Automatic blood viscosity measuring device

Abstract

The present invention provides an automatic blood viscosity measuring device that is configured so that the entire process, from blood sample introduction to mixing, suction, dispensing, and disposal, is performed by an automated robotic system, thereby improving measurement speed and accuracy, and is also easier to use by providing multiple modules for delivering and measuring blood samples. [Solution] The automated blood viscosity measuring device of the present invention includes a housing having an open door, a blood sample mounting unit to which blood collection tubes are mounted, a blood sample pre-processing unit that grips a plurality of blood collection tubes, scans the gripped blood collection tubes, and separates the blood collection tube covers mounted on the blood collection tubes, a blood sample transfer unit that moves the blood collection tubes gripped by the blood sample pre-processing unit, a blood viscosity measuring unit that is mounted with a blood viscosity measurement kit and includes one or more channels for measuring the viscosity of a blood sample injected into the blood viscosity measurement kit, a kit mounting unit that is provided inside the housing and mounts the blood viscosity measurement kit on the blood viscosity measuring unit, and a blood sample post-processing unit that aspirates the blood sample from the transferred blood collection tubes by the blood sample transfer unit and injects it into the mounted blood viscosity measurement kit. This allows viscosity measurements of one or more blood samples to be performed simultaneously, thereby reducing operation time and improving ease of use.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, and more particularly to an automatic blood viscosity measuring device that has a plurality of modules for delivering and measuring blood samples, thereby enabling viscosity measurements of one or more blood samples to be performed simultaneously, thereby reducing operation time and improving ease of use. [Background technology]

[0002] Blood viscosity is a physical property that indicates the flow resistance of blood within blood vessels, and can be specifically divided into whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity. An abnormal increase in blood viscosity causes an increase in shear stress and flow resistance acting on the inner walls of blood vessels, significantly increasing the risk of developing acute cardiovascular and microvascular diseases. Plasma viscosity is not only used to diagnose inflammatory conditions in the body, but is also one of the main causes of increased whole blood viscosity. Whole blood viscosity indicates a flow characteristic in which the viscosity changes continuously during cardiac systole and diastole. This is because the viscosity decreases when blood flows at a high speed (high shear rate) due to the combined influence of red blood cells and plasma proteins in whole blood, and increases when blood flows at a slow speed (low shear rate). Fluids that exhibit such flow characteristics are called non-Newtonian fluids, and in order to properly understand the non-Newtonian flow characteristics of blood, it is necessary to analyze the total shear rate (e.g., 1 to 1,000 s -1 ) must be accurately measured. Recent blood viscosity measuring devices allow blood obtained from the body to pass through a flow restrictor tube and measure the flow characteristics of the blood within the flow restrictor tube, thereby measuring blood viscosity, hemagglutination rate, etc.

[0003] As a conventional technique, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus for simultaneously measuring blood viscosity and hemagglutination rate. However, since the instrument operator must manually inject blood through a syringe to measure the viscosity of the blood, it is difficult to supply blood at a constant pressure and flow rate, and there is a problem in that it is difficult to measure the viscosity of the blood under the same conditions. Furthermore, since this is done manually, it takes a long time to complete, and blood-borne infections often occur. To solve this problem, automated blood viscosity measuring devices have been developed. However, this method requires a lot of time because the viscosity of the next blood sample must be measured after the viscosity of one blood sample is measured. Furthermore, when measuring a large number of blood samples, if the blood sample is taken later, the viscosity of the blood is measured in a state where red blood cells and other particles have settled over time, which can lead to a problem of reduced viscosity measurement accuracy. Furthermore, conventional blood viscosity measuring devices are equipped with only one gripper and measurement module, and therefore, if one gripper module breaks down, the operation of the entire measuring device is interrupted. To solve this problem, there is a need to develop technology for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device that has excellent holding power by being equipped with multiple grippers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Korean Registered Utility Model No. 20-0331884 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The object of the present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is to provide an automatic blood viscosity measuring device which is configured so that the entire process, from blood sample input to mixing, suction, dispensing, and disposal, is performed by an automated robot system, thereby improving measurement speed and measurement accuracy, and which is easier to use by providing multiple modules for delivering and measuring blood samples. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The automated blood viscosity measuring device of the present invention includes a housing provided with an open door; a blood sample mounting unit to which blood collection tubes are mounted; a blood sample pre-processing unit that grips a plurality of blood collection tubes, scans the gripped blood collection tubes, and separates the blood collection tube covers mounted on the top rows of the blood collection tubes; a blood sample transfer unit that moves the blood collection tubes gripped by the blood sample pre-processing unit; a blood viscosity measuring unit that is mounted with a blood viscosity measurement kit and includes one or more channels for measuring the viscosity of a blood sample injected into the blood viscosity measurement kit; a kit mounting unit that is provided inside the housing and mounts the blood viscosity measurement kit on the blood viscosity measuring unit; and a blood sample post-processing unit that aspirates the blood sample from the blood collection tubes transferred by the blood sample transfer unit and injects it into the mounted blood viscosity measurement kit.

