Inspection system and method for pharmaceutical vials
AssigneeMectron Engineering Company, Inc.
InventorsMark L. HANNA, Andrew HANNA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inspection system for automated video inspection for quality control processes. The inspection system is particularly adapted for rotationally symmetrical pharmaceutical vials including small arms ammunition vials. The system provides a first array of light sources oriented radially around the pharmaceutical vial path presenting zones of illumination on the pharmaceutical vial at discrete radial positions. A second illuminator is in the form of linear arrays of light emitting elements oriented along linear arrays. A camera oriented to observe images of light provided by the first and second arrays records video images of the pharmaceutical vials for use in resolving criteria of acceptable and unacceptable parts.
Claims17
A parts inspection system for an elongated pharmaceutical vial containing a liquid or a powder comprising;
- a conveyor causing the pharmaceutical vial oriented with a longitudinal axis of the vial in a generally horizontal position to undergo rotational motion and causing the vial to move along a vial flow path and into an inspection station, the rotational motion of the vial imparted by the conveyor causing impurities within the liquid or the powder contained within the vial to become agitated within the volume of the vial, a light source illuminating the vial as the vial passes into the inspection station, and a video camera oriented to detect an image of reflections of light from the light source as the vial is rotated in the inspection station.
A parts inspection system for an elongated pharmaceutical vial containing a liquid or a powder comprising;
- a conveyor causing the vial oriented with a longitudinal axis of the vial in a generally horizontal position to undergo linear motion and rotational motion along a vial path, the conveyor in the form of an endless belt moving along a conveyor path and a stop bar oriented above the conveyor belt and oriented at an angle to the conveyor path whereby the vial introduced at near one side edge of the belt is caused to bear against the stop bar and undergo the linear and rotational motion from the one side edge to an opposite side edge of the belt, a first plurality of light sources presenting sources of light illuminating the vial parallel to a radial orientation with respect to the central axis of the vial path on one side of the vial as the vial undergoes the linear and rotational motion, the first plurality of light sources including a first linear array formed by a plurality of discrete light emitting elements oriented to extend along the vial path and aligned with the vial path on one side of the vial flow path, and a second linear array formed by a plurality of discrete light emitting elements extending along the vial path aligned with the vial path on an opposite side of the vial flow path, and a video camera oriented to detect an image of the reflections of light from the first and second linear arrays of light sources from the vial.
A method for inspecting an elongated pharmaceutical vial containing a liquid or a powder or comprising the steps of;
- providing a conveyor for causing the vial oriented with a longitudinal axis of the vials in a generally horizontal position to undergo rotational motion, moving the vial along a vial flow path and into an inspection station, the rotational motion of the vial imparted by the conveyor causing impurities within the liquid or the powder contained within the vial to become agitated within the volume of the vial, providing a light source, the light source illuminating the vial as the vial passes into the inspection station, and providing a video camera oriented to detect an image of reflections of light from the light source from the vial as the vial is present in the inspection station.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.