A blood collection tube sorting method

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a blood collection tube sorting method, which is applied to a blood collection tube sorting device and comprises the following steps: scanning an identification code on a blood collection tube through a signing and receiving scanning unit to obtain patient information associated with the blood collection tube; placing the scanned blood collection tube into any idle position in a blood collection tube storage bin; in response to the blood collection tube being placed, binding and storing the patient information and position information of the idle position; receiving a pop-up instruction from an external system through a data communication unit, wherein the pop-up instruction contains target patient information or target test category information; analyzing the pop-up instruction, and matching one or more target positions associated with the target patient information or the target test category information in the pop-up instruction based on the stored binding relationship; and controlling the target position to perform a pop-up action to pop up the corresponding blood collection tube stored in the target position. According to the application, a specific test tube can be accurately and automatically positioned and popped up according to an instruction, and the sorting precision and efficiency are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of medical devices, and in particular to a method for sorting blood collection tubes. Background Technology

[0002] At hospital outpatient blood collection windows, the current process typically involves nurses collecting blood, manually bundling and packaging the blood collection tubes by patient, accumulating a certain number, and then having nursing assistants deliver them to the laboratory. Laboratory staff then manually sign for and sort the tubes before they are processed by machine. In wards, nurses usually prepare the tubes in advance, scanning patients' wristbands sequentially to locate the corresponding blood collection tubes, followed by transportation by nursing assistants and manual processing by the laboratory. With the improvement of hospital informatization and intelligentization, the tube preparation step before blood collection has been gradually replaced by automatic labeling and preparation machines, and the testing process has also achieved a high degree of automation. However, the intermediate steps in the blood collection tube circulation process—from blood collection to packaging, signing for, and sorting before testing—remain relatively unautomated and mainly rely on manual operation. This large amount of tedious manual operation is not only inefficient but also prone to errors, omissions, and delayed signing, affecting the overall efficiency and safety of the testing process.

[0003] In the existing technology, some automated test tube sorting systems have been put into use, but these systems are usually deployed inside the laboratory. Their operating modes are twofold: one is that blood collection tubes are transported to the sorting system via pneumatic conveyor pipes; the other is that batches of blood collection tubes are manually placed into the sorting machine. The main function of these existing systems is to physically classify the tubes based on the color of their caps, thereby distinguishing test tubes for different testing purposes. However, such systems have significant limitations: First, their sorting logic is based on physical characteristics (color) rather than patient information, making it impossible to achieve precise matching and retrieval of blood collection tubes with specific patient information, and failing to meet the need for quickly and accurately picking out specific test tubes "by patient" or "by testing item." Second, these automated sorting systems are mostly large, floor-standing devices, bulky and complex in structure, requiring fixed installation space and high maintenance costs, lacking flexibility. Therefore, they are difficult to deploy in space-constrained ward nursing stations, outpatient blood collection windows, or scenarios requiring mobile work, and cannot achieve real-time information binding of blood collection tubes at the point of generation (blood collection point) and subsequent flexible and accurate sorting. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present invention provide a blood collection tube sorting method. By integrating a scanning and information processing unit, the blood collection tube is uniquely associated with the patient information when it is put into storage. This enables the accurate and automatic positioning and ejection of specific test tubes according to instructions (by patient or by test item), completely changing the limitation of the prior art which can only roughly classify according to physical characteristics (such as color).

[0005] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention disclose the following technical solutions: On the one hand, a method for sorting blood collection tubes is provided, which is applied to a blood collection tube sorting device. The blood collection tube sorting device includes a main control processing unit, a receipt scanning unit, a blood collection tube storage compartment with multiple independent compartments, and a data communication unit. The method includes the following steps: The identification code on the blood collection tube is scanned by the signature scanning unit to obtain the patient information associated with the blood collection tube; the scanned blood collection tube is placed into any empty slot in the blood collection tube storage compartment; in response to the blood collection tube being placed, the patient information is bound to and stored with the location information of the empty slot. The data communication unit receives pop-up instructions from an external system, which contain target patient information or target test category information. The pop-up command is parsed, and based on the stored binding relationship, one or more target wards associated with the target patient information or target test category information in the pop-up command are matched; the target wards are controlled to perform a pop-up action to pop up the corresponding blood collection tubes stored therein.

