Tablet cassette control method of medication dispensing and packaging system

A tablet cassette control method of a medication dispensing and packaging system having a microcomputer, a medication dispensing unit with a plurality of tablet cassettes each mounted on a cassette rack, and a medication packaging unit disposed below the dispensing unit to package tablets released from the dispensing unit into a series of tablet containing paper bags, the control method comprises confirming the mounting of the tablet cassette on the cassette rack, applying a power to a memory in the tablet cassette to activate the memory, retrieving tablet information saved in the memory to the microcomputer, and breaking the power from the memory while maintaining operation of the system.

CLAIMING FOREIGN PRIORITY

The applicant claims and requests a foreign priority, through the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industry Property, based on a patent application filed in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) with the filing date of Nov. 5, 2003, with the patent application number 10-2003-0077945, by the applicant. (See the attached Declaration)

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a medication dispensing and packaging system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tablet cassette control method of a medication dispensing and packaging system minimizing errors resulting from instability of connection between a memory in a tablet cassette and a microcomputer.

An automatic tablet dispensing and packaging system is generally provided with a tablet packaging unit and a tablet dispensing unit placed above the packaging unit. The table dispensing unit includes tablet cassettes each storing therein and dropping therefrom a predetermined set of tablets. The prior arts disclosed in relation thereto include Japanese Patent Application Nos. 1994-208787, 1994-248055, 1994-256542, 1998-275670, 2001-00089865, 2001-00303159, and 2001-00376104. Each publication thereto discloses a system where a tablet cassette having a memory transmits tablet information of the memory to a controller.

FIG. 8discloses Korean Utility Model No. 20-0276236 by the present applicant, titled a tablet cassette installation-error prevention system. As shown therein, a memory 101 having tablet information of respective tablet cassette 100 is provided in an adapter 102 installed in a lower surface of the tablet cassette 100. A terminal extending downwardly from the adapter 102 is inserted in a socket 201 formed in an upper surface of the cassette rack 200, and the microcomputer 300 connected to the socket 201 retrieves the tablet information from the memory 101. In this construction, a rotor 104 provided in the tablet cassette 100 and driven by a motor 202 serves to discharge tablets from the tablet cassette 100. Here, the rotor 104 makes a rotation in accordance with drive of the motor 202.

A disadvantage of the prior art is that the rotor's rotation inevitably generates vibration to the tablet cassette, subsequently causing the terminal to sway and resulting in intermittent terminal disconnection. Such terminal disconnection leads to errors in the memory so that the microcomputer does not recognize the cassette or erroneously reads it as empty. Another disadvantage is that frequent disconnection of the terminal from the socket breaks off the power from the memory, causing loss of tablet information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is contrived to overcome the conventional disadvantages. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a tablet cassette control method of a medication dispensing and packaging system minimizing errors resulting from instability of connection between a memory in a tablet cassette and a microcomputer.

Another object of the present invention is to efficiently sense detachment of the cassette from a cassette rack after electricity is cut off from a memory in the tablet cassette.

A further object is to facilitate cassette installation or detachment on or from the cassette rack without regard to vibration of the tablet cassette caused by the rotor's rotation within the tablet cassette.

To achieve these and other objects, the tablet cassette control method of a medication tablet dispensing and packaging system according to the present invention is provided with a microcomputer, a medication dispensing unit with a plurality of tablet cassettes each mounted on a cassette rack, and a medication packaging unit disposed below the dispensing unit to package tablets released from the dispensing unit into a series of tablet containing paper bags. The control method comprises the steps of confirming the mounting of the tablet cassette on the cassette rack, applying a power to a memory in the tablet cassette to activate the memory, retrieving tablet information saved in the memory to the microcomputer, and breaking the power from the memory while maintaining operation of the system. In an embodiment, the control method further comprises the step of acknowledging the detachment of the tablet cassette from the cassette rack.

For a better performance, the confirming of the mounting of the tablet cassette on the cassette is implemented by a light interception between a light emitter and a light receptor of the cassette rack. The light emitter is an LED under control of the microcomputer to continue turning on/off in a regular frequency. The light interception is implemented by a light interceptor extending from the tablet cassette. The light emitter stays turned on for between about 700 μs and about 900 μs, and preferably at 825 μs of a second and stays turned off for the rest of the second in a regular frequency when resistances of the light emitter and receptor are respectively at about 500Ω and at about 18 kΩ. The memory has a terminal and the cassette rack has a socket, wherein the terminal is inserted in the socket when the tablet cassette is mounted on the cassette rack. The mounting of the tablet cassette on the corresponding cassette rack activates the terminal of the memory to enable the microcomputer to retrieve the tablet information from the memory.

The advantages of the present invention are numerous in that: (1) once the microcomputer retrieves tablet information from the memory in the corresponding tablet cassette at the time of cassette refill or replacement, the electricity shuts off from the memory while maintaining operation of the system, thereby protecting the tablet information in the memory without regard to the inevitable cassette swaying and vibration resulting from the rotor's rotation; (2) the detachment of a tablet cassette from the cassette rack is efficiently, accurately detected by means of a light interruption between the light emitter and the light receptor, thereby improving system reliability and user's satisfaction; and (3) a light interception between the light emitter and the light receptor is implemented in a simplified light control mechanism using a light interceptor extending from the tablet cassette, thereby improving product durability and marketability.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1–2show flowcharts sequentially explaining a tablet cassette control method of a medication dispensing and packaging system10illustrated inFIG. 3.FIG. 4shows detachment of a tablet cassette12from a cassette rack14whereasFIG. 5shows mounting of the tablet cassette12on the cassette rack14.

