JP5904719B2 - Marked capsule, capsule manufacturing method, and capsule - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a capsule with a marking and a method for producing the capsule. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a capsule in which the capsule is filled with edible contents such as drugs and foods.

  In order to identify pharmaceutical products such as tablets and capsules, markings such as symbols, letters, numbers, and patterns have been conventionally performed on the surface. For example, a method of forming a marking using ink on the surface of a capsule or the like by offset printing or ink jet printing has been widely used. Patent Document 1 discloses a method of forming a marking by irradiating a surface of a capsule or the like with a laser.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-122688

  The above-described marking is generally applied to a surface of a capsule or the like where the surface is easy to see, and this marking enables differentiation from a capsule filled with other types of contents. However, in recent years, counterfeit medicines such as capsules have been flooded in Asian countries, and there are many counterfeits that are difficult to distinguish between genuine medicines (genuine products) and appearance (capsule shape, etc.). is there. For this reason, anti-counterfeiting measures are required for pharmaceutical products, but marking is similar to capsules because it is easy to imitate simply by marking the surface of capsules, etc. If it is applied, it cannot be distinguished whether it is a “genuine product” or a “fake”, and an effect of preventing forgery cannot be expected.

  The present invention has been made by paying attention to the above-described problems, can be differentiated from others, and is difficult to forge easily, a method for manufacturing the capsule, and the capsule. The object is to provide a capsule.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a capsule having a body that can be filled with contents, a cap that covers the body, and a coupling means that couples the cap to the body in a retaining state. This is achieved by a capsule characterized in that a marking is formed in an area covered by the cap of the body in a state of being coupled.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the marking formed on the body is exposed when the body and the cap are temporarily joined.

  In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coupling means comprises a concave portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body and a convex portion engageable with the concave portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap, A state in which the body and the cap are temporarily connected is formed by the front end of the body abutting against the side surface of the convex portion of the cap.

  In a further preferred aspect of the present invention, the marking is formed by irradiating the surface of the body with laser light.

  The object of the present invention is also achieved by a capsule in which the body of the capsule having the above-described structure is filled.

  The object of the present invention is to provide a capsule having a body that can be filled with contents, a cap that covers the body, and a coupling means that couples the cap to the body in a retaining state. A step of manufacturing a cap and the body; a step of temporarily coupling the cap to the body; and an empty state in which the body and the cap are temporarily coupled, and a laser beam at a boundary position between the body and the cap. It is also achieved by a capsule manufacturing method comprising a step of forming a marking by irradiating.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide capsules and capsules that can be differentiated from others and that are difficult to forge easily.

It is a perspective view of the capsule which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the capsule of FIG. It is sectional drawing of a cap and a body. It is a perspective view of the capsule of a temporary coupling state. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the capsule of FIG. 4.

  Hereinafter, actual forms of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows an external configuration of a capsule 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an internal configuration of the capsule 1 of FIG.

  The capsule 1 of this embodiment is a substantially oval spherical body having a body 2 that can be filled with contents and a cap 3 that covers the body 2. The body 2 and the cap 3 are made of conventionally known materials. Can be used. For example, the body 2 and the cap 3 can be manufactured using gelatin as a general capsule material, water-soluble cellulose such as hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), which has recently been attracting attention, and pullulan. Moreover, there is no restriction | limiting in particular in the shaping | molding method of the body 2 and the cap 3, It can shape | mold by a conventionally well-known method. For example, after immersing a molding pin in a gelatin solution or a water-soluble cellulose solution and attaching them to the molding pin to form a uniform film, this is dried and solidified, removed from the molding pin and shaped, and then the body 2 And the immersion molding method which shape | molds the cap 3 is used suitably.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the body 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an opening 20 at one end and closed at the other end in a dome shape. It is possible to fill things. The contents are filled with a predetermined amount of drug, food, powder, granule, tablet, or liquid, paste, slurry.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cap 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape having an opening 30 at one end and closed at the other end in a dome shape. The inner diameter of the cap 3 is the outer diameter of the body 2. It is formed slightly larger than. One end of the body 2 is fitted into the cap 3 through the opening 30 of the cap 3, the body 2 is inserted into the cap 3, and the two are joined together, whereby the contents in the body 2 are sealed by the cap 3.

