Swab sampling device and robot

Abstract

The application provides a swab sampling device and a manipulator comprising the same, the swab sampling device comprising a clamping device, a positioning device and a driving device for driving multi-degree-of-freedom movement of the positioning device; the clamping device is used for clamping the swab; the positioning device comprises a positioning part, the clamping device is arranged in the axial sliding mode along the positioning part; a pressure sensor is arranged on the end face opposite to the clamping device of the positioning part, and the pressure sensor is used for measuring the pressure of the clamping device; a buffer device is arranged on the end face opposite to the positioning part of the clamping device, and the buffer device is used for buffering the impact of the clamping device on the pressure sensor; the driving device comprises a first driving mechanism for driving the positioning part to move in a first direction, the first direction is the axial direction of the positioning part, and the first driving mechanism is used for adjusting the first movement distance based on the data of the pressure sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sampling device technology, and in particular to a swab sampling device and a robotic arm. Background Technology

[0002] Collecting tissue samples via swabs and using the collected tissues for bacterial culture or virus isolation is a commonly used diagnostic method for certain diseases, such as chronic pharyngitis, candidal pharyngitis, diphtheria, purulent tonsillitis, and acute pharyngitis. Currently, swab collection is done manually, resulting in low efficiency. Furthermore, for some infectious diseases, to avoid cross-infection, sampling personnel must wear protective equipment. On one hand, the throat is a relatively concentrated area for viruses, and the process of the subject breathing through their mouth easily generates a large number of droplets or aerosols, which can easily lead to cross-infection due to close contact between the sampling personnel and the subject. On the other hand, for highly infectious diseases, to reduce the spread of the epidemic, the large number of subjects and the high frequency of testing require sampling personnel to wear protective equipment for extended periods, leading to excessive workload. Moreover, variations in sampling skills among personnel, coupled with continuous fatigue, can easily affect the quality of the samples, resulting in false negatives and delaying patient treatment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To address the technical problem of low sampling efficiency caused by manual sampling swabs in the prior art, this invention provides a swab sampling device and a robotic arm.

[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, a swab sampling device is provided, including a clamping device, a positioning device, and a driving device for driving the positioning device to move in multiple degrees of freedom.

[0005] The clamping device is used to clamp the swab;

[0006] The positioning device includes a positioning part, and the clamping device is slidably disposed along the axial direction of the positioning part;

[0007] A pressure sensor is provided on the end face of the positioning part opposite to the clamping device, and the pressure sensor is used to measure the pressure of the clamping device;

[0008] A buffer device is provided on the end face of the clamping device opposite to the positioning part. The buffer device is used to buffer the impact of the clamping device on the pressure sensor.

[0009] The driving device includes a first driving mechanism for driving the positioning part to move along a first direction, the first direction being the axial direction of the positioning part, and the first driving mechanism is used to adjust a first movement distance based on data from the pressure sensor.

[0010] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the driving device further includes a second driving mechanism for driving the first driving mechanism to move along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction;

[0011] At least a portion of the first drive mechanism is fixedly mounted on the second drive mechanism.

[0012] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the driving device further includes a third driving mechanism for driving the positioning part to rotate, the third driving mechanism being fixedly disposed on the first driving mechanism, and the positioning part being fixedly disposed on the output shaft of the third driving mechanism.

[0013] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the first driving mechanism is a linear driving mechanism, the linear driving mechanism includes a gear and rack mechanism, the rack is fixedly disposed on the second driving mechanism, the gear seat is slidably disposed on the guide seat of the second driving mechanism, and the third driving mechanism is fixedly connected to the gear seat.

[0014] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the swab sampling device further includes a controller, wherein the first driving mechanism and the pressure sensor are both communicatively connected to the controller, and the controller is used to adjust the first movement distance after comparing the data of the pressure sensor with the position information of the first driving mechanism.

