Patents Assigned to Tosho, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11857492
    Abstract: A tablet cassette that inhibits rotation of a rotor when the tablet cassette is not mounted. A plurality of engaged portions are provided, about the axial line of a rotary shaft at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction on an annular inner surface region of a bottom wall portion located a predetermined distance away from the rotary shaft. A sliding shaft is disposed in the rotary shaft, slidable in the axial direction, such that the sliding shaft rotates together with the rotary shaft. The rotary shaft is displaced toward a rotor body when the rotary shaft is coupled to a drive shaft and the rotary shaft is displaced toward a bottom wall portion when the rotary shaft is not coupled to the drive shaft. Two or more engaging portions are provided on arm portions provided on the sliding shaft and engage with some of a plurality of engaged portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Omura
  • Patent number: 11759396
    Abstract: A medicine feeder includes: an outer rotary body on the outer side to be rotated about a vertical line; an inner inclined rotary body on the inner side to be rotated about an inclined line; and a sorting mechanism and a regulating mechanism operable to align solid medicine pieces carried from the top of the inner inclined rotary body onto an annular upper end surface of the outer rotary body through rotation of the inner inclined rotary body. An upper surface inclined portion of the inner inclined rotary body includes delivery portions sloping downward toward the outer side even at an elevated position and push-up portions not sloping downward toward the outer side, the delivery portions and the push-up portions being formed alternately in the circumferential direction. The push-up portions include projecting portions. The projecting portions are extended to the inner peripheral side of the delivery portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Omura, Syunji Ohgaya
  • Publication number: 20220343452
    Abstract: Provided is a tablet dimension measuring program for quickly sharing the dimensions of a tablet while ensuring accuracy of the measurement method. The tablet dimension measuring program is a tablet dimension measuring program for capturing an image of a tablet by using: measuring means for measuring a dimension of the tablet; dimension display means for displaying the dimension of the tablet measured by the measuring means; and imaging means for capturing images that each include a numerical value of the dimension displayed by the dimension display means and a measurement position of the tablet, in which the imaging means is used to capture at least one dimension information image that includes the measurement position of the tablet and the numerical value of the dimension and a drug information image with which drug information of the tablet is identifiable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: TOSHO INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito OMURA
  • Patent number: 10828238
    Abstract: A double rotation type drug feeder having an easily cleanable, simple structure is provided. The drug feeder includes a rotatable annular first rotator 20 that has a mount surface 23 on which drugs are placed and that is rotatable about a first rotation axis, a second rotator 30 that is disposed at a fixed position on an inner side of the first rotator 20 while being rotatable about a second rotation axis, inclined with respect to the first rotation axis, the second rotator 30 transporting the drugs onto the mount surface 23, restricting members 71 and 72 that align the drugs disposed on the mount surface 23, and multiple support members 40 that support the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30 mounted thereon from below the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30. The multiple support members 40 include a driving member 55 that drives the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30 to rotate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Omura
  • Patent number: 10772803
    Abstract: A turntable is divided into an inner part (50) and an outer part (40). The angular speed of a large-diameter turntable 40 is made higher than the angular speed of a small-diameter turntable 50, and a tablet transfer path 32 of a straightening guide 30 is configured to be a spiral path extending from an inner end portion 32a to an outer end portion 32b. A tablet contact portion (64) of a tablet holding mechanism is reciprocated with respect to a temporary holding area (62) located before the outer end portion 32b. A tablet is temporarily held in the temporary holding area and when a long narrow blade insertion slit 43 in the large-diameter turntable 40 reaches the temporary holding area, a tablet cutting blade of a tablet cutting mechanism is reciprocated with respect to the temporary holding area and a blade insertion notch (62, 63) to split the tablet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Omura
  • Patent number: 10486889
    Abstract: Provided is a small drug feeder that includes a container that can restrict the width or height of drugs so that the feeder can handle a wide range of drugs having various different shapes or sizes and be easily adjusted so as to be adapted to individual drugs. A width restricting member that increases or decreases a width of a space over a peripheral portion is disposed so as to face a discharging mechanism that discharges drugs to the outside of a container at speed higher than that of the peripheral portion. An interval between the width restricting member and the discharging mechanism is changed in accordance with a width of a target of measurement held in a measurement chamber. The height of drugs placed on the peripheral portion is restricted by a height restricting member in accordance with the height of the target of measurement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Omura
  • Publication number: 20190328617
    Abstract: A double rotation type drug feeder having an easily cleanable, simple structure is provided. The drug feeder includes a rotatable annular first rotator 20 that has a mount surface 23 on which drugs are placed and that is rotatable about a first rotation axis, a second rotator 30 that is disposed at a fixed position on an inner side of the first rotator 20 while being rotatable about a second rotation axis, inclined with respect to the first rotation axis, the second rotator 30 transporting the drugs onto the mount surface 23, restricting members 71 and 72 that align the drugs disposed on the mount surface 23, and multiple support members 40 that support the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30 mounted thereon from below the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30. The multiple support members 40 include a driving member 55 that drives the first rotator 20 and the second rotator 30 to rotate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 26, 2017
