KR-20260063089-A - METHOD FOR SORTING PILLS

KR20260063089AKR 20260063089 AKR20260063089 AKR 20260063089AKR-20260063089-A

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a pill classification method performed by a pill classification system. The method comprises the steps of: the pill classification system photographing the upper and lower surfaces of the pill to obtain photographic data; the pill classification system designating the location of a storage container to be stored based on the photographic data; and the pill classification system transferring the pill to the storage container designated in step b).

Inventors

황선일
정연갑

Assignees

(주)메디노드

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20241030

Claims (10)

In a pill classification method performed by a pill classification system, a) The above pill classification system captures the upper and lower surfaces of the pill to acquire captured data; b) a step in which the pill classification system designates the location of a storage container to be stored based on the image data; and c) The above pill sorting system includes the step of transferring the pills to a storage container designated in step b). Pill classification method.
In paragraph 1, Prior to step a) above, The above pill sorting system further includes the step of sorting the inserted pills and dispensing them individually so that the pills can be photographed. Pill classification method.
In paragraph 1, The above shooting data is, The above-mentioned pill includes information related to one or more of the shape, size, color, and serial number. Pill classification method.
In paragraph 1, The above step b) is, b-1) A step of classifying the pill into either a classifiable group or an unclassifiable group based on the above-mentioned imaging data; b-2) A step of determining the type of pill based on the above-mentioned imaging data; and b-3) A step of specifying the location of a storage container to be stored based on the type of pill classified into the above classifiable groups, Pill classification method.
In paragraph 4, The pills classified into the above unclassified group are, Includes pills and damaged pills that are not registered in the database of the above-mentioned pill classification system, Pill classification method.
In paragraph 4, The above step b-3) is, Designating the location of the storage boxes so that different types of pills are stored in each of the storage boxes according to the types of pills mentioned above. Pill classification method.
In paragraph 4, The above step c) is, c-1) A step in which the above pill classification system determines whether the above pill is received in a receiving portion included in the above pill classification system; c-2) When the above pill is received in the receiving portion, the method includes the step of controlling the operation of a transfer device included in the pill classification system to transfer the pill, Pill classification method.
In Paragraph 7, The above step c-2) is, A step of determining whether the pill received in the receiving portion is a classifiable group or an unclassifiable group; If determined to be a classifiable group, a step of controlling the operation of the transfer device to transfer the pill to the storage box designated in step b-3); and If it is determined to be an unclassifiable group, the method includes the step of controlling the operation of the transfer device to transfer the pill to an unclassified box included in the pill classification system. Pill classification method.
In paragraph 8, The above step c-2) is, The above pill classification system controls the first and second transfer units included in the pill classification system so that when the above pill is classified into the above classifiable group, the first and second transfer units move the receiving unit in the direction of the storage box. Pill classification method.
In Paragraph 9, The above step c-2) is, The above pill classification system controls the first rotating part and the second transfer part included in the pill classification system so that when the above pill is classified into the above unclassified group, the second transfer part moves the receiving part in the direction of the above unclassified box. Pill classification method.

Description

Method for sorting pills The present invention relates to a pill classification method, and more specifically, to a pill classification method performed by a pill classification system that photographs the upper and lower surfaces of a pill to obtain photographic data, designates the location of a storage container to be stored based on the photographic data, and transfers the pill to the designated storage container. In modern medicine, various types of medications are used to treat a wide range of diseases, and pill-form drugs are particularly common. Pills are widely used due to their advantages of being easy to take and providing accurate dosages. These pills vary greatly in size, shape, color, and material, making accurate classification essential during the pharmaceutical manufacturing process for quality control, distribution, and patient safety. In particular, when pills are prescribed along with multiple other medications or produced in large quantities, accurately distinguishing and classifying each pill is critical. For instance, misclassification of products during the manufacturing process can lead to quality degradation, while the delivery of the wrong medication to patients in hospitals and pharmacies can pose a serious risk. Consequently, the need for an accurate and efficient pill classification system has been consistently raised. Traditionally, pills were sorted using a manual method. This method has been widely used for a long time and involves workers visually identifying and classifying pills. However, the manual method is not only highly inefficient for processing large volumes of pills, but also presents problems such as reduced sorting accuracy depending on worker fatigue and the difficulty of working continuously over extended periods. To solve this, an automated mechanical sorting method was introduced. Prior art 1 was presented for a sorting device for irregular products by weight that performs automated sorting based on the size or weight of the pills. However, this method has limitations in accurately distinguishing pills of various sizes and shapes, and has the problem of failing to accurately differentiate pills with complex shapes or similar sizes. In particular, accurate classification is difficult because it does not take into account the color or surface characteristics of the pills. Although a color recognition method using optical sensors was also introduced, it had limitations in distinguishing pills of similar colors. Furthermore, since the color of the pills alone does not provide sufficient classification criteria, there is a need to additionally recognize their shape and size. Accordingly, there is a need for a pill classification system that captures images of pills using a camera and analyzes their shape and size using software algorithms. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a pill classification system according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2a to 2c are drawings illustrating the detailed configuration of the pill classification system shown in FIG. 1. Figure 3 is a drawing showing the detailed configuration of a supply device among the configurations of the pill classification system shown in Figures 1, 2a, and 2b. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the detailed configuration of a sorting device among the configurations of the pill classification system shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2a to 2c. FIGS. 5a to 5d are drawings illustrating the detailed configuration of the imaging device among the configurations of the pill classification system shown in FIGS. 1, FIGS. 2a, and FIGS. 2b. Figures 6a and 6b are drawings illustrating the detailed configuration of a conveying device among the configurations of the pill sorting system shown in Figures 1, 2a, and 2b. FIGS. 7a to 7c are drawings illustrating a storage device among the components of the pill classification system shown in FIGS. 1 and FIGS. 2a to 2c. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the sequence of a pill classification method according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 9 to 11 are flowcharts illustrating the sequence of additional steps included in the pill classification method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, the attached drawings are intended only to facilitate understanding of the embodiments invented in this specification, and the technical concept invented in this specification is not limited by the attached drawings. All terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, should be interpreted in the sense generally understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Terms defined in advance should be interpreted as having additional meanings consistent with relevant technical literatu