[0007] Here, the blood sample mounting unit may include a blood collection tube insertion plate in which a blood collection tube is mounted vertically, a first sliding unit that exposes the blood collection tube insertion plate to the outside by sliding the blood collection tube insertion plate forward of the housing, and a first detection unit that is provided between the blood collection tube insertion plate and the first sliding unit and detects the mounting state of the blood collection tube insertion plate. The blood sample mounting unit may further include a motion motor provided on both sides of the blood collection tube insertion plate, tilting the blood collection tube insertion plate to a set angle to the left or right and repeatedly moving it at a set period, thereby preventing erythrocyte sedimentation of the blood sample in the blood collection tube. The blood sample pre-treatment unit may include a plurality of pre-treatment grippers that grip the blood collection tube and the blood collection tube cover and rotate them, a first transfer module that controls the horizontal position of the pre-treatment gripper, and a first lifting module that links the pre-treatment gripper with the first transfer module and controls the height of the pre-treatment gripper.

[0008] Here, the blood sample pre-treatment unit may further include a scanning module provided in the first transfer module for scanning the blood collection tube insertion plate to determine whether or not a blood collection tube is attached. The blood sample transfer unit may include a plurality of blood sample transfer units, each of which is equipped with a blood collection tube to be gripped and transferred by the pre-treatment gripper, a gripping gripper transfer module for transferring the gripping gripper, and a guide plate for guiding the reciprocating motion of the gripping gripper transferred by the gripping gripper transfer module. In addition, the blood sample pre-treatment unit further includes a blood collection tube detection unit that detects one or more blood collection tubes gripped by the gripper, and the automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention can automatically measure the viscosity of the blood sample in the blood collection tube based on the detection information of the blood collection tube.

[0009] The blood viscosity measurement unit includes a measurement unit body having a dustproof pad installed on top thereof, a kit mounting housing installed at the upper end of the measurement unit body and having a kit insertion groove into which the blood viscosity measurement kit is mounted, an attachment detection sensor installed inside the kit insertion groove and detecting the attachment state of the blood viscosity measurement kit, a heat transfer member installed inside the kit mounting housing and applying heat to the blood viscosity measurement kit, and a kit fixing means installed inside the kit mounting housing and fixing the blood viscosity measurement kit in a fixed position, wherein the kit fixing means includes a first push member installed along the height direction of the inner surface of the kit insertion groove of the kit mounting housing and pushing the blood viscosity measurement kit to the other side, and a second push member installed in the length direction of the inner surface of the kit insertion groove of the kit mounting housing and pushing the blood viscosity measurement kit to the other side. The kit mounting section may include a kit insertion tray in which the blood viscosity measurement kit is mounted vertically, a second sliding section that exposes the kit insertion tray to the outside by sliding the kit insertion tray forward of the housing, and a second detection section that is provided between the kit insertion tray and the second sliding section and detects the mounting state of the kit insertion tray. Here, the kit mounting portion may further include a fastening means provided between the kit insertion tray and the second sliding portion to fasten the kit insertion tray to the top of the kit insertion tray.

[0010] The kit mounting section may include multiple kit grippers for gripping the blood viscosity measurement kit, a second transfer module for controlling the position of the kit grippers on a horizontal line, and a second lifting module for controlling the height of the kit grippers while linking the kit grippers with the second transfer module. The blood sample post-treatment unit may include a plurality of injection devices associated with the second transfer module, which mix and aspirate the blood sample from the blood collection tube transferred by the blood sample transfer unit and inject the blood sample into the attached blood viscosity measurement kit. The blood sample post-treatment unit may further include a pipette tip insertion tray on which pipette tips that are detached from the end of the injection device are mounted, and a third sliding unit that slides the pipette tip insertion tray forward of the housing to expose the pipette tip insertion tray to the outside.

