Flexible clamping and rotating device and method

Abstract

The present invention provides a flexible clamping and rotating device and method, wherein the device comprises: a sleeve, a transfer assembly installed at one end of the sleeve, a bearing installed on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve, a center rod partially fixed in the sleeve, a linear bearing, a retaining spring, a spring, a pressure sensor and a sensor pressure plate installed in the sleeve, a clamping sleeve installed at one end of the center rod, and a spring installed in the clamping sleeve; the present invention adopts the spring clip to clamp the throat swab, the clamping force is gentle, the centering and reliability are good, and the throat swab is prevented from breaking during clamping; at the same time, when the throat swab encounters a large resistance during sampling, the spring clip and the throat swab will slide relative to each other, reducing discomfort; the present invention is provided with a buffer structure and a pressure sensor, the buffer structure plays a buffering role, thereby improving the comfort of throat swab sampling; at the same time, the pressure sensor can feedback the change of the pressure value in real time, thereby improving the safety of throat swab sampling.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a flexible clamping and rotating device and method. Background Art

[0002] In order to realize automatic sampling of throat swabs, the throat swab sampling device needs to be equipped with a clamp for fixing the throat swab; the traditional throat swab clamp has a large clamping force and cannot sense the size of the contact force during sampling, which is easy to cause danger during the sampling process and does not meet the safety requirements; at the same time, the traditional throat swab clamp does not have a buffer structure and a centering design that is convenient for assembling the throat swab, so it is not convenient for automatic assembly of the throat swab and the sampling comfort is very poor; in addition, the traditional throat swab clamp is a rigid fixed throat swab, which can easily break the rod of the throat swab. Summary of the invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects of the prior art and to provide a flexible clamping and rotating device and method.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following specific technical solutions:

[0005] The flexible clamping and rotating device proposed in the present invention includes: a sleeve, an adapter assembly installed at one end of the sleeve for connecting to other external components, a bearing installed on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve, a center rod with one part fixed in the sleeve and the other part extending out of the sleeve for transmitting force, linear bearings installed in the sleeve and sleeved on the center rod for supporting and lubricating the center rod, a retaining spring for fixing the linear bearings, a pressure sensor and a sensor pressure plate for transmitting force and pressing the pressure sensor onto the adapter assembly, a spring installed between the center rod and the sensor pressure plate for buffering the movement of the center rod, a clamping sleeve installed at one end of the center rod for carrying and fixing a pharyngeal swab, and a spring installed in the clamping sleeve for pressing the pharyngeal swab.

[0006] Preferably, a through groove is provided on the outer cylindrical surface of one end of the sleeve close to the adapter assembly; a positioning key is provided on one end of the center rod close to the spring; the positioning key and the through groove cooperate to ensure that the center rod rotates simultaneously when the sleeve rotates.

[0007] Preferably, a shoulder for axially positioning the bearing is provided on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve.

[0008] Preferably, an annular groove for fixing the spring is provided at one end of the sensor pressure plate, and the size of the annular groove is the same as the size of the spring.

[0009] Preferably, the pressure sensor is a thin film sensor.

[0010] Preferably, in the axial direction of the clamping sleeve, the number of spring pieces in a group is at least 3, and the installation positions of all spring pieces are collinear; in the radial direction of the clamping sleeve, the number of spring pieces is not less than 3, and each group of spring pieces is evenly distributed along the circumference.

[0011] Preferably, a through hole for passing the pins of the pressure sensor is provided on the adapter assembly.

[0012] Preferably, the end of the clamping sleeve close to the throat swab is in the shape of a hollow cone, and the inner hole diameter of the hollow cone is the same as the rod diameter of the throat swab.

[0013] A flexible clamping and rotating method proposed by the present invention comprises the following steps:

[0014] S1. The throat swab is clamped on the clamping sleeve manually or by a manipulator, and the stem of the throat swab is pressed and fixed by a spring;

[0015] S2. The flexible clamping rotating device drives the throat swab to rotate and move synchronously. When the throat swab contacts the sampled part, the spring buffers the impact of the head of the throat swab on the sampled part and transmits the force to the pressure sensor.

