Device for sorting medical tubes

Abstract

A device (1) for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, comprises - a staging device (2) in which a supply of medical tubes to be sorted, preferably in bulk, can be provided, - a sorting device (3) by means of which the medical tubes provided in the dispensing device (2) can be identified and sorted according to at least one selected characteristic, and - a dispensing device (4) comprising a plurality of dispensing containers (8), - to which a large number of sorted medical tubes, each having at least one selected feature, can be supplied from the sorting device (3), - in which the numerous supplied medical tubes, preferably in bulk, can be collected, and - which can each be individually removed from the device starting from a collection position, wherein the dispensing containers (8) each have a handle (9) by means of which the respective dispensing container (8) located in the collection position can be removed from the device (1) by means of a hand grasped by an operator.To improve the handling of the dispensing container (8), it is proposed that the handle (9), at least in a state of the dispensing container (8) removed from the device, be transferable from a removal and insertion position relative to it to a carrying position and vice versa, in which a dispensing container (8) removed from the device (1) is portable such that the handle (9) is located approximately in the middle of or above the dispensing container (8) when viewed from a top view, wherein the handle (9) is located in an edge region of the dispensing container (8) when viewed from a top view, so that it is accessible to the operator's hand when the dispensing container (8) is collected.

Description

Introduction

[0001] The invention relates to a device for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, comprising - a staging device in which a supply of medical tubes to be sorted, preferably in bulk, can be provided, - a sorting device by which the medical tubes provided in the dispensing device can be identified and sorted according to at least one selected characteristic, and - a dispensing facility that has multiple dispensing containers, - to which a large number of sorted medical tubes, each exhibiting at least one selected characteristic, can be supplied from the sorting device, - in which the numerous supplied medical tubes, preferably in bulk, can be collected, and - which can each be individually removed from the device starting from a collection position, wherein the dispensing containers each have a handle by means of which the respective dispensing container located in the collection position can be removed from the device by an operator after being grasped with one hand.

[0002] Such devices are used particularly in hospital laboratories or large, supra-regional laboratories to sort medical tubes collected or delivered within a certain period and required for analysis according to specific criteria, and then to return them sorted by type. The feed unit of such a sorting device is usually designed as a funnel-shaped hopper or storage container into which the medical tubes are poured as bulk material from a transport container (e.g., a large basket, sack, or tub). Usually, one opening of the feed unit is closed by a flap, but it is also possible to leave the opening permanently unobstructed.The sorting system that follows the flow of medical tubes can utilize a wide variety of principles for singulating, differentiating, and then handling various tube types, sizes, or varieties. These include mechanical singulation methods as well as optical, inductive, capacitive, or other electromagnetic detection and readout methods, which then allow for the assignment of a specific tube to a group or class.

[0003] The dispensing unit is often designed as a cabinet-like structure with multiple drawer-like dispensing containers in the form of baskets, hoppers, or trays, typically arranged in a matrix-like pattern next to and above one another in a front view of the device. During operation, a large number of medical tubes of a specific type accumulate in each of these dispensing containers. The sorted contents of each dispensing container are then removed from the device and transferred to an analyzer for further processing or evaluation. This is usually done manually by operators. State of the art

[0004] A device of the aforementioned type is known, for example, under the name "HCTS 2000 MK2" and can be found on the applicant's website https: / / www.sarstedt.de / . The ergonomics of handling the dispensing containers, particularly their removal from the dispensing unit and subsequent transfer to an analysis device, have proven to be capable of improvement to some extent.

[0005] From DE 30 03 932 A1, a holding device for tubular vessels, preferably for reaction or sample vessels for the pretreatment of biological material for analysis, is known. To enable semi-automated operation, the known holding device consists of two plates held at a distance from each other, the upper plate having inlet openings and the lower plate having outlet openings for a plurality of vessels. A releaseable holding mechanism is arranged between the plates.

[0006] DE 197 14 135 C1 discloses a device for transferring pipette tips arranged in a grid pattern with the opening facing upwards, with a plate-like body which has receiving devices for the pipette tips in the grid of the pipette tips.

