Device for the sorting of medical tubes

Abstract

A device (1) for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, comprises - a presentation apparatus (2) in which a supply of medical tubes to be sorted can be provided, in particular as bulk goods, - a sorting apparatus (3) by means of which the medical tubes provided in the presentation apparatus (2) can be detected and sorted according to at least one selected characteristic, and - a discharge apparatus (4) which has a plurality of discharge containers (8), - to each of which a plurality of medical tubes which have been sorted and have at least one selected characteristic can be fed from the sorting apparatus (3), - in each of which the plurality of fed medical tubes, preferably as bulk goods, can be collected, and - which can each be taken out of the device individually starting from a collection position, wherein the discharge containers (8) each have a handle (9) by means of which the respective discharge container (8) in the collection position can be taken out of the device (1) after being gripped by means of a hand of an operator. In order to improve the handling of the discharge container (8), it is proposed that the handle (9), at least when the discharge container (8) is taken out of the device, can be transferred from a removal and insertion position relative to the discharge device to a carrying position, and back, in which carrying position a discharge container (8) which has been taken out of the device (1) can be carried in such a manner that the handle (9) is located approximately centrally on or over the discharge container (8), as seen in a top view of an discharge container (8) placed on a flat floor, wherein in the removal and insertion position, the handle (9) is located in an edge region of the discharge container (8), as seen in a top view of a discharge container (8) placed on a flat floor, such that it can be gripped by a hand of the operator when the discharge container (8) is in the collection position.

Description

[0001] Device for sorting medical tubes

[0002] Description

[0003] Introduction

[0004] The invention relates to a device for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, comprising

[0005] - a storage device in which a supply of medical tubes to be sorted can be made available, preferably in bulk,

[0006] - a sorting device by means of which the medical tubes provided in the presentation device can be identified and sorted according to at least one selected feature, and

[0007] - a dispensing device having a plurality of dispensing containers,

[0008] - to which a plurality of sorted medical tubes having at least one selected feature can be fed from the sorting device,

[0009] - in which the plurality of supplied medical tubes can be collected, preferably in bulk, and

[0010] - which can each be removed individually from the device starting from a collection position, wherein the dispensing containers each have a handle by means of which the respective dispensing container located in the collection position can be removed from the device after being grasped by an operator's hand.

[0011] Such devices are used primarily in hospital laboratories or large, nationwide laboratory operations to sort the medical tubes that have accrued or been delivered within a certain period of time and are to be analyzed according to specific criteria and then dispense them "purely sorted." The feed device of such a sorting device is usually designed as a funnel-shaped hopper or storage container into which the medical tubes are poured as bulk material from a transport container (e.g., a large basket, bag, or tub). One opening of the feed device is usually closed by a flap, but it is also conceivable to leave the opening cross-section permanently open.The sorting device, which follows the direction of flow of the medical tubes, can utilize a wide variety of principles for separating, distinguishing, and then handling various tube types, sizes, or styles. These include mechanical separation methods as well as optical, inductive, capacitive, or other electromagnetic detection and reading methods, which then lead to the assignment of a specific tube to a group or class.

[0012] The dispensing device is often designed as a cabinet-like structure containing a plurality of drawer-like dispensing containers in the form of baskets, chutes, or trays, which, in a front view of the device, are typically arranged next to and above one another in a matrix-like manner. During the operation of the device, a large number of medical tubes of a specific type accumulate in each of these dispensing containers. The thus "sorted contents" of each dispensing container are then removed from the device in a final step and transferred to an analysis device for further processing or evaluation. This is usually done manually by operating personnel.

[0013] State of the art

[0014] A device of the above-mentioned type is known, for example, under the designation "HCTS 2000 MK2" and can be found on the applicant's website at htps: / / www.sarstedt.de / . The ergonomics of handling the dispensing containers, particularly when removing them from the dispensing device and subsequently transferring them to an analysis device, have been found to be somewhat in need of improvement.

[0015] Furthermore, various handles for containers designed to hold "medical tubes," which are arranged in an orderly manner within the aforementioned containers by means of special fittings, inserts, or moldings, are considered state of the art. Examples include DE 30 03 932 A1, DE 197 14 135 C1, DE 19849 714 A1, US 2011 0143947 A1, and US 2012 0171759 A1.

