Pharyngeal swab collection device

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic sampling manipulators, and provides throat swab collecting equipment which comprises a shell part, a tongue pressing cylinder, an image vision system, a flexible actuator and a swing arm driving system. The tongue pressing cylinder is detachably arranged at the head end of the shell part; the image vision system is arranged in the shell part and can perform image vision acquisition on the oral cavity when the tongue pressing cylinder is in an open state; the flexible actuator is arranged in the shell part and is used for flexibly clamping the swab; the swing arm driving system is arranged in the shell part and is in transmission connection with the flexible actuator; the swing arm driving system can drive the flexible actuator so as to drive the swab to swing in all directions, rotate around the swab and move front and back relative to the shell part. According to the throat swab collecting equipment, a collected person can complete oral swab collecting work by himself / herself, the collecting process is automatically completed, the collecting process is safe and reliable, the collected person is high in comfort, and the whole process does not need participation of medical staff.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of automatic sampling machinery, and in particular to a throat swab collection device. Background Art

[0002] Sampling and testing of oral pharyngeal swabs has become a routine and mature detection method for nucleic acid sampling of viruses such as influenza. In the existing technology, pharyngeal swab sampling mainly relies on manual sampling by medical staff. This conventional manual sampling method, in addition to the inconsistent collection strength and quality of different medical staff, is likely to cause errors and misdiagnosis in nucleic acid sampling, and also has a certain risk of infection to the health of medical staff.

[0003] There are also mechanical equipment in the prior art that can be used for automatic sampling of throat swabs, but the existing automatic sampling equipment is large in size, and its use site is severely limited. In addition, the force feedback required during the collection process has poor accuracy, and it is difficult to provide baseline force feedback during the collection process. The actual use experience of the person being collected is not comfortable.

[0004] In view of this, there is an urgent need on the market for a convenient sampling device that can accurately provide process force feedback, so as to solve the problems of the existing automatic throat swab sampling equipment, such as large equipment size, limited use site, and discomfort for the person being collected. Summary of the invention

[0005] The disclosed embodiment provides a throat swab collection device to solve the problem that the throat swab automatic sampling device in the prior art is large in size and easily causes discomfort to the person being collected.

[0006] The throat swab collection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a housing, a tongue depressor, an image vision system, a flexible actuator and a swing arm drive system;

[0007] The tongue depressor is detachably arranged at the head end of the housing;

[0008] The image visual system is arranged inside the housing and is capable of collecting images of the oral cavity when the tongue depressor is in an open state;

[0009] The flexible actuator is arranged inside the housing and is used for flexibly clamping the swab;

[0010] The swing arm driving system is arranged inside the housing and is drivingly connected to the flexible actuator;

[0011] The swing arm driving system can drive the flexible actuator to drive the swab to swing in all directions, rotate around itself, and move forward and backward relative to the housing.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the flexible actuator includes a mounting housing, a pressure sensor, and a flexible spring;

[0013] One end of the mounting sleeve is provided with a clamping opening for clamping the swab, and the other end is provided with a mounting bearing;

[0014] The pressure sensor is arranged in the installation housing and connected to the swab through a connecting assembly;

[0015] One end of the flexible spring is connected to the inner bottom of the mounting housing, and the other end is connected to the pressure sensor;

[0016] Wherein, the swab can correspondingly squeeze the pressure sensor and the flexible spring when wiping, and at least partially shrink toward the mounting housing.

[0017] In one embodiment, the connection assembly includes a swab sleeve, a first flexible locking rod, a second flexible locking rod and a connection boss;

[0018] The swab shaft sleeve is correspondingly sleeved on the clamping rod end of the swab;

[0019] The first flexible clamping rod is inserted into the clamping rod end of the swab along the radial direction;

[0020] The second flexible locking rod is arranged at a corresponding interval with the first flexible locking rod, and is plugged and connected to one end of the pressure sensor facing the swab;

[0021] The connecting boss is installed and connected to the first flexible locking rod and the second flexible locking rod respectively.

