阅读说明：本技术 检查装置、包装体制造装置及包装体制造方法 (Inspection device, package manufacturing device, and package manufacturing method ) 是由 大谷刚将 大山刚 坂井田宪彦 于 2020-04-24 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供一种可进行更合适的合格与否判定的检查装置等。对PTP薄膜照射X射线,并且根据穿透PTP薄膜的X射线,取得具有亮度的浓淡的X射线穿透图像。根据X射线穿透图像,执行PTP薄膜的检查。就检查而言,特定出和片剂的收容空间相对应的收容区域2b、和收容空间周围的凸缘部相对应的凸缘部区域3b,在各区域检查有无异物。构成为：于片剂的碎片或粉末位于收容区域2b的场合,不将该片剂的碎片或粉末检测为异物,于片剂的碎片或粉末位于凸缘部区域3b的场合,将该片剂的碎片或粉末检测为异物。根据检查对象是收容区域2b或是凸缘部区域3b的差异,可适当地改变片剂的碎片或粉末是否被当成异物检测,可进行更合适的合格与否判定。(Provided is an inspection device and the like capable of more appropriately determining whether the inspection device is qualified or not. An X-ray is irradiated to the PTP film, and an X-ray transmission image having a shade of brightness is obtained from the X-ray transmitted through the PTP film. The examination of the PTP film was performed based on the X-ray transmission image. For the inspection, a housing area 2b corresponding to the housing space of the tablet and a flange area 3b corresponding to the flange around the housing space are specified, and the presence or absence of foreign matter is inspected in each area. The structure is as follows: when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the housing area 2b, the fragments or powder of the tablet are not detected as foreign matter, and when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the flange area 3b, the fragments or powder of the tablet are detected as foreign matter. Depending on the difference between the storage area 2b and the flange area 3b, whether or not the fragments or powder of the tablet is detected as foreign matter can be appropriately changed, and more appropriate acceptance/rejection determination can be performed.)

1. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a package to which a 1 st film made of an opaque material and a 2 nd film made of an opaque material are attached and in which a tablet is accommodated in an accommodation space formed between the films,

the inspection device is provided with:

an electromagnetic wave irradiation means for irradiating the package with an electromagnetic wave capable of penetrating the package from the 1 st film side;

an imaging means disposed on the 2 nd film side so as to face the electromagnetic wave irradiation means with the package interposed therebetween, and acquiring an electromagnetic wave transmission image having a shade with respect to brightness from the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the package;

an image processing means for performing an inspection related to the package based on the electromagnetic wave transmission image acquired by the imaging means,

the image processing means further includes:

an area specifying means for specifying a housing area corresponding to the housing space and a flange area corresponding to a flange around the housing space in a predetermined inspection area of the electromagnetic wave transmission image;

a foreign matter presence/absence determination means for determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the housing area using a predetermined 1 st threshold value and determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the flange area using a predetermined 2 nd threshold value,

the 1 st threshold is set to a value lower than the brightness of a portion corresponding to a tablet in the electromagnetic wave transmission image,

the 2 nd threshold is set to a value higher than the 1 st threshold and lower than the brightness of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image corresponding to the flange portion.

2. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a package to which a 1 st film made of an opaque material and a 2 nd film made of an opaque material are attached and in which a tablet is accommodated in an accommodation space formed between the films,

the inspection device is provided with:

an electromagnetic wave irradiation means for irradiating the package with an electromagnetic wave capable of penetrating the package from the 1 st film side;

an imaging means disposed on the 2 nd film side so as to face the electromagnetic wave irradiation means with the package interposed therebetween, and acquiring an electromagnetic wave transmission image having a shade with respect to brightness from the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the package;

an image processing means for performing an inspection related to the package based on the electromagnetic wave transmission image acquired by the imaging means,

the image processing means further includes:

an area specifying means for specifying a housing area corresponding to the housing space and a flange area corresponding to a flange around the housing space in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image;

a foreign matter presence/absence determination means for determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the housing area and the presence/absence of foreign matter in the flange area,

the 1 st threshold value for determining the presence or absence of foreign matter in the housing area and the 2 nd threshold value for determining the presence or absence of foreign matter in the flange area are set to different values, respectively.

3. An inspection apparatus for inspecting a package to which a 1 st film made of an opaque material and a 2 nd film made of an opaque material are attached and in which a tablet is accommodated in an accommodation space formed between the films,

the inspection device is provided with:

an electromagnetic wave irradiation means for irradiating the package with an electromagnetic wave capable of penetrating the package from the 1 st film side;

an imaging means disposed on the 2 nd film side so as to face the electromagnetic wave irradiation means with the package interposed therebetween, and acquiring an electromagnetic wave transmission image having brightness based on the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the package;

an image processing means for performing an inspection related to the package based on the electromagnetic wave transmission image acquired by the imaging means,

the image processing means further includes:

an area specifying means for specifying a housing area corresponding to the housing space and a flange area corresponding to a flange around the housing space in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image;

a foreign matter presence/absence determination means for determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the housing area and the presence/absence of foreign matter in the flange area,

the foreign matter presence/absence determination means is configured to: when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the housing area, the fragments or powder of the tablet are not detected as foreign matter, and when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the flange area, the fragments or powder of the tablet can be detected as foreign matter.

4. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,

at least one of the 1 st film and the 2 nd film has a pocket portion having an internal space forming the housing space and is composed of a metal film or a film having a metal layer,

the area specifying means is configured to: in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image, a portion corresponding to the tablet is specified, an annular shadow located around the specified portion is specified as a contour of the housing space, and an inner side of the contour is specified as the housing area.

5. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the region specifying mechanism is configured to: a part corresponding to the tablet is specified in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image, and an area obtained by expanding the specified part is specified as the housing area.

6. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the region specifying mechanism is configured to: a part corresponding to a tablet is specified in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image, the center or the center of gravity of the specified part is acquired, and the storage area is specified based on design data on the acquired center or center of gravity and the position of the storage space.

7. The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein there is:

an appearance imaging means for imaging the package and acquiring an appearance image relating to the appearance of the package;

an accommodation space specifying means for specifying a position of the accommodation space in the appearance image acquired by the appearance imaging means,

the area specifying means is configured to: the housing area is specified in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image based on the position of the housing space specified by the housing space specifying means.

8. A package manufacturing apparatus comprising the inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. A method for manufacturing a package to be used for obtaining a package to which a band-shaped 1 st film made of an opaque material and a band-shaped 2 nd film made of an opaque material are attached and in which a tablet is accommodated in an accommodation space formed between the films,

the method for manufacturing the packaging body comprises the following steps:

a mounting step of mounting the conveyed belt-shaped 1 st film and the conveyed belt-shaped 2 nd film;

a filling step of filling a tablet into the accommodation space formed between the 1 st film and the 2 nd film;

an inspection step of performing inspection of the package obtained through the mounting step and the filling step,

the inspection step includes:

an irradiation step of irradiating the package with an electromagnetic wave capable of penetrating the package from the 1 st film side by a predetermined electromagnetic wave irradiation means;

an imaging step of acquiring an electromagnetic wave transmission image having brightness and a shade from the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the package by using an imaging means disposed on the 2 nd film side so as to face the electromagnetic wave irradiation means with the package interposed therebetween;

a quality judgment step of judging the quality of the package based on the electromagnetic wave transmission image obtained in the imaging step,

the step of determining whether the product is acceptable includes:

a region specifying step of specifying a housing region corresponding to the housing space and a flange region corresponding to a flange portion around the housing space in a predetermined inspection region of the electromagnetic wave transmission image;

a foreign matter presence/absence determination step of determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the housing area using a predetermined 1 st threshold value and determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the flange area using a predetermined 2 nd threshold value,

the 1 st threshold is set to a value lower than the brightness of a portion corresponding to a tablet in the electromagnetic wave transmission image,

the 2 nd threshold is set to a value higher than the 1 st threshold and lower than the brightness of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image corresponding to the flange portion.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for inspecting a package containing tablets.

Background

In various fields of known pharmaceuticals, foods and the like, PTP (Press Through Package) sheets are widely used as packaging sheets for packaging tablets.

The PTP sheet includes a container film having a bag portion for containing the tablet and a cover film attached to the container film so as to seal the opening side of the bag portion, and is configured such that the tablet can be taken out by pressing the bag portion from the outside and then piercing the cover film as a cover with the tablet contained therein.

Such a PTP sheet is manufactured through a bag portion forming step of forming a bag portion in a band-shaped container film, a filling step of filling a tablet in the bag portion, an attaching step of attaching a band-shaped cover film to a flange portion formed around the bag portion of the container film so as to seal an opening side of the bag portion to manufacture a PTP film, a cutting step of cutting the PTP sheet from the PTP film to be a final product, and the like.

In general, when a PTP sheet is manufactured, an inspection is performed for a PTP film or a PTP sheet (hereinafter, these are collectively referred to as a package). The inspection includes: and inspecting whether or not foreign matter such as fragments of metal pieces or tablets, powder, or the like is present in the storage space in the bag portion or in the flange portion around the bag portion.

In recent years, from the viewpoint of improving light-shielding properties and moisture-proofing properties, both the container film and the lid film are often formed of an opaque material based on aluminum or the like.

In such a case, the various types of inspection are performed using an X-ray inspection apparatus or the like (see, for example, patent document 1). Generally, an X-ray inspection apparatus includes an X-ray generator (X-ray source) for irradiating a package with X-rays and an X-ray detector for detecting the X-rays transmitted through the package, and performs various inspections based on the amount of transmission of the X-rays. Further, as an inspection method, there is known a method of detecting a foreign object by segmenting (dividing) an X-ray image obtained by an X-ray detector into a plurality of types of gradation and applying an optimal foreign object detection algorithm to each segmented image (for example, see patent document 2).

