KR20230166512A - Tray For Mounting Plurality Of Clinical Specimen Containers - Google Patents

Abstract

A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers is disclosed. The tray of the present invention includes a horizontal upper surface, a side wall extending from the upper surface, and a plurality of depressions formed by recessing from the upper surface. The depression includes a side portion and a bottom portion, and the side portion of the depression includes three or more side protrusions that protrude in a direction toward the center of the depression and three or more side grooves connecting the side protrusions. When the medical sample container is inserted into the depression, the side protrusions of the depression elastically contact the medical sample container, so that the depression accommodates the medical sample container without leaving it without external force. The tray for mounting a plurality of medical sample containers according to the present invention is used to store medical sample containers containing medical samples such as blood, urine, saliva, and nasal discharge collected from patients by a clinic or hospital when they are delivered to a medical measurement center. It prevents loss and also allows you to quickly read the tracking identifier attached to the medical specimen container.

Description

Tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers {Tray For Mounting Plurality Of Clinical Specimen Containers}

The present invention relates to a tray for mounting a plurality of medical sample containers. More specifically, the medical sample container containing medical samples such as blood, urine, saliva, and nasal discharge collected from patients by a clinic or hospital is delivered to a medical measurement center. It relates to a tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers for use when necessary.

Clinics or hospitals need to accurately diagnose the patient's physical condition before treating the patient. Accordingly, a clinic or hospital collects medical samples such as blood, urine, saliva, and nasal discharge from patients and requests various measurements of the medical samples to a medical measurement center. At this time, the clinic or hospital places the medical specimen in a medical specimen container, closes the lid, seals it, and attaches a tracking identifier such as a barcode to an appropriate part of the specimen container.

A medical measurement center may have multiple locations to collect medical samples. Medical sample collection personnel working at the branch visit each clinic or hospital and collect medical sample containers. The collected medical sample containers are delivered to the medical measurement center headquarters through the branch. At this time, in order to track the delivery status of the medical sample container, each branch uses a tracking identifier reading means, for example, a barcode reader, to read and store the barcode attached to the medical sample container.

Public Patent Publication No. 10-2020-0062207 (published on 2020 06 03)

However, barcode reading at each point is performed by reading the barcodes of medical specimen containers one by one, and this process requires considerable time and therefore requires improvement. Additionally, if the collection manager at each branch unsystematically collects medical specimen containers into collection bags, etc., there is a risk that the medical specimen containers may be damaged in the collection bag, and the risk of loss also increases.

Accordingly, the present invention was developed to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to prevent the loss of medical specimen containers containing medical specimens such as blood, urine, saliva, and nasal discharge collected from patients by a clinic or hospital when they are delivered to a medical measurement center, and also to prevent the loss of medical specimen containers. The aim is to provide a tray for mounting a plurality of medical sample containers that allows quick reading of the tracking identifier attached to the sample container.

A tray for mounting a plurality of medical sample containers according to the present invention to achieve the above object includes a horizontal upper surface portion, a side wall portion extending from the upper surface portion, and a plurality of recessed portions formed by recessing from the upper surface portion. do. The recessed portion includes a side portion and a bottom portion. The side portion of the depression includes three or more side protrusions that protrude in a direction toward the center of the depression and three or more side grooves connecting the side protrusions. When the medical sample container is inserted into the depression, the side protrusions of the depression elastically contact the medical sample container, so that the depression accommodates the medical sample container without leaving it without external force.

The side protrusion and the side groove of the depression may be formed on the side surface of the depression along the depth direction of the depression, and their cross-sectional shape may be an arc.

The bottom portion of the depression may include an edge bottom portion connected to the side portion of the depression and a bottom protrusion formed inside the edge bottom portion and formed at a higher position than the edge bottom portion.

The width of the edge bottom portion is constant overall, so the edge shape of the bottom protrusion is a concave shape formed by recessing inward in a portion adjacent to the side protrusion formed on the side surface of the depression and adjacent to the side recess portion. It may be formed in a protruding shape that protrudes outward from the portion being formed.

