JP2024053069A - Medicine setting device - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a technology that can improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists and others who set drug packaging on a medication calendar and make it ready for use.
[Solution] In a medicine setting device that sets medicine packages in medicine setting devices 80, a multiple target setting operation is performed to set medicine packages in each of the multiple medicine setting devices 80. Furthermore, when multiple medicine packages are set in one medicine setting device 80, the medicine setting device is capable of a partial setting operation to set only a portion of the multiple medicine packages to be set. In the multiple target setting operation, the partial setting operation is performed on the medicine setting device 80, then the partial setting operation is performed on another medicine setting device 80, and the partial setting operation is performed on still other medicine setting devices 80 as necessary, and this operation is repeated.
[Selection] Figure 16

Description

The present invention relates to a drug setting device that sets packaged drugs into a medication calendar.

Devices known as medication calendars or medicine calendars are used in nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Medication calendars have multiple medicine storage sections, and packages (medication packaging) containing medicines corresponding to the patient and the time of administration are set in each medicine storage section. One such medication calendar is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP 2001-258999 A

Incidentally, such medication calendars are usually prepared for use by a pharmacist or other such person by manually placing the medication packaging into the medication storage section (hereinafter also referred to as simply preparing a medication calendar). However, if a person places the wrong medication packaging, it could lead to an incorrect medication being administered to the patient. For this reason, this task requires careful attention. Therefore, when many medication calendars must be prepared for a large facility such as a large hospital, the task becomes very time-consuming.

Now consider the case of creating a weekly medication calendar (28 medication calendars) for a patient group consisting of 28 patients, divided by medication period (four medication periods per day). In this case, one medication calendar needs to contain 28 medication packages, each containing medication for 28 patients. Each medication package contains medication for the same period, such as the medication that person "X1" takes after breakfast on the first day, the medication that person "X2" takes after breakfast on the first day, and so on.

Therefore, it becomes necessary to package the medication for each of the 28 people who need to take it at the same time. However, packaging only the medication for a specific time period based on the prescriptions for 28 people is inefficient, cumbersome, and prone to errors.

The present invention aims to provide a technology that can improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists and others who set drug packages on medication calendars and prepare them for use.

One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a drug setting device that sets a drug package in a drug setting device capable of setting a drug package containing a drug in each of a plurality of drug storage sections, the drug setting device having a package transport means for moving the drug package to the drug storage section, and when a plurality of drug packages are set in a plurality of drug storage sections of one drug setting device, a partial setting operation is possible in which the drug packages are set in some of the plurality of drug storage sections, and a multiple target setting operation is possible in which the drug packages are set in each of the plurality of drug setting devices, and in the multiple target setting operation, the partial setting operation is performed on one drug setting device, then the partial setting operation is performed on another drug setting device, and if necessary, the partial setting operation is performed on yet another drug setting device, and this operation is repeated.
A specific aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is a drug setting device that sets a drug package in a drug setting device capable of setting a drug package containing a drug in each of a plurality of drug storage sections, the drug setting device comprising a package transport means for moving the drug package to the drug storage section, and when a plurality of drug packages are set in a plurality of drug storage sections of one drug setting device, a partial setting operation is possible in which the drug packages are set in some of the plurality of drug storage sections, and a multiple target setting operation is possible in which the drug packages are set in each of the plurality of drug setting devices, and in the multiple target setting operation, the partial setting operation is performed on the drug setting device, and when only a portion of the drug packages of all the drug packages to be set have been set, the partial setting operation is performed on other drug setting devices, and when only a portion of the drug packages of all the drug packages to be set have been set, a similar partial setting operation is performed on further other drug setting devices as necessary, and this operation can be repeated.

According to this aspect, since drug packages can be automatically set in multiple drug setting devices, the workload can be reduced. Also, it is possible to repeat the operation of setting only a part of the drug packages to be set in one drug setting device, and setting only a part of the drug packages to be set in another drug setting device. Therefore, for example, it is possible to set drug packages containing drugs prescribed for a first patient with different dosing periods in one drug setting device and another setting device, and drug packages containing drugs prescribed for a second patient with different dosing periods in one drug setting device and another setting device. This makes it easy to prepare drug packages. These factors make it possible to improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists, etc.

In the above-mentioned aspect, in the multiple-target setting operation, it is preferable to perform the partial setting operation on each of the multiple drug setting devices, and then perform the partial setting operation again on each of the multiple drug setting devices for which the partial setting operation has already been performed, and to repeat this operation to set the necessary drug packaging in each of the multiple drug setting devices.
In the above-mentioned aspect, in the multiple target setting operation, it is preferable to execute the partial setting operation on each of the multiple pharmaceutical setting devices to set only a portion of all of the pharmaceutical packaging to be set, and then execute the partial setting operation again on each of the multiple pharmaceutical setting devices for which the partial setting operation has already been executed, and repeat this operation to set the necessary pharmaceutical packaging in each of the multiple pharmaceutical setting devices.

In this preferred aspect, multiple medicine setting devices can be automatically made ready for use, making it possible to further improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists, etc.

The above aspect has a package setting area in which one of the medicine setting devices can be placed, and the medicine packaging is set in the medicine setting device placed in the package setting area. In the multiple target setting operation, it is preferable to move one of the medicine setting devices to the package setting area and execute the partial setting operation, and after moving one of the medicine setting devices from the package setting area, move another of the medicine setting devices to the package setting area and execute the partial setting operation for the other medicine setting device.

In this preferred aspect, there is no need to provide multiple devices for setting drug packages into the drug setting device, which allows for the device to be made smaller and manufacturing costs to be reduced.

In the above aspect, it is preferable that the medicine setting device has a plurality of the medicine containers arranged in a matrix, and the partial setting operation is an operation of setting the medicine packaging in the medicine containers belonging to one row.

The above aspect preferably has a plurality of drug packaging supply units to which the drug packaging is supplied, and each of the drug packaging supply units is capable of mounting a drug packaging strip in which a plurality of the drug packages are connected in a strip shape.

The preferred aspect described above is that a wrapping strip cutting operation is performed to cut the pharmaceutical packaging strip to form one pharmaceutical package, and the pharmaceutical package formed by the wrapping strip cutting operation is set in the pharmaceutical storage unit. It is even more preferred that the wrapping strip cutting operation is performed for each of the pharmaceutical packaging strips attached to each of the multiple pharmaceutical packaging supply units, and that multiple pharmaceutical packages formed one by one from each of the multiple pharmaceutical packaging strips are set in one pharmaceutical setting device.

In this more preferable aspect, pharmacists etc. do not need to cut the drug packaging strip, which makes the work of pharmacists etc. more efficient.

The preferred aspect described above is that the system has a packaging supply unit group to which two or more of the pharmaceutical packaging supply units belong, the packaging transport means has an upstream conveying unit that conveys the pharmaceutical packaging from the pharmaceutical packaging supply units, and one of the upstream conveying units is associated with one of the packaging supply unit groups and conveys the pharmaceutical packaging from the pharmaceutical packaging supply unit belonging to the associated packaging supply unit group, and it is even more preferred that, when one of the upstream conveying units is performing an operation of conveying the pharmaceutical packaging from one of the pharmaceutical packaging supply units belonging to one of the packaging supply unit groups, the pharmaceutical packaging strip can be attached to another of the pharmaceutical packaging supply units belonging to one of the packaging supply unit groups.

In this more preferred aspect, preparations for a subsequent operation to set the drug packaging in the drug setting device can be made while a preceding operation to set the drug packaging in the drug setting device is being performed, thereby making it possible to further improve the efficiency of the work of pharmacists, etc.

The above aspect preferably has a plurality of drug packaging supply units to which the drug packaging is respectively supplied, and the drug packaging or an attached part of the drug packaging is provided with a drug information label for acquiring information about the drug packaging, and the drug information label is read to identify the drug packaging supply unit that sets the drug packaging having the drug information label attached to itself or an attached part, and the drug packaging is set in the identified drug packaging supply unit.

This is a preferred aspect, as it is less likely that mistakes will occur when setting (supplying) the drug packaging to the drug packaging supply section.

In this preferred aspect, the drug information display is read to identify the drug packaging supply unit that supplies the drug packaging to which the drug information display is attached on itself or an attached part, and more preferably, a setting guidance operation is executed to prompt the user to set the drug packaging in the identified drug packaging supply unit.

In this way, it is possible to more reliably prevent setting errors (supply errors).

In the above aspect, the multiple target setting operation can be selectively performed as either a first setting operation or a second setting operation, the first setting operation is an operation of sequentially performing the partial setting operation once for each of the n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) drug setting devices, and then performing the partial setting operation again sequentially once for each of the same n drug setting devices on which the partial setting operation has already been performed, and the second setting operation is preferably an operation of sequentially performing the partial setting operation multiple times for all of the drug packages to be set for each of the first through n drug setting devices.

In the above aspect, the drug setting device has an information display unit that displays predetermined information, the drug packaging or an attached part of the drug packaging is provided with a drug information display for acquiring information about the drug packaging, and the information display unit preferably displays information acquired based on information read from the drug information display.

This aspect is preferable because it allows the information to be displayed on each medicine setting device without error.

Another aspect of the present invention is a drug setting device that sets drug packages in a drug setting device capable of setting drug packages containing drugs in each of a plurality of drug storage units, the drug setting device includes a package transport means for moving the drug packages to the drug storage units, sets a plurality of drug packages to be set in each of the plurality of drug setting devices, and creates a drug setting device group in which the drug packages to be set in each of the plurality of drug setting devices are set, each of the drug setting devices belonging to the drug setting device group has the same number of drug storage units arranged in the same distribution, and the drug setting device sets the drug packages containing drugs prescribed for the same patient in one drug storage unit of one of the drug setting devices and in the drug storage units of the other drug setting devices corresponding to the one drug storage unit.

In this aspect, as in the aspect described above, the workload can be reduced and the drug packaging can be easily produced, making the work of pharmacists and others more efficient.

The present invention can streamline the work of pharmacists and others who set drug packages on medication calendars and prepare them for use.

