JP5507189B2 - Dispensing device counting device and inventory management device using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a counting device of a dispensing device and an inventory management device using the counting device, and particularly to the dispensing device that automatically dispenses a packaged tablet called a PTP (press-through package) tablet sheet into a tablet cassette. It is suitable for a device that counts the number of PTP tablet sheets and a device that performs inventory management based on the number of PTP tablet sheets counted using the counting device.

  Traditionally, pharmacists perform dispensing work in pharmacies such as hospitals according to doctors' prescriptions, but in general hospitals where medical fields are wide, there are many types of tablets that can be taken out at all times, and storage locations are limited. Not only was it necessary, but the work of dispensing based on prescriptions was very mentally and physically burdensome.

  Therefore, a dispensing device has been developed that automatically dispenses a predetermined number of predetermined tablets including a fraction of a PTP tablet sheet based on a preset program (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  A PTP tablet sheet is a packaging format in which tablets are taken out by breaking the bottom aluminum sheet part by pressing the tablet side. Generally, 10 or more tablets are supplied as a single sheet. The

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a general configuration of the PTP tablet sheet 900, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. As shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b), a pocket 920 enclosing a tablet is formed on the surface of the sheet body 910 of the PTP tablet sheet 900, and the pocket 920 is formed in the tablet cassette. Each PTP tablet sheet 900 is accommodated so as to face upward, and an ear 930 for chucking by a chucking device is provided on one end side in the longitudinal direction. It was normal.

  And in the said conventional dispensing apparatus, the tablet cassette which mounted several PTP tablet sheets 900 is accommodated in the cassette shelf, and the nail | claw part of the chucking apparatus mounted in the head apparatus is on the front of a tablet cassette. While directly intruding into the formed groove portion to perform relative positioning, the PTP tablet sheets at the lowest position in the tablet cassette are chucked one by one and automatically taken out to the outside.

  Further, in such a dispensing device, the number of PTP tablet sheets 900 loaded in each tablet cassette is subtracted from the automatically retrieved number from the initial value data stored in the control device. So-called inventory management was performed.

  By the way, when a medicine is urgently required, a desired PTP tablet sheet may be manually taken out from a certain tablet cassette. On the contrary, the PTP tablet sheet that has been used excessively may be returned to another tablet cassette. For such reasons, it is normal that the inventory management data and the number of PTP tablet sheets actually loaded in each tablet cassette do not match. Therefore, it is necessary to manually check the number of PTP tablet sheets loaded in each tablet cassette and update the inventory management data.

  However, it is very troublesome to manually confirm the number of PTP tablet sheets of enormous types, and this is even more because the PTP tablet sheets are frequently taken out and returned manually. In addition, in manual confirmation, there is a possibility that the number of PTP tablet sheets is erroneously counted. If inventory management is performed based on the number of erroneously counted PTP tablet sheets, the reliability of the inventory management data is reduced. It can be detrimental.

  The PTP tablet sheet 900 is stored in a box and sold by a manufacturer or the like, and is taken out from the box and filled into a tablet cassette. The box stores the PTP tablet sheet 900 with the pocket forming surfaces facing each other. For this reason, in the conventional dispensing device, when the PTP tablet sheet 900 is transferred from the box to the tablet cassette, the work of aligning the orientation of the PTP tablet sheet 900 is required, which is troublesome.

  In view of this, a counting device for a dispensing device that automatically counts the number of PTP tablet sheets loaded in each tablet cassette has been developed (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

  However, in the conventional dispensing device, since the PTP tablet sheets 900 are delivered one by one from the tablet cassette, the delivery speed of the PTP tablet sheets 900 is slow. For this reason, when a prescription with a large number of sheets is applied, there is a problem that it takes time to pay out.

  Therefore, the present inventors laid the PTP tablet sheet 900 in the tablet cassette in such a manner that each of the pocket forming surfaces is laid together so as to face each other in a vertical direction, and the PTP tablet sheet 900 is placed at the bottom of the tablet cassette. It was decided to take a mechanism in which one set (set) of PTP tablet sheets 900 was simultaneously dispensed by an extrusion member.