The edge bottom portion and the bottom protrusion may be connected to each other by a bottom slope portion.

When the medical sample container having a circular protrusion formed at the bottom edge is inserted into the recess, the circular protrusion of the medical sample container contacts the protruding portion of the bottom protrusion, but does not contact the recessed portion of the bottom protrusion. It is desirable that there is no contact with the bottom protrusion.

Fine lines along three center lines formed by connecting the center point and three relay points on the bottom protrusion and six peripheral lines formed by connecting the three relay points and six vertices formed at the corners of the bottom protrusion. A protrusion is formed, and the relay point is such that three center lines connecting the center point and the three relay points divide the central angle equally. When the center line connecting the center point and the relay point is extended, such an extension line passes through the center of the corner of the protruding shape of the bottom protrusion, and the peripheral line preferably connects one of the relay points and two vertices formed on the corners of the protrusion shape of the bottom protrusion closest to the relay point. do.

The upper surface portion and the side portion of the recessed portion may be connected to each other by a side inclined portion inclined downward.

The upper surface portion and the side portion may be connected to each other by an edge protrusion, and may extend horizontally in all directions from the base of the side portion to form an edge base surface.

The tray is preferably formed integrally and continuously by a plastic material of a certain thickness.

The tray can be used to accommodate a plurality of medical sample containers with tracking identifiers attached and allow a tracking identifier reading means to read the tracking identifiers of the medical sample containers at once.

The tray for mounting a plurality of medical sample containers according to the present invention is used to store medical sample containers containing medical samples such as blood, urine, saliva, and nasal discharge collected from patients by a clinic or hospital when they are delivered to a medical measurement center. It prevents loss and also allows you to quickly read the tracking identifier attached to the medical specimen container.

1 is a top perspective view of a tray according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a plan view of the tray of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is a bottom perspective view of the tray of Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example in which a medical specimen container with a tracking identifier attached is mounted on the tray of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example in which the tray of Figure 1 is used by being placed on a tray holder of a medical specimen tracking device.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the tray 4 according to the present invention has a horizontal upper surface 10, a side wall 20 extending from the upper surface 10, and a depression from the upper surface 10. It includes a plurality of depressions 30 that are formed. The tray 4 of the present invention has a structure in which the component parts are formed integrally and continuously by plastic material of a certain thickness. That is, each part is made of a plate. The tray 4 of the present invention can be formed, for example, by vacuum forming.

The top portion 10 and the side portion 20 may be connected to each other by an edge protrusion. At this time, the edge protrusion may be formed by continuously connecting the side wall portion 20, the protruding upper surface 22, and the inner surface 23. That is, the side portion 20 serves as the outer surface of the edge protrusion. The edge protrusion may be formed in a polygonal shape, particularly a square shape, with a relatively small width and a long length relative to the edge portion. The side wall portion 20 may be formed vertically, and the inner surface 23 is preferably formed to be slightly inclined. The protruding upper surface 22 is formed at a slightly higher position than the upper surface portion 10. An edge base surface 40 may be formed by extending horizontally in all directions from the base 21 of the side portion 20. This edge base surface 40 serves to increase the mechanical strength of the edge protrusion, especially the side wall portion 20.

The recessed portion 30 includes a side portion 310 and a bottom portion 320. The bottom portion 320 is formed at a higher position than the edge base surface 40. That is, the depth of the depression 30 is set to be smaller than the vertical distance from the upper surface 10 to the extended surface of the edge base surface 40.

Then, the trays 4 of the present invention that do not accommodate the medical sample containers 2 are compactly stacked. That is, the shape protruding downward by the depression 30 on the back of the depression 30 of the upper tray 4 is inserted into the depression 30 of the lower tray 4, and the shape of the lower tray 4 is inserted into the depression 30 of the lower tray 4. The edge protrusions are compactly stacked by being inserted into the edge grooves formed on the rear surface of the edge protrusions of the upper tray 4.