[0015] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the clamping device includes a clamping part and a guiding part. The clamping part clamps the end of the swab. The guiding part is disposed on the side of the clamping part opposite to the positioning device. The guiding part has a through hole for the swab to pass through. The through hole is a tapered hole. The opening of the through hole on the end face of the guiding part opposite to the clamping part is a first opening. The opening of the through hole on the end face of the guiding part near the clamping part is a second opening. The area of ​​the first opening is larger than the area of ​​the second opening.

[0016] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the swab sampling device further includes a monitoring camera, which is communicatively connected to the controller. The monitoring camera is used to collect image information of the target during the swab collection process. The controller is used to analyze and identify the collection area of ​​the target and control the movement of the driving device according to the image information. The monitoring camera is also used to record the sample collection process.

[0017] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the swab sampling device further includes a handheld structure disposed on the side opposite to the clamping device.

[0018] According to at least one embodiment of the present invention, the swab collection device further includes a protective shell, and the protective shell is provided with a sealing protective device at the front end of the clamping device, the sealing protective device having an opening for the swab to rotate and swing.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide a robotic arm, including a robotic arm and the above-mentioned swab sampling device, wherein the swab sampling device is further provided with a quick-change connector, and the swab sampling device is fixed to the robotic arm through the quick-change connector.

[0020] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: In use, the clamping device holds the swab, and the driving device drives the positioning part and the clamping device to move toward the subject. After the swab contacts the subject's tissue, the positioning part continues to move until the pressure sensor gives a stop signal, thus achieving automatic sampling with high sampling efficiency. Secondly, the first driving mechanism adjusts the movement distance of the swab through the pressure data of the clamping device collected by the pressure sensor, ensuring accurate sampling without harming the subject. Furthermore, the first driving mechanism, in conjunction with the buffer device, ensures that the swab contacts the subject with a small initial force, avoiding injury to the subject and impact on the pressure sensor. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and, together with the description thereof, serve to explain the principles of the invention. These drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a robotic arm according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a swab sampling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a swab sampling device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 The diagram shows a manual sampling process using the swab sampling device.

[0026] Reference numerals: 101-robotic arm; 102-collection device; 103-pharyngeal swab; 201-protective shell; 202-monitoring camera; 203-sealing protection device; 301-quick-change connector; 302-positioning part; 303-clamping part; 304-guide part; 305-buffering device; 306-pressure sensor; 307-third drive mechanism; 308-first drive mechanism; 309-second drive mechanism; 310-controller; 401-handheld device. Detailed Implementation

[0027] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings.

[0028] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this invention can be combined with each other. The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0029] According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a swab sampling device is provided, including a clamping device, a positioning device, and a driving device for driving the positioning device to move in multiple degrees of freedom; the clamping device is used to clamp a swab; the positioning device includes a positioning part 302, and the clamping device is slidably disposed along the axial direction of the positioning part 302; a pressure sensor 306 is provided on the end face of the positioning part 302 opposite to the clamping device, and the pressure sensor 306 is used to measure the pressure of the clamping device; a buffer device 305 is provided on the end face of the clamping device opposite to the positioning part 302, and the buffer device 305 is used to buffer the impact of the clamping device on the pressure sensor 306; the driving device includes a first driving mechanism 308 for driving the positioning part 302 to move in a first direction, the first direction being the axial direction of the positioning part 302, and the first driving mechanism 308 is used to adjust a first movement distance based on the data of the pressure sensor 306.

[0030] The clamping device can be slidably mounted on the positioning part using an existing sliding structure. For example, a linear rolling guide can be installed on the positioning part, and the clamping device can be fixed to the slider of the linear rolling guide. Alternatively, a groove can be formed axially on the end face of the positioning part facing the clamping device, and the pressure sensor can be fixed to the bottom of the groove, with the clamping device slidingly engaging with the groove. A buffer device is located between the pressure sensor and the clamping device.

[0031] The clamping device can be existing technology such as a gripper cylinder, or other existing clamping mechanisms, such as a spring-loaded block structure. Specifically, the clamping device may include a clamping block with a clamping groove. At least one of the opposite side walls of the clamping groove is provided with an elastic block, thereby applying a clamping force through the elastic block to clamp the swab's rod.