[0007] From DE 198 49 714 A1, a sample tube holder is known into which several sample tubes can be inserted. For this purpose, the known holder has several openings for receiving several tubes, which are held securely in the openings without the use of a flexible part that exerts a frictional force on the tubes to retain them in the openings.

[0008] US patent 2011 / 0143947A1 also describes a device for automated sampling in which the tubes are arranged in a fixed configuration. The containers for holding the medical tubes are designed in the form of drawers and are equipped with a rigid handle on their front.

[0009] Finally, US 2012 / 0171759A1 describes a device for processing medical sample tubes in a fixed arrangement. The receiving container provided for this purpose has a handle for transporting the container, which can be pivoted so that it lies flush with the top of the container. Task

[0010] The invention is based on the objective of improving a device for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, in such a way as to improve the ergonomics when handling the dispensing containers. Solution

[0011] Starting from a device of the type described above, the underlying problem is solved by the fact that the handle, at least in a state of the dispensing container removed from the device, can be moved from a removal and insertion position relative to it to a carrying position and vice versa, in which a dispensing container removed from the device can be carried in such a way that the handle – viewed from above on a dispensing container placed on a flat surface – is located on the top or above the dispensing container, wherein in the removal and insertion position – viewed from above on a dispensing container placed on a flat surface – the handle is located in an edge region of the dispensing container, so that it can be grasped by the operator's hand in the collection position of the dispensing container.

[0012] The two different positions between which the handle can be moved according to the invention create an ergonomically advantageous position for the handle in different situations when handling the dispensing container: In the collection position of the dispensing container, i.e., in a state where at least a large part of the dispensing container is located in the device, particularly in the dispensing unit, the handle is positioned (removal and insertion position) such that the dispensing container can be operated from a vertically oriented side or side wall, particularly like a drawer. The handle should preferably be able to absorb and transmit both tensile and compressive forces into the dispensing container in order to, for example, allow a translational movement or a movement along a curved path, similar to a drawer, to be performed by the operator's hand.Such functionality is already offered by the rigid handle of the dispensing container, as is known from the above-mentioned prior art created by the applicant herself in the form of the sorting device HCTS2000 MK2.

[0013] The invention goes beyond this prior art insofar as, after the dispensing container has been removed from the dispensing device (or even – at least partially – during the removal process), the handle can be moved from the aforementioned removal and insertion position to a carrying position. In such a carrying position, the handle is preferably located vertically above the center of gravity of the loaded dispensing container, the position of which naturally depends on the distribution and number of collected medical tubes within the dispensing container. Minor deviations from a position of the handle exactly vertically above the center of gravity are tolerable and, although they do result in a certain tilting of the dispensing container when carried, this hardly impairs handling.One (or more) connection or pivot points of the handle on the dispensing container are located - viewed from above on a dispensing container placed on a flat floor - preferably approximately in the middle of or in a central area of ​​the dispensing container.

[0014] The advantage of the invention lies particularly in the fact that the filled receiving container can now be conveniently carried, like a basket or bucket, on the operator's outstretched or slightly bent arm. This is possible even over longer distances, such as those encountered in larger laboratories, without fatigue or strain. In contrast, handling a rigid handle on the front of a dispensing container, as is the case with the prior art, is tiring when using only one hand. Alternatively, the prior art allows for the use of a second hand to support the dispensing container at its front end opposite the handle. However, this restricts the operator's freedom of movement or makes carrying two dispensing containers simultaneously impossible, which is easily achieved with the invention by carrying one dispensing container in each hand.The dual function of the handle according to the invention enables one-handed operation of the dispensing container through the two handle positions by using the handle as a drawer handle on the one hand and as a carrying handle (handle, bracket) on the other.

[0015] While it is theoretically possible to move the handle between the insertion / removal position and the carrying position in any way, allowing for a multitude of degrees of freedom, and to provide, for example, only a kind of "anti-loss device"—i.e., a connection between the handle and the dispensing container that cannot be easily released—it is particularly advantageous if the handle, during its movement from the carrying position to the insertion / removal position and / or vice versa, is guided relative to the dispensing container, at least over part of the movement path, preferably over the entire path. Such a guided movement can be a rotary or translational movement, or a combination or sequence of the two aforementioned types of movement, for example, using levers, cam guides, linear guides, rotary joints, etc.

