CN110626634A

CN110626634A - RFID device, RFID component, and intelligent sampling container

Info

Publication number: CN110626634A
Application number: CN201810662206.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 黄华盛; 胡炜; 周君瑜; S·安加卢里
Original assignee: Becton Dickinson Holdings Pte Ltd
Current assignee: Becton Dickinson Holdings Pte Ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-25
Filing date: 2018-06-25
Publication date: 2019-12-31
Anticipated expiration: 2038-06-25
Also published as: CN110626634B

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an RFID device for a sampling container, an RFID component, and an intelligent sampling container including the RFID device or component. The RFID device includes an RFID component and a loading/unloading apparatus adapted to load/unload the RFID component. The RFID component includes: a holder having a through passage for receiving a sampling container and adapted to removably hold the RFID component on the sampling container; a reinforcement for reinforcing the RFID component; and an RFID chip disposed in a housing portion located at an end face or an outer peripheral surface of the combination of the holder and the reinforcing member. The loading/unloading apparatus includes: loading/unloading the apparatus body; and at least one loading/unloading feature disposed on the loading/unloading device body, the loading/unloading feature comprising a receiving cavity and a stop located within the receiving cavity, wherein the receiving cavity is adapted to receive the sampling container and the RFID component, and the stop is adapted to prevent upward movement of the RFID component in a vertical direction while the sampling container is moving upward in the receiving cavity in the vertical direction.

Description

RFID device, RFID component, and intelligent sampling container

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to medical devices. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an RFID component, an RFID device comprising an RFID component and a loading/unloading apparatus for loading/unloading the RFID component, and an intelligent sampling container.

Background

The medical industry is increasingly employing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to identify collected samples. For example, by using the RFID chip in the vacuum blood collection tube, the whole process of blood collection, transmission, classification, sample preparation, detection, storage, etc. can be digitalized. Currently, it is common to embed an RFID chip in an evacuated blood collection tube and dispose of the RFID chip together with the evacuated blood collection tube after use. In other words, such an RFID chip is disposable. This greatly increases the cost of use of the RFID chip, thereby limiting the widespread use of RFID chips in the medical industry.

Disclosure of Invention

In a first aspect of the disclosure, an RFID device for a sampling container is provided. The RFID device includes an RFID component, the RFID component including: a holder having a through passage for receiving a sampling container and adapted to removably hold an RFID component on the sampling container; a reinforcement for reinforcing the holder; and an RFID chip disposed in a housing portion located at an end face or an outer peripheral surface of an assembly of the holder and the reinforcing member. The RFID device includes a load/unload apparatus adapted to mount and/or unload an RFID component from a sampling container, the load/unload apparatus comprising: loading/unloading the apparatus body; and at least one loading/unloading feature disposed on the loading/unloading apparatus body, the loading/unloading feature comprising a receiving cavity and a stop located within the receiving cavity, wherein the receiving cavity is adapted to receive a sampling container and an RFID component, and the stop is adapted to prevent upward movement of the RFID component in a vertical direction while the sampling container is moving upward in the receiving cavity in the vertical direction.