[0016] Task

[0017] The invention is based on the object of improving a device for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, in such a way that the ergonomics of handling the dispensing containers are improved. Solution

[0018] Starting from a device of the type described at the outset, the underlying problem is solved in that the handle, at least when the dispensing container is removed from the device, can be transferred from a removal and insertion position relative to the dispensing container into a carrying position and vice versa, in which carrying position a dispensing container removed from the device can be carried in such a way that the handle - viewed in a plan view of a dispensing container placed on a flat floor - is located on an upper side or above the dispensing container, wherein the handle is located in the removal and insertion position - viewed in a plan view of a dispensing container placed on a flat floor - in an edge region of the dispensing container, so that it can be grasped by a hand of the operator in the collecting position of the dispensing container.

[0019] The two different positions between which the handle can be transferred according to the invention create an ergonomically favorable position for the handle for different situations when handling the dispensing container: In the collecting position of the dispensing container, i.e. in a state in which at least a major part of the dispensing container is in the device, in particular in the dispensing unit, the handle is in a position (removal and insertion position) such that the dispensing container can be operated from a vertically oriented side or side wall, in particular like a drawer. The handle should preferably be able to absorb both tensile and compressive forces or introduce them into the dispensing container in order to be able to carry out, for example, a translational movement or also one along a curved trajectory in the manner of a drawer using the hand of an operator.Such functionality is already provided by the rigid handle of the dispensing container, as is known from the above-mentioned prior art created by the applicant itself in the form of the sorting device HCTS2000 MK2.

[0020] The invention now goes beyond this prior art in that, after the dispensing container has been removed from the dispensing device (or even - at least partially - during the removal process), it is possible to transfer the handle from said removal and insertion position to a carrying position. In such a carrying position, the handle is preferably located vertically above a center of mass of the loaded dispensing container, the position of which naturally depends on the distribution and number of collected medical tubes within the dispensing container. Minor deviations from a position of the handle exactly vertically above the center of mass are tolerable and, although they lead to a certain inclination of the dispensing container when carried, this hardly impairs handling.One (or more) connection or articulation points of the handle on the dispensing container are preferably located approximately centrally on or in a central region of the dispensing container, viewed from above on a dispensing container placed on a flat floor.

[0021] The advantage of the invention lies in the fact that the filled receptacle can now be comfortably carried, like a basket or bucket, by the operator's arm, either outstretched or slightly bent. This is possible without fatigue or strain, even over longer distances, as is common in larger laboratories. In contrast, handling a rigid handle on the front of a dispensing container, as is the case with the aforementioned prior art, is tiring when using only one hand. Alternatively, the prior art naturally allows for the use of a second hand to support the dispensing container at its front end opposite the handle. However, this limits the operator's freedom of action and makes it impossible to carry two dispensing containers simultaneously, which is easily possible with the invention by carrying one dispensing container in each hand.The inventive dual function of the handle also enables one-handed operation of the dispensing container thanks to the two handle positions by using the handle as a drawer handle on the one hand and as a carrying handle (handle, bracket) on the other.

[0022] Even if it is fundamentally conceivable to transfer the handle in any desired manner and while allowing a multitude of degrees of freedom between the insertion and removal position and the carrying position, for example simply to provide a type of "loss protection", i.e. a connection between the handle and the dispensing container that cannot be easily released, it is particularly advantageous if the handle is positively guided relative to the dispensing container during its transfer from the carrying position to the insertion and removal position and / or vice versa, at least over part of a transfer path, preferably over the entire transfer path. Such a guided transfer movement can represent either a rotational or a translational movement or a superposition or sequence of the two aforementioned types of movement, for example using levers, guide rails, linear guides, swivel joints, etc.

[0023] A further development of the device according to the invention consists in that the handle can be locked in the carrying position and / or the insertion and removal position relative to the dispensing container, so that when handling the dispensing container during insertion into the device or removal from the device or during carrying the dispensing container, a relative movement between the dispensing container and the handle in one of the two positions is prevented. This allows the dispensing container to be carried "rock-free" and without the risk of accidental emptying by rotation, even if the specific, somewhat random mass distribution results in the center of gravity not being positioned exactly below the handle.

[0024] A locking mechanism on the handle also prevents unwanted relative movements between the handle and the dispensing container when forces are applied by the operator's hand, thus facilitating the precise manipulation of the dispensing container in the respective position of the handle by improving control over the desired movement.