[0016] A further development of the device according to the invention consists in the fact that the handle can be locked in the carrying position and / or the insertion and removal position relative to the dispensing container, so that when handling the dispensing container during insertion into or removal from the device, or during carrying, relative movement between the dispensing container and the handle in either of the two positions is prevented. This allows the dispensing container to be carried without rocking and without the risk of unintentional emptying by rotation, even if the specific, somewhat random mass distribution results in the center of gravity not being positioned exactly below the handle.

[0017] A locking mechanism for the handle also prevents unwanted relative movements between the handle and the dispensing container when forces are applied by the operator's hand, thus facilitating the precision of manipulating the dispensing container in the respective position of the handle by improving control over the desired movement.

[0018] An arrangement of the handle on a preferably U-shaped or L-shaped handle, which is pivotable about a pivot axis between the carrying position and the insertion and removal position, preferably by an angle of approximately 90°, represents a very simple design implementation of a positively guided handle transfer. The pivot axis should run perpendicular to the direction of movement of the dispensing container during its removal from or insertion into the device and – when considering the dispensing container in the collection position – in a horizontal direction.

[0019] A clearly defined limit of the transfer path is achieved when the pivoting movement during a transfer of the handle from the insertion and removal position to the carrying position and / or vice versa strikes an associated stop element of the dispensing container in at least one end position with a stop element arranged on the handle.

[0020] The process of inserting the dispensing container into the device, particularly its dispensing unit, and / or removing the dispensing container from the device, particularly its dispensing unit, is facilitated for the operator by the fact that at least one section of the handle interacts with a guide located in a body of the device during the transfer of the dispensing container from the collection position to a position outside the device and / or vice versa, at least in the insertion and removal positions of the handle. Such interaction can be achieved, for example, by means of a groove, strip, or rail and, for example, a sliding or roller element interacting with it. Initially, it is not crucial which of the aforementioned guide elements is located on which component (dispensing unit or dispensing container).

[0021] Further developing the invention, it is proposed that at least one section of the handle, preferably two sections of the handle arranged on opposite longitudinal sides of the dispensing container, projects beyond a corresponding side wall of the dispensing container in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the dispensing container when it is removed from or inserted into the device. The projecting section(s) can be used to guide the dispensing container during its movement when inserted into or removed from the device, for example, in the manner of a tongue-and-groove guide in a drawer. Furthermore, such a guide can restrict the freedom of movement of the handle during all or part of the insertion or removal movement of the dispensing container.Finally, holding forces (especially caused by the weight of the dispensing container including its contents) can also be introduced from the dispensing container into the dispensing device, preferably its body, by such a guide.

[0022] A guide as described above can preferably be designed in the form of a groove to receive at least one section of the handle of the dispensing container, wherein such a groove can be arranged, for example, in vertically oriented side walls of the body of the dispensing device.

[0023] A particularly space-saving arrangement of a large number of dispensing containers in a dispensing device can be achieved if the body has several compartments, preferably arranged in a matrix or grid pattern, into each of which at least one dispensing container, preferably with a horizontal direction of movement, can be inserted.

[0024] A particularly simple support for a dispensing container within a dispensing device, especially within its body, and more preferably within compartments formed therein, can be achieved by having the dispensing container, in its collected position, rest on at least one support surface, preferably a base, a ledge, or a rail, of the body of the dispensing device with its underside, preferably with strip-shaped support areas arranged at opposite edges of the underside. If such a strip-shaped support area is formed by a side wall projecting from the underside of the dispensing container, the base of the dispensing container, located between two side walls, can remain unsupported.This prevents scratching of the base of the dispensing container, especially in the case of a sliding support, and avoids an aesthetically detrimental visual effect, particularly with transparent wall materials.

