JP7397497B2 - drug dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a medicine dispensing device, and more particularly to a medicine dispensing device that packages and dispenses powdered medicine in doses.

In recent years, large hospitals and large-scale pharmacies have introduced powder medicine packaging devices and drug dispensing devices equipped with a powder medicine packaging function. Here, the powder medicine packaging device is a device that individually packages powder medicine for each dose based on prescription information. By using a powder medicine packaging device, most of the work of packaging powder medicine into individual doses can be automated.
Conventional medicine dispensing devices, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, are comprised of a powder dispensing section that dispenses powder medicine into individual doses, and a packaging device that individually packages the dispensed powder medicines. Further, the powder distribution section includes a powder feeder, a distribution plate, and a scraping device. In conventional drug dispensing devices, a pharmacist confirms a doctor's prescription and takes out a vial containing the prescribed powder from a medicine cabinet. Then, use a scale such as a balance to measure the total weight of the specific powder prescribed. Then, the measured powder is put into the hopper of the powder feeder, and the trough of the powder feeder is vibrated to cause the powder to fall into the distribution pan. At the same time, the distribution plate is continuously rotated at a constant rotation speed to evenly distribute the particles in the grooves of the distribution plate.

Thereafter, the scraping plate of the scraping device is dropped into the groove of the distribution plate, and the distribution plate is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of doses to be distributed to collect one dose of powder on the front side of the scraping plate. Then, the scraping plate is rotated, and the scraping plate scrapes the powdered medicine out of the dispensing plate and sends it to the packaging device, where it is packaged in doses.

With conventional medicine dispensing devices, it was necessary for the pharmacist to take out a medicine bottle containing the desired powder medicine from the medicine cabinet and measure out a predetermined amount of powder medicine from the medicine bottle. We succeeded in developing an automated drug dispensing device (Patent Document 2).

The drug dispensing device developed by the present applicant and disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a vibrating table arranged around a dispensing plate. In the medicine dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 2, a load cell is provided on the vibration table as a measuring means.
Further, the drug dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a container shelf that accommodates a large number of drug containers, and a robot that takes out the drug containers from the shelf and places them on a vibration table.
In the drug dispensing device disclosed in Patent Document 2, a robot takes out a drug container from a container shelf, moves it to a vibration table, vibrates the drug container, and drops powder directly from the drug container onto a distribution tray. In addition, by monitoring the weight of the drug container with a load cell attached to the vibration table, the amount of falling powder is detected.
The subsequent process is the same as the conventional one, in which the dispensing plate is continuously rotated at a constant rotational speed to evenly disperse (distribute) the powder into the grooves of the dispensing plate. Then, the scraping plate of the scraping device is dropped into the groove of the distribution plate, the distribution plate is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of doses to be distributed, the powder for one dose is collected on the front side of the scraping plate, and the powder is dispensed by the scraping plate. is scraped out of the dispensing tray and sent to the packaging device, where the packaging device packages each dose.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-80043 WO2014-46148 publication

According to the drug dispensing device disclosed by the present applicant, the pharmacist's work is significantly reduced, and the drug can be packaged accurately in a short time.
However, further improvements are required in the market. Specifically, the objective is to develop a drug dispensing device that can package drugs more quickly and accurately, and that can reduce the size of the entire device without reducing the number of drug containers that can be accommodated. is in demand in the market.

Furthermore, although the conventional drug dispensing device uses a dispensing plate, the drug dispensing device using the dispensing plate is not suitable for dispensing small amounts and small packages of prescription powder medicine for children.
That is, the size (diameter) of the distribution plate corresponds to the maximum volume that can be packaged at one time. Specifically, the size (diameter) of the dispensing plate is designed to accommodate a large amount of powdered medicine contained in one package and a large number of doses.
Therefore, on the other hand, when the amount of powder medicine contained in one package is small and the number of doses is small, such as in the case of prescription packets for children, when the powder medicine is dispersed (distributed) in the grooves of the dispensing plate, The medicine accumulates in a thin layer at the bottom of the groove, making it difficult to discharge the powder medicine with the scraping device.
Therefore, in a drug dispensing device using a dispensing plate, there is a lower limit to the amount of powder that can be packaged, making it difficult to package small amounts of powder.

The related invention was developed in response to the above-mentioned market demands, and an object thereof is to develop a drug dispensing device that can achieve any of the above-mentioned objects.
Another object of the present invention is to develop a drug dispensing device that can be downsized as a whole without reducing the number of drug containers that can be accommodated.

