.
3. The blister strip inspection device according to claim 1 , wherein in (iii) the image selected contains the greatest portion of the blister segment.
4. A method of verifying contents of a blister strip, comprising the steps of:
(a) advancing a blister strip having a plurality of blister segments past a digital video camera, each of the blister segments including a bar code and containing one or more medicaments;
(b) taking an image sequence of temporally successive images of each blister segment with the digital video camera;
(c) identifying the bar code on a blister segment in one of the temporally successive images of the image sequence;
(d) automatically selecting an image from the image sequence based at least partially on the location of the bar code on the blister segment;
(e) automatically evaluating characteristics of the contents of the blister segment wherein the contents comprise one or more medicaments;
(f) automatically comparing the characteristics of the contents of the blister segment to characteristics of expected contents of the blister segment; and
(g) confirming or questioning whether the contents of the blister segment are correct based on the comparison performed in (f).
5. The method defined in claim 4 , wherein in step (d) the image selected contains the greatest portion of the blister segment.
6. A method of verifying contents of a blister strip, comprising the steps of:
(a) advancing a blister strip having a plurality of blister segments past a digital video camera, each of the blister segments containing one or more medicaments;
(b) taking an image sequence of temporally successive images of each blister segment with the digital video camera;
(c) automatically selecting an image from the image sequence based at least partially on either (i) a location of a bar code on the blister segment or (ii) a comparison of successive images in the image sequence;
(d) automatically evaluating characteristics of the contents of the blister segment wherein the contents comprise one or more medicaments;
(e) automatically comparing the characteristics of the contents of the blister segment to characteristics of expected contents of the blister segment; and
(f) confirming or questioning whether the contents of the blister segment are correct based on the comparison performed in (e).
7. The method defined in claim 6 , wherein in step (c) the image selected contains the greatest portion of the blister segment.