As shown therein, the medication dispensing and packaging system10comprises a microcomputer16, a medication dispensing unit with a plurality of tablet cassettes12each mounted on a cassette rack14, and a medication packaging unit20disposed below the dispensing unit18to package tablets22released from the dispensing unit18into a series of tablet containing paper bags (not shown).

The system10houses about hundreds of tablet cassettes12where the tablets contained in a tablet cassette is different in type and medication purposes from those contained in another tablet cassette. In this construction, each tablet cassette12identifies itself via communication with the microcomputer16. That is, a memory24is embedded in each tablet cassette12and then it is linked to the microcomputer16. The link between the memory24in the tablet cassette12and the microcomputer16is implemented through the cassette rack14. The tablets filled in the tablet cassette12is selectively released by rotation of the rotor26engaged to the motor28in the cassette rack14. The control method introduced in the system10is to eliminate the inevitable cassette swaying and vibration so that the microcomputer16retrieves tablet information from the memory24in an error-free manner.

As shown back inFIG. 1, the cassette control method of the medication tablet dispensing and packaging system10sequentially comprises the steps of confirming the mounting of the tablet cassette12on the cassette rack14(S10), applying an electric power to the memory24in the tablet cassette12to activate the memory24(S20), retrieving tablet information saved in the memory24to the microcomputer16(S30), and breaking the power from the memory24while maintaining operation of the system10(S40). In a preferred embodiment, the control method further comprises, after the power break from the memory24, the step of acknowledging the detachment of the tablet cassette12from the cassette rack14(S50). The cassette control method of the medication tablet dispensing and packaging system10will now be explained in further detail with reference toFIG. 2.

First, during the system operation, an individual tablet cassette12is checked to confirm whether the tablet cassette12is mounted on the cassette rack14(S10). If the mounting of the tablet cassette12on the cassette rack14is confirmed, the mounting status information is transmitted to the microcomputer16(S11) which then applies an electric power to the memory24in the tablet cassette12so as to activate the memory24(S20). Selectively, if the mounting is not confirmed the detachment information is sent to the microcomputer16. Subsequently, the tablet information saved in the memory24is retrieved to the microcomputer16(S30) and the power becomes shut off from the memory24while maintaining operation of the system10(S40).

Afterwards, the tablet cassette detachment from the cassette rack14is checked to confirm the cassette mounting status (S50). If the cassette12remains mounted on the cassette rack14, the power break status is maintained, whereas if the cassette12is checked detached from the cassette rack14, the detachment information is sent to the microcomputer16(S51). Meanwhile, if remounting is subsequently confirmed the remounting information is sent back to the microcomputer16(S60). The tablets released from the tablet cassettes and from a conveyer tray32carrying special medication such as half-split tablets are guided by a hopper30down to tablet packaging unit20where the tablets are paper-packaged with instruction printed by the printer34and sealed to a series of tablet containing paper packages.

As shown inFIGS. 6 and 7, the confirming of the mounting of the tablet cassette12on the cassette rack is implemented by a light interception between a light emitter36and a light receptor38of the cassette rack14. The light emitter36is an LED under control of the microcomputer16to continue turning on/off in a regular frequency. Preferably, the light interception is implemented by a light interceptor40extending from the tablet cassette12.

For a better performance, the light emitter36stays turned on for between about 700 μs and about 900 μs of a second and stays turned off for the rest of the second in a regular frequency when resistances of the light emitter36and receptor38are respectively at about 500Ω and at about 18 kΩ. Preferably, the light emitter36stays turned on for 825 μs of a second and stays turned off for the rest of the second in a regular frequency when resistances of the light emitter and receptor are respectively at 500Ω and at 18 kΩ. Specifically, a photo interrupt (not shown) in the microcomputer16is put on-duty40(4:6=on:off) for 260 μs in every 126 μs interval which denotes duration of power cutoff by the light emitter36when checking attachment of the tablet cassette12on the cassette rack14.

To streamline the connection mechanism between the tablet cassette12and cassette rack14, the memory24has a terminal42and the cassette rack14has a socket44so that the terminal42is inserted in the socket44when the tablet cassette12is mounted on the cassette rack14. Here, an adapter46is formed in the tablet cassette12to carry the memory24from which the terminal42extends. The mounting of the tablet cassette on the corresponding cassette rack14activates the terminal42of the memory24to enable the microcomputer16to retrieve the tablet information from the memory24.

As discussed above, an advantage of the control method according to the present invention is that once the microcomputer16retrieves tablet information from the memory24in the corresponding tablet cassette12at the time of cassette refill or replacement, the electricity shuts off from the memory24while maintaining operation of the system10, thereby protecting the tablet information in the memory without regard to the inevitable cassette swaying and vibration resulting from the rotor's rotation.

In addition, the detachment of a tablet cassette from the cassette rack is efficiently, accurately detected by means of a light interruption between the light emitter36and the light receptor38, thereby improving system reliability and user's satisfaction. Further, a light interception between the light emitter36and the light receptor38is implemented in a simplified light control mechanism using a light interceptor40extending from the tablet cassette12, thereby improving product durability and marketability.

Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible by converting the aforementioned construction. Therefore, the scope of the invention shall not be limited by the specification specified above and the appended claims.