  In that case, in the conventional counting device, since the PTP tablet sheet 900 is entangled and filled in the tablet cassette of the dispensing device, the back-to-back part and the entangled part of the sheet exist, and the sheet count is not stable due to the warp of the sheet. There was a risk of problems.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and uses a counting device for a dispensing device that can always stably count the number of sheets even when a plurality of drug sheets are dispensed simultaneously. An object is to provide an inventory management device.

The present invention relates to the number of medicine sheets stored in the medicine cassette when the medicine sheets in which the pockets containing medicines are arranged on one side are stored so as to overlap in the setting direction from the reference surface of the medicine cassette. A counting device of a dispensing device provided with a counter for counting, wherein two sheets of the medicine sheet are disposed in the medicine cassette by facing one surface side of the medicine sheet so that the pockets do not overlap each other. advance and stored as a set of each said counter, said medicament cassette to comprise a light sensor for detecting optically the ends of the housing drug sheet, the edge of the drug sheet based on the detection result by the optical sensor part counts, yet when less than the parameter as the distance between the opposite end portions of the agent sheet is preset counts these ends as 1, mosquitoes Twice the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the cement total number of values, and is characterized in that a number of drugs sheets stored in the medicine cassette. The drug includes tablets, capsules and the like.

According to the present invention, in the medicine cassette, the medicine sheets are stored as a set of two sheets by disposing one side of the medicine sheet facing each other so that the pockets do not overlap each other. the counter is provided with a light sensor for detecting the end of the drug sheets stored in the drug cassette optically, based on the result of detection by the optical sensor counts the end of the drug sheet, moreover drugs sheet When the distance between the end portions is smaller than a preset parameter, these end portions are counted as 1, and twice the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the total number of counts is stored in the medicine cassette. because the number of drug sheets, even when the the back-to-back portion and tying portion agents sheets are present in the medicine cassette, always the number count of the drug sheet It can be carried out constant.

Further, according to the present invention, the counter includes an optical sensor that optically detects an end portion of the medicine sheet stored in the medicine cassette, so that the number of medicine sheets can be counted in a non-contact manner. Therefore, even if the medicine sheet is easily deformed, the number of the medicine sheets can be accurately grasped.

In addition, when dispensing a plurality of drug sheets at the same time, there is always a drug sheet at the position farthest from the reference surface of the drug cassette, and one drug sheet on the reference surface, and the drug sheet between them is There are two each.

In this regard, according to the present invention, when the edges of the medicine sheet are counted based on the detection result by the optical sensor and the distance between the edges of the medicine sheet is smaller than a preset parameter, these edge parts are counted. Is counted as 1, and 2 times the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the total number of counts is used as the number of drug sheets stored in the drug cassette. Even when the number of medicine sheets is present, the number of medicine sheets can be accurately counted.

As in the invention described in claim 2, it is preferable that the parameter is set based on the overlapping height of the drug sheets in the compressed state.

By the way, the back-to-back portion of the medicine sheet in the medicine cassette is composed of two medicine sheets, whereas the medicine sheet on the reference surface of the medicine cassette and the medicine sheet at the position farthest from the reference surface are respectively Since there is only one sheet at a time, there is a possibility that these count leaks occur. Therefore, as in the invention described in claim 3 , it is preferable that the optical sensor is detachably movable with respect to an end portion of the medicine sheet stored in the medicine cassette.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the optical sensor moves detachably with respect to the end of the medicine sheet stored in the medicine cassette, the medicine sheet on the reference surface of the medicine cassette. And the drug sheet at the position farthest from the reference plane can be counted without omission. Such movement may be performed at an intermediate position.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the optical sensor is mounted on a take-out mechanism that takes out a drug sheet from the drug cassette, and the take-out mechanism has an end portion of a drug sheet stored in the drug cassette. It is preferable that it can move with respect to.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the optical sensor is mounted on a take-out mechanism that takes out a drug sheet from the drug cassette, and the take-out mechanism has an end portion of the drug sheet stored in the drug cassette. Therefore, each time the take-out mechanism is moved, the number of medicine sheets loaded in the medicine cassette can be automatically counted. Therefore, even if the medicine sheet is frequently replenished or taken out from the medicine cassette, the medicine sheet can be followed up as long as the timing for moving the take-out mechanism is set appropriately. It will be possible to reliably grasp the number of sheets.