1 is a perspective view showing a medicine set system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the inside of the medicine set system of FIG. 1. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic view of the main part of the drug packaging apparatus of FIG. 2, in which FIG. 3A shows the process of producing individual drug packages, and FIG. 3B shows the process of producing a drug packaging strip. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams showing drug packaging bands produced by the drug dispensing device of FIG. 2, where (a) shows a band for the same patient, and (b) shows a band for the same dosing period. 3 is a front view showing the transport means within the setting apparatus, the inter-apparatus package transport means, the robot arm, and the drug packaging apparatus shown in FIG. 2. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of a main part of the inter-apparatus package transport means of FIG. 5. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of a part of the inter-apparatus package transport means, a robot arm, and a part of the medicine packaging apparatus shown in FIG. 5. 2 is a front view showing a medication calendar for setting the medication packaging in the medication setting system of FIG. 1. 1. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a plurality of medication calendars are introduced into the medicine setting device of FIG. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the cart of FIG. 9 . 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of a state in which a plurality of medication calendars are held in the medicine setting device, following FIG. 9, in which (a) and (b) are held in that order. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of a state in which a plurality of medication calendars are held in a first set device storage section. 10A to 10E are explanatory diagrams showing how medicine packages are transported from the medicine dispensing device to the medicine setting device, in the order of (a) to (e). 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing how multiple drug packages are simultaneously conveyed by a conveying means within the setting device, in which the packages are conveyed in the order of (a) and (b). 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of a first row setting operation being performed on a first medication calendar, in which setting is performed in the order of (a) and (b). FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the first medication calendar that has undergone the first row set operation being moved from the first set tool storage section to the second set tool storage section, in the order of (a) and (b). 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of a first row setting operation being performed on a second medication calendar, in which the second medication calendar is set in the order of (a) and (b). 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of a state in which multiple medication calendars are newly introduced after a first row set operation is performed on multiple previously introduced medication calendars, where the calendars are introduced in the order of (a) and (b). 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a state where one of a plurality of newly introduced medication calendars is moved to a package set area, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a state where one of a plurality of newly introduced medication calendars is moved to a second set tool storage section, and one of a plurality of previously introduced medication calendars is moved to a first set tool storage section. 1A is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first row set operation has been completed for all medication calendars belonging to a medication calendar group, and FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the first medication calendar that has undergone the second row set operation is moved to the second set tool storage unit, and another medication calendar is moved to the first set tool storage unit. 13A and 13B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of a state in which a second row setting operation is performed on a first medication calendar, in which setting is performed in the order of (a) and (b). 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating how four medicine packages are set in a first row setting operation for a first medication calendar, and FIG. 1B is a schematic diagram illustrating how three medicine packages are set in a first row setting operation for a second medication calendar. 13A to 13C are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of the operation of setting a plurality of medicine packages in one medicine storage section in the first row setting operation for the first medication calendar, in which the sets are placed in the order of (a) to (c). FIG. 9 is a front view showing a medication calendar different from that shown in FIG. 8. This is an explanatory diagram showing how to execute a multiple target setting operation different from the embodiment described above, and is a schematic diagram showing how to execute an operation to set all of the drug packaging to be set on one medication calendar, in which the settings are made in the order of (a) to (c). FIG. 25 is a front view showing a medication calendar different from that shown in FIGS. 8 and 24. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a medicine setting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 28 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic diagram of the inside of the medicine setting device of FIG. 27. 29( a ) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross section of the medicine supplying device of FIG. 28 taken along line AA, and (b) is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic cross section of the medicine supplying device of FIG. 28 taken along line BB. 28A and 28B are diagrams illustrating the lead-out portion of FIG. 27, in which FIG. 28A is a perspective view and FIG. 28B is a plan view. 29A and 29B are explanatory diagrams showing a schematic diagram of the state in which drug packages are transported by the supply-side package transport means and the inter-apparatus package transport means in FIG. 28, in which the packages are transported in the order of (a) and (b). 31A and 31B are explanatory diagrams showing examples of drawer sections different from those in FIG. 30, in which (a) and (b) show different drawer sections. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a medication tray, which is a medicine setting tool different from the medication calendar of FIG. 8 . 13A and 13B are diagrams showing a medicine set system according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. FIG. 13 is a front view showing a medicine setting device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drug setting system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a drug dispensing device 2, a drug setting device 3, and a display device 4.

The display device 4 is a device capable of displaying various types of information, and specifically, is a touch panel that combines an information display device such as a liquid crystal panel with a position input device such as a touchpad. In other words, the display device 4 is also a part (input receiving part) that accepts operations (input) by the user, and various operations can be requested from the drug set system 1 or each device or apparatus belonging to the drug set system 1 by inputting information to the display device 4.

The drug dispensing device 2 has a control unit (not shown). The control unit has a calculation unit such as a CPU, a memory unit (storage means) having a main memory device such as ROM and RAM, and a communication unit such as an I/O port. This allows the drug dispensing device 2 to send and receive various signals and information to and from external devices (such as a higher-level control device (not shown), dispensing devices such as the drug setting device 3, and an external PC (not shown)). It is also capable of storing various information.

The drug dispensing device 2 is a tablet packaging machine that packages tablets into packaging paper for each dose based on prescription data. Note that the drug dispensing device 2 of this embodiment is capable of receiving prescription data from a higher-level control device (higher-level control system) (not shown).

The prescription data is information about the prescription of the drugs contained in each drug package 25 (see FIG. 3) dispensed from the drug dispensing device 2. In other words, it is information about the prescription of the drugs contained in each of all drug packages 25 contained in the medication calendar 80 (drug set device) (details will be described later).

The prescription data includes information regarding the contents of the prescription required to dispense the medicine contained in each medicine package 25, and information for identifying and managing the prescription itself.
Specifically, the information on the contents of the prescription includes information on the patient to whom the drug is prescribed, such as the patient's name, age, sex, height, and weight, as well as information on the drug provided to the patient, such as the drug name, amount, usage, dosage, and duration of use. In addition, information for identifying and managing the prescription includes the prescription number, RP number (recipe number), and date of issue of the prescription.
In other words, the prescription data is data that includes the necessary information among these pieces of information.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drug dispensing device 2 has a drug storage unit 10, a manual drug supply unit 11 that can supply drugs by hand, and a drug packaging device 12.

The medicine storage unit 10 is a shelf member on which multiple medicine cassettes (medicine containers) each containing medicine (tablets) are arranged. In addition, a medicine feeder (not shown) provided integrally with each medicine cassette (or provided on the shelf member) can automatically supply the medicine contained in each medicine cassette to the medicine packaging device 12. In contrast, the manual medicine supply unit 11 is a part where a person manually supplies medicine to the medicine dispensing device 2.

As described above, the drug dispensing device 2 can perform the operation of producing the drug package 25 (or drug package strip 26) described below in an automatic supply mode in which drugs are automatically supplied from a drug cassette, or in a manual supply mode in which drugs are manually supplied to the manual drug supply unit 11. It can also perform a semi-automatic supply mode in which some of the multiple drugs contained in the drug package 25 are supplied automatically and the other parts are supplied manually.

As shown in Figure 3, the medicine packaging device 12 has a medicine packaging paper holding means for holding a roll of medicine packaging paper 15, a sheet feeding means 16 for unwinding and feeding the roll of medicine packaging paper 15, a hopper device 17, a bag forming device 18, and a cutting device 19 (cutting means).
The hopper device 17 has an internal lid portion 17a that can be opened and closed, and is a device into which unpackaged medicines (tablets) supplied to the medicine packaging device 12 are poured. In this embodiment, medicines are poured into the hopper device 17 with the lid portion 17a in a closed state, and after the medicines remain temporarily inside the hopper device 17, the lid portion 17a transitions to an open state, and the medicines are discharged to the lower side of the hopper device 17.

The bag forming device 18 folds the medicine packaging paper 15 fed by the sheet feeding means 16 in half at approximately the center in the width direction, and after the medicine is poured from the hopper device 17 between the inner surfaces of the folded medicine packaging paper 15, the folded medicine packaging paper 15 is compressed to form a bag.

The cutting device 19 is equipped with a cutter (cutting blade) capable of cutting the medicine packaging paper 15, and forms medicine packaging 25 by cutting the medicine packaging paper 15 that contains medicine inside and is in the shape of a bag (see Figure 3 (a)).

The drug packaging device 12 of this embodiment also has a camera (photographing means) not shown. In this embodiment, the camera is provided at a position where it can photograph the drugs in the hopper device 17, and by photographing the drugs in the hopper device 17, it is possible to perform a pre-packaging confirmation operation (confirmation operation) to confirm whether the drugs contained in the drug package 25 match the prescription contents.

Specifically, the medicines in the hopper device 17 are photographed, and the color of each medicine, the contents of the markings, the number of medicines photographed, and other available information are obtained from the image obtained by photographing.
Then, the number (quantity) and type (drug type) of the medicines to be packaged are identified based on the information obtained by photographing and the medicine confirmation information previously stored in the memory unit of the medicine dispensing device 2. In other words, it identifies how many tablets are to be packaged and what type of tablets are to be packaged.
The "medicine confirmation information" is a database or the like that stores information that can be obtained by photography and information that can identify the type of medicine, such as the medicine name and a number (ID) assigned to the medicine, in association with each other. The "medicine confirmation information" may also be a master image of the medicine. The master image here may be an image (image information) itself that has been created in advance by photography, or may be information that has been stored (registered) in association with the image and the medicine name, etc.

Then, the specified information (information on the number and type of medication) and prescription data, etc. (information created based on the prescription data or prescription, information related to the prescription) are referenced. This executes a discrimination operation to determine whether the number of medications and the type of each medication to be packaged for each packet (for one dosing period) match the contents of the prescription. Then, various operations are performed as required depending on the results of this discrimination operation. That is, if they match, the operation to package the medication is performed as is. On the other hand, if they do not match, the packaging continues, but an operation to notify the user of the discrimination result or an operation to stop packaging is performed.

The confirmation operation performed by the medicine dispensing device 2 of this embodiment is not limited to this, and may be a post-packaging confirmation operation to confirm whether or not the medicine already contained in the medicine package 25 matches the prescription. In this case, a camera (photographing means) (not shown) is provided at a position where the prepared medicine package 25 can be photographed, and at least a part of the medicine packaging paper 15 is made transparent. That is, the medicine package 25 is formed so that the medicine inside can be visually confirmed. Then, the medicine package 25 is photographed to prepare the medicine contained therein, and the same operation as the pre-packaging confirmation operation described above is performed.
The confirmation operation performed by the medicine dispensing device 2 may be either a pre-packaging confirmation operation or a post-packaging confirmation operation, or both. One or more cameras may be provided as necessary.

In addition, in the dispensing operation of producing and dispensing multiple drug packages 25, the drug dispensing device 2 of this embodiment can produce the drug packages 25 individually (single) one by one (see FIG. 3(a)) and dispense them (individual dispensing operation). In addition, it can also produce and dispense drug packaging bands 26 (see FIG. 3(b)) (drug bandage dispensing operation). In either case, in this embodiment, one drug package 25 contains (contains) one dose of drug.

As shown in Fig. 4, the drug packaging band 26 is a continuous body of drug packages 25 formed by connecting a plurality of drug packages 25 in a band shape. The drug packaging band 26 has a header section 28 (attachment) at the beginning, and a plurality of drug packages 25 are continuous following the header section 28. The header section 28 is an empty packet bag (blank packet) that does not contain any drug.
For convenience of drawing, reference numerals are given to only some of the drug packages 25, and reference numerals are omitted for the other drug packages 25. Similarly, in the following description, when the same thing or things with the same main parts are depicted multiple times in each drawing, some reference numerals are omitted as necessary.

The drug dispensing device 2 of this embodiment can produce drug packaging bands 26 in the form of same-patient bands 30 (see FIG. 4(a)) and same-dose bands 31 (see FIG. 4(b)).

The same patient dressing 30 contains multiple drug packages 25 that are prescribed for the same patient and contain drugs that are prescribed at different times (do not overlap). For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4(a), a total of 28 drug packages 25 belong to the same patient dressing 30. The first drug package 25 contains a drug prescribed for Mr. Sato and is to be taken after breakfast on a specific date. The second to fourth drug packages 25 all contain drugs prescribed for the same Mr. Sato and contain drugs to be taken "after lunch", "after dinner", and "before bedtime" on the same day, respectively. The fifth drug package 25 contains a drug prescribed for the same Mr. Sato and is to be taken "after breakfast" on the next day (the day after the above-mentioned specific date).

Similarly, the multiple drug packages 25 belonging to the same patient dressing 30 contain drugs corresponding to 28 doses (4 times per day for 7 days) taken by the same person, Mr. Sato, with each drug package 25 packed with drugs to be taken at one time (at once). In other words, drugs packed in one drug package 25 belonging to the same patient dressing 30 are taken at a different time than drugs packed in any other drug packages 25 belonging to the same patient dressing 30. Note that "different times" here refers to at least one of the date (date) and time of taking the drug (rough time, such as before, between, or after a meal) being different.

