Methods and apparatus of inspection tools for inspecting impurities in vials are provided herein. In some embodiments, an inspection tool for inspecting impurities in vials includes: a table for inspecting a plurality of vials; one or more carts configured to move about the table to place the one or more carts in an inspection position, wherein each of the one or more carts includes a vial holder configured to hold a plurality of vials, and wherein each vial holder is configured to spin the plurality of vials on their own respective axes; and a camera configured to take images of the plurality of vials when the plurality of vials are disposed in the inspection position.

Systems and methods for inspecting particles in a liquid beneficial agent are provided. Inspecting particles in a liquid beneficial agent includes selectively illuminating at least a portion of a liquid beneficial agent contained within a container using an excitation beam configured to excite photoluminescent particles in the liquid beneficial agent to emit an emission light and produce scattered excitation light, filtering the illuminated portion of the liquid beneficial agent to transmit the emission light and block the scattered excitation light, obtaining an image of the filtered emission light, analyzing image data representing the image of the filtered emission light to detect regions of the image representing the intrinsic photoluminescence of the photoluminescent particles, measuring an intensity of the regions of the image representing the intrinsic photoluminescence of the photoluminescent particles, and determining a size or number of the photoluminescent particles from the measured intensity of the regions.

A determination apparatus includes: a dividing unit configured to divide chronological image data acquired by imaging a liquid filled in a container while switching between a plurality of illumination conditions, into chronological image data corresponding to the illumination conditions; and a determining unit configured to determine foreign matter contained in the container based on each of the chronological image data obtained by division by the dividing unit.

In a method for imaging a container holding a sample, the container is illuminated with a laser sheet of a first color, and one or more images of the container are capturing by a first imager configured to filter out colors other than the first color. Simultaneously with illuminating the container with the laser sheet of the first color, the container is illuminated with light of a second color different than the first color, wherein the light of the second color illuminates at least a majority of an entire volume of the container. One or more additional imagers of the container are captured by a second imager configured to filter out colors other than the second color. The one or more images and the one or more additional images are analyzed to detect particles within, and/or on an exterior surface of, the container.

A grasping device includes: a grasping unit configured to grasp a container filled with liquid; a tilting unit configured to at least tilt the container in a state where the grasping unit grasps the container; and a maker installed at a part tilting in synchronism with the container when the container tilts and configured to move in conjunction with movement of the container.

The apparati, methods, and computer program products disclosed herein can be used to nondestructively detect undissolved particles, such as glass flakes and/or protein aggregates, in a fluid in a vessel, such as, but not limited to, a fluid that contains a drug.

The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus for detecting foam in a specimen container. The method includes the following steps: transporting a specimen container into a locator well; centering the specimen container in the locator well; rotating the specimen container around a vertical axis in the locator well; imaging the specimen container during the rotation; analyzing an image of the specimen container captured during the rotation; and detecting foam in the specimen container based on the analysis of the image. An apparatus configured to perform the steps is also provided. The method and apparatus may be used in conjunction with a system for automatically determining whether a sample is positive for microorganism growth.

An inspection system includes: a suspended matter detecting and tracking means that detects and tracks suspended matter present in the liquid in the container in chronological images obtained by consecutively imaging the liquid with a camera; a determining and storage controlling means that determines, based on a movement locus of the tracked suspended matter, whether the suspended matter is foreign matter or an air bubble, and stores inspection result information including a result of the determination and information of the movement locus of the suspended matter used as a basis for the determination into a storing means in association with identification information of the container; and a display controlling means that causes a displaying means to display the result of the determination and the information of the movement locus of the suspended matter used as the basis for the determination included by the inspection result information.

In a method for imaging a container holding a sample, the container is illuminated with a laser sheet that impinges upon the container in a first direction corresponding to a first axis. A plane of the laser sheet is defined by the first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis. The method also includes capturing, by a camera having an imaging axis that is substantially orthogonal to at least the first axis, an image of the container. The method further includes analyzing, by one or more processors, the image of the container to detect particles within, and/or on an exterior surface of, the container.

To provide a means that is less likely to misidentify a crack as a foreign substance during an image checking in which a vibration is applied to a powder contained in a bag-like container. A foreign substance checking system includes a vibration device configured to apply a vibration to a container, a photography device configured to optically photograph the inside of the container through a transparent region from the outside, and a determination device configured to determine whether a foreign substance is present inside the container based on an image of the container photographed by the photography device. The vibration device includes a rotating shaft and a hammer rotating in conjunction with the rotating shaft and colliding with the container. A portion of an outer surface of the hammer to abut on the container has a flat surface.