With the aid of the loading/unloading device in the RFID apparatus according to the present disclosure, the RFID component can be easily mounted on the sampling container or unloaded from the sampling container after use. The loading/unloading device may be used as a transfer rack for sampling containers for transferring the sampling containers at various processing stations, such as blood sampling, sorting, sample preparation, testing, storage, etc. The RFID component unloaded from the sample container may be left in the loading/unloading device, and thus, the loading/unloading device also serves as a storage device for the RFID component. In addition, with the aid of the loading/unloading device, the RFID component can be mounted on the sampling container or unloaded from the sampling container after use in an automated system, so that automation of the loading/unloading operation is achieved.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the outer circumference of the holder is provided with a groove, in which the reinforcement is located.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving portion is configured as a tab on an end surface of the holder, the tab having a cavity for receiving the RFID chip.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving portion is configured as a cavity on an outer circumferential surface of the reinforcing member, the RFID chip being disposed in the cavity.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an inner circumference of the reinforcement is provided with a groove, and the holder is configured as a washer, the washer being located in the groove and protruding a part thereof.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving portion is configured as a tab on an end surface of the stiffener, the tab having a cavity for receiving the RFID chip.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the outer circumferential surface of the reinforcement is provided with a stop adapted to mate rotationally with a stop of the loading/unloading feature in the circumferential direction.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the stop of the reinforcement and the stop of the loading/unloading feature each have a cross section that varies gradually in the circumferential direction.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the cross-section of the stop of the reinforcement gradually increases from the first end to the second end, while the cross-section of the stop of the loading/unloading feature gradually decreases from the first end to the second end.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the cross-section of the stop of the reinforcement gradually decreases from the first end to the second end, while the cross-section of the stop of the loading/unloading feature gradually increases from the first end to the second end.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the stop of the reinforcement is configured as a thread and the stop of the loading/unloading feature is configured as a mating thread matching the thread.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the loading/unloading feature further comprises a coming-off prevention portion located in the receiving cavity and below the stop portion of the loading/unloading feature, and the coming-off prevention portion is provided as an annular rib protruding from the inner surface of the receiving cavity.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the receiving cavity is recessed inwardly from an outer surface of the loading/unloading apparatus body.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the receiving chamber comprises a first receiving chamber and a second receiving chamber which are communicated with each other, wherein the first receiving chamber is configured to enable the sampling container and the RFID component to freely enter and exit the first receiving chamber along the vertical direction, and the second receiving chamber is configured to enable the sampling container to freely enter and exit the second receiving chamber along the vertical direction, and the RFID component cannot enter and exit the second receiving chamber along the vertical direction.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the horizontal cross-section of the first receiving chamber is substantially circular, and the horizontal cross-section of the second receiving chamber extends from the first receiving chamber by a certain length and is substantially semicircular at an end opposite to the first receiving chamber.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the second receiving cavity of the loading/unloading feature comprises an undercut having an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface of the undercut forms a stop of the loading/unloading feature.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a lower surface of the undercut forms a retaining portion of the loading/unloading feature.

According to one embodiment of the disclosure, the loading/unloading device is in the shape of a cube.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the loading/unloading device is made of polyoxymethylene material.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the RFID chip is bonded in the receiving portion.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the retainer is made of a thermoplastic elastomer material.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the reinforcement is made of a polyamide material.

In a second aspect of the disclosure, an RFID component for a sampling container is provided. The RFID component includes: a holder having a through passage for receiving a sampling container and adapted to removably hold an RFID component on the sampling container; a reinforcement for reinforcing the holder; and an RFID chip disposed in a housing portion located at an end face or an outer peripheral surface of an assembly of the holder and the reinforcing member.

By providing the RFID chip on the RFID component and configuring the RFID component to be removably retained on the sampling container, the RFID component and the RFID chip can be unloaded from the sampling container after use. After cleaning and sterilization, the RFID component and the RFID chip can be used for a new sampling container, so that the reuse of the RFID chip is realized, and the use cost of the RFID chip is greatly reduced.

In a third aspect of the present disclosure, an intelligent sampling container is provided. The intelligent sampling container includes a sampling container and an RFID device according to the present disclosure.

In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, an intelligent sampling container is provided. The intelligent sampling container includes a sampling container and an RFID component according to the present disclosure.

Drawings

In order that the manner in which the above-recited and other features and advantages of the disclosure are obtained will be readily understood, a more particular description of the disclosure will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof which are illustrated in the appended drawings. The drawings depict only typical embodiments of the disclosure and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, in which:

fig. 1 is a view of an RFID device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view of an RFID component according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2(b) is an exploded view of the RFID component shown in FIG. 2 (a);

FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view of an RFID component according to a variation of the first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3(b) is an exploded view of the RFID component shown in FIG. 3 (a);

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a loading/unloading apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of a loading/unloading feature of a loading/unloading apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates the steps of unloading an RFID component from a sample container using a load/unload device of a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a view of an RFID device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an RFID component according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of an RFID component according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a loading/unloading apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a detail view of a loading/unloading feature of a loading/unloading apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 illustrates the steps of unloading an RFID component from a sample container using a load/unload device of a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, the embodiments described below are intended to provide a more complete disclosure of the present disclosure, and to fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. It is also to be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

It should be understood that like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views. In the drawings, the size of some of the features may be varied for clarity.