  On the outer peripheral surface near the opening 20 of the body 2, a recess 22 is formed extending around the circumference in the circumferential direction. On the other hand, on the inner peripheral surface of the cap 3, a convex portion 31 extending around the circumference in the circumferential direction is formed at a position on the other end side in the longitudinal direction so as to protrude inward. The cross sections of the concave portion 22 and the convex portion 31 each have a substantially semicircular arc shape, and the convex portion 31 is formed in a shape that can be engaged with the concave portion 22. The concave portion 22 and the convex portion 31 constitute a coupling means for coupling the body 2 and the cap 3 in a retaining state, and the body 2 is held in the cap 3 until the convex portion 31 is firmly engaged with the concave portion 22. By inserting into the body, the body 2 and the cap 3 are integrally fixed, and the opening of the cap 3 is prevented. The concave portion 22 and the convex portion 31 described above do not necessarily have to be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the cap 3 over the entire circumference, but on the outer peripheral surface of the body 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the cap 3. It may be formed only partially.

  In general, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the capsule is manufactured by the capsule manufacturer from the capsule manufacturer in a state where the cap 3 and the body 2 are temporarily bonded after the empty capsule 1 is manufactured by the capsule manufacturer. Generally supplied to manufacturers. That is, after the cap 3 is put on the body 2, one end edge of the body 2 is placed on the side surface of the convex portion 31 of the cap 3 without inserting the body 2 into the cap 3 until the concave portion 22 engages with the convex portion 31. Up to this point, the capsule 1 is supplied in an unlocked state (temporarily coupled state) in which the body 2 is inserted into the cap 3. Then, in a pharmaceutical manufacturer or the like, the empty capsule 1 supplied with the body 2 and the cap 3 temporarily joined is once separated into the body 2 and the cap 3, and then the body 2 is filled with the contents. The body 2 is again covered with the cap 3, the body 2 is inserted to the back of the cap 3, the concave portion 22 and the convex portion 31 are engaged, and the cap 3 and the body 2 are coupled in a retaining state, whereby the contents Are filled.

  When the body 2 and the cap 3 are temporarily joined, the boundary position between the surface of the body 2 and the cap 3, that is, the nearest position adjacent to one end edge of the cap 3 on the surface of the body 2 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the marking 4 is provided, and this marking 4 imparts the distinguishability for distinguishing the capsule 1 from the capsule filled with other kinds of contents. The design of the marking 4 is not particularly limited, and can be freely designed by using letters, numbers, figures, symbols, etc. alone or in combination, for example, product name, product abbreviation, The company logo or logo of the sales company, or various codes used for pharmaceutical products can be used.

  As a method for forming the marking 4, as a method for forming the marking 4 on the capsule 1, such as transfer printing that prints characters on the surface of the body 2 using a rubber roller or ink jet printing that performs dot printing of ink. In general, various marking methods using ink that are most often employed can be used, but in transfer printing, the surface state of the capsule 1 (body 2) and the marking 4 of the capsule 1 (body 2) Management is extremely complicated in order to stably apply the clear marking 4 on the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2) having a curved surface, which is easily affected by the atmosphere of the application location. In particular, when the marking 4 is formed at the boundary position with the cap 3 on the surface of the body 2 as in this embodiment, there is a step (unevenness) corresponding to the thickness of the cap 3 in the vicinity of the marking position. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to form a clear marking 4 at the boundary position. On the other hand, in ink-jet printing, it is difficult to print on a curved surface such as the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2), and when there is a step (unevenness) near the marking position as described above, clear marking at the boundary position is possible. 4 is difficult to form. In addition, if the ink liquid is not sufficiently dried, the capsule 1 may become dirty or the marking 4 may blur, which may affect the appearance and quality.

  Therefore, the method of forming the marking 4 on the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2) by irradiating the laser beam is preferable in that the problems of the marking method using the ink described above can be solved. According to this laser marking method, by precisely adjusting the irradiation position of the laser beam, the marking 4 having a desired shape can be formed at a desired position on the surface without being substantially affected by the surface shape of the capsule 1 (body 2). Therefore, even if a step (unevenness) exists in the vicinity of the marking position, the marking 4 can be clearly formed at the marking position.

  On the other hand, if the marking 4 is formed by scraping the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2) by laser light irradiation, or baking or heat-denaturing with the heat of the laser light, There is a concern that the quality of the capsule 1 may be deteriorated due to heat, and depending on the user, there is a risk of causing anxiety about the safety of the capsule 1. Therefore, a component that induces discoloration without causing a chemical change such as decomposition due to laser light irradiation is dispersed in the capsule 1 (at least the body 2) in advance or attached to the surface of the capsule 1 (at least the body 2) in advance. It is preferable to do so. According to this method, the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2) is formed on the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2) in order to form the marking 4 on the laser light irradiation portion by urging the laser light irradiation to promote discoloration of the color change inducing component of the laser light irradiation portion. The sharp marking 4 can be formed on the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2) without being shaved by light, baked by heat of the laser light, or heat-denatured. This is preferable. In addition, as the above-described component for inducing discoloration (discoloration inducing component), at least one kind of discoloration-inducing oxide such as titanium oxide, yellow iron sesquioxide, iron sesquioxide that enables discoloration by aggregation by laser irradiation. Can be preferably mentioned.