One aspect of the present invention developed to solve the above-mentioned problems includes: a medicine container that stores powder medicine; a medicine container storage unit that stores a plurality of medicine containers; and a container moving means that moves the medicine containers. The container moving means includes a container holding means for holding a drug container, and a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the drug container, and the container moving means includes a container holding means for holding a drug container and a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the drug container. In the drug dispensing device for packaging with a packaging device, the container moving means moves the container holding means to place a drug container stored in the drug container accommodating section and removed from the drug container accommodating section into a predetermined position. one drug container is selected and removed from among a plurality of drug containers stored in the drug container accommodating section, and the selected and removed one drug container is moved by the container moving means. The drug container is moved to a predetermined position, and while the moved one drug container is held by the container holding means, the discharge mechanism dispenses powder medicine from the moved one drug container in single-dose units or multiple doses. The total amount can be discharged, and the powder medicine is discharged directly from the moved one drug container to the distribution tray by the discharge mechanism while the moved one drug container is held by the container holding means. This is a drug dispensing device characterized by the following.
In a further preferred embodiment, the drug container has a built-in member for discharging the drug, such as a screw or a blade, and the member for discharging the drug receives power transmission from the outside to discharge the drug from the drug container, and This medicine dispensing device transmits power to a member for discharging medicine from one medicine container, and discharges the powdered medicine for each dose or the total amount for multiple doses from the medicine container.
One aspect of the present invention developed to solve the above-mentioned problems includes: a medicine container that stores powder medicine; a medicine container storage unit that stores a plurality of medicine containers; and a container moving means that moves the medicine containers. The container moving means has a container holding means for holding a drug container, and the drug container has a built-in member such as a screw or a blade for discharging the drug. The drug dispensing device is configured such that the discharging member receives power transmission from the outside to discharge the drug from the drug container, and the powder medicine dispensed from the drug container is packaged by the packaging device, wherein the container moving means is configured to discharge the drug from the drug container by receiving power transmission from the outside. The means can be moved to move a drug container stored in the drug container storage section and removed from the drug container storage section to a predetermined position, and the plurality of drug containers stored in the drug container storage section can be moved to a predetermined position. select and remove one drug container from among the drug containers, move the selected and removed one drug container to a predetermined position by the container moving means, and hold the moved one drug container. While held by the means, it is possible to transmit power to a member for discharging the medicine in the moved one medicine container to discharge the powder medicine in units of doses or in total amount for multiple doses from the medicine container. This medicine dispensing device is characterized in that the powdered medicine is directly discharged from the moved one medicine container into a distribution tray while the one medicine container that has been moved is held by a container holding means.
In a further preferred embodiment, the container moving means is a medicine dispensing device that moves the article in a plane.
A further preferred embodiment is a drug dispensing device in which the dispensing plate further has a drug input groove, and the predetermined position is above the drug input groove.
One aspect of the present invention developed to solve the above-mentioned problems includes: a medicine container that stores powder medicine; a medicine container storage unit that stores a plurality of medicine containers; and a container moving means that moves the medicine containers. The container moving means includes a container holding means for holding a drug container, and a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the drug container, and the container moving means includes a container holding means for holding a drug container and a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the drug container. A powder discharge method of a medicine dispensing device for packaging with a packaging device, the method comprising:
(i) Select and remove one drug container from among the plurality of drug containers stored in the drug container storage unit;
(ii) moving the selected and removed drug container to a predetermined position by a container moving means;
(iii) While the moved one drug container is held by the container holding means, the discharge mechanism directly discharges the powder medicine for each dose or the total amount for multiple doses from the moved one drug container into the distribution tray. This is a method for discharging powdered medicine from a medicine dispensing device.
One aspect of the present invention developed to solve the above-mentioned problems includes: a medicine container that stores powder medicine; a medicine container storage unit that stores a plurality of medicine containers; and a container moving means that moves the medicine containers. It has a distribution plate and a packaging device, and the drug container has a built-in member for discharging the drug such as a screw or a blade, and the member for discharging the drug receives power transmission from the outside to discharge the drug from the drug container. The container moving means has a container holding means for holding a medicine container, and the medicine dispensing device packs the discharged powder with the packaging device,
(i) Select and remove one drug container from among the plurality of drug containers stored in the drug container storage unit;
(ii) moving the selected and removed drug container to a predetermined position by a container moving means;
(iii) Directly discharging the powder medicine from the moved one drug container in units of doses or in total for multiple doses into a dispensing tray while the one drug container that has been moved is held by the container holding means. This is a method for discharging powdered medicine from a medicine dispensing device.
In a further preferred embodiment, the dispensing plate further has a medicine input groove, and the predetermined position is above the medicine input groove.
One aspect of the related invention developed to solve the above problems is a drug container that stores powdered medicine, a container mounting device that places the drug container and discharges the powdered medicine from the drug container, and A first weight measuring means for measuring weight; and a weight measuring means provided on the container mounting device for directly or indirectly measuring the total amount of powder discharged from the drug container by the container mounting device. The medicine dispensing device is equipped with a medicine dispensing device that measures the weight of the medicine container for the first time using the first weight measuring means, places the medicine container on the container mounting device, and dispenses the powder from the medicine container with the container mounting device. After the powder has been discharged from the drug container by the container mounting device, the total amount of powder discharged from the drug container is measured by the weight measuring means, and the second dose of the powder is measured by the first weight measuring means again. A drug dispensing device that measures the weight of a container and compares the difference between the weight of the first drug container and the second drug container with the total discharge amount of the powder measured by the weight measuring means. be.
A preferred embodiment of the related invention further includes a drug container accommodating section for accommodating a drug container, and a container moving means for moving the drug container from the drug container accommodating section to the container mounting device, and the container moving means further comprises: This is a drug dispensing device having a weight measuring means.
A further preferable aspect of the related invention is that the container mounting device further includes a distribution plate, and the container mounting device further includes a vibration table, which is arranged around the distribution plate, and vibrates the vibration table to transfer the powder medicine from the drug container to the distribution plate. This is a medicine dispensing device for discharging medicine.
Another aspect of the related invention developed to solve the above-mentioned problems is a drug container that stores powdered medicine, a container mounting device that places the drug container and discharges the powdered medicine from the drug container, and A first weight measuring means for measuring weight; and a weight measuring means provided on the container mounting device for directly or indirectly measuring the total amount of powder discharged from the drug container by the container mounting device. In the powder medicine discharging method used in the medicine dispensing device, the first weight measurement means measures the weight of the medicine container for the first time, places the medicine container from the medicine container storage part on the container mounting device, and places the medicine container on the container mounting device. After the powder has been discharged from the drug container by the container mounting device and the powder has been discharged from the drug container by the container mounting device, the total amount of powder discharged from the drug container is measured by the weight measuring means, and the first The weight measuring means measures the weight of the second drug container, and the difference between the weight of the first drug container and the second drug container, and the total amount of powder discharged as measured by the weight measuring means. This is a method of discharging powdered medicines that is compared with
In a preferred aspect of the related invention, the drug dispensing device further includes a drug container accommodating section for accommodating a drug container, and a container moving means for moving the drug container from the drug container accommodating section to the container mounting device, The means is a powder discharge method further comprising a first weight measuring means.
In a further preferred aspect of the related invention, the drug dispensing device further includes a distribution plate, and the container mounting device further includes a vibration table, and is arranged around the distribution plate, and vibrates the vibration table to remove the drug container from the drug container. This is a method for discharging powdered medicines by discharging them into a distribution tray.
Another aspect of the related invention developed to solve the above problem includes a drug container that stores powdered medicine, a drug container accommodating section that stores a plurality of drug containers, a container moving means, and a packaging device. In the drug dispensing device, the drug container in the drug container accommodating part is moved by a container moving means, the powder medicine is discharged from the drug container, and the powder medicine is packaged for each dose by a packaging device, wherein the container moving means holds the drug container. It has a container holding means, a conveyance means for moving the container holding means, and a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the drug container. Holding the drug container with the holding means, moving the drug container to a predetermined position with the conveying means, and discharging the powder from the drug container with the ejection mechanism while holding the drug container with the container holding means of the container moving means. This is a distinctive drug dispensing device.