[0032] In this embodiment, the clamping device includes a clamping part 303 and a guide part 304. The clamping part 303 clamps the end of the swab, and the guide part 304 is located on the side of the clamping part 303 away from the positioning device. The guide part 304 has a through hole for the swab to pass through. The through hole is a tapered hole. The opening of the through hole on the end face of the guide part 304 away from the clamping part 303 is a first opening, and the opening of the through hole on the end face of the guide part 304 near the clamping part 303 is a second opening. The area of ​​the first opening is larger than the area of ​​the second opening. In a specific embodiment, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the clamping part 303 is a block body one, and the guiding part 304 is a block body two. Block body one and block body two are connected. Block body one can have a hole adapted to the end of the swab. The side wall of the hole can be provided with a spring piece, so that the end of the swab can be clamped by the elastic force of the spring piece. Block body two can have the conical hole. The second opening of the conical hole can be slightly larger than or equal to the diameter of the hole of block body one, so as to guide the end of the swab into the hole of block body one.

[0033] The pressure sensor 306 can be fixed to the positioning part 302 or to the clamping device. For ease of wiring, the pressure sensor 306 can be fixed to the positioning part 302. When the first drive mechanism 308 drives the clamping device and the swab held by the clamping device to move into the mouth, the clamping device encounters resistance and moves towards the positioning part 302, thereby allowing the pressure sensor 306 to obtain a pressure signal, which serves as a signal that the swab has come into contact with the pharyngeal tissue.

[0034] The buffer device 305 can be an elastic buffer component such as a spring or rubber pad, as is available in the prior art. In this embodiment, the buffer device 305 is a cylindrical helical compression spring. The positioning part 302 has a groove facing the end face of the clamping device. The pressure sensor 306 is fixed to the bottom of the groove. The clamping device slides in conjunction with the groove. The two ends of the cylindrical helical compression spring abut against the pressure sensor 306 and the clamping device, respectively. The buffer device 305 is used to buffer the impact on the pressure sensor 306 when the clamping device is compressed, and can reduce the contact force between the swab and the subject, avoiding injury to the human body.

[0035] In one embodiment, the driving device may further include a second driving mechanism 309 for driving the first driving mechanism 308 to move along a second direction, the second direction being perpendicular to the first direction; at least a portion of the first driving mechanism 308 is fixedly mounted on the second driving mechanism 309. It should be noted here that the first direction refers to... Figure 2 or Figure 3The axial direction of the swab is horizontal, and the second direction refers to the horizontal direction perpendicular to the axial direction. By setting a second drive mechanism 309, in conjunction with the first drive mechanism 308, the reciprocating rubbing motion of the sampling personnel's hand is simulated, thereby improving the sampling success rate. Furthermore, the drive device may also include a third drive mechanism 307 for driving the positioning part 302 to rotate. The third drive mechanism 307 is fixedly mounted on the first drive mechanism 308, and the positioning part 302 is fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the third drive mechanism 307. The third drive mechanism 307 increases the rotational freedom of the swab. When the swab contacts the subject, its rotation increases the contact area between the swab and the subject's sampling position, greatly improving the sampling success rate and compensating for the difficulty in rotating the sampling personnel's wrists for sampling.

[0036] Both the first drive mechanism 308 and the second drive mechanism 309 can be servo electric cylinders or servo motor screw structures. The third drive mechanism 307 can be a servo motor. The motor mount of the third drive mechanism 307 can be fixed on the piston rod of the first drive mechanism 308. The output shaft of the third drive mechanism 307 is fixedly connected to the positioning part.

[0037] In this embodiment, the first drive mechanism 308 is a linear drive mechanism, which includes a rack and pinion mechanism. The rack is fixedly mounted on the second drive mechanism 309, and the gear seat is slidably mounted on the guide seat of the second drive mechanism 309. The third drive mechanism 307 is fixedly connected to the gear seat. Obviously, the second drive mechanism 309 can also be the linear drive mechanism described above.