[0006] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, after placing the scanned blood collection tube into any available slot in the blood collection tube storage compartment, the method further includes: detecting the presence of the blood collection tube by a presence sensor located at the bottom of the available slot and generating a trigger signal; the binding of the patient information with the location information of the available slot is performed in response to the trigger signal.

[0007] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, matching one or more target wards associated with the target patient information or target test category information in the pop-up instruction includes: finding all ward locations bound to the target patient information in the pop-up instruction and determining these wards as the target wards; or, finding the ward locations bound to the blood collection tubes that require that type of test in the patient information in the pop-up instruction and determining these wards as the target wards.

[0008] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the method further includes: activating an audible and / or visual cue to indicate that the blood collection tube has been ejected while or after the ejection action is performed at the target compartment.

[0009] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the method may also include: After the target compartment is popped out, monitor whether the blood collection tubes in the target compartment have been removed; In response to the detection that the blood collection tube has been removed, the mechanism that controls the ejection action is reset to its initial position.

[0010] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or alternatively, the blood collection tube sorting device is a portable device powered by a built-in lithium battery; the method further includes: After completing the signing and information binding steps at the blood collection point, the sorting equipment filled with blood collection tubes is transported to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the sorting equipment is connected to the laboratory's control system via a wireless network to perform the instruction receiving and parsing steps and the matching and execution steps.

[0011] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the blood collection tube sorting equipment is fixedly installed in the laboratory; the signing and information binding steps are performed by laboratory staff in the laboratory.

[0012] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the blood collection tube storage compartment is composed of multiple modular storage modules that can be detachably combined; the method, upon initialization, includes configuring and connecting a corresponding number of the storage modules according to the required number of compartments.

[0013] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the data communication unit communicates with the external system via a wireless network or a serial communication interface.

[0014] In addition to one or more of the features disclosed above, or as an alternative, the signature scanning unit is a front-end signature compartment set up independently of the blood collection tube storage compartment, and in the signature and information binding step, the successful scanning prompt is issued by the front-end signature compartment.

[0015] One of the above technical solutions has the following advantages or beneficial effects: This technical solution, through an integrated process of "scanning and binding, arbitrary storage, and matching and popping according to instructions," digitally links the physical location of blood collection tubes with patient information in real time upon entry into the warehouse, thereby constructing a dynamic and traceable sample information map. When an external system issues a sorting instruction, the system does not perform a rough screening based on physical features, but rather performs precise data retrieval and positioning based on this information map, directly driving the action of the target compartment. This technical principle enables the sorting logic of blood collection tubes to leap from the traditional "color-based classification" to "information-driven," realizing a fundamental shift from "sorting a class of tubes" to "accurately picking out tubes for specific patients or specific items." Simultaneously, because the method itself reduces its dependence on equipment form, supports modular combination and flexible deployment, this precise sorting capability can be extended from the fixed laboratory to various on-site scenarios such as blood collection windows and wards, improving sorting accuracy and efficiency while also optimizing the hospital-wide sample flow and management model. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The technical solution and other beneficial effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a structural topology diagram of a blood collection tube sorting device provided according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of a blood collection tube sorting method provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described in this specification are merely for explaining the invention and are not intended to limit the invention.

[0020] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are only for the convenience of describing the invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. 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 indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0021] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, a direct connection, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" of the second feature includes the first feature being directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0023] In the process of automating traditional hospital laboratory processes, the focus of technological improvement has long been on two distinct endpoints: the "tube preparation" stage before blood collection, which automates tube preparation through automated labeling machines; and the "analysis" stage during testing, which automates detection through fully automated testing equipment. Between these two highly automated endpoints, the essential "transfer" process of blood collection tubes from collection to processing—including signing, temporary storage, packaging, sorting, and retrieval—is often underestimated in terms of its value and complexity due to its seemingly simple nature and reliance on manual labor. The industry has developed a ingrained perception that the bottleneck in this intermediate stage lies primarily in labor costs and error rates, naturally leading to a tendency to optimize existing centralized, high-volume processing models (such as deploying large sorting machines in the laboratory) through localized improvements, such as increasing the processing speed of the sorting machines or improving color recognition accuracy.