The invention according to claim 5 stores in advance in the storage unit as a database relating to the number of medicine sheets counted using the counting device of the dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and medicine information. Dispensing characterized in that, based on the unit data indicating the number of drugs per sheet of the drug sheet, actual drug inventory information is created and inventory management is performed based on the actual inventory information The present invention relates to a device inventory management device.

According to the invention described in claim 5, the number of medicine sheets counted by using the counting device of the dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and a database relating to medicine information are stored in the storage unit. Based on the unit data indicating the number of medicines per medicine sheet stored in advance, the actual stock information of the medicine is created, and inventory management is performed based on this actual stock information. It is possible to perform highly reliable inventory management by using the number of medicine sheets counted.

According to the present invention, in the medicine cassette, the medicine sheets are stored as a set of two sheets by disposing one side of the medicine sheet facing each other so that the pockets do not overlap each other. the counter is provided with a light sensor for detecting the end of the drug sheets stored in the drug cassette optically, based on the result of detection by the optical sensor counts the end of the drug sheet, moreover drugs sheet When the distance between the end portions is smaller than a preset parameter, these end portions are counted as 1, and twice the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the total number of counts is stored in the medicine cassette. because the number of drug sheets, even when the the back-to-back portion and tying portion agents sheets are present in the medicine cassette, always the number count of the drug sheet It can be carried out constant. Furthermore, by using the automatically counted number of drug sheets and unit data indicating the number of drugs per sheet of the drug sheets stored in advance in a storage unit as a database related to drug information, More reliable inventory management can be performed.

It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the main components of the dispensing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the perspective view seen from the side which faces the taking-out unit of a tablet cassette. It is a front view of a tablet cassette. It is AA arrow sectional drawing in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically a mode that the number of the sheets of PTP tablet sheets in a tablet cassette is counted using a reflection type laser sensor as a counter. It is a functional block diagram which shows the control system which concerns on the inventory management of this dispensing apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the scanning operation | movement of this dispensing apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the sheet count operation | movement of this dispensing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure of a PTP tablet sheet, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view.

  FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing main components of a dispensing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the dispensing device 1 includes two Y carriages 200 and 200 provided on the left and right sides of the box-shaped device main body 100, and X carriages supported by the Y carriages 200 and 200, respectively. 300, 300, take-out units (corresponding to take-out mechanisms) 400, 400 supported by these X carriages 300, 300, and two on the front left and right sides of the apparatus main body 100, and a plurality of tablet cassettes (Corresponding to drug cassettes) 500, 500,... Can be mounted side by side in the left-right direction, and the left and right ends of both cassette shelves 600, 600 are located below the left and right cassette shelves 600, 600. And one transport conveyor unit 800 disposed therebetween.

  Hereinafter, representative components of a plurality of components will be described. The Y carriage 200 includes a servo motor 210, a ball screw 220 in the vertical axis direction (Y direction in FIG. 1) driven by the servo motor 210, vertical guides 230 and 230 respectively disposed on the left and right of the ball screw 220, The X carriage 300 includes a carriage main body 310 that moves up and down together with the nut 240 by the rotation of the ball screw 220 while being guided by the vertical guides 230 and 230, and the carriage main body. On 310, a servo motor 410, a ball screw 415 in the horizontal axis direction (X direction in FIG. 1) driven by the servo motor 410, and a nut (not shown) are provided.