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito OMURA
  • Patent number: 10441510
    Abstract: A tablet cassette includes: support points to support a swing member in a slit formed in a bottomed hole of a hollow rotary shaft; an engaged portion provided on a bottom wall portion of a container and spaced from the hollow rotary shaft to surround the rotary shaft; a swing member having a follower portion and an engaging portion located on different sides of the support points; and an urging member operable to move the engaging portion toward the engaged portion and move the follower portion into the bottomed hole. In a free state wherein the tablet cassette is detached from the base, the engaging portion engages with the engaged portion. When the tablet cassette is mounted to the base and the drive shaft is fitted into the bottomed hole, the follower portion is pushed out of the bottomed hole, and the engaging portion is disengaged from the engaged portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Omura
  • Patent number: 10363200
    Abstract: A tablet splitting apparatus includes a guide, a catcher, and a splitting mechanism. The splitting mechanism comprises a pair of blades and a pair of blade shifters. The guide, the catcher, and the splitting mechanism are accommodated in a housing. The housing includes an opening and a support. The support and the guide each include a sliding portion. The guide disposed at the supporting position is slid along the sliding portion of the support so as to be detachable from the supporting position through the opening. The blades and the blade shifters each comprise a sliding portion. The blades and the blade shifters are in a slidable contact with each other at the sliding portions. The blades attached to the respective predetermined positions of the blade shifters are slid along the sliding portions of the blade shifters so as to be detachable from the blade shifters through the opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Omura, Syunji Ohgaya
  • Publication number: 20190167528
    Abstract: An object is to modify, for example, an aligning mechanism such that in a disk rotation type medicine feeder and a tablet splitting apparatus, tablets are successively fed at appropriate Intervals which are not too sparse and not too dense. A turntable is divided into an inner part (50) and an outer part (40). The angular speed of a large-diameter turntable 40 is made higher than the angular speed of a small-diameter turntable 50, and a tablet transfer path 32 of a straightening guide 30 is configured to be a spiral path extending from an inner end portion 32a to an outer end portion 32b. This enables tablets to be successively fed at appropriate intervals. Additionally, a tablet contact, portion (64) of a tablet holding mechanism is reciprocated with respect to a temporary holding area 62 located before the outer end portion 32b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Applicant: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito OMURA
  • Patent number: 10052260
    Abstract: A medicine dispensing apparatus in which a medicine guide assembly is constituted from first and second split guide members and in which substantially no dust is generated through rubbing between the first and second split guide members. The gap between a pair of guide paths of a pair of linear guide mechanisms provided for a pair of medicine feeder storing units, that is, paths along which movable slide portions slide on fixed guide portions, becomes wider in a drawing direction in which the medicine feeder storing units are drawn out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Omura, Syunji Ohgaya
  • Publication number: 20180078459
    Abstract: A tablet splitting apparatus includes a guide, a catcher, and a splitting mechanism. The splitting mechanism comprises a pair of blades and a pair of blade shifters. The guide, the catcher, and the splitting mechanism are accommodated in a housing. The housing includes an opening and a support. The support and the guide each include a sliding portion. The guide disposed at the supporting position is slid along the sliding portion of the support so as to be detachable from the supporting position through the opening. The blades and the blade shifters each comprise a sliding portion. The blades and the blade shifters are in a slidable contact with each other at the sliding portions. The blades attached to the respective predetermined positions of the blade shifters are slid along the sliding portions of the blade shifters so as to be detachable from the blade shifters through the opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Applicant: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihito OMURA, Syunji OHGAYA
  • Patent number: 9892476
    Abstract: A medicine dispensing system capable of reliably managing the lot of medicines and the expiration period of medicines is provided. A dispensation data preparation section includes a lot change determination section and a data changing section. The lot change determination section determines, based on lot information, whether or not the lot of the medicines to be used may be changed while medicine dispensing apparatuses are in operation. The dispensation data preparation section is provided with an expiration period determination section to determine with reference to the unpacking date, rather than the dispensation date, whether or not medicines are effective for use. This reliably prevents medicines that were taken out of the medicine packing container from being provided to patients after a number of days have passed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Omura
  • Patent number: 9878460