It is to be understood that the terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the specification have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

As used in this specification, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "comprising," "including," and "containing" when used in this specification specify the presence of stated features, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features. The term "and/or" as used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The terms "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" as used in the specification should be construed to include X and Y. The term "between about X and Y" as used herein means "between about X and about Y" and the term "from about X to Y" as used herein means "from about X to about Y".

In the description, when an element is referred to as being "on," "attached to," connected to, "coupled to," or "contacting" another element, etc., another element, it can be directly on, attached to, connected to, coupled to, or contacting the other element, or intervening elements may be present. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly attached to," directly connected to, "directly coupled to," or "directly contacting" another element, there are no intervening elements present. In the description, one feature is disposed "adjacent" another feature, and may mean that one feature has a portion overlapping with or above or below an adjacent feature.

In the specification, spatial relations such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "high", "low", and the like may explain the relation of one feature to another feature in the drawings. It will be understood that the spatial relationship terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, features originally described as "below" other features may be described as "above" other features when the device in the figures is inverted. The device may also be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the relative spatial relationships may be interpreted accordingly.

Referring to fig. 1, an RFID device 10 is shown according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The RFID device 10 may be used with a sampling container (e.g., evacuated blood collection tube, etc.) 100. The RFID device 10 includes an RFID component 200 that is removably retained on the sampling container 100, and a loading/unloading apparatus 300 for mounting the RFID component 200 to the sampling container 100 and/or unloading it from the sampling container 100.

RFID component 200 includes RFID chip 206. In use, the RFID component 200 is mounted to the sampling container 100; after use, the RFID component 200 can be unloaded from the sampling container 100 along with the RFID chip 206. After simple cleaning and sterilization, the RFID component 200 and the RFID chip 206 may be reused with a new sampling container. Thus, the RFID chip 206 can be reused, so that the use cost of the RFID chip 206 can be greatly reduced, the popularization and the application of the RFID chip in the medical industry and the like are facilitated, and the digitization process of the medical industry is facilitated to be promoted.

With the aid of the loading/unloading device 300, the RFID component 200 can be easily mounted onto the sampling container 100 and/or unloaded from the sampling container 100 after use. In a preferred embodiment, the RFID component 200 may be mounted to the sampling container 100 and/or unloaded from the sampling container 100 after use in an automated system with the aid of a loading/unloading device, thereby enabling automation of the loading/unloading operation. The loading/unloading device 300 may also be used as a transfer rack for the sampling containers 100 to transfer the sampling containers 100 at various processing stations (e.g., blood collection, sorting, sample preparation, testing, storage, etc.). RFID components 200 unloaded from sampling container 100 may be stored in loading/unloading device 300, and thus loading/unloading device 300 also serves as a storage device for RFID components 200.

An RFID component 200 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to fig. 2(a) and (b). RFID component 200 includes a holder 202, a stiffener 204, and an RFID chip 206.

The holder 202 is made of an elastic material and has an axial through-passage 220 for receiving the sampling container 100. The channel 220 is sized such that when the sample container 100 is inserted into the channel 220, the retainer 202 is squeezed outwardly. In this manner, the RFID component 200 is removably retained on the sampling container 100 by the resilient force of the retaining member 202.

In some embodiments, the retainer 202 is made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. The retainer 202 thus formed has a high resiliency and can provide a desired resiliency and good retention, thereby reducing the risk of the RFID component 200 slipping off the sampling container 100. In addition, the TPE material is environment-friendly and nontoxic, and is very safe in health medical application.

The passage 220 of the holder 202 may have a variety of different shapes depending on the cross-sectional shape of the sampling container. As shown in fig. 2(b), the passage 220 of the holder 202 is circular for receiving a circular cross-section of the sampling container 100. However, if the sampling container 100 has a cross-sectional shape, such as an oval or polygon, the holder 202 may have an oval or polygon shaped passage 220 that matches the sampling container.