In the same-dose-period division bandage 31, the drugs contained in each of the multiple drug packages 25 belonging to the same bandage are drugs prescribed for different patients and taken at the same time. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4(b), a total of 28 drug packages 25 belong to the same dose-period division bandage 31. The first drug package 25 contains a drug prescribed for the first person, Mr. Sato, and is to be taken after breakfast on a specific date. The second drug package 25 contains a drug prescribed for the second person, Mr. Suzuki, and is to be taken after breakfast on the same day. Similarly, drugs for 28 different people are contained in different drug packages 25, and the drugs contained in each drug package 25 are all to be taken at the same time. Note that "at the same time" here means that the date and time of taking the drug are the same.

The above-mentioned drug packaging band 26 (same patient bandage 30, same dosing period bandage 31) is a continuum of multiple drug packages 25 each containing related drugs. Here, multiple drug packages 25 containing such related drugs can also be produced separately one by one by individual dispensing operations. That is, when different drug packages 25 are produced one by one in succession by individual dispensing operations, the multiple drug packages 25 produced in succession may contain drugs prescribed for different patients with the same dosing period in different drug packages 25 for each patient. Similarly, the multiple drug packages 25 produced in succession may contain drugs prescribed for the same patient with different dosing periods in different drug packages 25 for each dosing period.

In addition, when producing one drug package 25 by an individual dispensing operation, it is produced by cutting off each of the leading and trailing ends (the leading and trailing ends in the feeding direction of the drug packaging paper 15) of the part corresponding to one drug package 25 (see Figure 3 (a)).
On the other hand, when preparing the drug packaging strip 26, the leading end of the portion corresponding to the leading portion (the header portion 28 or the first drug package 25) and the trailing end of the portion corresponding to the last drug package 25 are cut (see FIG. 3(b)). In other words, both the drug packages 25 and the drug packaging strip 26 are formed by cutting.

Here, the drug packaging device 12 (see FIG. 2) has a printing means (not shown). Therefore, when producing drug packages 25 (individual drug packages 25 or drug package strips 26), as shown in FIG. 4, the drug packages 25 or their associated parts (header portions 28, etc.) can be printed as desired.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a drug information display 33 is attached to the header section 28 of the drug packaging strip 26. The drug information display 33 is a code (sign or cipher) that includes packaging-related information, which is information about the drug packaging 25 connected to the header section 28 to which the display is attached, and in this embodiment, is a barcode. Note that the drug information display 33 is not limited to a one-dimensional code, and may be a two-dimensional code. It is sufficient that the information can be acquired by a reading device (not shown) described later.

The packaging-related information included in the drug information display 33 is information that can identify a drug contained in a drug package 25 belonging to the drug packaging band 26 to which the drug information display 33 is attached. In other words, by reading the packaging-related information, it is possible to obtain information such as the person who takes the drug contained in the drug package 25 belonging to the drug packaging band 26 (the patient to whom the drug has been prescribed) and the time of taking the drug.
The packaging-related information is information associated with prescription data, etc., and may be information that can identify a drug contained in a drug package 25 belonging to the drug packaging strip 26 together with the prescription data, etc. For example, the packaging-related information may be an ID, etc., of an individually assigned drug packaging strip 26, and this ID and information on the drug contained in the drug package 25 belonging to the drug packaging strip 26 are stored in association with each other as prescription data, etc. (data created from prescription data). Then, by referring to the prescription data based on the packaging-related information, information such as the person taking the drug contained in the drug package 25 and the time of taking the drug is obtained.

In addition, when performing a dispensing operation to dispense the prepared drug packaging 25 (individual drug packaging 25 or drug packaging strip 26), the drug dispensing device 2 can switch between an external dispensing mode and a supply mode.

In the external dispensing mode, a dispensing operation is performed to dispense the medicine packages 25 from a dispensing outlet 37 (see FIG. 1 ) formed in the housing 36 of the medicine dispensing device 2. In this embodiment, when a plurality of medicine packages 25 are dispensed in the external dispensing mode, a medicine packaging band 26 is prepared and dispensed.
The dispensing outlet 37 is a hole that communicates between the inside and outside of the housing 36, and opens in a direction different from the direction in which the medicine setting device 3 is located. Therefore, by dispensing the medicine packaging strip 26 from the dispensing outlet 37, the medicine packaging strip 26 is directly dispensed to a position (location) where a user of the system (such as a pharmacist) can receive it.

The supply mode is a mode in which the drug packaging 25 is supplied to the drug setting device 3, and a dispensing operation is performed to dispense the drug packaging 25 from inside the drug dispensing device 2 to inside the drug setting device 3. In this embodiment, when the drug packaging 25 is supplied to the drug setting device 3, it is dispensed by an individual dispensing operation. That is, the drug packaging 25 is transported one package at a time toward the drug setting device 3 (this transport operation will be described in detail later). In other words, the supply mode is an operation in which the drug packaging 25 is supplied to an apparatus performing a downstream process when a series of operations (described in detail later) of producing and transporting the drug packaging 25 and setting it in the medication calendar 80 is performed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drug setting device 3 has two drug setting device storage sections 40, each consisting of a first drug setting device storage section 40a and a second drug setting device storage section 40b. Each drug setting device storage section 40 is capable of storing multiple medication calendars 80 (described in more detail below).

The first set tool storage section 40a is a portion located on the lower side of the internal space of the housing 42 of the medicine setting device 3, and the second set tool storage section 40b is a portion located above it. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 42 of the medicine setting device 3 is provided with a door section 45. The door section 45 is located on the front side of the first set tool storage section 40a, and the first set tool storage section 40a is opened to the outside by opening the door section 45 (see FIG. 9). That is, it is possible to introduce a plurality of medication calendars 80 into the first set tool storage section 40a (see FIG. 9) and to remove a plurality of medication calendars 80 from the first set tool storage section 40a.
The housing 42 is formed with a door portion 45 and a window portion 46 above it, so that the inside can be seen from the outside even when the door portion 45 is closed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the inside of the drug setting device 3 is provided with a conveying means 50 within the setting device, a first set tool moving device 51, a second set tool moving device 52, a first calendar holding device 53, and a second calendar holding device 54. The drug setting device 3 also has a control unit (not shown) equipped with a calculation unit, a memory unit, and a communication unit. Therefore, the drug setting device 3 can send and receive various signals and information to and from external devices (such as a higher-level control device (not shown), dispensing devices such as the drug setting device 3, and an external PC (not shown)), and can store various information as necessary.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the in-setting device transport means 50 has a base member 57 and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) pickup devices 58 attached to the base member 57 .
The pickup device 58 has an arm portion and a hand portion, and is a device capable of using the hand portion to clamp (grab) the drug package 25. The hand portion is not limited to a gripping tool and may be a vacuum pad or the like, as long as it can grip, clamp, hold, or the like the drug package 25 for transport.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first set tool moving device 51 is a device that grasps one medication calendar 80 in the first set tool storage section 40a and transports it to the second set tool storage section 40b (see FIG. 16, etc.). That is, it has two holding devices that grasp the two left and right held portions 85a (see FIG. 8) of the medication calendar 80, and a belt-type lifting device that raises and lowers the two holding devices.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second set tool moving device 52 is a device that grasps one of the medication calendars 80 in the second set tool storage section 40b and transports it to the first set tool storage section 40a (see FIG. 19, etc.). The second set tool moving device 52 also has two holding devices that grasp the two left and right held portions 85a (see FIG. 8) of the medication calendar 80, and a belt-type lifting device that raises and lowers the two holding devices.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first calendar holding device 53 is a device capable of holding a plurality of medication calendars 80 within the first set tool storage section 40a, and has a one-side holding device 53a and an other-side holding device 53b arranged on the left and right sides, respectively.
The one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b are devices capable of holding one side held portion 85a and the other side held portion 85a of the medication calendar 80, respectively. In addition, each of them has a built-in robot equipped with an engagement piece capable of engaging with one of the held portions 85a, and a moving device formed of a support pulley and a belt (or a sprocket and a rail) that moves the engagement piece in the forward and backward directions.

Therefore, the first calendar holding device 53 is capable of moving the held medication calendar 80 in the forward and backward directions (in the direction approaching the door portion 45) while holding the medication calendar 80 with the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b.
In addition, the first calendar holding device 53 is configured so that the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b can be raised and lowered simultaneously by a belt-type lifting device or the like.

2, the second calendar holding device 54 is a device capable of holding multiple medication calendars 80 within the second set tool storage section 40b, and like the first calendar holding device 53, has a one-side holding device 54a and an other-side holding device 54b arranged on the left and right, respectively. A robot is built into the one-side holding device 54a and the other-side holding device 54b, and while holding the medication calendar 80, it is possible to move the held medication calendar 80 in the forward and backward directions. Specifically, the second calendar holding device 54 can move the medication calendar 80 on the opposite side to the first calendar holding device 53 in a direction away from the door section 45.

As shown in FIG. 2, the drug setting system 1 of this embodiment has an inter-device package transport means 63 that is provided across the drug dispensing device 2 and the drug setting device 3. That is, holes that communicate the inside and outside are provided in the side wall portion of the housing 36 of the drug dispensing device 2 and the side wall portion of the housing 42 of the drug setting device 3 (not shown), and the inter-device package transport means 63 is disposed between the inside of the drug dispensing device 2 and the inside of the drug setting device 3.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the inter-device package transport means 63 has one long-distance conveyor section 64 and multiple short-distance conveyor sections 65 arranged in a row. That is, from the downstream side in the transport direction, it has a first short-distance conveyor section 65a to a fourth short-distance conveyor section 65d. There is a gap between the long-distance conveyor section 64 and the fourth short-distance conveyor section 65d, and between two adjacent short-distance conveyor sections 65. Each conveyor section can be operated and stopped individually.

As shown in FIG. 6, the long-distance conveyor section 64 is made up of an upper conveyor section 67 and a lower conveyor section 68 .
The upper conveyor section 67 has a one-side conveyor section 67a having two pulleys arranged at positions apart in the conveying direction and rotating on a vertical axis, a belt member suspended with tension between the two pulleys, and a roller train section 67b having a plurality of rollers rotating on a vertical axis arranged at intervals in the conveying direction. The rollers belonging to the roller train section 67b are attached so as to rotate idly without being driven independently.
The lower conveyor section 68 is a belt conveyor having two pulleys that rotate on horizontal axes and a belt member suspended with tension between the two pulleys.

As a result, the long-distance conveyor section 64 is capable of transporting the drug packaging 25 in an upright position (see FIG. 13). That is, the drug packaging 25 is placed above the lower conveyor section 68, and is conveyed by being sandwiched between the one-side conveyor section 67a and the rollers belonging to the roller train section 67b.

As shown in FIG. 6, the short-distance conveyor section 65 is also composed of an upper conveyor section 67 and a lower conveyor section 68. These have substantially the same configuration as the long-distance conveyor section 64 described above, except that the conveying distance is shorter, so duplicated detailed explanations will be omitted. Note that the upper conveyor section 67 may have one roller or multiple rollers.

As described above, the drug dispensing device 2 can be switched between an external dispensing mode and a supply mode. As shown in FIG. 7, the drug packaging device 12 of the drug dispensing device 2 is provided with a packet waiting area 70 downstream of the cutting device 19 (see FIG. 3).

The packet waiting area 70 is an area where the drug packages 25 sent from the upstream side (cutting device 19) temporarily wait when performing an individual dispensing operation, etc. A robot arm 73 is provided near the packet waiting area 70 and the inter-device packet transport means 63 (long-distance conveyor section 64). This robot arm 73 is capable of clamping and transporting the drug packages 25.

In the supply mode, one packet of drug packaging 25 produced by cutting device 19 is transported to packet standby area 70 and waits in packet standby area 70. Then, the waiting drug packaging 25 is grasped by robot arm 73 and moved to long-distance conveyor section 64, after which drug packaging 25 is transported by inter-device packet transport means 63 (described in detail below).
Conversely, in the external dispensing mode, the prepared medicine packaging strip 26 (see FIG. 4) passes through the packet waiting area 70, is transported along the discharge path 75, and is dispensed from the dispensing opening 37 (see FIG. 1).

