JP2024002244A - Medicine dispensing/packaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medicine dispensing/packaging apparatus capable of improving efficiency of dispensing/packaging work while suppressing generation of residual medicine in a powder medicine container.

SOLUTION: A medicine dispensing/packaging apparatus comprises a powder medicine container for storing a powder medicine, a vibratory device for vibrating the powder medicine container to supply the powder medicine from the powder medicine container to a distribution tray, the circular distribution tray for storing the powder medicine supplied from the powder medicine container thereon while rotating, a packaging part for packaging the powder medicine scraped out from the distribution tray, and a control unit. The vibration intensity applied to the powder medicine container by the vibratory device can be changed. The control unit executes the supply control for performing control so that the vibratory device vibrates the powder medicine container to supply the entire amount of the powder medicine in the powder medicine container to the distribution tray, and the cleaning control for performing control so that the vibratory device vibrates the powder medicine container to discharge the residual medicine in the powder medicine container from the powder medicine container to the distribution tray after it is determined that the supply of the entire amount of the powder medicine in the powder medicine container has been completed. Further, the control unit controls the vibratory device so as to vibrate the powder medicine container with stronger vibration intensity in the cleaning control than in the supply control.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a drug packaging device capable of packaging powders.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a powder packaging device described in Patent Document 1 has been known as a medicine packaging device. The drug dispensing device consists of a powder container that stores powder, a vibration table that vibrates the powder container and causes some of the powder stored in the powder container to fall from the powder container, and a vibration table that rotates at a predetermined speed to drop some of the powder from the powder container. The device includes a distribution plate that catches fallen powder, and a scraping device that scrapes off the powder from the distribution plate onto a packaging device.

International Publication No. 2014/46148

By the way, in a drug packaging device, the entire amount of powder in a powder container is dispensed, and the empty powder container is again filled with another type of powder for use. In such a drug dispensing device, if the dispensed drug remains in the powder container, there is a risk that the remaining drug will mix into another type of powder contained in the powder container. On the other hand, if the remaining medicine is removed by wiping or the like every time another powder is stored in the powder medicine container, it takes time and effort, and the efficiency of the packaging operation may deteriorate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a medicine packaging device that can improve the efficiency of packaging work while suppressing the occurrence of residual medicine in a powder container.

The drug packaging device of the present invention is a drug packaging device that performs packaging of at least a powder, and includes a powder container that stores a powder, and a vibration that vibrates the powder container to supply the powder from the powder container. a device, a circular distribution plate that rotates and accommodates the powder supplied from the powder container, a scraper that scrapes out the powder contained in the distribution plate, and a package for packaging the powder scraped out from the distribution plate. The vibration device includes a packaging unit and a control unit, the vibrating device is capable of changing the intensity with which the powder container is vibrated, and the control unit is configured to vibrate the powder container so that the vibrating device vibrates the powder container to vibrate the powder container. supply control for supplying the entire amount of powder in the powder container to the distribution pan; and after determining that the supply of the entire amount of powder in the powder container is completed, the vibration device vibrates the powder container to cleaning control to control the remaining medicine in the powder container to be discharged from the powder container to the distribution tray, and in the cleaning control, the powder container is vibrated more strongly than the vibration intensity in the supply control. The vibration device is configured to control the vibrating device.

According to this configuration, the cleaning control vibrates the powder container with a stronger vibration intensity than the vibration intensity in the supply control, so that the residual medicine in the powder container can be discharged by causing the vibration device to vibrate the powder container. Therefore, the packaging operation can be made more efficient while suppressing the occurrence of residual medicine in the powder container.

Further, the vibrating device has a supply vibration level that is an intensity of vibration within a predetermined range that vibrates the powder container in the supply control, and a cleaning vibration level that is an intensity of vibration that vibrates the powder container in the cleaning control. and, the cleaning vibration level may be configured to have a vibration intensity stronger than the strongest vibration intensity in the supply vibration level.

According to this configuration, the strength of the vibration that vibrates the powder container during cleaning control is set to be stronger than the vibration strength at any stage of the supply vibration level, so that the remaining medicine in the powder container can be reliably discharged. can do.

Further, in the cleaning control, the control unit is controlled so that the distribution pan rotates, and the powder discharged from the powder container in the cleaning control is supplied to the distribution pan, and in the supply control, the distribution pan is controlled to rotate. It can also be configured to be packaged together with the powder provided in the dish.

According to this configuration, since the distribution pan rotates even during cleaning control, it is possible to suppress residual medicine discharged from the powder container from being deposited on the distribution pan in a localized manner. Therefore, it is possible to package the required amount of powder while suppressing a drop in packaging accuracy due to discharge of the remaining medicine.

Further, the control unit is configured to control the cleaning control so that the vibration device includes an intermittent vibration operation in which the vibration device repeatedly performs an operation of vibrating the powder container and an operation of stopping vibration of the powder container. You can also do that.

According to this configuration, during cleaning control, the powder container repeats vibration and stopping, and a strong impact can be applied to the powder container at the time of switching between vibration and stopping, so that the remaining medicine attached to the powder container can be reliably removed. Can be discharged.

Further, the control unit determines whether or not there is any remaining medicine in the powder medicine container after determining that the supply of the entire amount of powder medicine in the powder medicine container is completed, and when it is determined that there is any medicine left over, the control unit It is also possible to perform the cleaning control and to not perform the cleaning control when it is determined that there is no medicine left.

According to this configuration, cleaning control is executed when it is determined that there is a drug left, and cleaning control is not executed when it is determined that there is no drug left. The remaining medicine can be discharged, and if there is no remaining medicine, the time required for cleaning can be shortened. Therefore, it is possible to improve the efficiency of packaging work while suppressing the occurrence of residual medicine in the powder container.

Further, the powder container can be configured to be able to directly receive and store powders supplied from a powder supply device that can accommodate a plurality of types of powders and can supply the contained powders.

According to this configuration, the powder container can directly receive the powder supplied from the powder supply device, so that, for example, the powder supplied from the powder supply device is once received in another container, and then transferred from the other container to the powder container. Packaging efficiency is increased compared to when supplying. In addition, since the remaining medicine in the powder container is automatically cleaned, there is no need to manually clean the remaining medicine in the powder container when repeatedly supplying powder from the powder supply device to the powder container. Can be done continuously.

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a medicine packaging device that can improve the efficiency of packaging work while suppressing the occurrence of residual medicine in a powder container.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a drug packaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a powder container of the drug packaging device. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the powder container. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the configuration of a vibration device and a distribution plate of the medicine packaging device. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line VV shown in FIG. 4. FIG. It is a figure which shows the setting screen regarding the setting regarding the automatic adjustment control of the same drug packaging device. It is a figure which shows the setting screen about the setting for each type of powder medicine of the same drug packaging device. It is a flowchart which shows the control regarding the packaging of the medicine packaging device. It is a flow diagram showing processing in supply control. It is a flowchart which shows the process in an automatic adjustment supply process. It is a flowchart which shows the process in an adjustment value adjustment process. It is a flowchart which shows the process in an adjusted supply process. (a) It is a diagram showing the relationship between the passage of time and the amount of powder supplied. (b) It is a diagram showing the relationship between the passage of time and the detection state of the powder detection means. It is a figure which shows the display screen which shows the status of a sachet. It is a flow chart showing processing in cleaning control. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a drug packaging device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

A drug packaging device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 15. For convenience of explanation, the vertical direction will be explained based on the vertical direction when the medicine packaging device 1 is used.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drug packaging device 1 of the present invention includes a powder container 2 that stores powder drugs, a powder supply device 3 that can supply a plurality of types of powders to the powder container 2 for each type, and a powder container 2. a vibration device 4 that vibrates the powder, a substantially circular distribution tray 5 that accommodates the powder supplied from the powder container 2, a powder detection means 6 that detects the powder supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, and a distribution tray. 5, a packaging section 8 for packaging the powder scraped out from the distribution plate 5, and a control section 9. The drug packaging device 1 of this embodiment also includes a storage unit 10 that stores information, an operation unit 11 that accepts operations from outside the device, and a display unit 12 that displays the status of the drug packaging device 1 and the like. Equipped with Such a medicine packaging device 1 individually packages and discharges powder medicine for each dose.

