BE1028919B1 - GRIP TOOL AND METHOD - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for grasping a rod-shaped object, said device (1) comprising a body (10) extending between a proximal part (101) and a distal part (102) along a longitudinal axis (z), wherein the distal portion (102) includes a cavity (103) leading to an opening configured to receive the rod-like object, said cavity (103) having an internal diameter (di) which is decreasing along the longitudinal axis (z) from the distal part (102) to the proximal part (101) so as to trap the rod-shaped object inside the cavity (103).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the field of gripping objects, and extracting an object from a container. In particular, the present invention relates to the field of methods and devices for gripping elongated objects.

STATE OF THE ART In a clean or aseptic environment, the extraction of an object from a box, such as a tube or a dispenser, is a critical operation. A person carrying out such an operation can use pliers or a forceps to extract the object, to avoid contamination of the object to be extracted, and to avoid being contaminated by said object.

In addition to the risk of contamination, a risk of cross-contamination is also present. Cross-contamination can occur when the object is taken from a box containing other objects. For example, the object to be extracted can be a tool such as a toothpick, chopstick, stirrer, stiff straw, etc. Many restaurants and hotels make these objects available to their customers, in unclosed boxes. Since these tools are introduced into the oral cavity, a customer who extracts one of them from a box must avoid touching the others, for hygienic reasons.

Cross-contamination can also occur when several objects are extracted one after the other from their respective box. In this case, the clamps or forceps must be disinfected after each extraction. This operation is time-consuming, and it does not completely eliminate the risk of cross-contamination. Disposable plastic tweezers can be used to save time and avoid cross-contamination, but their efficiency and gripping accuracy are inferior to those of metal tweezers. Additionally, disposable tweezers are often larger than metal tweezers, due to the difficulty of obtaining sharp points with plastics, and cannot fit into boxes with a small opening.

Consequently, the operation of extracting an object from a box is not compatible with high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. The Chinese patent application CN106581848 A discloses a device for gripping a swab making it possible to control the holding force of the swab as well as its rotation. International patent application WO2020/159659 A1 discloses an instrument for suction or dispensing liquids comprising devices for gripping suction pipettes.

Chinese utility model CN203764284 U discloses a swab gripping device configured to avoid contact between the reaction tube and the swab. However, none of these documents discloses a gripping device to meet high hygiene and cleanliness standards and to avoid any contamination between the user and the swab.

European patent EP2742885 B1 discloses a minimally invasive bone screwing system comprising a gripping device coupled to the screw.

US patent application US2017/0231603 A1 discloses a device comprising a dye and configured to be locked onto a reaction tube containing a swab in order to dispense the dye into the tube.

However, in these two documents, the object to be held (screw or swab) is handled directly by the person using the device. Indeed, in European patent EP2742885 B1, the operator must first couple the screw to the gripping device by holding these two elements, for example in his hands. In US patent application US2017/0231603 A1, the user uses the swab by holding it directly in his hand before placing it in the tube. Thus, the use of the devices of these two documents can lead to contamination.

SUMMARY The object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method for extracting an object, more particularly a rod-shaped object, from a box without contaminating the object itself or another adjacent object.

An object of the present invention is also to provide a device and a method for effective and rapid gripping of rod-shaped objects. The present invention therefore relates to a device for gripping a rod-shaped object, the device comprising a body extending between a proximal part and a distal part along a longitudinal axis, in which the distal part comprises a cavity leading to an opening configured to receive the rod-shaped object, said cavity having an internal diameter decreasing along the longitudinal axis from the distal part towards the proximal part so as to trap the rod-shaped object therein of the cavity.

The present device makes it possible to effectively grasp a rod-shaped object, or an object comprising at least one rod-shaped part.

Furthermore, the present device makes it possible to extract an object in the form of a rod from a container, without touching an interior surface and/or the bottom of said container. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for extracting a rod-shaped object from a container in a clean or sterile environment.

In one embodiment, the distal portion includes a slot terminating at the opening.

Advantageously, the slot makes it possible to increase the elasticity of the device. In addition, it improves gripping efficiency.

Indeed, when a rod-shaped object advances into the cavity, the two sides of said slot are moved apart, which deforms the distal part. The tendency of the distal portion to return to its original shape results in compression of the rod-like object. Gripping efficiency is thus increased.

In one embodiment, the slit is an elongated slit extending the full length of the distal portion.

For example, the slit may extend to a proximal end of the distal portion.

In this case, the proximal part does not include the slot.

Alternatively, the slit may extend beyond the proximal end of the distal portion.

In this case, part of the slot is in the proximal part of the device.

Advantageously, this embodiment makes it possible to significantly increase the elasticity of the device because the entire distal portion can be deformed.

However, in another embodiment, the slit does not extend the full length of the distal portion.