Next, we will explain the medication calendar 80 (medication setting device) that sets the drug packaging 25 in the drug setting system 1 of this embodiment (described in detail below).

As shown in FIG. 8, the medication calendar 80 is also called a medicine calendar, and is made up of a sheet-like (flat) base material 81 and a number of medication storage sections 82. The medication calendar 80 also has an electronic paper 83 (information display section), a hanging hook section 84, and a rod-shaped section 85 for holding.

The medicine storage section 82 is a pocket-shaped (bag-shaped) section that is structured so that items can be placed inside from the top. Each medicine storage section 82 is formed so that it can store one or more medicine packages 25.

In the medication calendar 80 of this embodiment, the medicine containing sections 82 are distributed in a planar matrix when viewed from the front. In this embodiment, 28 medicine containing sections 82 are provided in a 4×7 matrix.
More specifically, this medication calendar 80 is a group medication calendar 80 (first medication set device) for a group including 28 different people. That is, each of the multiple medication storage sections 82 is a section for storing medication packages 25 that contain medications prescribed for different people (patients). Also, the medication packages 25 stored in each of the multiple medication storage sections 82 contain medications to be taken at the same time (after breakfast on a certain month and day).
In other words, this medication calendar 80 contains a plurality of medication packages 25 each containing medications that are prescribed to different patients and have the same dosing timing.

The electronic paper 83 is a visual display medium that allows predetermined display content, such as characters, to be electrically rewritten. Specifically, the electronic paper 83 is capable of changing the display content based on a signal received from an external device, and has an internal battery. In addition, after the display content has been displayed (or rewritten), the display content is maintained even in a power-off state. Note that "characters, etc." here refers to letters, numbers, symbols, figures, graphs, tables, pictures, or other codes.

Here, the medicine setting device 3 of the present embodiment is capable of performing a set tool information display operation for displaying, on the electronic paper 83, information (set tool related information) relating to the medication calendar 80 to which the electronic paper 83 is attached.
The "setting tool related information" referred to here may be information about the medication calendar 80 to which the electronic paper 83 displaying information is attached, as well as information about the medication package 25 to be contained in the medication calendar 80. For example, it may be the name of the facility in which the medication calendar 80 is used, or the name of the hospital, ward, or room in which the medication calendar 80 is used. It may also be the date and time of administration of the medication package 25 contained in the medication calendar 80, or information identifying the inspector who inspected the medication contained in the medication package 25 (inspector name, staff ID, etc.). Furthermore, it may be a plurality of the above-mentioned pieces of information.
In addition, as the "setting tool related information", a one-dimensional code such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark) may be displayed as identification information. In other words, information whose contents cannot be directly confirmed by visual inspection may be used as the "setting tool related information". In this case, an external device equipped with a scanner or the like may read the setting tool related information, so that the external device may obtain information about the drug package 25 contained in the medication calendar 80 displaying the setting tool related information. Furthermore, this external device may be in a state in which it is possible to transmit and receive signals to and from devices belonging to the drug setting system 1. In other words, the above-mentioned information about the drug package 25 may be obtained based on the information obtained by reading the setting tool related information and the information stored in the memory unit of any of the devices belonging to the drug setting system 1.

For example, in the example of FIG. 8, one of the multiple electronic papers 83 displays, as set-tool related information, a group identification display showing the name of the group to which multiple patients belong, and a dosage time specific display showing the time of administration. The group identification display is the part that displays the characters "Group A", and the dosage time specific display is the part that displays the characters "XX month XX day after breakfast".

In addition, the base material 81 has recipient identification information corresponding to each medicine containing section 82 written in a position adjacent to each medicine containing section 82. The recipient identification information is information that identifies which patient (recipient) the medicine package 25 to be contained (set) in the corresponding medicine containing section 82 belongs to. Specifically, it is the portion in which the recipient's surname is written in characters, and in the example in the upper left of Figure 8 (the medicine containing section 82 in the (1,1) element of the matrix), it is the portion written as "Sato". In other words, the medicine containing section 82 corresponding to the recipient identification information "Sato" contains the medicine package 25 that contains the medicine that Sato will take after breakfast on this month and day. The same is true for the other medicine containing sections 82.

The hanging hook 84 is used to hang the medication calendar 80 from the hanging rod 93 of the cart 88 (see Figure 9), and extends upward from the top of the base material 81 so that the tip is curved.

The held rod portion 85 is a portion that extends in the left-right direction (horizontal and width direction) when the medication calendar 80 is viewed from the front. This held rod portion 85 has a held portion 85a at one end and the other end in the left-right direction. One held portion 85a is a portion that extends in a cantilever shape from a portion where one end (left end) of the base material 81 is located toward the outside (left side), and the other held portion 85a is a portion that extends in a cantilever shape from a portion where the other end (right end) of the base material 81 is located toward the outside (right side). In other words, the held portions 85a are located at the same height, and both are located outside the base material 81 in the width direction of the base material 81.

The hanging hook portion 84 and the held rod portion 85 may be formed as a single unit. In this case, the lower end of the held rod portion 85 may be formed into a clip, for example, to make the hanging hook portion 84 and the held rod portion 85 separable (detachable) from the base material 81.

Next, a procedure for forming a medication calendar group (medicine set device group) using the medicine set system 1 of this embodiment will be described.
A medication calendar group is a group of a plurality of medication calendars 80, and each medication calendar 80 belonging to the group is in a state in which all the medication packages 25 to be set have been set. In one medication calendar 80, the state in which "all the medication packages 25 to be set have been set" means that, in the case where there are one or more medication packages 25 to be stored in each of the plurality of medication storage sections of the medication calendar 80, all of them are stored, and the medication storage section 82 to be emptied is empty.

In this embodiment, a multiple target set operation is possible in which all of the drug packaging 25 to be set on each of the multiple medication calendars 80 is set, and this multiple target set operation can target up to 28 medication calendars 80.
In other words, when the number of medication calendars 80 belonging to a medication calendar group is 28 or less, it is possible to form the medication calendar group by performing a single multiple target set operation. In the following description, a case where a medication calendar group to which 28 medication calendars belong is formed will be described.

In addition, the multiple medication calendars 80 belonging to the medication calendar group formed in this embodiment are each used at a different time of year. That is, the time of taking the medicine contained in the medicine package 25 set in each medication calendar 80 is different for each medication calendar 80.
That is, the first medication calendar 80 is for setting the medication package 25 containing medication to be taken after breakfast on the xth month and xth day (see FIG. 8). The next, second medication calendar 80 is for setting the medication package 25 containing medication to be taken after lunch on the same day (see FIG. 17). Similarly, the third, fourth, and fifth medication calendars 80 (detailed illustrations omitted) set the medication package 25 containing the medication to be taken after dinner on the same day, before going to bed on the same day, and after breakfast the next day, respectively.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 15 and 17, for example, all of the medicine containers 82 in the (1,1) component of the matrix are assigned to "Sato", and all of the medicine containers 82 in the (1,2) component of the matrix are assigned to "Suzuki". In other words, the same patient is assigned to the medicine containers 82 in corresponding parts of the multiple medication calendars 80 (medication packages 25 containing medicines prescribed for the same patient are set inside).

For example, the medication containers 82 in the (1,1) and (1,2) components of the first medication calendar 80 are set with medication packages 25 that contain medications to be taken by Sato and Suzuki after breakfast on the xth of the month, respectively. Similarly, the medication containers 82 in the (1,1) and (1,2) components of the second medication calendar 80 are set with medication packages 25 that contain medications to be taken by Sato and Suzuki after lunch on the xth of the month, respectively. In this way, medication packages 25 that contain medications prescribed for the same patient are set in corresponding parts of each medication calendar 80, and medication packages 25 that contain medications to be taken at the same time are set in the same medication calendar 80.

In the medicine setting system 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a calendar introduction process is executed in which multiple medication calendars 80 are introduced into the medicine setting device 3 by a cart 88. Note that in the calendar introduction process, the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be introduced at one time is half the maximum number (28) of medication calendars 80 that can be targeted in the multiple target set operation, which is 14 in this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 10, the cart 88 has a handle 89 that is held by the user, a connecting part 90, a wheel mounting part 91, multiple casters 92 (wheels) (four in this embodiment), and a hanging rod part 93.

The connecting part 90 is a frame-shaped part that is located between the handle part 89 and the wheel mounting part 91 and connects them together.

The wheel mounting portion 91 is a frame-like portion that has a roughly rectangular ring shape in plan view, and the caster 92 is fixed to its lower side.

The hanging rod portion 93 is a rod-shaped portion that is provided forward of the handle portion 89 and extends in the front-rear direction (horizontal direction). In this embodiment, the hanging rod portion 93 has a locking recess 93a formed on the upper side that can lock the above-mentioned hanging hook portion 84 (see FIG. 8 ). A plurality of locking recesses 93a (14 in this embodiment) are provided and are arranged in parallel in the longitudinal direction of the hanging rod portion 93.
The cart 88 of this embodiment is of a type that is used by a person holding a handle 89 located at the rear and pushing it forward (see FIG. 10).

In the calendar introduction process, as shown in FIG. 9, multiple medication calendars 80 are hung from the hanging rod portion 93 of the cart 88, so that the multiple medication calendars 80 are locked to the cart 88. That is, the hanging hook portion 84 (see FIG. 8) of each medication calendar 80 is locked to the locking recess 93a (see FIG. 10).

At this time, each of the medication calendars 80 is hung with the front side (the side on which the medicine container 82 is located) facing backward in the direction of travel.
Here, the multiple medication calendars 80 introduced in the calendar introduction step are all medication calendars 80 for the same target group and are of the same shape (approximately the same shape). That is, the size of each base material 81, the number of drug storage sections 82, the position of each drug storage section 82 relative to the base material 81, the positions and sizes of the drug storage sections 82 in corresponding parts (where the matrix components are the same), etc. are the same. In addition, the positions of other parts (electronic paper 83, hanging hook section 84, held rod section 85) relative to the base material 81, the number and size of each other part, etc. are the same. That is, the multiple medication calendars 80 all have the same number of drug storage sections 82 arranged in the same distribution (see Figures 15 and 17).

When a part or the whole of the cart 88 and the plurality of medication calendars 80 are introduced into the first set tool storage section 40a, as shown in Fig. 11, the one-side holding device 53a of the first calendar holding device 53 is located below one of the held portions 85a of each of the plurality of medication calendars 80. The other-side holding device 53b of the first calendar holding device 53 is located below the other held portion 85a.
At this time, the wheel mounting portion 91 and the plurality of casters 92 of the cart 88 are positioned within a gap 95 formed below the medicine setting device 3 (inter-device package transport means 63) (see FIG. 9).

In this state, the operation of lifting the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b is executed. As a result, the multiple medication calendars 80 held by the cart 88 are held by the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b (see FIG. 11(b)). That is, for each medication calendar 80, one of the held portions 85a is held (placed) by the one-side holding device 53a, and the other of the held portions 85a is held (placed) by the other-side holding device 53b. In addition, the hanging hook portion 84 transitions from a state in which it is engaged (hanging) by the hanging rod portion 93 to a state in which it is released from the engagement.
In addition, the operation of raising the one-side holding device 53a and the other-side holding device 53b may be performed on the condition that a sensor provided in the first set tool storage section 40a detects the cart 88, or may be performed when the user makes a specified input to the display device 4.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, multiple medication calendars 80 are arranged in the first set tool storage section 40a and held by the first calendar holding device 53. In this state, the cart 88 is removed (discharged) and the door section 45 is closed. The cart 88 may be manually discharged by a person, or may be automatically discharged by providing a push-out mechanism (push-out section) not shown.

