The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Feb. 07, 2006

Filed:

Dec. 08, 2003
Applicants:

Ray Belway, Calgary, CA;

Donald E. James, Calgary, CA;

Inventors:

Ray Belway, Calgary, CA;

Donald E. James, Calgary, CA;

Assignee:
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G06F 17/60 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

A bench-top pill counter accurately and automatically counts a wide variety of shapes and sizes of pharmaceutical pills and capsules, having a variety of coatings. A rotating bowl, periodically shaken during rotation, is combined with a fixed, flared spiral guide ramp causing pills to distribute individually on an annular ledge in the bowl. The pills are dispensed from the bowl onto a sloped slide and counted at the bottom of the slide by an optical counter. The micro-computer determines an optimum speed and shake algorithm for the bowl, based on the characteristics such as the size and shape of the pills, so that the pills distribute individually and only one pill at a time passes the counter.


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