[0025] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention consists in that a joint at each associated end of the handle – in the insertion and removal position and / or the carrying position of the handle – can be moved from a rotational position, in which the handle is pivotable about the pivot axis, to a locking position, in which pivoting about the pivot axis is prevented. The movement of the handle from the rotational position to the locking position is effected by a movement of the handle relative to the dispensing container with at least one radial component to the pivot axis. This movement of the handle with at least one radial component can be such that, in the carrying position, the handle is moved upwards relative to the rest of the receiving container solely by the effect of gravity on the lower part of the container (including any contents), thereby achieving the locking position of the joint.As long as the dispensing container is carried by the handle, the continuous effect of gravity prevents it from leaving the locked position, thus avoiding any rotational movement of the handle relative to the dispensing container while it is being carried. This ensures great stability during carrying and prevents the medical tubes inside the dispensing container from being unintentionally lost due to rocking movements of the dispensing container around the handle.

[0026] A particularly advantageous design of the joint defining the pivot axis consists in the fact that the joints each have an inner body connected to the handle and an outer body enclosing the inner body and connected to the receiving container, wherein, in the course of pivoting the handle, the inner body is rotatable in the outer body, wherein - in the carrying position of the handle - starting from the rotation position, a locking element projecting radially from the inner body can be moved into a locking recess in the outer body by a movement with a component of a movement direction extending radially to the pivot axis, whereby the joint assumes the locking position.

[0027] Finally, a further development of the invention consists in the inner body being connected to a counter-holding body, which is preferably arranged on the inner side of a side wall of the receiving container, and the outer body being inserted into or integrally formed by the side wall, wherein the handle is preferably arranged on the outer side of the side wall and connected to the counter-holding body by an opening in the side wall and by an opening in the outer body. Preferably, the counter-holding body and the handle, the latter preferably in a free end section, are screwed together, the screws preferably penetrating a corresponding side wall of the dispensing container in one or a common opening. Example

[0028] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1: a perspective view of a device, Fig. 2: A perspective view of a storage container without a handle, Fig. 3: a section of the device according to Fig. 1 with a receiving container in a state partially inserted into a receiving facility, Fig. 4: A perspective view of a section of the device with a partially inserted receiving container, Fig. 5: how Fig. 4, however, in a further introduced state of the receiving container, Fig. 6: how Fig. 5, however, in a further introduced state of the receiving container, Fig. 7: how Fig. 6, however, in a further pivoted state of the handle, Fig. 8: how Fig. 7, however, in a further inserted state of the receiving container, Fig. 9: how Fig. 8, however with the receiving container in the collection position, Fig. 10: an exploded view of the joint between the handle and the receiving container, Fig. 11: how Fig. 10, but from a different perspective, and Fig. 12a - 12c: the typical handling of the dispensing container when inserting it into or removing it from the dispensing device, carrying it, and emptying it.

[0029] One in Fig. The device 1 shown in Figure 1, for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, consists of three main functional components: a feeder 2, a sorting unit 3, and a dispensing unit 4. All three components are located within a housing 5, which is movable on a floor by means of four rollers 6 arranged on its underside. While the feeder 2 and the dispensing unit 4 have interfaces to the external environment of the device 1 and the housing 5, the sorting unit 3 is located almost entirely within the housing (apart from operating or display elements that are accessible or visible from the outside of the housing 5). The feeder 2 is a type of hopper that has a permanently unobstructed opening cross-section 7.The opening cross-section 7 allows a large number of blood collection tubes to be inserted into the dispensing device 2, particularly by pouring them from a larger portable container. If desired, a movable flap can also be provided for opening and closing the opening cross-section 7.

[0030] From output unit 4, in Fig. Ten dispensing containers 8 are visible, arranged in two rows of five dispensing containers 8 each. Each dispensing container 8 has a handle 9 that protrudes outwards beyond the housing 5, allowing it to be easily grasped and manipulated by an operator.

[0031] The device 1 is used by placing a typically large quantity of unsorted blood collection tubes into the feeder 2. The sorting process is then initiated, during which all tubes are successively separated, analyzed, and transferred into the different output containers 8 according to specific characteristics. After the sorting process, each output container 8 contains a specific "type" of blood collection tubes, which are then removed from the device 1 along with their corresponding output container 8 and transferred to other analytical instruments, typically located elsewhere, for the actual analysis.