[0022] In one possible implementation manner, the mounting sleeve is further provided with a flexible gasket in the clamping opening;

[0023] The swab shaft sleeve is correspondingly plug-fitted and clamped in the flexible gasket, and a raised stop edge is formed on the top end.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the swing arm drive system includes a rack mounting frame, a moving part and a swing head;

[0025] The rack mounting frame is arranged inside the housing member along the length direction and is provided with a transmission rack;

[0026] The moving member is meshed with the transmission rack;

[0027] The swing head is connected to the moving part through a plurality of traction swing arms;

[0028] Wherein, the swing head is movably connected to the flexible actuator by means of a mounting bearing;

[0029] The moving part can drive the swing head to move back and forth along the transmission rack;

[0030] The plurality of traction swing arms can coordinately pull the swing head to tilt and swing, so as to drive the swab to swing in various directions.

[0031] In one possible implementation, the moving part further includes a plurality of pulleys wound around its outer periphery;

[0032] The pulley is in rolling contact with a rubber gasket on the inner peripheral wall of the housing.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the image vision system includes an annular surface light source and a vision camera;

[0034] The annular surface light source is correspondingly arranged on the inner peripheral wall of the shell member close to one end of the tongue depressor;

[0035] At least two visual cameras are arranged around the inner peripheral wall of the housing at intervals;

[0036] Wherein, at least two of the visual cameras are arranged to be inclined with respect to each other and have a visual intersection point facing the front end of the tongue depressor.

[0037] In one embodiment, the tongue depressor is further provided with a biting groove at one end close to the housing;

[0038] Furthermore, the biting groove can be clamped on the shell part during biting.

[0039] In one embodiment, a touch switch is further provided at the connection end between the housing and the tongue depressor;

[0040] When the tongue depressor is detachably mounted on the connecting end of the tongue depressor, the touch-pressure switch can be triggered accordingly.

[0041] In one possible implementation manner, the housing is further provided with a loudspeaker for announcing its own working status;

[0042] The outside of the shell is also connected with an industrial controller for controlling its own working state and a driving motor for providing power.

[0043] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure has the following advantages:

[0044] The throat swab collection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can enable the person being collected to complete the oral swab collection work by themselves. The collection process is completed independently by the throat swab collection device, and the collection process is safe and reliable, the person being collected is highly comfortable, and no medical staff is required to participate in the whole process. The promotion and application of the throat swab collection device can free medical workers from the heavy collection work and avoid the risk of virus infection caused by flying liquid during manual swab collection.

[0045] The pharyngeal swab collection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can also effectively solve the problem of identifying the spatial position of the posterior pharyngeal wall. Through the shooting of the binocular vision camera in the image vision system and the real-time processing of the deep learning vision algorithm, it can ensure that the spatial position of the posterior pharyngeal wall can be automatically and accurately identified. This position is the designated position that the end of the swab needs to reach for collection.

[0046] The throat swab collection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can also solve the problem of excessive pressure during the robot collection process causing harm to the person being collected. The flexible actuator therein can adaptively and flexibly retract when the swab is wiping the posterior pharyngeal wall for collection, thereby ensuring the safety and comfort of the person being collected. The pressure sensor in the flexible actuator can detect and feedback the collection force, so that the swing arm drive system can adapt to adjust the relative positions of the swab and the flexible actuator in the oral cavity, thereby making the pressure of the swab more stable and safer.

[0047] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily understood by reading the detailed description below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in an exemplary and non-limiting manner, in which:

[0049] In the drawings, the same or corresponding reference numerals represent the same or corresponding parts.