[0011] The interior of the housing includes a first disposal section provided between the blood sample mounting section and the blood viscosity measurement section and for storing used pipette tips, and a second disposal section provided between the blood viscosity measurement section and the kit mounting section and for storing measured blood viscosity measurement kits, and the first disposal section and second disposal section can be exposed to the outside of the housing by sliding forward of the housing. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device of the present invention may further include a control unit that controls the operation of the blood sample pre-processing unit, blood sample transport unit, blood viscosity measuring unit, kit mounting unit, and blood sample post-processing unit, a notification unit that detects and notifies of an error in the automatic blood viscosity measuring device, an emergency stop switch unit that brings the automatic blood viscosity measuring device to an emergency stop, and a monitor unit that monitors the viscosity measurement results measured by the blood viscosity measuring unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The automatic blood viscosity measuring device of the present invention has the advantage of shortening the blood viscosity test time and allowing continuous testing even when the gripper module or injection device fails, by adopting a dual system configuration. To prevent erythrocyte sedimentation during testing, more accurate blood viscosity measurements can be performed by moving the blood collection tube insertion plate and mixing using pipetting to uniformly disperse red blood cells before blood intake. The automated blood viscosity measuring device of the present invention allows safe and rapid replacement of blood collection tubes, blood viscosity measuring kits, and pipette tips. Meanwhile, the actual automatic blood viscosity measuring device of the present invention is not limited to the effects described above, but should preferably be construed as including advantages that can be obviously derived through the combination of the device and configuration of the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is an exemplary view of the housing with an open door and a portion of the front portion removed; FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of the blood sample mounting section, blood sample pre-processing section, blood sample transport section, blood viscosity measurement section, kit mounting section, and blood sample post-processing section built into the housing. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a rear view of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view of a blood sample mounting portion and a blood sample transport portion of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] 10 is an exemplary view of a blood collection tube insertion plate equipped with a motion motor. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is an exemplary view showing a state in which the blood collection tube insertion plate and the guide plate in FIG. 6 have been removed. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is an exemplary view showing the configuration of a first sliding portion. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blood sample pre-treatment unit, a blood viscosity measurement unit, a kit mounting unit, and a blood sample post-treatment unit. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a blood viscosity measuring unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram showing the shape of a measuring unit-containing body. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is an illustration of a kit-mounted housing. [Figure 14] 10 is a diagram illustrating a kit-mounted housing provided with a heat transfer member and a temperature detection sensor; FIG. [Figure 15]10 is an exemplary view of a kit mounting housing provided with a kit fixing means; FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is an exemplary view showing the configuration of a second sliding portion. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a kit mounting section provided with a second detection section. [Figure 18] 10 is an illustration of a kit gripper and injection device mounted on a second transfer module. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is an exemplary view showing the configuration of a third sliding portion. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is an exemplary diagram showing a third detection unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following description of the present invention with reference to the drawings is not limited to a specific embodiment, and various modifications and examples may be added. It should be understood that the following description includes all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives that fall within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. In the following description, terms such as "first" and "second" are used to describe various components and are not intended to limit the meaning thereof, but are used only to distinguish one component from another. Like reference numbers used throughout this specification refer to like elements. As used herein, singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, the terms "comprise," "comprise," "have," and the like used below should be construed as specifying the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and should not be understood as excluding in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0015] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the contextual meaning of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as idealized or overly formal unless expressly defined in this application. In the description with reference to the accompanying drawings, the same components will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description thereof will be omitted. In the description of the present invention, if a detailed description of related prior art is deemed to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0016] The automatic blood viscosity measuring device of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 20, along with specific examples. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exemplary view of a housing with an open door and a portion of the front part removed, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a blood sample mounting section, a blood sample pre-processing section, a blood sample transporting section, a blood viscosity measuring section, a kit mounting section, and a blood sample post-processing section built into the housing, FIG. 4 is a front view of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a rear view of FIG. 3. Referring to Figures 1 to 5, the automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be briefly described. The device of the present invention includes a housing 100, a blood sample mounting section 200, a blood sample pre-treatment section 300, a blood sample transport section 400, a blood viscosity measuring section 500, a kit mounting section 600, and a blood sample post-treatment section 700.

[0017] The housing 100 refers to a housing that defines the appearance of the automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1, and can form a space for housing each of the mechanical devices described below. The housing 100 may be provided with a cooling unit 101 for discharging heat generated from each mechanical device to the outside. More specifically, the cooling unit 101 may be formed by a combination of an air inlet provided at the top of the housing 100 for drawing air from the outside into the housing 100 and an air outlet provided at the rear of the housing 100 for discharging the drawn air to the outside. An open door 110 may be provided at the front of the housing 100. In this case, the open door 110 may be provided at the front and rear of the blood sample mounting section 200, the kit mounting section 600, and the blood sample post-processing section 700. The open door 110 may be made of a transparent material such as acrylic so that the operation of the mechanical device can be identified from the outside. The open door 110 may also be provided with a locking device to solve the problem of the door opening unexpectedly during device operation. The housing 100 may be fitted with the housing 100, blood sample mounting section 200, blood sample pre-treatment section 300, blood sample transport section 400, blood viscosity measuring section 500, kit mounting section 600 and blood sample post-treatment section 700, and may be provided with a frame 120 for providing support. In this case, the frame 120 can easily support the load of each machine device and can also have a vibration damping structure applied thereto to damp external shocks or vibrations transmitted from the ground.

