Throat swab feeding machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a throat swab feeder, in which a plurality of throat swabs are sequentially arranged in an elongated packaging strip, and the throat swab feeder comprises a stripping mechanism, a feeding mechanism and a driving mechanism for driving the packaging strip to move in the feeding mechanism; the running direction of the throat swab in the feeding mechanism is a first direction; the driving mechanism comprises a first guiding device; along the first direction, the first guiding device is arranged behind the stripping mechanism; the first guiding device is used to move the throat swab forward along the first direction and move the packaging strip along the second direction; the stripping mechanism is arranged between the feeding mechanism and the first guiding device, and the stripping mechanism is used to cut the packaging strip; the throat swab feeder also comprises a discharging mechanism arranged behind the first guiding device along the first direction; the discharging mechanism has a through hole for the throat swab to pass through, and the discharging mechanism also comprises a centering device, which is a tapered hole connected to the through hole.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of auxiliary equipment, and in particular to a throat swab feeder. Background Art

[0002] Throat swab sampling is currently an important means of detecting and diagnosing pathogens of respiratory diseases. Throat swab collection has become the most effective and rapid method for timely diagnosis and rapid control of the spread of the virus, and has played an irreplaceable role. The medium required for the throat swab collection process is generally a medical sterile throat swab. Medical staff use throat swabs to scrape a small amount of samples from the posterior pharyngeal wall of the mouth for nucleic acid testing. At present, throat swabs are placed in sterile bags. When used, medical staff need to manually tear open the packaging bag to take out the throat swab, which is very inconvenient. Summary of the invention

[0003] In order to solve at least one of the above technical problems, the present invention provides a throat swab feeder.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a throat swab feeder, a plurality of throat swabs are sequentially arranged in an elongated packaging strip, the throat swab feeder comprising a stripping mechanism, a feeding mechanism, and a driving mechanism for driving the packaging strip to move in the feeding mechanism;

[0005] The running direction of the throat swab in the feeding mechanism is a first direction;

[0006] Along the first direction, the driving mechanism includes a first guide device arranged behind the feeding mechanism;

[0007] The first guiding device is used to move the throat swab forward along the first direction and move the packaging strip along the second direction;

[0008] The stripping mechanism is arranged between the feeding mechanism and the first guiding device, and the stripping mechanism is used for cutting the packaging strip.

[0009] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the throat swab feeder further comprises a discharging mechanism arranged behind the first guide device along the first direction;

[0010] The discharging mechanism has a through hole for the throat swab to pass through, and the discharging mechanism also includes a centering device, which is a tapered hole connected to the through hole, and the opening of the tapered hole is opposite to the throat swab on the first guide device.

[0011] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the throat swab feeder further includes a controller;

[0012] The discharging mechanism also includes a sensor device, which is used to sense the throat swab. Based on the signal of the sensor device, when the packaging strip is being cut, the controller is used to control the cutting length of the packaging strip.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the first guide device and the discharging mechanism, and the distance between the first guide device and the feeding mechanism are both smaller than the length of the throat swab.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the peeling mechanism has a first position and a second position;

[0015] When the pharyngeal swab feeder is working, the stripping mechanism is in a first position for cutting the packaging strip;

[0016] When the throat swab feeder is loading, the stripping mechanism is in the second position, which is used to move the packaging strip from the feeding mechanism to the first guide mechanism.

[0017] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the feeding mechanism is a pipe structure for the packaging strip to pass through, or,

[0018] The feeding mechanism is at least one pair of rollers, and a channel for the packaging strip to pass through is provided between the two rollers of each pair of rollers.

[0019] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the driving mechanism further comprises a motor, the first guide device is a first guide wheel, and the motor is used to move the packaging strip on the first guide wheel along the second direction.

[0020] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the throat swab feeder also includes a shell, and the stripping mechanism, the feeding mechanism and the discharging mechanism are all arranged in the shell. A disinfection device is provided in the shell, and the disinfection device is used to disinfect the space inside the shell.

[0021] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, a sensor is provided on the door of the housing, and the sensor is communicatively connected with the controller;

[0022] When the door is opened, the controller is used to control the disinfection device to be closed and the driving mechanism to be powered off;

[0023] When the door is closed, the controller is used to control the disinfection device to start and the drive mechanism to be energized.

[0024] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the drive mechanism also includes a winding roller connected to the motor, and the winding roller is used to wind the packaging strip; or the drive mechanism includes a pair of guide rollers connected to the motor, and the pair of guide rollers are used to transport the packaging strip to the outside of the shell.

[0025] The beneficial effects of the present invention are: the packaging strip is fed into the stripping mechanism through the feeding mechanism, the stripping mechanism cuts the packaging strip to leak out the throat swab, the driving mechanism then separates the throat swab from the cut packaging strip, and sends out the throat swab, which is convenient for medical staff to take and improves the efficiency of throat swab collection. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the present invention. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.