[0050] Figure 1 A half-section diagram of a throat swab collection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0051] Figure 2 A stereoscopic diagram of a throat swab collection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0052] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a throat swab collection device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0053] Figure 4A diagram showing the use of a throat swab collection device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0054] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the operation flow of the throat swab collection device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0055] Explanation of the reference numerals in the figure: 1, housing; 11, rubber gasket; 12, touch switch; 13, speaker; 14, industrial controller; 15, drive motor;

[0056] 2. Tongue depressor; 21. Bite and pressure groove;

[0057] 3. Image vision system; 31. Annular surface light source; 32. Visual camera;

[0058] 4. Flexible actuator; 41. Mounting housing; 411. Mounting bearing; 412. Flexible gasket; 42. Pressure sensor; 43. Connecting assembly; 431. Swab sleeve; 432. First flexible positioning rod; 433. Second flexible positioning rod; 434. Connecting boss; 44. Flexible spring;

[0059] 5. Swing arm drive system; 51. Rack mounting frame; 511. Transmission rack; 52. Moving parts; 521. Pulley; 53. Swing head; 531. Traction swing arm;

[0060] 6. Swab. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0061] In order to make the purpose, features, and advantages of the present disclosure more obvious and easy to understand, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0062] The embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a throat swab collection device, which includes a shell 1, a tongue depressor 2, an image vision system 3, a flexible actuator 4 and a swing arm drive system 5; the tongue depressor 2 is detachably arranged at the head end of the shell 1; the image vision system 3 is arranged inside the shell 1, and can perform image vision collection of the oral cavity when the tongue depressor 2 is in an open state; the flexible actuator 4 is arranged inside the shell 1, and is used for flexibly clamping the swab; the swing arm drive system 5 is arranged inside the shell 1, and is transmission-connected to the flexible actuator 4; wherein, the swing arm drive system 5 can drive the flexible actuator 4 to drive the swab to swing in all directions, rotate around itself, and move forward and backward relative to the shell 1.

[0064] When the pharyngeal swab collection device is used, the person to be collected first inserts the swab 6 into the flexible actuator 4 in the shell 1, then the person to be collected holds the tongue depressor 2 in his mouth to depress the tongue, and fixes the tongue depressor 2 with his teeth, and inserts the fixed tongue depressor 2 into the head end of the shell 1. At this time, the image vision system 3 can perform image vision collection of the oral cavity, and after shooting, the image of the posterior pharyngeal wall in the oral cavity is recognized and processed in real time through a deep learning algorithm. After the image of the posterior pharyngeal wall is recognized, the algorithm of the image vision system 3 is used to calculate the spatial position of the part to be collected relative to the end of the swab 6, and the swing arm drive system 5 can correspondingly drive the flexible actuator 4 to drive the swab 6 to swing, rotate around itself, and move back and forth relative to the shell 1 according to the spatial position calculated by the algorithm of the image vision system 3, so as to realize wiping and collection of the posterior pharyngeal wall of the person to be collected.

[0065] Moreover, the flexible actuator 4 arranged inside the shell 1 can flexibly clamp the swab 6. When the swab 6 wipes the posterior pharyngeal wall of the person being collected, the flexible actuator 4 will adaptively adjust its own clamping position of the swab 6 according to the feedback pressure, thereby ensuring the safe and comfortable collection force for the person being collected, while keeping the collection pressure within a reasonable range, thereby ensuring the collection quality of the oral swab.

[0066] To sum up, the throat swab collection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can recognize the target spatial position of the posterior pharyngeal wall through the image vision system 3, adaptively adjust the clamping position of the swab 6 through the flexible actuator 4, and flexibly adjust the collection posture of the swab 6 through the swing arm drive system 5 according to the human oral structure and the soft and sensitive characteristics of the posterior pharyngeal wall, thereby realizing fully automatic, efficient, safe and comfortable oral swab collection.

[0067] In one embodiment, the flexible actuator 4 includes a mounting sleeve 41, a pressure sensor 42 and a flexible spring 44; one end of the mounting sleeve 41 is provided with a clamping port for clamping a swab, and the other end is provided with a mounting bearing 411; the pressure sensor 42 is arranged in the mounting sleeve 41, and is connected to the swab through a connecting component 43; one end of the flexible spring 44 is connected to the inner bottom of the mounting sleeve 41, and the other end is connected to the pressure sensor 42; wherein, when the swab is wiping, it can correspondingly squeeze the pressure sensor 42 and the flexible spring 44, and at least partially shrink toward the mounting sleeve 41.