Meanwhile, even when the medical sample container 2 is accommodated, the trays 4 of the present invention are stacked compactly at an appropriate level. That is, the upper surface of the lid of the medical specimen container 2 inserted into the depression 30 of the lower tray 4 touches the outer surface of the bottom part 320 of the depression 30 of the upper tray 4, The edge protrusions of the lower layer tray 4 are stacked so as to be located below the edge grooves formed on the back surface of the edge protrusions of the upper layer trays 4. At this time, the entire lid or the entire lid and part of the body of the medical specimen container (2) inserted into the depression (30) of the lower tray (4) are attached to the bottom of the depression (30) of the upper tray (4). It is located between 320) and the extended surface of the border base surface 40 and overlaps. Accordingly, space is saved by the amount of overlap.

The side portion 310 of the depression 30 includes a side protrusion 311 and a side groove 312. The side protrusions 311 are formed to protrude in a direction toward the center of the depression 30 and are composed of three or more. The side grooves 312 connect the side protrusions 311 and are composed of three or more. The groove direction of the side groove 312 is opposite to the protrusion direction of the side protrusion 311. The side protrusion 311 and the side groove 312 are formed on the side surface 310 of the depression 30 along the depth direction of the depression 30 . The cross-sectional shape of the side protrusion 311 and the side groove 312 may be arc-shaped. The depth of the depression 30 may be set slightly lower than the height of the medical specimen container 2. That is, when the medical sample container 2 is inserted into the recessed portion 30, the entire lid or the entire lid and part of the body of the medical sample container 2 may be exposed to the upper part of the upper surface 10.

When the medical sample container 2 is inserted into the recessed portion 30, the side protrusions 311 of the recessed portion 30 elastically contact the medical sample container 2, thereby forming the recessed portion ( 30) accommodates the medical specimen container (2) so that it does not fall off. At this time, the medical specimen container 2 has a cylindrical shape, is made up of a side and a bottom, has an open upper surface, and is formed in a structure in which the upper surface is closed by a lid. The medical specimen container 2 preferably has a structure in which a circular protrusion protrudes downward from the bottom edge of the bottom surface. The width of the circular protrusion may be less than 3 mm, for example 1 mm.

In order for the outer surface of the medical sample container 2 in the depression 30 to contact the three or more side protrusions 311, the cutting edge portions of the side protrusions 311 are positioned at a position that can be circumscribed to a circle. must be placed. When viewed from the cross-sectional view, the diameter of the virtual circle in contact with the cutting edge of the side protrusions 311 is preferably designed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the body of the medical specimen container 2. Then, when the medical sample container 2 is inserted into the depression 30, the side protrusions 311 are slightly pushed elastically by the inserted medical sample container 2, and the medical sample container 2 is caught by the elastic force of the side protrusions 311. At this time, if the difference between the outer diameter of the medical sample container 2 and the diameter of the virtual circle in contact with the side protrusions 311 is too large, the medical sample container 2 is held too strongly, so the medical sample container 2 is placed on the tray. Separation from (4) becomes difficult. Therefore, when the medical sample container 2 is inserted into the recess 30, the holding force in the inserted state is maintained when no external force is applied, and so that it can be easily removed when removed later, that is, the holding force in the inserted state and the removal force are maintained. In order to satisfy all requirements, the diameter of the virtual circle in contact with the side protrusions 311 must be appropriately set according to the outer diameter of the target medical specimen container 2.

In the tray 4 of the present invention, the medical sample container 2 is in almost contact with the side protrusions 311 only in a straight line along the depth direction of the depression 30, that is, only at the cutting edge of the side protrusions 311. Therefore, the holding power in the inserted state is not excessive. Therefore, if the arrangement of the side protrusions 311 is appropriately set according to the outer diameter of the medical sample container 2, the tray 4 of the present invention has a holding force in the inserted state with respect to the medical sample container 2 and a holding force when removed. Ease of use can be satisfied at the same time.

Since the tray (4) of the present invention has characteristics that appropriately balance the holding power in the inserted state and the ease of removal with respect to the medical sample container (2), the medical sample container (2) inserted into the recessed portion (30) is individually removed. Instead of pulling them out one by one, for example, tap the tray (4) of the present invention with the palm of your hand or hold the tray (4) of the present invention with your hand on the opposite side of the part where the medical sample container (2) is inserted. If it is bent, the medical sample container (2) can be easily removed from the tray (4) of the present invention, which saves labor and is convenient.