[0027] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a throat swab feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 2 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a throat swab feeder according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the throat swab feeder from another perspective according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure numerals: 1-housing; 2-roller; 3-door; 4-peeling component; 5-feeding port; 6-waste outlet; 7-sensor; 8-discharging mechanism; 9-discharging port; 10-centering device; 11-sensing device; 12-first guide wheel; 13-sterilizing device; 14-packaging strip; 15-guide roller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and implementations. It is to be understood that the specific implementations described herein are only used to explain the relevant content, rather than to limit the present invention. It is also necessary to explain that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0032] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features of the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.

[0033] like Figures 1 to 3As shown, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a throat swab feeder is provided, and a plurality of throat swabs are arranged in sequence in an elongated packaging strip 14, and the throat swab feeder comprises a stripping mechanism, a feeding mechanism and a driving mechanism for driving the packaging strip 14 to move in the feeding mechanism; the running direction of the throat swab in the feeding mechanism is a first direction; along the first direction, the driving mechanism comprises a first guide device arranged behind the feeding mechanism; the first guide device is used to move the throat swab forward along the first direction and move the packaging strip 14 along the second direction; the stripping mechanism is arranged between the feeding mechanism and the first guide device, and the stripping mechanism is used to cut the packaging strip 14.

[0034] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the feeding mechanism may be a pipe structure for the packaging strip 14 to pass through, or, as Figure 1 As shown, the feeding mechanism may be at least one pair of rollers 2, and a passage for the packaging strip 14 to pass through is provided between the two rollers 2 of each pair of rollers 2. Each pair of rollers 2 may be connected by a gear pair, and one of the rollers 2 may be driven to rotate by a driving motor; or multiple pairs of rollers 2 may be connected by a gear pair, and any one of the rollers 2 may be driven to rotate by a driving motor. It is understood that an idler wheel is provided between the two pairs of rollers 2 to ensure that the conveying direction of each pair of rollers 2 is the first direction, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0035] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the first guide device may be a first guide wheel 12, and the driving mechanism may include a motor, which is used to move the packaging strip 14 on the first guide wheel 12 along the second direction; the motor may directly drive the first guide wheel 12 to rotate;

[0036] Alternatively, the first guide wheel 12 is only arranged to rotate, and the motor directly winds the cut packaging strip 14. Specifically, the driving mechanism may further include a winding roller connected to the motor, the motor drives the winding roller to rotate, and the winding roller is used to wind the packaging strip 14.

[0037] Alternatively, the driving mechanism may further include a pair of guide rollers 15 connected to the motor, the pair of guide rollers 15 being used to convey the packaging strip 14 to the outside of the housing 1. Specifically, the cut packaging strip 14 is inserted between the pair of guide rollers 15 connected to the motor through the first guide wheel 12, and the motor drives the guide rollers 15 to rotate in opposite directions, thereby conveying the packaging strip 14 out. It can be understood that Figure 1 As shown, the rotation directions of a pair of guide rollers 15 connected to the motor are opposite. For example, the guide rollers 15 can be connected through a gear pair.

[0038] Several specific structural forms of the driving mechanism are listed above. Obviously, the driving mechanism of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned specific structures, as long as the driving mechanism can realize the function of pulling the packaging strip 14 on the side of the stripping mechanism away from the feeding mechanism.

[0039] like Figure 1 As shown, the peeling mechanism may include a peeling component 4, which is arranged between the feeding mechanism and the first guide wheel 12, and extends below the packaging strip 14, so that when the packaging strip 14 moves along the first direction, the peeling component 4 cuts the packaging strip 14.

[0040] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the stripping mechanism has a first position and a second position; when the throat swab feeder is working, the stripping mechanism is in the first position for cutting the packaging strip 14; when the throat swab feeder is loading, the stripping mechanism is in the second position for moving the packaging strip 14 from the feeding mechanism to the first guide mechanism. The stripping mechanism can have the first position and the second position through the existing slide structure. Specifically, the stripping component 4 is connected to the slider of the slide. When loading the material initially, the stripping component 4 is moved up to facilitate loading; at the same time, it is convenient to replace the stripping component 4 and adjust the upper and lower positions of the stripping component 4.

[0041] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 1 As shown, the pharyngeal swab feeder further includes a discharging mechanism 8 arranged behind the first guide device along the first direction; the discharging mechanism 8 has a through hole for the pharyngeal swab to pass through, and the discharging mechanism 8 further includes a centering device 10, which is a tapered hole connected to the through hole, and the opening of the tapered hole is opposite to the pharyngeal swab on the first guide device. The pharyngeal swab is guided to the through hole through the tapered hole and then sent out through the through hole, which is convenient for taking and placing.

[0042] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the first guide device and the discharge mechanism 8, and the distance between the first guide device and the feeding mechanism are both smaller than the length of the pharyngeal swab.

