Automatic test tube code scanning and signing equipment and control method thereof

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention discloses test tube automatic code scanning and signing equipment which comprises a feeding bin used for containing a plurality of test tubes; the lifting mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the feeding bin and used for separating the test tubes from the feeding bin one by one and lifting the test tubes to a preset height; the steering mechanism is arranged at the discharging end of the lifting mechanism and is used for receiving the lifted test tube and adjusting the posture of the test tube to be in a vertical state that a tube cap faces upwards and a tube body faces downwards; the code scanning mechanism is arranged on the discharging path of the steering mechanism and used for scanning bar code information on the test tubes in the moving process of the test tubes; the material receiving bin is arranged at the downstream of the code scanning mechanism and is used for collecting the scanned test tubes; and the control unit is electrically connected with the lifting mechanism and the code scanning mechanism, and is used for controlling the operation of the equipment and receiving the bar code information acquired by the code scanning mechanism. According to the technical scheme, the operation process can be simplified, and the human error rate can be reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of medical devices, and more particularly to an automatic barcode scanning and signing device for test tubes and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] In the daily operations of modern medical institutions, ex vivo samples (such as blood collection tubes) collected from wards need to be transported to the laboratory for receipt and subsequent analysis. Currently, this process mainly relies on manual operation: first, nursing staff manually collect the test tubes after blood collection and transport them in batches to the laboratory; then, laboratory staff need to use a barcode scanner to scan the barcode of each test tube one by one to complete the entry of sample information and confirmation of receipt.

[0003] The aforementioned manually-driven process has several obvious drawbacks: First, manual scanning is tedious and prone to omissions or errors due to fatigue or negligence. It also makes it difficult to identify barcodes in poor locations or that are damaged, affecting the accuracy and efficiency of receipt. Second, the entire process is labor-intensive and time-consuming, increasing the workload and labor costs for medical staff. In addition, the increased number of manual steps also introduces a higher risk of operational errors, which may affect sample traceability and testing efficiency.

[0004] To address the drawbacks of manual signing, some automated signing devices have emerged on the market. However, these existing devices are typically complex and bulky, often integrated with large sorting systems, making them unsuitable for space-constrained environments such as ward nurse stations or small laboratory workbenches. Due to their size and integration limitations, these devices are often inconvenient to deploy, the signing process remains lengthy, daily maintenance is difficult, and the overall cost is high, making them unsuitable for wards or similar settings that require flexible, fast, and compact solutions.

[0005] Therefore, there is still a lack of sample tube signing solutions in the existing technology that can balance efficient and accurate signing with compact and flexible deployment. There is an urgent need for an automated signing device that can adapt to small workspaces, simplify operating procedures and reduce human error rates. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides an automatic barcode scanning and signing device for test tubes and its control method, which simplifies the operation process and reduces the human error rate during the signing process of ex vivo samples.

[0007] According to a first aspect of this application, an embodiment of this application provides an automatic test tube scanning and signing device, comprising: The feed hopper is used to hold multiple test tubes; A lifting mechanism is located at the bottom of the feed hopper and is used to separate the test tubes one by one from the feed hopper and lift them to a predetermined height. A steering mechanism is provided at the discharge end of the lifting mechanism to receive the lifted test tube and adjust its posture to a vertical state with the cap facing up and the body facing down. A barcode scanning mechanism is installed on the discharge path of the turning mechanism to scan the barcode information on the tube during the movement of the test tube. The receiving bin, located downstream of the scanning mechanism, is used to collect the scanned test tubes. The control unit is electrically connected to the lifting mechanism and the scanning mechanism, respectively, and is used to control the operation of the equipment and receive the barcode information acquired by the scanning mechanism.

[0008] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the bottom of the feed hopper has a V-shaped structure, and a portion of the lifting mechanism is adjacent to the bottom of the V-shape to form a storage space for collecting test tubes.

[0009] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the lifting mechanism includes an inclined conveyor belt with its feed end extending to near the bottom of the feed hopper.