[0032] In Fig. Figure 2 shows a base body 10 of a dispensing container 8. The base body 10 has a trough-shaped form with an open top through which sorted blood collection tubes can fall into the dispensing container 8 when it is inserted into the dispensing device 4 of the apparatus 1. The base body 10 also has two side walls 12, a front wall 13, a rear wall 14, and a strip-shaped extension wall 15. The container walls are made of sheet-shaped, transparent polycarbonate material by cutting and bonding or welding them together. A similarly formed base 16 is angled at its end section 17 facing the rear wall 14, so that a space 18 is formed below this end section 17 between the side walls 12 and the rear wall 14, into which the operator can reach with one hand.

[0033] The base 16, the front wall 13, and the extension wall 15 are made from a single piece of sheet metal that has been bent into an approximate L-shape. The end section 17 of the base 16 has also been deflected from the plane of the base 16 by a bending process.

[0034] In an upper opening 19 of the dispensing container 8, a handle 20 is located centrally and between the opposing side walls 12, which firstly increases the rigidity of the dispensing container 8 and thus prevents deformation of the side walls 12 in their upper area even under the application of force, and secondly can be used as an additional carrying handle.

[0035] Finally, there are three recesses in each of the side walls 12: a larger, approximately rectangular recess 21 and two round recesses 22 arranged to the sides of it. These will be discussed in more detail later.

[0036] Out of Fig. Figure 3 shows that the device 1 has a cabinet-like body 23 in the area of ​​the dispensing unit 4, which has a plurality of compartments 24, each designed for the insertion of a dispensing container 8. Each compartment 24 is bounded horizontally on both sides by a side wall 25, downwards by a base 26, and upwards by a ceiling 27, with side walls 25 facing adjacent compartments 24 being formed by a common side wall 25. Likewise, the ceiling 27 of one compartment 24 forms the base 26 of the compartment 24 above it. Due to the matrix-like arrangement of the compartments 24, the side walls 25 of several compartments 24 stacked on top of each other can be formed entirely by a single wall component. The same applies to the bases 26 and ceilings 27 of adjacent compartments 24.An upper termination of the dispensing device 4 is formed by a cover plate 28, which takes over the function of the ceilings 27 of the uppermost row of compartments 24.

[0037] In Fig. Figure 3 shows a dispensing container 8 in a position relative to the device 1, in particular to the dispensing device 4 or the compartment 24 associated with this dispensing container 8, in which it is immersed with a front area just so into an interior of the compartment 24 that the supplementary wall 15 belonging to the compartment 24 is just so behind an opening cross-section of the compartment 24.

[0038] Furthermore, it is from Fig. 3 shows that the handle 9 is arranged on a U-shaped handle 29, which extends into Fig. 3 is currently in the carrying position. In this carrying position, the handle 29 extends approximately vertically (with the base 16 of the dispensing container 8 in a horizontal orientation). In this state, the handle 9 is located more or less perpendicularly above the center of mass of the empty dispensing container 8.

[0039] Furthermore, two sections 30 of the handle 29, arranged at opposite ends of the handle 9, are pivotally connected at their ends facing away from the handle 9 to the respective side wall 12 of the dispensing container 8. In this position, the dispensing container 8 can be handled by an operator simply by holding the handle 9 with one hand.

[0040] Fig. Figure 4 shows a position of the dispensing container 8 in which the sections 30 of the handle 29 just abut a front edge 31 of the cover plate 28, thus completing an insertion movement of the dispensing container 8 with the handle 29 projecting vertically upwards (carrying position). From this position, it is essential to pivot the handle 29, and therefore also the grip 9, by pivoting it about a pivot axis 32 defined by joints 33 between the handle 29 and the base body 10 of the dispensing container 8 towards the rear wall 14, as shown in Fig. 5 is shown. With the handle 29 pivoted in this way, the dispensing container 8 can be further inserted into the assigned compartment – ​​while maintaining one-handed operation – as shown in Fig. 6 is shown.

[0041] In the representation according to Fig. 7 The handle 29 is in an approximately horizontal orientation, running approximately parallel to the upper edges 34 of the side walls. In this position, the handle together with the handle 29 forms a typical drawer or chute handle, by which an operator can conveniently exert horizontally directed forces to move the dispensing container 8 within the associated compartment 24.