[0038] In other embodiments, the first drive mechanism 308 and the second drive mechanism 309 can both be linear motors, servo electric cylinders, electric slides, slide cylinders, etc. Specifically, the cylinder body of the first drive mechanism 308 can be fixed to the piston rod or slide of the second drive mechanism 309; and the third drive mechanism 307 can be fixed to the piston rod or slide of the first drive mechanism.

[0039] In one embodiment, the swab sampling device may further include a controller 310, with the first drive mechanism 308 and the pressure sensor 306 both communicatively connected to the controller 310. The controller 310 is used to adjust the first movement distance after comparing the data from the pressure sensor 306 with the position information of the first drive mechanism 308.

[0040] In one embodiment, the swab sampling device may further include a monitoring camera 202, which is communicatively connected to a controller 310. The monitoring camera 202 is used to collect image information of the target during the swab collection process, and the controller 310 is used to analyze and identify the collection area of ​​the target and control the movement of the drive device based on the image information. The monitoring camera 202 is also used to record the sample collection process. By identifying the effective collection area and confirming the validity of sample collection through the monitoring camera 202 and the pressure sensor 306, the objectivity of the sampling personnel's evaluation is compensated for, and the success rate of a single sampling is improved. Secondly, the monitoring camera and pressure sensor can upload the collection information to the background management system in real time for monitoring, which can effectively avoid irregular self-testing and cheating, and greatly reduce the pressure on the sample collection point.

[0041] The specific process of sampling using this swab sampling device is as follows:

[0042] The controller 310 controls the first drive mechanism 308 to drive the third drive mechanism 309, the positioning part 302, and the clamping device to move towards the subject. After the swab held by the clamping device contacts the sampling site of the subject, the positioning part 302 and the third drive mechanism 309 continue to move, compressing the buffer device 305. After the clamping device contacts the pressure sensor 306, the pressure sensor 306 begins to test the magnitude of the contact force between the swab and the sampling site, and simultaneously feeds back the contact force data to the controller 310. The controller 310 compares the collected pressure data with the position information of the first drive mechanism 308, and then uses a PID controller to... The controller 310 adjusts and controls the first drive mechanism 308, thereby driving the swab forward and backward, adjusting the pressure value between the swab and the sampling site, and stopping the first drive mechanism 308. Furthermore, the controller 310 can send the collected pressure value and the position information of the first drive mechanism 308 to the host computer via RS-485 communication or other communication methods for data reading and storage, realizing the real-time status acquisition of the first drive mechanism 308. Then, the controller 310 controls the second drive mechanism 307 and the third drive mechanism 309 to scrape against the sampling site, achieving sample collection. In other words, the first drive mechanism 308 provides the swab feed degree of freedom, the second drive mechanism 309 provides the swab scraping degree of freedom, and the third drive mechanism 307 provides the swab rotation degree of freedom, simulating the small, precise movements of the sampler's hand and wrist during sampling to complete the sampling work.

[0043] In one embodiment, the swab sampling device may further include a handheld structure located on the side opposite to the clamping device, thereby facilitating operation by the sampler. The handheld structure may be an existing structure such as a handle. Figure 4As shown, the sampler or subject can hold the swab sampling device through the handheld structure, and then move the swab collection device to the mouth with their hand. After activation, the sampling work can be completed.

[0044] In one embodiment, the swab collection device 102 may further include a protective shell 201, the protective shell 201 having a sealing protective device 203 at the front end of the clamping device, the sealing protective device 203 having an opening for the swab to rotate and swing. Specifically, as shown... Figure 3 As shown, the front half of the protective shell 201 is a tubular body. The positioning part 302 and the clamping device are both located inside the tubular body. The sealing and protective device 203 can be a rubber cap, which is fastened to the front end of the tubular body. The rubber cap has an elongated hole corresponding to the conical hole, allowing the swab to enter the conical hole. The rubber cap can be made of elastic materials such as polyurethane.