[0024] However, the inventors of this application recognize that the real technological challenge lies not in "how to more efficiently sort large batches of test tubes by color," but in "how to achieve precise management of blood collection tubes throughout the entire process, traceably, and in real-time linked to patient information, from discrete collection points to centralized testing points." The fundamental limitation of existing technological approaches is that they narrowly define "sorting" as a batch classification operation based on the physical properties of test tubes at the end of the process, and fix automated equipment in the laboratory at the end of the process. This approach completely ignores the need for blood collection tubes to carry digital information (barcodes) from the moment they are produced, and the requirement for their circulation process to be coordinated with the patient's treatment process in real time. Therefore, although large-scale automated sorting equipment is complex, it solves a simplified or even misdefined problem (color sorting), failing to address the core and thorny pain point in actual clinical work: "quickly, accurately, and error-free identifying scattered test tubes according to specific patients or specific testing items." These pain points are scattered throughout daily tedious operations and are assumed to be unavoidable labor costs. The lack of a systemic solution has long been neglected as an independent and critical "technical problem".

[0025] Therefore, the difficulty of the technical problem addressed in this application lies in breaking through the industry's inherent mindset: shifting from a paradigm focused on "end-of-line physical sorting" to a new paradigm oriented towards "precise information management across the entire process." This discovery realizes that the key to improving the efficiency and reliability of intermediate links lies not in manufacturing more powerful end-of-line processors, but in embedding information association capabilities at the front end (sampling point) and designing a new equipment architecture capable of carrying this information and supporting flexible on-demand access. This transforms the technical problem from a "classification mechanical problem" into a "cyber-physical system collaboration problem," the latter being a blind spot neglected in previous technological developments.

[0026] Based on this, the exemplary blood collection tube sorting method disclosed in this paper, by integrating a scanning and information processing unit, uniquely associates the blood collection tube with patient information when it is put into storage, thereby enabling accurate and automatic positioning and ejection of specific test tubes according to instructions (by patient or by test item), completely changing the limitation of existing technologies that can only roughly classify according to physical characteristics (such as color).

[0027] Reference Figure 1 This application discloses a sorting method for blood collection tubes, applied to a blood collection tube sorting device. The blood collection tube sorting device includes a main control processing unit, a receipt scanning unit, a blood collection tube storage compartment with multiple independent compartments, and a data communication unit. The method includes the following steps: S10. Scan the identification code on the blood collection tube using the signature scanning unit to obtain the patient information associated with the blood collection tube; place the scanned blood collection tube into any available slot in the blood collection tube storage compartment; in response to the blood collection tube being placed, bind and store the patient information with the location information of the available slot. S20. Receive a pop-up command from an external system through the data communication unit. The pop-up command contains target patient information or target test category information. S30. Parse the pop-up command, and based on the stored binding relationship, match one or more target wards associated with the target patient information or target test category information in the pop-up command; control the target ward to perform a pop-up action to store the corresponding blood collection tubes therein.

[0028] The core of the technical solution claimed in this application lies in providing a blood collection tube sorting method based on real-time information binding and intelligent retrieval. Specifically, this is reflected in the following aspects: Firstly, by combining "scanning and binding" with "arbitrary storage," the system achieves real-time and dynamic correlation between the physical location of samples and their digital information at the technical level. Specifically, during the receipt process, the receipt scanning unit obtains the patient information corresponding to the unique identification code on the blood collection tube; during the storage process, the operator can place the test tube into any empty slot in the storage compartment, and the presence sensor at the bottom of the slot automatically detects the placement of the test tube. In response to the placement of the blood collection tube, the system automatically binds and stores the previously scanned patient information with the location code of that specific slot. This technology replaces the traditional method of relying on manual memory, manual recording, or fixed-order placement to associate test tubes with their locations, fundamentally eliminating the "information-physical" disconnect caused by human error and establishing a highly reliable data foundation for subsequent accurate retrieval.

