JPH0141935B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a method for detecting insufficient drug filling in capsules.

[Conventional technology and its issues]

Conventionally, the means for detecting an insufficient amount of medicine in a capsule container was a weighing test or a visual inspection by an inspector, but in the case of transparent capsule containers, even if such a visual check is possible, However, with opaque colored capsule containers, it was impossible to test for insufficient quantity other than by weighing. This type of weighing test is performed because the capsule itself is lightweight.
The detection device requires sophistication and has problems such as poor inspection efficiency.

In particular, an insufficient amount of drug filled in an opaquely colored gelatin capsule is a fatal defect as a product as stipulated by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Law.

The present invention makes it possible to quickly and accurately check for insufficient filling amount by using a photoelectric sensor, and in particular, makes it possible to accurately check for insufficient filling amount of opaque colored capsules that cannot be visually inspected. , which aims to improve inspection efficiency.

[Means to solve the problem]

The structure of the present invention, which solves the problems of the prior art, consists of gelatin capsule containers that are opaquely colored and filled with a drug at an acceptable filling rate, and vertically and vertically so that the axial directions of the capsule containers are aligned. Alternatively, during the process of continuously transporting the capsules by the carrier while maintaining the lying posture, the medicine may be passed through the capsule container on the side surface of each capsule container, and the drug may pass through the capsule container to a portion where the permissible filling rate of the drug is high. continuously emitting near-infrared modulated light from a light emitting device that does not pass through the capsule container, and when the filling rate of the drug filled in the capsule container is lower than an allowable range, transmitting the near-infrared modulated light through the capsule container; A light receiving device installed symmetrically with the light emitting device receives the transmitted light, and after inverting the light receiving output signal emitted from the light receiving device using an inverter, the signal is monitored and a capsule container with an insufficient amount of filling is compared. It is characterized in that a discrimination detection process is performed in a discrimination circuit.

〔Example〕

To explain the apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention with reference to the drawings, a drug-filled capsule container 2 to be inspected made of opaquely colored gelatin is placed in a vertical position (first
(Fig. 2) or a belt conveyor 1 placed in a recumbent position (Fig. 2) and continuously transported to an inspection position,
At a predetermined height on both sides of the belt conveyor 1 at the inspection position, a light emitting device 3 emits near-infrared modulated light that cannot pass through the capsule container 2 and pass through the drug; Receives light,
It consists of a light receiving device 4 that sends out an output signal, and a comparison and discrimination circuit 6 that monitors the signal after inverting the output signal from the light receiving device 4 with an inverter 5 and discriminates a capsule with an insufficient filling amount.

The emission of the near-infrared modulated light and the predetermined heights of the light receiving devices 3 and 4 determine what percentage of the filling rate of the medicine filled in the capsule container 2 is allowed, that is, the filling rate of the insufficient amount. It is determined by the percentage range.

[Explanation of inspection method]

Next, the method of the present invention using the above-mentioned apparatus will be explained. The capsule containers 2 to be inspected are continuously conveyed to the inspection position by the belt conveyor 1.

When the capsule container 2 is filled with a drug at a predetermined filling rate or higher, when the capsule container 2 is placed in a vertical position as shown in FIG. The near-infrared modulated light is not received by the light receiving device 4 even when the capsule container 2 is in the lying position as shown in FIG. 2 c. The signal is inverted by an inverter 5, and as a result, it is input to a comparison/discrimination circuit 6 as a time pulse signal that interrupts light.

When the amount of medicine filled is insufficient, when the capsule container 2 is in a vertical position, the near-infrared modulated light is not blocked and the comparison/discrimination circuit 6 receives no pulse signal at all, as shown in FIG. 1b and d. Not entered.

Furthermore, when the capsule container 2 is in the lying position, the time for blocking the near-infrared modulated light is shorter than when the amount of filling is sufficient, as shown in FIGS. 2b and d. The width of the pulse signal input to the discrimination circuit 6 is also short.

As described above, it is possible to determine whether the amount of medicine filled into the capsule edge is insufficient based on the presence or absence of a pulse signal input to the comparison/discrimination circuit 6 or the length of the width of the pulse signal.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the configuration of the present invention as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

(a) By using near-infrared modulated light that is opaquely colored and can penetrate gelatin capsule containers and cannot penetrate the drug to be filled.
It is possible to detect an insufficient amount of medicine in a capsule container at high speed and accurately, and the problems associated with conventional weighing tests can be easily solved.

(b) Since the irradiation position of the near-infrared modulated light is at the high allowable filling rate of the drug filled in the capsule container, the accuracy of the drug filling rate is high;
High confidence in drug efficacy.

(c) Near-infrared modulated light is not disturbed by fluorescent lights in the examination room, so the lighting conditions in the examination room can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 a, b, c, and d are explanatory diagrams showing the inspection with the capsule container in a vertical position; Figures 2 a,
b, c, and d are explanatory diagrams showing an inspection with the capsule container in a recumbent position, and FIG. 3 is a discrimination circuit. 1...belt conveyor, 2...capsule container,
3... Near-infrared modulated light emitting device, 4... Near-infrared modulated light receiving device, 5... Inverter, 6... Comparison/discrimination circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Gelatin capsule containers that are opaquely colored and filled with a drug at an acceptable filling rate are vertically and
Alternatively, in the process of continuously transporting the capsules by the carrier while maintaining the lying posture, the capsules are penetrated through the sides of each of the capsule containers, particularly at the portion where the permissible drug filling rate is high;
A light emitting device continuously emits near-infrared modulated light that does not pass through the drug, and when the filling rate of the drug filled in the capsule container is lower than an allowable range, the near-infrared modulated light is transmitted through the capsule container. , causing a light receiving device provided in a symmetrical position to the light emitting device to receive the transmitted light, inverting a light receiving output signal emitted from the light receiving device by the received light using an inverter, and then monitoring the signal;
A method for detecting a capsule with an insufficient filling amount of a medicine, characterized in that a capsule container with an insufficient filling amount is subjected to discrimination detection processing using a comparison and discrimination circuit.