The powder supply device 3 has a plurality of storage containers for storing powders, and is configured to be able to discharge each powder to the outside from the storage containers. Specifically, the powder supply device 3 includes a plurality of storage containers that partially have openings, and an opening/closing means for opening and closing the openings, and when the opening/closing means opens the openings, the powders contained therein are stored. It is configured to be discharged to the outside of the container. Furthermore, each storage container contains one type of powder. The powder supply device 3 of the present embodiment is configured to discharge a specified weight of powder and supply it to the powder container 2. Specifically, When the measuring means determines that a specified weight of powder has been discharged into the powder container 2 after the opening/closing means opens the opening and starts supplying the powder, the powder is supplied. and the opening/closing means is configured to close the opening. Note that among the storage containers provided in the powder supply device 3, the same type of powder (for example, a frequently used powder) may be stored in a plurality of storage containers.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the powder container 2 includes a container bottom 21 having a bottom surface, and a container side wall 22 extending upward from the outer edge of the upper surface of the container bottom 21. It is a top-open type container capable of storing powder in a storage space 2a defined by a portion 22. Further, the powder container 2 is a container having an opening 2b formed at its tip portion through which the powder can be discharged from the storage space 2a to the outside. The opening 2b is an opening provided to communicate the accommodation space 2a with the outside, and specifically, it communicates with a notch formed in a part of the outer edge portion of the bottom of the container and a notch in the bottom of the container. This is a notch formed in the container side wall portion 22 so as to Note that the shape of the powder container 2 is not limited to the above-mentioned shape, and various shapes can be adopted, for example, it can be configured as a container with a closed top.

Further, the powder container 2 is connected to a temporary storage section 23 that accommodates and temporarily stores the powders supplied from the powder supply device 3, and is connected to the distal end side of the temporary storage section 23, and is capable of moving the powders to the outside. It includes a discharge tip 24 having an opening formed therein, and a partition member 25 that partitions between the temporary storage section 23 and the discharge tip 24 and restricts movement of the powder. The temporary storage portion 23 is provided with a wide portion 26 at its base end portion, and is configured to reliably receive the powder supplied to the powder container 2 from the outside. The wide portion 26 is configured to have a wider width because a lower side wall portion 221 (described later) is provided longer than other portions.

The container bottom 21 is a plate-shaped body with substantially flat upper and lower surfaces and extending in a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Further, the upper surface of the container bottom 21 is configured such that a portion forming the bottom of the temporary storage portion 23 is located above a portion forming the bottom of the discharge tip portion 24. It is a plate-shaped body in which a stepped portion 21a is formed between the constituent parts and the bottom part of the discharge tip 24 (see FIG. 5).

The container side wall portion 22 is a wall extending upward from the container bottom portion 21 . Specifically, the container side wall portion 22 includes a lower side wall portion 221 that is connected to the upper surface of the container bottom portion 21 and constitutes a lower portion of the container side wall portion 22, and an upper side wall portion 222 that extends upward from the upper end of the lower side wall portion 221. and. The lower side wall 221 is a wall whose lower end is connected to the outer circumferential surface of the container bottom 21 and whose upper end is directed outward from the outer edge of the container bottom 21 (outward with respect to the accommodation space 2a). In this embodiment, the inner surface is a curved surface. The upper side wall 222 is a straight wall connected to the upper end of the lower side wall 221, and has an inner surface extending in the vertical direction.

The partition member 25 is a plate provided to partition the temporary storage section 23 and the discharge tip 24, and can switch between a closed state and an open state between the temporary storage section 23 and the discharge tip 24. be. Specifically, the partition member 25 includes a plate-shaped partition plate part 251 that partitions between the temporary storage part 23 and the discharge tip part 24, a shaft part 252 that connects the partition plate part 251 and the container side wall part 22, and a partition plate part 252. The portion 251 includes a lever portion 253 that switches between a closed state and an open state between the temporary storage portion 23 and the discharge tip portion 24. In the closed state, the partition plate portion 251 is configured such that its lower end portion contacts the container bottom portion 21, specifically, the partition plate portion 251 contacts the step portion 21a. Furthermore, the partition plate section 251 rotates about the shaft section 252 and the lower end moves in a direction away from the stepped section 21a, thereby switching to a state in which the temporary storage section 23 and the discharge tip section 24 are opened. .

The shaft portion 252 is a shaft provided to extend outward from the upper side wall portion 222 with respect to the accommodation space 2a, and connects the partition plate portion 251 to the upper side wall portion 222 in a rotatable state to open and close. . Specifically, the shaft portion 252 includes a shaft body 254 that connects the upper side wall portion 222 and the partition plate portion 251, and a biasing member provided on the shaft body 254 that urges the partition plate portion 251 to rotate in the closing direction. and force means 255. The shaft main body 254 is a columnar portion extending outward from the upper side wall portion 222 into the accommodation space 2a, and has a substantially cylindrical shape in this embodiment.

The lever portion 253 is a plate-shaped member extending in the vertical direction, and its upper end portion is connected to the partition plate portion 251. When the lever portion 253 rotates around the shaft portion 252 in response to an external force, the partition plate portion 251 moves into the stepped portion. It rotates in the direction away from 21a. Further, when the lever portion 253 is no longer subjected to external force, the biasing means 255 of the shaft portion 252 rotates the partition plate portion 251 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the partition plate portion 251 opens, and the connected partition plate portion 251 approaches the stepped portion 21a. rotate in the direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vibrating device 4 is a device that can hold the powder container 2 and can vibrate the powder container 2 held therein. Further, the vibration device 4 is configured to be able to change the strength of the vibration that vibrates the powder container 2 to a plurality of levels of vibration strength. Specifically, the vibrating device 4 includes a container holding section 41 on which the powder container 2 is placed, a container holding section 41 that holds the placed powder container 2, a vibration generating section 42 that generates vibrations (see FIG. 5), and a lever section. A plate operating section (not shown) that applies external force to the partition plate section 253 to open the partition plate section 251 is provided. The plate operation section opens the partition plate section 251 by applying an external force to the lever section 253 of the powder container 2 placed thereon before the vibration generation section 42 generates vibration, and the partition remains open until the vibration of the vibration device 4 ends. The plate portion 251 is configured to maintain an open state. Two vibration devices 4 of this embodiment are provided for one distribution plate 5.

The container holding part 41 includes a flat mounting surface 41a on which the powder container 2 is mounted. The mounting surface 41a is a flat surface provided above the vibration generating section 42, and is configured such that the bottom surface of the powder container 2 placed thereon extends substantially horizontally. Further, the container holding section 41 is capable of transmitting vibrations generated by the vibration generating section 42 to the mounted powder container 2, and the vibrations transmitted to the powder container 2 cause the powder container 2 to move onto the mounting surface 41a. It is configured to be fixed so that it does not fall off. The container holding part 41 of this embodiment is configured so that the bottom surface of the powder container 2 and the mounting surface 41a engage with each other to fix the powder container 2.

The vibration generator 42 includes an electromagnet, a spring, and the like, and is configured to generate vibrations. Further, the vibration generating section 42 is controlled by the control section 9, which will be described later, and can generate vibrations of a strength corresponding to an instruction from the control section 9. Further, the vibration generating section 42 is configured to be able to change the intensity of the generated vibration, and specifically, is configured to be able to switch to a plurality of levels of vibration intensity. The vibration generator 42 of this embodiment mainly controls the supply vibration level, which is the strength of the vibration that vibrates the powder container 2 in the supply control S1 for supplying the powder contained in the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, and The cleaning vibration level is the intensity of the vibration that vibrates the powder container 2 in the cleaning control S2 for discharging the residual medicine, which is the powder medicine remaining in the powder medicine container 2.

The supply vibration level is the strength of vibration within a predetermined range mainly used in the supply control S1, and in this embodiment, it is the strength of vibration in multiple stages used in the supply control S1. The supply vibration level has, for example, 12 levels from level 1 to level 12, and is configured such that the higher the level, the stronger the vibration intensity.

The cleaning vibration level is a vibration intensity used only in the cleaning control S2, and is a vibration intensity stronger than the strongest vibration (for example, level 12) of the supply vibration levels. Although the cleaning vibration level in this embodiment is set to the strongest vibration that can be generated in the environment in which the vibration generator 42 is installed, the cleaning vibration level is not limited to such a configuration.

The distribution plate 5 is an annular portion in a plan view that is configured to rotate and accommodate the powder medicine supplied from the powder container 2 . Specifically, the distribution plate 5 has an annular shape and includes a plate body 51 having a downwardly recessed groove formed on the upper surface, a rotating means 52 for rotating the plate body 51 about the vertical direction, and a plate body 51. A cleaning brush 54 capable of cleaning 51 is provided. The rotating means 52 is controlled by the control unit 9, rotates based on instructions from the control unit 9, and rotates the plate body 51 by transmitting rotational force to the plate body 51 via the belt 53 or the like. It is composed of Further, the distribution plate 5 of this embodiment is provided such that the plate main body 51 is located directly below the opening 2b of the powder container 2 placed on the vibration generating section 42, and the powder that has fallen from the powder container 2 is It is configured to receive and accommodate in the groove of the dish main body 51 (see FIG. 5). The cleaning brush 54 is a brush that can sweep away powder and the like adhering to the upper surface of the dish main body 51.

