Robot system, liquid transfer controller, liquid transfer control method, and medicine manufacturing method

Abstract

A robot system includes a multi-jointed robot, a syringe actuator which pulls and pushes a plunger of a syringe having a needle, and the controller which controls the multi-jointed robot to handle a vial and the syringe and controls the syringe actuator. The controller includes a first control module which controls the multi-jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of the vessel, a second control module which controls the syringe actuator such that a liquid in the vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger after the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot, and a third control module which controls the multi-jointed robot such that the needle is inclined with respect to the cap of the vessel by changing an orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe after the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A robot system comprising:
 a multi-jointed robot;   a syringe actuator configured to pull and push a plunger of a syringe having a needle; and   a controller configured to control the multi-jointed robot to handle a vessel storing a liquid and the syringe, and to control the syringe actuator,   wherein the controller comprising
 a first control module configured to control the multi-jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of the vessel, 
 a second control module configured to control the syringe actuator such that a liquid in the vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger after the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot, and 
 a third control module configured to control the multi-jointed robot such that the needle is inclined with respect to the cap of the vessel by changing an orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe after the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot. 
   
     
     
         2 . The robot system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a tip portion of the needle has a tilted surface that is inclined with respect to an extending direction of the needle, and   wherein the third control module causes the tilted surface of the needle to approach a wall surface of the vessel while facing the wall surface of the vessel when operating the multi-jointed robot to change the orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe.   
     
     
         3 . The robot system according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 an imaging apparatus configured to take an image of an orientation the tilted surface of the needle,   wherein the controller further comprising a fourth control module configured to control the imaging apparatus to take an image of the orientation of the tilted surface of the needle before the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot,   the third control module causes the tilted surface of the needle to approach the wall surface of the vessel while facing the wall surface of the vessel based on an image taken by the control of the fourth control module on the imaging apparatus when operating the multi-jointed robot to change the orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe.   
     
     
         4 . The robot system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the multi-jointed robot includes two multi-jointed arms,   wherein the third control module controls the multi-jointed robot to cause one of the multi-jointed arms to change the orientation of the vessel, and controls the multi-jointed robot to cause the other one of the multi-jointed arms to change the orientation of the syringe.   
     
     
         5 . The robot system according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the multi-jointed robot includes two multi-jointed arms,   wherein the third control module controls the multi-jointed robot to cause one of the multi-jointed arms to change the orientation of the vessel, and controls the multi-jointed robot to cause the other one of the multi-jointed arms to change the orientation of the syringe.   
     
     
         6 . The robot system according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the multi-jointed robot includes two multi-jointed arms,   wherein the third control module controls the multi-jointed robot to cause one of the multi-jointed arms to change the orientation of the vessel, and controls the multi-jointed robot to cause the other one of the multi-jointed arms to change the orientation of the syringe.   
     
     
         7 . The robot system according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the controller controls the multi-jointed robot such that one of the multi-jointed arms serves as the syringe actuator.   
     
     
         8 . The robot system according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the controller controls the multi-jointed robot such that one of the multi-jointed arms serves as the syringe actuator.   
     
     
         9 . The robot system according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the controller controls the multi-jointed robot such that one of the multi-jointed arms serves as the syringe actuator.   
     
     
         10 . A liquid transfer controller which controls a multi-jointed robot and a syringe actuator configured to pull and push a plunger of a syringe having a needle, comprising:
 a first control module configured to control the multi-jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of a vessel storing a liquid;   a second control module configured to operate the syringe actuator such that the liquid in the vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger after the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot; and   a third control module configured to operate the multi-jointed robot such that the needle is inclined with respect to the cap of the vessel by changing an orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe after the first control module controls the multi-jointed robot.   
     
     
         11 . The liquid transfer controller according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein a tip portion of the needle has a tilted surface that is inclined with respect to an extending direction of the needle, and   wherein the third control module causes the tilted surface of the needle to approach a wall surface of the vessel while facing the wall surface of the vessel when operating the multi-jointed robot to change the orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe.   
     
     
         12 . The liquid transfer controller according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a fourth control module configured to operate the imaging apparatus to take an image of the orientation of the tilted surface of the needle,   wherein the third control module causes the tilted surface of the needle to approach the wall surface of the vessel while facing the wall surface of the vessel based on an image taken by the control of the fourth control module on the imaging apparatus when operating the multi-jointed robot to change the orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe.   
     
     
         13 . A liquid transfer control method which controls a multi-jointed robot and a syringe actuator configured to pull and push a plunger of a syringe having a needle, comprising:
 (A) controlling the multi-jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of a vessel storing a liquid;   after the control described in A, (B) controlling the syringe actuator such that the liquid in the vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger; and   after the control described in A, (C) controlling the multi-jointed robot such that the needle is inclined with respect to the cap of the vessel by changing an orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe.   
     
     
         14 . The liquid transfer control method according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein a tip portion of the needle has a tilted surface that is inclined with respect to an extending direction of the needle, and   wherein in the control described in C, the tilted surface of the needle approaches a wall surface of the vessel while facing the wall surface of the vessel when the multi-jointed robot is operated to change the orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe.   
     
     
         15 . The liquid transfer control method according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 before the control described in A, (D) controlling the imaging apparatus to take an image of the orientation of the tilted surface of the needle,   wherein in the control described in C, the tilted surface of the needle approaches the wall surface of the vessel while facing the wall surface of the vessel based on an image taken by the control of the imaging apparatus in the control described in D when the multi-jointed robot is operated to change the orientation of at least one of the vessel and the syringe.   
     
     
         16 . A medicine manufacturing method which controls a multi-jointed robot and a syringe actuator configured to pull and push a plunger of a syringe having a needle, comprising:
 (A) controlling the multi-jointed robot such that the needle of the syringe punctures a cap of a first vessel storing a first raw liquid of the medicine;   after the control described in A, (B) controlling the syringe actuator such that a liquid in the first vessel is absorbed through the needle by pulling the plunger;   after the control described in A, (C) controlling the multi-jointed robot such that the needle is inclined with respect to the cap of the first vessel by changing an orientation of at least one of the first vessel and the syringe; and   after the control described in B and C, (D) controlling the multi-jointed robot such that the needle is removed from the first vessel and the needle punctures the second vessel to inject the first raw liquid in the syringe into a second vessel storing a second raw liquid of the medicine.