Automated use of a vision system to unroll a label to capture and process drug identifying indicia present on the label

Abstract

In one exemplary embodiment, an automated medication preparation is provided and typically involves the preparation and dispensing of drug products, whether they are in a bag, a syringe or via some other type of administration vehicle. The system includes: an automated device for delivering a prescribed unit dose of medication to a drug product container from a drug container. A label containing medication information (medication identifying indicia) is disposed about an outer surface, e.g., a circumference, of the drug container. The automated system includes a vision system for detecting and processing the medication identifying indicia that is found on the label, the vision system is capable of reading a bar code that is formed on the label and includes a second optical device for producing a rollout image of the label as the drug vial is rotated on a turntable, as well as an optical recognition system (software) for reading a particular coordinate location of the rollout image and for detecting and recognizing characters that represent medication information associated with the drug container as well as bar code information. When the occurrence of a prescribed event is detected by one of the first and second optical devices, a controller prevents the unit dose from being delivered from the drug container to the drug product container.