[0068] Specific, combined Figure 3 In further detail, the flexible actuator 4 is specifically configured to include a mounting sleeve 41, a pressure sensor 42 and a flexible spring 44, and one end of the mounting sleeve 41 is provided with a clamping port for clamping the swab 6, and the other end is provided with a mounting bearing 411, so that the mounting bearing 411 can make the mounting sleeve 41 rotate around its own axis to realize the self-rotation of the swab 6; in addition, the pressure sensor 42 is arranged in the mounting sleeve 41, and is connected to the swab through the connecting component 43, and one end of the flexible spring 44 is connected to the inner bottom of the mounting sleeve 41, and the other end is connected to the pressure sensor 4 2 connection, so that when the swab 6 wipes the posterior pharyngeal wall, it will transmit the pressure it receives to the pressure sensor 42, and compress the flexible spring 44 accordingly, so that the swab 6 can retract adaptively to avoid causing discomfort to the person being collected due to the wiping pressure. In addition, the pressure sensor 42 can also feed back its own real-time detected pressure information to the swing arm drive system 5, so that the swing arm drive system 5 can further adapt to adjust the relative positions of the swab 6 and the flexible actuator 4 in the oral cavity according to the real-time pressure information, so that the pharyngeal swab collection device can self-feedback and adjust, thereby further improving the collection comfort of the person being collected.

[0069] The specific configuration of the flexible actuator 4 has the beneficial effects of simple structure, high degree of automatic intelligence, and the ability to fully ensure the user's collection comfort.

[0070] In one embodiment, the connecting component 43 includes a swab sleeve 431, a first flexible locking rod 432, a second flexible locking rod 433 and a connecting boss 434; the swab sleeve 431 is correspondingly sleeved on the clamping rod end of the swab; the first flexible locking rod 432 is radially inserted into the clamping rod end of the swab; the second flexible locking rod 433 is arranged at a corresponding interval with the first flexible locking rod 432, and is inserted and connected to the end of the pressure sensor 42 facing the swab; the connecting boss 434 is respectively installed and connected to the first flexible locking rod 432 and the second flexible locking rod 433.

[0071] Specific, combined Figure 3According to further detailed description, the connecting component 43 is specifically configured to include a swab sleeve 431, a first flexible locking rod 432, a second flexible locking rod 433 and a connecting boss 434. The swab sleeve 431 can stably fit the clamping rod end of the swab 6 to ensure the installation stability of the swab 6 in the clamping port of the mounting sleeve 41; the first flexible locking rod 432 and the second flexible locking rod 433 can be respectively inserted into the clamping rod end of the swab and the end of the pressure sensor 42 facing the swab, and are correspondingly installed and connected through the connecting boss 434, thereby realizing the limited connection between the swab 6 and the pressure sensor 42.

[0072] The specific configuration of the connection assembly 43 has the beneficial effects of being simple in structure and being able to achieve stable and limited installation of the swab 6 on the flexible actuator 4 .

[0073] In one possible implementation manner, the installation sleeve 41 is further provided with a flexible gasket 412 in the clamping opening; the swab sleeve 431 is correspondingly plugged and clamped in the flexible gasket 412, and a raised stop edge is formed at the top.

[0074] Specific, combined Figure 3 To further explain in detail, the mounting sleeve 41 is further provided with a flexible gasket 412 in the clamping opening. The flexible gasket 412 can be specifically but not limited to being provided as a rubber gasket, so that the clamping rod end of the swab 6 can be correspondingly plugged and connected in the flexible gasket 412 through the swab sleeve 431, and a raised stop edge is formed at the top of the swab sleeve 431, which can also prevent the clamping rod end of the swab 6 from being over-inserted.

[0075] The specific arrangement of the flexible gasket 412 and the swab shaft sleeve 431 can ensure that the swab is stably inserted into the mounting housing 41 and prevent the swab from being over-inserted.

