Blood processing module for automated blood viscosity measurement device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a blood processing module for an automated blood viscosity measurement device and, more specifically, to a blood processing module for an automated blood viscosity measurement device, wherein: information of a blood collection tube is scanned, and a blood sample is mixed by rotating the blood collection tube 360°, thereby completely preventing a red blood cell sedimentation phenomenon that may occur during a waiting time; and the blood is aspirated and dispensed using a pipette tip such that the blood is mixed for the second time, thereby improving the accuracy of blood viscosity measurement through uniform mixing of the blood sample.

Description

Blood processing module for automatic blood viscosity measurement device

[0001] The present invention relates to a blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, and more particularly, to a blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device that scans blood collection tube information through a scan, mixes a blood sample by rotating the blood collection tube 360°, thereby completely preventing the phenomenon of erythrocyte sedimentation that may occur during a waiting time, and further, improves the accuracy of blood viscosity measurement through uniform mixing of the blood sample by allowing secondary mixing of the blood by aspirating and dispensing blood using a pipette tip.

[0002] Blood viscosity is a physical property that represents the resistance to blood flow within blood vessels. Specifically, it can be divided into whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity. Abnormal increases in blood viscosity lead to increased shear stress and flow resistance on the vascular wall, significantly increasing the risk of acute cardiovascular and microvascular diseases.

[0003] In addition, 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.

[0004] Whole blood viscosity exhibits a flow characteristic in which the viscosity continuously changes according to the systole and diastole of the heart. This is because the viscosity decreases when the blood flows at a high speed (when the shear rate is high) due to the complex interaction of red blood cells and plasma proteins in the whole blood, and conversely, the viscosity increases when the blood flows at a low speed (when the shear rate is low).

[0005] Fluids that exhibit these flow characteristics are called non-Newtonian fluids, and to properly understand the non-Newtonian flow characteristics of blood, it is necessary to accurately measure whole blood viscosity over the entire shear rate (e.g., 1 to 1,000 s^-1).

[0006] 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 to measure blood viscosity and blood cell aggregation rate, etc.

[0007] As a conventional technology, Korean Utility Model No. 20-0331884 (device for simultaneously measuring blood viscosity and blood cell aggregation rate) is disclosed.

[0008] However, since the device 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, which makes it difficult to measure the viscosity of the blood under the same conditions.

[0009] Additionally, there was the problem that it took a long time to be done manually, and because it was done manually, blood-borne infections frequently occurred.

[0010] To solve this problem, an automated blood viscosity measuring device is being developed, but there was a problem that the work time was long because once the viscosity measurement for one blood sample was completed, the viscosity measurement for the next blood sample was also performed.

[0011] In addition, when measuring a large number of blood samples, there was a problem that the accuracy of viscosity measurement was reduced because the viscosity of the blood was measured in a state where red blood cells, etc. had settled over time, especially in the case of late-order blood samples.

[0012] Another prior art technology for solving the above problem is disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-2331945 (multi-channel module blood viscosity measuring device).

[0013] However, the above-mentioned other conventional technologies are configured to transport the blood collection tube, pipette tip, and test kit independently, and thus require a relatively large amount of equipment to be accommodated inside the housing in relation to transport, which results in high manufacturing costs and limits the device to be manufactured in a large size.

[0014] In addition, the above-mentioned other conventional technologies have the problem that it is cumbersome to replace the blood collection tube, pipette tip, and test kit, and there is a problem that the accuracy of blood viscosity measurement may decrease when the blood is not sufficiently mixed by shaking the blood collection tube left and right within a certain angle range.

[0015] The present invention has been devised to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device capable of effective blood mixing.

[0016] In order to achieve the above object, a blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention comprises: a preprocessing unit for preprocessing a blood collection tube gripped by a first gripper and transported by a transport actuator within the automatic blood viscosity measuring device; a blood suction / injection unit for sucking and dispensing a blood sample from the blood collection tube preprocessed in the preprocessing unit using a pipette tip gripped by a second gripper and transported; and a monitoring / control unit for checking the status and controlling the operation of the preprocessing unit and the blood suction / injection unit; wherein the preprocessing unit is provided with a scanning unit for acquiring information on the blood collection tube, a blood mixing unit for mixing a blood sample contained in the blood collection tube, and a cap separating unit for separating a sealing cap from the blood collection tube, and the scanning unit comprises: a first rotation motor for rotating the first gripper so as to rotate the blood collection tube gripped by the first gripper and transported to a predetermined scan position about the Z-axis as the rotation center; And it is characterized by including a blood collection tube scanner that is positioned at the scanning position and scans the blood collection tube rotated by the operation of the first rotary motor to obtain blood collection tube information indicated on the blood collection tube.

[0017] Here, the blood mixing means is characterized by including a blood collection tube forceps that grip the body of a blood collection tube that is gripped by the first gripper and transferred to a predetermined mixing position; and a mixing rotation motor that rotates the blood collection tube forceps to mix the blood sample by rotating the blood collection tube gripped by the blood collection tube forceps 360° around the X-axis or Y-axis as the center of rotation.

[0018] Here, the cap separation means is characterized by including a cap forceps capable of gripping a sealing cap fastened to the upper end of the blood collection tube while the body of the blood collection tube is gripped by the blood collection tube forceps; and a cap rotation motor / actuator capable of rotating the cap forceps about the Z-axis as the center of rotation and simultaneously moving them up and down.

[0019] Here, the cap gripper is replaced with the first gripper, and the cap rotation motor / actuator is replaced with a combination of the first rotation motor and the transfer actuator.

[0020] In addition, in the blood processing module for the automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention, the preprocessing unit has a multi-space structure capable of accommodating at least two blood collection tubes and independently preprocessing each of the accommodated blood collection tubes, and the monitoring / control unit is characterized in that it controls the transport actuator so that the blood collection tubes gripped by the first gripper and transported are sequentially accommodated in empty spaces among the multi-spaces of the preprocessing unit.

[0021] Here, the second gripper is formed in a shape that allows the rear end of the pipette tip to be press-fitted and fixed, and the blood suction / injection portion includes a piston that is connected to the rear end of the pipette tip via the second gripper so that the pipette tip can suck and dispense a blood sample.