In the drug dispensing device according to an aspect of the present invention, the container moving means has a discharge mechanism, and the powder medicine can be discharged from the drug container by the discharge mechanism while the drug container is held by the container holding means of the container moving means. . Therefore, it is possible to eliminate a separate vibration table, and the device can be made smaller.

It is desirable that the container moving means has a measuring means, and that the discharge mechanism is capable of discharging a fixed amount of powdered medicine from the medicine container for each dose (related invention).

According to this aspect, it is possible to eliminate the distribution pan, and the device can be downsized.

It has a temporary storage container that temporarily stores the powder medicine discharged from the medicine container, and the temporary storage container is provided with a measuring means, and when the powder medicine for one dose is accumulated in the temporary storage container, The configuration may be such that powder medicine can be transferred to a packaging device (related invention).

According to this aspect, it is possible to eliminate the distribution pan, and the device can be downsized. Further, by providing a measuring means on the container moving means and further providing a measuring means on the temporary container, the amount of medicine can be measured more accurately.

In addition, another aspect of the related invention includes a drug container for storing powdered medicine, a drug container storage section for storing a plurality of drug containers, and a container moving means, and the drug containers in the drug container storage section are moved by the container moving means. In a drug dispensing device that discharges powder medicine from a drug container, the container moving means includes a container holding means for holding the drug container, a conveying means for moving the container holding means, and a drug dispensing device that discharges the powder medicine from the drug container. It has a measuring means capable of weighing the container, the container moving means takes out the drug container stored in the drug container accommodating section, the holding means of the container moving means holds the drug container, and the transporting means moves the drug to a predetermined position. This medicine dispensing device is characterized in that the container can be moved and the weight of the medicine container is measured by a measuring means at any stage.

According to this aspect of the related invention, it is possible to eliminate the distribution pan, and the device can be downsized. Further, the present invention can also be applied to a medicine dispensing device having a dispensing plate. In that case, a separate measuring means can be omitted. Furthermore, the amount of medicine can be detected more accurately by using another separate measuring means and a measuring means provided on the container moving means to double detect the amount of medicine.

a container installation stand; the container installation stand includes a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the medicine container; the container moving means moves the medicine container to the container installation stand; and the discharge mechanism discharges the powder from the medicine container; Each of the configurations described above may be combined (related invention).

It has a container installation stand, the container installation stand is equipped with a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the medicine container, the container moving means moves the medicine container to the container installation stand, and the discharge mechanism discharges the powder from the medicine container. The container setting table has a weighing means, and the weight of the drug container is measured by the weighing means of the container moving means before the drug container is placed on the container setting table, and the powder is discharged from the drug container by the discharge mechanism. The amount of powder medicine discharged is monitored by the measuring means on the installation stand, and after one dose of powder medicine has been discharged, the medicine container is removed from the container installation stand by the container moving means, and the weight of the medicine container is measured by the measuring means of the container moving means. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the measurement is performed again at , and this series of operations is repeated to eject a fixed amount of powder medicine for multiple doses in units of doses (related invention).

It has a container installation stand, the container installation stand is equipped with a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the medicine container, the container moving means moves the medicine container to the container installation stand, and the discharge mechanism discharges the powder from the medicine container. The container setting table has a weighing means, and the weight of the drug container is measured by the weighing means of the container moving means before the drug container is placed on the container setting table, and the powder is discharged from the drug container by the discharge mechanism. The amount of powder medicine discharged is monitored by the measuring means on the installation stand, and after dispensing one dose or multiple doses of powder medicine, the container moving means removes the medicine container from the container installation stand and moves the weight of the medicine container into the container. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the measurement is performed again using the measuring means of the means (related invention).

The container moving means may include a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the drug container, and the discharge mechanism may be capable of discharging the powder from the drug container while the drug container is held by the container holding means of the container moving means. related inventions).

In addition, another aspect of the related invention is a drug dispensing device having a drug container for storing powdered drugs, a discharge device for discharging the powder from the drug container, and a packaging device, in which the discharge device is provided with a discharge side measuring means, and the drug container is The temporary storage container has a receiving side measuring means, and a discharge device discharges the medicine from the medicine container and temporarily stores it in the temporary storage container. This medicine dispensing device is characterized in that when a single dose of powder medicine is accumulated in a storage container, the powder medicine in the temporary storage container is transferred to a packaging device.

According to this aspect of the related invention, it is possible to eliminate the distribution pan, and the device can be downsized.

The drug dispensing device of the related invention has the advantage of being able to improve at least one of speed, accuracy, and miniaturization compared to conventional devices.
Further, in the drug dispensing device of the present invention, the container moving means has a discharge mechanism, and the powder can be discharged from the drug container by the discharge mechanism while the drug container is held by the container holding means of the container moving means. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate a separate vibration table, and the device can be made smaller.