In this case, a smaller deformation of the distal part is allowed.

Therefore, the elasticity of the device is increased to a lesser extent.

In one embodiment, the internal diameter is between 0.1 mm and 17 mm.

This internal diameter makes it possible to grip a large number of rod-shaped objects, such as pipettes, chopsticks, straws, swabs, toothpicks and others.

For example, pipettes typically range in diameter from 5mm (5ml pipettes) to 9mm (10ml pipettes). Straws generally have a diameter between 7 mm (fine straws) and 14 mm (boba straws). However, in another embodiment, the internal diameter at the opening is greater than 17 mm, so that larger objects can be gripped.

In one embodiment, the distal portion has an outer diameter between 0.6mm and 22mm.

This outer diameter is particularly suitable for gripping a rod-shaped object inside a container, without risk of contamination.

For example, in a laboratory setting, disposable plastic pipettes are sometimes sterilized in metal canisters, then placed under a cell culture hood and stored there. When a user needs a pipette (for example, to aspirate medium from a vial), they can grasp a pipette from the canister with their gloved hands or using tweezers. During this operation, the gripped pipette, the other pipettes in the box, or the box itself may be contaminated.

Advantageously, the present device makes it possible to extract an object in the form of a rod from a container (such as the pipette mentioned above), while avoiding the risk of contamination.

In one embodiment, the distal portion is a hollow cone, a hollow frustum, or a hollow cylinder.

Advantageously, this outside diameter makes it possible to grasp a rod-shaped object inside a container, such as a laboratory tube.

In one embodiment, the body is a composite solid.

For example, the distal part can be a hollow truncated cone and the proximal part can be a cylinder.

Each of said proximal and distal portions may in turn be a composite solid.

For example, the distal part can comprise several hollow solids with communicating lumens; and the proximal portion may include a cylinder and a prism.

In one embodiment, the device further includes a head fixedly coupled to the body at the proximal portion.

In this case, the device is preferably configured to be held by the head. For example, a user can hold the device by wrapping their fingers around the handle.

Preferably, the hand has an ergonomic shape.

The present invention also relates to a kit for gripping a swab in a tube, the kit comprising: - a device according to any one of the embodiments described above;

- a swab; - a tube, configured to contain the swab; - a tube cap, configured to cover the tube in a sealed manner. This kit allows the swab to be kept in clean or sterile conditions inside the tube.

The present invention also relates to an apparatus for gripping at least one swab in a set of tubes, the apparatus comprising a plate comprising an array of n x m devices according to any one of the embodiments described above, said plate being configured to be raised and lowered in a vertical direction between a low position and a high position, the vertical direction being parallel to the longitudinal axis of each device of the matrix.

The plate comprising the n x m devices can be automatically or manually raised and lowered in a vertical direction, between a low position and a high position.

The device makes it possible to quickly and automatically enter swabs into the corresponding tubes. The device is particularly suitable for extracting swabs in a research laboratory because it is compatible with hygiene standards and because automated extractions help reduce inter-user variability that can affect experimental results.

In addition, the size of the array can be chosen according to the needs of the laboratory. A large matrix allows the extraction of a large number of swabs. Therefore, the device is also suitable for a laboratory environment in which a large number of samples are analyzed, such as a sample testing platform of a research institute, a hospital laboratory, a laboratory pathology, and others.

In one embodiment, the apparatus further includes a slot configured to receive the tube assembly, the slot having a position along the vertical direction less than or equal to the bottom position of the plate.

For example, the slot may include several wells into which the tubes can be inserted.

In one embodiment, the slot of the apparatus is configured to receive a set of tubes consisting of an array of n x m tubes, such that when said set is inside the slot, each tube is aligned, along from the vertical direction, with a corresponding plate device.

In this embodiment, it is not necessary to insert each tube individually because the slot is configured to receive a set of tubes, such as a tube rack.

As several tubes can be inserted simultaneously into the slot, it is possible to start the swab gripping operation (i.e. the descent and the ascent of the plate) more quickly.

The present invention also relates to a method for gripping an object in the form of a rod using a device according to any one of the embodiments described above, the method comprising: - the insertion of the device on the object in the form of via the opening of the distal part, so that at least a part of the rod-shaped object is included in the cavity, Until the rod-shaped object is trapped at the interior of the cavity.

This method makes it possible to effectively grasp a rod-shaped object, or an object comprising at least one rod-shaped part.

In one embodiment, the rod-shaped object is a toothpick, swab, chopstick, straw, etc.

Many restaurants and hotels make these objects available to their customers, in boxes without lids. As these tools are introduced into the oral cavity, a client extracting one of them from a box should avoid touching the others, for hygienic reasons. In this context, the present method allows customers to extract one of these objects from a box, without touching the remaining objects.