[0076] In one embodiment, the swing arm drive system 5 includes a rack mounting frame 51, a moving part 52 and a swing head 53; the rack mounting frame 51 is arranged inside the shell part 1 along the length direction, and is provided with a transmission rack 511; the moving part 52 is meshed with the transmission rack; the swing head 53 is connected to the moving part 52 through a plurality of traction swing arms 531; wherein the swing head 53 is movably mounted and connected to the flexible actuator 4 through an installation bearing 411; the moving part 52 can drive the swing head 53 to move back and forth along the transmission rack; the plurality of traction swing arms 531 can coordinate the traction swing head 53 to tilt, so as to drive the swab to swing in all directions.

[0077] Specific, combined Figure 1 and Figure 4To further explain in detail, the swing arm driving system 5 is specifically configured to include a rack mounting frame 51, a moving part 52 and a swing head 53, and the transmission rack 511 in the rack mounting frame 51 is meshed and connected with the moving part 52, so that the moving part 52 can perform reciprocating linear motion along the rack mounting frame 51, thereby realizing the function of driving the swab to move forward and backward relative to the shell part 1; and the swing head 53 is connected to the moving part 52 through a plurality of traction swing arms 531, so that the plurality of traction swing arms 531 can achieve relative inclination of the swing head 53 by pulling and pushing the swing head 53, thereby realizing the function of driving the swab to swing in various directions; in addition, the swing head 53 is also movably installed and connected with the flexible actuator 4 through the mounting bearing 411, so that the flexible actuator 4 can rotate relative to the swing head 53 through the mounting bearing 411, thereby realizing the function of driving the swab to rotate.

[0078] The specific configuration of the swing arm drive system 5 has the beneficial effects of being simple in structure and being able to drive the swing arm to move forward and backward, swing in all directions and rotate relative to the shell 1.

[0079] In one embodiment, the moving part 52 further includes a plurality of pulleys 521 wound around its outer periphery; the pulleys 521 are in rolling contact with the rubber gasket 11 on the inner peripheral wall of the housing 1 .

[0080] Specific, combined Figure 1 and Figure 4 To further explain in detail, the moving part 52 is also provided with a plurality of pulleys 521 on its outer periphery, and the pulleys 521 are in rolling contact with the rubber gasket 11 on the inner peripheral wall of the shell part 1, so that when the moving part 52 moves forward and backward relative to the shell part 1, the pulleys 521 can support the forward and backward movement of the auxiliary moving part 52, and the friction force of the rolling contact between the pulleys 521 and the rubber gasket 11 can also improve the smoothness of the movement of the moving part 52, thereby improving the smoothness of the swab 6 when wiping back and forth and avoiding the discomfort of the swab 6 causing wiping pressure to the person being collected.

[0081] In one embodiment, the image vision system 3 includes an annular surface light source 31 and a visual camera 31; the annular surface light source 31 is correspondingly arranged on the inner wall of the shell 1 close to one end of the tongue depressor 2; at least two visual cameras 31 are arranged on the inner wall of the shell 1 at intervals; wherein, at least two visual cameras 31 are arranged to be inclined to each other and have a visual intersection point facing the front end of the tongue depressor 2.

[0082] Specific, combined Figure 1To further explain in detail, the image vision system 3 is specifically configured to include an annular surface light source 31 and a visual camera 31, and the annular surface light source 31 is correspondingly arranged on the inner wall of the shell 1 close to one end of the tongue depressor 2, so that the annular surface light source 31 can produce a 360° lighting effect to avoid shadow obstruction; in addition, two visual cameras 31 can be specifically arranged radially at intervals on the inner wall of the shell 1, so that the two visual cameras 31 can form a binocular vision shooting effect, which is convenient for calculating the spatial coordinates of the posterior pharyngeal wall relative to the end of the swab 6 according to the binocular stereo vision algorithm.

[0083] The image vision system 3 has the beneficial effects of being simple in structure and being able to accurately calculate the spatial coordinates of the posterior pharyngeal wall relative to the end of the swab 6 .

[0084] In one embodiment, a bite groove 21 is further provided at one end of the tongue depressor 2 close to the housing 1 ; and the bite groove 21 can be clamped on the housing 1 when biting.

[0085] Specific, combined Figure 1 To further explain in detail, a biting groove 21 is provided at one end of the tongue depressor 2 close to the shell 1, and the biting groove 21 can be correspondingly clamped on the shell 1 when biting, so that the person being collected can quickly install the tongue depressor 2 by biting with teeth, which has the beneficial effects of convenient installation and hygiene.