[0029] Secondly, based on the established digital "sample-location" mapping relationship, this method achieves precise sorting "driven by information instructions." When the data communication unit receives a pop-up instruction from a hospital information system (such as LIS) (this instruction is generated based on the target patient or target test item), the main control processing unit does not identify and compare the physical characteristics (such as color and size) of the test tubes, but directly retrieves and matches them in the internally stored binding relationship database. By "parsing the pop-up instruction" and matching "based on the stored binding relationship," the system can locate one or more target compartments that perfectly match the instruction in milliseconds. Subsequently, "the target compartment is controlled to perform a pop-up action," causing the target blood collection tube inside to physically rise. This process revolutionizes the sorting logic from traditional, appearance-based physical screening to data-based logical retrieval and location execution, thereby achieving a fundamental leap from "sorting out a certain type of test tube (such as all yellow-headed tubes)" to "accurately picking out all test tubes of a specific patient" or "all test tubes in the entire hospital that need to undergo a specific test". The sorting accuracy can theoretically reach 100%, greatly reducing sample search errors and omissions in clinical testing.

[0030] In summary, the embodiments of this application construct a closed loop of "information embedding - intelligent retrieval - precise execution", which significantly improves sorting accuracy and operational efficiency, while giving the blood collection tube management process unprecedented adaptability and scalability.

[0031] Furthermore, after placing the scanned blood collection tube into any available slot in the blood collection tube storage compartment, the method further includes: S11. The presence of the blood collection tube is detected by a presence sensor located at the bottom of the idle compartment, and a trigger signal is generated; The step of binding the patient information with the location information of the available ward is executed in response to the trigger signal.

[0032] Further, matching one or more target wards associated with the target patient information or target test category information in the pop-up command includes: S31. Based on the target patient information in the pop-up command, find all the ward locations bound to it, and determine these ward locations as the target ward locations; or, based on the target test category information in the pop-up command, find the ward locations bound to the blood collection tubes that need to be tested in the patient information, and determine these ward locations as the target ward locations.

[0033] Furthermore, the method also includes: S40. At the same time or after the ejection action is performed at the target compartment, activate an audible and / or visual cue to indicate that the blood collection tube has been ejected.

[0034] Furthermore, the method also includes: S50. After the pop-out action is performed in the target compartment, monitor whether the blood collection tube in the target compartment has been removed. In response to the detection that the blood collection tube has been removed, the mechanism that controls the ejection action is reset to its initial position.

[0035] Furthermore, the blood collection tube sorting device is a portable device powered by a built-in lithium battery; the method further includes: S60. After completing the signing and information binding steps at the blood collection point, transport the sorting equipment filled with blood collection tubes to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the sorting equipment is connected to the laboratory's control system via a wireless network to perform the instruction receiving and parsing steps and the matching and execution steps.

[0036] Furthermore, the blood collection tube sorting equipment is fixedly installed in the laboratory; the signing and information binding steps are performed by laboratory staff in the laboratory.

[0037] Furthermore, the blood collection tube storage compartment is composed of multiple modular storage modules that can be detachably combined; the method, during initialization, includes configuring and connecting a corresponding number of the storage modules according to the required number of compartments.

[0038] Furthermore, the data communication unit communicates with the external system via a wireless network or a serial communication interface.

[0039] Furthermore, the signature scanning unit is a pre-signature warehouse set up independently of the blood collection tube storage warehouse. In the signature and information binding step, the successful scanning prompt is issued by the pre-signature warehouse.

[0040] In summary, the method disclosed in this application cleverly abstracts and reduces its dependence on hardware structure (the core being the logic of information flow and control), which brings high flexibility to the form and deployment mode of the device. The device implementing this method can adopt a modular design for its blood collection tube storage compartment, adapting to different scales of application scenarios by adding or removing modules. Simultaneously, the device can be configured as a portable terminal with a built-in battery, moving to the laboratory for sorting after information binding is completed at the blood collection point; or it can be deployed as a fixed device in the laboratory for centralized processing. This flexibility allows the same efficient and accurate sorting method to be seamlessly embedded into the entire chain of hospital processes from outpatient clinics and wards to the laboratory center, not only improving the efficiency of individual links but also optimizing the overall coordination and management refinement of sample flow throughout the hospital. Example

[0041] This application discloses a blood collection tube sorting device, including a pre-receiving compartment, a blood collection tube placement compartment, a blood collection tube ejection control unit, a blood collection tube indicator unit, a data communication unit, and a power management unit.