[0022] In addition, in the blood processing module for the automatic blood viscosity measuring device, the monitoring / control unit is characterized in that, when a blood sample is drawn from a blood collection tube with a sealed cap separated from the preprocessing unit using the pipette tip, the transfer actuator is controlled so that the pipette tip is raised and lowered according to a change in the height of the blood sample contained in the blood collection tube so that the blood sample can be drawn at a constant depth based on the surface of the blood sample.

[0023] In addition, in the blood processing module for the automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention, the monitoring / control unit is characterized in that, when a blood sample is drawn from a blood collection tube with a sealed cap separated from the preprocessing unit using the pipette tip, the blood suction / injection unit is controlled to repeat suction and dispensing a predetermined number of times so that the blood sample can be sucked in a mixed state.

[0024] In addition, the blood processing module for the automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention further includes a waste disposal unit capable of discarding a used pipette tip, and the monitoring / control unit is characterized in that it operates the cap detachment means in reverse so that the sealing cap that was detached from the used blood collection tube is reattached to the blood collection tube, controls the transfer actuator so that the used blood collection tube with the sealing cap reattached is returned to the first position using the first gripper, and controls the transfer actuator so that the used pipette tip is transferred to the waste disposal unit using the second gripper.

[0025] The blood processing module for the automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention, with the above configuration, has the advantage of improving the accuracy of blood viscosity measurement through uniform mixing of the blood sample by first mixing the blood sample by rotating the blood collection tube 360° and second mixing using a pipette tip.

[0026] Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of an automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 3 is a plan view of an automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a housing according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figures 5 and 6 are perspective views of a first input section according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of a second input section according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figures 9 and 10 are perspective views of a third input section according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 11 is a perspective view of a transport unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figures 12 to 14 are usage status diagrams of the first, second, and third transfer units according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 15 is a front perspective view of a main part according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figures 16 to 18 are perspective views of a preprocessing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 19 is a diagram showing the state of use of a blood suction / mixing unit according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figures 20 to 23 are perspective views of a viscosity measurement unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention comprises: a preprocessing unit for preprocessing a blood collection tube gripped by a first gripper and transported by a transport actuator within the automatic blood viscosity measuring device; a blood suction / injection unit for sucking and dispensing a blood sample from the blood collection tube preprocessed in the preprocessing unit using a pipette tip gripped by a second gripper and transported; and a monitoring / control unit for checking the status and controlling the operation of the preprocessing unit and the blood suction / injection unit; wherein the preprocessing unit is provided with a scanning unit for acquiring information on the blood collection tube, a blood mixing unit for mixing a blood sample contained in the blood collection tube, and a cap separating unit for separating a sealing cap from the blood collection tube, and the scanning unit comprises: a first rotation motor for rotating the first gripper so as to rotate the blood collection tube gripped by the first gripper and transported to a predetermined scan position about the Z-axis as the rotation center; And it is characterized by including a blood collection tube scanner that is positioned at the scanning position and scans the blood collection tube rotated by the operation of the first rotary motor to obtain blood collection tube information indicated on the blood collection tube.

[0039] Hereinafter, an automatic blood viscosity measuring device and a blood processing module for the automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to an embodiment illustrated in the drawings.

[0040] 1 and 2 are perspective views of an automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a plan view of an automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a housing according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 are perspective views of a first input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 are perspective views of a second input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are perspective views of a third input unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a transport unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 to FIG. 14 are use state diagrams of the first, second, and third transport units according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 15 is a front perspective view of a main part according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 16 to FIG. 18 are perspective views of a preprocessing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 19 is a diagram showing the state of use of a blood suction / mixing unit according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 20 to 23 are perspective views of a viscosity measuring unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0041] Looking at FIGS. 1 to 3, an automatic blood viscosity measuring device (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing (10), an inlet (20), a transfer unit (30), a preprocessing unit (40), a blood suction / injection unit (50), a viscosity measuring unit (60), a waste processing unit (70), and a monitoring / control unit (80).

[0042] Here, the blood processing module for the automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention can be configured by a combination of the preprocessing unit (40), blood suction / injection unit (50), waste processing unit (70), and monitoring / control unit (80).

[0043] The above housing (10) is a configuration that forms the overall exterior of an automatic blood viscosity measuring device (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention and may include a housing body (11), a management door (12), a door locking means (13), a lower support (14), and a blower fan (15).

[0044] The above housing body (11) may be configured as a combination of a frame and a cover plate to provide an internal space in which other components of the automatic blood viscosity measuring device (1) according to one embodiment of the present invention can be built.

[0045] The above management door (12) is made of a transparent material such as transparent acrylic so that the user can observe the internal state of the housing (10), and can be installed to be openable and closable by covering the upper front part of the housing body (11) so that the internal opening of the housing (10) is possible when management of the device (1) is required.

[0046] The above door locking means (13) can be configured to lock the management door (12) so that it is not opened, and can be composed of an interlock, solenoid, manual lock key, etc.

[0047] Here, the monitoring / control unit (80) is configured to control the door locking means (13) so that the management door (12) can be locked or opened depending on the user's operation or the status of the confirmed device (1).

[0048] That is, the management door (12) is controlled so that the management door (12) is basically locked by the door locking means (13) for safety when the device (1) is in an operating state, and is controlled so that the management door (12) can be opened when the device (1) is stopped by operation of the power button (82) or the emergency stop switch (83).

[0049] The lower support (14) is configured to support the lower portion of the housing body (11) as shown in FIG. 4, and can be configured to facilitate movement of the device (1) through the movable wheels provided at each lower corner of the housing body (11), and, when the installation location of the device (1) is determined, to allow horizontal adjustment of the device (1) and fixation of the position at the same time through an adjustment seat capable of height adjustment and vibration absorption, and to minimize vibration generated by the operation of the device (1).

[0050] The above blower fan (15) is configured to release heat generated inside the housing (10) to the outside and can be installed in multiple units on the upper part of the housing body (11).

[0051] Meanwhile, in order to increase the cooling efficiency of the blower fan (15), an air intake port (not shown) for internal intake of external air may be formed in the housing (10).

[0052] The above-mentioned injection unit (20) is configured to insert a blood collection tube (A), a pipette tip (B), and a test kit (C) into the first, second, and third positions (P1, P2, P3) inside the housing (10), respectively, and in one embodiment of the present invention, is configured with the first, second, and third injection units (20A, 20B, 20C).

[0053] An example of the first, second, and third internal positions (P1, P2, P3) of the above housing (10) is illustrated in the plan view of Fig. 3.