[ Prior art documents ]

[ patent document ]

[ patent document 1] Japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2013-253832

[ patent document 2] Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2004-301748

Disclosure of Invention

[ problems to be solved by the invention ]

Even when a package has a detectable foreign matter (a tablet chip, powder, a metal piece, or the like), there may be a case where there is no problem even if the package is determined to be a good product based on the position or type of the object. For example, when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the housing space (inside the pocket), if the same effect as that obtained when 1 tablet is taken can be obtained by taking the tablet component containing the fragments or powder present in the housing space, the packaged body may not be determined to be defective due to the fragments or the like of the tablet. On the other hand, when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located at the flange portion (that is, when the fragments or the like of the tablet are sandwiched between two films), the sealing property may be deteriorated, and therefore, it is necessary to determine the packaged body as defective from the fragments or the like of the tablet.

In contrast, in the known inspection method described above, for example, when the setting is such that the fragments or powder of the tablets are uniformly detected as foreign matter, there is a risk that the package is determined to be defective without depending on the position of the fragments or the like of the tablets, and as a result, the manufacturing cost increases. On the other hand, for example, in a case where the tablet fragments or powder is set so as not to be detected as foreign matter at all, the packaged body having the flange portion with the tablet fragments or the like may be determined as good, and as a result, the quality of the packaged body may be reduced.

The above-mentioned problems may occur not only in PTP packaging but also in other packaging fields for packaging tablets such as SP (Strip Package) packaging. Further, the present invention may be applied to not only X-rays but also other electromagnetic waves that penetrate the package, such as megahertz electromagnetic waves.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an inspection apparatus, a package manufacturing apparatus, and a package manufacturing method that can perform more appropriate determination of acceptability.

[ means for solving the problems ]

Hereinafter, each of the means suitable for solving the above-described object will be described. In addition, specific action and effect are attached to the corresponding scheme as required.

Means 1. an inspection apparatus for inspecting a package to which a 1 st film made of an opaque material and a 2 nd film made of an opaque material are attached and in which a tablet is accommodated in an accommodation space formed between the films,

the inspection device is provided with:

an electromagnetic wave irradiation means for irradiating the package with an electromagnetic wave that can penetrate the package from the 1 st film side;

an imaging means disposed on the 2 nd film side so as to face the electromagnetic wave irradiation means with the package interposed therebetween, and acquiring an electromagnetic wave transmission image having a shade with respect to brightness from the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the package; and

an image processing means for performing inspection related to the package based on the electromagnetic wave transmission image acquired by the imaging means, and for performing inspection related to the package

The image processing means further includes:

an area specifying means for specifying a housing area corresponding to the housing space and a flange area corresponding to a flange around the housing space in a predetermined inspection area of the electromagnetic wave transmission image;

a foreign matter presence/absence determination means for determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the housing area using a predetermined 1 st threshold value and determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the flange area using a predetermined 2 nd threshold value,

the 1 st threshold is set to a value lower than the brightness of a portion corresponding to a tablet in the electromagnetic wave transmission image,

the 2 nd threshold is set to a value higher than the 1 st threshold and lower than the brightness of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image corresponding to the flange portion.

In the same manner as in the following embodiment, the "package" includes a sheet-like package (e.g., a package sheet such as a "PTP sheet" or an "SP sheet") to be a product or a tape-like package (e.g., a package film such as a "PTP film" or an "SP film") before the sheet-like package is cut. Further, examples of the electromagnetic wave include an X-ray and a megahertz electromagnetic wave.

The "brightness of the portion corresponding to the tablet in the electromagnetic wave transmission image" may be, for example, the brightness of the tablet portion in the electromagnetic wave transmission image obtained in advance when the irradiation condition of the electromagnetic wave with respect to the package, the imaging condition by the imaging means, and the like are the same, or the brightness of the portion corresponding to the tablet obtained at the time of inspection. The "brightness of the portion corresponding to the flange portion in the electromagnetic wave transmission image" may be, for example, the brightness of the flange portion in the electromagnetic wave transmission image obtained in advance when the irradiation condition of the electromagnetic wave with respect to the package, the imaging condition by the imaging means, and the like are the same, or may be the brightness of the portion corresponding to the flange portion obtained at the time of inspection.

According to the above aspect 1, the housing area corresponding to the housing space and the flange area corresponding to the flange portion are specified. Then, in the housing area, the presence or absence of foreign matter is checked using the 1 st threshold set to a value lower (dark) than the luminance of the portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image corresponding to the tablet. Therefore, in the inspection of the housing area, even if the portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image having the luminance lower than the 1 st threshold is determined as a foreign object, the fragments or powder of the tablet are present in the housing area (housing space), and may not be detected as a foreign object. Therefore, the packaged body can be prevented from being determined to be defective due to the fragments or powder of the tablet located in the housing space.

On the other hand, in the flange portion region, the presence or absence of foreign matter is checked using a 2 nd threshold value that is set to a value higher than the 1 st threshold value and lower than the brightness of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image that corresponds to the flange portion. Therefore, in the inspection of the flange portion region, a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image having a luminance lower than the 2 nd threshold is determined as a foreign matter, and when a fragment or powder of the tablet exists in the flange portion region (flange portion), this can be detected as a foreign matter. That is, the packaged body can be judged to be defective from the pieces or powder of the tablet positioned at the flange portion. In order to more reliably detect the fragments of the tablet or the like as foreign matter, the 2 nd threshold is preferably set to a value higher than the brightness of the portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image corresponding to the tablet.

As described above, according to the above aspect 1, whether or not the fragments or powder of the tablet are detected as foreign matter can be appropriately changed depending on the difference between the storage space (storage area) and the flange portion (flange portion area) as the inspection target, and more appropriate acceptance/rejection determination can be performed. As a result, the quality of the package can be improved while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost.

Further, by setting the 1 st threshold so that the metal piece can be detected, as a result, the metal piece existing in the housing space or the flange portion can be detected as a foreign matter. Therefore, when the package has the metal piece, the package can be determined to be defective without depending on the position of the metal piece. Further, since the metal piece is generally expressed darker than a fragment of the tablet or the like, for example, the metal piece can be detected as a foreign object by setting the 1 st threshold to a value higher than the luminance of a portion of the electromagnetic wave penetrating the image corresponding to the metal piece.

The inspection apparatus of claim 2, wherein a 1 st film made of an opaque material and a 2 nd film made of an opaque material are attached to a package, and a tablet is contained in a containing space formed between the films,

the inspection device is provided with:

an electromagnetic wave irradiation means for irradiating the package with an electromagnetic wave that can penetrate the package from the 1 st film side;

an imaging means disposed on the 2 nd film side so as to face the electromagnetic wave irradiation means with the package interposed therebetween, and acquiring an electromagnetic wave transmission image having a shade with respect to brightness from the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the package;

an image processing means for performing an inspection related to the package based on the electromagnetic wave transmission image acquired by the imaging means,

and the image processing means has:

an area specifying means for specifying a housing area corresponding to the housing space and a flange area corresponding to a flange around the housing space in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image;

a foreign matter presence/absence determination means for determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the housing area and the presence/absence of foreign matter in the flange area,

the 1 st threshold value for determining the presence or absence of foreign matter in the housing area and the 2 nd threshold value for determining the presence or absence of foreign matter in the flange area are set to different values, respectively.

According to the above aspect 2, after the housing area corresponding to the housing space and the flange area corresponding to the flange portion are specified, the presence or absence of the foreign object is determined using the 1 st threshold value in the housing area, and the presence or absence of the foreign object is determined using the 2 nd threshold value different from the 1 st threshold value in the flange area. Therefore, depending on the difference between the storage space and the flange part to be inspected, whether or not the foreign object is detected can be appropriately changed, and more appropriate determination of acceptability can be made. As a result, the quality of the package can be improved while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost.

The inspection apparatus of claim 3, wherein a first film 1 made of an opaque material and a second film 2 made of an opaque material are attached to a package, and a tablet is contained in a containing space formed between the first film and the second film,

the inspection device is provided with:

an electromagnetic wave irradiation means for irradiating the package with an electromagnetic wave that can penetrate the package from the 1 st film side;

an imaging means disposed on the 2 nd film side so as to face the electromagnetic wave irradiation means with the package interposed therebetween, and acquiring an electromagnetic wave transmission image having brightness based on the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the package;

an image processing means for performing an inspection related to the package based on the electromagnetic wave transmission image acquired by the imaging means,

the image processing means further includes:

an area specifying means for specifying a housing area corresponding to the housing space and a flange area corresponding to a flange around the housing space in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image;

a foreign matter presence/absence determination means for determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the housing area and the presence/absence of foreign matter in the flange area,

the foreign matter presence/absence determination means is configured to: when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the housing area, the fragments or powder of the tablet are not detected as foreign matter, and when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the flange area, the fragments or powder of the tablet are detected as foreign matter.

According to the above aspect 3, after the housing area corresponding to the housing space and the flange portion area corresponding to the flange portion are specified, when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the housing area, the fragments or powder of the tablet are not detected as foreign matter, and when the fragments or powder of the tablet are located in the flange portion area, the fragments or powder of the tablet are detected as foreign matter. Therefore, depending on the difference in whether or not the inspection object is in the housing space (housing area) or in the flange portion (flange portion area), it is possible to appropriately change whether or not the fragments or powder of the tablet is detected as foreign matter, and more appropriate determination of acceptability can be made. As a result, the quality of the package can be improved while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost.

The inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the 1 st film and the 2 nd film has a pocket portion having an inner space forming the housing space and is formed of a metal film or a film having a metal layer,

the area specifying means is configured to: in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image, a portion corresponding to the tablet is specified, an annular shadow located around the specified portion is specified as a contour of the housing space, and an inner side of the contour is specified as the housing area.

In the case where at least one of the 1 st film and the 2 nd film has a pocket and is formed of a metal film or a film having a metal layer, the annular portion corresponding to the outer edge of the pocket (housing space) around the tablet in the electromagnetic wave transmission image is shown as a dark shadow darker than the surrounding area.

With this, according to the above aspect 4, the configuration is: a portion corresponding to the tablet is specified, an annular shadow located around the specified portion is specified as a contour of the housing space, and an inner side of the contour is specified as a housing area. Therefore, the housing area can be specified more accurately and more easily.

The inspection apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the area specifying means is configured to: a part corresponding to the tablet is specified in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image, and an area obtained by expanding the specified part is specified as the housing area.

According to the above-described means 5, the storage area can be specified (estimated) to some extent accurately by a relatively simple process. Therefore, the processing load for the qualification determination can be reduced, and sufficiently good inspection accuracy can be ensured.

In addition, in the above-mentioned means 5 or means 6 and 7 described later, the 1 st film and the 2 nd film are formed of a synthetic resin material which does not allow visible light or the like to pass therethrough, and are particularly effective in the case where the annular portion corresponding to the outer edge of the housing space in the electromagnetic wave transmission image is not shown as a dark shadow.

The inspection apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the area specifying means is configured to: a part corresponding to a tablet is specified in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image, the center or the center of gravity of the specified part is acquired, and the storage area is specified based on design data on the acquired center or center of gravity and the position of the storage space.

According to the above-described means 6, the storage area can be specified (estimated) accurately to some extent by relatively simple processing. This reduces the processing load for the qualification determination and ensures sufficiently good inspection accuracy.

The inspection apparatus according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein:

an appearance imaging means for imaging the package and acquiring an appearance image relating to the appearance of the package;

an accommodation space specifying means for specifying a position of the accommodation space in the appearance image acquired by the appearance imaging means,

the area specifying means is configured to: the housing area is specified in a predetermined inspection area in the electromagnetic wave transmission image based on the position of the housing space specified by the housing space specifying means.

According to the above aspect 7, the actual position of the storage space in the package is specified by the appearance photographing means and the storage space specifying means, and the storage area is specified based on the specified position. Therefore, the housing area can be specified extremely accurately, and excellent inspection accuracy can be achieved.

Claim 8A package manufacturing apparatus characterized by comprising the inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

According to the above aspect 8, the same operational effects as those of the above aspect 1 and the like can be obtained.

The method of producing a package according to claim 9, wherein a band-shaped 1 st film made of an opaque material and a band-shaped 2 nd film made of an opaque material are attached to a package, and a tablet is contained in a containing space formed between the films,

the method for manufacturing the packaging body comprises the following steps:

a mounting step of mounting the conveyed belt-shaped 1 st film and the conveyed belt-shaped 2 nd film;

a filling step of filling a tablet into the accommodation space formed between the 1 st film and the 2 nd film;

an inspection step of performing inspection of the package obtained through the mounting step and the filling step,

the inspection step includes:

an irradiation step of irradiating the package with an electromagnetic wave that can penetrate the package from the 1 st film side by a predetermined electromagnetic wave irradiation means;

an imaging step of acquiring an electromagnetic wave transmission image having brightness and a shade from the electromagnetic wave transmitted through the package by using an imaging means disposed on the 2 nd film side so as to face the electromagnetic wave irradiation means with the package interposed therebetween;

a quality judgment step of judging the quality of the package based on the electromagnetic wave transmission image obtained in the imaging step,

the step of determining whether the product is acceptable includes:

a region specifying step of specifying a housing region corresponding to the housing space and a flange region corresponding to a flange portion around the housing space in a predetermined inspection region of the electromagnetic wave transmission image;

a foreign matter presence/absence determination step of determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the housing area using a predetermined 1 st threshold value and determining the presence/absence of foreign matter in the flange area using a predetermined 2 nd threshold value,

the 1 st threshold is set to a value lower than the brightness of a portion corresponding to a tablet in the electromagnetic wave transmission image,

the 2 nd threshold is set to a value higher than the 1 st threshold and lower than the brightness of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission image corresponding to the flange portion.

According to the above aspect 9, the same operational effects as those of the above aspect 1 can be obtained.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a PTP sheet.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a PTP sheet.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a PTP film, an inspection area, and the like.

Fig. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of the PTP packaging machine.

Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of an X-ray inspection apparatus.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a manufacturing process.

Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a region specifying step in embodiment 1.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a foreign matter presence determination step.

Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing an X-ray transmission image or a thin slice shading image.

Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a shading image for inspecting a storage space.

Fig. 12 is a graph showing the 1 st threshold value and the change in luminance on the line a-a' in fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a diagram schematically showing a gradation image for flange portion inspection.

Fig. 14 is a graph showing the luminance change on the 2 nd threshold value and on the line B-B' of fig. 13.

Fig. 15 is a flowchart showing a region specifying step in embodiment 2.

Fig. 16 is a flowchart showing a region specifying step in embodiment 3.

Fig. 17 is a schematic configuration diagram of an X-ray inspection apparatus according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 18 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a part of the X-ray inspection apparatus according to embodiment 4.

Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing a region specifying step in embodiment 4.

Fig. 20 is a plan view showing an SP sheet according to another embodiment.

Detailed Description

[ forms for carrying out the invention ]

The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[ embodiment 1]

First, a PTP sheet 1 as a packaging sheet (sheet package) will be described.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the PTP sheet 1 includes a container film 3 having a plurality of bag portions 2, and a cover film 4 attached to the container film 3 so as to close the bag portions 2. In the present embodiment, the "container film 3" constitutes the "1 st film" and the "cover film 4" constitutes the "2 nd film".

The container film 3 and the cover film 4 in the present embodiment are made of an opaque material having aluminum as a base material (main material). For example, the container film 3 is formed by an aluminum laminated film (in the case of laminating a synthetic resin film on an aluminum thin film). On the other hand, the cover film 4 is formed from an aluminum thin film.

The PTP sheet 1 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and has rounded corners in a circular arc shape. In the PTP sheet 1, 5 rows of pocket rows each consisting of 2 pockets 2 aligned in the sheet short side direction are formed in the sheet long side direction. That is, a total of 10 pocket portions 2 are formed. One tablet 5 is accommodated in each of the accommodating spaces 2a, which is an internal space of each pocket 2.

In the PTP sheet 1, a plurality of pinhole lines 7 are formed as a separation line along the sheet short side direction so that the PTP sheet 1 can be separated in units of small sheets 6 including a predetermined number (2 in the present embodiment) of bag portions 2.

Further, the PTP sheet 1 is provided with a label portion 8 on which various information such as a tablet name and a lot number (characters "ABC" in the present embodiment) is printed at one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the sheet. The tab portion 8 is not provided with the pocket portion 2 and is spaced from the sheet main body portion 1a formed by 5 small sheets 6 by 1 pinhole line 7.

The PTP sheet 1 of the present embodiment (see fig. 1) is manufactured through a step of punching the PTP sheet 1, which is a final product, into a rectangular sheet from a belt-shaped PTP film 9 (see fig. 3) of a "belt-shaped package" in which a belt-shaped container film 3 and a belt-shaped lid film 4 are attached.

As shown in fig. 3, the PTP film 9 of the present embodiment is arranged in a punching range Ka of 2 PTP sheets 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "sheet punching range Ka") arranged in parallel in the film width direction. In the PTP film 9, a portion corresponding to the label portion 8 is located at the center in the film width direction.

Next, a general configuration of the PTP packaging machine 10 for manufacturing the PTP sheet 1 will be described with reference to fig. 4. In the present embodiment, the "PTP packaging machine 10" constitutes a "package manufacturing apparatus".

As shown in fig. 4, a roll of the band-shaped container film 3 is wound into a roll shape on the most upstream side of the PTP packaging machine 10. The leading end side of the container film 3 wound in a roll shape is guided by the guide roller 13. The container film 3 is hung on the intermittent feed roller 14 on the downstream side of the guide roller 13. The intermittent feed roller 14 is connected to a motor that intermittently rotates, and intermittently conveys the container film 3.

A bag forming device 16 as a bag forming means is disposed between the guide roller 13 and the intermittent feed roller 14 along the transport path of the container film 3. The bag forming device 16 forms a plurality of bags 2 at a time at predetermined positions on the container film 3 by cold working. The bag portion 2 is formed in a gap (interval) during the operation of conveying the container film 3 by the intermittent feed roller 14.

The PTP packaging machine 10 of the present embodiment is configured such that the container film 3 is not only made of aluminum but also a packaging machine (dual-purpose machine) made of a thermoplastic resin material having a predetermined rigidity and a relatively hard material such as PP (polypropylene) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Therefore, a heating device 15 for heating the container film 3 to a soft state is provided upstream of the bag portion forming device 16. Of course, the heating device 15 is not used when the container film 3 made of aluminum is formed.

The container film 3 fed out from the intermittent feed roller 14 is hung in the order of the tension roller 18, the guide roller 19, and the film receiving roller 20. Since the film receiving roller 20 is connected to a motor that rotates constantly, the container film 3 is conveyed continuously at a constant speed. The tension roller 18 is provided in a state of pulling the container film 3 to a tensioned side by an elastic force, and prevents the container film 3 from being bent due to a difference in the conveyance operation between the intermittent feed roller 14 and the film receiving roller 20, and maintains the container film 3 in a normally tensioned state.

