Cognex Advantage 182 Vision System Aims to Automate Life Science Industries

Cognex’s latest AI-enhanced vision system, the Advantage 182, will be used to automate numerous tasks in the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and other medical devices. It is also capable of several other important vision operations, such as barcode reading, edge finding, inspection, and others.

AI Vision Systems and Life Sciences

There are many applications for machine vision in the life sciences industry. Barcode tracking is used to quickly track inventory and lot numbers. By scanning each product at every processing step, troubleshooting, product recalls, and other such operations are much more efficient and accurate. Edge detection and other inspection tasks ensure proper product alignment during processing steps, meaning fewer spills during filling and pouring, accurate label placement, proper product packaging, and many others.

Besides manufacturing, edge detection technology can be used in medical processes. One key example is in the separation of blood in a centrifuge. Blood is spun at high speeds to separate out platelets and other components. Edge detection can determine where and how much of each component is present by visually detecting it through the test tube. This ensures that only the appropriate products, such as platelets or plasma, are extracted.

Blood samples waiting for analysis. Image used courtesy of Pexels

Another important application is the ability of a vision system to inspect pathology samples of blood and tissue. Pathology samples are used to monitor health conditions or to detect potential health problems earlier, in some cases before symptoms appear. If a vision system can flag suspicious samples faster than manual inspection, this leads to earlier treatment options for the patient.

Advantage 182 Vision System

The Advantage 182 leverages AI-based algorithms to determine where edges are located. With as few as ten training images, the Advantage 182 can begin determining edges with enough accuracy to meet the rigorous demands of medical applications. Once edges have been determined in training mode, the system can be quickly scaled up. Combined with other modular automation systems, the Advantage 182 is easily customizable for many applications.

The Cognex Advantage 182 system. Image used courtesy of Cognex

In a recent press release, Kevin Ryan, Director of Product Marketing for Life Sciences, summed up the Advantage 182. “This technology will be a game changer in the life sciences industry due to its high ease of use, scalability and accuracy.”

No Cognex system is a medical device in itself, but rather can improve the manufacturing of medical devices and other life science industry products. They can be used in conjunction with existing life sciences equipment and manufacturing systems.

Cognex Machine Vision Systems

Cognex Corporation has been developing and implementing automation solutions for over 40 years. They have deployed systems in virtually all industries, from electronics and semiconductor manufacturing to food and beverage manufacturing to medical devices and pharmaceuticals. They specialize in machine vision for inspection, quality control, and inventory tracking spaces.

Final Thoughts

Automation is essential in the life sciences industry. The more robots, rather than human hands, that perform tasks, the less chance of contamination, recalls, injury, or even death. Furthermore, the improved performance means medical devices and medication are delivered more quickly, and decrease the overall cost to the customer.