In one embodiment, the rod-shaped object is a swab inside a tube. This embodiment makes it possible to withdraw a swab from a tube while avoiding any risk of contamination.

In addition, it is possible to withdraw the swab without touching any medium that may be present in the tube. This is particularly advantageous in a laboratory setting where the swab transport medium needs to be analyzed. Indeed, after removal of the swab, the medium can be stored and/or analyzed directly in the tube, thus avoiding the loss of samples due to pipetting.

DEFINITIONS In the present invention, the following terms have the following meanings: - "internal diameter" designates the internal diameter of a hollow cross-section, such as the internal diameter of a ring. If the hollow cross-section is non-circular, the internal diameter means the diameter of a circle inscribed in the hollow part of the cross-section. - "outer diameter" means the outer diameter of a hollow cross-section or the diameter of a solid cross-section. If the cross-section is not circular, the outer diameter means the diameter of a circle circumscribing the cross-section.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The following detailed description will be better understood if read in conjunction with the drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the device, the latter is shown in the preferred embodiments. However, the application is not limited to the precise arrangements, structures, characteristics, embodiments and aspects represented. The drawings are not to scale and are not intended to limit the scope of the claims to

) BE2021/5321 embodiments shown. Consequently, when features mentioned in the appended claims are followed by reference signs, these signs are included solely for the purpose of improving the intelligibility of the claims and in no way limit the scope of the claims.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description, this description being given only by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings in which: - figure 1 is a perspective view of the device 1 according to the invention; - Figure 2A is a front view of a tube 20 containing a swab 21, and a device 1 according to one embodiment; - Figure 2B and Figure 2C respectively illustrate the device 1 of Figure 2A after introduction and removal of the tube 20; - Figure 3A is a sectional view resulting from the cutting of the device 1 of Figure 1 along a plane P, and Figure 3B is a view of the device 1 on said plane P; - Figure 4A is a front view of the device 1 according to one embodiment; - Figure 4B is a top view of the device 1 of Figure 4A; - Figure 5 is a view on the section plane P of a distal part 102 of the device 1 according to one embodiment; - Figure 6A is a perspective view of a kit 2 according to the invention; - Figure 6B is a sectional view resulting from the cutting of the kit 2 of Figure 6A along a plane P, and Figure 6C is a view of the kit 2 on said plane P; - Figure 7 is a schematic view of an apparatus 3 according to the invention. Although various embodiments have been described and illustrated, the detailed description should not be construed as being limited to these embodiments. Various modifications may be made to the embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a device 1 for gripping a rod-shaped object.

In the following detailed description, the term "proximal" refers to an element, or the end of an element, which is closer to the opening, while the term "distal" refers to an element, or an end of element, which is farther from the opening.

Device 1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of device 1 of the invention. The device 1 comprises a body 10 extending between a proximal part 101 and a distal part 102 along a longitudinal axis z. The distal part 102 comprises a cavity 103 leading to an opening configured to receive the rod-shaped object.

The present device 1 makes it possible to grasp rod-shaped objects of any length. In addition, it can grasp objects having a complex shape which includes at least a rod-shaped part.

Preferably, the device 1 is disposable. By "disposable", it is meant that the device 1 is configured to be thrown away after a single use.

Advantageously, a disposable device 1 makes it possible to reduce the risks of contamination when the device 1 is used to grasp potentially contaminated objects.

For example, the disposable device 1 can be a sterile device 1, or be configured to be sterilized.

Device 1 can be made of a hard material, such as hard rubber or hard plastic.

Alternatively, the device can be made of a flexible or semi-rigid material.

In one embodiment, the device 1 is made of plastic materials such as for example: polylactic acid, ABS filament, ASA, glycolized polyester, High

Performance Polymers, Nylon, Polycarbonate, Polyethylene Terephthalate, Polypropylene, Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE), Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU). Preferably, the device 1 is made from recycled plastics. Device 1 can weigh less than 20 grams, preferably less than 10 grams, more preferably less than 5 grams. A disposable device 1 having a low weight and/or being made of recycled plastic makes it possible to reduce the risk of contamination while reducing the plastic footprint. Device 1 can be manufactured by 3D printing. As a variant, the device 1 can be manufactured by molding.

The body 10 of the device 1 As illustrated in FIG. 1, the body 10 of the device 1 of the invention extends along the longitudinal axis z and has a length L.

The length L is preferably between 20 mm and 200 mm. In one embodiment, the length L of the body 10 is between 30 mm and 100 mm. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for picking up a swab 21 in a tube 20 (as shown in Figures 2A-2C), such as an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swab 21 in a tube 20 containing transport medium, by the handle of the swab 21, without touching the head of the swab 21 and/or any liquid present in the tube 20 with the device 1.