The reinforcement member 204 serves to reinforce certain characteristics of the retainer 202, such as its rigidity and wear resistance. The reinforcement member 204 is placed in a groove 212 provided along the outer periphery of the retainer 202. The reinforcement member 204 is made of a more rigid or wear resistant material than the retainer member 202. In some embodiments, the stiffener 204 may be made of a Polyamide (PA) material. The reinforcement thus formed has high mechanical rigidity, excellent wear resistance and good coefficient of friction. On the one hand, the reinforcement can increase the rigidity of the RFID component 200, thereby facilitating easy unloading operations of the loading/unloading device 300 when it is desired to unload the RFID component 200 from the sampling container 100; on the other hand, the reinforcement can improve the service life of the RFID component, thereby reducing the use cost of the RFID component.

The reinforcement 204 is in the shape of a circular ring, but the disclosure is not limited thereto. The reinforcing member 204 may have a different shape, such as an oval shape, a polygonal shape, or any other shape, according to the outer circumferential shape of the holder 202.

The holder 202 is provided with a housing portion for housing the RFID chip. As shown in fig. 2(a) and (b), the receivers are configured as lugs 208 located on the end face of the retainer 202. The lug 208 may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape with its height direction parallel to the axial direction of the retainer 202 (vertical direction in fig. 2 (a)). A pocket 210 is provided in the tab 208 for receiving the RFID chip 206. The cavity 210 is recessed from the outer surface of the lug 208 by a depth. The RFID chip 206 may be bonded inside the cavity 210 using glue or the like. The cavity 210 may protect the RFID chip 206 from external elements or damage.

Fig. 3(a) and (b) show an RFID component 200 according to a variation of the first embodiment of the present disclosure. In this variant, the receiving portion is configured as a cavity 210 in the outer circumferential surface of the reinforcing element 204. The RFID chip 206 may be bonded inside the cavity 210 using glue or the like.

A loading/unloading apparatus 300 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to fig. 4 and 5. The loading/unloading device 300 is configured to load/unload the RFID component 200 by translating the sampling container 100 in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction.

The loading/unloading device 300 includes a body 302. The body 302 may be in the shape of a cube. At least one attachment/detachment feature 304 is provided on body 302 for attaching/detaching RFID component 200. In this embodiment, the loading/unloading feature 304 includes a large receiving cavity 306 and a small receiving cavity 308 recessed inwardly from the outer surface of the body 302. The large receiving chamber 306 and the small receiving chamber 308 have a depth in the vertical direction such that the sampling container 100 can be received in the large receiving chamber 306 and the small receiving chamber 308.

The cross-section of the large receiving cavity 306 is configured such that the sampling container 100, along with the RFID component 200, are free to enter and exit the large receiving cavity 306 in a vertical direction. The cross-section of the small receiving cavity 308 is configured such that the sampling container 100 is free to enter and exit the small receiving cavity 308 in a vertical direction, while the RFID component 200 is not able to enter and exit the small receiving cavity 308 in a vertical direction. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the horizontal cross-section of the large receiving chamber 306 is circular with a large diameter. The small receiving chamber 308 has a horizontal cross-section that extends a length from the large receiving chamber 306 and is in the shape of a semi-circle with a smaller diameter at the end opposite the large receiving chamber 306. It should be understood that the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the large receiving chamber 306 and the small receiving chamber 308 may vary from the shapes shown in fig. 4 and 5 depending on the actual shape of the sampling container 100. For example, the horizontal cross-section of the large receiving chamber 306 and a portion of the horizontal cross-section of the small receiving chamber 308 may be polygonal, so long as they allow for free access to the sampling container 100 with the RFID component 200.

An undercut 310 is provided below the top opening of the small receiving cavity 308. Undercut 310 is configured to receive RFID component 200 therein. The undercut 310 has an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface forms a stop for preventing the RFID component 200 from moving upward in a vertical direction within the small receiving cavity 308. The lower surface forms a retaining portion for preventing the RFID component 200 from falling vertically downward within the small receiving cavity 308.