  2 is a perspective view of the tablet cassette 500 as viewed from the side facing the take-out unit 400, FIG. 3 is a front view of the tablet cassette 500, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In each figure, unless otherwise specified, the front side facing the take-out unit 400 of the tablet cassette 500 is referred to as the front side, the back side is referred to as the rear side, and the left side and the right side are viewed from the front side to the rear side. Shows things.

  The tablet cassette 500 in this embodiment is formed to be slightly wider than the various PTP tablet sheets (corresponding to drug sheets) 900 to be loaded. Accordingly, a plurality of tablet cassettes 500 having different width dimensions are prepared according to the widths of various PTP tablet sheets 900. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the specific configuration thereof is a long cassette base 510 having a concave cross section, and a cassette body 520 that is detachably fitted from the longitudinal direction of the cassette base 510. It is made up of.

  The cassette base 510 is provided with a mounting portion (not shown) for attaching the cassette shelf 600 to the shelf plate 602, so that even the tablet cassette 500 having a different width dimension is arranged at an arbitrary position in the width direction. Be able to.

  The cassette body 520 further includes a main body upper portion 530 capable of stacking a plurality of PTP tablet sheets 900 (for example, PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,... In FIG. 5) in a horizontal direction, and a lower portion of the main body upper portion 530. , And a main body lower part 540 mounted in the cassette base 510.

  The main body lower part 540 is arranged in an assembled state with the cassette base 510 of the cassette main body 520 and is embedded in the cassette base 510, but when viewed as a single unit, the main body lower part 540 has a long shape with a concave cross section. An extrusion mechanism 550 for taking out as a set the PTP tablet sheets 901 and 902 loaded on the bottom of the main body upper part 530 and immediately above it is provided in the housing.

  The main body upper part 530 has an L-shape in a side view and is projected from the middle part to the front part so as to protrude above the cassette base 510 in the assembled state of the cassette body 520 to the cassette base 510. The side walls 5311 and 5312 are bent inward from each other at the front end to be opposed to each other with a predetermined gap, thereby forming a front wall 531. The upper ends of the left and right side walls 5311 and 5312 are connected to each other by a reinforcing plate 532.

  By the way, the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,... Stacked in the main body upper part 530 of the tablet cassette 500 are the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902 loaded first, and the PTP tablet sheet 903 loaded next. , 904, the lower side of the set, so that the set of PTP tablet sheets 901, 902 loaded first is taken out before the set of PTP tablet sheets 903, 904 loaded next. First-in, first-out in units.

  For this reason, each set of PTP tablet sheets 901 and 902 at the bottom of the main body upper part 530 of the tablet cassette 500 is taken out of the main body upper part 530, but the PTP tablet sheets 901 and 902 are set. And a set of PTP tablet sheets 901 and 902 on the bottom and a set of PTP tablet sheets 903 and 904 on the upper side are simultaneously removed from the upper portion 530 of the main body by friction between the PTP tablet sheets 903 and 904 So-called multiple removal may occur.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent multiple removal of the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,... Stored in the tablet cassette 500 as a set of two sheets, the bottom plate of the upper part 530 of the main body of the tablet cassette 500 is used. (Corresponding to the reference plane) The PTP tablet sheet 904 at a position higher than the even-numbered set position of the fourth or more sheets counting from the PTP tablet sheet 901 at the bottom on 5301 is the tablet. A partition piece 5313 that prohibits removal from the cassette 500 is provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the partition piece 5313 has an oblong shape when viewed from the front. However, a vertical hole 5316 is formed from the upper part to the middle part, and the lower part is slightly folded backward. It is a variant that protrudes slightly diagonally forward.

  Further, an opening 5318 through which each PTP tablet sheet 900 (901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906,...) Can be seen is formed on the front surface of the main body upper part 530. The number of PTP tablet sheets 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906,... Peeped from the opening 5318 can be counted in a non-contact manner by a counter 431 mounted on the take-out unit 400. . For the counter 431, for example, a reflective laser sensor (corresponding to an optical sensor) or the like is used.