[0054] The above first input section (20A) is configured to input a blood collection tube (A) containing a blood sample and having a sealing cap (A1) fastened to the top into a first position (P1) inside the housing (10), as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and includes a first replacement drawer (211), a first tray (221), a first tray holder (231), a first drawer locking means (241), a first tray detection sensor (251), and a first status indicator lamp (261).

[0055] The above first replacement drawer (211) is configured to be supported in a sliding manner back and forth on the housing (10) so that it can reciprocate between the outside of the housing (10) and the first position (P1) to enable replacement of the blood collection tube (A) from the outside of the housing (10).

[0056] The above first tray (221) is configured such that multiple blood collection tubes (A) are vertically mounted in an aligned state.

[0057] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first tray (221) is configured so that 24 blood collection tubes (A) can be vertically mounted in a 4x6 arrangement.

[0058] The above first tray holder (231) is configured to fix the first tray (221) while the first tray (221) is each installed in the first replacement drawer (211).

[0059] The first tray holder (231) above serves to prevent the first tray (221) from shaking when the first gripper (311) of the transfer unit (30) grips and lifts the blood collection tube (A) vertically mounted on the first tray (221).

[0060] The above first drawer locking means (241) is configured to lock the first replacement drawer (211) while the first replacement drawer (211) is positioned at the first position (P1).

[0061] The above first drawer locking means (241) is controlled by the monitoring / control unit (80) and may be configured with an interlock, solenoid, manual lock key, etc. to prevent the first replacement drawer (211) from being opened unexpectedly while the device (1) is in operation.

[0062] The above first tray detection sensor (251) is configured to detect whether the first tray (221) is seated in the correct position of the first replacement drawer (211).

[0063] The first tray detection sensor (251) may be configured to detect at least two points, preferably three points, so as to detect whether the first tray (221) is horizontally mounted in the correct position of the first replacement drawer (211).

[0064] The above first status display lamp (261) is provided near the first replacement drawer (211) and is configured to visually display the status of the first injection unit (20A) related to the blood collection tube (A) among the statuses of the device (1) determined by the monitoring / control unit (80) through color change.

[0065] That is, the first status indicator lamp (261) may be provided on the front of the first replacement drawer (211) and configured to visually display the insufficient state of the blood collection tube (A), the poor seating state of the first tray (221), the poor locking state of the first replacement drawer (211), etc., in different colors such as red, blue, green, orange, and white.

[0066] The second input section (20B) is configured to input a disposable pipette tip (B) capable of aspirating and dispensing a blood sample into the second position (P2) inside the housing (10), as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and includes a second replacement drawer (212), a second tray (222), a second tray holder (232), a second drawer locking means (242), a second tray detection sensor (252), and a second status indicator lamp (262).

[0067] The second replacement drawer (212) is configured to be supported in a sliding manner back and forth on the housing (10) so that it can move back and forth between the outside of the housing (10) and the second position (P2) to enable replacement of the pipette tip (B) from the outside of the housing (10).

[0068] The above second tray (222) is configured such that a plurality of the pipette tips (B) are vertically mounted in an aligned state.

[0069] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second tray (222) is configured so that 96 pipette tips (B) can be vertically mounted in an 8×12 array.

[0070] The above second tray (222) can be manufactured with a double structure of an upper holder and a lower holder.

[0071] The above second tray holder (232) is configured to fix the second tray (222) while the second tray (222) is each installed in the second replacement drawer (212).

[0072] The second tray holder (232) serves to prevent the second tray (222) from shaking when the second gripper (312) of the transfer unit (30) grips and lifts the pipette tip (B) vertically mounted on the second tray (222).

[0073] The above second drawer locking means (242) is configured to lock the second replacement drawer (212) while the second replacement drawer (212) is positioned at the second position (P2).

[0074] The above second drawer locking means (242) is controlled by the monitoring / control unit (80) and may be configured with an interlock, solenoid, manual lock key, etc. to prevent the second replacement drawer (212) from being opened unexpectedly while the device (1) is in operation.

[0075] The above second tray detection sensor (252) is configured to detect whether the second tray (222) is seated in the correct position of the second replacement drawer (212).

[0076] The second tray detection sensor (252) may be configured to detect at least two points, preferably three points, so as to detect whether the second tray (222) is horizontally mounted in the correct position of the second replacement drawer (212).

[0077] The above second status display lamp (262) is provided near the second replacement drawer (211) and is configured to visually display the status of the second input portion (20B) related to the pipette tip (B) among the statuses of the device (1) determined by the monitoring / control unit (80) through color change.

[0078] That is, the second status indicator lamp (262) may be provided on the front of the second replacement drawer (212) and configured to visually display the lack of the pipette tip (B), the poor seating of the second tray (222), the poor locking of the second replacement drawer (212), etc. in different colors such as red, blue, green, orange, and white.

[0079] The third input section (20C) is configured to input a disposable test kit (C) for measuring blood viscosity into the third position (P3) inside the housing (10) as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, and includes a third replacement drawer (213), a third tray (223), a third tray holder (233), a third drawer locking means (243), a third tray detection sensor (253), and a third status indicator lamp (263).

[0080] The third replacement drawer (213) is configured to be supported in a sliding manner back and forth on the housing (10) so that it can move back and forth between the outside of the housing (10) and the third position (P3) to enable replacement of the test kit (C) from the outside of the housing (10).

[0081] The above third tray (223) is configured such that a plurality of the test kits (C) are vertically mounted in an aligned state.

[0082] In one embodiment of the present invention, the third tray (223) is configured so that 12 test kits (C) can be vertically mounted in a row.

[0083] Meanwhile, the first, second, and third trays (221, 222, 223) are configured so that the number of blood collection tubes (A), pipette tips (B), and test kits (C) that can be mounted is a multiple of each other.

[0084] By the above configuration, the automatic blood viscosity measuring device according to the present invention can minimize the time required for replacement by interlocking the replacement cycles of the blood collection tube (A), pipette tip (B), and test kit (C).

[0085] To this end, as described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, the first tray (221) is configured to be equipped with 24 blood collection tubes (A), the second tray (222) is configured to be equipped with 96 pipette tips (B), and the third tray (223) is configured to be equipped with 12 test kits (C).

[0086] The third tray holder (233) is configured to fix the third tray (223) while the third tray (223) is each installed in the third replacement drawer (213).