[0042] The front-end signing compartment has a built-in scanning head, which is used to scan the barcode on the blood collection tube for signing. At the same time, the scanning information is matched one by one with the location of the blood collection tube and sent to the main control processing unit for storage. The blood collection tube placement compartment has multiple placement slots, each capable of holding only one blood collection tube. The entire compartment is arranged in m rows and n columns, numbered from left to right and top to bottom. Each slot contains a built-in micro-motor that moves the compartment upwards and downwards, enabling tube sorting and ejection. The compartment employs a modular design, with each row forming a module and a set of cables connecting to the main control unit. Modules can be freely combined magnetically, adapting to different column numbers to meet specific customer application requirements.

[0043] The blood collection tube ejection control unit is used to control the movement of the micro motor inside the test tube chamber. It mainly controls the forward and reverse rotation of the motor to raise and lower the chamber. It is also equipped with a presence sensor, which automatically returns the tube to its initial position when the test tube is detected to have been removed.

[0044] The blood collection tube indicator unit is used to indicate the results of test tube sorting and ejection, and provides prompts via a power-off indicator light or a voice module. Working in conjunction with the test tube ejection unit, it achieves synchronized indication of test tube ejection and photoelectric display.

[0045] The data communication unit receives patient information transmitted from the hospital information system. Combined with the blood collection tube information identified by the tube identification unit, it automatically ejects the tubes associated with the patient and provides audio-visual indication, thus achieving automatic identification, sorting, and ejection of blood collection tubes. The data communication unit supports multiple communication methods, including WIFI communication and RS2323 serial communication.

[0046] The power management unit is used to power all systems in the whole machine. It supports both lithium battery power supply and wired power supply. Using lithium battery power supply improves the convenience of the device.

[0047] Application scenario 1 of this blood collection tube sorting equipment: Mobile application At T1, the staff at the blood collection window take the blood collection tubes to the pre-receipt storage compartment for scanning. The scanning head reads the patient information and sends it to the main control unit. After hearing the prompt tone for successful scanning, the tubes are placed in the blood collection tube placement compartment. T2. After the blood collection tube is inserted, the corresponding presence sensor will be triggered. The patient information and the placement position of the blood collection tube will be associated through the location of the sensor and the record will be stored in the device.

[0048] T3. Once the blood collection tube storage compartment is full, staff will deliver the device to the laboratory. The device will automatically connect to the laboratory's control computer via Wi-Fi, allowing laboratory personnel to issue instructions to retrieve blood collection tubes. Tubes can be distributed according to test category or patient.

[0049] T4. The information sent is parsed by the data communication unit and sent to the blood collection tube ejection control unit; T5. The blood collection tube ejection control unit automatically filters and matches the associated test tube compartment numbers based on the analysis results. After the matching is completed, it controls the test tube lifting motor to raise all the blood collection tubes that meet the conditions, thus ejecting the test tubes.

[0050] T6. After the test tube is ejected, the test tube indicator unit will provide an audio-visual prompt to inform the staff to remove the test tube in time; at the same time, the data communication unit will send a sorting completion signal back to the control computer, at which point the automatic sorting of blood collection test tubes will be completed.

[0051] T6. After the blood collection tube is removed, the corresponding compartment will automatically return to its initial position.