  FIG. 5 is a side sectional view schematically showing how the number of PTP tablet sheets 900 in the tablet cassette 500 is counted using a reflective laser sensor as the counter 431. Hereinafter, the counting method will be described in detail.

  When counting the number of PTP tablet sheets 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906,... In the tablet cassette 500 using a reflection type laser sensor as the counter 431, As shown in FIG. 5, a plurality of PTP tablet sheets 901, 902, 903, 904, 905, 906,... Are vertically aligned on the bottom plate 5301.

Then, while moving the take-out unit 400 up and down, the counter 431 mounted on the take-out unit 400 projects light to the opening 5318 formed on the front surface of the tablet cassette 500, and the reflected light is detected. An end of the upper PTP tablet sheet 900 is optically detected, and the number of PTP tablet sheets 900 in the tablet cassette 500 is counted based on the detection result .

  By the way, since the lowermost PTP tablet sheet 900 and the uppermost PTP tablet sheet 900 do not overlap each other like the intermediate PTP tablet sheet 900, the detection is relatively difficult. Therefore, the lowermost PTP tablet sheet 900 and the uppermost PTP tablet sheet 900 are projected to the opening 5318 formed on the front surface of the tablet cassette 500 by the counter 431 mounted on the takeout unit 400 while moving the takeout unit 400 back and forth. By detecting the reflected light, the end portions thereof are reliably detected. As a result, twice the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the number counted by the counter 431 is the number of PTP tablet sheets 900.

In this way, the number of PTP tablet sheets 900 in each tablet cassette 500 can be accurately detected without contact.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the take-out unit 400 includes Z carriages 411 and 411 (the front side is not shown in FIG. 1) extending forward (Z direction in FIG. 1) from the carriage body 310, and Z. Dispensing plates 430 and 430 disposed between the carriages 411 and 411 so as to be movable back and forth and openable and closable, and pushers 440 and 440 disposed on the side of the dispensing plates 430 and 430 facing the tablet cassette 500 are provided.

  The advancing and retreating operations of the payout plates 430 and 430 are performed by rotationally driving a ball screw (not shown) by the servo motor 420, and the opening and closing operation is performed by mutually rotating the rotation shafts through the gear train by a stepping motor (not shown). It is configured to perform by rotationally driving in the direction. A primary bucket 450 is provided below the payout plates 430 and 430, and a secondary bucket 480 with a shutter 470 is further provided below the primary bucket 450. The PTP tablet sheets 901, 902, 903, 904,... Taken out from the tablet cassette 500 by the take-out unit 400 are sequentially dropped into the primary bucket 450 and the secondary bucket 480.

  The conveyor unit 800 includes a group of rollers 801 and tablet takeout buckets 802 and 802 that are moved in the front-rear and left-right directions by the group of rollers 801. The PTP tablet sheets 901 and 902 dropped from the secondary bucket 480 via the shutter 470 are dropped into one of the tablet take-out buckets 802 and 802.

  The PTP tablet sheets 901 and 902 that have fallen into one of the tablet take-out buckets 802 and 802 are further moved to a predetermined position while being stored in the tablet take-out buckets 802 and 802, and are discharged from there. It has become.

  6 is a functional block diagram showing a control system related to inventory management of the dispensing device 1, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the scanning operation of the dispensing device 1, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the number counting operation of the dispensing device 1.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control system related to inventory management of the dispensing device 1 performs various operations based on the controller 10 attached to the dispensing device 1, various data from the controller 10, and prescription data input separately. And a control device 20 for performing the above.

  The controller 10 includes a sheet number fetching unit 26 for fetching the PTP tablet sheet number data of each tablet cassette 500, 500,... Detected by the counter 431 by the scan operation before dispensing of the takeout unit 400, and the takeout unit 400. A first operation command unit 31 that outputs a command signal for controlling the scan operation before dispensing of the unit 400 to the take-out unit 400, and a command for controlling the sheet take-out operation during dispensing of the take-out unit 400 And a second operation command unit 32 for outputting a signal to the take-out unit.