The scraping unit 7 is a part that scrapes out the powder contained in the plate body 51 of the distribution plate 5 and supplies it to the packaging unit 8. Specifically, the scraping part 7 includes a damming part 71 that comes into contact with the upper surface (groove) of the dish main body 51 and dams up the powder contained in the dish main body 51, and a damming part 71 that dams up the powder contained in the dish main body 51, and a damming part 71 that dams up the powder contained in the damming part 71. A scraping plate 72 for scraping out the outside of the dish main body 51 is provided. The scraping unit 7 is controlled by the control unit 9 and operates based on instructions from the control unit 9.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the powder detection means 6 is a means for detecting the powder supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5. In this embodiment, the powder detection means 6 detects the powder supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5. This is a means that can detect falling powder. Specifically, the powder detection means 6 is a sensor (for example, an optical sensor) capable of detecting the powder, and is capable of detecting the powder falling from the powder container 2 to the distribution plate 5 in the vertical direction. That is, the powder detection means of this embodiment is an optical sensor whose detection direction is a direction intersecting the falling direction of the powder. Moreover, while the powder medicine detection means 6 is detecting the powder medicine, it emits a signal to the effect that it is being detected (the ON state in FIG. 13(b)). Further, in this embodiment, a plurality of powder detection means 6 are provided, and are arranged at positions corresponding to powder containers 2 arranged in each vibrating device 4.

As partially shown in FIG. 4, the packaging section 8 is a part that receives the powder discharged from the dispensing tray 5 and packages it for each dose. Specifically, the packaging part 8 is provided below the position of the distribution plate 5 corresponding to the position where the scraper part 7 scrapes out the powder, and includes a hopper part 81 that receives the scraped powder and a hopper part 81 that receives the powder. It includes a packaging main body (not shown) for packaging the powder with a packaging material (for example, packaging paper). The packaging main body of this embodiment packages the powder that is placed in a space formed by folding a sheet-like packaging paper by heat-sealing the outer edge portion. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and the powder may be placed in a hard container (for example, a hard plastic bottle or a dish-shaped container) and packaged.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the operation unit 11 is a part for inputting an operation from the outside, and specifically, is a controller. The operation unit 11 can input setting information regarding various settings of the drug packaging device 1, packaging information regarding instructions for packaging, and the like. The packaging information includes type information regarding the type of powder supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 (in this embodiment, the name of the powder), and weight information regarding the weight of the powder supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5. , and the number of packages information regarding how many divisions the powder supplied to the distribution tray 5 is to be packaged. Note that the operation unit 11 is not limited to a controller provided in the medicine packaging device 1, but can also be configured as a computer or the like connected from the outside by wire or wirelessly.

The display unit 12 is a part that displays the settings of the drug packaging device 1 and the status of packaging, and is specifically a touch panel in the controller. Various information input through the operation unit 11 is stored in the storage unit 10 and displayed on the display unit 12.

In this embodiment, the operation section 11 and the display section 12 are configured as one body, and specifically, the operation section 11 and the display section 12 are controllers having a touch panel. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the operation unit 11 can perform input based on the displayed screen, and can perform input to the drug packaging device 1 from the outside. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the touch panel as the operation unit 11 includes a mode switching button for switching between an adjustment mode in which automatic adjustment control is performed and a non-adjustment mode in which automatic adjustment control is not performed, regarding the settings of automatic adjustment control to be described later. 111, a reference time input section 112 for setting the reference time, and a reset button 113 for returning the set reference time to the initial value. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, regarding settings for each type of powder, there is a powder information display section 114 that displays information on the type of powder to be set, an adjustment mode that performs automatic adjustment control, and a non-adjustment mode that does not perform automatic adjustment control. It includes an individual switching button 115 that can set the mode for each powder, and a vibration level setting section 116 that can set the intensity of vibration for each type of powder in the adjustment mode. Each button in this embodiment is a virtual button displayed on the touch panel.

As shown in FIG. 6, the mode switching button 111 is a button for switching whether or not to execute automatic adjustment control. When the mode is switched to the non-adjustment mode using the mode switching button 111, the automatic adjustment control is not executed for all powder packages, and the vibration intensity adjusted by the automatic adjustment control (displayed in the vibration level setting section 116) is Packaging is performed using the preset vibration strength (vibration strength in non-adjusted mode) without using the adjusted vibration value (adjusted vibration value). In the reference time input section 112, it is possible to set a time that serves as a reference for the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2. In this embodiment, the reference time input unit 112 includes weight information (about the weight of the powder supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5) for each powder category (granule category, general (other than granules) category). Specifically, it is possible to set a reference time corresponding to (information regarding the weight range of the powder). The reference time is set in consideration of the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 in order to achieve uniform deposition of the powder on the distribution pan 5. The ease with which the powder can be moved by vibration varies depending on the properties and weight of the powder supplied from the powder container 2. For this reason, it is desirable to be able to set the reference time depending on the properties and weight of the powder. It is possible to distinguish categories of powders according to the properties of the powders, such as their fluidity and specific gravity, and to set a reference time corresponding to weight information regarding the weight of the powders for each category. Specifically, the reference time can be set by changing the reference time set as the initial value. The reason why granules are categorized as granules and other than granules is that granules move more easily due to vibration than powders other than granules. Further, the reset button 113 is a button for changing the set reference time to the initial value, and when the reset button 113 is pressed, the reference time is changed to the initial value. In addition, by depositing the powder uniformly on the distribution tray 5, variations in the weight of each package packaged in a single package (for example, variations where the coefficient of variation is 6.1% or more) are suppressed. be able to.

As shown in FIG. 7, the powder drug information display section 114 is a part that displays information for identifying the type of powder drug, and in this embodiment, the powder drug name and an identifier for identifying the powder drug name are displayed. Display drug code and. The individual switching button 115 is a button for switching between an adjustment mode and a non-adjustment mode for the powder indicated by the powder type information displayed on the powder information display section 114. When powders are switched from adjustment mode to non-adjustment mode using the individual switching button 115, automatic adjustment control is not executed when powders set in the non-adjustment mode are supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, and using the adjusted vibration value adjusted by the automatic adjustment control. Note that the adjusted vibration value can also be set by operating the vibration level setting section 116. In this embodiment, it is possible to set an adjustment vibration value for each type of powder, and it is also possible to set an adjustment vibration value corresponding to each piece of weight information (specifically, information regarding the weight range of the powder).

The storage unit 10 stores various information and transmits the stored information to the control unit 9. The storage unit 10 stores the reference time and the adjusted vibration value, and when the reference time or the adjusted vibration value is changed, stores the changed reference time or the adjusted vibration value. Note that the storage unit 10 stores in advance the initial value of the reference time and the initial value of the adjustment vibration value. If the adjusted vibration value has not been changed by automatic adjustment control or manually in the past, the initial value becomes the adjusted vibration value. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 10 stores a reference time corresponding to weight information for each category of powder and an adjusted vibration value corresponding to weight information for each type of powder, and the reference time or adjusted vibration value is changed. If so, the changed reference time or the changed adjusted vibration value is stored. Specifically, for each powder category, if the weight range of the powder supplied from the powder container 2 is less than 3.0 g, 3.0 g or more and less than 10.0 g, 10.0 g or more and 30.0 g. 30.0 g or more and less than 60.0 g, 60.0 g or more and less than 100.0 g, and 100.0 g or more, respectively. Furthermore, for each type of powder, the weight range of the powder supplied from the powder container 2 is less than 3.0 g, 3.0 g or more and less than 10.0 g, or 10.0 g or more and less than 30.0 g. , 30.0 g or more and less than 60.0 g, 60.0 g or more and less than 100.0 g, and 100.0 g or more, respectively. Note that the storage unit 10 stores the initial value of the reference time for each category of powder and the initial value of the adjustment vibration value corresponding to the weight information for each type of powder. The initial value of the adjusted vibration value for each type of powder is set as the same strength for each powder, and specifically, vibration level 3 among the vibration levels 1 to 12 described above is set as the initial value. Note that, in addition to the adjusted vibration value, the storage unit 10 stores the vibration intensity in the non-adjusted mode for each type of powder.