[0042] The Fig. 8 and Fig. Figure 9 shows further phases during the insertion movement when placing the dispensing container 8 into the assigned compartment 24, each with the handle 29 or the grip 9 in the insertion and removal positions. This is shown in Fig. 9 the position of the dispensing container 8 is reached, in which the rear wall 14 of the body 10 of the dispensing container 8 is flush with the front edges 35 of the side walls 25 of the respective compartment 24. The dispensing container 8 is thus in its collection position, which it must assume during the operation of the device 1 so that the sorted medical tubes belonging to a specific group or class can be properly collected in it.

[0043] It is understood that the process of removing the output container 8 from the assigned compartment 24, i.e., from the output device 4, is carried out in the reverse order as described in the Fig. The process shown in figures 3 to 9 takes place. The handle 29 with the grip 9 is moved in the opposite direction, i.e., from the insertion and removal position to the carrying position.

[0044] From the Fig. Furthermore, it can be seen from figures 3 to 9 that the side walls 25 of the compartments 24 and of the body of the dispensing device 4 each have a groove 36, which is widened upwards in an inlet section 37 by a rounded upper groove wall 38. The groove 36 has such a width that a corresponding section 30 of the handle 29 fits into the groove. Fig. The insertion and removal positions of the handle 9 shown in Figures 7 to 9 can be accommodated within it. The sections 30 of the handle 29 project beyond the surface of the side walls 12 of the base body 10 of the dispensing container 8 by approximately the same amount as the depth of the groove 36. Naturally, this groove depth is slightly greater than the projection of section 30 of the handle 29 to ensure smooth sliding of the dispensing container 8 during insertion and removal. The aforementioned rounding of the groove wall 38 and the resulting widening of the groove allow the handle 29 to slide smoothly "around the corner" during insertion, thus enabling the operator to easily apply the necessary pushing force.

[0045] As explained above, each dispensing container 8 rests on the base 26 of the associated compartment 24 below it. However, this support is not provided by the base 16 of the main body 10 of the dispensing container 8, but rather by the two adjacent side walls 12 of the dispensing container 8, which therefore project slightly beyond the underside of the base 26. Sliding movement between the dispensing container 8 and the base 26 of the compartment thus occurs only in the area of ​​the lower end faces of the side walls 12 of the dispensing container 8. This prevents the base 16 of the dispensing container 8 from being scratched due to the clearance underneath, which offers an aesthetic advantage, particularly when transparent material is used for the walls of the dispensing container 8.

[0046] The joints 33 located at the ends of the sections 30 of the handle 29 have the following Fig. 10 and Fig. 11 evident structure: Into the in Fig. An outer body 39 of the joint is inserted into the two recesses 21 and 22 shown. This outer body comprises a rectangular central section 40 adapted to the recess 21 and two sleeve sections 41 arranged on opposite sides of the central section 40, each adapted to the recesses 22. The central section 40 and the sleeve sections 41 each project beyond an oval base body 42 of the outer body 39 by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the side wall 12. Thus, the outer body 39 projects laterally beyond the outer surface of the side wall 12 only by the amount of the base body 42, whereas the central section 40 and the sleeve sections 41 are recessed within the side wall 12 and are flush with its inner surface.

[0047] The joints 33 each have an inner body 43, which is connected to the respective end of the section 30 of the handle 29 by two screws 44. Each screw 44 passes through an opening 45 in the section 30 of the handle 29 and is screwed into a threaded bore in the inner body 43. This connection clamps the outer body 39 between the section 30 of the handle 29 and the inner body 43, with the clamping force being dimensioned such that the handle 29 can pivot easily about the pivot axis 32.

[0048] The inner body 43 consists of a circular base body 46, which slides against the central part 40 of the outer body 39, acting as a counter-holding element. The inner body 43 comprises a central part 47 that is raised above the base body 46 and consists of a cylindrical pin 48 and two diametrically opposed locking lugs 49. Both the inner body 43 and the outer body 39, with their respective components, are integrally manufactured as plastic parts (e.g., injection molded or 3D printed). The outer body 39 is screwed to the dispensing container 8 by means of two screws 50, each of which passes through one of the recesses 22 in the side wall 12 of the base body 10.