[0010] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the surface of the conveyor belt is provided with a plurality of lifting plates or grooves for supporting test tubes.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the V-shaped bottom of the feed hopper is provided with a first sensor, which is communicatively connected to the control unit for detecting whether there are test tubes in the feed hopper, and sending a signal to the control unit to control the lifting mechanism to stop when all the test tubes are removed.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the steering mechanism includes a groove with a width greater than the diameter of the tube body and less than the diameter of the tube cap, such that the test tube can slide with the tube cap engaged in the groove and the tube body suspended.

[0013] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the scanning mechanism includes: A scanning head is used to read the barcode information; A rotation drive component is disposed on both sides of the movement path of the test tube, for clamping and driving the test tube to rotate about its own axis so that the barcode faces the scanning head.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the rotation drive component includes two parallel belts that rotate in opposite directions, driving the test tube to rotate by controlling the difference in linear velocity between the two belts.

[0015] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, a second sensor is provided on the top of the receiving hopper, which is communicatively connected to the control unit for detecting whether the receiving hopper is full.

[0016] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, a communication interface is also included, through which the control unit uploads the successfully scanned barcode information to a host computer or hospital information system.

[0017] According to a second aspect of this application, embodiments of this application also provide an automatic test tube scanning and signing control method, applied to the automatic test tube scanning and signing device as described in any of the preceding claims, the method comprising: In response to the insertion of test tubes into the feed hopper, the lifting mechanism is activated to lift the test tubes one by one and transport them to the steering mechanism; The steering mechanism adjusts the horizontally conveyed test tubes to a vertical position with the caps facing up and the tube bodies facing down, and guides them to slide towards the scanning area. In the scanning area, the test tube is driven to rotate around its own axis by the rotation drive component of the scanning mechanism, while the scanning head scans the barcode on the test tube. The system acquires and uploads the successfully scanned barcode information to the backend system, and controls the scanned test tubes to fall into the receiving hopper.

[0018] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, before the lifting mechanism is activated in response to the insertion of test tubes into the feed hopper to lift and transport the test tubes one by one to the steering mechanism, the following additional features are included: The status of the test tubes in the feed hopper is monitored in real time by sensors installed at the bottom of the feed hopper. In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the response to inserting test tubes into the feed hopper and controlling the lifting mechanism to start, thereby lifting and conveying the test tubes one by one to the steering mechanism, includes: when the sensor detects the presence of test tubes in the feed hopper, sending a signal to the control unit to control the lifting mechanism to start, so as to lift and convey the test tubes one by one to the steering mechanism.

[0019] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the barcode scanning mechanism includes: a rotary drive component and a scanning head for reading the barcode information; the rotary drive component includes two parallel belts that rotate in opposite directions, the two belts being disposed on both sides of the movement path of the test tube; The drive tube rotates about its own axis, including: The two parallel belts in the rotary drive component are controlled to run at different linear speeds, and the friction generated by the speed difference drives the test tube held between them to rotate.

[0020] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the step of driving the test tube to rotate around its own axis by a rotation drive component of the scanning mechanism in the scanning area, while simultaneously scanning the barcode on the test tube using a scanning head, further includes: If the barcode is not scanned successfully on the first rotation, the rotation drive component is controlled to increase the number of rotations of the test tube or change the rotation mode to perform a second scan.

[0021] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, it also includes: The number of test tubes in the receiving hopper is monitored by a sensor installed on the top of the receiving hopper; A prompt message will be issued when the number of test tubes reaches a preset threshold.

[0022] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the uploaded barcode scanned information includes: The barcode information is bound to the scan timestamp and device identifier, and the report is submitted by calling the receipt interface of the hospital information system or laboratory information system through the standard data interface.