The loading/unloading apparatus 300 shown in fig. 4 includes six loading/unloading features 304; the load/unload apparatus shown in fig. 5 includes only one load/unload feature 304. Other numbers of loading/unloading features 304 may be provided as desired. For example, loading/unloading device 300 may include two, three, four, five, or more loading/unloading features 304.

The loading/unloading device 300 may be made of Polyoxymethylene (POM) material. The loading/unloading device thus produced has good rigidity, a low coefficient of friction, good impact toughness, good solvent resistance, and excellent creep resistance.

Next, a method of mounting/dismounting the RFID part 200 using the mounting/dismounting device 300 is described. A method of unloading an RFID part 200 that has been mounted on a sampling container 100 using a loading/unloading apparatus 300 will first be described with reference to fig. 6. Specifically, when the unloading operation is performed, the following operation steps are performed:

a) aligning the sampling container 100 with the RFID component 200 mounted thereto with the large receiving cavity 306 of the loading/unloading device 300;

b) moving the sampling container 100 with the RFID component 200 mounted thereto downward in a vertical direction into the large receiving cavity 306;

c) moving the sampling container 100 with the RFID component 200 installed in a horizontal direction from the large receiving chamber 306 to the end of the small receiving chamber 308;

d) moving the sampling container 100 up in the vertical direction, the RFID component 200 is removed from the loading/unloading device 300 and the RFID component 200 is blocked in the undercut 310 of the small receiving cavity 308, unloading the RFID component 200 from the sampling container 100, since the RFID component 200 is blocked from moving up in the vertical direction by the stop of the small receiving cavity 308.

After the RFID component 200 is unloaded from the sampling container 100, the RFID component 200 may be cleaned and sterilized according to methods generally known to those skilled in the art, and the RFID component 200 may then be used in another sampling container 100 for the next round of operation.

The RFID component 200 after the previous round of use may be stored in the loading/unloading device 300, and thus, the RFID component 200 may be mounted on a new sampling container 100 directly by a procedure generally reverse to the disassembly method. Specifically, when the mounting operation is performed, the following steps are performed:

a') aligning the sampling container 100 with the through-passage 220 of the RFID component 200 placed in the small receiving cavity 308 of the loading/unloading device 300;

b') moving the sampling container 100 in a vertical direction down and into the small receiving cavity 308 and into the through-passage 220 of the RFID component 200, thereby holding the RFID component 200 to the sampling container 100 via the holder 202 of the RFID component 200;

c') moving the sampling container 100 along with the RFID component 200 in a horizontal direction from the small receiving chamber 308 into the large receiving chamber 306;

d') moving the sampling container 100 along with the RFID component 200 upward in a vertical direction, thereby removing the sampling container 100 with the RFID component 200 installed from the load/unload apparatus 300.

With the RFID component 200 of the present disclosure, sampling or other procedures of the sampling container 100 need not be changed, as long as the RFID component 200 is mounted to the sampling container 100 prior to use. After the RFID component 200 is mounted to the sampling container 100, the RFID component 200 remains on the sampling container 100 for the entire life of the sampling container 100 for continuous tracking of the sample in the sampling container 100.

Taking blood sample detection as an example, after the RFID component 200 is mounted on the sampling container 100, according to a conventional process, a label for the sampling container 100 is checked and printed by the RFID component 200, then the sampling container 100 is used to perform blood sample collection, and then conventional processes of transportation, classification, sample preparation, testing, and storage of the blood sample are sequentially performed. In these procedures, the RFID component 200 is held on the sampling container 100 at all times. A reader/writer may be introduced at each different workstation to perform read/write operations on the RFID chip 206, thereby implementing digitization in each process.

Referring next to fig. 7, an RFID device 20 is shown according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. Substantially the same as RFID device 10, RFID device 20 includes an RFID component 200 'removably retained on a sampling container 100', and a load/unload apparatus 300 'for mounting RFID component 200' to sampling container 100 'and/or unloading from sampling container 100'.