[0049] To implement a locking function in the carrying position of the handle 9 or the handle 29 holding it, a locking recess 51 is arranged on the outer body 39 at the top of a bearing recess 52. In the carrying position of the handle 9, this recess engages with the locking lug 49 of the central part 47 of the inner body 43. In the locked position, where the locking lugs 49 are located in the associated locking recess 51, rotation of the handle 29 is prevented by a positive locking connection of the aforementioned components. Starting from such a locked position, the handle 29, together with the associated inner body 43, can be moved by a radial depth of the locking recess 51 in the bearing recess 52 towards the bottom 16 of the dispensing container 8, so that the locking lugs 49 and the locking recesses 51 disengage. Then there is a pivoting of the handle 29 - in Fig. 10 counterclockwise and in Fig. 11 clockwise rotation – possible to reach the insertion and removal position of the handle during the pivoting motion. During such a pivoting movement, end faces 53 of the two locking lugs 49 bear against sections 54 of an inner surface of the locking recess 51, thus ensuring precise guidance of the rotatably nested components. Furthermore, an outer surface of the pin part 48 bears against sections 55 of the inner surface of the locking recess 51, also ensuring precise guidance of the pivoting movement of the handle 29 at certain times. The locking of the handle 29 and the grip 9 in the carrying position can therefore be activated by lifting or pulling up the handle 29 and deactivated by pressing it down.

[0050] Finally, in the Fig. Figures 12a to 12c illustrate how a dispensing container 8 is handled by an operator 56. To insert the dispensing container 8 into or remove it from the corresponding compartment 24 of the dispensing device, horizontally directed pulling or pushing forces must be applied to the handle 9 with the handle 29 in a horizontal orientation ( Fig. 12a). Once the dispensing container has been removed from the device 1, it can be carried like a basket with a vertically oriented handle on the more or less outstretched arm of the operator 56 ( Fig. 12b). If the contents of the dispensing container 8 are to be emptied upon reaching a destination in the form of an analysis device, then, in addition to the hand grasping the handle 9, the other hand of the operator 56 can be placed in the free space 18 on the underside of the dispensing container 8 (see. Fig. 2) are introduced to accomplish a pivoting movement of the base body 10 of the dispensing container 8 around the still vertically oriented handle 19, thereby facilitating the emptying process of the dispensing container ( Fig. 12c). Reference symbol list 1 device 2 Template setup 3 sorting device 4 Output device 5 cases 6 rolls 7 Opening cross-section 8 Dispensing container 9 handle 10 basic shapes 11 Top 12 side wall 13 Front wall 14 Back panel 15 Additional wall 16 Floor 17 Final section 18 Free space 19 Opening 20 handle 21 Exclusion 22 Exclusion 23 Corpus 24-fold 25 side wall 26 Floor 27 Ceiling 28 Cover plate 29 Henkel Section 30 31 Leading edge 32 Swivel axis 33 joint 34 Top edge 35 Front edge 36 Nut 37 Inlet section 38 groove wall 39 Outer body 40 Middle section 41 Sleeve part 42 basic shapes 43 inner body 44 screw 45 Breakthrough 46 Basic bodies 47 Middle section 48 pin part 49 Rastnase 50 screws 51 Rest recess 52 Storage recess 53 Front surface Section 54 Section 55 56 operator