  The control device 20 is configured by a general-purpose or dedicated computer that is arranged close to the dispensing device 1, and includes a ROM 21, a RAM 22, a display unit 23, an input unit 24, a CPU 25, and a storage unit 30. . The ROM 21 stores a control program of the dispensing device 1 and various preset data, and the RAM 22 temporarily stores data. The display unit 23 is composed of an LCD or the like, and displays various messages to the user. The input unit 24 is for inputting various instructions and prescription data of the user.

  The CPU 25 controls the overall operation of the dispensing device 1 via the controller 10 in accordance with a control program stored in advance in the ROM 21. The sheet number data and tablet information (corresponding to drug information). Inventory management data for performing inventory management (actual drug inventory information) based on unit data indicating the number of tablets per PTP tablet sheet 900 stored in advance in the storage unit 30 as a database related to It functions as a means for creating. This inventory management data is used together with the prescription data to calculate operation data for operating the take-out unit 400 during dispensing.

  The storage unit 30 stores all of the created inventory management data and the like via the CPU 25. The storage unit 30 may be provided outside the control device 20 or on the controller 10 side.

  Hereinafter, the scanning operation by the counter 431 mounted on the take-out unit 400 of the dispensing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. During this scanning operation, the counter 431 projects light to the opening 5318 formed on the front surface of the tablet cassette 500 and detects the reflected light.

  First, initial setting such as setting a default value in the RAM 22 is performed (step S1). As default values, 0 is substituted for the sensor detection position storage variable h [i], and 1 is substituted for the count i. Then, it is assumed that the user selects a scanning operation with the input unit 24. In this case, the scanning operation is started from the scanning start position of each tablet cassette 500, 500,... According to a preset program (step S2). Note that the scan start position is slightly below the bottom plate 5301 of each tablet cassette. When the counter 431 is turned on (YES in step S3), the distance from the scan start position is substituted for the sensor detection position storage variable h [i] (step S4), and the count i is incremented. (Step S4a). On the other hand, when the counter 431 is not ON (NO in step S3), steps S4 and S4a are skipped. Then, the scanning operation is repeated until the scan end position is reached (step S5), and the scan is ended at the scan end position (step S6). Note that the scan end position is slightly below the reinforcing plate 532.

  Next, the number counting operation of the dispensing device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the sheet number acquisition unit 26 calculates the sheet number data of each tablet cassette 500, 500,... Based on the distance data, and acquires the calculated sheet number data.

  First, initial settings such as setting of default values in the RAM 22 are performed (step S11). As a default value setting, 0 is substituted for the count value count, and 1 is substituted for the count i. Next, it is determined whether or not the sensor detection position storage variable h [i] is 0 (step S12). If it is determined that the sensor detection position storage variable h [i] is 0, it is determined whether or not the count value count is 0 (step S13). If it is determined that the count value count is 0, step S14 is skipped and the number counting operation is terminated.

  If it is determined in step S12 that the sensor detection position storage variable h [i] is not 0, it is determined whether or not the count i is 1 (step S15). If it is determined that the count i is 1, the count value count is incremented (step S16), the count i is incremented (step S16a), and the process returns to step S12.

  If it is determined in step S15 that the count i is not 1, the difference between the sensor detection position storage variables h [i] and h [i-1] is the height parameter (for example, the overlap of the PTP tablet sheet 900 in the compressed state). It is determined whether or not the height H is smaller than 0.7) (step S17). If it is determined that the difference between the sensor detection position storage variables h [i] and h [i-1] is smaller than the height parameter, the count i is incremented (step S18), and the step S12 is performed. Return to. Here, the height parameter is used as a judgment criterion based on the experience values of the inventors. In some cases, other numerical values within a range of 0 to H are adopted as the judgment criterion. Of course it is also good.

  If it is determined in step S17 that the difference between the sensor detection position storage variables h [i] and h [i-1] is not smaller than the height parameter, the process proceeds to step S16.