In this embodiment, before starting the operation of setting the medication packages 25, the medication setting device 3 sends a signal to the electronic paper 83 of all introduced medication calendars 80, causing the electronic paper 83 to execute the above-mentioned operation of displaying the setting tool information. This operation of displaying information on the electronic paper 83 may be executed during the operation of setting multiple objects of the medication packages 25, or may be executed after the operation of setting multiple objects is completed. It may be executed between the time when the medication calendar 80 is introduced into the medication setting device 3 and the time when it is removed. In this embodiment, the medication setting device 3 acquires or creates information to be displayed on the electronic paper 83 based on the prescription data, and displays it.

Here, a package setting area 98 is provided on the front side of the first set tool storage section 40a (near the door section 45 (see FIG. 1)), and an operation is performed to set the drug package 25 on the medication calendar 80 arranged in the package setting area 98. This package setting area 98 may be formed by providing a mechanism capable of holding the medication calendar 80 on the front side of the first calendar holding device 53. That is, it may be an area where the medication calendar 80 held by the mechanism is located. It may also be an area where the medication calendar 80 held on the frontmost side of the first calendar holding device 53 is located.
When multiple medication calendars 80 are introduced into the first set tool storage section 40a, one medication calendar 80 is positioned in the package set area 98 (or moved to the package set area 98).

On the other hand, the medicine dispensing device 2 dispenses the medicine packages 25 in the supply mode.
That is, as described above, drug packages 25 are prepared one by one and transported to long-distance conveyor section 64. Then, drug packages 25 introduced into long-distance conveyor section 64 are transported to a predetermined position as shown in FIG.

Specifically, the drug package 25 introduced into the long-distance conveyor section 64 is transported via the long-distance conveyor section 64 to one of the four short-distance conveyor sections 65, and is made to wait at that short-distance conveyor section 65. That is, the first short-distance conveyor section 65a to the fourth short-distance conveyor section 65d become the first waiting position to the fourth waiting position for the drug package 25, respectively.

First, when transporting the drug package 25 to the first short-distance conveyor section 65a, the long-distance conveyor section 64 and the four short-distance conveyor sections 65 are operated. Then, after the drug package 25 is transported by the long-distance conveyor section 64, the drug package 25 is transferred from the long-distance conveyor section 64 to the fourth short-distance conveyor section 65d. At this time, first, a part of the drug package 25 is located on the lower conveyor section 68 of the long-distance conveyor section 64, and another part is located on the lower conveyor section 68 of the fourth short-distance conveyor section 65d (the drug package 25 straddles the gap between the conveyors). After this state, the drug package 25 is transported by the fourth short-distance conveyor section 65d.

Similarly, the drug packaging 25 is transferred from the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d to the third short distance conveyor section 65c, then from the third short distance conveyor section 65c to the second short distance conveyor section 65b, and then from the second short distance conveyor section 65b to the first short distance conveyor section 65a. Then, the operation of the first short distance conveyor section 65a is stopped, so that the drug packaging 25 is placed in a waiting state at the first waiting position (first short distance conveyor section 65a).

When transporting the drug packaging 25 to the second short distance conveyor section 65b, the long distance conveyor section 64 and the second short distance conveyor section 65b to the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d are operated, and the first short distance conveyor section 65a is stopped. Then, following the same procedure as above, the drug packaging 25 is transferred in the order of the long distance conveyor section 64, the fourth short distance conveyor section 65d, the third short distance conveyor section 65c, and the second short distance conveyor section 65b. Then, by stopping the operation of the second short distance conveyor section 65b, the drug packaging 25 is placed in a waiting state at the second waiting position (second short distance conveyor section 65b).

In other words, when the drug packaging 25 is to be transported to any one of the short-distance conveyor sections 65, the operation of the short-distance conveyor section 65 located downstream of the destination short-distance conveyor section 65 is stopped, and the transport is performed with the other conveyor sections operating. For example, when the drug packaging 25 is to be transported to the third short-distance conveyor section 65c, the operation of the first short-distance conveyor section 65a and the second short-distance conveyor section 65b is stopped, and when the drug packaging 25 is to be transported to the fourth short-distance conveyor section 65d, the operation of the first short-distance conveyor section 65a to the third short-distance conveyor section 65c is stopped.

When there are multiple transport destinations, priority is given to transporting destinations that are further downstream. For example, when transporting two separately formed drug packages 25 to the first and third waiting positions, respectively, transport is performed to the first waiting position, and then transport is performed to the third waiting position. Therefore, when transporting four separately formed drug packages 25 to four waiting positions, transport is performed in the order of the first waiting position, transport to the second waiting position, transport to the third waiting position, and transport to the fourth waiting position.

Next, with the drug package 25 waiting at one or more of the multiple (four) waiting positions, the drug package 25 is transported from the waiting position to the drug storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80 by the transport means 50 in the setting device, as shown in Figures 14 and 15.

In other words, the medicine setting system 1 of this embodiment has a package transport means that transports the medicine package 25 from the production position (the position where it is produced) to the medicine storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80. As shown in FIG. 5, this package transport means is composed of an internal transport path (not shown) of the medicine packaging device 12, a robot arm 73 in the medicine dispensing device 2, an inter-device package transport means 63, and an in-device transport means 50.

As shown in FIG. 14, each pickup device 58 of the conveying means 50 within the setting device corresponds to a different waiting position. Specifically, the four pickup devices 58 correspond to the first waiting position to the fourth waiting position from the left. Each pickup device 58 is capable of clamping a drug package 25 at the corresponding waiting position.

Therefore, when the drug packaging 25 is transported by the transport means 50 within the setting device, multiple (four) pickup devices 58 are simultaneously brought close to multiple (four) waiting positions. Then, when a drug packaging 25 is present at each of the four pickup devices 58 corresponding to the waiting positions, the four pickup devices 58 clamp the drug packaging 25. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, when a drug packaging 25 is waiting at each of the four waiting positions, each of the four pickup devices 58 clamps the drug packaging 25 at the waiting position corresponding to the pickup device 58.

Then, the base member 57 and the four pickup devices 58 are moved upward (see FIG. 14) and positioned near the medication calendar 80 arranged in the package setting area 98 (see FIG. 15(a)).
Here, the in-setting device conveying means 50 executes an operation of setting the drug packages 25 for each row of the multiple drug containing units 82 arranged in a matrix. That is, the four pickup devices 58 move to the upper side of the drug containing units 82 belonging to a predetermined row (the first row at the top in FIG. 15 ) and release (release) the drug packages 25 that they were holding, thereby putting (inserting) the drug packages 25 into the drug containing units 82.

In this way, in the multiple target setting operation, an operation of setting the drug packaging 25 that should (needs to) be set in the drug storage section 82 belonging to the first row (hereinafter referred to as the first row setting operation) is performed on the first medication calendar 80a. Then, when the first row setting operation is performed on the first medication calendar 80a, as shown in FIG. 16, the first set tool moving device 51 (see FIG. 2) moves the first medication calendar 80a from the package setting area 98 to the second set tool storage section 40b. Then, the first medication calendar 80a is held by the second calendar holding device 54 of the second set tool storage section 40b.

Around the same time (or at the same time), the second medication calendar 80b is moved to the package setting area 98. Then, the first row setting operation is executed for the second medication calendar 80b (see FIG. 17).
That is, an operation (partial setting operation) is performed to set the medicine packages 25 that need to be set in only some (only the medicine containers 82 belonging to the first row) of the medicine containers 82 of the first medication calendar 80a. Then, before performing an operation to set the medicine packages 25 that need to be set in the medicine containers 82 of other rows of the first medication calendar 80a, an operation to set the medicine packages 25 that need to be set is performed in only some of the second medication calendar 80b.

In other words, after the operation of setting the drug packages 25 on one medication calendar 80a is started, when only a part of all the drug packages 25 to be set have been set (when the partial setting operation has been performed), the operation of setting the drug packages 25 on one medication calendar 80a is temporarily interrupted. Then, before all the drug packages 25 to be set on one medication calendar 80a have been set, the operation of setting the drug packages 25 on another medication calendar 80b is started.
In this case, the medicine containers 82 in which the medicine packages 25 are set in the first medication calendar 80a and the medicine containers 82 in which the medicine packages 25 are set in the second medication calendar 80b both belong to the first row. In other words, they are corresponding parts of the multiple medicine containers 82 arranged in the same distribution on each of the medication calendars 80a and 80b.

When the first row set operation is completed for the second medication calendar 80b (see FIG. 17(b)), the second medication calendar 80b is moved to the second set tool storage section 40b (not shown) in the same manner as the first medication calendar 80a. By repeating this process, as shown in FIG. 18(a), multiple (14) medication calendars 80 are held in the second set tool storage section 40b. At this time, the multiple medication calendars 80 held in the second set tool storage section 40b have all already undergone the first row set operation.

In this embodiment, the medication calendars are moved sequentially from the first medication calendar 80a to the second set tool storage section 40b, with the medication calendar 80 moved next being positioned in front of the medication calendar 80 moved immediately before. Therefore, the 14 medication calendars 80 held in the second set tool storage section 40b at this time are lined up in the order of the first medication calendar 80a, the second medication calendar 80b, etc., from the back. At this time, each medication calendar 80 is also oriented with the front side facing the front.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 18(a), multiple (14) new medication calendars 80 are introduced into the first set storage section 40a, and the door section 45 is closed (see FIG. 18(b)). This introduction is performed in the same manner as described above. These multiple (14) medication calendars 80 are the remaining medication calendars 80 in the medication calendar group described above.

Then, the multiple target set operation continues. That is, as shown in FIG. 19(a), for the 15th medication calendar 80 (the first of the multiple newly introduced medication calendars 80), this medication calendar 80 is moved to the package set area 98 as necessary, and the first row set operation is performed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 19(b), an operation is performed to move the 15th medication calendar 80 from the package set area 98 to the second set tool storage section 40b, and an operation is performed to move the 16th medication calendar 80 to the package set area 98. In addition, an operation is performed to move the first medication calendar 80 from the second set tool storage section 40b to the first set tool storage section 40a. Specifically, the first medication calendar 80 is moved to the rear side of the 28th medication calendar 80. These operations may be performed in parallel, or may be performed one by one in a predetermined order.

When the first row set operation is performed on the 16th medication calendar 80, the operation of moving this medication calendar 80 to the second set tool storage section 40b and the operation of moving the 17th medication calendar 80 to the package set area 98 are performed in the same manner as described above (not shown). In addition, the operation of moving the second medication calendar 80 from the second set tool storage section 40b to the first set tool storage section 40a is performed (not shown). Then, by repeating this operation, as shown in FIG. 20(a), all (28) medication calendars 80 introduced into the medicine setting device 3 have already undergone the first row set operation.

At this time, the multiple (14) medication calendars 80 introduced in advance are positioned in the first set tool storage section 40a, and the first medication calendar 80a, the second medication calendar 80b, the third medication calendar 80, etc. are lined up in this order from the front side. At this time, the front side of each medication calendar 80 faces the front side.
The remaining (14) medication calendars 80 introduced next are positioned in the second set tool storage section 40b. At this time, the 15th (first of the newly introduced) medication calendar 80, the 16th (second of the newly introduced) medication calendar 80, the 17th medication calendar 80, and so on are lined up in this order from the back, with the front side facing the front side.

Next, for each medication calendar 80, an operation is performed to set the medication package 25 to be set in the medication storage section 82 belonging to the second row (the second row from the top) (hereinafter referred to as the second row set operation).