Claims

[1] Device (1) for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, comprising - a storage device (2) in which a supply of medical tubes to be sorted can be provided, preferably as bulk material, - a sorting device (3) by means of which the medical tubes provided in the supply device (2) can be identified and sorted according to at least one selected feature, and - a dispensing device (4) having a plurality of dispensing containers (8), - to which a plurality of sorted medical tubes having at least one selected feature can be fed from the sorting device (3), - in which the plurality of supplied medical tubes can be collected, preferably in bulk, and - which can each be removed individually from the device (1) starting from a collection position, wherein the dispensing containers (8) each have a handle (9) by means of which the respective dispensing container (8) located in the collection position can be removed from the device (1) after being grasped by an operator's hand, characterized byin that the handle (9), at least when the dispensing container (8) is removed from the device, can be transferred from a removal and insertion position relative to the latter into a carrying position and vice versa, in which carrying position a dispensing container (8) removed from the device (1) can be carried in such a way that the handle (9) is located on an upper side or above the dispensing container (8) in a plan view of a dispensing container (8) placed on a flat floor, wherein the handle (9) is located in an edge region of the dispensing container (8) in the removal and insertion position, as viewed in a plan view of a dispensing container (8) placed on a flat floor, so that it can be grasped by a hand of the operator in the collecting position of the dispensing container (8). [2] Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the handle (9) is positively guided relative to the dispensing container (8) during its transfer from the carrying position into the insertion and removal position and / or vice versa, at least over part of a transfer path, preferably over the entire transfer path. [3] Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that the handle (9) can be locked in the carrying position and / or the insertion and removal position relative to the dispensing container (8), so that when handling the dispensing container (8) during insertion into the device (1) or removal from the device (1), a relative movement between the dispensing container (8) and the handle (9) is prevented. [4] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized bythat the handle (9) is arranged on a preferably U-shaped or L-shaped handle (29) which can be pivoted about a pivot axis (32) between the carrying position and the insertion and removal position, preferably by an angle of approximately 90°. [5] Device (1) according to claim 4, characterized by that the pivot axis (32) runs perpendicular to a direction of movement of the dispensing container (8) during its removal from or insertion into the device (1) and - when viewing the dispensing container (8) in the collecting position - in the horizontal direction. [6] Device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized by that the pivoting movement, when the handle (29) is transferred from the insertion and removal position into the carrying position and / or vice versa, strikes in at least one end position with a stop element arranged on the handle (29) against an associated stop element of the dispensing container (8). [7] Device (1) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized by that at least one section of the handle (29), at least in the insertion and removal position of the handle (9), cooperates with a guide located in a body (23) of the device (1) during the transfer of the dispensing container (8) from the collecting position to a position outside the device and / or vice versa. [8] Device (1) according to claim 7, characterized by that at least one section of the handle (29), preferably two sections of the handle (29) arranged on opposite longitudinal sides of the dispensing container (8), protrudes or protrude beyond a respectively associated side wall (12) of the dispensing container (8) in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the dispensing container (8) when it is removed from or inserted into the device (1). [9] Device (1) according to claim 8, characterized bythat at least one horizontally extending groove (36) for guiding at least one section of the handle (29) of the dispensing container (8) is arranged in vertically aligned side walls (25) of the body (23). [10] Device (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized by that the body (23) has a plurality of compartments (24), preferably arranged in a matrix or grid shape, into each of which at least one dispensing container (8) can be inserted, preferably with a horizontal direction of movement. [11] Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by that a dispensing container (8) is supported in the collecting position with a bottom side, preferably with preferably strip-shaped support areas arranged on opposite edges of the bottom side, on at least one support surface, preferably a base (26), a strip or a rail, of a body (23) of the dispensing device (4). [12] Device (1) according to one of claims 4 to 11, characterized by in that in each case a joint (33) at an associated end of the handle (29) - in the insertion and removal position and / or the carrying position of the handle (9) - can be transferred from a rotary position in which the handle (29) can be pivoted about the pivot axis, into a locking position in which pivoting about the pivot axis (32) is prevented, wherein the transfer of the handle (29) from the rotary position to the locking position takes place by a movement of the handle (29) relative to the dispensing container (8) with at least one movement component radial to the pivot axis (32). [13] Device (1) according to claim 12, characterized byin that the joints (33) each have an inner body (43) connected to the handle (29) and an outer body (39) enclosing the inner body (43) and connected to the receiving container (8), wherein during the pivoting of the handle (29) the inner body (43) can be rotated in the outer body (39), wherein - in the carrying position of the handle (9) - starting from the rotary position a locking body (49) protruding radially from the inner body (43) can be moved into a locking recess (51) in the outer body (39) by a movement with a component of a direction of movement running radially to the pivot axis (32), as a result of which the joint (33) assumes the locking position. [14] Device (1) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized byin that the inner body (43) is connected to a counter-holding body which is preferably arranged on an inner side of a side wall (12) of the receiving container (8), and the outer body (39) is inserted into the side wall (12) or is formed integrally by it, wherein the handle (29) is preferably arranged on the outer side of the side wall (12) and is connected to the counter-holding body by an opening (21) in the side wall (12) and by an opening (45) in the outer body (39).

Images