[0018] Next, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a blood sample mounting unit and a blood sample transport unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is an example of a blood collection tube insertion plate equipped with a motion motor, FIG. 8 is an example of a configuration in which the blood collection tube insertion plate and guide plate have been removed from FIG. 6, and FIG. 9 is an example of the configuration of the first sliding unit. As shown in Figures 6 to 9, the blood sample mounting portion 200 of the present invention can mount a blood collection tube T containing a blood sample to be measured. In this case, the blood collection tube T is a long container as shown in the drawings, and a blood collection tube cover TC can be provided on the top to seal the blood collection tube T from the outside.

[0019] Specifically, the blood sample mounting portion 200 of the present invention may include a blood collection tube insertion plate 210 , a first sliding portion 220 and a first detection portion 215 . The blood collection tube insertion plate 210 can be fitted with a long blood collection tube T vertically, but this is merely a configuration that allows the pre-processing gripper 310, which will be described later, to easily grip the blood collection tube T. However, the blood collection tube T can also be fitted in a horizontal position according to user requirements. The first sliding part 220 may expose the blood collection tube insertion plate 210 to the outside by sliding the blood collection tube insertion plate 210 to the front of the housing 100, and may have a general shape similar to that of a sliding drawer of a desk. A first locking device 221 may be provided on the side of the first sliding part 220 to prevent the first sliding part 220 from sliding unexpectedly during operation of the device. The first detection unit 215 is provided between the blood collection tube insertion plate 210 and the first sliding unit 220, and can detect the installation state of the blood collection tube insertion plate 210. In this case, the blood sample mounting part 200 may further include a movement motor 230 provided on both sides of the blood collection tube insertion plate 210 to move the blood collection tube insertion plate 210 at a set period. In this case, the movement motor 230 may be provided in a form built into the first sliding part 220 within a range that does not interfere with the sliding movement of the first sliding part 220. Therefore, the blood sample mounting part 200 of the present invention has an advantage that it can prevent erythrocyte sedimentation of the blood sample through the process of shaking the blood collection tube insertion plate 210 from side to side to mix the blood sample.

[0020] The blood sample pre-treatment unit 300 grips a plurality of blood collection tubes T, and in cooperation with the blood collection tube detection unit 340, scans the barcode attached to the gripped blood collection tube T, and separates the blood collection tube cover TC attached to the upper end of the blood collection tube T. To perform the above-described operations, the blood sample preparation device 300 of the present invention may include a preparation gripper 310 , a first transfer module 320 , and a first lifting module 330 . The pre-processing gripper 310 is provided in multiple locations and can grip the blood collection tube T and the blood collection tube cover TC while rotating them, thereby separating the blood collection tube cover TC from the blood collection tube T. The first transfer module 320 can control the horizontal position of the pre-processing gripper 310 and can be formed to extend along the measurement direction behind the pre-processing gripper 310, as shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the first transfer module 320 may further include a scanning module (not shown) for scanning the blood collection tube insert plate 210 to determine whether or not a blood collection tube is attached.

[0021] Specifically, the scanning module (not shown) is provided in a recognition device including a laser or photo sensor in the first transfer module 320, which controls the horizontal position of the pre-processing gripper 310, and can automatically scan whether or not a blood collection tube T is installed in each hole of the blood collection tube insertion plate 210. The first lifting module 330 links the pre-processing gripper 310 with the first transfer module 320 and can control the height of the pre-processing gripper 310 . Meanwhile, a control motor (not shown) for adjusting the distance between the pre-processing gripper 310 and the first lifting module 330 may be provided between the pre-processing gripper 310 and the first lifting module 330, thereby allowing the pre-processing gripper 310 according to an embodiment of the present invention to move horizontally and vertically as well as move forward and backward. The blood sample transport section 400 can move the blood collection tube T gripped by the blood sample pretreatment section 300.

[0022] Specifically, the blood sample transport portion 400 of the present invention may include a grasping gripper 410 , a grasping gripper transport module 420 and a guide plate 430 . The holding grippers 410 can be provided in the same number as the pre-processing grippers 310, i.e., multiple numbers, and the pre-processing grippers 310 can grip, i.e., fix, the lower part of the blood collection tube T so that the blood collection tube cover TC can be easily separated. The gripper transfer module 420 can transfer the gripper 410 and can be formed to extend from below the blood sample mounting part 200 along the measurement direction, as shown in FIG. The guide plate 430 can guide the reciprocating movement of the gripper 410 being transported by the gripper transport module 420, and therefore, a guide groove 431 can be provided on the surface of the guide plate 430 so that the gripper 410 can move back and forth. The blood sample pre-treatment unit 300 of the present invention can include a blood collection tube detection unit 340 that detects one or more blood collection tubes T gripped by the gripper 410 .