  If it is determined in step S12 that the sensor detection position storage variable h [i] is 0, it is determined whether or not the count value count is 0 (step S13). If it is determined that the count value count is not 0, twice the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the count value count is substituted into the count value count (step S14), and the sheet count operation is terminated. The sheet number data for each tablet cassette 500 can be obtained from the number counting result.

  For all the tablet cassettes 500, 500,... Of the adjusting device 1, the take-out unit 400 is, for example, each tablet cassette 500, 500 fixed on the uppermost shelf 602 of the cassette shelf 600 from the home position. ,... Are repeated from the left to the right while repeating the scanning operation and the number counting operation, and in the lower stage, the scanning operation and the number counting operation are performed while moving from the right side to the left side. repeat. Then, on the left side or the right side of the lowermost stage, when the movement is finished, the scanning operation and the number counting operation are finished, and the take-out unit 400 returns to the home position. In this way, all the sheet count data in all the tablet cassettes 500, 500,... Of the dispensing device 1 can be obtained.

  Subsequently, inventory management data is stored in the CPU 25 based on the sheet number data and unit data indicating the number of tablets per PTP tablet sheet 900 stored in advance in the storage unit 30 as a database relating to tablet information. The inventory management data is created and stored in the storage unit 30. Then, when the scanning operation before dispensing of the take-out unit 400 is finished, the operation at the time of dispensing of the take-out unit 400 is started. Since this is a normal dispensing operation, a description thereof is omitted here.

  According to this embodiment, one side of the PTP tablet sheet 900 is placed in the tablet cassette 500 so as to face each other with the pockets 920 and 920 not overlapping each other. The counter 431 sets the count value count (count number) of the overlapping portions of the sets of PTP tablet sheets 900 stored in the tablet cassette 500 to 1, and sets the count value count to the total value. Since the number of PTP tablet sheets 900 stored in the tablet cassette 500 is calculated based on this, even if the back-to-back part and the tying part of the PTP tablet sheet 900 exist in the tablet cassette 500, the PTP tablet sheet 900 sheets count can always be performed stably. Further, the sheet number data indicating the automatically counted number of PTP tablet sheets 900 and the number of medicines per sheet of the medicine sheet stored in advance in the storage unit 30 as a database relating to medicine information. It becomes possible to perform inventory management with higher reliability using the unit data shown.

  Further, according to this embodiment, the counter 431 is mounted on the take-out unit 400 that takes out the PTP tablet sheet 900 from the tablet cassette 500, and the take-out unit 400 is a PTP tablet housed in the tablet cassette 500. Since it can move with respect to the end portion of the sheet 900, the number of PTP tablet sheets 900 loaded in the tablet cassette 500 can be automatically counted each time the take-out unit 400 is moved. Therefore, even if the PTP tablet sheet 900 is frequently replenished or taken out into the tablet cassette 500, it can be followed if the timing for moving the take-out unit 400 is set appropriately. Thus, the number of PTP tablet sheets 900 can be ascertained with certainty.

  In the above embodiment, the two cassette shelves 600 and 600 are arranged on the left and right. However, the cassette shelves 600 and 600 may be arranged on the front and back, or one or three or more cassette shelves may be arranged. Good. In this case, it is preferable from the viewpoint of work efficiency that the number of carriages, take-out units, etc. correspond to this.

  Further, when two or more cassette shelves are arranged, a part of the PTP tablet sheets may be taken out from the tablet cassette one by one like a conventional dispensing device. In that case, you may make it perform what is called a fraction process which cuts a PTP tablet sheet | seat into the predetermined number of tablets with a cutting unit, and dispenses it.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the one taking-out unit 400 is moved to the several tablet cassette 500, and PTP tablet sheet is paid out from the said tablet cassette 500, each tablet cassette and taking-out unit are made into. A one-to-one correspondence may be provided. In that case, the configuration of the take-out unit can be simplified.