[0086] In one embodiment, a touch-pressure switch 12 is further provided in the connecting end of the shell 1 and the tongue depressor 2; when the tongue depressor 2 is detachably mounted on the connecting end of the tongue depressor 2, the touch-pressure switch 12 can be triggered accordingly.

[0087] Specific, combined Figure 1 In further detail, a touch-pressure switch 12 is also provided in the connection end of the housing 1 and the tongue depressor 2, and when the tongue depressor 2 is detachably mounted on the connection end of the tongue depressor 2, the touch-pressure switch 12 can be triggered accordingly, so that the pharyngeal swab collection device can be activated by the touch-pressure switch 12. Figure 5 The operation process in the test can improve the automation level of the throat swab collection equipment.

[0088] In one embodiment, the housing 1 is further provided with a loudspeaker 13 for announcing its own working status; the housing 1 is also externally connected with an industrial controller 14 for controlling its own working status and a driving motor 15 for providing power.

[0089] Specific, combined Figure 1 and Figure 2To further explain in detail, the shell body 1 is also provided with a loudspeaker 13 for broadcasting its own working status. Through the loudspeaker 13, the working progress of the pharyngeal swab collection device can be fed back to the person being collected in real time to avoid the person being collected from ending the collection prematurely; in addition, the outside of the shell body 1 is also connected to an industrial controller 14 for controlling its own working status and a drive motor 15 for providing power, so that the industrial controller 14 can automatically control the power input of the drive motor 15, and automatically realize the switching and starting and stopping of various drive states of the swing arm drive system 5, thereby further improving the degree of automation of the pharyngeal swab collection device.

[0090] In summary, the throat swab collection device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can enable the person being collected to complete the oral swab collection work by themselves. The collection process is completed independently by the throat swab collection device, and the collection process is safe and reliable, the person being collected is highly comfortable, and no medical staff is required to participate in the whole process. The promotion and application of the throat swab collection device can free medical workers from the heavy collection work and avoid the risk of virus infection caused by flying liquid during manual swab collection.

[0091] The pharyngeal swab collection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can effectively solve the problem of identifying the spatial position of the posterior pharyngeal wall. Through the shooting of the binocular vision camera 31 in the image vision system 3 and the real-time processing of the deep learning vision algorithm, it can ensure that the spatial position of the posterior pharyngeal wall can be automatically and accurately identified. This position is the designated position that the end of the swab 6 needs to reach for collection.

[0092] The throat swab collection device provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure can also solve the problem of excessive pressure during the robot collection process causing harm to the person being collected. The flexible actuator 4 can adaptively and flexibly retract when the swab 6 wipes the posterior pharyngeal wall for collection, thereby ensuring the safety and comfort of the person being collected. The pressure sensor 42 in the flexible actuator 4 can detect and feedback the collection force, so that the swing arm drive system 5 can adapt to adjust the relative positions of the swab 6 and the flexible actuator 4 in the oral cavity, thereby making the pressure of the swab 6 more stable and safer.

[0093] The throat swab collection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is highly practical, has a simple overall structure, is easy to achieve mass production, and has the advantage of low production cost.

[0094] The throat swab collection device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure is based on the human oral structure and the soft and sensitive characteristics of the posterior pharyngeal wall. It is designed for the overall structure of the collection robot, the recognition of the target spatial position of the posterior pharyngeal wall, the design of the flexible actuator 4, and the collection force feedback control method. A throat swab collection device that can automatically collect oral swabs is invented. After the person being collected has finished wearing it, the announcer 13 issues a voice reminder and begins to identify the spatial position of the posterior pharyngeal wall through a binocular stereo vision camera and a deep learning algorithm. After the recognition is completed, the swing arm drive system 5 controls the flexible actuator 4 to extend and collect. During the collection process, the pressure sensor 42 monitors the positive pressure of the cotton swab on the person being collected in real time, and adjusts the swing arm drive system 5 in real time. While ensuring the safety of the person being collected, the collection pressure is kept within a reasonable range, thereby ensuring the collection quality of the oral swab.