The control unit 9 executes control for packaging the powder contained in the powder container 2 . In this embodiment, control is performed to package the powder contained in the powder container 2 based on the packaging information input through the operation unit 11 . Specifically, the control unit 9 performs a supply control S1 for supplying the powder contained in the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 based on the packaging information input to the operation unit 11, and for controlling the supply control S1 to supply the powder contained in the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, and to control the supply control S1 to supply the powder contained in the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, and to control the supply control S1 to supply the powder contained in the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, A cleaning control S2 for cleaning the distribution tray 5 and a packaging control S3 for individually packaging the powder supplied to the distribution tray 5 are executed in order. Further, the control unit 9 of this embodiment controls the powder supply device 3 based on the packaging information, and causes the powder supply container 2 to supply a predetermined amount of powder for each type of powder. In this embodiment, the entire amount to be supplied to the distribution pan 5 is supplied from the powder supply device 3 to the temporary storage section 23 of the powder container 2 . Further, the control unit 9 of the present embodiment controls the powder container 2 to be moved to the vibrating device 4 after supplying a predetermined amount of powder to the powder container 2. The powder container 2, which has received the powder supplied from the powder supply device 3, is moved to the mounting surface 41a of the vibration device 4 by the provided powder container transfer means (not shown). Note that the configuration is not limited to this, and the control unit 9 may notify the user or the like to transfer the powder container 2 so that the user or the like transfers the powder container 2 to the mounting surface 41a. It can also be configured as In addition, when the powder to be packaged is not stored in the storage container of the powder supply device 3, the user etc. can put a predetermined amount of powder into the powder container 2 from a medicine bottle etc. 2 can also be placed on the placement surface 41a. Further, the powder supply device 3 or a user or the like may input a predetermined amount of powder into the powder container 2 placed on the mounting surface 41a.

As shown in FIG. 9, the supply control S1 is a control for supplying powder from the powder container 2, and in this embodiment, multiple controls are executed based on settings related to automatic adjustment control set on the operation unit 11. . Specifically, in the supply control S1, there is a mode determination step S11 in which it is determined whether the mode is the adjustment mode or the non-adjustment mode, and whether the mode set for the type of powder to be supplied from the powder container 2 is the adjustment mode or not. An individual mode determination step S12 of determining whether the mode is a non-adjustment mode is executed. If it is determined in the mode determination step S11 that the mode is not the adjustment mode (adjustment mode is OFF) (YES in the mode determination step S11), a supply step S4 is performed in which the powder is supplied based on the strength of vibration in the non-adjustment mode. Execute. Further, when it is determined that the mode is the adjustment mode (adjustment mode is ON) in the mode determination step S11 (NO in the mode determination step S11), the process moves to the individual mode determination step S12, and the powder container is If it is determined that the type of powder to be supplied from step 2 is in adjustment mode (individual adjustment mode is ON) (YES in individual mode determination step S12), automatic adjustment supply step S5a shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is performed. If it is determined that the type of powder to be supplied from the powder container 2 is in the non-adjustment mode (the individual adjustment mode is OFF) (NO in the individual mode determination step S12), the supply shown in FIG. The process moves to step S5b. Further, while the automatic adjustment supply step S5a is being executed, changing the adjustment vibration value stored in the storage unit 10 via the operation unit 11 is prohibited. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the manually changed adjusted vibration value from being rewritten by automatic adjustment control and the manual setting change from being wasted. Note that when the adjusted vibration value is stored in the storage unit 10 for each type of powder, changing the adjusted vibration value of the same type of powder supplied from the powder container 2 via the operation unit 11 is prohibited. , the adjustment vibration value of other types of powders may be changed through the operation unit 11. In addition, when the vibration adjustment value corresponding to the weight information for each type of powder is stored in the storage unit 10, the operation unit 11 is used for the adjustment vibration value of the same type and same weight range as the powder supplied from the powder container 2. Changes via the operation unit 11 are prohibited, and changes via the operation unit 11 are permitted for the adjustment vibration value of the same type of powder and outside the same weight range as the powder to be supplied, and the adjustment vibration value of a powder of a different type from the powder to be supplied. It may be configured so that In other words, if it is prohibited to change the adjustment vibration value for the same type of powder and within the same weight range as the powder related to the automatic adjustment control being executed, the configuration is such that changing the adjustment vibration value for other powders or weight ranges is prohibited. You can also configure the configuration to allow it.

As shown in FIG. 9, the supply step S4 is a step in which the vibrating device 4 vibrates the powder container 2 with the vibration intensity in the non-adjustment mode to supply the powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution plate 5. In the present embodiment, the supply step S4 includes a vibration value acquisition step S41 of acquiring a vibration value as the strength of vibration in the non-adjusted mode corresponding to the powder supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, and the acquired vibration value. a vibration value display step S42 of displaying on the display unit 12, a vibration step S43 of starting the vibration of the powder container 2 with a vibration intensity corresponding to the obtained vibration value, and supplying the powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5. a supply start confirmation step S44 for confirming that the powder has been started; a supply end confirmation step S45 for confirming that the supply of the powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 has been completed; A vibration stopping step S46 of stopping the vibration of the powder container 2 is performed.

The vibration value acquisition step S41 is a step of acquiring a vibration value as the strength of vibration in the non-adjustment mode stored in the storage unit 10. Specifically, in the vibration value acquisition step S41, based on the packaging information input to the operation unit 11, type information and weight information of the powder supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 are grasped, and the type information is A vibration value as the strength of vibration in the non-adjustment mode that corresponds to the weight information is acquired from the storage unit 10. Note that this configuration is not limited to this, and if the vibration value is set to a uniform vibration strength regardless of the weight information of the powder, the configuration may be configured to obtain the vibration value that matches the type information. Alternatively, if a vibration value is set for each category of powder medicine, it may be configured to acquire the vibration value for each category of powder medicines to be supplied.

The vibration value display step S42 is a step of displaying the vibration value acquired in the vibration value acquisition step S41 on the display unit 12. In the vibration value display step S42 of this embodiment, the vibration value is displayed on the display unit 12 on a screen showing the status of the packaging as shown in FIG. Specifically, the screen showing the packaging status is provided with a status display section 121 that displays settings related to the current packaging, and a vibration information display section 122 that displays the status of each vibrating device 4. The status display section 121 displays information based on the packaging information, including information regarding the number of packets of the powder, information regarding the timing of taking the powder to be packaged, and information regarding the patient to whom the powder to be packaged is prescribed. is displayed. In addition, the vibration information display section 122 displays information regarding the vibration value at the vibration start stage before the vibration of the vibration device 4 starts, and information regarding the current vibration value of the vibration device 4 after the vibration of the vibration device 4 starts. A vibration value display section 123 that displays information, a vibration value change operation section 125 that performs an operation to change the vibration intensity of the vibration device 4, and information regarding the powder contained in the powder container 2 placed on the vibration device 4. A placed powder information display section 124 is provided, and in the vibration value display step S42, the vibration value is displayed on the vibration value display section 123. The vibration value display section 123 displays a changed numerical value when the strength of vibration is changed by each control described later.

The vibration step S43 is a step of vibrating the powder container 2 with a vibration intensity based on the acquired vibration value, and specifically, controlling the vibration generator 42 of the vibration device 4 to vibrate the powder container 2 at a vibration intensity corresponding to the vibration value. By generating vibration and transmitting the generated vibration to the powder container 2 placed on the mounting surface 41a, the powder container 2 is vibrated with a vibration intensity based on the vibration value. In the vibration step S43, the distribution plate 5 is controlled to rotate at a predetermined speed at the same time as or prior to the generation of vibration by the vibration generator 42, and specifically, the rotation means 52 is controlled to rotate at a predetermined speed. The plate body 51 is rotated at a predetermined speed by rotating at a predetermined speed and transmitting the rotational force to the plate body 51. Further, in the vibration step S43, the plate operation section is controlled to open the partition member 25 at the same time as or prior to the vibration generation section 42 generating vibration.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the powder container 2 vibrates, the powder stored in the temporary storage section 23 moves toward the tip side, and moves to the discharge tip section 24 and the opening 2b. The powder that has moved to the opening 2b falls from the powder container 2 and is supplied to the distribution tray 5. As shown in FIG. 13, in the powder container 2 of this embodiment, since there is a distance between the partition member 25 and the opening 2b, the powder opens around the time when the moving time t1 has elapsed after the powder container 2 starts to vibrate. It reaches the section 2b and begins to be fed to the distribution pan 5 (see FIG. 13).