A tablet filling device 21 as a filling means is disposed between the guide roller 19 and the film receiving roller 20 along the transport path of the container film 3.

The tablet filling device 21 has a function of automatically filling the bag portion 2 with the tablets 5. The tablet filling device 21 opens the shutter at predetermined intervals in synchronization with the movement of conveying the container film 3 by the film receiving roller 20 to drop the tablets 5, and fills the tablets 5 into the respective pockets 2 in accordance with the opening movement of the shutter.

On the other hand, the roll on which the band-shaped cover film 4 is formed is wound into a roll shape on the most upstream side. The leading end of the cover film 4 wound in a roll shape is guided to the heating roller 23 by the guide roller 22. The heating roller 23 is configured to be pressure-contactable with the film receiving roller 20, and is formed such that the container film 3 and the cover film 4 are fed between the rollers 20 and 23.

Then, the container film 3 and the cover film 4 are passed through the rollers 20 and 23 in a heat-pressure bonded state, and the cover film 4 is stuck to the flange portion 3a (see fig. 1 and 2) around the bag portion 2 of the container film 3, so that the bag portion 2 is closed by the cover film 4. Thus, PTP film 9 as a "package" in which tablet 5 is filled in each bag portion 2 is manufactured. Further, fine ridges in a mesh shape for sealing are formed on the surface of the heating roller 23, and strong sealing is achieved by strong pressure bonding.

Further, the structure is as follows: the film receiving roller 20 is provided with an encoder, not shown, and outputs a predetermined timing signal to the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 described later every time the film receiving roller 20 rotates by a predetermined amount, that is, every time the PTP film 9 is conveyed by a predetermined amount.

The PTP film 9 fed from the film receiving roll 20 is hung in the order of the tension roll 27 and the intermittent feed roll 28.

The intermittent feed roller 28 is connected to a motor that intermittently rotates, and therefore intermittently conveys the PTP film 9. The tension roller 27 is set in a state of pulling the PTP film 9 to a tensioned side by an elastic force, prevents the PTP film 9 from being bent due to a difference in the conveying operation between the film receiving roller 20 and the intermittent feed roller 28, and holds the PTP film 9 in a normally tensioned state.

An X-ray inspection device 45 is disposed between the film receiving roller 20 and the tension roller 27 along the transport path of the PTP film 9. The X-ray inspection apparatus 45 is an X-ray inspection apparatus for mainly detecting an abnormality of the bag portion 2 (in the present embodiment, whether or not a foreign object is present in the bag portion 2) and detecting an abnormality of the flange portion 3a other than the bag portion 2 (in the present embodiment, whether or not a foreign object is present on the flange portion 3 a). Of course, the examination items are not limited to these, and other examination items may be implemented. In the present embodiment, the "X-ray inspection apparatus 45" constitutes an "inspection apparatus".

The PTP film 9 fed out from the intermittent feed roller 28 is hung in the order of the tension roller 29 and the intermittent feed roller 30. The intermittent feed roller 30 is connected to a motor that intermittently rotates, and therefore intermittently conveys the PTP film 9. The tension roller 29 is set in a state of pulling the PTP film 9 to a tensioned side by an elastic force, and prevents the PTP film 9 from being bent between the aforementioned intermittent feed rollers 28, 30.

Between the intermittent feed roller 28 and the tension roller 29, a perforation line forming device 33 and an engraving device 34 are arranged in sequence along the conveying path of the PTP film 9.

The pinhole line forming device 33 has a function of forming the aforementioned pinhole line 7 at a predetermined position of the PTP film 9. The imprint apparatus 34 has a function of applying the imprint "ABC" to a predetermined position (position corresponding to the label portion 8) of the PTP film 9.

The PTP film 9 fed from the intermittent feed roller 30 is hung on the downstream side thereof in the order of the tension roller 35 and the continuous feed roller 36. Between the intermittent feed roller 30 and the tension roller 35, a sheet punching device 37 is disposed along the conveyance path of the PTP film 9. The sheet punching device 37 has a function as a sheet punching mechanism (separating mechanism) for punching the outer edge of the PTP film 9 in units of PTP sheets 1.

PTP sheets 1 punched by the sheet punching apparatus 37 are conveyed by a conveyor 39 and temporarily stored in an end product hopper 40. When the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 determines that a defective product is defective, the PTP sheet 1 determined to be defective is separately discharged by a defective sheet discharge mechanism, not shown, as a discharge mechanism without being conveyed to the finished product hopper 40, and is transferred to a defective product hopper, not shown.

A cutting device 41 is disposed downstream of the continuous feed roller 36. The scrap film portion 42 remaining in the form of a band after being punched by the sheet punching device 37 is guided by the tension roller 35 and the continuous feed roller 36, and then guided to the cutting device 41. Here, the continuous feed roller 36 is pressed by the driven roller and performs the conveying operation while sandwiching the waste film portion 42.

The cutting device 41 has a function of cutting the waste film portion 42 into a predetermined size. The cut waste film portion 42 (waste) is stored in a waste hopper 43 and then discarded.

Further, although the surfaces of the rollers 14, 19, 20, 28, 29, 30 and the like are in a positional relationship facing the bag 2, the surfaces of the rollers 14 and the like are formed with recesses for housing the bag 2, and therefore the bag 2 does not collapse. The bag portion 2 is fed while being accommodated in the concave portions of the rollers such as the intermittent feed roller 14, and the intermittent feed operation or the continuous feed operation is reliably performed.

The PTP packaging machine 10 is roughly as described above, and the configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus 45. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the X-ray inspection apparatus 45.

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 includes: an X-ray irradiation device 51 for irradiating the PTP film 9 with X-rays; an X-ray sensor camera 52 that takes an X-ray transmission image of the PTP film 9 to which the X-ray is irradiated; and a control processing device 53 for performing various controls, image processing, arithmetic processing, and the like in the X-ray inspection device 45 such as drive control of the X-ray irradiation device 51 and the X-ray sensor camera 52.

The "X-ray" in the present embodiment corresponds to an "electromagnetic wave". The "X-ray transmission image" constitutes an "electromagnetic wave transmission image", the "control processing device 53" constitutes an "image processing means", the "X-ray irradiation device 51" constitutes an "electromagnetic wave irradiation means", and the "X-ray sensor camera 52" constitutes an "imaging means".

The X-ray irradiation device 51 and the X-ray sensor camera 52 are housed in a shielding box (not shown) made of a material capable of shielding X-rays. The shield box has a slit-like opening for allowing the PTP film 9 to pass therethrough, and has a structure for suppressing leakage of X-rays to the outside as much as possible.

The X-ray irradiation device 51 is disposed on the container film 3 side of the PTP film 9 which is conveyed vertically downward. The X-ray irradiation device 51 has an irradiation source 51a for irradiating X-rays at a position facing the center portion of the PTP film 9 in the width direction. The irradiation source 51a includes an X-ray generation source and a collimator (not shown) for concentrating the X-rays, and is configured to irradiate the PTP film 9 with fan-beam-like X-rays having a predetermined spread (fan angle) in the width direction of the PTP film 9 from the container film 3 side. The irradiation angle (fan angle) of the X-rays by the X-ray irradiation device 51 is set to an angle in a range corresponding to 2 PTP sheets 1 arranged in the width direction of the PTP film 9. Further, the PTP film 9 may be configured to be irradiated with a cone beam-like X-ray having a predetermined spread in the transport direction.

The X-ray sensor camera 52 is disposed on the opposite side (the cover film 4 side in the present embodiment) of the X-ray irradiation device 51 via the PTP film 9 so as to face the X-ray irradiation device 51 along the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the PTP film 9.

The X-ray sensor camera 52 has an X-ray sensor 52a in which a plurality of X-ray detection modules capable of detecting X-rays transmitted through the PTP film 9 are arranged in a row 1 in the film width direction, and is configured to be capable of capturing (exposing) X-rays transmitted through the PTP film 9. Examples of the X-ray detection unit include a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) having a scintillator light conversion layer, and the like.

The X-ray transmission image having the brightness-related shade obtained by the X-ray sensor camera 52 is converted into a digital signal (image signal) inside the camera 52 every time a predetermined amount of the PTP film 9 is conveyed, and then outputted to the control processing device 53 (image data storage device 74) as a digital signal. Then, the control processing device 53 performs various examinations, which will be described later, by performing image processing and the like on the X-ray transmission image.

Next, the control processing device 53 will be described with reference to fig. 5. The control processing device 53 includes: a microcomputer 71 for controlling the whole X-ray inspection device 45; an input device 72 including a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like; a display device 73 having a display screen such as a CRT or a liquid crystal; an image data storage device 74 to store various image data and the like; an operation result storage device 75 for storing various operation results and the like; a setting data storage device 76 for storing various kinds of information in advance; and an inspection program storage device 77 for storing software related to inspection. In addition, these devices 72 to 77 are electrically connected to the microcomputer 71.

The microcomputer 71 includes: a CPU 71a as arithmetic means; a ROM 71b that stores various programs; and a RAM 71c for temporarily storing various data such as calculation data and input/output data, and the like, and is connected to the PTP packaging machine 10 so as to be able to transmit and receive various signals while taking charge of various controls in the control processing device 53.

With such a configuration, the microcomputer 71 drives and controls the X-ray irradiation device 51 and the X-ray sensor camera 52 to execute, for example, an imaging process for acquiring an X-ray transmission image of the PTP film 9, an inspection process for inspecting a predetermined portion of the PTP film 9 based on the X-ray transmission image, an output process for outputting an inspection result of the inspection process to a defective sheet discharge mechanism of the PTP packaging machine 10, and the like.