Figures 2A-2C illustrate the device 1 of the invention in operation. More precisely, FIG. 2A is a front view of a transparent tube 20 containing a swab 21, and of a device 1 of the invention external to said tube 20. FIG. 2B illustrates the device 1 after introduction into the tube 20 , so as to grasp the swab 21. FIG. 2C illustrates the device 1 after having been extracted from the tube 20, the swab 21 being trapped inside the cavity 103 of the distal part 102.

Advantageously, the present device 1 makes it possible to grasp a rod-shaped object having a length substantially greater than the length L of the body 10. In this case, only part of the rod-shaped object is included in the cavity 103. Thus, this embodiment makes it possible to easily extract the object seized from the device 1 if necessary. The proximal part 101 Preferably, the proximal part 101 of the body 10 of the device 1 can have the shape of an elongated solid, such as a cylinder or a prism. Said proximal part 101 is configured to be held by a user's hand or by robotic fingers.

For example, the user can hold the proximal part 101 with his fingers while inserting the device 1 on the rod-shaped object to be grasped. In this case, the proximal part 101 can have a rough outer surface, so as to facilitate the grip and/or it can comprise a handle.

The proximal part 101 can have a constant diameter d. For example, the proximal part 101 can be a cylinder or a prism.

In the device illustrated in Figure 1, the proximal portion 101 is a cylinder. In this case, the proximal portion 101 has a diameter d which is constant.

As a variant, the proximal part 101 can have a diameter d which varies according to the longitudinal direction z.

Preferably, the proximal part 101 has a diameter d of less than 10 mm, more preferably less than 8 mm.

The distal portion 102 The distal portion 102 can be any hollow solid, such as a hollow cone, a hollow prism, a hollow cylinder, etc.

The distal part 102 can have a different shape from that of the proximal part 101.

For example, in the embodiment of Figure 1, the distal portion 102 is a hollow truncated cone. Consequently, the body 10 of the device 1 has a funnel shape.

Alternatively, the proximal part 101 and the distal part 102 can have similar shapes. For example, proximal portion 101 may be a solid cylinder, and distal portion 102 may be a hollow cylinder.

In an alternate embodiment, the distal portion 102 is a composite solid comprising two or more hollow solids disposed adjacent to each other in the longitudinal z direction.

The distal part 102 and the proximal part 101 can have the same length or a different length.

For example, the device of Figure 1 has a distal part 102 having a length L2 different from the length L1 of the proximal part 101.

The Cavity 103 As mentioned above, the distal portion 102 includes a cavity 103 leading to an opening configured to receive the rod-shaped object.

Said cavity 103 is better shown in Figure 3. More specifically, Figure 3A is a sectional view resulting from the cutting of the device 1 along a plane P including the longitudinal axis z, and Figure 3B is a view of the device 1 on said plane P.

Preferably, the cavity 103 has a cross section with rotational symmetry, such as a circle or a hollow regular polygon. For example, the cavity 103 illustrated in Figure 3 is conical, so it has a circular cross section.

Alternatively, the cavity 103 has a cross section that is not symmetrical.

As mentioned above, the distal portion 102 can be a composite solid comprising two or more hollow solids. In this case, each hollow solid has a lumen that communicates with the lumen of an adjacent hollow solid, and the lumens together form the cavity 103. In this example, the cross section of the cavity 103 has a shape that varies over the longitudinal axis z.

In the device 1 illustrated in Figure 3, the proximal portion 101 also includes a blind cavity which is in communication with the cavity 103 of the distal portion 102. Alternatively, the proximal portion 101 may be solid, and it does not include cavity 103. The internal diameter di The cavity 103 has an internal diameter di which decreases along the longitudinal axis z from the opening of the distal part 102 towards the proximal body 102. Thanks to this decreasing internal diameter di, the device 1 of the invention makes it possible to trap the rod-shaped object inside the cavity 103. Indeed, the rod-shaped object advances into the cavity 103 through the opening, until reach an endpoint.

In FIG. 3, the direction of advancement of the rod-shaped object is represented by the white arrow.

By "end of travel" is meant a position, along the longitudinal axis z, in which the internal diameter di is equal to a diameter of the rod-shaped object.

By "diameter of the rod-shaped object" is meant the largest dimension of this object in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

Therefore, the end position will be closer to the opening for a rod-shaped object having a small diameter, compared to a rod-shaped object having a large diameter.

In the device illustrated in FIG. 3, the internal diameter di decreases linearly on the longitudinal axis z.

Alternatively, the internal diameter di may decrease non-linearly along the longitudinal axis z. In this case, the cavity 103 can have the shape of a paraboloid, a hyperboloid, an ellipsoid, etc.

Advantageously, it is possible to provide a linearly decreasing internal diameter di or a non-linearly decreasing internal diameter di as a function of a desired length L2 of the distal part 102. For example, for a given opening, a hyperboloid cavity 103 can be selected to minimize the length L2 of the distal portion 102, while a conical or paraboloid cavity 103 can be selected in order to maximize said length L2.