An RFID component 200' according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure is described in detail with reference to fig. 8 and 9. The RFID component 200 'includes a stiffener 202', a holder 204 ', and an RFID chip 206'.

Unlike the RFID component 200 of the first embodiment, the reinforcing member 202 ' of the RFID component 200 ' of the second embodiment has a groove on the inner circumferential surface thereof, and the holder 204 ' is located in the groove of the reinforcing member 202 ' and projects a portion in the radial direction from the groove toward the center 202 ' of the reinforcing member. The holder 204 ' has a through passage 220 ' for receiving the sampling container 100 ' and is adapted to resiliently contact the outer surface of the sampling container 100 ' upon insertion of the sampling container 100 ', removably retaining the RFID component 200 ' on the sampling container 100 ' by its resilient force.

The retainer 204' may be made of a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. The retainer thus formed is highly elastic and provides good retention, thereby reducing the risk of the RFID component 200 slipping off the sampling container 100. In addition, the TPE material is environment-friendly and nontoxic, and is very safe in health medical application.

The reinforcement member 202 'may be made of a more rigid or wear resistant material than the retainer member 204'. In particular, the reinforcement 202' may be made of a Polyamide (PA) material. The reinforcement thus formed has high mechanical rigidity, excellent wear resistance and good coefficient of friction. In one aspect, the reinforcement can increase the stiffness of the RFID component 200 ', thereby facilitating easy unloading operations of the load/unload device 300 when it is desired to unload the RFID component 200 ' from the sampling container 100 '; on the other hand, the reinforcement can improve the service life of the RFID component, thereby reducing the use cost of the RFID component.

The channel 220 ' of the holder 204 ' may have a variety of different shapes depending on the peripheral shape of the sampling container 100 '. In the embodiment shown in fig. 8, the channel 220 ' of the holder 204 ' is circular for receiving a circular cross-section of the sampling container 100 '. However, if the sampling container 100 ' has a shape such as an oval or polygon, the holder 204 ' may have an oval or polygon shaped passage 220 ' that matches the sampling container.

As shown in fig. 9, the retainer 204' is configured as an O-ring. In some embodiments, the retainer 204' may be configured as a washer of other shapes (e.g., oval, polygonal, etc.). In addition, as shown in FIG. 9, only one washer is disposed in the reinforcement member 202 'of the RFID component 200'. In some embodiments, two or more washers may be disposed in the reinforcement 202' to achieve a desired spring force.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the holder 204' is formed as a separate member, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. In some embodiments, the retainer 204 'may be integrally formed with the stiffener 202'. For example, the retainer 204 ' may be configured as a ridge formed on the inner surface of the reinforcement member 202 ' of the RFID component 200 '. The ridges may extend continuously or may be intermittently distributed on the inner surface of the reinforcement member 202 'of the RFID component 200'. For example, the raised portion may extend continuously for one turn on the inner surface of the reinforcement member 202' like a washer, may be formed as intermittent hemispherical ridges, or the like. The retainer 204' may also be configured in any other suitable shape or configuration.

The reinforcement member 202' is provided with a receiving portion for receiving the RFID chip. As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the receivers are configured as lugs 208 'located on the end faces of the stiffener 202'. The lug 208 'may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape as shown in fig. 8 and 9, and a height direction thereof is parallel to an axial direction (vertical direction in fig. 8) of the reinforcement 202'. A pocket 210 ' is provided in the tab 208 ' for receiving the RFID chip 206 '. The pocket 210 'extends a depth inwardly from the outer surface of the lug 208'. The RFID chip 206 'may be bonded inside the cavity 210' with glue or the like. The cavity 210 'may protect the RFID chip 206' from external elements or damage.

In some embodiments, the receptacle for receiving the RFID chip may also be configured as a cavity directly within the outer perimeter of the stiffener 202'. The RFID chip may be bonded inside the cavity with glue or the like.