[0087] The third tray holder (233) serves to prevent the third tray (223) from shaking when the third gripper (313) of the transfer unit (30) grips and lifts the test kit (C) vertically mounted on the third tray (223).

[0088] The third drawer locking means (243) is configured to lock the third replacement drawer (213) while the third replacement drawer (213) is positioned at the third position (P3).

[0089] The third drawer locking means (243) is controlled by the monitoring / control unit (80) and may be configured with an interlock, solenoid, manual lock key, etc. to prevent the third replacement drawer (213) from being opened unexpectedly while the device (1) is in operation.

[0090] The third tray detection sensor (253) is configured to detect whether the third tray (223) is positioned in the correct position of the third replacement drawer (213).

[0091] The third tray detection sensor (253) may be configured to detect at least two points, preferably three points, so as to detect whether the third tray (223) is horizontally mounted in the correct position of the third replacement drawer (213).

[0092] The third status indicator lamp (263) is provided near the third replacement drawer (211) and is configured to visually display the status of the third input section (20C) related to the test kit (C) among the statuses of the device (1) determined by the monitoring / control unit (80) through color changes.

[0093] That is, the third status indicator lamp (263) may be provided on the front of the third replacement drawer (213) and configured to visually display the lack of the test kit (C), the poor seating of the third tray (223), the poor locking of the third replacement drawer (213), etc., in different colors such as red, blue, green, orange, and white.

[0094] Meanwhile, the above-mentioned injection unit (20) includes an injection detection sensor (27) that detects the position and quantity of the blood collection tube (A), pipette tip (B), and test kit (C) inserted into the first, second, and third positions (P1, P2, P3), respectively.

[0095] In one embodiment of the present invention, the input detection sensor (27) is attached to and moves a transfer actuator (32) of a transfer unit (30) as shown in FIG. 12, and may be configured as a beam type scanning sensor with a built-in amplifier that can detect the position and quantity of blood collection tubes (A), pipette tips (B), and test kits (C) inserted into the first, second, and third positions (P1, P2, P3), respectively.

[0096] Meanwhile, the input detection sensor (27) may be configured to apply a laser or visible light beam so that the user can directly check the location of the detection spot with his or her eyes, thereby enabling immediate detection of measurement errors.

[0097] The above-mentioned input detection sensor (27) is configured to detect the position and quantity of the blood collection tube (A), pipette tip (B), and test kit (C) inserted into the first, second, and third positions (P1, P2, P3) respectively at the initial operation of the device (1), and the subsequent status can be configured to determine the status of the device (1) according to the progress of measurement based on the information detected by the input detection sensor (27) through software in the monitoring / control unit (80).

[0098] The above transport unit (30) is configured to transport the blood collection tube (A), pipette tip (B), and test kit (C), respectively, and is equipped with a gripper (31) and a transport actuator (32), as shown in Fig. 11.

[0099] The above gripper (31) is composed of a single first, second, and third grippers (311, 312, 313) that can grip a blood collection tube (A), a pipette tip (B), and a test kit (C) that are introduced into the interior of the housing (10) by the introduction portion (20), respectively.

[0100] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first gripper (311) is configured in the form of forceps capable of gripping the sealing cap (A1) of the blood collection tube (A) from above.

[0101] Figure 12 illustrates a state in which a first transfer unit (30A) for transferring a blood collection tube (A) is used, in which a first gripper (311) grips one of a plurality of blood collection tubes (A) vertically mounted on a first tray (221) and then transfers the gripped blood collection tubes (A) by a transfer actuator (32).

[0102] That is, as shown in (a) of FIG. 12, the first gripper (311) is moved to the upper part of the blood collection tube (A) to be gripped, and as shown in (b) of FIG. 12, it is vertically moved downward from that position, and as shown in (c) of FIG. 12, the first gripper (311) in the form of forceps grips the sealing cap (A1) of the blood collection tube (A), and as shown in (d) of FIG. 12, the first gripper (311) is vertically moved upward, thereby enabling the gripped blood collection tube (A) to be transferred upward.

[0103] After that, the blood collection tube (A) gripped by the first gripper (311) is moved in the X-axis, Y-axis or Z-axis direction by the operation of the transfer actuator (32) under the control of the monitoring / control unit (80) and is transferred to a predetermined position such as a scan position or a mixing position.

[0104] Additionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the second gripper (312) is formed in a shape in which the rear end of the pipette tip (B) can be press-fitted and fixed.

[0105] Fig. 13 illustrates a state in which a second transfer unit (30B) for transferring a pipette tip (B) is used, in which a second gripper (312) grips one of a plurality of pipette tips (B) vertically mounted on a second tray (222) and then transfers the same by a transfer actuator (32).

[0106] That is, as shown in (a) of FIG. 13, the second gripper (312) is moved to the upper part of the pipette tip (B) that is the gripping target, and as shown in (b) of FIG. 12, it is vertically moved downward from that position, and the rear end of the pipette tip (B) is press-fitted and fixed, and as shown in (c) of FIG. 12, the second gripper (312) is vertically moved upward, so that the press-fitted and fixed pipette tip (B) can be transferred upward.

[0107] After that, as shown in (d) of FIG. 13, the pipette tip (B) fixed by the second gripper (312) is moved in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction by the operation of the transfer actuator (32) under the control of the monitoring / control unit (80), and is transferred to the upper part of the blood collection tube (A) whose body is gripped by the blood collection tube forceps (421) with the sealing cap (A1) removed, thereby preparing for blood suction, and when blood suction is completed, it is moved to the upper part of the test kit (C) mounted on the viscosity measurement unit (70), thereby preparing for blood dispensing.

[0108] Additionally, in one embodiment of the present invention, the third gripper (313) may be configured in the form of a forceps capable of gripping the upper central portion of the test kit (C) from above.

[0109] In Fig. 14, a third transfer unit (30C) for transferring a test kit (C) is shown in which a third gripper (313) grips one of a plurality of test kits (C) vertically mounted on a third tray (223) and then transfers it by a transfer actuator (32).

[0110] That is, as shown in (a) of FIG. 14, the third gripper (313) is moved to the upper part of the test kit (C) that is the gripping target, and as shown in (b) of FIG. 14, it is vertically moved downward from that position, and then the third gripper (313) in the form of forceps grips the upper central part of the test kit (C), and as shown in (c) of FIG. 14, the third gripper (313) is vertically moved upward, thereby enabling the gripped test kit (C) to be transferred upward.