  In the capsule 1 of the present embodiment, the marking 4 is exposed to the outside in the empty capsule 1 in which the body 2 and the cap 3 are temporarily joined by applying the marking 4 to the boundary position of the body 2. A pharmaceutical manufacturer or the like who has received the empty capsule 1 can easily recognize the marking 4. On the other hand, when the body 2 is further inserted into the cap 3 from the above-described temporary coupling state and the body 2 and the cap 3 are coupled in a state of being prevented from coming off, the marking 4 on the surface of the body 2 is covered with the cap 3 and hidden. . Therefore, in the capsule in which the body 2 and the cap 3 are joined after the contents are filled, the marking 4 cannot be visually recognized from the outside, and after the capsule is on the market, the marking 4 The display contents cannot be easily confirmed. As a result, imitation of the marking 4 can be prevented, and marking 4 similar to a counterfeit capsule or capsule can be prevented from being applied.

  In the capsule 1 of the present embodiment, the marking 4 is clearly applied to the above-described boundary position of the capsule 1 (body 2) by the laser marking method without deteriorating the quality of the capsule 1. The marking 4 is formed by scarcely using a laser marking device or by cutting the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2) with laser light, baking it with heat of the laser light, or heat-denaturing as described above. Therefore, since there is concern about the safety of the capsule 1, the method of forming the marking 4 on the capsule 1 by laser light irradiation is not widely used. On the other hand, it is difficult to clearly form the marking 4 at the above-described boundary position of the capsule 1 (body 2) by the marking method using ink that is generally widely used. Therefore, in the capsule 1 of the present embodiment, even if the counterfeiter can confirm the display content of the marking 4, the clear marking 4 cannot be applied to the counterfeit product capsule or capsule at the same position as the genuine product. Fundamentally, it is possible to prevent forgery of the capsule 1 or capsule, and if the marking 4 is applied to the counterfeit capsule or capsule at the same position as the genuine product, the displayed marking is displayed. If the quality of the marking 4 is compared with the quality of the marking 4 displayed on the genuine capsule or capsule, it is possible to easily determine forgery in terms of the clearness of the marking 4.

  In the present embodiment, the discoloration inducing component (discoloration inducing oxide) is dispersed in the capsule 1 so that the discoloration inducing component in the laser light irradiated portion is discolored by laser light irradiation to form the marking 4. However, the method of forming the marking 4 by laser beam irradiation is not limited to this embodiment, and by reducing the laser beam output or shortening the laser beam irradiation time, etc. If there is no concern about the risk of deterioration of the capsule 1 due to etching or heat, and the safety concerns due to ingestion can be resolved, the surface of the capsule 1 can be shaved with laser light, or the laser light The marking 4 may be formed by baking with heat or heat denaturation.

  Next, a method for manufacturing the capsule 1 having the above-described configuration will be described. First, the body 2 and the cap 3 are manufactured. The body 2 and the cap 3 can be manufactured by a conventionally known method (for example, a dip molding method) using a capsule preparation liquid mainly composed of water-soluble cellulose such as gelatin or HPMC. At this time, at least one discoloration-inducing oxide selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, yellow iron sesquioxide and iron sesquioxide is added to the capsule preparation liquid, whereby the body 2 and the cap 3 are added. It is preferable to disperse the discoloration-inducing oxide uniformly. Further, at least the surface of the body 2 may be coated with a coating layer in which at least one discoloration-inducing oxide selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, yellow ferric oxide and ferric oxide is uniformly dispersed. Good.

  Next, after covering the body 2 with the cap 3, the body 2 is inserted into the cap 3 until the one end edge of the body 2 contacts the side surface of the convex portion 31 of the cap 3, and the both are temporarily locked. Combine. Next, with respect to the capsule 1 in an empty state in which the body 2 and the cap 3 are temporarily coupled, a laser beam scanning device (not shown) is used to laser light at the boundary position with the cap 3 on the surface of the body 2. , The marking 4 is formed on the capsule 1.

The laser light applied to the capsule 1 is not particularly limited, and solid laser light, liquid laser light, and gas laser light can be used. Preferred examples of the solid laser light include YLF laser light, YAG laser light, and YVO ₄ laser light. Further, excimer laser light and carbon dioxide laser light can be preferably exemplified as the gas laser light, and dye laser light can be preferably exemplified as the liquid laser light. In particular, solid laser light is preferable, and basic, second, third, fourth, and fifth harmonic YVO ₄ laser oscillators can be preferably exemplified. For example, YVO4 Laser DS20H-355 (Photonics Industries International, Inc) can be used as the third harmonic oscillator, and AVIA266-3000 (COHERENT) can be used as the fourth harmonic oscillator. The laser beam to be irradiated may be either a continuous wave laser beam or a pulsed laser beam, but a pulsed laser beam is more preferable. The repetition frequency of the pulsed laser beam is 1 Hz to 100 MHz, preferably 1 Hz to 150 kHz, and more preferably 10 kHz to 100 kHz.