Unlike the RFID component 200 of the first embodiment, the RFID component 200 ' of the second embodiment is further provided with two opposing stops 212 ' at the periphery of the stiffener 202 '. The stopper portion 212 ' extends outwardly from the outer periphery of the reinforcement 202 ' in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the reinforcement 202 '. The stopper portion 212 ' is used to discharge the RFID part 200 ' in cooperation with a stopper portion of the loading/unloading apparatus 300 ' according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, which will be described in detail below.

Next, a loading/unloading apparatus 300' according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to fig. 10 and 11. Unlike the loading/unloading apparatus 300 of the first embodiment, the loading/unloading apparatus 300 ' of the second embodiment loads/unloads the RFID part 200 ' using a rotational movement and a translational movement in a vertical direction of the sampling container 100 '.

The loading/unloading device 300 'includes a body 302'. The body 302' may be in the shape of a cube. At least one attachment/detachment feature 304 ' is provided on the body 302 ' for attaching/detaching the RFID component 200 '. In this embodiment, the loading/unloading feature 304 ' includes a receiving cavity 310 ' for receiving the sampling container 100 '. Two opposing stops 306 'are provided near the upper end of the receiving cavity 310'. The stop 306 'is adapted to cooperate with the stop 212' on the RFID component 200 'to prevent upward movement of the RFID component 200' in a vertical direction to facilitate unloading of the RFID component 200 'from the sampling container 100'. A coming-off preventing portion 308 'is provided below the stopper portion 306' to prevent the RFID component 200 'from falling down in the vertical direction, thereby holding the RFID component 200' between the stopper portion 306 'and the coming-off preventing portion 308'. In this embodiment, the escape prevention section 308' is configured as an annular rib.

The stop 306 'of the loading/unloading device 300' and the stop 212 'of the RFID component 200' are structurally matched to one another in the circumferential direction. Referring to fig. 11 (c), in one embodiment, the stopping portion 212 ' of the RFID component 200 ' is configured to have a cross section that gradually changes in a circumferential direction, and the cross section of the stopping portion 212 ' may gradually increase (or decrease) from one end to the other end. Correspondingly, the stop 306 'is also configured with a gradually changing cross section, but with a trend opposite to the stop 212', i.e.: the stop 306' gradually decreases (or increases) in cross-section from one end to the other. Thus, after the stop 212 ' has been rotated to a fully mated position relative to the stop 306 ', no further rotation is possible, thereby locking the RFID device 200 ' in the locked position (see (d) of fig. 11).

In another embodiment, the stop 212 'of the RFID component 200' may be configured as a thread. Accordingly, the stop portion 306 ' of the loading/unloading device 300 ' is configured as mating threads that mate with the threads of the stop portion 212 ', such that the stop portion 212 ' and the stop portion 306 ' form a threaded fit.

Unlike the loading/unloading apparatus 300 of the first embodiment which loads/unloads the RFID part 200 by a translational motion, the loading/unloading apparatus 300 'of the second embodiment loads/unloads the RFID part 200' by a rotational motion and a translational motion in a vertical direction. A method of unloading an RFID component 200 ' that has been mounted on a sampling container 100 ' using a loading/unloading apparatus 300 ' will first be described with reference to fig. 12. Specifically, when the unloading operation is performed, the following operation steps are performed:

a) aligning the sampling container 100 'with the RFID component 200' mounted thereto with the receiving cavity 310 'of the loading/unloading device 300';

b) moving the sampling container 100 ' with the RFID component 200 ' installed therein down into the receiving cavity 310 ' in a vertical direction;

c) rotating the sampling container 100 ' in a first direction until the stop 212 ' of the RFID component 200 ' is fully locked with the stop 306 ' of the loading/unloading device 300 ';

d) moving the sampling container 100 ' upward in the vertical direction, the RFID component 200 ' is blocked between the stopper 306 ' and the annular rib 308 ' as the RFID component 200 ' is blocked by the stopper 306 ' from moving upward in the vertical direction, such that the sampling container 100 ' moves out of the loading/unloading device 300 ' and the RFID component 200 ' is blocked, thereby unloading the RFID component 200 ' from the sampling container 100 '.

After the RFID component 200 ' is unloaded from the sampling container 100 ', the RFID component 200 ' may be cleaned and sterilized according to methods generally known to those skilled in the art, and then the RFID component 200 ' may be used for another sampling container 100 ' for the next round of operation.