[0111] After that, as shown in (d) of FIG. 14, the test kit (C) held by the third gripper (313) is moved in the X-axis, Y-axis, or Z-axis direction by the operation of the transfer actuator (32) under the control of the monitoring / control unit (80), and is moved to the upper part of the viscosity measurement unit (60), and as shown in (e) of FIG. 14, it is vertically moved downward from that position, and the held test kit (C) can be inserted and mounted in the channel unit (61), and as shown in (f) of FIG. 14, the third gripper (313) is vertically moved upward while releasing the grip of the test kit (C).

[0112] Meanwhile, in the case of the first and third grippers (311) configured in the form of forceps, a groove for preventing slipping may be formed on the contact surface of the blood collection tube (A) or test kit (C), and a gripping force monitoring technology may be applied to prevent the blood collection tube (A) or test kit (C) from being damaged by excessive gripping force.

[0113] The above-mentioned transport actuator (32) is configured to move the first, second, and third grippers (311, 312, 313) in mutual linkage.

[0114] In one embodiment of the present invention, the transport actuator (32) may be configured as a linear actuator having a structure in which the first, second, and third grippers (311, 312, 313) are arranged in parallel on the X-axis as shown in FIG. 11, the first, second, and third grippers (311, 312, 313) can move forward, backward, left, and right as one unit on the X-axis and the Y-axis, and the first, second, and third grippers (311, 312, 313) can independently move up and down on the Z-axis.

[0115] Through the combination of the single first, second, and third grippers (311, 312, 313) and the transfer actuator (32) as described above and the transfer sequence control by the monitoring / control unit (80), the device (1) according to the present invention can automate the entire process while reducing the manufacturing cost and enabling production in a medium size.

[0116] The above preprocessing unit (40) is configured to preprocess a blood collection tube (A) gripped and transferred by the first gripper (311), and includes a scanning means (41), a blood mixing means (42), and a cap separation means (43) as shown in FIGS. 16 to 18.

[0117] The above scanning means (41) is configured to obtain information of the blood collection tube (A) and, in one embodiment of the present invention, includes a first rotation motor (411) and a blood collection tube (412).

[0118] The above first rotation motor (411) is configured to rotate the first gripper (311) so that the blood collection tube (A) gripped by the first gripper (311) and transferred to a predetermined scan position rotates around the Z-axis as the rotation center.

[0119] The above blood collection tube scanner (412) is configured to scan a blood collection tube (A) rotated by the operation of the first rotation motor (411) and obtain blood collection tube information indicated on the blood collection tube (A).

[0120] That is, a barcode containing blood collection tube information is usually attached to the blood collection tube (A), but since the attached barcode is not always aligned in a direction facing the blood collection tube scanner (412), the blood collection tube (A) is configured so that the blood collection tube scanner (412) can scan the barcode attached to the blood collection tube (A) during the rotation process by horizontally rotating the blood collection tube (A) by the first rotation motor (411) while the blood collection tube (A) is moved to the scanning position by the transfer unit (30).

[0121] In addition, in the case of the blood collection tube scanner (412), it is preferable to use equipment having a scan range greater than a certain level so as to be able to resolve scan errors due to the inclination or attachment position of the barcode attached to the blood collection tube (A), and in some cases, it is also possible to expand the scan range by applying an actuator (not shown) that can move the blood collection tube scanner (412) in the Z-axis direction.

[0122] The above blood mixing means (42) is configured to mix the blood sample contained in the blood collection tube (A), and in one embodiment of the present invention, includes a blood collection tube forceps (421) and a mixing rotation motor (422).

[0123] The above blood collection tube forceps (421) is configured to grip the body of the blood collection tube (A) that has been transferred to a predetermined mixing position by being gripped by the first gripper (311).

[0124] The above mixing rotation motor (422) is configured to rotate the blood collection tube forceps (421).

[0125] As illustrated in Fig. 17, the blood collection tube (A) held in the blood collection tube forceps (421) by the mixing rotation motor (422) is rotated 360° around the X-axis or Y-axis as the center of rotation, thereby completely preventing the red blood cell sedimentation phenomenon that may occur during the waiting time before the blood sample contained therein is mixed and sucked by the blood suction / injection unit (50), and maintaining the blood composition uniformly.

[0126] The above cap separation means (43) is configured to separate the sealing cap (A1) from the blood collection tube (A), and in one embodiment of the present invention, includes a cap forceps (431) and a cap rotation motor / actuator (432).

[0127] The above cap forceps (431) are configured to be able to hold the sealing cap (A1) fastened to the upper end of the blood collection tube (A) while the body of the blood collection tube (A) is held by the blood collection tube forceps (421).

[0128] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cap gripper (431) may be replaced with the first gripper (311) as shown in FIG. 13.

[0129] The above cap rotation motor / actuator (432) is configured to rotate the cap gripper (431) around the Z-axis as the center of rotation and move it up and down at the same time.

[0130] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cap rotation motor / actuator (432) may be replaced with a combination of the first rotation motor (411) and the transport actuator (32) as shown in FIG. 13.

[0131] As shown in (a) of Fig. 18, while the body of the blood collection tube (A) is held by the blood collection tube forceps (421), as shown in (b) of Fig. 18, the sealing cap (A1) is rotated and moved upward by a combination of the cap forceps (431) and the cap rotation motor / actuator (432), and is separated from the blood collection tube (A) as shown in (c) of Fig. 18.

[0132] The blood collection tube (A) from which the sealing cap (A1) is separated by the cap separation means (43) has the blood sample contained therein suctioned through the blood suction / injection part (50), and when the blood sample is completely suctioned from the blood collection tube (A), the sealing cap (A1) that was separated from the used blood collection tube (A) is reattached to the blood collection tube (A) by controlling the cap separation means (43) to operate in reverse by the monitoring / control part (80), and the used blood collection tube (A) with the sealing cap (A1) reattached is returned to the first position (P1) by controlling the first gripper (311) and the transfer actuator (32).

[0133] Meanwhile, the preprocessing unit (40) has a multi-space structure capable of accommodating at least two blood collection tubes (A) as illustrated in FIG. 16 and independently preprocessing each of the accommodated blood collection tubes (A), and the monitoring / control unit (80) is configured to control the transport actuator (32) so that the blood collection tubes (A) gripped and transported by the first gripper (311) are sequentially accommodated in empty spaces among the multi-spaces of the preprocessing unit (40).