[0023] More specifically, the blood collection tube detection unit 340 can be installed on the horizontal line or on the vertical movement path of the pre-processing gripper 310 gripping the blood collection tube T, and is equipped with a barcode reader configuration that can recognize barcode data attached to the periphery of the blood collection tube T. As the gripped blood collection tube T rotates from the holding gripper 410, the barcode data attached to the surface of the blood collection tube T can be scanned and detected by the blood collection tube detection unit 340. As a result, the automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1 of the present invention can automatically measure the viscosity of the blood sample in the blood collection tube T based on the detection information of the blood collection tube T.

[0024] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the blood sample pre-treatment unit, blood viscosity measurement unit, kit mounting unit, and blood sample post-treatment unit, Figure 11 is a perspective view of the blood viscosity measurement unit, Figure 12 is an illustrative diagram showing the shape of the measurement unit, Figure 13 is an illustrative diagram of the kit mounting housing, and Figure 14 is an illustrative diagram of the kit mounting housing provided with a heat transfer member and a temperature detection sensor. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the blood viscosity measurement unit 500 of the present invention can include one or more channels to which a blood viscosity measurement kit BK is attached and which measure the viscosity of a blood sample injected into the blood viscosity measurement kit BK. Specifically, the blood viscosity measuring unit 500 of the present invention can include a measuring unit body 510 , a kit mounting housing 520 , a mounting detection sensor 530 , a heat transfer member 540 and a kit fixing means 550 .

[0025] The measuring unit-containing body 510 may have a dustproof pad 511 on the top thereof. More specifically, the measuring unit-containing body 510 may be formed to have two layer surfaces as shown in FIG. 12, and a dustproof pad 511 may be provided between the two layer surfaces to prevent vibration. In this case, the dustproof pad 511 can be made of a synthetic material such as rubber or silicon, preferably having two or more types of different elastic moduli, but is not necessarily limited thereto. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the kit mounting housing 520 is provided on the upper end of the measuring unit-containing body 510, and may have a kit insertion groove 521 into which the blood viscosity measuring kit BK is mounted. In this case, the kit mounting housing 520 is preferably provided with 14 channels, i.e., 14 pieces, from the top of the measuring unit including body 510, but this is not necessarily limited thereto, and the number can be expanded to 28 or 56 pieces depending on the size of the housing 100 or the resources of the power unit of the present invention.

[0026] The wearing detection sensor 530 is provided inside the kit insertion groove 521 and can detect the wearing state of the blood viscosity measurement kit BK. The wearing detection sensor 530 can be any electronic sensor that can grasp the wearing state, such as a photo recognition sensor, a pressure point recognition sensor, or an ultrasonic recognition sensor. Meanwhile, the mounting detection sensor 530 may be provided at the lower center inside the kit insertion groove 521 as shown in FIG. 15, but this is only one exemplary form, and it may also be formed on the inner side of the kit insertion groove 521. The heat transfer member 540 is provided inside the kit mounting housing 520 and can apply heat to the blood viscosity measurement kit BK. A temperature sensor provided inside or outside the heat transfer member 540 prevents the heat transfer member 540 from overheating and allows the user to apply heat to the blood viscosity measurement kit BK within the desired temperature range.

[0027] Specifically, the heat transfer member 540 is bent into a "U" shape when viewed based on the horizontal cross section of the kit mounting housing 520, and is arranged to surround the blood viscosity measurement kit BK, and can be formed using heating wires arranged in a zigzag pattern, i.e., a wave shape, on the periphery of the blood viscosity measurement kit BK. As a result, the blood viscosity measuring unit 500 of the present invention can effectively adjust the temperature of the attached blood viscosity measuring kit BK, and has the advantage of being able to measure blood viscosity more accurately. The kit fixing means 550 is provided inside the kit mounting housing 520, and can fix the blood viscosity measurement kit BK in a fixed position to the sensor for measuring blood height provided inside the kit insertion groove 521. In this case, the sensor for measuring the blood height can be a CIS sensor (Contact Image Sensor) of an LED optical sensor, but this is not necessarily limited to this, and any recognition sensor used to measure blood height can be used. More specifically, the kit fixing means 550 may be provided by a combination of a first push member 551 and a second push member 552 .

[0028] The first push member 551 can be arranged along the height direction of the inner surface of the kit insertion groove 521 of the kit mounting housing 520, and can push the blood viscosity measurement kit BK to the other side by the elasticity of the spring built in inside. The second push member 552 is provided in the longitudinal direction on the inner surface of the kit insertion groove 521 of the kit mounting housing 520, and can push out the blood viscosity measurement kit BK to the other side by the elasticity of a spring built in therein. The first push member 551 and the second push member 552 may be provided in a single or multiple numbers inside the kit mounting housing 520 according to the user's requirements, and it may be preferable to provide at least one of the two push members 551, 552 in multiple numbers.