The image data storage device 74 stores various image data such as a mask image subjected to mask processing, a binarized image subjected to binarization processing, and the like, including an X-ray transmission image obtained by the X-ray sensor camera 52.

The calculation result storage unit 75 stores inspection result data, statistical data obtained by subjecting the inspection result data to probability statistical processing, and the like. These inspection result data and statistical data can be appropriately displayed on the display device 73.

The data storage device 76 is configured to store various information used for the examination. As these various pieces of information, for example, the shape and size of the PTP sheet 1, the bag portion 2, and the tablet 5, the shape and size of a sheet frame for partitioning the inspection region Kb, the shape and size of a bag frame, a luminance threshold value used in binarization processing, and a reference value used when various kinds of non-conformity determination are performed (for example, a predetermined value Lo for excluding the influence due to noise, etc.) are set and stored.

The setting data storage device 76 stores the 1 st threshold δ 1, the 2 nd threshold δ 2, and the 3 rd threshold δ 3 as luminance thresholds in advance. The 1 st threshold value δ 1 is set to a value lower than the luminance of a portion corresponding to the tablet 5 in the X-ray transmission image (for example, the lowest luminance of the portion corresponding to the tablet 5) and higher than the luminance of a portion corresponding to a foreign substance such as a metal piece in the X-ray transmission image.

The 2 nd threshold δ 2 is a value different from the 1 st threshold δ 1, and is set to be higher than the 1 st threshold δ 1 and lower than the luminance of a portion corresponding to the flange portion 3a in the X-ray transmission image (for example, the lowest luminance of the luminances of the portion corresponding to the flange portion 3 a). In the present embodiment, the 2 nd threshold value δ 2 is set to a value higher than the brightness of the portion corresponding to the tablet 5 in the X-ray transmission image.

The 3 rd threshold δ 3 is a value for specifying the brightness threshold of the tablet 5 and the outer edge portion of the bag portion 2, and is set to be lower than the brightness of the portion corresponding to the tablet 5 in the X-ray transmission image and the brightness of the shadow 2c (see fig. 10) appearing around the tablet 5 in the X-ray transmission image.

The "brightness of the portion corresponding to the tablet 5, the foreign substance, and the flange 3a in the X-ray transmission image" is the brightness of the tablet portion, the foreign substance portion, and the flange in the X-ray transmission image obtained in advance, with the irradiation conditions of the X-ray with respect to the PTP film 9, the imaging conditions by the X-ray sensor camera 52, and the like being the same. The "brightness of the portion corresponding to the tablet 5, the foreign matter, and the flange 3a in the X-ray transmission image" may be acquired from the X-ray transmission image at the time of inspection and may be updated appropriately at the time of inspection.

Further, in the present embodiment, as the inspection region Kb, a region corresponding to the sheet main body 1a formed of 5 small sheets 6 is set, except for a region corresponding to the tag portion 8, out of the regions corresponding to the PTP sheets 1 in the PTP film 9 (see fig. 3).

The inspection program storage device 77 stores software to execute inspection processing. The software stored in the inspection program storage device 77 includes area specifying software 77a and non-defective software 77 b.

The region specifying software 77a includes: a program for specifying a predetermined examination region (examination region Kb in the present embodiment) in the X-ray transmission image based on the shape and size of the sheet frame stored in the setting data storage device 76; and a program for specifying the housing area 2b (see fig. 10) in which the housing space 2a is disposed and the flange area 3b (see fig. 10) corresponding to the flange 3a in the specified inspection area Kb by using the 3 rd threshold value δ 3.

The software 77b for determination of acceptability includes a program for determining the presence or absence of foreign matter in the housing area 2b using the 1 st threshold value δ 1 and a program for determining the presence or absence of foreign matter in the flange area 3b using the 2 nd threshold value δ 2. Further, as described above, since the 1 st threshold value δ 1 and the 2 nd threshold value δ 2 are different values, the case where the foreign matter is determined in the housing area 2b and the flange area 3b is different.

When at least 1X-ray transmission image of PTP sheet 1 to be a product is acquired by the X-ray sensor camera 52, the area specifying software 77a and the pass/fail determining software 77b are executed by the microcomputer 71.

When the region specifying software 77a is executed, first, the aforementioned sheet frame is set for the X-ray transmission image to define the inspection region Kb in the X-ray transmission image. The X-ray transmission image corresponding to the inspection region Kb is acquired as a sheet shading image Xa (see fig. 10, in which only a part of the sheet shading image Xa is shown in fig. 10), and the sheet shading image Xa is stored in the image data storage device 74.

As shown in fig. 10, in the X-ray transmission image or the sheet shading image Xa, there is substantially no difference in brightness between the flange portion region 3b and the region other than the tablet 5 in the housing region 2 b. That is because the images of these areas are obtained from X-rays that only penetrate the container film 3 and the cover film 4. On the other hand, in the X-ray transmission image or the sheet shading image Xa, the tablet region 5b belonging to the region corresponding to the tablet 5 is darker than the flange region 3b and the like. That is because the X-rays are attenuated according to the thickness of the tablet 5 present. In the X-ray transmission image or the sheet shading image Xa, the 1 st foreign substance region 100b corresponding to a foreign substance such as a metal piece is darker than the tablet region 5 b. That is because foreign matter such as metal pieces can shield X-rays more easily than the tablet 5. On the other hand, the 2 nd foreign substance region 100c corresponding to the fragment or powder of the tablet 5 may have substantially the same brightness as or slightly brighter than the tablet region 5 b.

When the sheet shading image Xa is acquired, binarization processing is applied to the sheet shading image Xa using a 3 rd threshold value δ 3. For example, the sheet shading image Xa is converted into a binarized image with the 3 rd threshold value δ 3 or more being "1 (light part)" and the value smaller than the 3 rd threshold value δ 3 being "0 (dark part)", and the binarized image is stored in the image data storage device 74. In the present embodiment, the binary image is represented by "0 (dark portion)" in the portion corresponding to the tablet 5 and the dark shadow 2 c.

Next, block processing is performed on the binarized image. In the block processing, processing for specifying a connected component for each of "0 (dark portion)" and "1 (light portion)" of the binarized image, and labeling processing for labeling each of the linked components are performed. Here, the occupied area of each specific connection component is expressed by the number of dots corresponding to the pixels of the X-ray sensor camera 52.

Then, from the connected component of "0 (dark portion)" specified by the block processing, the connected component corresponding to the tablet 5, that is, the tablet region 5b, is specified. The connected component corresponding to the tablet 5 may be specified by determining a connected component containing predetermined coordinates, a connected component having a predetermined shape, a connected component having a predetermined area, or the like.

Next, from the connected component of "0 (dark portion)" specified by the block processing, the ring-shaped dark image 2c located around the connected component corresponding to the tablet 5 and corresponding to the outer edge of the bag portion 2 is specified. The ring-shaped shadow 2c can be specified, for example, by a link component or the like which is determined to have a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the linking component corresponding to the tablet 5. The ring-shaped shadow 2c is specified as the outline of the housing space 2 a.

Next, the inside of the outline of the housing space 2a in the X-ray transmission image (sheet shading image Xa) corresponding to the inspection region Kb is specified as a housing region 2 b. Then, the sheet shading image Xa is subjected to a masking process for extracting only the specific storage area 2 b. The image subjected to the masking processing is stored in the image data storage device 74 as a shading image Xb (see fig. 11) for checking the storage space.

The region other than the housing region 2b in the X-ray transmission image (sheet shading image Xa) corresponding to the inspection region Kb is specified as the flange region 3 b. Then, the sheet shading image Xa is subjected to a masking process for extracting only the specified flange portion region 3 b. The image subjected to the masking processing is stored as a gray image Xc for flange portion inspection (see fig. 13).

Further, the region specifying software 77a is followed by the non-defective software 77 b. After the software 77b for determination of acceptability is executed, the shading image Xb for the storage space inspection is subjected to binarization processing using the 1 st threshold value δ 1. More specifically, the grayscale image Xb for the storage space inspection is converted into a binarized image with the 1 st threshold value δ 1 or more being "1 (light part)" and the grayscale image Xb being smaller than the 1 st threshold value δ 1 being "0 (dark part)", and the binarized image is stored in the image data storage device 74.

Here, the 1 st threshold δ 1 is a value lower (darker) than the luminance B1 of the housing area 2B and the luminance B2 of the tablet area 5B in the shade image Xb, and higher than the luminance B3 of the 1 st foreign substance area 100B (foreign substance area such as a metal piece) in the shade image Xb (see fig. 12). Fig. 12 is a graph schematically showing the 1 st threshold value δ 1 and the luminance change of the gray-scale image Xb on the line a-a' in fig. 11. Therefore, in the binarized image, the storage space 2a, the tablet 5 and its fragments or powder are represented by "1 (bright portion)" and the foreign matter such as the metal piece is represented by "0 (dark portion)".

Next, block processing is performed on the binarized image for checking the storage space, and a block portion in which the area value of the dark portion is equal to or greater than the predetermined value Lo is extracted (blocks smaller than Lo are removed in consideration of the influence of noise). When the lump portion exists, it is determined that foreign matter such as a metal piece exists. On the other hand, when no lump portion exists, it is determined that no foreign matter exists. The determination of the presence or absence of foreign matter such as metal pieces is performed for each of the storage areas 2 b.

Further, the gradation image Xc for flange portion inspection is subjected to binarization processing using the 2 nd threshold value δ 2. More specifically, the gradation image Xc for the flange portion inspection is converted into a binarized image for the flange portion inspection, with the 2 nd threshold value δ 2 being "1 (light portion)" or more and the 2 nd threshold value δ 2 being "0 (dark portion)" or less, and the binarized image is stored in the image data storage device 74.