The supply start confirmation step S44 is a step of confirming that the powder has started to be supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, and specifically, that the powder detection means 6 is ON (a state in which powder is detected). This is the process of checking. In addition, in the supply start confirmation step S44, if the powder detection means 6 has been ON for a predetermined period of time or more (for example, 1 second or more), it is determined that the powder starts to be supplied from the time it is turned ON (see FIG. 13). It is determined that the supply time t2 shown in FIG. According to such a configuration, it is possible to detect that powder supply has started even though powder supply (continuous supply) has not started due to false detection or when a small amount of powder suddenly falls. You can restrain yourself from making judgments.

In the present embodiment, control is performed to increase the strength of vibration of the powder container 2 every time a predetermined time elapses after it is determined in the supply start confirmation step S44 that powder has started to be supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5. . Specifically, every time a predetermined period of time (for example, 20 seconds) has elapsed since the start of powder supply, control is performed to increase the vibration intensity by one step. Note that when the strength of the vibration is at the upper limit of the supplied vibration level, control to increase the vibration is not performed. Further, the intensity of vibration can also be changed manually by inputting an input to change the intensity of vibration via the vibration value change operation section 125 of the operation section 11. When an input is made to change the vibration strength, the control unit 9 controls the vibration device 4 so that the vibration strength becomes the changed vibration strength.

The supply completion confirmation step S45 is a step of confirming that the supply of powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 is completed. This is the process of confirming that the product has been supplied. Specifically, the supply end confirmation step S45 is a step of confirming that no powder has fallen from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5. In this embodiment, the powder detection means 6 is OFF (a state in which no powder is detected). ). In addition, in the supply end confirmation step S45, if the powder detection means 6 has been turned off continuously for more than a preset end time t3 (for example, 3 seconds or more), the supply of the powder ends when it is turned off. It is determined that the supply time t2 has ended when the power is turned off. According to such a configuration, if the powder detection means 6 is turned off even though the powder continues to be supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution pan 5 (for example, the amount of powder in the powder container decreases due to supply) Even if the supply of powder is intermittent), if the powder is detected during the end time t3, the powder detection means 6 will be turned on again, and it is possible to prevent the powder from being determined that the supply of powder has ended. The entire amount of powder contained therein can be reliably supplied to the distribution tray 5.

The vibration stopping step S46 is a step of stopping the vibration of the powder container 2. In the supply end confirmation step S45 of the present embodiment, after it is determined that the powder supply has ended, the vibration generator 42 is stopped to stop the vibration of the powder container 2. When the vibration stop process S46 is completed, the supply process S4 is completed and the supply control S1 is completed.

As shown in FIG. 10, the automatic adjustment supply step S5a is a step of executing automatic adjustment control, which is control for automatically changing the adjustment vibration value stored in the storage unit 10. Specifically, in the automatic adjustment supply step S5a, a vibration value acquisition step S51 of acquiring the adjustment vibration value stored in the storage unit 10 as the vibration intensity corresponding to the powder to be supplied, and displaying the acquired adjustment vibration value. A vibration value display step S52, a vibration step S53 of vibrating the powder container 2 with a vibration intensity corresponding to the acquired adjusted vibration value, a supply start confirmation step S54, and a measurement start step S55 of starting measurement of the supply time t2. Then, a supply end confirmation step S56, a measurement end step S57 to end the measurement of the supply time t2, a vibration stop step S58, and an adjustment step S59 to adjust the adjusted vibration value based on the supply time t2 are executed. In the present embodiment, automatic adjustment control, which is control that automatically changes the adjustment vibration value corresponding to the weight information for each type of powder stored in the storage unit 10, is executed. Hereinafter, in the automatic adjustment supply step S5a, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when a powder A of general category with a weight of less than 3.0 g is supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 (Example 1), , a case (Example 2) in which a powder A of the general category with a weight of 30.0 g or more and less than 60.0 g is supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 will be described.

The vibration value acquisition step S51 is a step of acquiring the adjusted vibration value stored in the storage unit 10. In the vibration value acquisition step S51, an adjusted vibration value is acquired from the storage unit 10. In the present embodiment, in the vibration value acquisition step S51, the type information and weight information of the powder to be supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 are grasped based on the packaging information input by the operation unit 11, and the type information and the adjusted vibration value corresponding to the weight information is acquired from the storage unit 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7A, vibration level 3 is obtained as the adjusted vibration value in both Example 1 and Example 2.

The vibration value display step S52 is a step of displaying the adjusted vibration value acquired in the vibration value acquisition step S51 on the display unit 12. In the vibration value display step S52 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 14, the acquired adjusted vibration value is displayed on the vibration value display section 123 (in FIG. 14, "3" is displayed in the "feeder" frame).

The vibration step S53 is a step of vibrating the powder container 2 with a vibration intensity based on the acquired adjustment vibration value, and specifically, controlling the vibration generator 42 of the vibration device 4 to adjust the vibration intensity to the adjustment vibration value. By generating a corresponding vibration and transmitting the generated vibration to the powder container 2 placed on the mounting surface 41a, the powder container 2 is vibrated with a vibration intensity based on the adjusted vibration value. In the vibration step S53, the distribution plate 5 is controlled to be rotated at a predetermined speed at the same time as or prior to the generation of vibration by the vibration generation unit 42, and specifically, the rotation means 52 is controlled to rotate at a predetermined speed. The plate body 51 is rotated at a predetermined speed by rotating at a predetermined speed and transmitting the rotational force to the plate body 51. Further, in the vibration step S53, the plate operation section is controlled to open the partition member 25 at the same time as or prior to the vibration generation section 42 generating vibration. Specifically, in both Examples 1 and 2, the powder container 2 is vibrated at a vibration intensity corresponding to vibration level 3.

In the vibration step S53, when the adjusted vibration value corresponds to a vibration stronger than the initial value of the adjusted vibration value (vibration level 3), the vibration strength corresponding to the initial value of the adjusted vibration value is set at the time when the vibration is started. The powder container 2 is vibrated, and when it is determined in the supply start confirmation step S54 that the powder has started to be supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, the powder container 2 is controlled to vibrate at a vibration intensity corresponding to the acquired adjustment vibration value. do. According to such a configuration, by not applying strong vibration to the powder container 2 from the beginning, it is possible to prevent a large amount of powder from being supplied to the distribution plate 5 at once. In addition, in the vibration step S53, when the vibration is started, control can also be performed so that the vibration is performed at a vibration intensity corresponding to the acquired adjustment vibration value. According to such a configuration, the travel time t1 until the powder reaches the opening 2b and starts being supplied can be shortened.

The supply start confirmation step S54 is similar to the supply start confirmation step S44 in the supply step S4. That is, when the powder detection means 6 is continuously ON for a predetermined period of time or longer (a state in which powder is detected), the supply of powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 is stopped from the time the powder detection means 6 is turned ON. It is determined that it has started.

In this embodiment, it is determined in the supply start confirmation step S54 that the powder has started to be supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5, and every predetermined period of time has elapsed since the powder is vibrated at a vibration intensity corresponding to the acquired adjustment vibration value. , executes control to increase the strength of vibration of the powder container 2. Specifically, every time a predetermined period of time (for example, 20 seconds) has elapsed since the start of powder supply, control is performed to increase the vibration intensity by one level. Note that when the strength of the vibration is at the upper limit of the supplied vibration level, control to increase the vibration is not performed. Further, after the vibration is started at the vibration intensity corresponding to the adjusted vibration value, the vibration intensity can be controlled to be constant.

The measurement start step S55 is a step to start measuring the supply time t2. In the measurement start step S55, measurement is started from the time when it is determined in the supply start confirmation step S54 that the supply of powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 has started. If it continues to be turned on, the supply time t2 is measured assuming that the supply has started from a predetermined time back.

The supply end confirmation step S56 is similar to the supply end confirmation step S45 in the supply step S4. That is, in the supply end confirmation step S56, if the powder detection means 6 is continuously turned off for more than a preset end time t3 (for example, 3 seconds or more), the supply of the powder ends when it turns off. It is determined that the supply time t2 has ended when the power is turned off.

The measurement end step S57 is a step to end the measurement of the supply time t2. In the measurement end step S57, the measurement is ended when it is determined in the supply end confirmation step S56 that the supply of the powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 has been completed. If the power is turned OFF continuously as described above, the supply time t2 is measured, assuming that the supply has ended when the end time t3 minutes have passed back.