[0016] S3. After receiving the force signal, the pressure sensor stops moving the flexible clamping rotating device, while keeping the flexible clamping rotating device to drive the throat swab to rotate. When the head of the throat swab rotates at the sampling site and the sampling is completed, the rotation is stopped and the flexible clamping rotating device is moved in the reverse direction to move the throat swab away from the sampling site to complete the throat swab sampling.

[0017] The present invention can achieve the following technical effects:

[0018] The present invention adopts a method of installing a spring clip on the edge of a clamping sleeve to clamp the throat swab. The clamping force is gentle, and the centering and reliability are good, which effectively prevents the stem of the throat swab from breaking or being damaged during clamping. At the same time, when the throat swab encounters a large resistance when rotating in the oral cavity for sampling, the spring clip and the throat swab will slide relative to each other, reducing the discomfort of sampling to a certain extent. The present invention is internally provided with a buffer structure and a pressure sensor. When the throat swab contacts the sampled part during the sampling process, the buffer structure plays a buffering role, ensuring that the throat swab sampling is relatively gentle, and the sampled person has no obvious pain, thereby improving the comfort of throat swab sampling. At the same time, the pressure sensor can provide real-time feedback on the changes in the pressure value, thereby improving the safety of throat swab sampling. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a full cross-sectional view of a flexible clamping and rotating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the appearance of a flexible clamping and rotating device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a center rod according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 5 is an enlarged view of the flexible clamping and rotating device according to an embodiment of the present invention close to the adapter assembly end;

[0024] Figure 6 is a full cross-sectional view of a clamping sleeve according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 7 is a flow chart of a flexible clamping and rotating method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] The reference numerals therein include: a clamping sleeve 1, a spring 2, a center rod 3, a positioning key 301, a bearing 4, a linear bearing 5, a sleeve 6, a through slot 601, a spring 7, a sensor pressure plate 8, a pressure sensor 9, a switching assembly 10, and a retaining spring 11. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same modules are represented by the same reference numerals. In the case of the same reference numerals, their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, the detailed description thereof will not be repeated.

[0028] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and do not constitute a limitation of the present invention.

[0029] Combine the following Figures 1 to 7 The specific working mode of the present invention is described in detail:

[0030] like Figure 1 As shown, the flexible clamping and rotating device proposed in the present invention includes: a clamping sleeve 1, a spring 2, a center rod 3, a bearing 4, a linear bearing 5, a sleeve 6, a spring 7, a sensor pressure plate 8, a pressure sensor 9, an adapter assembly 10, and a retaining spring 11.

[0031] The clamping sleeve 1 is installed at one end of the central rod 3 to carry and fix the throat swab. Figure 6As shown, in order to facilitate the centering of the throat swab during clamping, the end of the clamping sleeve 1 close to the throat swab is in the shape of a hollow cone, and the inner hole diameter of the hollow cone is the same as the diameter of the rod of the throat swab. When the throat swab is close to the clamping sleeve 1, the rod of the throat swab first contacts the hollow cone, and when the throat swab continues to move, it will be guided by the inner wall of the hollow cone to the inner hole of the hollow cone, ensuring the convenience of centering when the throat swab is clamped. The clamping sleeve 1 is provided with a hole for installing the spring clip 2, and the size and number of the hole correspond to the spring clip 2. In an embodiment of the present invention, the clamping sleeve 1 and the center rod 3 are assembled together in an interference fit manner to ensure that the center rod 3 can drive the clamping sleeve 1 to rotate together.

[0032] The spring pieces 2 are installed in the clamping sleeve 1 to compress the throat swab. To ensure the centration and reliability of the clamping throat swab, in the axial direction of the clamping sleeve 1, the number of spring pieces 2 in a group is at least three, and the installation positions of all spring pieces 2 are collinear; in the radial direction of the clamping sleeve 1, the number of groups of spring pieces 2 is not less than three, and each group of spring pieces 2 is evenly distributed along the circumference.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, three spring pieces 2 are selected as one group, and there are three groups of spring pieces 2 in total. Each group of spring pieces 2 is evenly distributed at an angle of 120° in the radial direction of the clamping sleeve 1. In one embodiment of the present invention, the spring piece 2 is a ejector spring piece.