[0025] An arrangement of the handle on a preferably U-shaped or L-shaped handle, which can be pivoted about a pivot axis between the carrying position and the insertion and removal position, preferably about an angle of approximately 90°, represents a very simple structural implementation of a positively guided handle transfer. The pivot axis should run perpendicular to a direction of movement of the dispensing container during its removal from or insertion into the device and - when viewing the dispensing container in the collection position - in a horizontal direction.

[0026] A clearly defined limitation of the transfer path is achieved if the pivoting movement, when transferring the handle from the insertion and removal position to the carrying position and / or vice versa, strikes an associated stop element of the dispensing container in at least one end position with a stop element arranged on the handle.

[0027] The process of inserting the dispensing container into the device, in particular its dispensing device, and / or removing the dispensing container from the device, in particular its dispensing device, is made easier for the operator in that at least one section of the handle interacts, at least in the insertion and removal position of the handle, with a guide located in a body of the device during the transfer of the dispensing container from the collection position to a position outside the device and / or vice versa. Such interaction can be achieved, for example, with the aid of a groove, strip or rail and, for example, a sliding or roller element interacting therewith, whereby it is initially not crucial which of the aforementioned guide elements is located on which component (dispensing device or dispensing container).

[0028] To further develop the invention, it is proposed that at least one section of the handle, preferably two sections of the handle arranged on opposite longitudinal sides of the dispensing container, protrude or protrude beyond a respective side wall of the dispensing container in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the dispensing container during its removal from or insertion into the device. The protruding section(s) can be used to guide the dispensing container during its movement during insertion into or removal from the device, for example in the manner of a tongue and groove guide in a drawer. Furthermore, such a guide can restrict the freedom of movement of the handle during all or part of the insertion or removal movement of the dispensing container.Finally, holding forces (in particular caused by the weight of the dispensing container including its contents) can also be introduced by such a guide from the dispensing container into the dispensing device, preferably its body.

[0029] A guide as described above can preferably be designed in the form of a groove for receiving at least a portion of the handle of the dispensing container, wherein such a groove can be arranged, for example, in vertically aligned side walls of the body of the dispensing device.

[0030] A particularly space-saving arrangement of a plurality of dispensing containers in a dispensing device can be achieved if the body has several compartments, preferably arranged in a matrix or grid, into each of which at least one dispensing container can be inserted, preferably with a horizontal direction of movement.

[0031] A particularly simple support for a dispensing container within a dispensing device, in particular within its body, more preferably within compartments formed therein, can be achieved in that a dispensing container, in the collection position, is supported by a bottom side, preferably by means of preferably strip-shaped support areas arranged on opposite edges of the bottom side, on at least one support surface, preferably a base, a strip, or a rail, of a body of the dispensing device. If such a strip-shaped support area is formed by a side wall protruding from the bottom of the dispensing container, the bottom of the dispensing container located between two side walls can remain unsupported.This prevents scratching of the base of the dispensing container - especially in the case of a sliding support - and, in particular in the case of transparent wall materials, prevents an optical effect that is detrimental to the aesthetics.

[0032] A particularly advantageous embodiment of the device according to the invention consists in that a joint at each associated end of the handle - in the insertion and removal position and / or the carrying position of the handle - can be transferred from a rotary position, in which the handle can be pivoted about the pivot axis, to a locked position in which pivoting about the pivot axis is prevented, wherein the transfer of the handle from the rotary position to the locked position occurs by a movement of the handle relative to the dispensing container with at least one movement component radial to the pivot axis. The handle movement can occur with at least one radial movement component such that, in the carrying position, the handle is moved upwards relative to the rest of the receiving container solely by the effect of gravity on the container base (including any contents), whereby the locked position of the joint is achieved.As long as the dispensing container is then carried by the handle, the continuous effect of gravity prevents it from leaving the locking position, so that a rotational movement of the handle relative to the dispensing container is avoided while the dispensing container is being carried, thereby achieving great stability when carried and preventing accidental loss of the medical tubes contained in the dispensing container as a result of rocking movements of the dispensing container around the handle.