[0029] Figure 16 is an illustrative diagram showing the configuration of the second sliding section, Figure 17 is an oblique view of the kit mounting section provided with the second detection section, Figure 18 is an illustrative diagram of the kit gripper and injection device mounted on the second transfer module, Figure 19 is an illustrative diagram showing the configuration of the third sliding section, and Figure 20 is an illustrative diagram showing the third detection section. The kit mounting section 600 is provided inside the housing 100, and the blood viscosity measurement kit BK is mounted thereon, allowing the blood viscosity measurement kit BK to be mounted on the blood viscosity measurement section 500. In this case, the above-mentioned mounting sensor configuration can also be used for the kit mounting section 600, and a recognition means such as a laser or photo sensor can be used to automatically scan whether the blood viscosity measurement kit BK is mounted or not. More specifically, the kit mounting unit 600 may further include a kit insertion tray 610 , a second sliding unit 620 , a second detection unit 615 , a kit gripper 630 , a second transfer module 640 , and a second lifting module 650 .

[0030] The kit insertion tray 610 allows the blood viscosity measurement kit BK to be installed vertically, and is similar to the blood collection tube insertion plate 210 described above, except that the kit gripper 630, which will be described in detail later, has a configuration for easily gripping the blood viscosity measurement kit BK, and the blood viscosity measurement kit BK can be installed horizontally according to user requirements. In addition, the second sliding part 620 can expose the kit insertion tray 610 to the outside by sliding the kit insertion tray 610 to the front of the housing 100, and can be provided in the form of a sliding drawer similar to the first sliding part 220. A second locking device 621 may be provided on the side of the second sliding part 620 to prevent the second sliding part 620 from sliding unexpectedly during operation of the device.

[0031] The second detector 615 is installed between the kit insertion tray 610 and the second sliding part 620 and can detect the installation state of the kit insertion tray 610 . Therefore, the second detection unit 615 can be configured as a three-point installation sensor as shown in FIG. 17, but this is only one type of method for effectively detecting the installation state as well as the horizontal state of the kit insertion tray 610, and any electronic sensor that can effectively detect the horizontal and installation state of the kit insertion tray 610 can be used. A fastening means 616 may be provided between the kit insertion tray 610 and the second sliding part 620 to stably fix the kit insertion tray 610 on the top of the kit insertion tray 610. More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, the fastening means 616 is provided in the form of a bar that rotates on the left and right sides of the kit insertion tray 610, thereby preventing the kit insertion tray 610 from shaking due to the second lifting module 650. The kit gripper 630 can be provided in multiple units so that it can grip multiple blood viscosity measurement kits BK at once, and the pair of grippers that make up the unit can be brought close to each other by a power device, thereby gripping the blood viscosity measurement kits BK.

[0032] The second transfer module 640 can control the horizontal position of the kit gripper 630 and can have a similar length as the first transfer module 320 inside the housing 100 along the measurement direction. The second lifting module 650 communicates between the kit gripper 630 and the second transfer module 640 and can control the height of the kit gripper 630 . In this case, a control motor (not shown) can be provided between the second transfer module 640 and the second lifting module 650 to adjust the distance between the second transfer module 640 and the second lifting module 650, thereby allowing the kit gripper 630 of the present invention to move horizontally and vertically as well as move forward and backward. The blood sample post-treatment unit 700 can suck the blood sample from the blood collection tube T transferred by the blood sample transfer unit 400 and inject it into the attached blood viscosity measurement kit BK.

[0033] Specifically, the blood sample post-treatment unit 700 may include an injection device 710 , a pipette tip insertion tray 720 , a third sliding unit 730 and a third detection unit 740 . The injection device 710 is provided in plural numbers and cooperates with the second transfer module 640 to mix and aspirate the blood sample transferred from the blood collection tube T by the blood sample transfer unit 400 and inject it into the attached blood viscosity measurement kit BK. In order to prevent erythrocyte sedimentation, the injection device 710 uses the aforementioned motion motor 230 to shake the blood collection tube insertion plate 210 back and forth to mix the blood, and also uses micropipette technology to mix the blood while sucking and discharging it, thereby preventing erythrocyte sedimentation when sucking in a blood sample.

[0034] The pipette tip insert tray 720 can vertically mount pipette tips PT that are detachable from the end of the injection device 710. In this case, the pipette tips PT refer to disposable pipette tips for safety and precision because blood will be attached during testing, and may refer to conductive type disposable pipette tips for precise adjustment of blood intake and discharge amounts required for testing. The pipette tip PT can be applied with precision volume control technology within ±1.0% in response to changes in electrical conductivity, or with a pressure-type disposable tip, can be applied with precision volume control technology in response to pressure changes. The third sliding part 730 slides the pipette tip insertion tray 720 forward of the housing 100, thereby exposing the pipette tip insertion tray 720 to the outside. A third locking device 731 may be provided on the side of the third sliding part 730 to prevent the third sliding part 730 from sliding during operation of the device.