As shown in FIG. 13, the supply time t2 is the time elapsed from the time when the powder detection means 6 is turned on to the time when it is turned off. That is, the supply time t2 is the time taken until the entire amount of powder contained in the powder container 2 is supplied to the distribution tray 5.

The vibration stop step S58 is similar to the vibration stop step S46 in the supply step S4, and after it is determined in the supply end confirmation step S56 that the supply of powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 is completed, the vibration generator 42 to stop the vibration of the powder container 2.

In each of the above steps, the supply of the powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution plate 5 is completed, and then an adjustment step S59 is performed in which the adjustment vibration value is adjusted based on the supply result.

During the automatic adjustment supply step S5a, if an attempt is made to change the vibration intensity via the vibration value change operation section 125 of the operation section 11 during the automatic adjustment supply step S5a, the vibration value is displayed on the vibration value display section 123. At the same time, the information regarding the vibration value is changed, and the strength of the vibration at the start of vibration of the vibration device 4 or at the current time is changed. Then, the automatic adjustment control is ended without executing the adjustment step S59. Note that if the vibration intensity is attempted to be changed via the vibration value change operation section 125 of the operation section 11 during the automatic adjustment supply step S5a, the user is asked whether or not to cancel the automatic adjustment control. However, if an input to cancel the automatic adjustment control is made, the vibration intensity may be allowed to be changed via the operation unit 11. Further, during the automatic adjustment supply step S5a, changing the vibration intensity may be prohibited via the vibration value changing operation section 125 of the operation section 11. If the intensity of vibration is changed during the automatic adjustment supply step S5a, there is a possibility that the time required to supply the powder cannot be brought close to the reference time even if the automatic adjustment supply step S5a is performed, and the next supply may be delayed. It is possible to suppress the occurrence of negative effects such as a decrease in accuracy or a decrease in time.

In the adjustment step S59, the intensity of vibration for vibrating the powder container 2 when supplying the same type of powder as the supplied powder is adjusted so that the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 approaches the reference time. change. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the adjustment step S59 includes vibration of the powder container 2 when supplying the same type of powder as the supplied powder in an amount within the same weight range of the supplied powder. This is the process of changing the intensity so that it approaches the reference time. Specifically, the adjustment step S59 includes a deviation determination step S591 in which it is determined whether the supply time t2 deviates from the reference time, and an excess determination step S591 in which it is determined whether the supply time t2 exceeds the reference time. Step S592 is executed, and the adjusted vibration value is changed or maintained based on the determination result. In the adjustment step S59 of this embodiment, the intensity of vibration of the powder container 2 when starting to supply the same type of powder as the supplied powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution plate 5 is changed based on the determination result. The vibration intensity is changed by changing the adjusted vibration value stored in the storage unit 10. In the following description, the case where the supply time t2 in Example 1 is 15 seconds and the supply time t2 in Example 2 is 55 seconds will be described as an example.

The deviation determination step S591 is a step of determining whether the measured supply time t2 deviates from the reference time. In the present embodiment, in the deviation determination step S591, a reference time corresponding to the category and weight information of the supplied powder stored in the storage unit 10 is obtained, and the obtained reference time and the supply time t2 are compared. Then, it is determined whether the supply time t2 deviates from the reference time. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the standard time set for supplying general powder A in the weight range of less than 3.0 g from the powder container 2 to the distribution pan 5 is from 20 seconds to 40 seconds. In Example 1, the supply time t2 is 15 seconds, so in Example 1, it is determined that the reference time is deviated from. Further, the standard time set for supplying general powder A in the weight range of 30.00 g or more and less than 60.0 g from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 is from 30 seconds to 50 seconds, and in Example 2, Since the supply time t2 is 55 seconds, it is determined that the reference time is deviated also in the case of Example 2. If it is determined that the supply time t2 deviates from the reference time (YES in deviation determination step S591), the process moves to exceedance determination step S592. Further, if it is determined in the deviation judgment step S591 that the supply time t2 does not deviate from the reference time (NO in the deviation judgment step S591), an adjustment value maintenance step S593 in which the adjusted vibration value is not changed is executed, and an adjustment value maintenance step S593 is executed in the adjustment step S59. ends.

The exceedance determination step S592 is a step of determining whether the measured supply time t2 exceeds or does not exceed (below) the reference time. Specifically, it is determined whether the supply time t2 exceeds the reference time by comparing the supply time and the reference time acquired in the deviation determination step S591. For example, in the case of Example 1, the reference time is from 20 seconds to 40 seconds and the supply time t2 is 15 seconds, so it is determined that the reference time is not exceeded (below) (NO in the exceedance determination step S592). . In the case of Example 2, the reference time is from 30 seconds to 50 seconds and the supply time t2 is 55 seconds, so it is determined that the supply time is greater than the reference time (YES in the exceedance determination step S592). If it is determined in the exceedance judgment step S592 that the supply time t2 exceeds the reference time (YES in the exceedance judgment step S592), an adjustment vibration value addition step S594 is executed to increase the adjustment vibration value, and the supply time t2 is set as the reference time. If it is determined that the time is not exceeded (below) (NO in the exceedance determination step S592), an adjusted vibration value subtraction step S595 for lowering the adjusted vibration value is executed. In the adjusted vibration value addition step S594 of this embodiment, the adjusted vibration value is added by one step regardless of the degree of deviation of the supply time t2 from the reference time (see FIG. 7(a)→(b)). By adding only one step in this way, the powder is deposited uniformly on the dispensing plate 5 even when the same type of powder as the supplied powder is supplied next time or thereafter, thereby reducing the accuracy of packaging. can be suppressed. In addition, in the adjustment value subtraction step S595, the adjustment vibration value is subtracted by one step regardless of the degree of deviation of the supply time t2 from the reference time (see FIG. 7(a)→(c)). According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent an excessive amount of time from being required to supply the powder to the distribution plate 5 when the same type of powder as the supplied powder is supplied next time or thereafter. Note that the configuration is not limited to this, and the amount of addition or subtraction of the adjusted vibration value in the adjusted vibration value addition step S594 or the adjusted value subtraction step S595 may be changed depending on the degree of deviation of the supply time t2 from the reference time. You can also. When the adjusted vibration value addition step S594 or the adjusted vibration value subtraction step S595 is executed, the adjustment step S59 ends.

In this way, by changing or maintaining the adjusted vibration value, it is possible to prevent the dispensing accuracy from decreasing when supplying powder from the powder container 2 to the dispensing tray 5 under the same conditions (type and weight of powder) from next time onwards. It is possible to suppress the amount of time it takes to supply the powder while also suppressing the increase in time required to supply the powder. In addition, in this embodiment, the packaging based on the packaging information received after the adjustment step S59 is completed is treated as the next packaging, and the adjusted vibration value after adjustment is applied when supplying the powder from the powder container 2. However, the adjusted vibration value is not limited to such a configuration, and the adjusted vibration value can also be applied when supplying the powder from the powder container 2 to the packaging based on the received packaging information.

By executing such automatic adjustment supply step S5a, the intensity of vibration that vibrates the powder container 2 when supplying the same type of powder as the supplied powder is changed. This makes it possible to bring the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 closer to the reference time. Specifically, when the supply time t2 exceeds the reference time, the supply time t2 can be shortened by increasing the vibration and increasing the powder supply speed, so that the supply time t2 approaches the reference time. Further, when the supply time t2 is less than the reference time, the supply time t2 can be extended by weakening the vibration and lowering the powder supply speed, so that the supply time t2 approaches the reference time. In this way, since it is only necessary to set the adjustment vibration value and the reference time, it is possible to eliminate the need for a large number of settings such as the flow coefficient in the prior art. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(d), it is possible to obtain the vibration intensity corresponding to the weight information for each type of powder to be supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 at the reference time. In addition, by repeatedly performing the automatic adjustment supply step S5a, the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 can be matched to the reference time for the same type of powder as the supplied powder, and the optimum vibration can bring out the strength of When the optimum adjustment vibration value is set for the type of powder, the individual adjustment mode is turned off by operating the individual switching button 115, and the adjustment vibration value for the type of powder is prohibited from being changed. In this way, further changes in the optimized vibration strength can be suppressed.