[0052] Application scenario 2 of this blood collection tube sorting equipment: Fixed application P1. This equipment is permanently installed in the laboratory. P2. Staff at the blood collection window or in the ward only need to complete the blood collection process. There is no need to pack the blood. The blood collection tubes are placed in the blood collection basket. After a certain number are collected, the nursing assistant will deliver them to the laboratory. P3. After blood collection, the laboratory staff will take the test tubes to the pre-receipt storage compartment for scanning. The scanning head will read the patient information and send it to the main control unit. After hearing the prompt tone for successful scanning, the tubes will be placed in the blood collection tube placement compartment. P4. After the blood collection tube is inserted, the corresponding presence sensor will be triggered. The patient information and the placement position of the blood collection tube will be associated through the location of the sensor and the record will be stored in this device. P5. Once the blood collection tube storage compartment is full, the laboratory personnel can issue a request via the control computer to retrieve the blood collection tubes. Retrieval can be done by test category or by patient. P6. The information sent will be parsed and transmitted to the blood collection tube ejection control unit via the data communication unit; P7. The blood collection tube ejection control unit automatically filters and matches the associated test tube compartment number based on the analysis results. After the matching is completed, it will control the test tube lifting motor to raise all the blood collection tubes that meet the conditions, so as to eject the test tubes. P8. After the test tube pops out, the test tube indicator unit will provide an audio-visual prompt to inform the staff to pick up the test tube in time; at the same time, the data communication unit will send the sorting completion mark back to the control computer, and the automatic sorting of blood collection test tubes will end. P9. After the blood collection tube is removed, the corresponding compartment will automatically return to its initial position.

[0053] The above steps are provided only to help understand the method, structure, and core ideas of this invention. Those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications to this invention without departing from its principles, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A method for sorting blood collection tubes, applied to blood collection tube sorting equipment, characterized in that, The blood collection tube sorting equipment includes a main control processing unit, a receipt scanning unit, a blood collection tube storage compartment with multiple independent compartments, and a data communication unit. The method includes the following steps: The identification code on the blood collection tube is scanned by the signature scanning unit to obtain the patient information associated with the blood collection tube; the scanned blood collection tube is placed into any empty slot in the blood collection tube storage compartment; in response to the blood collection tube being placed, the patient information is bound to and stored with the location information of the empty slot. The data communication unit receives pop-up instructions from an external system, which contain target patient information or target test category information. The pop-up command is parsed, and based on the stored binding relationship, one or more target wards associated with the target patient information or target test category information in the pop-up command are matched; the target wards are controlled to perform a pop-up action to pop up the corresponding blood collection tubes stored therein.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, After placing the scanned blood collection tube into any available slot in the blood collection tube storage compartment, the method further includes: detecting the presence of the blood collection tube by a presence sensor located at the bottom of the available slot and generating a trigger signal; binding the patient information with the location information of the available slot is performed in response to the trigger signal.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The step of matching one or more target wards associated with the target patient information or target test category information in the pop-up command includes: finding all ward locations bound to the target patient information in the pop-up command and determining these wards as the target wards; or, finding the ward locations bound to the blood collection tubes that need to be performed for that type of test in the patient information in the pop-up command and determining these wards as the target wards.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: simultaneously or after the ejection action is performed at the target compartment, activating an audible and / or visual cue to indicate that the blood collection tube has been ejected.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: After the target compartment is popped out, monitor whether the blood collection tubes in the target compartment have been removed; In response to the detection that the blood collection tube has been removed, the mechanism that controls the ejection action is reset to its initial position.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blood collection tube sorting device is a portable device powered by a built-in lithium battery; the method further includes: After completing the signing and information binding steps at the blood collection point, the sorting equipment filled with blood collection tubes is transported to the laboratory. In the laboratory, the sorting equipment is connected to the laboratory's control system via a wireless network to perform the instruction receiving and parsing steps and the matching and execution steps.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blood collection tube sorting equipment is fixedly installed in the laboratory; the signing and information binding steps are performed by laboratory staff in the laboratory.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The blood collection tube storage compartment is composed of multiple modular storage modules that can be detachably combined; the method, during initialization, includes configuring and connecting the corresponding number of storage modules according to the required number of compartments.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data communication unit communicates with the external system via a wireless network or a serial communication interface.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The signature scanning unit is a front-end signature warehouse set up independently of the blood collection tube storage warehouse. In the signature and information binding step, the successful scanning prompt is issued by the front-end signature warehouse.

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