  In the above embodiment, each PTP tablet sheet 901, 902,... Is dispensed from the tablet cassette 500 in units of two sets, but may be dispensed in multiples of this set. This makes it possible to dispense the optimal number of PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,... From the tablet cassette 500 according to the content of the prescription, which is convenient.

  .. Instead of extruding the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902... From the tablet cassette 500 in set units or multiple set units thereof, the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902. It is good also as employ | adopting the system pulled out by the set unit of multiple.

  In the above embodiment, a reflective laser sensor has been described as the counter 431. However, other counters may be used.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the PTP tablet sheet | seat 901,902, ... of a horizontal orientation was made into the set of 2 sheets each and it accumulated in the up-down direction in the tablet cassette 500, this is illustrated. The scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this, and it may be a tablet cassette in which PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,... . In this case, since the spring force works instead of gravity, the same result as described above is obtained.

  In the above-described embodiment, the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,... Are so-called ear sheets each having an ear portion 930. However, a part or all of the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,. There may be no sheet. Even in that case, since the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,... Can be packed in the tablet cassette 500 almost without any gap, as in the case of the sheet with ears, the tablet cassette 500 can be downsized. In addition, since the take-out time for each set of PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,... In the take-out unit 400 is substantially constant, the take-out operation is facilitated, and the PTP tablet sheets 901, 902,. Increases speed.

  In the above embodiment, the PTP tablet cassettes 500, 500,... Are arranged on the shelf plate 602 of the cassette shelf 600 in the width direction of the PTP tablet cassettes 500, 500,. However, the shelf plate is not limited to a stationary flat plate shape, and may be, for example, a cylindrical shape rotating around a predetermined axis. In that case, the take-out unit 400 (or the counter 431 mounted thereon) is moved relative to each PTP tablet cassette 500, 500,... Mounted on the rotating shelf plate. It ’s enough.

1 Dispensing device 10 Controller 20 Control device 25 CPU
26 Sheet number capturing unit 30 Storage unit 100 Main body 200 Y carriage 300 X carriage 400 Extraction unit (corresponding to an extraction mechanism)
431 counter (corresponds to a laser sensor or an optical sensor)
500 Tablet cassette (corresponds to drug cassette)
530 Main body upper portion 531 Front wall 5313 Partition piece 5318 Opening 5301 Bottom plate (corresponds to a reference surface)
600 cassette shelf 900 PTP tablet sheet (corresponding to drug sheet)

JP-A-4-269960 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-052233 JP 2008-119443 A

Claims (5)

A counter that counts the number of medicine sheets stored in the medicine cassette when the medicine sheets with the medicine pockets arranged on one side are stored so as to overlap in the setting direction from the reference surface of the medicine cassette. A dispensing device counting device comprising:
In the medicine cassette, by placing one side of the medicine sheet facing each other in a state where the pockets do not overlap each other, the medicine sheet is stored as a set of two sheets,
Said counter, said end portion of the drug sheets stored in the drug cassette includes an optical sensor for optically detecting, counts the end of the drug sheet based on the result of detection by the optical sensor, moreover the end of the drug Sheet When the distance between the parts is smaller than a preset parameter, these end parts are counted as 1, and twice the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the total number of counts is stored in the medicine cassette. A counting device of a dispensing device, characterized in that the number of sheets is used. The counting device of a dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is set based on a superposition height of the medicine sheets in a compressed state. The counting device of a dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the optical sensor moves detachably with respect to an end of the medicine sheet stored in the medicine cassette. The optical sensor is mounted on a take-out mechanism for taking out a medicine sheet from the medicine cassette, and the take-out mechanism is movable with respect to an end of the medicine sheet stored in the medicine cassette. The counting device of the dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The number of medicine sheets counted using the counting device of the dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, and the medicine sheet stored in advance in a storage unit as a database relating to medicine information An inventory management device for a dispensing device, which creates actual stock information of a medicine based on unit data indicating the number of medicines per sheet and performs inventory management based on the actual stock information.

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