The upper surface portion 10 and the side portion 310 of the recessed portion 30 are preferably connected to each other by a side inclined portion 313 inclined downward. If the side slope portion 313 is formed in this way, the side slope portion 313 serves as a guide when inserting the medical specimen container 2 into the depression 30, making insertion easier.

The bottom portion 320 of the depression 30 includes an edge bottom portion 321 and a bottom protrusion 322 connected to the side portion 310 of the depression 30. At this time, the bottom protrusion 322 is formed inside the edge bottom part 321 and is formed at a higher position than the edge bottom part 321. The edge bottom portion 321 and the bottom protrusion 322 are connected to each other by the bottom inclined portion 323. According to this structure, a buffering force is applied when the bottom of the medical sample container 2 contacts the bottom protrusion 322, so that the functions described below can be more easily implemented. Meanwhile, the side portion 310 and the bottom portion 320 of the recessed portion 30 may be connected in a round shape or may be connected by an inclined portion.

It is desirable to set the overall width of the edge bottom portion 321 to be constant. The edge shape of the bottom protrusion 322 is a recessed shape 322A and a side recess 312 formed by recessing inward in a portion adjacent to the side protrusion 311 formed on the side surface 310 of the depression 30. ) may be formed in a protruding shape (322B) that protrudes outward from the adjacent portion.

When the medical specimen container 2 with a circular protrusion formed at the bottom edge is inserted into the depression 30, the circular protrusion of the medical specimen container 2 contacts the protruding shape 322B of the bottom protrusion 322, but The concave shape 322A of the protrusion 322 may be formed not to contact the bottom protrusion 322. Then, in the tray 4 of the present invention, the bottom of the inserted medical sample container 2, that is, the circular protrusion of the medical sample container 2, contacts the bottom protrusion 322 only at the protruding shape 322B. . Therefore, the holding force in the state in which the medical specimen container 2 is inserted does not increase excessively. Accordingly, the holding power in the inserted state is appropriately maintained and the ease of removal is not impaired.

A fine protrusion is formed on the bottom protrusion. When the side protrusions 311 and the side grooves 312 are each formed in three pieces, the fine protrusions may be formed on three center lines 322DE and six peripheral lines 322CE. The center line 322DE is formed by connecting one center point 322D and three relay points 322E. At this time, the relay point 322E is such that the central point 322D and the three center lines 322DE connecting the three relay points 322E divide the central angle evenly. If the center line 322DE connecting the center point 322D and the intermediate point 322E is extended, the extension line passes through the center of the edge of the protruding shape 322B of the bottom protrusion 322. Meanwhile, the peripheral line 322CE is formed by connecting three relay points 322E and six vertices 322C formed at the corners of the bottom protrusion 322. The peripheral line 322CE is formed by connecting one relay point 322E and two vertices 322C formed at the corners of the protruding shape 322B of the bottom protrusion 322 closest to the relay point 322.

The width of the three center lines (322DE) and six peripheral lines (CE) that make up the fine protrusion may be 1 mm or less, and more preferably, it is very small, about the width that appears when drawing a straight line on paper with a writing instrument such as a pencil or ballpoint pen. You can. The micro protrusion may have an arc-shaped cross section convex upward, or may have a shape that is pointed straight upward. In the tray 4 of the present invention, the micro protrusion has a holding force in the inserted state not only for insertion of the medical sample container 2 with a circular protrusion formed at the bottom edge, but also for insertion of the medical sample container 2 with an overall flat bottom. By preventing it from being excessively increased, the balance between holding power in the inserted state and ease of removal is made more satisfactory.

In addition to the effect of preventing close contact with the bottom of the medical specimen container 2, the fine protrusions not only prevent the bottom protrusion 322 from being damaged by dispersing the force applied to the bottom protrusion 322, but also prevent damage caused by temperature changes. It also has the effect of preventing the bottom protrusion 322 from being damaged due to expansion and contraction of the bottom protrusion 322.