[0043] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the throat swab feeder further includes a controller; the discharging mechanism 8 further includes a sensor device 11, the sensor device 11 is used to sense the throat swab, and based on the signal of the sensor device 11, when the packaging strip 14 is in cutting, the controller is used to control the cutting length of the packaging strip 14. The controller can be a PLC, a single-chip microcomputer, or a control circuit that can achieve the control purpose of the present invention; the sensor device 11 can be an existing sensor such as an optical fiber sensor, a laser sensor, etc., as long as it can sense the throat swab, so that the sensor device 11 can sense whether the throat swab is taken away, and then the operation of sending out the next throat swab is performed, without the need to add additional buttons to control the throat swab sending operation, simplifying the operation and facilitating the use of medical staff.

[0044] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the throat swab feeder may further include a shell 1 , in which a stripping mechanism, a feeding mechanism and a discharging mechanism 8 are all arranged. A disinfection device 13 is arranged in the shell 1 , and the disinfection device 13 is used to disinfect the space inside the shell 1 .

[0045] like Figure 2 and 3 As shown, a feed port 5 and a waste outlet 6 are respectively provided on one side of the shell 1, and a discharge port 9 is provided on the other side of the shell 1. The packaging strip 14 enters the shell 1 from the feed port 5, the throat swab is delivered from the discharge port 9, and the cut packaging strip 14 is delivered from the waste outlet 6.

[0046] According to one embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 As shown, a sensor 7 is provided on the door 3 of the shell 1, and the sensor 7 is in communication connection with the controller; when the door 3 is opened, the controller is used to control the disinfection device 13 to be closed and the driving mechanism to be powered off; when the door 3 is closed, the controller is used to control the disinfection device 13 to be opened and the driving mechanism to be powered on, which is safer and more reliable.

[0047] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment / method", "some embodiments / methods", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment / method or example are included in at least one embodiment / method or example of the present application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / method or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments / methods or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments / methods or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments / methods or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0048] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of this application, the meaning of "plurality" is at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0049] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments are only for the purpose of clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other changes or modifications may be made based on the above disclosure, and these changes or modifications are still within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A throat swab feeder, characterized in that: A plurality of the pharyngeal swabs are sequentially arranged in an elongated packaging strip (14), and the pharyngeal swab feeder comprises a stripping mechanism, a feeding mechanism, and a driving mechanism for driving the packaging strip (14) to move in the feeding mechanism; The running direction of the throat swab in the feeding mechanism is a first direction; Along the first direction, the driving mechanism includes a first guide device arranged behind the feeding mechanism; The first guiding device is used to move the throat swab forward along the first direction and move the packaging strip (14) along the second direction; The stripping mechanism is arranged between the feeding mechanism and the first guide device, and is used to cut the packaging strip (14). The stripping mechanism has a first position and a second position. When the throat swab feeder is working, the stripping mechanism is in the first position and is used to cut the packaging strip (14). When the throat swab feeder is loading, the stripping mechanism is in the second position and is used to move the packaging strip (14) from the feeding mechanism to the first guide device. The driving mechanism further comprises a motor, the first guide device is a first guide wheel (12), and the motor is used to move the packaging strip (14) on the first guide wheel (12) along the second direction; The pharyngeal swab feeder further comprises a discharging mechanism (8) arranged behind the first guide device along the first direction; The discharge mechanism (8) has a through hole for the throat swab to pass through, and the discharge mechanism (8) further comprises a centering device (10), wherein the centering device (10) is a tapered hole connected to the through hole, and the opening of the tapered hole is opposite to the throat swab on the first guide device; The pharyngeal swab feeder further comprises a controller, and the discharging mechanism (8) further comprises a sensor device (11), wherein the sensor device (11) is used to sense the pharyngeal swab, and based on a signal from the sensor device (11), when the packaging strip (14) is being cut, the controller is used to control the cutting length of the packaging strip (14); The pharyngeal swab feeder further comprises a housing (1), wherein the stripping mechanism, the feeding mechanism and the discharging mechanism (8) are all arranged in the housing (1), wherein a disinfection device (13) is arranged in the housing (1), and wherein the disinfection device (13) is used to disinfect the space in the housing (1); a sensor (7) is arranged on the door (3) of the housing (1), and the sensor (7) is in communication connection with the controller; when the door (3) is opened, the controller is used to control the disinfection device (13) to be closed and the drive mechanism to be powered off; and when the door (3) is closed, the controller is used to control the disinfection device (13) to be opened and the drive mechanism to be powered on.

2. The throat swab feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the first guide device and the discharge mechanism (8), and the distance between the first guide device and the feeding mechanism are both smaller than the length of the pharyngeal swab.

3. The throat swab feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding mechanism is a pipeline structure for the packaging strip (14) to pass through, or The feeding mechanism is at least one pair of rollers (2), and a channel for the packaging strip (14) to pass through is provided between the two rollers (2) of each pair of rollers (2).

4. The throat swab feeder according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism further comprises a winding roller connected to the motor, the winding roller being used to wind up the packaging strip (14); or the driving mechanism comprises a pair of guide rollers (15) connected to the motor, the pair of guide rollers (15) being used to convey the packaging strip (14) to the outside of the housing (1).

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