An exemplary method of printing medications on digestible substrates is described. Single component nonmagnetic toners with active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) embedded or dissolved in the toner are used. The binders for the toner are digestible. The printing process includes loading the single component non-magnetic toners from a sump to a donor roll and developing them either directly onto the substrate or through the use of an intermediate member. Traditional xerographic charge and exposure can be used to make the tablet imprints. Dosage is controlled through solid area or halftone development (when charge and exposure are used). The printed first layer may undergo cold or warm pressure fusing. This medicament layer is then subjected to another station to print a second layer of medical tablet. Multiple stations may be used to build up a complete personalized tablet. Optionally, a final station prints protective overcoat materials to finalize the tablet.

A data acquiring apparatus includes: an acquirer that acquires feature data, as registration data, from an image including an object to be registered, the feature data representing a feature that is distributed in a region of a predetermined size determined based on a position defined by an external shape of the object and a position of printing information that has been printed on the object; and a memory that stores the registration data acquired by the acquirer as data for determining identity of the object.

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes a conveying device, an inkjet printing device, and a control device. The conveying device is configured to convey a tablet. The printing device includes a nozzle array in which a plurality of nozzles are arranged in a direction crossing a conveying path where the tablet is conveyed by the conveying device, and performs printing by ejecting ink from the nozzles to the tablet being conveyed by the conveying device. The control device increases either one of a resolution in the conveying direction of the tablet at the time of performing the printing and a resolution in the array direction of the nozzles at the time of performing the printing higher than the other according to a print density or a print shape on the tablet, and controls the printing device to perform the printing.

A printing process for dosage forms selected from hard or soft capsules, the process comprising the steps of: (i) providing a plurality of said dosage forms, preferably filled with a liquid composition, in a reservoir; (ii) transferring a predetermined number of the dosage forms from said reservoir to a printing station; (iii) printing indicia over each of the dosage forms; (iv) transferring the printed dosage forms to an inspection station arranged to sense a predetermined characteristic of the indicia; (v) sorting the dosage forms based on the sensed predetermined characteristic of the indicia by separating dosage forms that meet the predetermined characteristics from dosage forms that do not meet the predetermined characteristics; wherein the dosage forms that do not meet the predetermined characteristics are collected and further processed through a regenerating unit arranged to remove the indicia from the dosage forms in a regeneration step, and further re-processed according to steps (i) to (v).

A image processing device which can reduce information such as a pattern, a scar and the like on a surface of a drug which are other than an engraved mark, to accurately extract the engraved mark. The image processing device includes: an obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of images of a drug having an engraved mark on a surface of the drug, with emitting directions of light to the surface different from each other; an edge image generating unit configured to apply respectively to the plurality of images, edge extracting filters in directions in conformity with the emitting directions, the edge extracting filters having a size in conformity with a width of a groove of the engraved mark, and generate a plurality of edge images; and an image composing unit configured to compose the plurality of edge images and generate a composite image.

The system of the present invention includes a conductive element, an electronic component, and a partial power source in the form of dissimilar materials. Upon contact with a conducting fluid, a voltage potential is created and the power source is completed, which activates the system. The electronic component controls the conductance between the dissimilar materials to produce a unique current signature. The system can be used in a variety of different applications, including as components of ingestible identifiers, such as may be found in ingestible event markers, e.g., pharma-informatics enabled pharmaceutical compositions.

A system for administering prescription medications including a composition and a receiver. The composition may include an active agent, an identifier, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. The active agent may include a controlled pharmaceutical. The identifier may include: a partial power source having a first material and a second material configured to generate a voltage in contact with a conductive fluid within a body of a patient, and a signal generation component configured to use at least a portion of the generated voltage to transmit a signal through the body of the patient. The receiver may be positioned near the body of the patient, wherein the receiver is configured to: receive the signal transmitted through the body of the patient, and automatically report the signal for at least one of identification of the controlled pharmaceutical or tracking physical administration of the controlled pharmaceutical to the body of the patient.

Provided is packaged medicine capable of inhibiting deterioration of electrodes over a long period of time and reliably transmitting a signal after ingestion even when a long period of time has elapsed since production to ingestion. The packaged medicine includes a solid medicine including drug powder and a micro-device, a container provided with a solid medicine accommodating space accommodating the solid medicine therein, and inert gas encapsulated in the solid medicine accommodating space. The micro-device includes two electrodes with mutually different ionization tendencies and a transmitter operable to transmit a signal using electromotive force generated when the electrodes come in contact with electrolyte.

According to one embodiment, a tablet printing apparatus includes: a conveying path where a tablet is conveyed; a drying device configured to dry the tablet in the conveying path; and a print head device located on the downstream side of the drying device in the conveying path. The print head device is configured to perform printing on the tablet dried by the drying device.

A system comprising one or more of a programmable encapsulation for containing and regulating the release of a medicament, an encapsulating device used by a manufacturer which encloses the medicament within a programmable encapsulation, a programming device used by a pharmacy or dispensary which programs the encapsulation with an intended patient's health data and prescription data, a consumer encapsulation storage device configured to store one or more programmable encapsulations for one or more of a patient, authenticate the identity of a patient, and dispense medicaments to the patient in accordance with the patient's prescription, and a portable reader configured to scan a programmable encapsulation and display the details of the medicament and instructions for its consumption.