[0034] A portion of the center rod 3 is fixed in the sleeve 6 and passes through the linear bearing 5; the other portion extends out of the sleeve 6 and is connected to the clamping sleeve 1. The center rod 3 is used to transmit the contact force between the throat swab and the sampled part and drive the clamping sleeve 1 to rotate. Figure 4 As shown, a positioning key 301 is provided on one end of the center rod 3 near the spring 7, and the positioning key 301 is used to cooperate with the through groove 601 on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve 6 to ensure that the center rod 3 is driven to rotate simultaneously when the sleeve 6 rotates.

[0035] The bearing 4 is mounted on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve 6 and is constrained by the shaft shoulder on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve 6. In practical applications, the bearing 4 is mounted on an external component to carry a flexible clamping rotating device, and a suitable bearing 4 can be selected according to the size of the actual external component.

[0036] The linear bearing 5 is installed inside the sleeve 6, axially fixed by the retaining spring 11, and sleeved on the center rod 3. The linear bearing 5 is used to support and lubricate the center rod 3.

[0037] The sleeve 6 is used to carry various internal components and drive the central rod 3 to rotate. Figure 3As shown, the through groove 601 is provided on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve 6 near the end of the adapter assembly 10; the through groove 601 cooperates with the positioning key 301 on the center rod 3 to ensure that the center rod 3 rotates simultaneously when the sleeve 6 rotates. A shoulder for axially positioning the bearing 4 is provided on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve 6. A groove for fixing the retaining ring 11 is provided inside the sleeve 6.

[0038] The spring 7 is installed inside the sleeve 6 and is located between the central rod 3 and the sensor pressure plate 8. The spring 7 is used to buffer the movement impact of the central rod 3 to ensure that the throat swab is sampled gently. Figure 5 As shown, the spring 7 is constrained and fixed by the annular groove on the sensor pressure plate 8.

[0039] The sensor pressing plate 8 is installed inside the sleeve 6. It is used to transmit force and press the pressure sensor 9 onto the adapter assembly 10. An annular groove for fixing the spring 7 is formed at one end of the sensor pressing plate 8, and the size of the annular groove is the same as that of the spring 7.

[0040] The pressure sensor 9 is installed inside the sleeve 6 and is located between the sensor pressure plate 8 and the adapter assembly 10. The pressure sensor 9 is used to measure the contact pressure between the throat swab and the sampled part. The pressure sensor 9 is a thin film sensor. Figure 5 The pins of the pressure sensor 9 pass through the through holes on the adapter component 10, are connected to the external components, and transmit specific pressure data.

[0041] The adapter component 10 is installed at one end of the sleeve 6, and is used to connect with other external components and ensure the sealing of the sleeve 6. The adapter component 10 is provided with a through hole for the pins of the pressure sensor 9 to pass through.

[0042] The retaining spring 11 is installed in the inner groove of the sleeve 6 to fix the linear bearing 5 .

[0043] like Figure 7 As shown, the flexible clamping and rotating method proposed in the present invention uses the flexible clamping and rotating device proposed in the present invention, and includes the following steps:

[0044] S1. The throat swab is clamped on the clamping sleeve 1 manually or by a manipulator, and the stem of the throat swab is pressed and fixed by the spring 2;

[0045] S2, the flexible clamping rotating device drives the throat swab to rotate and move synchronously. When the throat swab contacts the sampled part, the spring 7 buffers the impact of the head of the throat swab on the sampled part and transmits the force to the pressure sensor 9;

[0046] S3. After receiving the force signal, the pressure sensor 9 transmits it to the external component. After receiving the force signal, the external component stops moving the flexible clamping rotating device, while keeping the flexible clamping rotating device to drive the throat swab to rotate. When the head of the throat swab rotates at the sampling site and the sampling is completed, the rotation is stopped and the flexible clamping rotating device is moved in the reverse direction to move the throat swab away from the sampling site to complete the throat swab sampling.