[0023] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: Through its highly integrated and compact structural design, this technical solution can be flexibly deployed in space-constrained environments such as signing windows and nurse station desktops, significantly reducing the requirements for deployment space. Based on its internally optimized automatic guidance and identification mechanism, operators only need to pour the batch of test tubes directly into the device inlet, and the system will automatically complete the orientation of the tubes, continuous barcode scanning, and instant information entry, achieving "one-click" rapid signing. This process completely avoids the traditional manual scanning operation, greatly simplifying the workflow, reducing labor intensity, and effectively preventing missed or incorrect scanning due to human fatigue or negligence. Attached Figure Description

[0024] The technical solution and other beneficial effects of this application will become apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of an automatic test tube scanning and signing device provided according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an automatic test tube scanning and signing device provided in the embodiments of this application, with the device hidden behind a protective cover. Figure 3 This is a longitudinal sectional view of an automatic test tube scanning and signing device provided according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 4This is a perspective view of the cooperation between the lifting mechanism and the steering mechanism in an automatic test tube scanning and signing device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a perspective view of a steering mechanism in an automatic test tube scanning and signing device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is an internal structural diagram of the steering mechanism in an automatic test tube scanning and signing device according to an embodiment of this application, showing the material discharge channel; Figure 7 This is a perspective view of a test tube in an automatic barcode scanning and signing device according to an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 This is a flowchart of an automatic barcode scanning and signing control method for test tubes provided according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document, unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0028] In clinical laboratory sample management, to achieve efficient and accurate tube acceptance, the industry generally focuses technological improvements on increasing scanning speed and batch processing capabilities, leading to the development of acceptance devices highly integrated with large-scale automated sorting systems. While these solutions can improve efficiency to some extent in ideal laboratory environments, their design logic implicitly binds "high-efficiency automation" with "large, fixed equipment," resulting in bulky and rigidly deployed devices that are difficult to integrate into the space-constrained and flexible environments of clinical wards.

[0029] Existing technological approaches have long failed to effectively distinguish between "absolute processing speed" and "actual operational efficiency in clinical settings." In actual ward operations, the bottleneck for signing off on tasks is often not simply the scanning and recognition speed, but rather the overall operational efficiency determined by the ease of equipment deployment, the degree of seamless integration with existing workflows, and the level of simplification of operational procedures. Large, fixed equipment, due to its difficult deployment and complex operation, actually introduces new process interruptions and operational costs in clinical settings, preventing its theoretically high-speed processing capabilities from translating into real efficiency improvements.

[0030] Against this backdrop, the inventors of this application recognized that the industry may have long overlooked a deeper issue: the real technical challenge in clinical sample signing lies not in how to further increase the maximum processing throughput in an idealized, centralized scenario, but in how to break through the inherent mindset that "high efficiency must rely on large equipment" and reconstruct an automated signing paradigm that combines high efficiency, high accuracy, and high process compatibility within extremely constrained clinical spaces (such as nurses' stations and signing windows). The discovery of this problem requires breaking away from the path dependence of "automation equals large-scale," shifting the design focus from purely equipment performance parameters to a re-examination of actual clinical workflows, spatial constraints, and the essence of human-computer interaction.

[0031] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide an automatic barcode scanning and signing device for test tubes, which simplifies the operation process and reduces the human error rate during the signing process of ex vivo samples.

[0032] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a perspective view of an automatic test tube scanning and signing device 1 according to an embodiment of this application. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device 1 includes: a feeding bin 17 for accommodating multiple test tubes 15; a lifting mechanism 14 disposed at the bottom of the feeding bin 17 for separating the test tubes 15 one by one from the feeding bin 17 and lifting them to a predetermined height; a turning mechanism 16 disposed at the discharge end 1432 of the lifting mechanism 14 for receiving the lifted test tubes 15 and adjusting the posture of the test tubes 15 to a vertical state with the cap 152 facing upwards and the tube body 151 facing downwards; a scanning mechanism 18 disposed on the discharge path of the turning mechanism 16 for scanning the barcode information on the tube body during the movement of the test tubes 15; a receiving bin 12 disposed downstream of the scanning mechanism 18 for collecting the scanned test tubes 15; and a control unit electrically connected to the lifting mechanism 14 and the scanning mechanism 18 respectively for controlling the operation of the device and receiving the barcode information acquired by the scanning mechanism 18.