[0134] As described above, since the preprocessing unit (40) has a multi-space structure, the device (1) according to the present invention can control the transfer sequence by taking into account the blood mixing time, which takes a relatively long time, and can shorten the processing time of the device (1).

[0135] The above blood suction / injection unit (50) is configured to suck a blood sample from a blood collection tube (A) with a sealed cap (A1) separated from the preprocessing unit (40) using a pipette tip (B) gripped and transferred to the second gripper (312), as shown in (a) of FIG. 19, and to inject the blood sample into a test kit (C) mounted on the viscosity measurement unit (60), as shown in (b) of FIG. 19.

[0136] In one embodiment of the present invention, the blood suction / injection unit (50) includes a piston (51) that is connected to the rear end of the pipette tip (B) via a second gripper (312) formed in a shape that allows the rear end of the pipette tip (B) to be press-fitted and fixed so that the pipette tip (B) can suck and dispense a blood sample.

[0137] The above blood suction / injection unit (50) can apply a precision volume control technology within ±1.0% according to changes in electrical conductivity by using a disposable pipette tip (B) of a conductive type to precisely control the amount of blood suctioned and discharged required for the test, or it is also possible to apply a precision volume control technology according to changes in pressure by using a disposable pipette tip (B) of a pressure type.

[0138] Meanwhile, in relation to the blood suction / injection unit (50), the monitoring / control unit (80) controls the transfer actuator (32) so that the pipette tip (B) is raised and lowered according to the change in the height of the blood sample contained in the blood collection tube (A) so that when a blood sample is suctioned from the blood collection tube (A) with the sealing cap (A1) separated from the preprocessing unit (40) using the pipette tip (B), the suction can be performed at a certain depth based on the surface of the blood sample.

[0139] That is, the device (1) according to the present invention performs a second mixing by the blood suction / injection unit (50) following the first mixing by the blood mixing means (42) in mixing the blood sample, thereby improving the accuracy of blood viscosity measurement through uniform mixing of the blood sample.

[0140] The above viscosity measuring unit (60) is configured to measure the viscosity of a blood sample injected into the test kit (C) by the blood suction / injection unit (50), while the test kit (C) is gripped and transferred by the third gripper (313).

[0141] A viscosity measuring unit (60) according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a channel module (61), a temperature maintenance means (62), a viscosity measuring means (63), a kit detection sensor (64), a progress notification lamp (65), and a dustproof means (66), as shown in FIGS. 20 to 23.

[0142] The above channel module (61) is configured such that the test kit (C) transferred by being gripped by the third gripper (313) is inserted and mounted in the vertical direction.

[0143] In one embodiment of the present invention, the channel module (61) has a gripper interference prevention groove (611) formed in the center of the upper portion to prevent interference with the third gripper (313), and an elastic spring (612) is provided inside.

[0144] The above elastic spring (612) is configured to elastically pressurize the test kit (C) inserted into the channel module (61) in a direction such that it is in close contact with one surface equipped with the blood flow detection sensor (631), as shown in FIG. 23.

[0145] In one embodiment of the present invention, the test kit (C) inserted into the channel module (61) is configured to be elastically pressed in one direction and one side direction where the blood flow detection sensor (631) is provided through three elastic springs (612).

[0146] By configuring the elastic spring (612), the test kit (C) is brought into maximum contact with the blood flow detection sensor (631), thereby minimizing measurement errors.

[0147] In addition, in one embodiment of the present invention, the channel module (61) is configured to have a multi-channel structure and is composed of a plurality of modules, and the monitoring / control unit (80) is configured to control the transport actuator (32) so that the test kit (C) gripped and transported by the third gripper (313) is sequentially mounted on an empty channel module (61) among the plurality of channel modules (61).

[0148] As an example of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 15 illustrates an example in which the channel module (61) is configured with six modules, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0149] By means of the multi-channel structure of the channel module (61) as described above, the device (1) according to the present invention can control the transfer sequence by taking into account the viscosity measurement time, which takes a relatively long time, and can shorten the processing time of the device (1), and can process a plurality of blood samples simultaneously.

[0150] The above temperature maintenance means (62) is configured to heat or cool the test kit (C) mounted on the channel module (61) so that the test kit (C) can maintain a set temperature.

[0151] In one embodiment of the present invention, the temperature maintenance means (62) may include a temperature sensor (621), a heater (622), a cooling fan (623), and a temperature controller (not shown).

[0152] The above temperature sensor (621) is configured to detect the temperature of the test kit (C) mounted on the channel module (61), and the temperature detection unit may be attached to the inner surface of the channel module (61), but is not limited thereto.

[0153] The above heater (622) is configured to heat the test kit (C) mounted on the channel module (61), and may be configured as a patch-type U-type heater having a flexible structure and a shape that can wrap around both sides of the channel module (61), but is not limited thereto.

[0154] The above cooling fan (623) may be provided on the side of the channel module (61) in a configuration capable of cooling the task kit (C) mounted on the channel module (61), but is not limited thereto.

[0155] The above temperature controller (not shown) is configured to selectively operate the heater (622) or the cooling fan (623) so that the temperature detected by the temperature sensor (621) can maintain a set temperature similar to body temperature.

[0156] The above temperature controller (not shown) may be provided as a separate component in the viscosity measurement unit (60), or the monitoring / control unit (80) may be configured to perform that role.

[0157] The above viscosity measuring means (63) is configured to measure the viscosity of a blood sample injected into the above test kit (C).

[0158] In one embodiment of the present invention, the test kit (C) includes a U-shaped tube (C1) through which, when a blood sample is injected from one upper side, the injected blood sample can flow in the other direction due to a height difference.

[0159] The test kit (C) including the above U-shaped tube (C1) can use the 'small blood viscosity measurement kit and cartridge thereof' disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-21-0087898.

[0160] In one embodiment of the present invention, the viscosity measuring means (63) is provided on one side of the channel module (61) and includes a blood flow detection sensor (631) that detects the speed of a blood sample flowing to the other side of the U-shaped tube (C1).

[0161] The above blood flow detection sensor (631) may be configured based on a CIS sensor (Contact Image Sensor), but is not limited thereto.

