Patent ID: 7343943

Claim:
An automated medication preparation system including preparation and dispensing of medication to an individual product container and detection of any underfill condition where an insufficient amount of medication is delivered to the product container, the system comprising: an automated device for preparing and dispensing a prescribed unit dose of medication; a controller operatively connected to the automated device, the controller receiving a first input that represents a volume of the prescribed unit dose of medication that is to be delivered to the product container; and an optical device for detecting the underfill condition when the actual amount of the unit dose of medication that is delivered to the product container is less than the value of the first input and whereupon, if an underfill condition is detected, then the controller instructs the automated device to deliver medication to the product container until the amount of medication in the product container is equal to the inputted volume, wherein the optical device is configured to detect an object within the unit dose of medication that causes the underfill condition.