The supply step S5b is a step in which the powder is supplied from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 based on the adjusted vibration value, but automatic adjustment control is not performed. For example, this is carried out when supplying a type of powder for which an optimized vibration strength can be obtained by repeatedly performing the automatic adjustment supply step S5a. As shown in FIG. 12, the supply process S5b includes a vibration value acquisition process S51, a vibration value display process S52, a vibration process S53, a supply start confirmation process S54, a supply end confirmation process S56, and a vibration stop process S58. , execute. On the other hand, the supply step S5b differs from the automatic adjustment supply step S5a in that the measurement start step S55, the measurement end step S57, and the adjustment step S59 are not performed. Further, while executing the supply step S5b, the adjustment vibration value stored in the storage unit 10 can be manually changed via the operation unit 11, and the vibration intensity of the powder container 2 can be changed via the operation unit 11. This differs from the automatic adjustment supply step S5a in that the temperature can be changed. The vibration value acquisition process S51, the vibration value display process S52, the vibration process S53, the supply start confirmation process S54, the supply end confirmation process S56, and the vibration stop process S58 are the same as each process in the automatic adjustment supply process S5a, so the explanation will be omitted. Omitted.

Through the above steps, the powder contained in the powder container 2 is supplied to the distribution tray 5, and the supply control S1 is completed. When supply control S1 is completed, the process moves to cleaning control S2. In this embodiment, when the supply control S1 is completed, the cleaning control S2 is executed regardless of whether there is any remaining medicine. According to such a configuration, the occurrence of residual medicine can be reliably suppressed. In addition, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the presence or absence of a remaining drug may be confirmed by a remaining drug detection means that can confirm the presence or absence of a remaining drug, and the cleaning control S2 may be executed only when it is determined that there is a remaining drug. It can also be configured. According to such a configuration, cleaning control S2 is executed when it is determined that there is a drug left, and cleaning control S2 is not executed when it is determined that there is no drug left. In this case, the remaining medicine can be discharged by cleaning control S2, and when there is no remaining medicine, the time required for cleaning can be shortened. Therefore, the packaging operation can be made more efficient while suppressing the occurrence of residual medicine in the powder container 2. As the residual drug detection means, a camera capable of capturing an image of the powder container 2 placed on the mounting surface 41a can be used. It can be reliably discovered based on the image.

As shown in FIG. 15, the cleaning control S2 is executed after the supply control S1 determines that the entire amount of powder contained in the powder container 2 has been discharged (the state in which the powder detection means 6 remains OFF continues for more than the end time t3). After that, the powder container 2 is vibrated by the vibrating device 4 to discharge the remaining medicine attached to the powder container 2. Specifically, in the cleaning control S2, an intermittent vibration operation step S21 in which the powder container 2 is intermittently vibrated by the vibration device 4, and a discharge vibration operation step S22 for discharging the remaining medicine are executed. Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 9 controls the distribution pan 5 to rotate while the cleaning control S2 is being executed, and specifically, the distribution pan when the supply control S1 is being executed. The rotation speed is controlled to be the same as the rotation speed of 5.

The intermittent vibration operation step S21 is a step in which the vibrating device 4 repeatedly performs an operation of vibrating the powder container 2 and an operation of stopping the vibration of the powder container 2. In the intermittent vibration operation step S21 of the present embodiment, the vibrating device 4 intermittently vibrates the powder container 2 at a cleaning vibration level, and when stopping the powder container 2, suddenly stops the vibration. Further, in the intermittent vibration operation step S21, the time for vibrating the powder container 2 is longer than the time for stopping, specifically, it is twice or more the time for stopping, and in this embodiment, it is about 10 times longer. Through such an intermittent vibration operation step S21, the powder adhering to the powder container 2, particularly the powder adhering to the container side wall portion 22 and the partition plate portion 251, can be dropped onto the container bottom 21 by the impact applied by the intermittent vibration.

The discharge vibration operation step S22 is a step of applying vibration to discharge the powder dropped in the intermittent vibration operation step S21. Specifically, this is a process of discharging the remaining medicine that has fallen to the bottom of the container 21 by vibrating the powder container 2 at the strongest vibration intensity among the vibrations at the supply vibration level. The discharged residual medicine is discharged from the opening 2b to the outside of the powder container 2 (accommodation space 2a), falls onto the distribution tray 5, and is supplied to the distribution tray 5. Here, since the distribution tray 5 is rotating while the cleaning control S2 is being executed, it is possible to suppress the residual medicine discharged in the cleaning control S2 from being concentrated on a portion of the distribution tray 5.

After the remaining medicine in the powder container 2 is discharged through the above steps, the rotating speed of the distribution plate 5 is reduced and the rotation of the distribution plate 5 is temporarily stopped. In this embodiment, the powder container 2 after the cleaning control is executed is transferred to the powder supply device 3 manually or by a powder container transfer means (not shown), and the next powder to be supplied from the powder supply device 3 is transferred. Directly receive and accommodate. With this configuration, since the powder container 2 that has been cleaned receives the powder supplied from the drug supply device, it is possible to prevent the mixing of remaining medicines and improve the packaging efficiency.

The packaging control S3 is a control in which the powder discharged from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray 5 in the supply control S1 and the cleaning control S2 is scraped out into the packaging unit 8 by the scraping unit 7 and packaged. Specifically, by rotating the distribution plate 5 and bringing the damming part 71 into contact with the top surface of the plate body 51, a predetermined angle of powder on the distribution plate 5 is dammed, and the dammed powder is scraped. By scraping with the plate 72, a predetermined amount (one dose) of the powder is supplied to the packaging section 8 and packaged. In this way, since the cleaning control S2 discharges the powder from the powder container 2 to the distribution tray and then moves to the packaging control S3, the powder supplied in the supply control S1 and the remaining medicine discharged in the cleaning control S2 are combined. The amount of powder to be packaged can be suppressed from being smaller than the amount supplied from the powder container 2 by the amount of the remaining medicine.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to one example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the embodiment described above, either the supply control S1 or the cleaning control S2 may have a configuration different from that of the embodiment described above.

Further, although a case has been described in which the entire amount of powder contained in the powder container 2 is supplied to the distribution tray 5, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the storage container may be configured to be transferred to the mounting surface 41a of the vibrating device 4 by the storage container transfer means, and a portion of the powder contained in the storage container is supplied to the distribution plate 5. In this case, if the time required to supply the powder contained in the powder container (storage container) deviates from the preset reference time, the control unit 9 controls the control unit 9 to control the control unit 9 to control the supply of powder of the same type as the supplied powder if the time required to supply the powder stored in the powder container (storage container) deviates from the preset reference time. The intensity of the vibration with which the vibration device 4 vibrates the powder container (storage container) when supplying the powder is changed so that the time required to supply the powder contained in the powder container (storage container) approaches the reference time. Executes automatic adjustment control. When adopting such a configuration, for example, a weight scale is provided to measure the weight of the storage container transferred to the vibration device 4, and a predetermined amount of powder is transferred from the storage container to the distribution plate 5 depending on the amount of change in the weight of the storage container. to detect that it has been supplied. Then, the time required to supply a predetermined amount of powder from the storage container is measured according to the measurement result of the weight scale, and automatic adjustment control is executed in the same manner as when supplying powder from the powder container 2. In addition, although the case where the powder medicine detection means 6 is a sensor that detects the falling of powder medicine has been described, it is not limited to such a configuration. For example, a weighing scale that measures the weight of the powder container (storage container) may also be configured to serve as the powder detection means 6. Further, even when the powder detection means 6 is configured as a sensor, it is not limited to an optical sensor, and sensors of various detection methods can be employed.

Furthermore, although the vibration device 4 has been described as being able to switch the intensity of the vibration that vibrates the powder container 2 in multiple stages, the vibration device 4 is not limited to such a configuration. It can also be configured to be adjustable so that its strength can be varied steplessly.

Further, although a case has been described in which the intensity of vibration (adjusted vibration value) when supplying powder is changed when the supply time deviates from the reference time in automatic adjustment control, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. For example, in the case where the vibration is gradually strengthened from the time when powder supply is started, the supply time can be made to match the reference time by changing the time until the vibration is strengthened.

Furthermore, although a case has been described in which the supply time t2 is adopted as the time required to supply the powder contained in the powder container 2, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The time until the stop (the sum of the moving time t1, the supply time t2, and the end time t3) and the time from the start of vibration of the powder container 2 to the completion of powder supply (the sum of the moving time t1 and the supply time t2) are adopted. You can also. When adopting such a configuration, it is preferable that the reference time is set in accordance with the time taken as the time required to supply the powder contained in the powder container 2.

