DE202007006719U1 - Device for inserting containers, in particular test tubes, in containers, in particular reagent glass carriers - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for inserting containers, in particular test tubes, into other containers, in particular test tube holders,
marked by
At least one tubular guide rail with a guide ring attached to the lower opening, so that the container falls from top to bottom until reaching the guide ring and is initially held in the first position by the guide ring (insertion position)
such as
- A laterally mounted on the guide rail guide and driving spring, which is connected to a vertical slide movement mechanism, which is aligned parallel to the central axis of the receiving chamber of the other container, so that the container from the first position (insertion position) provided for example with a retaining spring Opening of another located below the guide container (carrier) is inserted lengthwise until reaching the bottom of the receiving chamber.

Description

The Invention relates to a device for inserting containers, especially test tubes, in other containers, especially test tube carrier, hereinafter also only carrier called.

To the Loads of test tube carriers are in medical technology currently on the one hand the manual assembly by specialized personnel, on the other hand the machine equipment known.

The Manual loading binds the specialist unnecessarily with preparatory activities and thereby causes a lot high operating costs.

Economically cheaper mechanical versions are however often characterized by a considerable amount of space, For example, in a robotic arm, and on the other hand, often from interference characterized in the operation, for example, not from or not inserted in full depth in the test tube carrier Test tubes result.

There are a variety of devices for loading containers with other containers known in the art, such as from CH 5 35 073 , Here is described a device for feeding a centrifuge with sample tubes containing liquid samples. The loading takes place here by means of a Hubstempels through the bottom of the container to be loaded. For permanently closed to the bottom containers, this variant is not suitable.

In the DE 38 36 163 A1 Only a stand with downwardly facing elastic plastic tongues and the corresponding blank for the production of this stand is described, which could be equipped, for example, with the present invention.

In another device known to the Applicant, a pipette tip and disposable reaction vessel delivery and retrieval device is described ( DE 44 19 291 C2 ). However, this is a pipette tip dispenser, within which only the stacking of the pipette tips is solved.

Another existing device ( DE 103 00 702 B4 ) describes a reloading system for holding a plurality of stacks of pipette tips, but which is not suitable for the individual and successive placement of a test tube carrier, if, for example from another device successively only one Bestückungsgut is delivered.

In the US Pat. No. 3,809,897 described device serves to move sample containers from a transport device to a lower-lying measuring chamber. The principle of a lift is used to move the sample container. As a result, it is not possible to introduce the sample container into a fixed carrier; but it is even assumed to find a smooth transport channel for the transport of the sample container. In contrast, in the invention presented here, a container is actively introduced from above into a carrier in which the container comes to rest firmly fixed.

The Applicant's invention presented here is suitable containers, in particular test tubes in test tube rack so-called "racks", also "test tube racks" as in US 41 24 122 . US 48 07 421 . US 65 33 133 and US 33 75 934 are described to equip; Provided the invention is used in an apparatus which is tuned with respect to the feed device and control of the device presented here to the aforementioned carrier systems.

Also in US 37 09 429 described holding devices for test tubes in centrifuges can be equipped with an apparatus containing the device described here, with test tubes, but this requires a specialized feeding device, which differs substantially from the aforementioned.

In the WO 99/28 724 A1 For the later analysis of the contents, a possibility for handling at the top of sealed sample containers is described, the closure of which is also referred to as "cap." The transport and placement of these sample containers, however, takes place by means of a loop-shaped tube conveyor belt and a robot arm the now presented by the Applicant invention can dispense in favor of a more resistant to interference solution.

task The invention is in this context the provision of a cost-effective, space-saving, robust and thus trouble-prone device for inserting containers, in particular test tubes, into other containers, in particular test tube holders.

The object is achieved in that the container initially falls through a guide rail to a guide ring. In the next step, the container of a laterally mounted on the guide rail guide and driving spring by means of a vertical slide Move downward so down that the container is inserted to the bottom of the receiving chamber of the wearer.

The Inventive device for inserting Containers, especially test tubes, in others Containers, in particular test tube carriers, has at least one tubular guide rail with a guide ring attached to the lower opening, leaving a container until reaching the guide ring falls through and one side of the guide rail mounted spring with a vertical sliding movement mechanism, so that a container in which with a retaining spring or another fixing device provided opening of another Container (carrier) lengthwise introduced until reaching the bottom of the receiving chamber becomes. This results in a particularly compact and space-saving design the insertion device as described herein achieved.

The Length of vertical sliding movement, d. H. the hub of the Guide and driving spring can be dependent on the length of each container to be inserted and the depth of the respective receiving chamber of the carrier varied and adapted.

Based The following five drawings will be an application example the invention explained in more detail.

The The above drawings are explained in more detail below.

1 shows a test tube stuck in the tubular device 5 , Underneath is a test tube holder, the opening with a retaining spring 4 Is provided.

2 shows the next step in which the test tube 5 between the leadership 1 and the spring loaded receiving chamber.

3 and 4 show the vertical sliding movement of the device in the direction of the opening of the receiving chamber of the test tube carrier.

5 shows the test tube inserted in the opening of the test tube carrier 5 and the device in turn in the starting position.

The device is operated as follows:
A test tube 5 falls through the tubular device 1 , Through the end of the guide ring 2 it comes centered over the underlying opening of the receiving chamber of the reagent carrier ( 1 , Insertion position).

The test tube then remains on the retaining spring 4 the receiving chamber of the test tube carrier sit ( 2 ). This retaining spring 4 the receiving chamber of the reagent tube carrier locks the test tube 5 and thus prevents the test tube from falling out 5 from the carrier.

By means of a vertical sliding movement, for example, driven by a motor with mounted eccentric and coupling mechanism downwards, the test tube 5 now from the side of the guide rail mounted guide and driving spring 3 inserted so far into the opening of the receiving chamber of the test tube carrier ( 3 ) until it reaches the bottom of the receiving chamber ( 4 ).

Subsequently, the device consisting of the guide ring returns 2 and the leader and driving spring 3 back to the starting position by means of a reverse vertical sliding movement of the same length upwards ( 5 ), so that another test tube can fall through the guide rail and this can be inserted into an opening of a further receiving chamber of this or another reagent glass carrier.

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list The documents listed by the applicant have been automated generated and is solely for better information recorded by the reader. The list is not part of the German Patent or utility model application. The DPMA takes over no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• - CH 535073 [0005]
• - DE 3836163 A1 [0006]
• - DE 4419291 C2 [0007]
• DE 10300702 B4 [0008]
• - US 3809897 [0009]
• - US 4124122 [0010]
• - US 4807421 [0010]
• US 6533133 [0010]
• - US 3375934 [0010]
• US 3709429 [0011]
• WO 99/28724 A1 [0012]

Claims (1)

Device for inserting containers, in particular Test tubes, in other containers, in particular Test-tube carrier, marked by - at least a tubular guide rail with a guide ring attached to the lower opening, allowing the container to reach the guide ring falls from top to bottom and first in the first position is held by the guide ring (Insertion) such as - one side of the Guide rail mounted guide and driving spring, which is connected to a vertical sliding movement mechanism, the parallel to the central axis of the receiving chamber of the other container is aligned so that the container from the first Position (insertion position) in the example provided with a retaining spring opening another container located below the guide (Carrier) in length until reaching the Bottom of the receiving chamber is introduced.