Here, the 2 nd threshold value δ 2 is higher than the 1 st threshold value δ 1 and lower (dark) than the luminance B4 of the flange portion region 3B in the X-ray transmission image. (refer to fig. 14). Fig. 14 is a graph schematically showing the 2 nd threshold value δ 2 and a change in luminance of the gradation image Xc on the line B-B' of fig. 13. Therefore, in the binarized image, the flange portion 3a is represented by "1 (bright portion)" and the fragments, powder, metal pieces, and the like of the tablet 5 are represented by "0 (dark portion)".

Next, block processing is performed on the binarized image for flange portion inspection, and block portions where the area value of the dark portion becomes equal to or larger than the predetermined value Lo are extracted (blocks smaller than Lo are removed). When the lump portion exists in the flange portion 3a, it is determined that foreign matter exists, and when the lump portion does not exist, it is determined that foreign matter does not exist.

As a result, in the present embodiment, the following are formed: when the fragments or powder of the tablet 5 are located in the housing area 2b, the fragments or powder of the tablet 5 are not detected as foreign matter, and when the fragments or powder of the tablet 5 are located in the flange area 3b, the fragments or powder of the tablet 5 are detected as foreign matter.

In the present embodiment, the "area specifying unit 78" as the "area specifying means" is configured by the "microcomputer 71", the "setting data storage device 76", and the "inspection program storage device 77" storing the area specifying software 77a (see fig. 5). The "foreign matter presence/absence determination unit 79" as the "foreign matter presence/absence determination means" is configured by the "microcomputer 71", the "setting data storage device 76", and the "inspection program storage device 77" storing the software 77b for determination of acceptability (see fig. 5).

Next, a manufacturing process of the PTP sheet 1 including the inspection process performed by the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 will be described.

As shown in fig. 7, first, in the bag portion forming step of step S1, the bag portion 2 is formed in the order of the container film 3 by the bag portion forming device 16. Next, in the filling step of step S2, the tablet 5 is filled into the housing space 2a of the bag portion 2 by the tablet filling device 21.

After the filling step, the mounting step of step S3 is performed. In the mounting step, the cover film 4 is mounted on the container film 3 by feeding the container film 3 and the cover film 4 between the two rollers 20 and 23, thereby obtaining the PTP film 9.

Thereafter, the inspection process of step S4 using the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 is performed. The inspection step S4 includes an irradiation step in step S41, an imaging step in step S42, and a step of determining whether the inspection product is acceptable or not in step S43.

In the irradiation step of step S41, the X-ray irradiation device 51 and the X-ray sensor camera 52 are driven and controlled by the microcomputer 71 to irradiate the PTP film 9 with X-rays. In the imaging step of step S42, a one-dimensional X-ray transmission image of the X-rays transmitted through the PTP film 9 is acquired by the X-ray sensor camera 52 every time the PTP film 9 is conveyed by a predetermined amount.

The X-ray transmission image acquired by the X-ray sensor camera 52 is converted into a digital signal inside the camera 52, and then output to the control processing device 53 (image data storage device 74) as a digital signal.

More specifically, when a timing signal is inputted from the encoder to the microcomputer 71 in a state where the PTP film 9 is constantly irradiated with X-rays from the X-ray irradiation device 51, the microcomputer 71 starts the exposure process by the X-ray sensor camera 52.

Then, when the next timing signal is input, the charges previously accumulated in the light receiving portion such as the light emitting diode are combined and transferred to the shift register. Then, the electric charges transferred to the shift register are sequentially output as image signals (X-ray transmission images) with transfer of clock signals until the next timing signal is input.

That is, the time from the time when the predetermined timing signal is input from the encoder until the next input timing signal is the exposure time of the X-ray sensor camera 52.

In the present embodiment, each time the PTP film 9 is conveyed, the X-ray sensor camera 52 acquires X-ray transmission images corresponding to the width of the X-ray sensor 52a in the conveying direction of the PTP film 9, that is, the length corresponding to one CCD width. Of course, a different configuration may be adopted.

The X-ray transmission images output from the X-ray sensor camera 52 are sequentially stored in time series in the image data storage device 74.

Then, by repeating the above-described series of processes for each predetermined amount of the PTP films 9 being conveyed, the X-ray transmission images of 2 PTP sheets 1 aligned in the width direction of the PTP films 9 are finally stored in the image data storage device 74. In this way, when the X-ray transmission image of the PTP sheet 1 as the product is acquired, the step S43 of determining the acceptability is executed by the microcomputer 71.

In the step of determining whether or not the foreign object is present (inspection program) in step S43, the area specifying step in step S431 and the step of determining whether or not the foreign object is present in step S433 are performed. In addition, the non-defective determination step is a process performed for each PTP sheet 1 to be a product. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the pass/fail determination step is performed for each of the portions of 2 PTP sheets 1 included in the X-ray transmission image, which correspond to 1 PTP sheet 1, when the PTP film 9 is conveyed.

Initially, the area specifying step in step S431 will be described with reference to the flowchart in fig. 8. In the area specifying step, first, the inspection image acquisition process of step S4311 is executed. Specifically, the image of the PTP sheet 1 as the inspection target in the X-ray transmission images is read as the inspection image from the image data storage device 74.

Next, in step S4312, the sheet frame is set for the read inspection image, and the inspection region Kb in the X-ray transmission image is defined to obtain a sheet shading image Xa. The obtained sheet shading image Xa is stored in the image data storage device 74.

In the present embodiment, the set position of the sheet frame is determined in advance based on the relative positional relationship with the PTP film 9. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the set position of the sheet frame is not adjusted every time corresponding to the inspection image, but is not limited thereto, and the set position of the sheet frame may be appropriately adjusted based on the information obtained from the X-ray transmission image in consideration of occurrence of misalignment or the like.

Further, in the tablet region specifying processing in the subsequent step S4313, first, the binarized image obtained by the binarizing processing is applied to the obtained sheet shading image Xa with the use of the 3 rd threshold value δ 3, and the binarized image obtained by the processing is stored in the image data storage device 74. Thereafter, block processing is performed on the binarized image, and a connected component corresponding to the tablet 5 (a portion corresponding to the tablet 5) is specified from among connected components of "0 (dark portion)" specified by the block processing.

Next, in step S4314, the ring-shaped shadow 2c located around the portion corresponding to the tablet 5 specified by the block processing is specified.

Then, in step S4315, the inside of the shadow 2c in the X-ray transmission image (sheet shading image Xa) corresponding to the inspection region Kb is specified as the storage region 2 b. Then, masking processing for extracting only the specified housing area 2b from the sheet shading image Xa is applied, and the shading image Xb for housing space inspection obtained by such masking processing is stored in the image data storage device 74.

Then, at the end of the area specifying step, the flange area specifying process of step S4316 is performed. In step S4316, a mask process is performed to extract a region other than the storage region 2b in the X-ray transmission image (sheet shading image Xa) corresponding to the inspection region Kb, and the shading image Xc for flange portion inspection obtained by this mask process is stored in the image data storage device 74.

Next, the foreign matter presence/absence determination step in step S433 will be described with reference to the flowchart in fig. 9.

First, in step S4331, binarization processing is performed on the grayscale image Xb for storage space inspection obtained in the processing in step S4315 using the 1 st threshold value δ 1, and the binarized image for storage space inspection obtained in accordance with the binarization processing is stored in the image data storage device 74. Next, in step S4332, a block portion having an area value equal to or larger than the predetermined value Lo is extracted by performing block processing on the binary image for checking the storage space.

Thereafter, in step S4333, the value of the foreign matter presence flag of all the bag portions 2 is set to "0". The "foreign matter presence flag" is a determination result indicating the presence or absence of foreign matter in the bag portion 2 (the housing space 2a), and is set in the calculation result storage device 75. When no foreign matter is present in the bag portion 2, the value of the foreign matter presence flag corresponding to the bag portion 2 is set to "1".

In the next step S4334, "1" is set as an initial value for the value C of the bag number count set in the calculation result storage device 75. The "pocket number" is a serial number set corresponding to each of 10 pocket portions 2 in the inspection region Kb of 1 PTP sheet 1, and the positions of the pocket portions 2 and the storage region 2b can be specified based on the value C of the pocket number count (hereinafter, simply referred to as "pocket number C").

Then, in step S4335, it is determined whether or not the pocket number C is equal to or less than the number N of pockets (10 in the present embodiment) per inspection area (per 1 PTP sheet 1).

If it is determined in step S4335 that the determination is yes, the process proceeds to step S4336, where it is determined whether or not there is a foreign object in the storage area 2b (bag portion 2) corresponding to the current bag number C (for example, C is 1) based on the binarized image for storage space inspection. Here, if there is a block portion in the housing area 2b, it is determined that there is a foreign object such as a metal piece in the housing area 2b, and the process proceeds to step S4338 as it is. On the other hand, if there is no block portion in the storage area 2b, the process proceeds to step S4337.

In step S4337, it is determined that there is no foreign matter such as a metal piece in the storage area 2b (bag portion 2) corresponding to the current bag number C, and the target foreign matter presence flag value corresponding to the bag number C is set to "1". Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S4338.

In step S4338, a new pocket number C is set by adding "1" to the current pocket number C. Thereafter, the process returns to step S4335.

When the newly set bag number C is equal to or less than the bag number N (10 in the present embodiment), the process proceeds to step S4336 again, and the above-described series of determination processes for the presence or absence of foreign matter is repeatedly executed.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the newly set pocket number C exceeds the number N of pockets, that is, when it is determined no in step S4335, it is determined that the determination of the presence or absence of foreign matter with respect to all the pockets 2 (housing areas 2b) is completed, and the process proceeds to step S4339.