The tray (4) of the present invention accommodates a plurality of medical sample containers (2) with tracking identifiers (3) such as barcodes attached, and a tracking identifier reading means such as a barcode reader is used to store the medical sample containers (2). It can be used to read tracking identifiers (3) all at once.

Specifically, an example in which the tray 4 of the present invention is used by being placed on the tray holder 710 of the medical specimen tracking device 10 is shown in FIG. 5.

The medical specimen tracking device 10 may include a control unit, a camera, a tracking identifier reading means, a sensor, and a memory. The medical specimen tracking device 10 also includes a tray holder 710 provided on the workbench support 700, as shown in FIG. 5 . A tray 4 is placed on the tray holder 710. A plurality of medical sample containers (2) are mounted on the tray (4). The medical sample container (2) contains a medical sample and a tracking identifier (3) is attached. The medical specimen container 2 is a cylindrical container and is arranged in an upright position on the tray 4, with the lid of the container 2 facing upward. In order for the tracking identifiers (3) attached to the medical sample containers (2) to be normally read all at once by the tracking identifier reading means, the tracking identifiers (3) of all medical sample containers (2) mounted on the tray (4) must match the medical sample. It must be placed on the lid of the container (2) facing upward.

The camera is placed above the tray holder 710 and photographs the tray 4 placed on the tray holder 710. The tracking identifier reading means is disposed on the upper part of the tray holder 710 and reads the tracking identifiers 3 attached to the plurality of medical specimen containers 2 placed on the tray 4 at once.

The control unit receives images of a plurality of medical specimen containers (2) arranged on the tray (4) from the camera, and receives tracking identifier data read by the tracking identifier reading means, and collects the medical specimen containers (2). It reads whether the number of and the number of tracking identifier data match, and if the reading results do not match, an error alarm is issued. If there is a match, a normal notification signal is issued.

The medical sample tracking device 10 may include a retry button (not shown). The retry button can be implemented as a foot button pressed with the foot, or as a hand button pressed with the hand. If the retry button is pressed after the control unit reads that the number of medical specimen containers 2 and the number of tracking identifier data do not match, the control unit can operate the camera and tracking identifier reading means again.

The sensor is installed on the tray holder 710 or below the tray holder 710 and detects whether the tray 4 is placed on the tray holder 710. The sensor can be implemented as a weight sensor that detects the weight of the tray (4), but it can also be implemented as an optical sensor that detects light. For example, by forming a hole of an appropriate size in one part of the area of the tray holder 710 where the tray 4 will be placed and arranging the light emitting part and the light receiving part above and below the hole, the light irradiated by the light emitting part is transmitted to the light receiving part. When detected, it is determined that the tray 4 is not placed on the tray holder 710. On the other hand, when the light emitted by the light emitting unit is not detected by the light receiving unit, the tray 4 is placed on the tray holder 710. It can be implemented to judge that it has lost. When the sensor recognizes that the tray 4 is placed on the tray holder 710, the control unit operates the camera and tracking identifier reading means.

In the medical specimen tracking device 10, the camera, tracking identifier reading means, and control unit may be installed in the installation and display unit 740. As shown in FIG. 5, the installation and display unit 740 is formed integrally with the tray holder 710 and extends vertically upward, and may be formed to protrude forward from the top of the tray holder 710. . A camera and a tracking identifier reading means are disposed at the lower end of the installation and display unit 740 that protrudes forward, and a display unit that is displayed forward is formed on their upper part. The display unit displays information necessary for the worker's work on the screen.

When the tracking identifiers 3 are normally read for the tray 4 placed on the tray holder 710, the control unit outputs a normal notification signal audibly or visually so that the operator can recognize that the work has been completed normally. issue, and store the operator's ID and tracking identifier data of sample containers in memory.