1 is a conceptual diagram of a medicine dispensing device according to an embodiment of a related invention of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a moving device of the medicine dispensing device (related invention) in FIG. 1; 2 is a perspective view (a) and a sectional view (b) of a drug container of the drug dispensing device (related invention) in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a main part (related invention) of the drug dispensing device of FIG. 1, in which (a) shows a state in which the drug is being discharged from the drug container into the hopper of the packaging device, and (b) shows the state in which the hopper is opened and the drug is packaged. This shows the state in which the drug is being put into the wrapping paper of the device. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram of a main part of another embodiment of a related invention of the present invention, in which (a) shows a state in which a medicine is being discharged from a medicine container into a temporary cup, and (b) shows a state in which the temporary cup is tilted; This shows a state in which medicine is being put into the wrapping paper of the packaging device. It is a conceptual diagram of the principal part of still another embodiment of related invention of this invention, and shows the state where a medicine is directly thrown into the wrapping paper of a packaging device from a medicine container. 1 is a conceptual diagram of main parts of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of the main parts of a drug dispensing device according to still another embodiment of the related invention of the present invention, in which (a) shows a state in which the drug is being discharged from the drug container to the hopper of the packaging device, and (b) This figure shows a state in which the hopper is opened and medicine is being put into the wrapping paper of the packaging device. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the main parts of a medicine dispensing device according to still another embodiment of the invention related to the present invention, in which (a) shows a state in which medicine is being discharged from a medicine container into a temporary cup, and (b) shows a state in which medicine is being discharged temporarily. This figure shows a state in which the medicine is being put into the wrapping paper of the packaging device by tilting the placing cup. It is a conceptual diagram of the principal part of the medicine delivery device of yet another embodiment of related invention of this invention. 11 is a perspective view of a container mounting device employed in the drug dispensing device (related invention) of FIG. 10. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the container mounting device of FIG. 11. FIG. FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the container mounting device of FIG. 11; FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram of a main part of a medicine dispensing device according to still another embodiment of the invention related to the present invention, in which (a) shows a state in which a medicine container is being moved by a container moving means, and (b) shows a state in which a medicine container is being moved by a container moving means; (c) shows the state when the drug container is placed on the container mounting device and the powder is being discharged, and (c) shows the state where the drug container is held by the container moving means and the weight of the drug container is reweighed. show.

Embodiments of the present invention and related inventions will be further described below.
The drug dispensing device 1 of the present embodiment is surrounded by a housing 2, and includes a drug container accommodating section 3 for storing a plurality of drug containers 30 therein, a container moving means 5, and a packaging device 6. There is. Desired powder medicines are stored in the medicine containers 30 stored in the medicine container storage section 3, respectively.
In this embodiment, the housing 2 is roughly divided into two upper and lower stages, with the drug container accommodating section 3 and the container moving means 5 on the upper stage, and the packaging device 6 on the lower stage.

The drug container accommodating section 3 includes a vertical drum member 7 that rotates in a substantially horizontal direction, and a plurality of container installation sections 13 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the drum member 7.
A desired drug container 30 is attached to the container installation portion 13 of the drum member 7 . Then, a robot 10 of the container moving means 5, which will be described later, is brought close to the drug container 30, and the drug container 30 is attached and detached by the robot 10.

The container moving means 5 is composed of a lifting mechanism 8 and a robot 10, as shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 8 and the robot 10 constitute a transport means, and the hand portion 18 of the robot 10 constitutes a container holding means.
The elevating mechanism 8 is a linear guide provided in the vertical direction, and is composed of a linear rail 11 and an elevating table 12. A rack (not shown) is formed on the straight rail 11, and a motor and a pinion gear (not shown) are provided on the elevator platform 12.
The lifting platform 12 is moved in the vertical direction by operating a motor (not shown).

The robot 10 has two arm members 15 and 16 and a hand section 18.
That is, the first arm member 15 is attached to the lifting table 12 via a vertical shaft (not shown), and rotates in the horizontal direction about the lifting table 12 by driving a motor attached to the lifting table 12. .
The second arm member 16 is attached to the tip of the first arm member 15 via a vertical shaft (not shown), and by driving the motor attached to the tip of the first arm member 15, the first arm member 16 is Rotates horizontally around the tip of the

In this embodiment, the hand unit 18 has a function of holding the drug container 30 and changing its posture, a vibration function (discharge mechanism) of holding and vibrating the drug container, and a weight measurement function of measuring the weight of the drug container. (measuring means).
The hand portion 18 has a container holding palm portion 21 as shown in FIG. Further, an electromagnet 24 is attached to the container holding palm 21.
The hand portion 18 is attached to the tip of the second arm member 16 via a vertical shaft (not shown), and rotates in the horizontal direction about the tip of the second arm member 16 by driving a motor.
Therefore, the container holding palm part 21 can take either a parallel attitude or a vertical attitude. Further, the medicine container 30 can be held by the electromagnet 22.

In this embodiment, vibrating means 22a, 22b and first weight measuring means (measuring means) 25 are arranged between the container holding palm part 21 and the main body part 23 of the hand part 18.
The vibrating means 22a, 22b are piezoelectric elements. The weight measuring means 25 is a measuring means, specifically a load cell. A vibration isolation member 38 is disposed between the vibration excitation means 22a, 22b and the weight measurement means 25, so that the vibrations of the vibration excitation means 22a, 22b are not directly transmitted to the weight measurement means 25.
In this embodiment, the medicine in the medicine container 30 is discharged by vibrating the medicine container 30 with the vibrating means 22a and 22b. In this embodiment, the excitation means 22a and 22b constitute a discharge mechanism, and the container moving means 5 has a discharge function.
Further, in this embodiment, the first weight measuring means 25 constitutes a measuring means, and the container moving means 5 is equipped with the measuring means.

The packaging device 6 is a machine that packages drugs into individual doses, and is composed of a packaging paper supply device 32 and a bag making device 33, as is well known. Further, a powder medicine introduction hopper 31 for supplying medicine to the packaging device 6 is provided. The powder medicine input hopper 31 is composed of a main hopper 26 and an auxiliary hopper 27.
The packaging paper supply device 32 is a part that supplies the sheet-shaped packaging paper 28 to the packaging section.
The bag making device 33 is a part that folds the sheet-like packaging paper 28, introduces the powder into it, and then fuses the sides of the sheet to form it into a bag shape. The packaging paper supply device 32 and the bag making device 33 employed in this embodiment are both well-known and will not be described in detail.