[0033] Compared to traditional signing devices, this embodiment, through its highly integrated and compact structural design, can be flexibly deployed in space-constrained environments such as signing windows and nurse station desks, significantly reducing the requirements for deployment space. Based on its internally optimized automatic guidance and identification mechanism, operators only need to pour the batch of test tubes directly into the device inlet, and the system will automatically complete the orientation of the tubes, continuous barcode scanning, and instant information entry, achieving "one-click" rapid signing. This process completely avoids the traditional manual operation of scanning each barcode individually, which not only greatly simplifies the workflow and reduces labor intensity, but also effectively prevents missed or incorrect scanning caused by human fatigue or negligence.

[0034] In some embodiments, the automatic test tube scanning and signing machine 1 includes: a feeding hopper 7, which is hollow inside to form a storage space; a lifting mechanism 14 disposed in the storage space; and a turning mechanism 16, a scanning mechanism 18, and a receiving hopper 12; wherein, the top or side of the feeding hopper 17 is provided with a feeding port 171 for feeding test tubes 15; in the conveying direction of the test tubes 15, the lifting mechanism 14, the turning mechanism 16, and the receiving hopper 12 are connected in sequence; the scanning mechanism 18 is used to scan the information code 153 on the test tubes 15.

[0035] exist Figure 1 In the illustrated embodiment, the automatic test tube scanning and signing device 1 further includes a base plate 11 and a protective cover 13. The feeding bin 17, lifting mechanism 14, turning mechanism 16, scanning mechanism 18, and receiving bin 12 are all disposed on the base plate 11. In practical use, the base plate 11 can be the receiving window counter of a laboratory or the desktop of a nurse's station in an inpatient department. The protective cover 13 encloses the feeding bin 17, lifting mechanism 14, turning mechanism 16, scanning mechanism 18, and receiving bin 12, thereby improving the safety of the automatic test tube scanning and signing device 1 during operation. In some embodiments, the top or side of the feeding bin 17 has a feeding port 171 for dispensing test tubes 15. In addition, a retrieval port corresponding to the feeding port 171 can also be provided on the protective cover 13. In some embodiments, an openable transparent protective cover can be installed at the retrieval port to enhance safety while improving the visibility of the test tube storage in the feeding bin 17.

[0036] Figure 3 A longitudinal sectional view of the automatic test tube scanning and signing device 1 is shown, with reference to... Figure 3In some embodiments, the bottom of the feed hopper 17 has a V-shaped structure, and a portion of the lifting mechanism 14 is adjacent to the bottom of the V-shape, together forming a storage space for collecting test tubes 15. This arrangement allows the remaining test tubes 15 to smoothly converge onto the lifting mechanism 14 under the converging action of the V-shaped bottom, even when the feed hopper 17 is almost empty (e.g., only 3-5 tubes remain). Because the bottom of the feed hopper 17 has a V-shaped structure and a portion of the lifting mechanism 14 is adjacent to the bottom of the V-shape, the device does not require an additional drive mechanism.

[0037] Refer again Figure 3 , Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, the lifting mechanism 14 includes an inclined conveyor belt 143, the feed end 1431 of which extends to near the bottom of the feed hopper 17. This arrangement further ensures that even test tubes 15 at the bottom of the feed hopper 17 can be lifted by the conveyor belt 143.

[0038] Figure 4 This illustration shows a perspective view of the lifting mechanism 14 and the steering mechanism 16 cooperating in the automatic test tube scanning and signing device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the surface of the conveyor belt 143 is provided with a plurality of lifting plates or grooves 144 for supporting test tubes 15. Specifically, the lifting plates or grooves 144 extend horizontally. As they are lifted by the conveyor belt 143, test tubes 15 placed randomly in the feed bin 17 can naturally fall into the lifting plates or grooves 144. Thus, when feeding test tubes 15, it is not necessary to deliberately arrange the test tubes into a unique size or style. Even if the test tubes 15 are randomly placed, they can still be lifted by the conveyor belt 143, thereby improving the ease of use of the equipment.

[0039] In some embodiments, a first sensor is provided at the V-shaped bottom of the feed hopper 17. The first sensor is communicatively connected to the control unit and is used to detect whether there is a test tube 15 in the feed hopper 17. When the test tube 15 is completely removed, the sensor sends a signal to the control unit to control the lifting mechanism 14 to stop.