  Moreover, as a wavelength of the laser beam to be irradiated, a laser beam having a wavelength of 157 nm to 10800 nm can be used, and it can be widely used from a laser beam having a wavelength in the ultraviolet region to a laser beam having a wavelength in the infrared region. For example, when the above-described color change inducing component (color change inducing oxide) is used, laser light having a wavelength of 157 nm to 1100 nm can be used, and among these, laser light having a wavelength in the ultraviolet region is preferable. For example, laser beams having wavelengths of 351 nm to 355 nm, 263 nm to 266 nm, 248 nm, 210 nm to 216 nm, 193 nm, and 157 nm are suitable. In addition, when forming the marking 4 by baking or heat-denaturing the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2), a laser beam having a wavelength in the infrared region is preferable, for example, 1064 nm to 10800 nm is preferable. It is. Moreover, when forming the marking 4 by shaving the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2), a short wavelength is preferable.

  Moreover, the average output of the laser beam to irradiate is 0.1W-30kW, Preferably it is 0.1W-100W, More preferably, it is 0.5W-50W, More preferably, it is 1W-20W, Preferably it is 1W-10W.

  Further, the scanning method of the laser beam when irradiating the surface of the capsule 1 (body 2) with the laser beam is not particularly limited. For example, the rotation angle of the mirror is changed according to the electric signal. A galvanomirror type using a deflector that can be used, a resonant scan type that is a resonance type deflector used by being driven by a sine wave of a resonance frequency, and a polygon mirror type using a plurality of mirrors can be exemplified, but preferably Is a galvanometer mirror type.

  In addition, as a method of irradiating laser light, a plurality of moving capsules 1 arranged and arranged on the transport line may be irradiated with laser light, or in the middle of the transport line. Alternatively, the plurality of capsules 1 may be irradiated with laser light in a stationary state after the capsules 1 are automatically spread in a flat bread in which a certain number of capsules 1 are accommodated.

  The capsule 1 with the marking 4 is supplied to a pharmaceutical manufacturer or the like in an empty state in which the body 2 and the cap 3 are temporarily joined. Then, in a pharmaceutical manufacturer or the like, a process of separating the body 2 and the cap 3 using a capsule automatic filling machine, a process of filling the contents into the separated body 2, and the body 2 filled with the contents again with the cap 3 A series of steps of covering the two and joining them together in a retaining state is automatically performed. Thereafter, the contents were filled by performing a process of sealing the gap between the body 2 of the capsule 1 and the cap 3 with, for example, a band seal or a process of coating the entire surface of the capsule 1 with an enteric coating or the like. Capsules are manufactured.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these, A various change is possible unless it deviates from the meaning of this invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the marking 4 is formed at the boundary position with the cap 3 on the surface of the body 2 in a state where the body 2 and the cap 3 are temporarily joined, but the body 2 and the cap 3 are joined. As long as the region is covered with the cap 3 in the state, it can be formed at any position of the body 2.

  In this embodiment, the marking 4 is formed by laser light irradiation. However, if the clear marking 4 can be formed on the capsule 1 by the marking method using ink, the marking 4 is not limited thereto. It is not something that can be done.

1 Capsule 2 Body 3 Cap 4 Marking 22 Concave part 31 Convex part

Claims (6)

In a capsule having a body that can be filled with contents, a cap that covers the body, and a coupling means that couples the cap to the body in a retaining state,
A capsule in which a marking is formed only in a region covered with the cap of the body in a state where the body and the cap are combined.   The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the marking formed on the body is exposed in a state where the body and the cap are temporarily joined. The coupling means includes a concave portion formed on the outer peripheral surface of the body and a convex portion engageable with the concave portion formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap.
3. The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the body and the cap are temporarily joined by abutting the tip of the body against a side surface of the convex portion of the cap.   The capsule according to claim 1, wherein the marking is formed by irradiating the surface of the body with laser light.   The capsule by which the content is filled in the body of the capsule in any one of Claims 1-4. In a method of manufacturing a capsule, comprising: a body that can be filled with contents; a cap that covers the body; and a coupling means that couples the cap to the body in a retaining state.
Manufacturing the cap and the body;
Temporarily bonding the cap to the body;
And a step of forming a marking by irradiating only a region covered with the cap of the body with a laser beam in a state where the body and the cap are combined .

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