In step S4339, the gradation image Xc for flange portion inspection obtained in the process of step S4316 is subjected to binarization processing using the 2 nd threshold value δ 2, and the binarized image for flange portion inspection obtained according to the binarization processing is stored in the image data storage device 74. Next, in step S4340, a block portion having an area value equal to or larger than the predetermined value Lo is extracted by applying block processing to the binarized image for flange portion inspection.

In the next step S4341, it is determined whether or not the flange portion 3a is a good product. Specifically, it is determined whether or not a block portion exists in the flange portion region 3b based on the binarized image for flange portion inspection.

If the determination result here is negative, the process proceeds to step S4342. On the other hand, if it is determined as yes, that is, if it is determined that foreign matter such as a fragment of the tablet 5 is present in the flange portion 3a, the process proceeds to step S4344.

In step S4342, it is determined whether or not the value of the foreign matter presence flag of all the bag portions 2 in the inspection region Kb is "1". If it is determined as yes, that is, if there is no foreign matter in all the bag portions 2 in the inspection region Kb, the PTP sheet 1 corresponding to the inspection region Kb is determined as "good product" in step S4343, and the non-defective determination step is ended.

On the other hand, if the determination at step S4342 is negative, that is, if foreign matter is present in at least 1 of all the bag portions 2 in the inspection region Kb, the process proceeds to step S4344.

In step S4344, the PTP sheet 1 corresponding to the inspection region Kb is determined to be "defective", and the non-defective determination step ends.

In the good product determination process in step S4343 and the defective product determination process in step S4344, the inspection results of the PTP sheet 1 corresponding to the inspection region Kb are stored in the calculation result storage device 75 and output to the PTP packaging machine 10 (including the defective sheet discharging mechanism).

Returning to fig. 7, after the inspection step of step S4, in the pinhole line forming step of step S5, a pinhole line is formed at a predetermined position on the PTP film 9 by the pinhole line forming apparatus 33. In the subsequent imprint step of step S6, the imprint device 34 sets an imprint on the PTP film 9. Thereafter, the separation step of step S7 is performed, whereby the manufacturing step of the PTP sheet 1 is completed. In the cutting step, the PTP sheet 1 is manufactured by punching the PTP film 9 with the sheet punching apparatus 37 and cutting the PTP sheet 1 from the PTP film 9.

As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, even if it is determined that the portion of the X-ray transmission image (the sheet shading image Xa) having the luminance lower than the 1 st threshold value δ 1 is a foreign substance in the inspection of the housing area 2b, the presence of the fragments or powder of the tablet 5 in the housing area 2b (the housing space 2a) can be prevented from being detected as a foreign substance. Therefore, the PTP film 9 and the PTP sheet 1 can be prevented from being determined to be defective due to the fragments or powder of the tablet 5 located in the housing space 2 a.

On the other hand, in the inspection of the flange portion 3b, when it is determined that a portion of the X-ray transmission image (the thin-sheet shading image Xa) having a luminance lower than the 2 nd threshold value δ 2 is a foreign substance and fragments or powder of the tablet 5 is present in the flange portion 3b (the flange portion 3a), the foreign substance can be detected. That is, the PTP film 9 and PTP sheet 1 can be determined to be defective from the pieces or powder of the tablet 5 located in the flange portion 3 a.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, whether or not the fragments or powder of the tablet 5 are detected as foreign matter can be appropriately changed according to the difference between the storage space 2a (storage area 2b) and the flange portion 3a (flange portion area 3b) to be inspected, and more appropriate acceptance/rejection determination can be performed. As a result, the quality of the package can be improved while suppressing an increase in manufacturing cost.

Further, since the 1 st threshold δ 1 is set so as to be able to detect the metal piece, as a result, the metal piece existing in the housing space 2a or the flange portion 3a can be detected as a foreign matter. Therefore, when the metal piece is present in the PTP film 9, the PTP film 9 and the PTP sheet 1 can be determined as defective products without depending on the presence position of the metal piece.

Further, as in the present embodiment, when the container film 3 has the pocket 2 and the container film 3 or the like is formed of a metal thin film or a thin film having a metal layer, the ring-shaped portion located around the tablet 5 and corresponding to the outer edge of the pocket 2 (housing space 2a) is shown as a dark shadow darker than the surrounding portion in the X-ray transmission image. In this regard, in the present embodiment, the region specifying unit 78 specifies the region corresponding to the tablet 5, and the ring-shaped shadow 2c around the specified region is specified as the outline of the housing space 2a, and the inside of the outline is specified as the housing region 2 b. Therefore, the housing area 2b can be identified more accurately and easily.

[ embodiment 2]

Next, the differences between embodiment 2 and embodiment 1 will be mainly described. In the above embodiment 1, the process after the process of identifying the portion corresponding to the tablet 5 (the tablet portion identifying process in step S4313) in the region identifying step (that is, the process by the region identifying software 77a) in step S431 is different from the process in the present embodiment 2.

More specifically, in embodiment 2, as shown in fig. 15, in step S4317 following step S4313, a process of expanding a portion (tablet region 5b) corresponding to the specified tablet 5 is performed. This processing is, for example, processing for specifying the center or the center of gravity of the portion corresponding to the tablet 5 (tablet region 5b), and thereafter enlarging the portion corresponding to the tablet 5 (tablet region 5b) at a default magnification with the center or the center of gravity as the center.

Thereafter, in step S4318, a region in which a portion corresponding to the tablet 5 (tablet region 5b) is expanded is specified as the housing region 2 b. Next, masking processing for extracting only the housing area 2b for the sheet shading image Xa is applied, and an image obtained by such masking processing is stored in the image data storage device 74.

Further, in step S4319, the region other than the housing region 2b specified in step S4318 in the X-ray transmission image (sheet shading image Xa) corresponding to the inspection region Kb is specified as the flange region 3 b. Next, masking processing to extract only the flange portion region 3b is applied to the sheet shading image Xa, and an image obtained by such masking processing is stored in the image data storage device 74. The foreign matter presence/absence determination step is performed in the same manner as in embodiment 1.

As described above, according to embodiment 2, the housing area 2b can be specified (estimated) to some extent accurately by relatively simple processing. Therefore, the processing load for the qualification determination can be reduced, and sufficiently good inspection accuracy can be ensured.

[ 3 rd embodiment ]

Next, the differences between embodiment 3 and embodiment 1 will be mainly described. In the above embodiment 1, the process after the process of identifying the portion corresponding to the tablet 5 (the tablet portion identifying process in step S4313) in the region identifying step (that is, the process by the region identifying software 77a) in step S431 is different from the process in the present embodiment 3.

More specifically, in embodiment 3, as shown in fig. 16, after the part corresponding to the tablet 5 is specified by the processing in step S4313, the processing for specifying the center or the center of gravity of the part (tablet region 5b) corresponding to the specified tablet 5 is performed in step S4320.

Thereafter, in step S4321, the housing area 2b is specified based on the specified center or center of gravity and the data of the pocket 2 stored in the design of the setting data storage device 76. The data of the designed bag portion 2 is stored in the setting data storage device 76 in advance. For example, when the center of the planar area occupied by the designed bag portion 2 is overlapped with the center of the specified center or center of gravity, the area overlapped with the planar area is specified as the storage area 2 b. Then, masking processing to extract only the housing area 2b is applied to the sheet shading image Xa, and an image obtained by such masking processing is stored in the image data storage device 74.

Then, in step S4322, the region other than the housing region 2b specified in step S4321 in the X-ray transmission image (sheet shading image Xa) corresponding to the inspection region Kb is specified as the flange region 3 b. Also, masking processing to extract only the flange portion region 3b is applied to the sheet shading image Xa, and an image obtained by such masking processing is stored in the image data storage device 74. The foreign matter presence/absence determination step is performed in the same manner as in embodiment 1.

As described above, according to embodiment 3, the housing area 2b can be specified (estimated) to some extent accurately by relatively simple processing. This reduces the processing load for the qualification determination and ensures sufficiently good inspection accuracy.

[ 4 th embodiment ]

Next, the differences between embodiment 4 and embodiment 1 will be mainly described. In embodiment 4, as shown in fig. 17 and 18, the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 includes a camera 54 disposed upstream of the X-ray irradiation apparatus 51 and the X-ray sensor camera 52. In the present embodiment, the "camera 54" constitutes "appearance shooting means". Further, the storage space specifying software 77c for specifying the position of the storage space 2a is stored in the inspection program storage device 77. Then, by executing the storage space specifying software 77c by the microcomputer 71, the position of the storage space 2a is specified based on the external appearance image of the PTP film 9 acquired by the camera 54.

As the camera 54, a CCD camera having sensitivity to predetermined visible light (for example, infrared light) is used. The camera 54 photographs light reflecting the PTP film 9 when visible light (for example, infrared light) irradiated from an unillustrated illumination device irradiates the PTP film 9. The external appearance image (luminance image) captured by the camera 54 is converted into a digital signal (image signal) inside the camera 54, and then input to the microcomputer 71 as a digital signal.

In the present embodiment 4, the storage space specifying software 77c is executed by the microcomputer 71 before the area specifying software 77a is executed. When the storage space specifying software 77c is executed, the position of the storage space 2a (bag portion 2) in the appearance image is specified by applying binarization processing, block processing, or the like to the appearance image obtained by the camera 54. In the present embodiment, the "storage space specifying unit 80" as the "storage space specifying means" is configured by the "microcomputer 71" and the "inspection program storage device 77" storing the storage space specifying software 77 c.