The RFID component 200 'after the previous round of use may be stored in the loading/unloading device 300', and thus, the RFID component 200 'may be directly mounted on a new sampling container 100' by a procedure generally reverse to the disassembly method. Specifically, when the mounting operation is performed, the following steps are performed:

a ') aligning the sampling container 100' with the through-passage 220 'of the RFID component 200' placed in the receiving cavity 310 'of the loading/unloading device 300';

b ') moving the sampling container 100 ' downward in a vertical direction and into the receiving cavity 310 ' and into the through-passage 220 ' of the RFID component 200 ', thereby attaching the RFID component 200 ' to the sampling container 100 ' via the holder 204 ' of the RFID component 200 ';

c ') rotating the sampling container 100' in a second direction opposite the first direction until the stop 212 'of the RFID component 200' rotates away from the stop 306 'of the loading/unloading device 300';

d ') moving the sampling container 100' along with the RFID component 200 'upward in a vertical direction, thereby removing the sampling container 100' with the RFID component 200 'installed from the load/unload device 300'.

In addition, although in the second embodiment, RFID component 200 'is used in conjunction with the loading/unloading apparatus 300', RFID component 200 'of the second embodiment may also be used in conjunction with loading/unloading apparatus 300 of the first embodiment, provided that the large receiving cavity 306 and the small receiving cavity 308 of loading/unloading apparatus 300 are designed to fit the size of RFID component 200'.

Similarly, while in the first embodiment the RFID component 200 is used with the loading/unloading apparatus 300, the RFID component 200 of the first embodiment may also be used with the loading/unloading apparatus 300 'of the second embodiment, provided that a stop similar to the stop 212' is provided on the stiffener 204 of the RFID component 200.

Although exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure without substantially departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, all changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims. The disclosure is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims

1. An RFID device for sampling a container, the RFID device comprising:

an RFID component, the RFID component comprising:

a holder having a through passage for receiving a sampling container and adapted to removably hold an RFID component on the sampling container;

a reinforcement for reinforcing the holder; and

an RFID chip disposed in a housing portion located at an end face or an outer peripheral surface of an assembly of the holder and the reinforcing member;

a load/unload device adapted to mount and/or unload an RFID component onto and/or from a sampling container, the load/unload device comprising:

loading/unloading the apparatus body; and

at least one loading/unloading feature disposed on the loading/unloading apparatus body, the loading/unloading feature comprising a receiving cavity and a stop located within the receiving cavity, wherein the receiving cavity is adapted to receive a sampling container and an RFID component, and the stop is adapted to prevent upward movement of the RFID component in a vertical direction while the sampling container is moving upward in the receiving cavity in the vertical direction.

2. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein a periphery of the holder is provided with a groove, the reinforcement member being located in the groove.

3. The RFID device of claim 2, wherein the receiving portion is configured as a tab on an end surface of the holder, the tab having a cavity for receiving the RFID chip.

4. The RFID device of claim 2, wherein the receptacle is configured as a pocket on an outer peripheral surface of the stiffener in which the RFID chip is disposed.

5. The RFID device of claim 1, wherein an inner periphery of the reinforcing member is provided with a groove, the holder being configured as a washer, the washer being located in the groove and protruding a portion therefrom.

6. The RFID device of claim 5, wherein the receptacle is configured as a tab on an end surface of the stiffener, the tab having a cavity for receiving the RFID chip.

7. The RFID device of claim 5, wherein the receptacle is configured as a pocket on an outer peripheral surface of the stiffener in which the RFID chip is disposed.

8. An RFID component for a sampling container, the RFID component comprising:

a reinforcement for reinforcing the holder; and

an RFID chip disposed in a housing located at an end face or an outer peripheral surface of an assembly of the holder and the reinforcing member.

9. An intelligent sampling container, comprising:

a sampling container; and

the RFID device of any one of claims 1-7.

10. An intelligent sampling container, comprising:

a sampling container; and

the RFID component of claim 8.