Since the tray (4) of the present invention can securely mount the medical sample container (2), it can be stored in a collection bag or collection box such as an icebox with the medical sample container (2) mounted on the tray (4). Therefore, it allows a clinic or hospital to prevent the loss of medical specimen containers containing medical specimens such as blood, urine, saliva, and nasal discharge collected from patients when they are delivered to the medical measurement center. In addition, as described above, it is possible to easily remove the medical sample container from the tray 4. In addition, the tray (4) of the present invention allows the tracking identifiers (3) attached to a plurality of medical specimen containers (2) to be read at once by the medical specimen tracking device (10), thereby allowing the tracking identifiers (3) attached to the medical specimen containers (2) to be read at the same time. Allows quick reading of the tracking identifier (3).

2: Medical specimen container 3: Tracking identifier
4: Tray 10: Top part
20: side wall 21: base
22: upper protruding surface 23: inner surface
30: depression 40: border base
310: side portion 311: side protrusion
312: side groove 313: side slope
320: Bottom part 321: Border bottom part
322: bottom protrusion 322A: concave shape
322B: Extruded shape 322C: Vertex
322D: Center point 322E: Intermediate point
322DE: Center line 322CE: Peripheral line
323: bottom slope

Claims (11)

It is a tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers,
The tray includes a horizontal upper surface, a side wall extending from the upper surface, and a plurality of depressions formed by recessing from the upper surface,
The depression includes a side portion and a bottom portion, and the side portion of the depression includes three or more side protrusions that protrude in a direction toward the center of the depression and three or more side grooves connecting the side protrusions,
When the medical sample container is inserted into the depression, the side protrusions of the depression elastically contact the medical sample container, so that the depression accommodates the medical sample container without leaving it without external force. A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers. According to paragraph 1,
A tray for mounting a plurality of medical sample containers, wherein the side protrusion and the side groove of the depression are formed on the side surface of the depression along the depth direction of the depression, and the cross-sectional shape thereof is an arc shape. . According to any one of paragraphs 1 and 2,
The bottom portion of the depression portion includes a border bottom portion connected to the side portion of the depression portion and a bottom protrusion formed inside the edge bottom portion and formed at a higher position than the edge bottom portion. A plurality of medical sample containers. Tray for mounting them. According to paragraph 3,
The width of the edge bottom portion is constant overall, so the edge shape of the bottom protrusion is a concave shape formed by recessing inward in a portion adjacent to the side protrusion formed on the side surface of the depression and adjacent to the side recess portion. A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers, characterized in that it has a protruding shape that protrudes outward from the portion that is used. According to clause 4,
A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers, wherein the edge bottom portion and the bottom protrusion portion are connected to each other by a bottom inclined portion. According to clause 5,
When the medical sample container having a circular protrusion formed at the bottom edge is inserted into the recess, the circular protrusion of the medical sample container contacts the protruding portion of the bottom protrusion, but does not contact the recessed portion of the bottom protrusion. A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers, characterized in that they do not come into contact with the bottom protrusion. According to any one of paragraphs 4 and 5,
Fine lines along three center lines formed by connecting the center point and three relay points on the bottom protrusion and six peripheral lines formed by connecting the three relay points and six vertices formed at the corners of the bottom protrusion. A protrusion is formed, and the relay point is such that three center lines connecting the center point and the three relay points divide the central angle equally. When the center line connecting the center point and the relay point is extended, such an extension line passes through the center of the edge of the protruding shape of the bottom protrusion, and the peripheral line connects one of the relay points and two vertices formed on the corners of the protrusion shape of the bottom protrusion closest to the relay point. A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers. According to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers, wherein the upper surface portion and the side portion of the recessed portion are connected to each other by a side inclined portion inclined downward. According to any one of claims 1 to 8,
A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers, wherein the upper surface portion and the side portion are connected to each other by an edge protrusion, and extend horizontally in all directions from the base of the side portion to form an edge base surface. According to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A tray for mounting a plurality of medical specimen containers, characterized in that the tray is formed integrally and continuously by a plastic material of a certain thickness. According to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The tray contains a plurality of medical sample containers with tracking identifiers attached, and the tracking identifier reading means is used to read the tracking identifiers of the medical sample containers at once. Tray for mounting.

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