[0033] A particularly advantageous design of the joint defining the pivot axis is that the joints each have an inner body connected to the handle and an outer body enclosing the inner body and connected to the receptacle, wherein during the pivoting of the handle the inner body is rotatable in the outer body, wherein - in the carrying position of the handle - starting from the rotation position a locking body projecting radially from the inner body is movable into a locking recess in the outer body by a movement with a component of a movement direction running radially to the pivot axis, whereby the joint assumes the locking position.

[0034] Finally, a further development of the invention consists in that the inner body is connected to a counter-holding body, which is preferably arranged on an inner side of a side wall of the receiving container, and the outer body is inserted into the side wall or formed integrally by it, wherein the handle is preferably arranged on the outer side of the side wall and is connected to the counter-holding body by an opening in the side wall and by an opening in the outer body. Preferably, the counter-holding body and the handle are screwed together, the latter preferably in each case in a free end section, wherein the screws preferably penetrate a respectively associated side wall of the dispensing container in one or a common opening.

[0035] Example

[0036] The invention is explained in more detail below using an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing. It shows:

[0037] Fig. 1 : a perspective view of a device,

[0038] Fig. 2: a perspective view of a receptacle without a handle with a handle,

[0039] Fig. 3: a section of the device according to Figure 1 with a

[0040] Reception container in a partially introduced state into a reception facility,

[0041] Fig. 4: a perspective view of a section of the device with a partially inserted receptacle,

[0042] Fig. 5: as Figure 4, but in a further inserted state of the

[0043] Receptacle,

[0044] Fig. 6: as Figure 5, but in a further inserted state of the

[0045] Receptacle,

[0046] Fig. 7: as Figure 6, but in a further pivoted state of the

[0047] Henkels,

[0048] Fig. 8: as Figure 7, but in a further inserted

[0049] Condition of the receptacle,

[0050] Fig. 9: as Figure 8, but with the receptacle in the

[0051] Collecting position, Fig. 10: an exploded view of the joint between handle and

[0052] Receptacle,

[0053] Fig. 11: like figure 10, but in a different perspective, and

[0054] Fig. 12a - 12c: the typical handling of the dispensing container when inserting it into or removing it from the dispensing device, carrying it and emptying it.

[0055] A device 1 for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, shown in Figure 1, consists of three main functional components, namely a storage device 2, a sorting device 3, and a dispensing device 4. All three aforementioned components are located within a housing 5, which can be moved along a floor by means of four rollers 6 arranged on its underside. While the storage device 2 and the dispensing device 4 have interfaces to the external environment of the device 1 and the housing 5, the sorting device 3 is located almost entirely within the housing (apart from operating or display elements that can be operated or are visible from the outside of the housing 5). The storage device 2 is a type of bunker that has a constantly free opening cross-section 7.Through the opening cross-section 7, a large number of blood collection tubes can be introduced into the storage device 2, particularly by pouring them from a larger, portable container. If desired, a movable flap can also be provided for closing and opening the opening cross-section 7.

[0056] Ten dispensing containers 8 of the dispensing device 4 are visible in Figure 1, arranged in two rows of five dispensing containers 8 each. Each dispensing container 8 has a handle 9 that projects outward beyond the housing 5 and can thus be easily grasped and manipulated by an operator.

[0057] The device 1 is used in such a way that a typically large quantity of unsorted blood collection tubes is introduced into the storage device 2, after which the sorting process is started, whereby all tubes are successively separated, analyzed, and transferred into the different dispensing containers 8 according to specific characteristics. After the sorting process, each dispensing container 8 thus contains a very specific "type" of blood collection tube, which is then removed from the device 1 with the associated dispensing container 8 for carrying out the actual analyses and fed to further analysis devices, typically located at a different location. Figure 2 shows a base body 10 of a dispensing container 8.The base body 10 has a trough-shaped configuration with an open top through which sorted blood collection tubes can fall into the dispensing container 8 when the dispensing container 8 is inserted into the dispensing device 4 of the device 1. Furthermore, the base body 10 has two side walls 12, a front wall 13, a rear wall 14, and a strip-shaped supplementary wall 15. The container walls are made from sheet-like, transparent polycarbonate material by cutting and are glued or welded together. A similarly formed base 16 is angled in its end section 17 facing the rear wall 14, so that a free space 18 is formed below this end section 17 between the side walls 12 and the rear wall 14, into which the operator can reach with one hand.

