Solid contents verification systems and methods
AssigneeExpress Scripts, Inc.
InventorJonathan W. Joplin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Solid contents verification systems and methods are provided. The system includes a contents sensor unit, a container-carrying unit and a control unit. The contents sensor unit has at least one contents sensor configured to send and receive sonic pulses to determine a state of contents in a container. The contents sensor unit is configured to send a signal communicating a state of the contents in a container. The container-carrying unit is configured to hold a container in substantial alignment with the contents sensors to expose the contents to the sonic pulses. The control unit is operatively connected to the contents sensor unit. The control unit is configured to receive the signal communicating the state of the contents and to compare the state of the contents with a desired state of the contents.
Claims22
A system comprising:
- a contents sensor unit including a contents sensor configured to send and receive sonic pulses to determine a state of contents in a container, the contents sensor unit being configured to send a signal communicating a state of the contents in the container, wherein the contents are a plurality of solids that form an irregular top surface in the container;
- a container-carrying unit configured to hold the container in substantial alignment with the contents sensor to expose the contents to the sonic pulses;
- a control unit operatively connected to the contents sensor unit, the control unit being configured to receive the signal communicating the state of the contents and to compare the state of the contents with a desired state of the contents;
- and
- a conveyor unit operatively connected to the container-carrying unit, the conveyor unit being configured to move the container-carrying unit and stop the container-carrying unit at a verification point, which is proximal the contents sensor, to substantially align with the contents sensor.
A method comprising:
- aligning an opening of a container with a content sensor at a verification point;
- directing sonic pulses at the opening of the container;
- receiving reflected sonic pulses by the content sensor from an irregular surface of solids in the container;
- determining a state of a plurality of pharmaceutical solid contents in the container from the reflected sonic pulses;
- comparing the state of the contents with a desired state of the contents to assess at least one characteristic of the contents;
- and
- routing the container based on the at least one characteristic of the contents.
A system comprising:
- a contents sensor unit having at least one contents sensor configured to send and receive sonic pulses to determine a state of pharmaceutical solids in a container, the contents sensor unit being configured to send a signal communicating a state of the pharmaceutical solids in the container;
- a container-carrying unit disposed proximal the contents sensor unit, the container-carrying unit including a container chamber structure configured to hold one or more containers in substantial alignment with the contents sensors to expose the pharmaceutical solids to the sonic pulses;
- a control unit operatively connected to the contents sensor unit and configured to receive the signal, the control unit including a sensor component and a comparison component, the sensor component being capable of processing the signal for communicating the state of the pharmaceutical solids with the comparison component, the comparison component being adapted to compare the state of the contents with a determined state of the pharmaceutical solids to transmit a pass or fail signal to the control unit;
- and
- a conveyor unit operably connected to the container-carrying unit, the control unit being capable of instructing the conveyor unit to move the container based on the pass or fail signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.