[0162] Meanwhile, as described above, the configuration of the elastic spring (612) provided in the channel module (61) allows the test kit (C) to be brought into maximum contact with the blood flow detection sensor (631), thereby minimizing measurement errors.

[0163] The above viscosity calculator (not shown) is configured to calculate the viscosity of a blood sample using the speed of the blood sample detected by the blood flow detection sensor (631).

[0164] That is, when the viscosity of the blood sample is high, the speed of the blood sample flowing from one side of the U-shaped tube (C) to the other side decreases, and the viscosity calculator (not shown) uses this phenomenon to calculate the viscosity of the blood sample through the speed of the blood sample flowing from the other side of the U-shaped tube (C).

[0165] The above viscosity calculator (not shown) may be provided as a separate component to the viscosity measuring means (63), or the monitoring / control unit (80) may be configured to perform that role.

[0166] The above kit detection sensor (64) is configured to detect whether the test kit (C) is mounted on the channel module (61).

[0167] The above progress notification lamp (65) is configured to visually display information detected by the kit detection sensor (64) and the progress of measurement in the channel module (61).

[0168] In one embodiment of the present invention, the progress notification lamp (65) may be configured to irradiate light from the bottom to the top of the channel module (61), so that the user can immediately check the status of each of the plurality of channel modules (61) through the light emitted by passing through the test kit (C).

[0169] The above vibration-proof means (66) is configured to be placed at the bottom of the channel module (61) to attenuate vibration transmitted to the channel module (61).

[0170] The above-mentioned anti-vibration means (66) may be applied with a multi-layer anti-vibration structure such as a stone plate, a square anti-vibration pad, a base plate, or a circular anti-vibration pad.

[0171] The above waste disposal unit (70) is configured to discard used pipette tips (B) and test kits (C).

[0172] In one embodiment of the present invention, the waste disposal unit (70) receives and accommodates pipette tips (B) and test kits (C) that are gripped by the second and third grippers (312, 313) and then transferred to a designated disposal location, and then discarded, inside the housing (10), and includes a waste drawer (71) that is supported so as to be able to slide back and forth on the housing (10) so that the pipette tips (B) and test kits (C) can be removed from the outside of the housing (10) by a user's operation.

[0173] Here, the monitoring / control unit (80) controls the transfer actuator (32) to transfer the used pipette tip (B) and test kit (C) to the waste disposal unit (70) using the second and third grippers (312, 313), respectively.

[0174] The above monitoring / control unit (80) is configured to check the status and control the operation of the housing (10), input unit (20), transfer unit (30), preprocessing unit (40), blood suction / injection unit (50), viscosity measurement unit (60), and waste processing unit (70).

[0175] The externally exposed components of the above monitoring / control unit (80) may include a touch display (81) capable of inputting and outputting information, a power button (82) capable of turning the power of the device (1) on and off, an emergency stop switch (83) for emergency stop, and a tower lamp (84) for a warning alarm, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0176] Meanwhile, the monitoring / control unit (80) may be equipped with a main body (not shown) such as a computer for calculation, status judgment, and control of the device (1).

[0177] Specifically, the monitoring / control unit (80) can control the door locking means (13) so that the management door (12) can be locked or opened depending on the user's operation or the status of the confirmed device (1).

[0178] In addition, the monitoring / control unit (80) can control the first, second, and third drawer locking means (241, 242, 243) so that the first, second, and third replacement drawers (211, 212, 213) can be locked or opened depending on the user's operation or the status of the confirmed device (1).

[0179] In addition, the monitoring / control unit (80) can determine the status of the device (1) by including information detected by the first, second, and third tray detection sensors (251, 252, 253).

[0180] In addition, the monitoring / control unit (80) can determine the status of the device according to the progress of measurement based on the information detected by the input detection sensor (27).

[0181] In addition, the monitoring / control unit (80) can control the transport actuator (32) so that the blood collection tube (A) gripped and transported by the first gripper (311) is sequentially received in an empty space among the multi-spaces of the preprocessing unit (40).

[0182] In addition, the monitoring / control unit (80) can control the transfer actuator (32) so that the pipette tip (B) is raised and lowered according to the change in the height of the blood sample contained in the blood collection tube (A) so that when a blood sample is aspirated from the blood collection tube (A) with the sealing cap (A1) separated from the preprocessing unit (40) using the pipette tip (B), the blood sample can be aspirated at a certain depth based on the surface of the blood sample.

[0183] In addition, the monitoring / control unit (80) can control the blood suction / injection unit (50) to repeat suction and dispensing a set number of times and then suction the blood sample in a mixed state when suctioning the blood sample from the blood collection tube (A) with the sealing cap (A1) separated from the preprocessing unit (40) using the pipette tip (B).

[0184] In addition, the monitoring / control unit (80) can control the transport actuator (32) so that the test kit (C) gripped and transported by the third gripper (313) is sequentially mounted on an empty channel module (61) among the plurality of channel modules (61).

[0185] In addition, the monitoring / control unit (80) operates the cap separation means (43) in reverse so that the sealing cap (A1) that was separated from the used blood collection tube (A) is reattached to the blood collection tube (A), and controls the transfer actuator (32) to return the used blood collection tube (A) with the sealing cap (A1) reattached to the first position (P1) using the first gripper (311), and can control the transfer actuator (32) to transfer the used pipette tip (B) and test kit (C) to the waste disposal unit (70) using the second and third grippers (312, 313), respectively.

[0186] Furthermore, the monitoring / control unit (80) is configured to automatically measure the viscosity of multiple blood samples sequentially in a short period of time by controlling the transfer sequence of the single first, second, and third grippers (311, 312, 313) and the transfer actuator (32) in consideration of the blood mixing time in the preprocessing unit (40) having a multi-space structure, the viscosity measurement time in the viscosity measurement unit (60) having a multi-channel structure, etc.

[0187] As an example of the transport sequence control by the above monitoring / control unit (80), at the initial operation of the device (1), as shown in FIG. 15, the input detection sensor (27) attached to the transport actuator (32) and moved is controlled to detect the position and quantity of the blood collection tube (A), pipette tip (B), and test kit (C) inserted into the first, second, and third positions (P1, P2, P3), respectively (first operation).

[0188] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 12, the first gripper (311) is controlled to grip the blood collection tube (A) located at the first position (P1) (second operation).

[0189] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 13, the second gripper (312) is controlled to grip the pipette tip (B) positioned at the second position (P2) (third operation).