Further, the above embodiment 1 is different from the present embodiment 4 in the area specifying step (that is, the area specifying software 77a) of step S431.

More specifically, in embodiment 4, as shown in fig. 19, first, in step S4322, a two-dimensional appearance image due to light reflected from the PTP film 9 is acquired by the camera 54 every time the PTP film 9 is conveyed by a predetermined amount. The appearance image includes portions of 2 PTP sheets 1 arranged in the width direction of the PTP film 9.

In the next step S4323, binarization processing, block processing, or the like is performed on the acquired appearance image to specify the storage space 2 a. For example, after the appearance image is subjected to binarization processing and block processing, a portion corresponding to the outer edge of the bag portion 2 is extracted by using the shape or coordinates of the block portion, and the region surrounded by the extracted portion is specified as the storage space 2 a.

Then, in step S4324, the X-ray transmission image (sheet shading image Xa) corresponding to the inspection region Kb specifies the storage region 2b in accordance with the position of the specified storage space 2a (bag portion 2). For example, the position coordinates of the specified housing space 2a (bag portion 2) are corrected to: the amount of displacement between the appearance image and the X-ray transmission image (slice shading image Xa) corresponding to the inspection region Kb. In addition, a region corresponding to the position coordinates of the corrected storage space 2a (pocket 2) in the sheet shading image Xa is specified as the storage region 2 b. Next, an image obtained by applying a masking process for extracting only the storage area 2b to the sheet shading image Xa is stored in the image data storage device 74.

Finally, in step S4325, the area other than the specified housing area 2b is specified as the flange area 3b, and an image obtained by applying the masking process for extracting only the flange area 3b to the sheet shading image Xa is stored in the image data storage device 74. The foreign matter presence/absence determination step is performed in the same manner as in embodiment 1.

As described above, according to the present embodiment 4, the actual position of the housing space 2a in the PTP film 9 is specified by the camera 54 and the housing space specifying unit 80, and the housing area 2b is specified by the specified position. Therefore, the housing area 2b can be specified extremely accurately, and excellent inspection accuracy can be achieved.

The present invention is not limited to the description of the above embodiments, and can be implemented, for example, as follows. Needless to say, other application examples and modifications not illustrated below are possible.

(a) The configuration of the sheet-like package (packaging sheet) is not limited to the PTP sheet 1 of the above embodiment. For example, SP sheets may be used as the inspection targets.

As shown in fig. 20, a general SP sheet 90 is formed by overlapping 2 films 91 and 92 each having a strip shape made of an opaque material made of aluminum as a base material, bonding the two films 91 and 92 around a housing space 93 (a ground pattern portion in fig. 20) in a bag shape so as to fill the tablet 5 between the two films 91 and 92 while leaving the housing space 93 around the tablet 5, forming a strip-shaped packaging film, and then cutting the packaging film into a rectangular sheet shape.

In the SP sheet 90, a vertical pinhole line 95 formed along the long side direction of the sheet and a horizontal pinhole line 96 formed along the short side direction of the sheet may be formed in a cutting line for cutting the sheet in units of a small sheet 94 including 1 housing space 93. The SP sheet 90 may be provided with a label portion 97 on which various information (characters "ABC" in the present embodiment) is printed at one end in the longitudinal direction of the sheet.

(b) The arrangement and number of the pockets 2 of each PTP sheet 1 unit are not limited to those of the above-described embodiments (2 rows and 10), and PTP sheets having various arrangements and numbers, such as a type having 3 rows and 12 pockets 2 (housing spaces 2a), can be used (the same applies to the SP sheets). Of course, the number of pockets 2 (housing spaces 2a) included in 1 small sheet is not limited to the above embodiment.

(c) In the PTP sheet 1 of the above embodiment, as the separation line, the pinhole lines 7 are formed by intermittently arranging slits penetrating in the thickness direction of the PTP sheet 1, but the separation line is not limited to this, and a different configuration may be adopted depending on the material of the container film 3 and the cover film 4. For example, a non-penetrating slit forming machine having a slit (half-cut line) with a substantially V-shaped cross section may be formed. Alternatively, the needle hole thread 7 may be formed in a cutting machine.

(d) The material, layer structure, and the like of the 1 st film and the 2 nd film are not limited to the structure of the container film 3 or the lid film 4 of the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, the container film 3 and the lid film 4 are formed of a metal material such as aluminum as a base material, but not limited thereto, and other materials may be used. For example, a synthetic resin material which does not transmit visible light or the like may be used.

(e) The structure of the tape package is not limited to the above embodiment, and other structures may be adopted.

In the above embodiment, the PTP film 9 has a configuration in which the number of the bag portions 2 corresponding to 2 sheets are arranged in the width direction, but is not limited thereto, and the number of the bag portions 2 corresponding to 1 sheet may be arranged in the width direction, for example. Of course, the PTP film 9 may have a configuration in which the bag portions 2 corresponding to 3 or more sheet portions are arranged in the width direction.

In the above embodiment, the configuration is such that: in the center portion in the width direction of the PTP film 9, a portion corresponding to each label portion 8 of 2 PTP sheets 1 is disposed. In contrast, the following configuration is also possible: and 2 PTP sheets 1, the portions corresponding to the respective label portions 8 are disposed at both ends in the width direction of the PTP film 9. Further, the following configuration may be adopted: and 2 PTP sheets 1, a portion corresponding to the tag portion 8 of one PTP sheet 1 is disposed at the widthwise central portion of the PTP film 9, and a portion corresponding to the tag portion 8 of the other PTP sheet 1 is disposed at the widthwise end portion of the PTP film 9.

(f) The structure of the electromagnetic wave irradiation means is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the X-ray is irradiated as an electromagnetic wave, but the present invention is not limited to this, and another electromagnetic wave such as a megahertz electromagnetic wave that penetrates the PTP film 9 may be used.

(g) The configuration of the imaging means is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above embodiment, a CCD camera (X-ray sensor camera 52) using a scintillator is used as the imaging means, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a camera that directly receives X-rays and images the X-rays may be used.

In the above embodiment, the X-ray sensor camera 52 in which 1 row of CCDs is arranged is employed as the imaging means, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, an X-ray TDI (Time Delay Integration) camera having a plurality of rows of CCD rows (detection element rows) in the film transport direction of the PTP film 9 may be employed. This can further improve the inspection accuracy and the inspection efficiency.

(h) The configuration, arrangement position, and the like of the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 are not limited to those of the above-described embodiments.

For example, in the above embodiment, the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 is disposed at the position where the PTP film 9 is conveyed in the vertical direction, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 may be disposed at the position where the PTP film 9 is conveyed in the horizontal direction or the position where the PTP film is conveyed in the oblique direction.

Further, a position adjusting mechanism (position adjusting mechanism) may be provided so that the X-ray irradiation device 51 and the X-ray sensor camera 52 can be moved along the conveying direction of the PTP film 9, the width direction of the PTP film 9, and the contact/separation direction with respect to the PTP film 9 in accordance with the size, arrangement, and the like of the PTP film 9.

Further, in the above embodiment, the X-ray irradiation device 51 is disposed on the container film 3 side of the PTP film 9 and the X-ray sensor camera 52 is disposed on the lid film 4 side of the PTP film 9, but the X-ray irradiation device 51 may be disposed on the lid film 4 side and the X-ray sensor camera 52 may be disposed on the container film 3 side with the positional relationship therebetween being reversed. In this case, "the container film 3" constitutes "the 2 nd film" and "the cover film 4" constitutes "the 1 st film".

(i) In the above embodiment, the X-ray inspection is performed by the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 in the step before the PTP sheet 1 is punched out from the PTP film 9, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the PTP sheet may be inspected in the step after the PTP sheet 1 is punched out from the PTP film 9. For example, the PTP sheet 1 conveyed by the conveyor 39 may be inspected. In this case, the "PTP sheet 1" constitutes a "package".

In this case, the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 may be provided in the PTP packaging machine 10 (in-line configuration), or the X-ray inspection apparatus 45 and the PTP packaging machine 10 may be provided separately (off-line configuration). However, in the case of an off-line configuration, since there is a risk that the position and orientation of the PTP sheet 1 to be inspected may not be always in relation to the X-ray inspection apparatus 45, it is necessary to adjust the position and orientation of the PTP sheet 1 in advance when performing the inspection. Further, since there is a risk that the adjustment of the position and the direction of the PTP sheet 1 will reduce the inspection speed and the inspection accuracy, it is preferable to adopt an on-line configuration in consideration of this point.

(j) In the above-described embodiment 4, the camera 54 is disposed upstream of the X-ray irradiation device 51 and the like, but may be disposed downstream of the X-ray irradiation device 51 and the like. In this case, the quality determination step is performed based on the X-ray transmission image obtained before the acquisition of the external appearance image of the PTP film 9 at the stage when the external appearance image is acquired by the camera 54.

Description of the symbols

1: PTP sheet

2: bag part

2 a: accommodating space

2 b: accommodating area

2 c: shadow

3: container film (No. 1 film)

3 a: flange part

3 b: flange area

4: cover film (No. 2 film)

5: tablet formulation

9: PTP film (packaging body)

10: PTP packing machine (packaging body manufacturing device)

45: x-ray inspection apparatus (inspection apparatus)

51: x-ray irradiation apparatus (electromagnetic wave irradiation mechanism)

52: x-ray sensor camera (shooting mechanism)

53: control processing device (image processing device)

54: camera (appearance shooting mechanism)

78: region specifying unit (region specifying mechanism)

79: foreign matter presence/absence determination unit (foreign matter presence/absence determination means)

80: an accommodation space specifying unit (accommodation space specifying means).