In the device 1 of Figure 1, the internal diameter di has a central point located on the longitudinal axis z. In other words, in this embodiment, the cavity 103 has an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis z (or is centered on the longitudinal axis).

In an alternative embodiment, the axis of the cavity 103 is not parallel to the longitudinal axis z. For example, the cavity 103 can have the shape of an oblique cone.

In this case, the cavity 103 has a steeper side and a less steep side. Advantageously, this embodiment makes it possible to obtain a larger opening in a localized manner (that is to say on the less steep side), without the need to enlarge the entire distal part 102.

Furthermore, this makes it possible to obtain a cavity 103 which is suitable for receiving objects of complex shape.

Preferably, the internal diameter di is between 0.1 mm and 17 mm. This internal diameter di makes it possible to grasp a large number of rod-shaped objects.

In one embodiment, the internal diameter is less than 16 mm. This internal diameter di is particularly suitable for gripping small objects, such as chopsticks or straws.

In another embodiment, the internal diameter is less than 13 mm.

This internal diameter di is particularly suitable for gripping rod-shaped objects, such as swabs or toothpicks.

The outer diameter of the distal portion 102 also has an outer diameter of.

The outer diameter of may decrease along the longitudinal axis z.

For example, in the device 1 shown in Figure 3, the outer diameter de and the inner diameter di gradually decrease along the longitudinal axis z.

Preferably, the outer diameter of is between 0.6 mm and 22 mm.

Such an external diameter of advantageously makes it possible to grasp a rod-shaped object inside a container.

In a particular embodiment, the outer diameter of is less than 16 mm.

This outer diameter of advantageously makes it possible to grasp a rod-shaped object inside a small container, such as for example a specimen collection tube or flask.

In another embodiment, the outer diameter of is less than 13 mm.

This outer diameter of is particularly suitable for gripping ends such as the broken end of the stem of a breakable swab 21 in a tube 20. Advantageously, gripping the broken end of a swab 21 in a tube 20 with the present device 1 makes it possible to avoid the use of forceps or fingers to carry out this use, thus reducing the risk of contamination of the swab 21 during gripping.

In fact, when a swab 21 is extracted from a test tube 20 using forceps, it is necessary to disinfect the forceps before and after use to avoid a risk of contamination (from the person to a swab 3) or cross-contamination (from one swab 21 to another swab 3). As the tweezers are used repeatedly, the risk of cross-contamination is high, which can occur for example if disinfection is not carried out correctly. In addition, this operation is time-consuming and expensive, especially if it has to be repeated at a high frequency, for example in a medical laboratory performing testing services. The Thickness As mentioned above, in a particular embodiment the external diameter de and the internal diameter di decrease along the longitudinal axis z. In this case, the distal part 102 has a thickness which is constant along said longitudinal axis. By "thickness" of the distal part 102 is meant the half-difference between the external diameter de and the internal diameter di. However, in a variant, the outer diameter of is constant and only the inner diameter decreases along the longitudinal axis from the distal part 102 towards the proximal part 101. In this case, the thickness of the distal part 102 increases the along the longitudinal axis z, from the opening towards the proximal part 101.

Preferably, the thickness of the distal part 102 is between 0.5 mm and 5 mm. More preferably, the thickness of the distal portion 102 is less than 3mm. In a particular embodiment, the thickness of the distal part 102 is less than 2.5 mm. This embodiment is particularly advantageous for gripping and extracting a swab from a tube. Indeed, nasopharyngeal swabs, gynecological swabs or sampling swabs generally have a rod having a diameter equal to 2 mm, 2.2 mm or 2.5 mm and a length between 10 mm and 250 mm. The fact that the thickness of the distal part 102 is less than the diameter of the rod of the swab 21 makes it possible to carry out effective gripping of the swab 21 while avoiding damage to its rod.

In addition, a small thickness makes it possible to carry out a much more precise gripping operation compared to gripping with the fingers.

The slot 104 Advantageously, the distal portion 102 comprises a slot 104 ending at the level of the opening, which makes it possible to improve gripping efficiency.

Figure 4A is a front view showing a device 1 of the invention in which the slot 104 is an elongated slot 104 parallel to the longitudinal axis z. Slot 104 is best shown in Figure 4B, which is a top view of device 1 of Figure 4A.

In this example, slot 104 extends through distal portion 102 and part of proximal portion 101.

However, in a variant, the slot 104 is entirely included in the distal part 102.

In the example of Figure 4, the slot 104 is a rectangular slot delimited by two parallel sides 102a, 102b of the distal part 102.

Alternatively, slot 104 may have a triangular or trapezoidal shape. In this case, the two sides 102a, 102b of the distal part 102 are not parallel.