[0035] The third detection unit 740 may be provided between the pipette tip insertion tray 720 and the third sliding unit 730, and more specifically, may be provided as a two-point installation sensor configuration provided symmetrically on the underside of the pipette tip insertion tray 720. However, this is only one type of method for effectively detecting the installation state as well as the horizontal state of the pipette tip insertion tray 720, and any electronic sensor that can effectively detect the horizontal and installation state of the pipette tip insertion tray 720 may be used. The automated blood viscosity measuring device 1 of the present invention may further include a first disposal unit 800 and a second disposal unit 900. The first disposal unit 800 is provided inside the housing 100, between the blood sample mounting unit 200 and the blood viscosity measuring unit 500, and is capable of storing used pipette tips PT. The second disposal section 900 is provided inside the housing 100, between the blood viscosity measurement section 500 and the kit mounting section 600, and is capable of storing a blood viscosity measurement kit BK that has been measured.

[0036] The first disposal section 800 and the second disposal section 900 can be exposed to the outside of the housing 100 by sliding forward of the housing 100, and are formed in the shape of a sliding drawer like the first to third sliding sections 220, 620, 730, and a locking device (not shown) can be provided on the side of each disposal section 800, 900 to prevent the disposal section 800, 900 from opening unexpectedly during operation of the device. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1 of the present invention may further include a control unit C, a notification unit AL, an emergency stop switch unit ES, and a monitor unit (not shown). The control unit C can control the operations of the blood sample pre-treatment unit 300, the blood sample transport unit 400, the blood viscosity measurement unit 500, the kit mounting unit 600 and the blood sample post-treatment unit 700. The notification unit AL can detect an error in the automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1 and notify the user of the error by light or sound. The emergency stop switch section ES allows the user to immediately stop the operation of the machine by operating the switch when an emergency stop of the automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1 is required. The monitor unit (not shown) can monitor the viscosity measurement result measured by the blood viscosity measuring unit 500 via a marking device.

[0037] As a result, the automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1 of the present invention has the advantages of shortening the blood viscosity testing time and allowing the test to continue even when the gripper module or injection device fails, by applying a dual system configuration, preventing erythrocyte sedimentation during testing, and allowing safe and quick replacement of the blood collection tube T, blood viscosity measuring kit BK, and pipette tip PT. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1 of the present invention is not limited to the effects described above, but it is preferable to interpret it as including advantages that allow the combination of devices and configurations possessed by the present invention to be more obviously derived. Although the automatic blood viscosity measuring device 1 of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying Figures 1 to 19, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without changing the technical concept or essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all respects and are not limiting. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 1 Automatic blood viscosity measuring device 100 Housing 101 Cooling section 110 Open Door 120 frames 200 Blood sample attachment 210 Blood collection tube insert plate 215 First detection unit 220 First Sliding Section 221 First Locking Device 230 Motion Motor 300 Blood sample preparation section 310 Pre-processing gripper 320 First Transfer Module 330 First Lifting Module 340 Blood collection tube detection unit 400 Blood sample transport unit 410 Grasping Gripper 420 Grasping Gripper Transfer Module 430 Guide Plate 431 Guide groove 500 Blood viscosity measurement section 510 Measuring part inclusion 511 Dustproof Pad 520 Kit Mounted Housing 521 Kit insertion groove 530 Wearing detection sensor 540 Heat transfer components 550 Kit Fixing Means 551 First push member 552 Second push member 600 Kit installation part 610 Kit Insertion Tray 615 Second detection unit 616 Fastening means 620 Second sliding section 621 Second locking device 630 Kit Gripper 640 Second Transfer Module 650 Second Lifting Module 700 Blood Sample Post-Processing Unit 710 Injection device 720 Pipette Tip Insertion Tray 730 Third Sliding Section 731 Third Locking Device 740 Third Detection Unit 800 1st Disposal Department 900 Second Disposal Department T blood collection tube TC Blood Collection Tube Cover BK Blood Viscosity Measurement Kit PT Pipette Tips C control section AL notification section ES Emergency stop switch

Claims

1. a housing provided with an opening door; a blood sample attachment portion to which a blood collection tube is attached; a blood sample pre-processing unit that grips a plurality of blood collection tubes, scans the gripped blood collection tubes, and separates blood collection tube covers attached to the upper rows of the blood collection tubes; a blood sample transport unit that moves the blood collection tube gripped by the blood sample pretreatment unit; a blood viscosity measuring unit to which the blood viscosity measuring kit is attached, the blood viscosity measuring unit including one or more channels for measuring the viscosity of a blood sample injected into the blood viscosity measuring kit; a kit mounting portion provided inside the housing for mounting a blood viscosity measurement kit to the blood viscosity measurement portion; and a blood sample post-treatment unit that aspirates the blood sample from the blood collection tube transferred by the blood sample transfer unit and injects it into an attached blood viscosity measurement kit.