[0040] Figure 5 This is a perspective view of the steering mechanism 16 in the automatic test tube scanning and signing device 1 provided in this application embodiment. Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the steering mechanism 16 includes a groove 162, the width of which is greater than the diameter of the tube body 151 and smaller than the diameter of the tube cap 152, so that the test tube 15 can slide with the tube cap 152 stuck in the groove and the tube body 151 suspended.

[0041] Specifically, the steering mechanism 16 includes a guide funnel 163, a chute 162, a guide base 161, and a barcode scanning steering seat 164 connected sequentially along the conveying direction of the test tube 15. The guide funnel 163 is connected to the top of the conveyor belt 143. The chute 162 has a material discharge channel 1621 extending from its top and through its bottom. The material discharge channel 1621 extends substantially vertically. The guide base 161 has a guide top surface 1611 extending obliquely between the bottom of the guide funnel 163 and the barcode scanning steering seat 164. The guide base 161 has a guide channel 1612 extending substantially vertically from the guide top surface 1611.

[0042] Reference Figure 6 Furthermore, the chute 162 and the guide base 161 are connected at the guide top surface 1611, and the material discharge channel 1621 is connected to the guide channel 1612.

[0043] Reference Figure 7 The test tube 15 includes a tube body 151 and a cap 152 connected to the tube body 151. The diameter of the cap 152 is larger than the diameter of the tube body 151. The width of the discharge channel 1621 is adapted to the diameter of the cap 152, and the width of the guide channel 1612 is adapted to the diameter of the tube body 151. In some embodiments, the depth of the guide channel 1612 is greater than or equal to the length of the tube body 151. In some embodiments, an outlet 1622 is provided at the bottom of the discharge channel 1621, which is used for the cap 152 to pass through, and the outlet 1622 is close to the barcode scanning steering seat 164.

[0044] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 6 In some embodiments, the scanning mechanism 18 includes: a scanning head 183 for reading the barcode information; and a rotation drive component disposed on both sides of the movement path of the test tube 15 for clamping and driving the test tube 15 to rotate around its own axis so that the barcode 153 faces the scanning head 183.

[0045] Furthermore, the rotation drive component includes two parallel belts that rotate in opposite directions, and the test tube is driven to rotate by controlling the difference in linear velocity between the two belts.

[0046] In some embodiments, a turning channel 1641 is provided in the barcode scanning turning seat 164. One end of the turning channel 1641 is connected to the guide channel 1612, and the other end leads to the receiving bin 12. The extending direction of the turning channel 1641 is basically consistent with the vertical direction. The barcode scanning mechanism 18 includes a scanning head 183 and a first turning belt 181 and a second turning belt 182 disposed on both sides of the turning channel 1641. The width of the turning channel 1641 is adapted to the diameter of the tube body 151. When the test tube 15 is located in the barcode scanning turning seat 164, the tube body 151 is located in the turning channel 1641, and the tube cap 152 is exposed from the turning channel 1641. The first turning belt 181 and the second turning belt 182 are sandwiched on both sides of the tube cap 152. The turning direction of the first turning belt 181 and the turning direction of the second turning belt 182 are opposite to each other.

[0047] Furthermore, at least one side of the turning channel 1641 is provided with a perspective window 1642 connected thereto, and the scanning head 183 is located beside the barcode scanning turn seat 164 and opposite to the perspective window 1642.

[0048] In some embodiments, a second sensor is provided on the top of the receiving bin 12. The second sensor is communicatively connected to the control unit and is used to detect whether the receiving bin is full.

[0049] In some embodiments, the test tube automatic barcode scanning and signing device 1 also includes a communication interface, through which the control unit uploads the successfully scanned barcode information to the host computer or hospital information system.