In addition, although we have explained the case where the adjustment vibration value is set corresponding to the weight information for each type of powder, the configuration is not limited to this, and the adjustment vibration value can be set for each type of powder regardless of the weight information. It can also be configured to be set. Further, the adjustment vibration value can be configured to be set in accordance with the weight information regardless of the type information of the powder. Further, it is also possible to configure the adjustment vibration value to be set regardless of the type and weight information of the powder. Furthermore, although a case has been described in which the reference time is set in accordance with the weight information for each powder category, the reference time may also be configured to be set for each powder category regardless of the weight information. Further, the reference time can be configured to be set in accordance with the weight information regardless of the powder category. Further, the reference time can be configured to be set regardless of the category and weight information of the powder. Further, instead of the powder category, information on the type of powder can also be used.

In addition, although we have explained the case where the powder type information is the name of the powder, it is not limited to this configuration. For example, granule powders can be classified as the same type information, and classified by the specific powder name. It can be configured not to do this, or it can be configured so that powders with similar fluidity and specific gravity are classified as having the same type information.

Further, in the automatic adjustment control, a case has been described in which the exceedance determination step S592 is executed, but the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration may also be implemented in which a step of determining whether the supply time is below the reference value is executed. You can also do it.

Further, in the cleaning control S2, a case has been described in which the powder container 2 is intermittently vibrated, but the structure is not limited to this, and it is also possible to simply apply a stronger vibration than the vibration used in the supply control S1.

Further, although the case has been described in which the remaining medicines discharged in the cleaning control S2 are packaged together with the powder medicines supplied in the supply control S1, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. You can also do it.

Furthermore, although a case has been described in which the cleaning control ends when the discharge vibration operation step S22 is completed, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, if the powder falls after the discharge vibration operation step S22 is completed, the remaining medicine It is possible to determine that all of the medicine has not been discharged and execute the discharge vibration operation step S22 again, or to notify the user that there is a residual medicine.

Furthermore, in the supply control S1, a case has been described in which the control section 9 executes the deviation determination step S591 and the exceedance determination step S592, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The vibration of the powder container 2 is transmitted to the external processing unit 13 provided outside the packaging device 1, and the external processing unit 13 executes the deviation determination step S591 and the exceedance determination step S592, thereby causing the supply time t2 to approach the reference time. The drug packaging system S is configured such that the adjusted vibration value as the strength of the vibration is derived and transmitted to the control unit 9, and the control unit 9 acquires the adjusted vibration value transmitted from the external processing unit 13. You can also. In addition, in such a drug packaging system S, when the external processing unit 13 executes the deviation determination step S591, for example, it does not execute the exceedance determination step S592 and uses other information derived in the past by the external processing unit 13. It can also be configured to refer to the adjusted vibration values for a plurality of drug packaging devices 1 and to transmit to the control unit 9 the vibration intensity of the powder container 2 such that the supply time t2 matches the reference time. According to such a configuration, the processing load in the automatic adjustment control of the control unit 9 can be reduced. Further, in the medicine packaging system S, the control unit 9 of the medicine packaging device 1 is configured to execute the deviation determination step S591 and the exceedance determination step S592, and the control unit 9 of the medicine packaging device 1 automatically adjusts the deviation determination step S591 and the excess determination step S592. The external processing section 13 receives the control result and transmits it to the control section 9 of the other drug packaging device 1, and the control section 9 of the other drug packaging device 1 receives the information from the external processing section 13. It can also be configured to change the strength with which the powder container 2 is vibrated based on.

The drug packaging system S including the drug packaging device 1 and the external processing section 13 can also be configured as follows. The medicine packaging device 1 and the external processing section 13 are configured to be able to communicate with each other. The external processing unit 13 includes a storage unit that stores an adjustment vibration value that is a value set for each type of powder of the intensity of vibration with which the vibration device 4 of the medicine packaging device 1 vibrates the powder container 2. The medicine packaging device 1 is capable of setting the intensity of vibration with which the vibration device 4 vibrates the powder container 2 based on the adjusted vibration value stored in the storage means of the external processing section 13 . If the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 deviates from a preset reference time, the control unit 9 of the drug packaging device 1 controls the control unit 9 to control the control unit 9 when supplying the same type of powder as the supplied powder when the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 deviates from a preset reference time. The adjusted vibration value is determined so that the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 approaches the reference time, and the determined adjusted vibration value is transmitted to the external processing section 13. Then, the external processing unit 13 changes the adjusted vibration value stored in the storage means to the adjusted vibration value determined by the control unit 9 of the medicine packaging device 1. Further, when the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 deviates from a preset reference time, the control means of the external processing unit 13 supplies powder of the same type as the supplied powder. The adjustment vibration value may be determined so that the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 approaches the reference time. According to these configurations, the adjusted vibration values can be stored in the storage means of the external processing section 13 and managed in an integrated manner. When a plurality of medicine packaging devices 1 are configured to be able to communicate with the external processing unit 13, each medicine packaging device 1 uses a vibration device based on the adjusted vibration value stored in the storage means of the external processing unit 13. 4 makes it possible to set the intensity of vibration for vibrating the powder container 2. Therefore, in each drug packaging device 1, it is possible to prevent the packaging accuracy from decreasing and the time required to supply the powder from increasing. The adjustment vibration value, which is a value set for each type, can be stored in the storage means of the external processing section and managed centrally. The configuration is not limited to the configuration in which the control unit determines the adjustment vibration value so that the time required to supply the powder from the powder container 2 approaches the reference time, but the control unit 9 and the external processing unit 13 of the drug dispensing device 1 may cooperate. The adjustment vibration value may be determined by the adjustment vibration value.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Drug packaging device, 2... Powder container, 2a... Accommodation space, 2b... Opening part, 21... Container bottom, 22... Container side wall part, 23... Temporary storage part, 24... Discharge tip part, 25... Partition member, 251... Partition plate part, 252... Shaft part, 253... Lever part, 254... Shaft main body, 255... Biasing means, 26... Wide part, 3... Powder supply device, 4... Vibration device, 41... Container holding part, 41a ...Placement surface, 42...Vibration generating part, 5...Distribution plate, 51...Dish body, 52...Rotating means, 53...Belt, 54...Cleaning brush, 6...Powder detection means, 7...Scraping part, 71...Weir Stop part, 72... Scraping board, 8... Packaging part, 81... Hopper part, 9... Control part, 10... Storage part, 11... Operation part, 111... Mode switching button, 112... Reference time input part, 113... Reset button , 114...Powder information display section, 115...Individual switching button, 116...Vibration level setting section, 12...Display section, 121...Situation display section, 122...Vibration information display section, 123...Vibration value display section, 124...Placement Powder information display section, 125... Vibration value change operation section, 13... External processing section, S... Drug packaging system

Claims (6)

A drug packaging device that performs packaging of at least a powder,
a powder container that stores a powder; a vibrating device that vibrates the powder container to supply the powder from the powder container; a circular distribution plate that rotates and stores the powder that is supplied from the powder container; comprising a scraping unit that scrapes out the powder contained in the distribution plate, a packaging unit that packages the powder scraped out of the distribution plate, and a control unit,
The vibration device is capable of changing the intensity with which the powder container is vibrated,
The control unit is configured to perform supply control in which the vibration device vibrates the powder container to supply the entire amount of the powder in the powder container to the distribution tray, and to control the supply of the entire amount of the powder in the powder container. After determining that cleaning has been completed, cleaning control is performed in which the vibrating device vibrates the powder container and controls the remaining medicine in the powder container to be discharged from the powder container to the distribution tray;
In the cleaning control, the medicine packaging device controls the vibration device so as to vibrate the powder container with a stronger vibration intensity than in the supply control. The vibration device has a supply vibration level that is a predetermined range of vibration intensity that vibrates the powder container in the supply control, and a cleaning vibration level that is a vibration intensity that vibrates the powder container in the cleaning control. has
The medicine packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning vibration level has a vibration intensity stronger than the strongest vibration intensity in the supply vibration level. The control unit is controlled so that the distribution plate rotates in the cleaning control,
The drug packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the powder discharged from the powder container in the cleaning control is supplied to the distribution tray, and is packaged together with the powder supplied to the distribution tray in the supply control. The control unit controls the cleaning control to include an intermittent vibration operation in which the vibration device repeatedly performs an operation of vibrating the powder container and an operation of stopping vibration of the powder container. drug packaging device. The control unit determines whether or not there is any remaining medicine in the powder medicine container after determining that the supply of the entire amount of powder medicine in the powder medicine container is completed, and if it is determined that there is any medicine left, the control unit controls the cleaning control. The medicine packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning control is not performed when it is determined that there is no medicine left. The drug package according to claim 1, wherein the powder container is configured to be able to directly receive and store powders supplied from a powder supply device capable of containing a plurality of types of powders and supplying the contained powders. Device.