The main hopper 26 of the powder medicine input hopper 31 is a device for receiving the powder medicine dropped from the medicine container 30. The main hopper 26 functions as a temporary storage container.
On the other hand, the auxiliary hopper 27 connects the main hopper 26 and the packaging device 6, and introduces the powder into the packaging device 6 side.
The main hopper 26 is funnel-shaped. That is, the main hopper 26 has an introduction side opening with a large opening area and a discharge side opening with a small opening area. The discharge side opening is located at the lower end of the main hopper 26, and is provided with an opening/closing plate 35. The opening/closing plate 35 can be opened and closed by power, and can open and close the discharge side opening.
In this embodiment, the main hopper 26 is provided with a second weight measuring means 36. The second weight measuring means 36 is a measuring means, specifically a load cell.

The auxiliary hopper 27 is a simple funnel-shaped member, and the upper part is located near the discharge side opening of the main hopper 26, and the lower part reaches the packaging device 6, and the powder medicine is introduced into the folded sheet-shaped packaging paper 28. It is something to do.

Next, the medicine container 30 will be explained with reference to FIG.
The drug container 30 is a closed container, and includes a container body 40 and a lid member 43.
The container body 40 is a vertically elongated container made of resin.
Further, the container body 40 is provided with an iron plate portion 41 for transportation. In this embodiment, the transportation iron plate section 41 is divided into two small transportation iron plate sections 41a and 41b. The iron plate portion 41 for transportation is made of a steel plate containing a magnetic component such as ferrite.

The lid member 43 has a lid main body portion 45 and a movable lid portion 48. The movable lid part 48 has a knob part 50, and by pressing the knob part 50, the movable lid part 48 opens. The movable lid portion 48 is maintained in an open state.
The lid member 43 is attached to the container body 40 as shown in FIG. 3, and constitutes a medicine discharge section 47.

Next, the functions of the medicine dispensing device 1 of this embodiment will be explained. The drug dispensing device 1 of this embodiment discharges the drug one dose at a time from the drug container 30, sends it to the packaging device 6 on the downstream side, and packages the drug one dose at a time.
In the medicine dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, a desired powder medicine is stored in advance in the medicine container 30 stored in the medicine container storage section 3.
The drug dispensing device 1 of this embodiment can automatically perform the operations of selecting a drug according to a prescription, taking out the drug one dose at a time from the drug container 30, and packaging the drug with the packaging device 6. can.

The medicine dispensing device 1 of this embodiment automatically selects a medicine container 30 according to a prescription. Specifically, the drum member 7 of the drug container accommodating section 3 is rotated to bring the desired drug container 30 closer to the container moving means 5. Then, the drug container 30 is held by the hand portion 18 of the container moving means 5, and the drug container 30 is moved directly above the powder medicine input hopper 31 by operating an arm or the like. Further, the attitude of the drug container 30 is maintained horizontally. Further, the knob 50 of the movable lid 48 is pressed by a device not shown, and the movable lid 48 is opened.

Then, while holding the drug container 30 with the hand portion 18 of the container moving means 5, the vibrating means 22a and 22b are activated to vibrate the container holding palm portion 21. As a result, the powder in the drug container 30 moves slowly, is discharged from the drug container 30, and falls into the main hopper 26 of the powder input hopper 31. Note that at this time, the opening/closing plate 35 of the main hopper 26 is closed, and the fallen medicine accumulates in the main hopper 26.
Also, before and after the start of vibration, the weight of the drug container 30 is measured by the first weight measuring means 25 of the container moving means 5. During this time, the weight of the drug container 30 is monitored, and when the total amount of powder drops reaches a desired weight, the vibration of the container holding palm 21 is stopped.
That is, the first weight measuring means 25 measures the original weight G, which is the weight of the drug container 30 before discharging the drug, and when discharging the powder from the drug container 30 little by little, the first weight measuring means 25 measures the original weight G of the drug container 30 before discharging the drug. Monitor the weight of 30. Then, when the current weight g, which is the current weight of the drug container 30, matches or substantially matches the value obtained by subtracting the target discharge amount from the original weight G, the discharge of powder from the drug container 30 is stopped.
In this embodiment, the vibration of the container holding palm part 21 is stopped when the total amount of fall reaches one dose.

Further, in this embodiment, the main hopper 26 is also provided with a weight measuring means (second weight measuring means 36). In this embodiment, the amount of medicine discharged is monitored by the second amount measuring means 36.
In this embodiment, at the stage when the discharge of powdered medicine from the medicine container 30 is stopped, the amount of medicine discharged is confirmed by the second amount measuring means 36, and it is confirmed that the discharged amount of medicine corresponds to one dose of the patient. On the condition that this is done, the opening/closing plate 35 of the main hopper 26 is opened, and the medicine is introduced into the packaging device 6 via the auxiliary hopper 27. The medicine is then packaged by the packaging device 6.

Thereafter, the vibration of the vibrator 22a, 22b is restarted, the container holding palm part 21 is vibrated again, and the series of steps described above is repeated, and one dose of the powder is put into the main hopper 26 from the medicine container 30. , the opening/closing plate 35 is opened and introduced into the packaging device 6, and the packaging device 6 packages the drug for one dose.
In the medicine dispensing device 1 of the present embodiment, a discharge mechanism provided in the container moving means 5 discharges a fixed amount of powder medicine from the medicine container 30 for each dose, and a packaging device 6 packages the medicine for each dose. When the desired number of medicine packages are completed, the knob 50 of the movable lid 48 is returned to its original position by a device (not shown), and the movable lid 48 is closed. Then, the container moving means 5 is operated to return the drug container 30 to the drum member 7 of the drug container storage section 3.

The medicine dispensing device 1 of this embodiment has a first weight measuring means 25 as a discharge side measuring means in the discharge device of the container moving means 5, and further has a temporary storage container in which the powder medicine discharged from the medicine container 30 is temporarily stored. There is a main hopper 26. Further, the main hopper 26, which functions as a temporary storage container, has a second quantity measuring means 36 as a receiving side measuring means. Then, the medicine is discharged from the medicine container 30 by the discharge device and temporarily placed in the temporary storage container. When the powder medicine for one dose is accumulated in the main hopper 26 which is the temporary storage container, the powder medicine in the main hopper 26 is transferred to the packaging device 6. It will be done. In the medicine dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, the medicine is measured twice, so the amount of powder contained in the package is accurate.