As mentioned above, the slot 104 improves gripping efficiency. More precisely, the slot 104 makes it possible to increase the elasticity of the device 1.

Indeed, when a rod-shaped object is trapped in the cavity 103, that is to say that it has reached the end of its travel, the presence of the slot 104 makes it possible to separate the two sides 102a, 102b of the distal part 102, thus allowing further advancement of the object.

Thus, the rod-shaped object can advance inside the cavity 103 to a second position, which is farther from the opening with respect to the end-of-travel position previously described. In the absence of the slot 104, the rod-shaped object could not advance past the end position.

In said second position, the tendency of the distal part 102 to return to its initial size (that is to say the coming together of the two sides 102a, 102b) causes a compression of the rod-shaped object. As a result, gripping the object is more efficient.

The groove 105 Advantageously, the distal part 102 can also comprise at least one groove 105 which projects towards the cavity 103 in a radial direction, that is to say towards the longitudinal axis z.

FIG. 5 is a view of the device 1 on the section plane P, showing a distal portion 102 comprising an example of a groove 105.

The ridge 105 preferably has a thickness in the radial direction which is significantly less than the internal diameter di.

For example, the thickness of the groove 105 can be between 0.1% and 20% of the internal diameter di. The small thickness of the groove 105 also makes it possible to reduce the torque applied to the groove 105 by the rod-shaped object during its advance into the cavity 103, which makes it possible to obtain better mechanical strength. The low thickness of the ridge 105 also facilitates the manufacturing steps such as: 3D printing, demoulding.

For example, the ridge 105 can have an annular shape.

In the example of Figure 5, the ridge 105 has an annular shape, and it extends along a direction which forms an angle of 90° with the longitudinal axis z. Therefore, the ridge 105 is circular.

In another embodiment, the annular ridge 105 may extend along a direction that forms an angle between 45° and 90° with respect to the longitudinal axis z.

In this case, the stripe 105 is elliptical.

Advantageously, an annular groove 105 guarantees that the rod-shaped object is entirely surrounded by said groove 105, when it is in the cavity 103.

As a variant, the ridge 105 can have the shape of an arc of a circle, for example it can be semi-circular or quarter-circular.

In one embodiment, distal portion 102 includes a plurality of ridges 105. For example, it may include a plurality of ridges 105 separated by a predetermined distance along the longitudinal z axis.

Each ridge 105 of the plurality may extend along a direction that is not parallel to the longitudinal axis z.

The ridges 105 of the plurality may be coaxial.

For example, they can form a succession of circumferences having their centers located on the longitudinal axis z and separated by a distance along said longitudinal axis z.

Alternatively, the ridges 105 of the plurality may be longitudinal ridges 105. Advantageously, having a plurality of ridges 105 ensures that more than one ridge 105 is in contact with the rod-shaped object when said object is inside the cavity 103. Indeed, in this case, the object is in contact with at least a first ridge 105 closer to the opening and a second ridge 105 closer to the proximal part 101 The contact of a rod-shaped object with at least two ridges 105 further increases the effectiveness of gripping, because: - the first ridge 105 is configured to prevent retraction of the gripped object; - The second ridge 105 is configured to obstruct further advancement of the seized object.

In a particular embodiment, the distal portion 102 comprises a helical internal thread, having a plurality of thread crests which project towards the cavity 103, and a plurality of thread roots which form a helical groove.

In this case, the plurality of ridges 105 is formed by the crests of the thread. The plurality of ridges 105 are spaced apart along the axis by a distance equal to the pitch of the thread. In one embodiment, the at least one ridge 105 is a helical ridge 105.

As mentioned above, the device can be made of a hard material. In this embodiment, the at least one ridge 105 is not deformed by the insertion of a rod-shaped object.

Alternatively, if the device is made of a flexible or semi-rigid material, the at least one ridge 105 may be slightly deformed by the insertion of a rod-shaped object. The head In one embodiment, the device 1 also comprises a head.

For example, the head can be a disc or a hemisphere.

Preferably, the head of the device is fixedly coupled to body 10 at proximal portion 101. For example, the head may be attached to body 10, or body 10 and head may be formed in one piece.

In this case, the device is preferably configured to be held (for example by a user's hand or by robotic fingers) by the head.

Kit 2 The present invention also relates to a kit 2 for gripping a swab 21 in a tube 20.

The kit comprises a tube 20 fitted with a stopper 22, a device 1 according to any one of the embodiments described above, and a swab 21.

Kit 2 is best illustrated in Figure 6.

More specifically, Figure 6A is a perspective view of a kit 2 according to the invention, Figure 6B is a sectional view resulting from the cutting of the kit 2 of Figure 6A along a vertical plane P, and Figure 6C is a view of kit 2 on said plane P.