[0058] The floor 16, the front wall 13, and the supplementary wall 15 are made from a single piece of sheet metal that has been bent into an approximately L-shape. The end section 17 of the floor 16 is also deflected out of the plane of the floor 16 by a bending process.

[0059] In an upper opening 19 of the dispensing container 8, there is a handle bar 20 located centrally and between the opposite side walls 12, which on the one hand increases the rigidity of the dispensing container 8 and in this way prevents deformation of the side walls 12 in their upper area even under the introduction of force and on the other hand can be used as an additional carrying handle.

[0060] Finally, there are three recesses in each of the side walls 12, namely a larger, approximately rectangular recess 21 and two round recesses 22 arranged to the side of it. This will be discussed in more detail later.

[0061] From Figure 3, it can be seen that the device 1, in the area of ​​the dispensing device 4, has a cabinet-like body 23 which has a plurality of compartments 24, each provided for the insertion of a dispensing container 8. Each compartment 24 is bounded horizontally on both sides by a side wall 25, downwards by a base 26, and upwards by a ceiling 27, with mutually facing side walls 25 of adjacent compartments 24 being formed by a common side wall 25. Likewise, a ceiling 27 of a compartment 24 forms a base 26 of the compartment 24 above it. Due to the matrix-like arrangement of the compartments 24, the side walls 25 of several compartments 24 lying one above the other can be formed continuously by a single wall component. The same applies to the bases 26 or ceilings 27 of adjacent compartments 24.An upper end of the output device 4 is formed by a cover plate 28, which takes over the function of the ceilings 27 of the uppermost row of compartments 24.

[0062] In Figure 3, a dispensing container 8 is shown in a position relative to the device 1, in particular to the dispensing device 4 or the compartment 24 assigned to this dispensing container 8, in which it is immersed with a front region into an interior of the compartment 24 such that the supplementary wall 15 belonging to the compartment 24 is located just behind an opening cross-section of the compartment 24.

[0063] Furthermore, Figure 3 shows that the handle 9 is arranged on a U-shaped handle 29, which is currently in the carrying position in Figure 3. In this carrying position, the handle 29 extends approximately vertically (with the base 16 of the dispensing container 8 in a horizontal orientation). In this state, the handle 9 is located more or less vertically above the center of mass of the empty dispensing container 8.

[0064] Furthermore, two sections 30 of the handle 29 arranged at opposite ends of the handle 9 are hingedly connected at their ends facing away from the handle 9 to the respective associated side wall 12 of the dispensing container 8. The dispensing container 8 shown can be handled in this position solely by holding the handle 9 with one hand of an operator.

[0065] Figure 4 shows a position of the dispensing container 8 in which the sections 30 of the handle 29 are just abutting a front edge 31 of the cover plate 28, thus completing an insertion movement of the dispensing container 8 with the handle 29 projecting vertically upwards (carrying position). From this position, it is essential to pivot the handle 29 and thus also the handle 9 in the direction of the rear wall 14 by pivoting them about a pivot axis 32 defined by joints 33 between the handle 29 and the base body 10 of the dispensing container 8, as shown in Figure 5. With the handle 29 pivoted in this way, the dispensing container 8 can be pushed further into the assigned compartment while maintaining one-handed operation, as shown in Figure 6.

[0066] In the illustration according to Figure 7, the handle 29 is in an approximately horizontal orientation, in which it runs approximately parallel to the upper edges 34 of the side walls. In this position, the handle, together with the handle 29, forms a typical drawer or bin handle, via which horizontally directed forces can be conveniently exerted by the hand of an operator to displace the dispensing container 8 within the associated compartment 24. Figures 8 and 9 show further phases during the insertion movement when inserting the dispensing container 8 into the associated compartment 24, in each case with the handle 29 and the handle 9 in the insertion and removal positions. In Figure 9, the position of the dispensing container 8 is reached in which the rear wall 14 of the body 10 of the dispensing container 8 is flush with the front edges 35 of the side walls 25 of the respective compartment 24.The dispensing container 8 is thus in its collection position, which it must assume during operation of the device 1 so that the sorted medical tubes belonging to a specific group or class can be properly collected therein.

[0067] It is understood that the process of removing the dispensing container 8 from the associated compartment 24, ie, from the dispensing device 4, takes place in the reverse order to that shown in Figures 3 to 9. The handle 29 with the grip 9 is thereby transferred in the reverse direction, ie, from the insertion and removal position to the carrying position.