Furthermore, in the medicine dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, if either the first weight measuring means 25 or the second weight measuring means 26 breaks down for some reason, it is possible to detect this fact.
That is, since the detected weights of the first weight measuring means 25 and the second weight measuring means 26 should be the same, if the detected weights of both are different, one of the first weight measuring means 25 and the second weight measuring means 26 should be the same. is considered to have malfunctioned.
Further, the medicine dispensing device 1 of this embodiment does not require a dispensing plate, so the device can be made smaller.

In the embodiment described above, the powder medicine input hopper 31 is divided into the main hopper 26 and the auxiliary hopper 27, but like the medicine dispensing device 51 shown in FIG. 5, the medicine discharged from the medicine container 30 is temporarily stored. A temporary storage container 52 may be provided, and a weight measuring means (second weight measuring means 37) may be provided in the temporary storage container 52.
A temporary storage container 52 employed in the medicine dispensing device 51 shown in FIG. 5 is cup-shaped and has a bottom. The drug dispensing device 51 receives the drug discharged from the drug container 30 with the opening of the temporary storage container 52 facing upward. Then, the temporary container 52 in which the medicine is stored is tilted or reversed to change its posture upside down, and the powder medicine is thrown into the powder medicine introduction hopper 55.
Other configurations are the same as in the previous embodiment.

Also in the medicine dispensing device 51 of this embodiment, the medicine is measured twice, so that the medicine is accurately measured. Furthermore, since the drug dispensing device 51 of this embodiment also does not require a distributing plate, the device can be downsized.

As a simpler configuration, a drug dispensing device 56 having the structure shown in FIG. 6 can be considered.
The drug dispensing device 56 shown in FIG. 6 does not have a second amount measuring means. Then, the powder medicine is directly put into the powder medicine input hopper 55 from the medicine container 30.
That is, while holding the medicine container 30 with the hand part 18 of the container moving means 5, the vibration means 22a and 22b are activated to vibrate the container holding palm part 21 and directly feed the powder into the powder medicine input hopper 55. let it fall.
The weight of the drug container 30 is then monitored by the first weight measuring means 25, and when the total amount of powder falling reaches a desired weight, the vibration of the container holding palm 21 is stopped.
Other configurations are the same as in the previous embodiment.

Further, as in a medicine dispensing device 60 shown in FIG. 7, the powder medicine may be put into the distribution tray 61 from the medicine container 30 by the discharge function of the container moving means 5.
The drug dispensing device 60 has a dispensing plate 61 and a scraping device 62 as in the conventional case.
The distribution plate 61 is the same as a known one, and is a plate-shaped member. The distribution plate 61 is provided with a drug input groove 63 on the upper surface side. The drug input groove 63 is also called an "R groove" and has an arcuate cross-sectional shape.

The scraping device 62 has a scraping arm 65 and a scraping mechanism 66. By raising and lowering the scraping arm 65, the scraping mechanism 66 can be moved up and down.
In the drug dispensing device 60 of this embodiment, the drug container 30 is held by the hand portion 18 of the container moving means 5, and the drug container 30 is moved directly above the drug input groove 63 of the distribution plate 61 by operating an arm or the like. let

Then, while holding the drug container 30 with the hand section 18 of the container moving means 5, the vibration means 22a and 22b of the container moving means 5 are activated to vibrate the container holding palm section 21, and the drug is transferred to the dispensing tray 61. The drug falls into the drug input groove 63.
Further, the distribution plate 61 is rotated before and after the start of vibration. Then, before and after the start of vibration, the weight of the drug container 30 is measured. During this time, the weight of the drug container 30 is monitored by the first weight measuring means 25, and when the total amount of powder falling reaches a desired weight, the vibration of the container holding palm 21 is stopped. Here, in this embodiment, the total amount dropped is the total amount for multiple doses. Discharge of the powder from the medicine container 30 is stopped when the current weight g, which is the current weight of the medicine container 30, matches or substantially matches the value obtained by subtracting the total amount for multiple doses from the original weight G.

After that, the rotation of the distribution plate 61 is stopped. Then, the scraping arm 65 is swung, the distal end side is lowered, and the scraping mechanism 66 is lowered, and the scraping mechanism 66 is placed into the drug input groove 63 of the distribution tray 61.
Then, the distribution plate 61 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of pieces to be distributed, and the pieces are collected on the scraping plate 67. Thereafter, the scraping plate 67 is rotated, the scraping plate 68 scoops up the medicine, the medicine is discharged from the distribution tray 61, and the medicine is thrown into the powder medicine input hopper 77. The medicine falls down the powder medicine input hopper 77, is carried to the packaging device 6, and is packaged by the packaging device 6.
This operation is repeated in sequence to discharge all the medicines in the distribution tray 61, and each medicine is packaged by the packaging device 6.

In the embodiments described above, the container moving means 5 is provided with a weight measuring means (first weight measuring means 25), but the excitation means 22a and 22b are activated based on the detected values of the weight measuring means at other positions. You may run it.

The drug dispensing device 70 shown in FIG. 8 is a modification of the drug dispensing device 1 shown in FIG. 4, and the container moving device 5 does not have a weight measuring device (first weight measuring device 25). The other configurations are the same as the medicine dispensing device 1 shown in FIG. 4.
In the medicine dispensing device 70 as well, the medicine container 30 is held by the hand portion 18 of the container moving means 5 and the medicine container 30 is moved directly above the powder medicine input hopper 31 by operating an arm or the like. Then, while holding the drug container 30 with the hand portion 18 of the container moving means 5, the vibration means 22a and 22b are activated to vibrate the container holding palm portion 21, and the drug is transferred from the drug container 30 to the powder injection hopper 31. falls into the main hopper 26.
Also, before and after the start of vibration, the weight of the drug container 30 is measured by the second weight measuring means 36 on the main hopper 26 side.
That is, the weight of the drug accumulated in the main hopper 26 is measured by the second weight measuring means 36 on the main hopper 26 side. Then, when the weight of the medicine accumulated in the main hopper 26 matches or substantially matches the value obtained by subtracting the target discharge amount from the original weight G, the discharge of the powder from the medicine container 30 is stopped. More specifically, when one dose for the patient is reached, the vibrating means 22a and 22b are stopped, and the discharge of the powder from the drug container 30 is stopped.