That is, the operation of moving the first medication calendar 80 to the package set area 98 as necessary is performed, and the second row set operation is performed on the first medication calendar 80 (see FIG. 21). Then, the operation of moving the first medication calendar 80 for which the second row set operation has been completed to the second set tool storage section 40b and the operation of moving the second medication calendar 80 to the package set area 98 are performed (see FIG. 20(b)). In addition, the operation of moving the 15th medication calendar 80 (the first of the newly introduced ones) from the second set tool storage section 40b to the first set tool storage section 40a is performed. Then, by repeating this operation, all (28) medication calendars 80 introduced into the medicine setting device 3 have already been subjected to the first row set operation and the second row set operation.

Similarly, the operation of executing the third row set operation for each of all (28) medication calendars 80 is performed in this order, followed by the operation of executing the fourth row set operation for each of them, and the fifth row set operation for each of them. In this manner, the operation of executing the αth row set operation (a partial set operation, where α is an integer of 1 or more and is the number of rows) for each of all medication calendars 80 is repeated, starting from the top row. The αth row set operation is an operation of setting the medication package 25 that needs to be set in the medication storage section 82 belonging to the target row. In this embodiment, by performing the seventh row set operation, all of the medication packages 25 that need to be set are set in each of all (28) medication calendars 80. In other words, a medication calendar group is formed.

At this time, the multiple (14) medication calendars 80 introduced earlier are positioned in the first set tool storage section 40a, and the remaining multiple (14) medication calendars 80 are positioned in the second set tool storage section 40b. Then, the door section 45 is opened from the closed state, the cart 88 is introduced into the first set tool storage section 40a, and the multiple medication calendars 80 are removed from the first set tool storage section 40a in the reverse order to the above-mentioned introduction. After that, the multiple (14) medication calendars 80 held in the second set tool storage section 40b are moved to the first set tool storage section 40a, and the operation of removing the multiple medication calendars 80 from the first set tool storage section 40a is performed in the same manner.

In the above-mentioned αth row setting operation, among the multiple drug storage units 82 belonging to the target row, the drug storage unit 82 that has the drug package 25 to be set is set with that drug storage unit 82, while the drug package 25 is not set in the drug storage unit 82 that is to be emptied.

For example, as shown in Fig. 22, the first medication calendar 80 sets the medication package 25 containing the medication to be taken after breakfast on a specified day (see Fig. 22(a)). The second medication calendar 80 sets the medication package 25 containing the medication to be taken after lunch on the same day (see Fig. 22(b)). Then, the medication containers 82 belonging to the first row of each medication calendar 80 are assigned to "Sato", "Suzuki", "Takahashi", and "Watanabe" from the left. Then, the medication to be taken after breakfast on a specified day is prescribed to each of the four people, and the medication to be taken after lunch on a specified day is prescribed to the three people, "Sato", "Takahashi", and "Watanabe".
In such a case, in the first row setting operation for the first medication calendar 80, the target drug packages 25 are set in the four drug storage units 82. Then, in the first row setting operation for the second medication calendar 80 to be executed subsequently, the target drug packages 25 are set in the three drug storage units 82. Specifically, of the four pickup devices 58, the pickup device 58 associated with the second column of the matrix (the drug storage unit 82 assigned to "Suzuki") does not hold (carry) the drug package 25. Meanwhile, the three pickup devices 58 associated with the other columns each hold a drug package 25. Then, the pickup device 58 that does not hold (carry) the drug package 25 does not set the drug package 25 in the associated drug storage unit 82, and sets the drug package 25 in the drug storage unit 82 associated with the other three pickup devices 58. As a result, no medicine package 25 is set in the medicine storage section 82 in the (1,2) component of the matrix assigned to "Suzuki", but medicine packages 25 are set in other medicine storage sections 82 in the same row.

In addition, in the above-mentioned multiple target set operation, when the αth row set operation is performed on multiple medication calendars 80 one by one, it may be the case that all of the drug storage sections 82 belonging to the target row in one of the medication calendars 80 should be emptied.
In this case, the αth row setting operation may not be performed on that medication calendar 80, and it may be moved from the package setting area 98.

For example, in a first medication calendar 80, there are medication packages 25 that should be set in each of the four medication containers 82 in the first row, and in a second medication calendar 80, all of the four medication containers 82 in the first row should be emptied.
In this case, when the first row set operation is performed on each of the multiple medication calendars 80, after the first row set operation is performed on the first medication calendar 80, the first medication calendar 80 is moved from the package set area 98. Then, after the second medication calendar 80 is moved to the package set area 98, the second medication calendar 80 may be moved from the package set area 98 without performing the first row set operation on the second medication calendar 80.

Further, as shown in FIG. 23, the αth row setting operation in the case where a plurality of medicine packages 25 are set in one medicine container 82 will be described.
Specifically, we will explain the case where, in one medication calendar 80, of the four drug storage sections 82 belonging to the first row, there are two drug packages 25 to be set in one drug storage section 82 in the (1,1) element of the matrix, and one drug package 25 to be set in each of the other three drug storage sections 82.
In this case, first, an operation is performed to transport four drug packages 25 from the standby position, and one drug package 25 is set in each drug container 82 belonging to the first row (see FIG. 23(a)). Then, without moving the medication calendar 80 from the package setting area 98, an operation is performed to transport one drug package 25 from the standby position, and one drug package 25 is set in the drug container 82 at the (1,1) component of the matrix (see FIG. 23(b)). As a result, a total of two drug packages 25 are set in the drug container 82 at the (1,1) component of the matrix, and one drug package 25 is set in each of the other three drug containers 82 belonging to the first row.

In other words, in the αth row setting operation for one medication calendar 80, the operation of transporting the drug package 25 from the standby position and setting it in the drug storage unit 82 may be performed once or multiple times. In addition, the number of times this operation is performed is the maximum number of drug packages 25 to be set in each of the drug storage units 82 belonging to the target row.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the drug package 25 was set on a drug calendar 80 (see FIG. 8) that contains multiple drug packages 25, each of which contains drugs prescribed to different patients with the same dosing timing. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 24, an operation may be performed to set the drug package 25 on a drug calendar 100 (drug setting device, second drug setting device) that contains multiple drug packages 25, each of which contains drugs prescribed to a single patient with different dosing timings.

25, the multiple target setting operation may be an operation of setting all the medicine packages 25 to be set on one medication calendar 100 and repeating this (second setting operation). In other words, the multiple target setting operation is not limited to the operation of performing partial setting operations on the above-mentioned multiple medication calendars 80 one by one and repeating this (first setting operation).
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 25, the first medication calendar 100 is moved to the package set area 98, and the first row set operation is performed on the first medication calendar 100 (see FIG. 25(a)). After that, the first medication calendar 80 is placed in the package set area 98, and the second row set operation is performed on the first medication calendar 80 (see FIG. 25(b)). Similarly, the seventh row set operation (see FIG. 25(c)) is performed sequentially, and all the drug packages 25 to be set on the first medication calendar 80 are set. Then, the first medication calendar 80 is moved to the second set tool storage section 40b, and the second medication calendar 80 is moved to the package set area 98. Similarly, an operation is performed to set all the drug packages 25 to be set on each of the multiple medication calendars 80 one by one. This forms a medication calendar group.

Also, as shown in FIG. 26, the medication calendar 101 (medication setting device) in which the medication packages 25 are set may be a group medication calendar 80 (first medication setting device) for a group of seven different people. This medication calendar 80 corresponds to a specific date (day of the week), and the medication storage sections 82 arranged in a matrix are assigned to different patients by row and different dosing times by column.

In the above embodiment, the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be introduced at one time is half (14) of the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be targeted in the multiple target set operation, but the present invention is not limited to this. By enlarging the housing 42 of the drug set device 3, the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be introduced at one time may be the same as the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be targeted in the multiple target set operation (28). In this case, the number of medication calendars 80 that can be held on the cart 88 (that can be hung from the hanging rod portion 93) may also be the same as the maximum number of medication calendars 80 that can be targeted in the multiple target set operation (28). In this case, the multiple target set operation can be performed continuously without interruption. In addition, the operation of moving the medication calendar 80 that has been moved to the second set tool storage section 40b after the αth row set operation to the first set tool storage section 40a may be performed at an appropriate timing. In addition, it is preferable that the medication calendar 80 that has been moved to the second set tool storage section 40b after the αth row set operation is performed is moved from the second set tool storage section 40b to the first set tool storage section 40a before the αth row set operation for the last (28th) medication calendar 80 is completed.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which either an individual package production operation in which individual drug packages 25 are produced one by one using a cutting device 19, or a band production operation in which a drug package band 26 is produced, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the cutting device 19 may be configured to produce only the drug packaging strip 26, and when performing the individual packet production operation, an operation of cutting the drug packaging strip 26 may be performed at another position downstream of the cutting device 19. That is, a second cutting device (cutting means) may be provided in a portion of the drug dispensing device 2 that is downstream of the cutting device 19 of the drug packaging device 12, and when performing the individual packet production operation, the second cutting device may cut the drug packaging strip 26 to form individual drug packages 25.

A packaging strip cutting device (cutting means) may also be provided between the drug dispensing device 2 and the drug setting device 3. That is, the drug packaging strip 26 may be supplied (transported) from the drug dispensing device 2 to the packaging strip cutting device, the drug packaging strip 26 may be cut by the packaging strip cutting device to produce individual drug packages 25, and the drug packages 25 may be supplied one by one from the packaging strip cutting device to the drug setting device 3.

Also, a cutting device (cutting means) and a packet standby section for holding individual drug packages 25 on standby may be provided inside the drug setting device 3, and the drug packaging strip 26 may be supplied from the drug dispensing device 2 to the drug setting device 3. That is, the drug setting device 3 cuts the supplied drug packaging strip 26 to prepare individual drug packages 25, and transports the prepared drug packages 25 to the packet standby section. The drug packages 25 are then transported from the packet standby section to below the pickup device 58 by a robot arm or conveyor. In this case, it is preferable that the drug packaging strip 26 supplied to the drug setting device 3 is a single patient's worth of bandages 30.
That is, the production of the individual medicine packages 25 by cutting may be performed by any device (any equipment) belonging to the medicine set system 1.

Here, in the drug storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80, in addition to the drug packaging 25 described above, drug packaging (or drug containers) with shapes that are difficult to handle with the device, or drug packaging containing drugs that are preferably handled by hand, may be set.
In such a case, in a multiple target setting operation, no drug packaging may be set in the drug storage section 82 in which such drug packaging (or drug container) should be set, and only those drug packages that can be set by the drug setting device 3 may be set among the drug packages to be set.

In other words, the multiple target setting operation described above is an operation of setting all of the drug packages 25 to be set on each of the multiple medication calendars 80, but the present invention is not limited to this. The multiple target setting operation may be an operation of setting only a portion (only those that can be set by the drug setting device 3) of all of the drug packages 25 to be set on each of the multiple medication calendars 80. In such a case, after the multiple target setting operation is completed, an operation of manually setting the drug packages on appropriate ones of the multiple medication calendars 80 removed from the drug setting device 3 may be performed by a person.

In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which information to be displayed on the electronic paper 83 is acquired or created based on prescription data, and the created information is displayed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each medicine package 25 may be provided with an information display such as a code capable of acquiring information about itself, and the medicine setting device 3 may be provided with an information acquisition means for reading information from the code, and the information acquired from the medicine package 25 may be displayed on the electronic paper 83. In addition, the information acquired from the medicine package 25 and information that can be acquired or created from information based on prescription data may be displayed on the electronic paper 83.
Similarly, characters printed on the medicine packaging 25 may be read (character analysis) and the read characters or information that can be obtained or created from the read characters and information based on the prescription data may be displayed on the electronic paper 83.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the α-th row set operation was performed as the partial set operation, and the α-th row set operation was performed in order from the top row of the medication calendar 80. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The partial set operation may be performed, for example, on a predetermined column. That is, it is sufficient that a predetermined portion of all the medicine storage sections 82 of the medication calendar 80 is the target of the operation. The α-th row set operation may also be performed in order from the bottom row. That is, when multiple partial set operations are performed on one medication calendar 80, the order of the portions (partial medicine storage sections 82) that are the target of the operation in each of the first to nth set operations may be changed as appropriate. For example, the α-th row set operation may be performed by performing the fifth row set operation and then performing the second row set operation.