[0068] From Figures 3 to 9, it can also be seen that the side walls 25 of the compartments 24 or the body of the dispensing device 4 each have a groove 36, which is widened upwards in an inlet section 37 by a rounded upper groove wall 38. The groove 36 has a width such that a respective associated section 30 of the handle 29 can be received therein in the insertion and removal position of the handle 9 shown in Figures 7 to 9. The sections 30 of the handle 29 protrude approximately beyond the surface of the side walls 12 of the base body 10 of the dispensing container 8, which also constitutes a depth of the groove 36. Of course, said groove depth is slightly greater than said projection of section 30 of the handle 29, so that easy sliding of the dispensing container 8 is ensured during the insertion and removal movement.The aforementioned rounding of the groove wall 38 and the resulting groove widening result in the handle 29 sliding smoothly “around the corner” during the insertion movement and the operator can thus easily generate the required pushing force.

[0069] As already explained above, each dispensing container 8 is supported on the base 26 of the associated compartment 24 located underneath. However, the support is not provided via the base 16 of the base body 10 of the dispensing container 8, but rather via the two adjacent side walls 12 of the dispensing container 8, which for this reason protrude slightly beyond the underside of the base 26. A sliding movement between the dispensing container 8 and the base 26 of the compartment thus only occurs in the region of the lower end faces of the side walls 12 of the dispensing container 8, whereby the base 16 of the dispensing container 8 remains free of scratches due to the free space underneath, which is an aesthetic advantage, particularly when transparent material is used for the walls of the dispensing container 8.

[0070] The joints 33 located at the ends of the sections 30 of the handle 29 have the structure shown in Figures 10 and 11: An outer body 39 of the joint is inserted into the recesses 21 and 22 shown in Figure 2, specifically with a rectangular central part 40 adapted to the recess 21 and two sleeve parts 41 arranged on opposite sides of the central part 40, each adapted to the recesses 22. The central part 40 and the sleeve parts 41 each protrude beyond an oval-shaped base body 42 of the outer body 39 by an amount corresponding to a thickness of the side wall 12. Thus, the outer body 39 projects laterally beyond the outer surface of the side wall 12 only by the amount of the base body 42, whereas the middle part 40 and the sleeve parts 41 are recessed within the side wall 12 and are also flush with it on the inside.

[0071] The joints 33 also each have an inner body 43, which is connected to the respective end of the section 30 of the handle 29 via two screws 44. Each screw 44 extends through an opening 45 in the section 30 of the handle 29 and is screwed into a threaded bore in the inner body 43. Through this connection, the outer body 39 is clamped between the section 30 of the handle 29 and the inner body 43, with the clamping force being dimensioned such that the handle 29 can be easily pivoted about the pivot axis 32.

[0072] The inner body 43, in turn, consists of a circular disk-shaped base body 46, which is slidably supported on the central part 40 of the outer body 39, acts as a counter-holding body, and is composed of a central part 47 raised relative to the base body 46, which consists of a cylindrical pin part 48 and two diametrically opposed protruding locking lugs 49. Both the inner body 43 and the outer body 39, with their respective components, are integrally designed as plastic components (e.g., injection-molded or 3D-printed). The outer body 39 is screwed to the base body 10 of the dispensing container 8 by means of two screws 50, each of which is guided through one of the recesses 22 in the side wall 12 of the base body 10.

[0073] To implement a locking function in the carrying position of the handle 9 or the handle 29 holding it, a locking recess 51 is arranged on the outer body 39 on the upper side of a bearing recess 52, which interacts with the locking lug 49 of the middle part 47 of the inner body 43 in the carrying position of the handle 9. In the locking position, in which the locking lug 49 is located in the associated locking recess 51, rotation of the handle 29 is prevented by a positive connection of the aforementioned components. Starting from such a locking position, the handle 29, together with the inner body 43 connected to it, can be moved by a radial depth of the locking recess 51 in the bearing recess 52 in the direction of the base 16 of the dispensing container 8, so that the locking lugs 49 and the locking recesses 51 are disengaged.The handle 29 can then be pivoted - counterclockwise in Figure 10 and clockwise in Figure 11 - in order to reach the insertion and removal positions of the handle during the pivoting movement. During such a pivoting movement, end faces 53 of the two locking lugs 49 bear against sections 54 of an inner circumferential surface of the locking recess 51 and thus ensure precise guidance of the components rotatably mounted within one another. In addition, an outer circumferential surface of the pin part 48 bears against sections 55 of the inner circumferential surface of the locking recess 51 and, in phases, also ensures precise guidance of the pivoting movement of the handle 29. The locking of the handle 29 and the handle 9 in the carrying position can thus be activated by lifting or pulling up the handle 29 and deactivated by pressing it down.