The drug dispensing device 71 shown in FIG. 9 is a modification of the drug dispensing device 51 shown in FIG. 5, and the container moving device 5 does not have a weight measuring device (first weight measuring device 25). The other configurations are the same as the medicine dispensing device 51.

The present invention can also be applied to a drug dispensing device developed by the applicant and disclosed in Patent Document 2.
That is, a container mounting device (container installation stand) 80 may be arranged around the distribution plate 61 like a drug dispensing device 75 of the related invention shown in FIG. 10. The container mounting device 80 includes a vibration table 72.
The container placement device 80 functions as a container installation stand on which the drug container 30 is placed. The container mounting device 80 includes a vibration table 72 and a discharge mechanism for discharging the powder from the medicine container 30. Note that the vibration table 72 is an ejection mechanism of a related invention and not an ejection mechanism of the claims.
As shown in FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, the container mounting device 80 includes a vibration table 72 and a weight measuring means 76 that directly or indirectly measures the weight of the drug container 30. A fall confirmation sensor (not shown) is also provided.

The vibration table 72 is provided with a container holding means for temporarily fixing the drug container 30 to the vibration table 72. Specifically, the container holding means are magnets 76a and 76b. Vibration means 78 are attached to both ends of the vibration table 72 in an inclined position. The vibration means 78 is specifically a piezoelectric element. The drop confirmation sensor is, for example, a photoelectric sensor, and is a sensor for confirming whether or not the medicine has been discharged from the medicine container 30.
In the embodiment of the related invention, the drug container 30 is placed on the container mounting device 80, and the vibration table 72 is vibrated to discharge the drug from the drug container 30. Further, the change in weight of the drug container 30 at that time is detected by the weight measuring means 76.

The container moving means 83 employed in the medicine dispensing device 71 of the related invention has a first weight measuring means 25 as shown in FIG. Note that the container moving means 83 employed in the drug dispensing device 71 does not have a vibration means as shown in FIG. 10, but has a container holding palm part 21 and a first weight measuring means 25.
The medicine dispensing device 71 of the related invention also automatically selects the medicine container 30 according to the prescription. Then, the drug container 30 is held by the hand portion 18 of the container moving means 83, and the drug container 30 is placed on the container mounting device 80 by operating an arm or the like.
Further, while the drug container 30 is being transported by the container moving device 83, the weight of the drug container 30 is measured by the first weight measuring device 25 of the container moving device 83, and after the distribution operation is completed, the drug container 30 is held again by the hand section. By comparing the difference between the weight of the drug container 30 and the total discharge amount measured by the weight measuring means 76 and performing a double check, the reliability of the weighed value can be ensured, and furthermore, the reliability of the weighed value can be guaranteed. It becomes possible to detect maladjustment or failure.

In the drug dispensing device 71 of the related invention, the vibration table 72 built into the container mounting device 80 is vibrated while the drug container 30 is placed on the container mounting device 80 . As a result, the powder in the drug container 30 moves slowly, is discharged from the drug container 30, and falls onto the distribution tray 61.
Further, the distribution plate 61 is rotated before and after the start of vibration. Further, before and after the start of vibration, the weight of the drug container 30 is measured by the weight measuring means 76 of the container mounting device 80. During this time, the weight of the medicine container 30 is monitored, and when the total amount of powder discharged reaches a desired weight, the vibration of the vibration table 72 is stopped.
The subsequent steps are the same as those of the conventional method; the rotation of the distribution plate 61 is stopped, the scraping mechanism 66 is placed in the drug input groove 63, the distribution plate 61 is rotated by an angle corresponding to the number of medicines to be dispensed, and the scraping Collect it on board 67. Thereafter, the scraping plate 67 is rotated, the scraping plate 68 scoops up the medicine, the medicine is discharged from the distribution tray 61, and the medicine is thrown into the powder medicine input hopper 77. The medicine falls down the powder medicine input hopper 77, is carried to the packaging device 6, and is packaged by the packaging device 6.
This operation is repeated in sequence to discharge all the drugs in the distribution tray 61, and each drug is packaged in the packaging device 6.

Further, a configuration such as a medicine dispensing device 81 of a related invention shown in FIG. 14 is also considered.
The drug dispensing device 81 of the related invention does not have a dispensing plate and directly puts the drug into the packaging device 6 from the drug container 30 placed on the container mounting device (container installation stand) 80.
The container mounting device 80 is the same as that described above, and includes a vibration table 72. The container mounting device 80 has a weight measuring means 76 that directly or indirectly measures the weight of the drug container 30.

The container moving means 83 employed in the medicine dispensing device 81 of the related invention has a first weight measuring means 25 as shown in FIG. That is, the container moving means 83 employed in the drug dispensing device 81 has a container holding palm part 21 and a first weight measuring means (measuring means) 25. The container moving means 83 has no vibration means.
The medicine dispensing device 81 according to the embodiment of the related invention also automatically selects the medicine container 30 according to the prescription, as shown in FIG. 14(a). Then, the drug container 30 is held by the hand portion 18 of the container moving means 83, and the drug container 30 is placed on the container mounting device 80 by operating an arm or the like.

Further, while the drug container 30 is being transported by the container moving device 83, the weight of the drug container 30 is measured by the first weight measuring device 25 of the container moving device 83.
In the medicine dispensing device 81 of the embodiment of the related invention, the vibration table 72 built into the container mounting device 80 is vibrated while the medicine container 30 is placed on the container mounting device 80 . As a result, the powder in the drug container 30 moves slowly, is discharged from the drug container 30, and falls into the powder input hopper 77 of the packaging device 6 (FIG. 14b).