In this example, tube 20 has a neck that includes an external thread, and cap 22 of tube 20 is configured to be screwed onto said external thread.

Preferably, tube 20, cap 22, device 1, and swab 21 of the kit are sterile.

Preferably, the cap 22 is configured to cover the tube in a sealed manner.

The tube 20 can comprise a medium, such as for example a saline solution for the transport and/or the pre-analytical control of the samples.

This kit 2 makes it possible to maintain the swab 21 in clean or sterile conditions inside the tube 20. The kit 2 also makes it possible to remove the swab 21 from the tube 20 by means of the device 1, without contaminating the medium present in the tube 20. The device 3 The present invention also relates to a device 3 adapted for the automated gripping of a plurality of rod-shaped objects.

In a particular embodiment, the device 3 comprises a plurality of gripping devices 1 as described above, the devices 1 being arranged in a matrix comprising n rows and m columns and fixed on a plate 30. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of an apparatus 3 according to the invention.

In this example, the matrix comprises 6 columns of devices 1. The plate 30 comprising the n x m grippers 1 can be raised and lowered automatically or manually along a vertical direction, between a low position and a high position.

The vertical direction (indicated by the white arrow in Figure 5) is parallel to the longitudinal axis z. In this figure, the plate 30 is in the high position. As illustrated in Figure 7, a set of tubes 20 (each tube 20 comprising a swab 21 and a volume of transport medium), may be introduced into the apparatus 3 of the present invention.

For example, the apparatus may include a housing 31 configured to receive the tube assembly 20, the housing 31 having a position equal to the position of the plate 30 on a horizontal xy plane, and a position less than or equal to the position bottom of the plate along the vertical direction z.

The housing 31 can be configured to allow the introduction or the retraction of the set of tubes 20 when the plate 30 comprising the gripping devices 1 is in its high position, and to prevent this introduction or this retraction when the plate 30 is in its lower position.

When the plate 30 is moved towards its low position, each device 1 can be introduced and moved longitudinally along a respective tube 20 belonging to the set of tubes 20. Each tube 20 can comprise a swab 21. When the plate 30 is in its low position, each of the swabs 21 possibly present in the tubes 20 of the assembly is gripped by a respective device 1 of the plate

30. Consequently, when the plate 30 is moved again from its low position to its high position, the gripped swabs 21 are simultaneously extracted from their respective tubes 20.

Advantageously, the device 3 makes it possible to quickly and efficiently extract a large number of swabs 21 from their respective tubes 20. In addition, it speeds up the analysis of a large number of samples without the risk of contamination.

Once the swabs 21 have been extracted, the transport medium that may be present in the tubes 20 of the assembly can still be analyzed, or stored, directly in the tubes, without it being necessary to remove it from said tubes 20. Thus, the apparatus 3 advantageously makes it possible to avoid the loss of samples due to pipetting.

In one embodiment, the plate 30 has a length between 100 mm and 150 mm, and a width between 70 and 100 mm.

The plate 30 can comprise a matrix having 8 x 12, 6 x 8, 4 x 6, 3 x 4, or 2 x 3 gripping devices 1.

These configurations advantageously make it possible to grasp and extract rod-shaped objects in 96-well, 48-well, 24-well, 12-well or 6-well plates, respectively.

In the apparatus 3 represented in FIG. 7, the plate 30 and the housing 31 have the same dimension.

In another embodiment, plate 30 and housing 31 have different dimensions.

In one embodiment, the housing 31 has a length between 100 mm and 300 mm, a width between 70 and 200 mm, and a depth between 50 mm and 100 mm.

This embodiment advantageously makes it possible to contain a support for conical tubes.

In one embodiment, the housing 31 has a length between 100 mm and 300 mm, a width between 70 and 200 mm, and a depth between 50 mm and 100 mm.

This embodiment advantageously makes it possible to receive all types of well plates.

The method The present invention also relates to a method for gripping an object in the form of a rod with a device 1 according to any one of the embodiments described above. The method comprises the following steps: - the insertion of the device 1 on the rod-shaped object via the opening of the distal part 102, so that at least a part of the rod-shaped object is included in the cavity 103; - the longitudinal displacement of the device 1 along the rod-shaped object, so that the rod-shaped object advances in the cavity 103, until it is trapped inside said cavity . When a device 1 is inserted on a rod-shaped object according to the method described above, the object advances in the cavity 103 from the opening of the distal part 102 towards the proximal part 101, until the end of race.

By "end of stroke" is meant the position in which neither further advancement nor retraction of the rod-shaped object is possible, due to an advancement/retraction resistance which is due to contact between a portion of the surface delimiting the cavity 103 and the object.

An example of a method for gripping an object in the form of a rod with the device 1 according to the invention is described below.