    Abstract: Attachment/detachment of tablet cutting blades to/from a tablet cutting blade replacement jig inserted into and withdrawn from a tablet splitting apparatus to receive and deliver the tablet cutting blades is facilitated even in a dispensing site. The cutting edges of the tablet cutting blades are allowed to be exposed without detaching the tablet cutting blades. The tablet cutting blade replacement jig (60) includes: a jig main body (61) that can be inserted into and withdrawn from support members (28) in place of a falling tablet guiding member; blade holders (64) for retaining tablet cutting blades (41) within notches (63) of the jig main body (61); operating members (72) that are manually operated to switch between maintenance and release of retention of the tablet cutting blades; and urging members for maintaining the switched state even though the switched state is on a retention maintained side or is on a retention released side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Tosho, Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Omura
  • Patent number: 9861556
    Abstract: A tablet splitting apparatus includes a plate defining a vertical groove-shaped tablet passage, a catcher for holding a tablet moving downward through the passage at a splitting position, and a mechanism for splitting the tablet at the splitting position. A movable groove-depth defining member faces and covers an upstream part of the tablet passage. A sensor detects a tablet passing through the upstream part of the passage. A controller is responsive to the sensor to activate a mechanism to adjust the distance between the groove bottom surface of the tablet passage and the facing surface of the groove-depth defining member depending on the thickness of the tablet. The apparatus is configured to detect the driving current required to move the cutting blades to automatically determine a time to vary the moving speed of the blades and to release the tablet temporarily held at the splitting position, depending on the thickness of the tablet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Omura, Syunji Ohgaya
  • Patent number: 9710994
    Abstract: A tablet cassette is conveniently available for irregularly shaped or halved tablets as with regularly shaped tablets. The tablet cassette includes a fall prevention mechanism configured to prevent extra tablets from falling down into an outlet port. The fall prevention mechanism has a round belt disposed upwardly of the outlet port and at a position higher than partition portions. The fall prevention mechanism is configured to prevent extra tablets from falling such that the extra tablets locating on or above or protruding from one of the tablet receiving portions, which comes closest to the outlet port by rotation of the rotor, are pushed toward the rotor by a repulsive force generated by deformation of the round belt as caused when the extra tablets abut on the round belt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito Omura
  • Patent number: 9493253
    Abstract: A medicine guide assembly is disposed between paired adjacent medicine feeder storage units. Each medicine guide assembly guides the medicines, which have been ejected from the medicine feeders included in the paired medicine feeder storage units, to an outlet port located downward. The medicine guide assembly includes a first divided guide member and a second divided guide member which are combined with each other when the paired medicine feeder storage units are accommodated in the housing and which are separated from each other when one of the paired medicine feeder storage units is drawn out from the housing. Further, air cleaning devices are provided so as to be operable to take in air, clean the air, and supply the cleaned air to an interior of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Omura, Syunji Ohgaya
  • Patent number: 9439834
    Abstract: A medicine distributing system includes a cassette placement portion for temporary placement of an individual distributing cassette including a large number of cells, a medicine container placement portion for temporary placement of a container for medicines, a medicine transporting device configured to put the medicines into the cells, and a distribution control device configured to acquire individual medicine distribution information to control an operation of the medicine transporting device. The medicine distributing system additionally includes a carrier placement portion for temporary placement of a medicine container carrier capable of housing medicine containers in a vertical column, and a medicine container transporting device configured to transport the medicine containers from the carrier placement portion to the medicine container placement portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventors: Yoshihito Omura, Syunji Ohgaya
  • Publication number: 20160207215
    Abstract: Attachment/detachment of tablet cutting blades to/from a tablet cutting blade replacement jig inserted into and withdrawn from a tablet splitting apparatus to receive and deliver the tablet cutting blades is facilitated even in a dispensing site. The cutting edges of the tablet cutting blades are allowed to be exposed without detaching the tablet cutting blades. The tablet cutting blade replacement jig (60) includes: a jig main body (61) that can be inserted into and withdrawn from support members (28) in place of a falling tablet guiding member; blade holders (64) for retaining tablet cutting blades (41) within notches (63) of the jig main body (61); operating members (72) that are manually operated to switch between maintenance and release of retention of the tablet cutting blades; and urging members for maintaining the switched state even though the switched state is on a retention maintained side or is on a retention released side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2014
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Applicant: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito OMURA
  • Publication number: 20160167866
    Abstract: Provided is a small drug feeder that includes a container that can restrict the width or height of drugs so that the feeder can handle a wide range of drugs having various different shapes or sizes and be easily adjusted so as to be adapted to individual drugs. A width restricting member that increases or decreases a width of a space over a peripheral portion is disposed so as to face a discharging mechanism that discharges drugs to the outside of a container at speed higher than that of the peripheral portion. An interval between the width restricting member and the discharging mechanism is changed in accordance with a width of a target of measurement held in a measurement chamber. The height of drugs placed on the peripheral portion is restricted by a height restricting member in accordance with the height of the target of measurement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2014
    Publication date: June 16, 2016
    Applicant: TOSHO, INC.
    Inventor: Yoshihito OMURA