[0190] After that, as shown in Fig. 16, the blood collection tube (A) gripped to the first gripper (311) is moved to the scan position of the preprocessing unit (40) and controlled to obtain blood collection tube information by the scanning means (41) (4th operation).

[0191] After that, as shown in Fig. 17, the blood collection tube (A) gripped by the first gripper (311) is moved to the mixing position so that the blood collection tube forceps (421) grips the body of the blood collection tube (A), and the mixing rotation motor (422) is operated to control the blood to be mixed by the blood mixing means (42) (fifth operation).

[0192] After that, as shown in Fig. 14, the third gripper (313) grips the test kit (C) located at the third position (P3) and controls it to be inserted and mounted in the channel unit (61) of the viscosity measurement unit (60) (sixth operation).

[0193] After that, as shown in Fig. 18, the sealing cap (A1) is controlled to be separated from the blood collection tube (A) held by the blood collection tube forceps (421) through the cap separation means (43) (seventh operation).

[0194] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 19, the blood suction / injection unit (50) is controlled to suck a blood sample from a blood collection tube (A) with a sealed cap (A1) separated from the preprocessing unit (40) and inject it into a test kit (C) mounted on a viscosity measurement unit (60) (8th operation).

[0195] After that, the used pipette tip (B) is controlled to be disposed of in a waste disposal unit (70) (9th operation).

[0196] After that, the cap separation means (43) is operated in the reverse order shown in Fig. 18 so that the sealing cap (A1) that was separated from the used blood collection tube (A) is reattached to the blood collection tube (A), and the used blood collection tube (A) with the sealing cap (A1) reattached is controlled to return to the first position (P1) using the first gripper (311) (10th operation).

[0197] Thereafter, the second to tenth operations are controlled to be repeated to measure the viscosity of another blood sample.

[0198] Meanwhile, in one embodiment of the present invention, the second operation and the fourth operation can be controlled to be performed between the second to tenth operations so as to utilize the preprocessing unit (40) having a multi-space structure, and the viscosity measurement unit (60) having a multi-channel structure can be controlled to be disposed of in the waste disposal unit (70) after the viscosity measurement is completed between the second to tenth operations.

[0199] The automatic blood viscosity measuring device described above and illustrated in the drawings is merely one embodiment for implementing the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the technical spirit of the present invention. The scope of protection of the present invention is defined solely by the matters set forth in the following claims, and embodiments that are improved and modified without departing from the gist of the present invention shall be deemed to fall within the scope of protection of the present invention, provided that such modifications would be obvious to a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Claims

1. A preprocessing unit for preprocessing a blood collection tube gripped by a first gripper and transported by a transport actuator within a blood viscosity measuring device; A blood suction / injection unit capable of suctioning and dispensing a blood sample from a blood collection tube pretreated in the above-described preprocessing unit using a pipette tip gripped and transferred to a second gripper; and A monitoring / control unit for checking the status and controlling the operation of the above preprocessing unit and the blood suction / injection unit; The above preprocessing unit, A scanning means for obtaining information of the blood collection tube, a blood mixing means for mixing a blood sample contained in the blood collection tube, and a cap separation means for separating a sealing cap from the blood collection tube are provided. The above scanning means is, A first rotation motor that rotates the first gripper so that the blood collection tube gripped by the first gripper and transferred to a predetermined scan position rotates around the Z-axis as the rotation center; and A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, characterized by including a blood collection tube scanner that scans a blood collection tube positioned at the above scan position and rotated by the operation of the first rotary motor to obtain blood collection tube information indicated on the blood collection tube.

2. In paragraph 1, The above blood mixing means is, A blood collection tube forceps that grips the body of a blood collection tube that is gripped by the first gripper and transferred to a predetermined mixing position; and A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, characterized in that it includes a mixing rotation motor that rotates the blood collection tube forceps by 360° about the X-axis or Y-axis as the center of rotation to mix the blood sample.

3. In paragraph 2, The above cap separation means is, A cap forceps capable of gripping a sealing cap fastened to the top of the blood collection tube while the body of the blood collection tube is gripped by the blood collection tube forceps; and A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, characterized in that it includes a cap rotation motor / actuator capable of moving the cap forceps up and down while rotating them about the Z-axis as the center of rotation.

4. In paragraph 3, The above cap gripper is replaced with the first gripper, A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, wherein the cap rotation motor / actuator is replaced by a combination of the first rotation motor and the transport actuator.

5. In paragraph 1, The above preprocessing unit, It has a multi-space structure that can accommodate at least two blood collection tubes and can independently preprocess each of the accommodated blood collection tubes. The above monitoring / control unit, A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, characterized in that the transport actuator is controlled so that the blood collection tube gripped and transported by the first gripper is sequentially received in an empty space among the multi-spaces of the preprocessing unit.

6. In paragraph 1, The above second gripper, The rear end of the above pipette tip is formed into a shape that can be press-fitted and fixed, The above blood suction / injection part is, A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, characterized in that the pipette tip includes a piston connected to the rear end of the pipette tip via the second gripper so that the pipette tip can aspirate and dispense a blood sample.

7. In paragraph 6, The above monitoring / control unit, An automatic blood viscosity measuring device characterized in that, when a blood sample is aspirated from a blood collection tube with a sealed cap separated from the preprocessing unit using the pipette tip, the transfer actuator is controlled so that the pipette tip is raised and lowered according to a change in the height of the blood sample contained in the blood collection tube so that aspiration is possible at a constant depth based on the surface of the blood sample.

8. In paragraph 6, The above monitoring / control unit, A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device characterized in that, when a blood sample is drawn from a blood collection tube with a sealed cap separated from the preprocessing unit using the pipette tip, the blood suction / injection unit is controlled to repeat suction and dispensing a set number of times so that the blood sample can be drawn in a mixed state.

9. In paragraph 1, The blood processing module for the above automatic blood viscosity measuring device is: Further comprising a disposal unit for disposing of used pipette tips; The above monitoring / control unit, The cap separation means is operated in reverse so that the sealing cap that was separated from the used blood collection tube is reattached to the blood collection tube, Control the transport actuator to return the used blood collection tube with the sealing cap reattached to the first position using the first gripper, A blood processing module for an automatic blood viscosity measuring device, characterized in that the transport actuator is controlled to transport the used pipette tip to the waste processing unit using the second gripper.

Images