[0047] In summary, the present invention proposes a flexible clamping and rotating device and method. The present invention adopts the method of installing a spring piece 2 on the edge of a clamping sleeve 1 to clamp a pharyngeal swab. The clamping force is gentle, the centering and reliability are good, and the stem of the pharyngeal swab is effectively prevented from being broken or damaged during clamping; at the same time, when the pharyngeal swab encounters a large resistance when rotating in the oral cavity for sampling, the spring piece 2 and the pharyngeal swab will slide relative to each other, which reduces the discomfort of sampling to a certain extent; the present invention is internally provided with a spring 7 and a pressure sensor 9. When the pharyngeal swab contacts the sampled part during the sampling process, the spring 7 acts as a buffer, ensuring that the pharyngeal swab sampling is relatively gentle, and the sampled person has no obvious pain, which improves the comfort of pharyngeal swab sampling; at the same time, the pressure sensor 9 can feedback the changes in the pressure value in real time, which improves the safety of pharyngeal swab sampling.

[0048] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, without contradiction.

[0049] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. Those skilled in the art may change, modify, replace and modify the above embodiments within the scope of the present invention.

[0050] The above specific implementations of the present invention do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of the present invention. Any other corresponding changes and modifications made based on the technical concept of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A flexible clamping and rotating device, It is characterized in that include: A sleeve, an adapter assembly installed at one end of the sleeve for connecting to other external components, a bearing installed on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve, a center rod with a portion fixed in the sleeve and the other portion extending out of the sleeve for transmitting force, a linear bearing sleeved on the center rod for supporting and lubricating the center rod, a retaining spring for fixing the linear bearing, a pressure sensor and a sensor pressure plate for transmitting force and pressing the pressure sensor onto the adapter assembly are respectively installed in the sleeve, a spring for buffering the movement of the center rod is installed between the center rod and the sensor pressure plate, a clamping sleeve for carrying and fixing a pharyngeal swab is installed at one end of the center rod, a pin shrapnel for pressing the pharyngeal swab is installed in the clamping sleeve, a portion of the center rod is fixed in the sleeve and passes through the linear bearing, the other portion of the center rod extends out of the sleeve and is connected to the clamping sleeve, and a groove for fixing the retaining spring is provided inside the sleeve.

2. The flexible clamping and rotating device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A through groove is provided on the outer cylindrical surface of one end of the sleeve close to the adapter assembly; a positioning key is provided on one end of the center rod close to the spring; the positioning key cooperates with the through groove to ensure that the center rod is driven to rotate simultaneously when the sleeve rotates.

3. The flexible clamping and rotating device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that A shaft shoulder for axially positioning the bearing is provided on the outer cylindrical surface of the sleeve.

4. The flexible clamping and rotating device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that An annular groove for fixing the spring is provided at one end of the sensor pressing plate, and the size of the annular groove is the same as the size of the spring.

5. The flexible clamping and rotating device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The pressure sensor is a thin film sensor.

6. The flexible clamping and rotating device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that In the axial direction of the clamping sleeve, the number of the spring pieces in a group is at least 3, and the installation positions of all the spring pieces are collinear; in the radial direction of the clamping sleeve, the number of the spring pieces in a group is not less than 3, and the spring pieces in each group are evenly distributed along the circumference.

7. The flexible clamping and rotating device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that The adapter assembly is provided with a through hole for allowing the pins of the pressure sensor to pass through.

8. The flexible clamping and rotating device according to claim 1, It is characterized in that One end of the clamping sleeve close to the throat swab is in the shape of a hollow cone, and the inner hole diameter of the hollow cone is the same as the rod diameter of the throat swab.

9. A flexible clamping and rotating method, using the flexible clamping and rotating device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, It is characterized in that The following steps are involved: S1. The pharyngeal swab is clamped on the clamping sleeve manually or by a manipulator, and the stem of the pharyngeal swab is pressed and fixed by the spring sheet; S2, the flexible clamping rotating device drives the throat swab to rotate and move synchronously, and when the throat swab contacts the sampled part, the spring buffers the impact of the head of the throat swab on the sampled part and transmits the force to the pressure sensor; S3. After receiving the force signal, the pressure sensor stops moving the flexible clamping rotating device, while keeping the flexible clamping rotating device to drive the throat swab to rotate. When the head of the throat swab rotates around the sampled area and completes the sampling, the flexible clamping rotating device stops rotating and moves in the reverse direction to move the throat swab away from the sampled area to complete the throat swab sampling.

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