2. The blood sample mounting portion is a blood collection tube insertion plate into which blood collection tubes are vertically attached; a first sliding portion that exposes the blood collection tube insertion plate to the outside by sliding the blood collection tube insertion plate forward of the housing; 2. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a first detection unit provided between the blood collection tube insertion plate and the first sliding unit, for detecting the attachment state of the blood collection tube insertion plate.

3. The blood sample mounting portion is 3. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 2, further comprising: motors provided on both sides of the blood collection tube insertion plate for tilting the blood collection tube insertion plate at a set angle to the left or right and repeatedly moving the plate at a set period, thereby preventing erythrocyte sedimentation of the blood sample in the blood collection tube.

4. The blood sample pretreatment unit includes: a plurality of pre-treatment grippers provided to grip the blood collection tubes and the blood collection tube covers and rotate them; a first transfer module for controlling the horizontal position of the pre-processing gripper; 2. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a first lifting module that links the pre-treatment gripper with the first transfer module and controls the height of the pre-treatment gripper.

5. The blood sample pretreatment unit includes:

5. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 4, further comprising a scanning module provided in the first transfer module for scanning the blood collection tube insert plate to determine whether or not a blood collection tube is attached.

6. The blood sample transport unit includes: a plurality of holding grippers, each of which is provided with a blood collection tube to be gripped and transported by the pre-treatment gripper, and which grips a lower portion of the blood collection tube; a gripper transport module for transporting the gripper; and 5. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 4, further comprising a guide plate for guiding the reciprocating motion of the gripper transferred by the gripper transfer module.

7. The blood sample pretreatment unit includes: a blood collection tube detection unit configured to detect one or more blood collection tubes gripped by the gripper; The automatic blood viscosity measuring device is 7. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 6, wherein the viscosity of the blood sample in the blood collection tube is automatically measured based on the detection information of the blood collection tube.

8. The blood viscosity measuring unit a measuring unit having a dustproof pad installed on the top thereof; a kit mounting housing disposed at an upper end of the measuring unit-containing body and having a kit insertion groove into which a blood viscosity measurement kit is mounted; an attachment detection sensor provided inside the kit insertion groove and configured to detect the attachment state of the blood viscosity measurement kit; a heat transfer member provided inside the kit mounting housing for applying heat to the blood viscosity measurement kit; and a kit fixing means provided inside the kit mounting housing for fixing the blood viscosity measurement kit in a fixed position; The kit fixing means is a first push member provided along the height direction of the inner surface of the kit insertion groove of the kit mounting housing, for pushing out the blood viscosity measurement kit to the other side; 2. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a second push member provided in the inner surface of the kit insertion groove of the kit mounting housing in the longitudinal direction thereof for pushing out the blood viscosity measuring kit to the other side.

9. The kit mounting section includes: a kit insertion tray into which a blood viscosity measurement kit is vertically mounted; a second sliding portion that slides the kit insertion tray forward of the housing to expose the kit insertion tray to the outside; 2. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a second detector provided between the kit insertion tray and the second sliding portion for detecting the installation state of the kit insertion tray.

10. The kit mounting section includes:

10. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 9, further comprising a fastening means provided between the kit insertion tray and the second sliding part for fastening the kit insertion tray to the top of the kit insertion tray.

11. The kit mounting section includes: a plurality of kit grippers provided to grip the blood viscosity measurement kits; a second transfer module for controlling the horizontal position of the kit gripper; and 10. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 9, further comprising a second lifting module that controls the height of the kit gripper while linking the kit gripper with the second transfer module.

12. The blood sample post-treatment unit comprises:

12. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 11, further comprising an injection device provided in a plurality of locations, associated with the second transfer module, for mixing and aspirating the blood sample from the blood collection tube transferred by the blood sample transfer unit, and injecting the mixed blood sample into an attached blood viscosity measuring kit.

13. The blood sample post-treatment unit comprises: a pipette tip insert tray for receiving pipette tips that are detached from the end of the injection device; 12. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 11, further comprising a third sliding portion that slides the pipette tip insertion tray forward of the housing to expose the pipette tip insertion tray to the outside.

14. Inside the housing: a first disposal section provided between the blood sample mounting section and the blood viscosity measuring section, for storing used pipette tips; and a second disposal section provided between the blood viscosity measurement section and the kit mounting section, in which the blood viscosity measurement kit after measurement is accommodated; The first disposal unit and the second disposal unit are 2. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is exposed to the outside by sliding forward of the housing.

15. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device is a control unit for controlling the operations of the blood sample pre-treatment unit, blood sample transport unit, blood viscosity measurement unit, kit mounting unit, and blood sample post-treatment unit; a notification unit that detects and notifies an error in the automatic blood viscosity measuring device; An emergency stop switch for stopping the automatic blood viscosity measuring device in an emergency; 2. The automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising a monitor unit for monitoring the viscosity measurement result measured by the blood viscosity measuring unit.

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