[0045] This invention also provides a robotic arm, including a robotic arm 101 and the swab sampling device described above. The swab sampling device is further equipped with a quick-connect connector 301, which is fixed to the robotic arm 101. This achieves automated sampling, effectively reducing the workload of sampling personnel, and realizing physical isolation between sampling personnel and subjects, thus reducing the risk of infection. By setting the quick-connect connector 301, another swab sampling device can be quickly replaced when the swab collection device malfunctions, saving time and improving collection efficiency. The quick-connect connector 301 can adopt existing technology, such as quick-connect connectors from ATI. The robotic arm 101 is used to simulate the large-range movements of the sampling personnel's arm when completing sampling, such as picking up the swab and placing the swab into the sample tube. The swab collection device is used to simulate the small-range, more delicate movements of the sampling personnel's hand and wrist when completing sampling, such as pressing the tongue and dipping the sample, reducing the psychological fear of subjects when facing the large-range movements of the robotic arm 101 for sampling, and improving the safety of sampling.

[0046] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment / mode," "some embodiments / modes," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment / mode or example is included in at least one embodiment / mode or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment / mode or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments / modes or examples. Furthermore, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments / modes or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments / modes or examples.

[0047] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0048] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above embodiments are merely for illustrating the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make other changes or modifications based on the above disclosure, and these changes or modifications still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A swab sampling device, characterized in that, It includes a clamping device, a positioning device, and a driving device for driving the positioning device to move in multiple degrees of freedom; The clamping device is used to clamp the swab; The positioning device includes a positioning part, and the clamping device is slidably disposed along the axial direction of the positioning part; A pressure sensor is provided on the end face of the positioning part opposite to the clamping device, and the pressure sensor is used to measure the pressure of the clamping device; A buffer device is provided on the end face of the clamping device opposite to the positioning part. The buffer device is used to buffer the impact of the clamping device on the pressure sensor. The driving device includes a first driving mechanism for driving the positioning part to move along a first direction, the first direction being the axial direction of the positioning part, and the first driving mechanism is used to adjust a first movement distance based on the data of the pressure sensor. The driving device further includes a second driving mechanism for driving the first driving mechanism to move along a second direction, wherein the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction; At least a portion of the first drive mechanism is fixedly mounted on the second drive mechanism; The driving device further includes a third driving mechanism for driving the positioning part to rotate. The third driving mechanism is fixedly mounted on the first driving mechanism, and the positioning part is fixedly mounted on the output shaft of the third driving mechanism. The clamping device includes a clamping part and a guiding part. The clamping part clamps the end of the swab. The guiding part is located on the side of the clamping part away from the positioning device. The guiding part has a through hole for the swab to pass through. The through hole is a tapered hole. The opening of the through hole on the end face of the guiding part away from the clamping part is a first opening. The opening of the through hole on the end face of the guiding part near the clamping part is a second opening. The area of ​​the first opening is larger than the area of ​​the second opening.

2. The swab sampling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first driving mechanism is a linear driving mechanism, which includes a gear and rack mechanism. The rack is fixedly mounted on the second driving mechanism, and the gear seat is slidably mounted on the guide seat of the second driving mechanism. The third driving mechanism is fixedly connected to the gear seat.

3. The swab sampling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The swab sampling device also includes a controller, and the first drive mechanism and the pressure sensor are both communicatively connected to the controller. The controller is used to adjust the first movement distance after comparing the data from the pressure sensor with the position information of the first drive mechanism.

4. The swab sampling device as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The swab sampling device also includes a monitoring camera, which is communicatively connected to the controller. The monitoring camera is used to collect image information of the target during the swab collection process. The controller is used to analyze and identify the collection area of ​​the target and control the movement of the drive device according to the image information. The monitoring camera is also used to record the sample collection process.

5. The swab sampling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The swab sampling device also includes a handheld structure located on the side opposite to the clamping device.

6. The swab sampling device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The swab collection device also includes a protective shell, and the protective shell is provided with a sealing protection device at the front end of the clamping device. The sealing protection device has an opening for the swab to rotate and swing.

7. A robotic arm, characterized in that, The device includes a robotic arm and a swab sampling device as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the swab sampling device is further provided with a quick-change connector and the swab sampling device is fixed to the robotic arm via the quick-change connector.

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