During this time, the weight of the medicine container 30 is monitored by the weight measuring means 76 of the container mounting device 80, and when the amount of powdered medicine discharged reaches one dose, the vibration of the vibration table 72 is stopped.
A single dose of powder that has already been put into the powder medicine input hopper 77 of the packaging device 6 is packaged by the packaging device 6.
In parallel with this, the drug container 30 is held by the container moving means 83, and the container moving means 83 is driven to temporarily move the drug container 30 from the container mounting device (container installation stand) 80 as shown in FIG. 14(c). remove. Then, the first weight measuring means 25 of the container moving means 83 measures the weight of the drug container 30 again.
The weight of the drug container 30 when re-measured should be one dose less than the previous measurement, but if the difference between the two is more than a certain amount compared to the weight of one dose of powder, the Displays an error message.
The weight of the drug container 30 when measured again may be compared with the weight detected by the weight measuring means 76 of the container mounting device 80. In this case, the weights of both should be the same, but if the difference between the two is more than a certain value, a predetermined error is displayed.

If there is no abnormality, the container moving means 83 is driven to place the drug container 30 on the container mounting device 80 again. Then, the above-described series of operations is repeated to discharge a predetermined number of medicine packages containing one dose of powdered medicine.

In the embodiment described above, the medicine is discharged from the medicine container 30 by vibration, but it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the medicine is discharged from the medicine container by a screw, a blade, or the like. In this case, a screw or the like is built into the drug container, and power is transmitted from the container moving means 5, 83 side to the screw or the like inside the drug container.

In each of the embodiments described above, the container moving means 5 is a robot, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. It may also be something that moves three-dimensionally.
Further, the container moving means may be an application of a conveyor or the like.

60 Drug dispensing device 1, 51, 56, 70, 71, 81 Drug dispensing device 3 of related invention Drug container accommodating section 5, 83 Container moving means 6 Packaging device 10 Robot 18 Hand section 22a, 22b, 78 Vibration means 25 Weight Measuring means 30 drug container

Claims (7)

It has a medicine container that stores powder medicine, a medicine container storage part that stores a plurality of medicine containers, a container moving means that moves the medicine containers, a distribution plate, and a packaging device,
The container moving means has a container holding means that holds the drug container, and a discharge mechanism that discharges the powder from the drug container,
A drug dispensing device for packaging powdered medicine discharged by the discharging mechanism with the packaging device,
The container moving means is capable of moving the container holding means to move a drug container stored in the drug container accommodating section and removed from the drug container accommodating section to a predetermined position,
Selecting and removing one drug container from a plurality of drug containers stored in the drug container accommodating section, and moving the selected and removed one drug container to a predetermined position by the container moving means. , while the moved drug container is held by the container holding means, the discharge mechanism is capable of discharging the powder medicine for each dose or a total amount for multiple doses from the moved drug container. can be,
A medicine dispensing device, characterized in that the discharge mechanism discharges the powdered medicine from the moved one medicine container directly onto a distribution tray while the one medicine container that has been moved is held by a container holding means. It has a medicine container that stores powder medicine, a medicine container storage part that stores a plurality of medicine containers, a container moving means that moves the medicine containers, a distribution plate, and a packaging device,
The container moving means has a container holding means for holding a drug container,
The drug container has a built-in member such as a screw or a blade for discharging the drug, and the member for discharging the drug receives power from the outside to discharge the drug from the drug container,
A drug dispensing device for packaging powder medicine discharged from a drug container with the packaging device,
The container moving means is capable of moving the container holding means to move a drug container stored in the drug container accommodating section and removed from the drug container accommodating section to a predetermined position,
Selecting and removing one drug container from a plurality of drug containers stored in the drug container accommodating section, and moving the selected and removed one drug container to a predetermined position by the container moving means. , while the moved one drug container is held by the container holding means, power is transmitted to a member for discharging the drug from the moved one drug container to dispense the powder medicine from the drug container in single dose units or in multiple doses. It is possible to emit a total amount of
A drug dispensing device, characterized in that the powder medicine is directly discharged from the moved one drug container into a distribution tray while the moved one drug container is held by a container holding means. 3. The medicine dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the container moving means moves the article in a plane. The distribution plate further has a drug input groove,
The medicine dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the predetermined position is above a medicine input groove. It has a medicine container that stores powder medicine, a medicine container storage part that stores a plurality of medicine containers, a container moving means that moves the medicine containers, a distribution plate, and a packaging device,
The container moving means has a container holding means that holds the drug container, and a discharge mechanism that discharges the powder from the drug container,
A powder discharging method of a drug dispensing device, in which the powder discharged by the discharging mechanism is packaged by the packaging device,
(i) Select and remove one drug container from among the plurality of drug containers stored in the drug container storage unit;
(ii) moving the selected and removed drug container to a predetermined position by a container moving means;
(iii) While the moved one drug container is held by the container holding means, the discharge mechanism directly discharges the powder medicine for each dose or the total amount for multiple doses from the moved one drug container into the distribution tray. A powder medicine discharging method of a medicine dispensing device, characterized in that: It has a medicine container that stores powder medicine, a medicine container storage part that stores a plurality of medicine containers, a container moving means that moves the medicine containers, a distribution plate, and a packaging device,
The drug container has a built-in member such as a screw or a blade for discharging the drug, and the member for discharging the drug receives power from the outside to discharge the drug from the drug container,
The container moving means has a container holding means for holding a drug container,
A powder discharging method of a drug dispensing device in which the discharged powder is packaged with the packaging device, the method comprising:
(i) Select and remove one drug container from among the plurality of drug containers stored in the drug container storage unit;
(ii) moving the selected and removed drug container to a predetermined position by a container moving means;
(iii) Directly discharging the powder medicine from the moved one drug container in units of doses or in total for multiple doses into a dispensing tray while the one drug container that has been moved is held by the container holding means. Features: A method for discharging powdered medicines from a medicine dispensing device. The distribution plate further has a drug input groove,
7. The powdered medicine discharging method of a medicine dispensing device according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the predetermined position is above a medicine input groove.

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