In the above embodiment, the medicine dispensing device 2 is a tablet packaging machine, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the medicine dispensing device 2 may be a powder medicine packaging machine that packages powder medicine into packaging paper for each dose based on prescription data. This powder medicine packaging machine may be capable of performing a dispensing operation with automatic supply and a dispensing operation with manual supply, similar to the tablet packaging machine described above. In the dispensing operation with automatic supply, a weighing operation may be performed to measure the weight of the powder medicine.

Next, we will explain the medicine setting device 201 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the following explanation, the same parts as those described above will be given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

The medicine setting device 201 of this embodiment has a medicine bag supplying device 202, a main body device 203, and a display device 4. The main body device 203 has a structure substantially identical to that of the medicine setting device 3 in the above-mentioned embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted. In other words, the medicine setting device 201 of this embodiment is formed by integrating the medicine setting device 3 and the medicine bag supplying device 202 described above.
The medicine package supplying device 202 also has a control unit (not shown) equipped with a calculation unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit, and is capable of transmitting and receiving various signals and various information between external devices (such as a host control device (not shown), a dispensing device such as a medicine packaging machine, and an external PC (not shown)). Also, various information can be stored.

The medicine bag supplying device 202 has a housing 236 provided with a plurality (four) of drawer groups 220 (packaging supply unit groups) consisting of a first drawer group 220a to a fourth drawer group 220d.
Each of the plurality of drawer groups 220 has a plurality of drawer sections 222 (medicine packaging supply sections), and in this embodiment has two drawer sections 222 consisting of a first drawer section 222a and a second drawer section 222b. At this time, the plurality of drawer groups 220 are formed at positions offset in the horizontal direction.

As shown in FIG. 28, the drug package supply device 202 includes a supply side package transport means 225 inside that transports drug packages 25 from each drawer 222 to the inter-device package transport means 263 below.

Here, the drug setting device 201 of this embodiment has a package transport means for transporting the drug package 25 from the production position (the position where it is produced) to the drug storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80. This package transport means is composed of a supply side package transport means 225, an inter-device package transport means 263, and a set device internal transport means 50.

The supply side package conveying means 225 has a plurality (four) of individual conveying means 226 (upstream conveying sections) consisting of a first individual conveying means 226a to a fourth individual conveying means 226d (see FIG. 29(a)). Each individual conveying means 226 has a hand section capable of clamping the drug package 25, a front-rear movement mechanism (e.g., an extension mechanism of the arm section) that moves the hand section in the front-rear direction (front-rear direction), and a belt-type lifting device that raises and lowers the hand section and the front-rear movement mechanism.

The multiple individual conveying means 226 are each associated with a different drawer group 220 in a one-to-one relationship. Specifically, the first individual conveying means 226a is associated with the first drawer group 220a, and similarly, the second individual conveying means 226b through the fourth individual conveying means 226d are each associated with the second drawer group 220b through the fourth drawer group 220d, respectively. Each individual conveying means 226 conveys the drug package 25 produced in the drawer section 222 belonging to the associated drawer group 220 to the inter-apparatus package conveying means 263.

For example, the first individual conveying means 226a is a device that conveys the drug packaging 25 from one of the drawer sections 222 (first drawer section 222a, second drawer section 222b) belonging to the first drawer group 220a to the inter-apparatus package conveying means 263. Similarly, the second individual conveying means 226b to the fourth individual conveying means 226d convey the drug packaging 25 from one of the two drawer sections 222 belonging to the second drawer group 220b to the fourth drawer group 220d, respectively.

The inter-device package transport means 263 is substantially the same as the inter-device package transport means 63 described above, and is capable of transporting the drug package 25 in an upright position. Note that the inter-device package transport means 263 of this embodiment differs from the embodiment described above in the structure of the upper conveyor section (detailed illustration omitted), and a second-side conveyor section (not shown) is provided instead of the roller train section 67b (see FIG. 6). The second-side conveyor section has two pulleys that rotate on a vertical axis, and a belt member. In other words, the drug package 25 is sandwiched between the one-side conveyor section 67a and the other-side conveyor section.

As shown in FIG. 30, the pull-out section 222 has a wrapping band attachment section 230, a wrapping body gripping section 231, a tension pulley section 232, and a wrapping body cutting device 233 (cutting means) inside.

The wrapping band attachment section 230 is a section for attaching the medicine wrapping band 26 (see FIG. 4) wound in a roll, and has a core.
Packet gripping portion 231 is a portion that grips a portion of the unwound medicine packaging strip 26, and has two rollers that rotate on a vertical axis. That is, the two rollers pinch and grip a portion of medicine packaging strip 26.

Here, at least one of the core of the packaging band attachment unit 230 and the two rollers of the package gripping unit 231 can be driven to rotate by the power of a motor or the like (not shown). In other words, the pull-out unit 222 has a pay-out mechanism for automatically paying out and feeding the drug packaging band 26.

The tension pulley section 232 is a roller that rotates on a vertical axis and is applied to the unwound drug packaging strip 26 to provide a constant tension.

The packaging cutting device 233 has a main body 233a equipped with a cutter (cutting blade) capable of cutting the drug packaging strip 26 (drug packaging paper), and a sensor 233b that detects the cutting position of the drug packaging strip 26. In other words, the packaging cutting device 233 is a device that forms one drug package 25 by performing a packaging strip cutting operation that cuts the drug packaging strip 26.

In other words, each pull-out section 222 can be switched between a pulled-out state and a pushed-in state from the main body (housing 236) of the medicine package supply device 202, and the medicine packaging strip 26 can be attached in the pulled-out state. In addition, each pull-out section 222 is capable of a packaging strip cutting operation for cutting the medicine packaging strip 26 to create one medicine package 25.

The wrapping strip cutting operation may be an operation of gripping a part of the medicine wrapping strip 26 with a hand part of the individual conveying means 226 and cutting the medicine wrapping strip 26 with the wrapping cutter 233. In this case, the individual conveying means 226 conveys one (one packet) of medicine packaging 25 formed by the gripped part as it is.
Furthermore, for the wrapping strip cutting operation, a holding means (not shown) for holding one prepared drug package 25 may be provided downstream of the main body 233a of the wrapping body cutting device 233. In this case, one drug package 25 is produced by cutting, and the drug package 25 is kept waiting by the holding means. Then, the individual conveying means 226 grips the drug package 25 waiting by the holding means with a hand portion and conveys it downward.

Next, the procedure for forming a medication calendar group using the medicine setting device 201 of this embodiment will be described. Note that the explanation will be given using an example in which a medication calendar group similar to the above is formed.

First, the medicine package supplying device 202 performs a medicine package supplying operation in which it prepares medicine packages 25 and transports them one package at a time toward the medicine setting device 201. Prior to this medicine package supplying operation, multiple medication calendars 80 are introduced into the main device 203 by the cart 88, as described above. In addition, prior to the medicine package supplying operation, medicine packaging bands 26 are set in the first drawer sections 222a belonging to each of the first drawer group 220a to the fourth drawer group 220d of the medicine package supplying device 202.

Specifically, the first drawer section 222a of the first drawer group 220a is fitted with identical patient dressings 30 (see Figure 4) formed by a series of medication packages 25 each containing the medication prescribed for "Sato".
That is, in each medication calendar 80 (see FIG. 8) belonging to the medication calendar group, the medication packages 25 to be set in the medication containers 82 located at the (1,1) component of the matrix are connected to form the same patient's dressing 30. That is, the first medication package 25 belonging to the same patient's dressing 30 is a medication package to be set in the medication container 82 located at the (1,1) component of the first medication calendar 80. The second medication package 25 is a medication package to be set in the medication container 82 located at the (1,1) component of the second medication calendar 80. Similarly, each of the medication packages 25 is to be set in a different medication calendar 80, and each is to be set in the medication container 82 located at the (1,1) component of the medication calendar 80.

Similarly, the same patient dressings 30 to be attached to the first drawer section 222a of the second drawer group 220b are formed by connecting together drug packages 25 to be set in drug storage sections 82 located in the (1, 2) components of different medication calendars 80.
In addition, the same patient dressings 30 attached to the first drawer section 222a of the third drawer group 220c are formed by connecting together drug packages 25 to be set in the drug storage sections 82 located at the (1, 3) components of different medication calendars 80.
The same patient dressings 30 to be attached to the first drawer section 222a of the fourth drawer group 220d are formed by connecting together drug packages 25 to be set in the drug storage sections 82 located at the (1, 4) components of different medication calendars 80.

In other words, a drug packaging strip 26 containing a series of drug packages 25 to be set in the first row set operation is attached to the first drawer section 222a of each of the first drawer group 220a to fourth drawer group 220d. In other words, each drawer group 220 is associated with a drug storage section 82 in a different column of the medication calendar 80. Therefore, the four drug packaging strips 26 attached to each of the four drawer groups 220 at this time each contain drug packages 25 to be set in drug storage sections 82 in different positions (columns) of the same row (first row).

The drug packaging strip 26 to be attached to the drawer section 222 is prepared in advance by an external device (tablet packaging machine) or the like. When attaching the drug packaging strip 26 to the drawer section 222, the drug information display 33 (see FIG. 4) on the drug packaging strip 26 is read by a reading device (not shown) equipped with a scanner or the like. This executes a supply section identification operation to identify the drawer section 222 to which the drug packaging strip 26 is to be attached. This reading device may be formed integrally with the drug setting device 201, or may be a portable device capable of transmitting and receiving signals to and from the drug setting device 201.

Specifically, information is acquired from the drug information display 33 by executing a reading operation of the drug information display 33 with a reading device. Then, based on the acquired information and information such as prescription data stored in the control unit of the drug setting device 201, the drawer unit 222 in which the drug packaging band 26 with the drug information display 33 should be attached is identified. This completes the supply unit identification operation.

Then, when the supply unit identification operation is completed, a set guidance operation is executed to notify the user of the result of the supply unit identification operation. The set guidance operation may be, for example, an operation of automatically shifting the identified drawer unit 222 to a state where it is drawn out toward the front (sliding it toward the front). Alternatively, it may be an operation of assigning an ID or the like (unique number) to all drawer units 222 in advance, and displaying a message on the display device 4 encouraging the user to attach the drug packaging strip 26 to the identified drawer unit 222, such as "Please attach it to drawer number XX". Furthermore, it may be an operation of outputting a similar message by voice or the like. Alternatively, it may be an operation of providing a lamp member such as an LED to all drawer units 222, and turning on or blinking the lamp member of the identified drawer unit 222. It may be an operation of executing a plurality of these operations.

In the drug package supply operation, a first individual transport operation is performed in which drug packages 25 are prepared in the first drawer section 222a of the first drawer group 220a and transported to the inter-apparatus package transport means 263 by the first individual transport means 226a. In parallel with this, a second individual transport operation is performed in which drug packages 25 are prepared in the first drawer section 222a of the second drawer group 220b and transported to the inter-apparatus package transport means 263 by the second individual transport means 226b. Similarly, in parallel, a third individual transport operation and a fourth individual transport operation are performed in which drug packages 25 are transported from the drawer section 222 belonging to the associated drawer group 220 by the third individual transport means 226c and the fourth individual transport means 226d.