In a first advancing phase, the device 1 is moved longitudinally along the rod-shaped object, until a first contact occurs between the surface of the cavity 103 and the object. In this phase, there is no resistance to the advancement of the object in the cavity 103 or to the retraction of the object from this cavity 103.

The first contact occurs in a part of the internal surface having a first internal diameter d1.

During this first contact, a resistance to advancement occurs due to the contact between the object and a surface of the cavity 103.

At the end of the first advancement phase, the device 1 is pushed longitudinally along the rod-shaped object so that the latter continues to advance in the cavity 103 in a second advancement phase, that is ie it exceeds the portion of the internal surface having the first internal diameter d1.

In the second advancement phase, other contacts occur between the object and the surface of the cavity 103 which has a progressively decreasing internal diameter di, until it is no longer possible for the object to d advance further into the light.

In this second advancement phase, the sides 102a, 102b of the distal portion 102 which delimits the slot 104 are spaced apart. Thus, in this second advancement phase, the resistance to advancement increases due to the tendency of the distal portion 102 to return to its initial size.

Optionally, during this second advancement phase, the rod-shaped object may encounter one or more ridges 105. In this case, the resistance to advancement is further increased due to the contact between the object and the streaks 105.

Furthermore, during the second phase of advancement, retraction resistance also occurs, the retraction resistance being less than the advancement resistance.

Therefore, at the end of the second phase of advancement, it is no longer possible for the object to continue advancing into the light, but it is still possible to extract the object by pulling it with a force having a direction going from the proximal part 101 towards the distal part 102. This force must be high enough to counteract the resistance to retraction.

As mentioned previously, the device 1 can comprise several grooves 105. In this case, the resistance to retraction develops at the level of the first groove 105, and the second resistance to advancement develops at the level of the second groove 105.

This embodiment ensures that the rod-shaped object is retained by the gripping device.

The rod-shaped object, or the rod-shaped part of an object, can be completely or partially introduced into the lumen.

If part of the object is outside the lumen, the object can be more easily extracted from the gripper.

In one embodiment, the rod-like object is a toothpick, swab, chopstick, straw, etc.

In one embodiment, the rod-shaped object is a swab in a tube.

Preferably, the swab in a tube is a nasopharyngeal swab, divisible or not, in a tube containing a transport medium.

Claims (14)

1. — Device (1) for grasping a rod-shaped object, said device (1) comprising a body (10) extending between a proximal part (101) and a distal part (102) along an axis longitudinal (z), wherein the distal portion (102) comprises a cavity (103) leading to an opening configured to receive the rod-shaped object, said cavity (103) having an internal diameter (di) which decreases along the longitudinal axis (z) from the distal part (102) to the proximal part (101) so as to trap the rod-shaped object inside the cavity (103), characterized in that the device further comprises a head fixedly coupled to the body (10) at the proximal portion (101). 2. - Device (1) according to claim 1, in which the distal part (102) comprises an elongated slot (104) parallel to the longitudinal axis (z) terminating at the opening. 3. Device (1) according to claim 2, wherein the slot (104) is an elongated slot extending along a length (L2) of the distal portion (102). 4. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the internal diameter (di) is between 0.1 mm and 17 mm. 5. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the distal portion (102) has an outer diameter (de) of between 0.6 mm and 22 mm. 6 Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the distal portion (102) is a hollow cone, a hollow truncated or a hollow cylinder. 7. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the body (10) is a composite solid. 8. Kit (2) for gripping a swab (21) in a tube (20), the kit comprising: - a device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7; - a swab (21); - a tube (20), configured to contain the swab (21); - a cap (22), configured to cover the tube (20) in a sealed manner. 9. Device (3) for gripping at least one swab (21) in a set of tubes (20), the device (3) comprising a plate (30) comprising a matrix of n x m devices (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the plate (30) being movable along a vertical direction between a low position and a high position, said vertical direction being parallel to the longitudinal axis (z) of each device (1) of the matrix. 10. The apparatus (3) of claim 9, further comprising a housing (31) configured to receive the set of tubes (20), said housing (31) having a position along the vertical direction less than or equal to at the bottom position of the plate. 11. Apparatus (3) according to claim 10, wherein the housing (31) is configured to receive a set of tubes (20) consisting of an array of n x m tubes (20), such that when said set is in the housing (31), each tube (20) is aligned in the vertical direction, with a device (1) respective to the plate (30). 12. A method of gripping a rod-shaped object using a device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, the method comprising: a. inserting the device (1) onto the rod-like object via the opening at the distal part (102), such that at least a part of the rod-like object is included in the cavity (103), until the rod-shaped object is trapped inside the cavity (103). 13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the rod-like object is a toothpick, swab (21), chopstick, straw, etc. 14. A method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein said rod-shaped object is a swab (21) inside a tube (20).