[0050] Reference Figure 8 This application also discloses an automatic test tube scanning and signing control method, which includes: S10. In response to the input of test tubes into the feed hopper 17, control the lifting mechanism to start, lift the test tubes 15 one by one and transport them to the turning mechanism 16. S20. The horizontally conveyed test tube 15 is adjusted to a vertical state with the cap 152 facing up and the body 151 facing down by the steering mechanism 16, and guided to slide towards the scanning area. S30. In the scanning area, the test tube 15 is driven to rotate around its own axis by the rotation drive component of the scanning mechanism 18, and the barcode on the test tube is scanned by the scanning head. S40. Obtain and upload the successfully scanned barcode information to the backend system, and control the scanned test tube 15 to fall into the receiving hopper 12.

[0051] Furthermore, before the lifting mechanism is activated in response to the insertion of test tubes into the feed hopper 17, and the test tubes 15 are lifted one by one and conveyed to the turning mechanism 16, the following steps are also included: S01. The status of the test tubes in the feed chamber 17 is monitored in real time by a sensor installed at the bottom of the feed chamber 17. Furthermore, in response to the insertion of test tubes into the feed hopper 17, the lifting mechanism is activated to lift and transport the test tubes 15 one by one to the turning mechanism 16, including: S101, when the sensor detects the presence of test tubes 15 in the feed hopper 17, a signal is sent to the control unit to activate the lifting mechanism to lift and transport the test tubes 15 one by one to the turning mechanism 16.

[0052] Furthermore, the barcode scanning mechanism 18 includes: a rotary drive component and a scanning head 183 for reading barcode information; the rotary drive component includes two parallel belts 181 and 182 that are arranged in opposite directions, and the two belts are arranged on both sides of the movement path of the test tube 15. Driving the test tube to rotate about its own axis includes: The two parallel belts in the rotary drive component are controlled to run at different linear speeds, and the friction generated by the speed difference drives the test tube 15 held between them to rotate.

[0053] Furthermore, in the scanning area, the test tube 15 is driven to rotate around its own axis by the rotation drive component of the scanning mechanism 18, while the scanning head scans the barcode on the test tube. This also includes: S301. If the barcode is not scanned successfully on the first rotation, control the rotation drive component to increase the number of rotations of the test tube or change the rotation mode to perform a second scan.

[0054] Furthermore, it also includes: S50. The number of test tubes in the receiving chamber 12 is monitored by a sensor installed on the top of the receiving chamber 12. A prompt message will be issued when the number of test tubes reaches a preset threshold.

[0055] Furthermore, the uploaded barcode information after successful scanning includes: The barcode information is bound to the scan timestamp and device identifier, and the report is submitted by calling the receipt interface of the hospital information system or laboratory information system through the standard data interface.

[0056] The above are only some implementation methods of the embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the application in any way. The protection scope of the embodiments of this application is not limited thereto. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the embodiments of this application should be included within the protection scope of the embodiments of this application.

Claims

1. An automatic barcode scanning and signing device for test tubes (1), characterized in that, include: The feed hopper (17) is used to hold multiple test tubes (15); A lifting mechanism (14) is provided at the bottom of the feed hopper (17) for separating the test tubes (15) one by one from the feed hopper (17) and lifting them to a predetermined height; A steering mechanism (16) is provided at the discharge end (1432) of the lifting mechanism (14) to receive the lifted test tube (15) and adjust the posture of the test tube (15) to a vertical state with the cap (152) facing up and the tube body (151) facing down. A barcode scanning mechanism (18) is set on the discharge path of the turning mechanism (16) and is used to scan the barcode information on the tube body during the movement of the test tube (15). The receiving bin (12) is located downstream of the scanning mechanism (18) and is used to collect the scanned test tubes (15). The control unit is electrically connected to the lifting mechanism (14) and the scanning mechanism (18) respectively, and is used to control the operation of the equipment and receive the barcode information obtained by the scanning mechanism (18).

2. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the feed hopper (17) has a V-shaped structure, and part of the lifting mechanism (14) is adjacent to the bottom of the V-shape, together forming a storage space for collecting test tubes (15).

3. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The lifting mechanism (14) includes an inclined conveyor belt (143) with the feed end (1431) of the conveyor belt (143) extending to the vicinity of the bottom of the feed hopper (17).

4. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The surface of the conveyor belt (143) is provided with a plurality of lifting plates or grooves (144) for supporting the test tubes (15).

5. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, The V-shaped bottom of the feed hopper (17) is provided with a first sensor. The first sensor is connected to the control unit for communication. It is used to detect whether there is a test tube (15) in the feed hopper (17) and to send a signal to the control unit when the test tube (15) is completely removed to control the lifting mechanism (14) to stop.

6. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The steering mechanism (16) includes a groove, the width of which is greater than the diameter of the tube body (151) and less than the diameter of the tube cap (152), so that the test tube (15) can slide with the tube cap (152) stuck in the groove and the tube body (151) hanging.

7. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The scanning mechanism (18) includes: The scanning head (183) is used to read the barcode information; A rotation drive component is disposed on both sides of the movement path of the test tube (15) for clamping and driving the test tube (15) to rotate around its own axis so that the barcode (153) faces the scanning head (183).

8. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The rotation drive component includes two parallel belts (181, 182) that rotate in opposite directions. The test tube is rotated by controlling the difference in linear velocity between the two belts (181, 182).

9. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the receiving bin (12) is provided with a second sensor, which is connected in communication with the control unit and is used to detect whether the receiving bin is full.

10. The automatic test tube scanning and signing device (1) as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a communication interface, through which the control unit uploads the successfully scanned barcode information to the host computer or hospital information system.

11. A method for controlling automatic barcode scanning and signing of test tubes, applied to the automatic barcode scanning and signing device (1) for test tubes as described in any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that, The method includes: In response to the insertion of test tubes into the feed hopper (17), the lifting mechanism is activated to lift the test tubes (15) one by one and transport them to the steering mechanism (16). The steering mechanism (16) adjusts the horizontally conveyed test tube (15) to a vertical state with the cap (152) facing up and the tube body (151) facing down, and guides it to slide towards the scanning area. In the scanning area, the test tube (15) is driven to rotate around its own axis by the rotation drive component of the scanning mechanism (18), and the barcode on the test tube is scanned by the scanning head at the same time. The system acquires and uploads the successfully scanned barcode information to the backend system, and controls the scanned test tube (15) to fall into the receiving hopper (12).

12. The control method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, Before the response involves feeding test tubes into the feed hopper (17), controlling the lifting mechanism to start, and lifting and conveying the test tubes (15) one by one to the steering mechanism (16), the following steps are also included: The status of the test tubes in the feed hopper (17) is monitored in real time by a sensor located at the bottom of the feed hopper (17).

13. The control method as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The response to inserting test tubes into the feed hopper (17) and controlling the lifting mechanism to start, thereby lifting and conveying the test tubes (15) one by one to the steering mechanism (16), includes: when the sensor detects that there are test tubes (15) in the feed hopper (17), sending a signal to the control unit to control the lifting mechanism to start, so as to lift and convey the test tubes (15) one by one to the steering mechanism (16).

14. The control method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The barcode scanning mechanism (18) includes: a rotary drive component and a scanning head (183) for reading the barcode information; the rotary drive component includes two parallel belts (181, 182) that are arranged in opposite directions, and the two belts are arranged on both sides of the movement path of the test tube (15); The drive tube rotates about its own axis, including: The two parallel belts in the rotary drive component are controlled to run at different linear speeds, and the friction generated by the speed difference drives the test tube (15) held between them to rotate.

15. The control method as described in claim 14, characterized in that, In the scanning area, the test tube (15) is driven to rotate around its own axis by the rotation drive component of the scanning mechanism (18), while the scanning head scans the barcode on the test tube. The method also includes: If the barcode is not scanned successfully on the first rotation, the rotation drive component is controlled to increase the number of rotations of the test tube or change the rotation mode to perform a second scan.

16. The control method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, Also includes: The number of test tubes in the receiving bin (12) is monitored by a sensor installed on the top of the receiving bin (12); A prompt message will be issued when the number of test tubes reaches a preset threshold.

17. The control method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The uploaded and successfully scanned barcode information includes: The barcode information is bound to the scanning timestamp and device identifier, and the report is submitted by calling the receipt interface of the hospital information system or laboratory information system through the standard data interface.

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