31, the lower end sides of the first individual conveying means 226a to the fourth individual conveying means 226d become standby positions for the drug packaging 25 on the drug package supplying device 202 side. Also, as in the above embodiment, the lower end sides of the four pickup devices 58 become standby positions for the drug packaging 25 on the main device 203 side (first standby position to fourth standby position from the downstream side).

That is, when the first individual transport operation is performed, the drug package 25 is introduced from the first individual transport means 226a to the inter-apparatus packet transport means 263 and transported to the first waiting position. As in the above embodiment, in this embodiment, the drug package 25 whose waiting position on the main device 203 side is further downstream is preferentially transported. Therefore, for example, if the drug package 25 is transported to the lower end side by the second individual transport operation before the first individual transport operation, this drug package 25 is made to wait at the waiting position for the drug package 25 on the drug packet supply device 202 side. Similarly, the second individual transport operation, the third individual transport operation, and the fourth individual transport operation are performed, and then the drug package 25 is transported by the inter-apparatus packet transport means 263, so that the drug package 25 is transported to the second waiting position, the third waiting position, and the fourth waiting position on the main device 203 side.

When all of the medication packages 25 to be transported have been transported to the lower end of each of the four pickup devices 58, an operation to transport the medication packages 25 is performed by the transport means 50 within the setting device, as in the embodiment described above. That is, one to four medication packages 25 are transported from the standby position on the main device 203 side to the medication storage section 82 of the medication calendar 80. Then, as in the embodiment described above, a first row set operation is performed for the first medication calendar 80.

Next, in the same manner as described above, an operation is performed to transport the drug packaging 25 to be used in the first row set operation for the second medication calendar 80, and the first row set operation is performed for the second medication calendar 80. Similarly, as in the embodiment described above, the first row set operation is performed one by one for all medication calendars 80 belonging to the medication calendar group.

At this time, while the first row set operation is being performed for one medication calendar 80, an operation is performed to prepare the medication package 25 to be set in the first row set operation for the other medication calendar 80 that will be performed later. In addition, an operation is performed to transport the prepared medication package 25 to a standby position on the main device 203 side. That is, the operation of setting the medication package 25 on the medication calendar 80, the operation of preparing the medication package 25, and the operation of transporting the medication package 25 are performed in parallel.

When the first row set operation is performed on multiple medication calendars 80 in this manner, a reservation set process is performed to attach drug packaging bands 26 to the four second drawer sections 222b of the drug package supply device 202.

In this step, a drug packaging band 26 containing a series of drug packages 25 to be set in the second row setting operation is attached to the second drawer section 222b of each of the first drawer group 220a to the fourth drawer group 220d. Specifically, the same patient dressing 30 attached to the second drawer section 222b of the first drawer group 220a is formed by a series of drug packages 25 to be set in the drug storage section 82 located at the (2,1) component of the matrix in each medication calendar 80 belonging to the medication calendar group. Similarly, the same patient dressing 30 formed by a series of drug packages 25 to be set in the drug storage section 82 located at the (2,2) component of the medication calendar 80 is set in the second drawer section 222b of the second drawer group 220b.

In other words, the four drug packaging strips 26 attached to the four second drawer sections 222b each contain drug packages 25 that should be set in different columns of the same row (second row). At this time, each second drawer section 222b is attached with a drug packaging strip 26 that contains drug packages 25 that should be set in the drug storage section 82 in the column associated with the drawer group 220 to which it belongs.

When the first row set operation is completed for all medication calendars 80 belonging to the medication calendar group, the second row set operation is executed one by one for the multiple medication calendars 80 for which the first row set operation has already been completed.

At this time, in the medicine package supply operation, the first to fourth individual conveying operations convey the medicine packages 25 prepared in the second drawer sections 222b of the first to fourth drawer groups 220a to 220d, respectively. That is, the medicine packages 25 are conveyed from the second drawer sections 222b to the inter-apparatus package conveying means 263 by the respective individual conveying operations. Then, the medicine packages 25 are supplied to the main body device 203 in the same manner as described above.
In other words, in the operation of performing a second row set operation on the medication calendar 80, the drawer section 222 that produces the medication packaging 25 and is the source of the medication packaging 25 is different from the operation of performing a first row set operation on each medication calendar 80.

Then, when the second row set operation is performed on the multiple medication calendars 80, a reservation set process is performed in which drug packaging bands 26 are attached to the four first drawer sections 222a of the drug package supply device 202. This reservation set process is an operation of setting drug packaging bands 26, which include a series of drug packages 25 to be set in the third row set operation, in each of the first drawer sections 222a.

That is, the reservation setting process is a process of attaching a drug packaging strip 26 to either one of the four first drawer sections 222a or the four second drawer sections 222b that were not used in the previous (current) αth row setting operation. At this time, each drawer section 222 is attached with a drug packaging strip 26 carrying a series of drug packages 25 to be set in the subsequent αth row setting operation. The drug packaging strip 26 attached to each drawer section 222 includes drug packages 25 to be stored in the drug storage section 82 located in the row associated with that drawer section.

By repeating the above operations and steps, all medication packages 25 to be set are set in each of the medication calendars 80. In other words, a medication calendar group is formed.

In the above embodiment, the medicine bag supplying device 202 is located on the right side of the medicine setting device 201 (see FIG. 28 ), but the present invention is not limited to this and may be located on the left side of the medicine setting device 201 .
In the above embodiment, the medicine packaging strip 26 is unwound to the left, but as shown in Fig. 32, it may be unwound to the right. In this case, the medicine packaging strip 26 may be wound clockwise (see Fig. 32(a)) or counterclockwise (see Fig. 32(b)). It may be wound counterclockwise when the medicine bag supplying device 202 is positioned to the right of the medicine setting device 201, and may be wound clockwise when the medicine bag supplying device 202 is positioned to the left. In either case, it is preferable to wind the medicine packaging strip 26 so that the printed portion is located in front of the pull-out section, as shown in Fig. 32.

In the above embodiment, the drug packaging strip 26 is provided with a header section 28, but the drug packaging strip 26 does not necessarily have to be provided with a header section 28. In this case, the above-mentioned code may be attached to each drug package 25 belonging to the drug packaging strip 26. Then, the code or characters may be read from the drug package 25, and the supply unit identification operation may be performed based on the read information. Furthermore, in addition to the header section 28, the above-mentioned drug information display 33 may be attached to any part of the produced drug packaging strip 26.

In the above embodiment, an example was described in which a medication calendar 80 was used as a medication setting device, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the medication setting device may be a medication distribution tray 380 (medication setting device) as shown in FIG. 33.

The medication tray 380 is a container that is open at the top, and the inner space is divided into 28 small spaces 382 (medicine storage sections) by partition members 380a, and each small space 382 is a place (part) for setting a drug package 25. In this medication tray 380, the multiple small spaces 382 are distributed in a matrix shape when viewed in a plane.

The medication distribution tray 380 may accommodate a plurality of medication packages 25 each containing medications prescribed to different patients with the same dosing time, as in the above-mentioned medication calendar 80. Alternatively, the medication distribution tray 380 may accommodate a plurality of medication packages 25 each containing medications prescribed to a single patient with different dosing times. Furthermore, each row of the plurality of small spaces 382 may be assigned to a different patient, and each column may be assigned to a different dosing time.
That is, the medication tray 380 is used to set one or more drug packages 25 to be set in each small space 382, similar to the medication calendar 80 described above.

Next, the drug setting system 1 that sets the drug packaging 25 on such a drug distribution tray 380 will be described in detail below.

As shown in FIG. 34, a medicine setting system 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention includes a medicine dispensing device 2 and a medicine setting device 303.
The medicine setting device 303 includes a setting tool supplying device 310 , a setting tool accommodating device 311 , a medicine setting section 312 , a transport conveyor 313 , and a tray receiving device 314 .

The set tool supplying device 310 is a device capable of holding a plurality of medication trays 380 in a vertically stacked state, and is a device capable of supplying the medication trays 380 one by one to the set tool storage device 311 .
The left interior of the set tool storage device 311 is a first set tool storage section 311a, and the right interior is a second set tool storage section 311b. The transport conveyor 313 transports the medicine distribution tray 380 on which all the medicine packages 25 to be set are set from the second set tool storage section 311b to the tray receiving device 314. The tray receiving device 314 is a device that can hold a plurality of medicine distribution trays 380 on which medicine packages 25 are set in a vertically stacked state, and can remove the medicine distribution trays 380.

In this drug setting system 301, drug packages 25 are supplied from the drug dispensing device 2 to the drug setting section 312. Meanwhile, a drug distribution tray 380 is supplied from the first set tool storage section 311a to the drug setting section 312. Then, a partial set operation is performed to set only a portion of the drug packages 25 that need to be set on the drug distribution tray 380. Then, the drug distribution tray 380 with the drug packages 25 set therein is transported to the second set tool storage section 311b. That is, the drug setting system 301 has a transport device that transports the drug packages 25 from the drug dispensing device 2 to the drug setting section 312, a transport device (pickup device) that sets the drug packages 25 on the drug distribution tray 380, and a transport device that transports the drug distribution tray 380 from the drug dispensing device 2 to the second set tool storage section 311b.

The first set of tool storage section 311a and the second set of tool storage section 311b are also devices capable of holding multiple medication trays 380 stacked vertically. A device for moving the medication trays 380 from the second set of tool storage section 311b to the first set of tool storage section 311a is provided near the top end.

As described above, the drug setting system 301 of this embodiment, like the embodiment described above, performs a partial setting operation on each of the multiple drug distribution trays 380 while circulating the multiple drug distribution trays 380, and by repeating this operation, it is possible to set the drug packages 25 to be set on each of the multiple drug distribution trays 380.

In other words, the medication trays 380 transported from the medication setting section 312 to the second set tool storage section 311b are stacked so that the trays that have been partially set earlier are at the top. Then, of the stacked medication trays 380, the one located at the top is transported to the first set tool storage section 311a.

In addition, in the first set tool storage section 311a, the lowest of the stacked medication trays 380 is supplied to the medicine set section 312. Then, each of the medication trays 380 stacked on the medication tray 380 moves downward.

As shown in FIG. 35, in the above-mentioned medicine setting system 301, a medicine package supplying device 202 may be provided instead of the medicine dispensing device 2 to form a single medicine setting device 401. The above-mentioned medicine setting device 303 is the main device of this medicine setting device 401.

3, 201, 303, 401; drug setting device, 25; drug packaging, 26; drug packaging strip, 28; header section (accessory section) 33; drug information display, 80, 80a, 80b, 100, 101; medication calendar (drug setting device), 82; drug storage section, 83; electronic paper (information display section), 98; package setting area, 220; drawer group (packaging supply section group), 222; drawer section (drug packaging supply section), 226; individual transport means (upstream transport section), 380; drug distribution tray (drug setting device), 382; small space (drug storage section)

Claims (1)

A medicine setting device that sets a medicine package to a medicine setting tool capable of setting a medicine package containing a medicine in each of a plurality of medicine containers, comprising:
a package transport means for moving the drug package to the drug storage unit;
When the plurality of drug packages are set in the plurality of drug containers of one of the drug setting devices, a partial setting operation is possible in which the drug packages are set in some of the plurality of drug containers,
A multiple target setting operation is possible in which the drug packages are set in each of the multiple drug setting devices,
In a multiple target setting operation, the partial setting operation is performed on the pharmaceutical setting device, and when only a portion of all of the pharmaceutical packaging to be set has been set, the partial setting operation is performed on other pharmaceutical setting devices, and when only a portion of all of the pharmaceutical packaging to be set has been set, a similar partial setting operation is performed on further other pharmaceutical setting devices as necessary, and this operation can be repeated.

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