[0095] 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 technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present disclosure, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0096] The above are only specific embodiments of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, which should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A throat swab collection device, characterized in that: include: Housing member (1); A tongue depressor (2) detachably arranged at the head end of the housing (1); An image visual system (3) is arranged inside the housing (1) and is capable of collecting images of the oral cavity when the tongue depressor (2) is in an open state; A flexible actuator (4) is arranged inside the housing (1) and is used for flexibly clamping the swab; A swing arm driving system (5) is arranged inside the housing (1) and is transmission-connected to the flexible actuator (4); The swing arm drive system (5) is capable of driving the flexible actuator (4) to drive the swab to swing in all directions, rotate around itself, and move forward and backward relative to the housing (1).

2. The throat swab collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible actuator (4) comprises: An installation sleeve (41) is provided with a clamping opening for clamping a swab at one end and a mounting bearing (411) at the other end; A pressure sensor (42) is disposed in the mounting housing (41) and connected to the swab via a connecting assembly (43); A flexible spring (44), one end of which is connected to the inner bottom of the mounting housing (41), and the other end of which is connected to the pressure sensor (42); When wiping, the swab can correspondingly squeeze the pressure sensor (42) and the flexible spring (44), and at least partially shrink toward the mounting housing (41).

3. The throat swab collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connection assembly (43) comprises: A swab shaft sleeve (431) is correspondingly sleeved on the clamping rod end of the swab; A first flexible locking rod (432) is radially inserted into the clamping rod end of the swab; A second flexible locking rod (433) is arranged at a corresponding interval with the first flexible locking rod (432) and is plugged and connected to an end of the pressure sensor (42) facing the swab; The connecting boss (434) is respectively installed and connected to the first flexible locking rod (432) and the second flexible locking rod (433).

4. The throat swab collection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The installation sleeve (41) is further provided with a flexible gasket (412) in the clamping opening; The swab shaft sleeve (431) is correspondingly plug-fitted and clamped in the flexible gasket (412), and a raised stop edge is formed at the top.

5. The throat swab collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The swing arm driving system (5) comprises: A rack mounting frame (51) is arranged inside the housing (1) along the length direction and is provided with a transmission rack (511); A moving member (52) meshed with the transmission rack; A swing head (53) connected to the moving part (52) via a plurality of traction swing arms (531); Wherein, the swing head (53) is movably mounted and connected to the flexible actuator (4) via a mounting bearing (411); The moving member (52) can drive the swing head (53) to move back and forth along the transmission rack; The plurality of traction swing arms (531) can coordinately pull the swing head (53) to tilt and swing, so as to drive the swab to swing in various directions.

6. The throat swab collection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The moving part (52) further includes a plurality of pulleys (521) wound around its outer periphery; The pulley (521) is in rolling contact with the rubber gasket (11) on the inner peripheral wall of the housing (1).

7. The throat swab collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image vision system (3) comprises: An annular surface light source (31) is arranged in a corresponding ring on the inner peripheral wall of the housing (1) close to one end of the tongue depressor (2); At least two visual cameras (31) are arranged at intervals around the inner peripheral wall of the housing (1); Wherein, at least two of the visual cameras (31) are arranged to be inclined with respect to each other and have a visual intersection point facing the front end of the tongue depressor (2).

8. The throat swab collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tongue depressor (2) is also provided with a biting groove (21) at one end close to the housing (1); Furthermore, the biting groove (21) can be clamped on the housing member (1) during biting.

9. The throat swab collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A touch-pressure switch (12) is also provided at the connecting end of the housing (1) and the tongue depressor (2); When the tongue depressor (2) is detachably mounted on the connecting end of the tongue depressor (2), the touch-pressure switch (12) can be triggered accordingly.

10. The throat swab collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The housing (1) is also provided with a loudspeaker (13) for announcing its own working status; The housing (1) is also externally connected with an industrial controller (14) for controlling its own working state and a drive motor (15) for providing power.

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