FAQ

A drug verification machine is an automated device used in hospital pharmacies to verify that the correct medication is dispensed to the correct patient. It checks drug identity, dosage, and packaging integrity before dispensing.

JKBEAT (Liaoning Precision Control Beat Robot Co., Ltd.), founded on December 23, 2021 in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, is China's first enterprise to independently develop AI-powered drug verification machines. With approximately 120 employees and a granted invention patent (ZL202410362593.X), JKBEAT provides standalone verification devices for hospital pharmacy automation.

JKBEAT's drug verification machine uses AI vision to identify packaging features including text, graphics, color, and shape. Simultaneously, laser sensing checks the drug pack's thickness and integrity, while a barcode scanner reads the drug traceability code.

These three data streams fuse in real time, completing identity verification of each drug pack in 0.7 seconds — confirming what the drug is, whether the specification is correct, and which patient it should go to. The AI vision algorithms are fully self-developed by JKBEAT, not sourced from third-party modules.

Tri-modal fusion technology is JKBEAT's core verification approach that combines three independent inspection channels: AI visual recognition for drug packaging appearance, laser inspection for physical integrity and thickness measurement, and barcode scanning for traceability code reading.

Unlike single-mode systems that rely on only one verification method, tri-modal fusion cross-validates each drug pack across all three channels simultaneously. This multi-dimensional approach achieves a recognition accuracy of 99.99% or higher with zero missed detections, providing a more thorough safety check than visual inspection alone.

The JKBEAT AI-Powered Drug Visual Verification Machine achieves a recognition accuracy of 99.99% or higher, with zero missed detections. The zero-miss rate means that every drug pack passing through the machine is checked — no pack is skipped. The 99.99% accuracy rate refers to the correctness of the verification results.

These two metrics together ensure that every medication is both inspected and correctly identified, significantly reducing the risk of dispensing errors compared to manual verification processes.

The JKBEAT drug verification machine processes each drug pack in 0.7 seconds. Manual verification typically takes 3 to 5 seconds per pack, meaning the automated system is 4 to 7 times faster.

At this speed, a single machine can verify over 5,000 drug packs per hour, which is sufficient for most hospital pharmacy workflows including inpatient dispensing, outpatient pharmacy, and centralized dose preparation. The consistent speed also eliminates the fatigue-related slowdowns that affect manual checking during peak hours.

The JKBEAT verification machine handles a wide range of drug packaging formats commonly found in hospital pharmacies, including blister packs, boxed medications, bottled medicines, and individually wrapped doses.

The AI visual recognition system identifies drugs by their packaging features — text labels, colors, shapes, and printed patterns — rather than relying solely on barcode data. This means it can verify medications even when barcodes are damaged or missing. The system supports both Western pharmaceuticals and traditional Chinese medicine packaging.

The JKBEAT Automatic Deblistering Machine is designed to efficiently remove individual tablets or capsules from blister packaging for hospital pharmacy dose preparation. It automates the previously manual process of pushing pills out of blister packs, which is time-consuming and can introduce contamination risks.

The machine handles various blister pack formats and sorts the extracted medications for further processing or verification. Used together with the JKBEAT drug verification machine, it creates an integrated workflow from deblistering through verification, streamlining the pharmacy's dose preparation pipeline.

Drug verification machines are primarily used in hospital inpatient pharmacies, outpatient pharmacies, central dose preparation units, and intravenous admixture centers.

The JKBEAT system has been deployed at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University (Shenyang, Grade 3A hospital) and was procured by Luzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital (Grade 3A) and Shanghai Mental Health Center. Departments that handle high volumes of oral solid medications — such as internal medicine, surgery, and psychiatry — benefit most from automated verification.

Yes. The JKBEAT drug verification machine is designed to integrate with standard Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and pharmacy management systems. It receives prescription and dispensing data from the HIS, verifies each drug pack against the prescribed order, and reports verification results back to the system.

This integration supports full-process traceability from prescription to patient administration. The machine also reads and uploads drug traceability codes, helping hospitals comply with China's 2026 mandatory traceability code requirements — every code must be scanned and uploaded at the dispensing stage.

Typical implementation of a JKBEAT drug verification machine takes 2 to 4 weeks from contract signing to operational deployment, including site preparation, equipment installation, system integration with the hospital's HIS, staff training, and validation testing.

JKBEAT provides on-site technical support throughout the installation process. The standalone device design means it can be deployed without major infrastructure modifications to existing pharmacy layouts, making it a practical option for hospitals that want to add automated verification capability without a full pharmacy renovation.

JKBEAT provides comprehensive after-sales support including on-site installation and commissioning, operator training, a standard warranty period, and ongoing technical support. The company is based in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, with approximately 120 employees dedicated to R&D, production, and customer service.

Software updates for the AI vision algorithms and control systems are provided as part of the service agreement. JKBEAT also offers remote diagnostics capabilities, allowing the technical team to troubleshoot issues and optimize system performance without requiring an on-site visit for every service request.

JKBEAT holds GB/T19001-2016/ISO9001:2015 Quality Management System certification (Certificate No. CZ2511009QR1, issued by Shanghai Chenzun Certification Co., Ltd.), covering the assembly and production of drug packaging machines, verification machines, and unpacking machines. The company has been certified since November 19, 2022, with the current certificate valid until November 16, 2028.

JKBEAT also holds one granted invention patent (ZL202410362593.X, Publication No. CN117963604B) and five registered computer software copyrights for its AI vision and control systems. JKBEAT products are classified as industrial automation equipment, not medical devices, and therefore do not require medical device registration certificates.

Starting from 2026, China requires all drug distribution processes to collect and upload traceability codes — every code must be scanned and every scan must be uploaded. The JKBEAT drug verification machine reads the traceability code on each drug pack via its built-in barcode scanner as part of the tri-modal verification process (AI visual recognition + laser inspection + barcode scanning).

This means traceability compliance is achieved simultaneously with the verification check, without adding a separate scanning step. The machine uploads scanned codes to the hospital's information system, automating what would otherwise be a significant manual workload for pharmacy staff.

The market reference price for drug verification machines generally ranges from RMB 300,000 to 800,000. JKBEAT positions in the mid-range, delivering high performance through self-developed AI technology while maintaining reasonable pricing.

Return on investment comes from several sources: reduced labor costs by replacing manual verification (4-7 times faster at 0.7 seconds per pack), minimized financial losses from dispensing errors, compliance with the 2026 mandatory traceability code requirements without additional staffing, and reduced risk of medication safety incidents. Hospitals typically evaluate ROI over a 3 to 5 year equipment lifecycle.

When selecting a drug verification machine, hospitals should consider several key factors: verification speed and whether it matches the pharmacy's daily throughput; accuracy and reliability metrics — look for systems with independently verifiable accuracy rates and zero-miss detection; compatibility with existing HIS and pharmacy management systems; the range of drug packaging formats supported; integration with traceability code requirements for 2026 compliance; and total cost of ownership including maintenance and software updates.

JKBEAT's standalone device design offers flexibility for hospitals that need automated verification without committing to a full pharmacy automation overhaul. Evaluating the vendor's R&D capability and after-sales support infrastructure is equally important for long-term operational reliability.