[0074] Finally, Figures 12a to 12c show how an operator 56 handles a dispensing container 8. In order to insert the dispensing container 8 into the associated compartment 24 of the dispensing device or to remove it from this compartment 24, horizontally directed tensile or compressive forces must be applied to the handle 9 with the handle 29 aligned horizontally (Figure 12a). Once the dispensing container has been removed from the device 1, it can be carried like a basket with a vertically aligned handle on a more or less outstretched arm of the operator 56 (Figure 12b). If the contents of the dispensing container 8 are to be emptied upon reaching a destination in the form of an analysis device, in addition to one hand grasping the handle 9, the other hand of the operator 56 can be placed into the free space 18 on the underside of the dispensing container 8 (seeFigure 2) to effect a pivoting movement of the base body 10 of the dispensing container 8 around the still vertically oriented handle 19, thereby facilitating the emptying process of the dispensing container (Figure 12c). List of reference symbols.

[0075] 1 device

[0076] 2 template device

[0077] 3 Sorting device

[0078] 4 Output device

[0079] 5 housings

[0080] 6 rolls

[0081] 7 Opening cross-section

[0082] 8 Dispensing container

[0083] 9 Handle

[0084] 10 basic bodies

[0085] 11 Top

[0086] 12 side wall

[0087] 13 Front wall

[0088] 14 Rear wall

[0089] 15 Additional wall

[0090] 16 Floor

[0091] 17 final section

[0092] 18 Free space

[0093] 19 Opening

[0094] 20 handle bar

[0095] 21 Recess

[0096] 22 Recess body

[0097] Academic subject

[0098] side wall

[0099] Floor

[0100] Ceiling

[0101] cover plate

[0102] handle

[0103] Section

[0104] leading edge

[0105] Swivel axis

[0106] joint

[0107] top edge

[0108] leading edge

[0109] Nut

[0110] Inlet section

[0111] Groove wall

[0112] Outer body

[0113] Middle part

[0114] Sleeve part

[0115] Basic body

[0116] inner body

[0117] screw

[0118] Breakthrough base body

[0119] Middle part

[0120] Tenon part

[0121] locking lug

[0122] screw

[0123] Recess

[0124] Bearing recess

[0125] frontal surface

[0126] Section

[0127] Section

[0128] operator

Claims

Patent claims 1. Device (1) for sorting medical tubes, in particular blood collection tubes, comprising - a storage device (2) in which a supply of medical tubes to be sorted, preferably in bulk, can be provided, - a sorting device (3) by means of which the medical tubes provided in the supply device (2) can be identified and sorted according to at least one selected feature, and - a dispensing device (4) having a plurality of dispensing containers (8), - to which a plurality of sorted medical tubes having at least one selected feature can be fed from the sorting device (3), - in which the plurality of supplied medical tubes can be collected, preferably as bulk material, and - which can each be removed individually from the device (1) starting from a collection position, wherein the dispensing containers (8) each have a handle (9) by means of which the respective dispensing container (8) located in the collection position can be removed from the device (1) after being grasped by an operator's hand, characterized in that the handle (9), at least when the dispensing container (8) is removed from the device, can be transferred from a removal and insertion position relative to the latter into a carrying position and vice versa, in which a dispensing container (8) removed from the device (1) can be carried such that the handle (9) is located on an upper side or above the dispensing container (8) when viewed in a plan view of a dispensing container (8) placed on a flat floor,wherein the handle (9) is located in the removal and insertion position - viewed in a plan view of a dispensing container (8) placed on a flat floor - in an edge region of the dispensing container (8), so that it is in the, The collecting position of the dispensing container (8) can be reached by one hand of the operator.

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the handle (9) is positively guided relative to the dispensing container (8) during its transfer from the carrying position into the insertion and removal position and / or vice versa, at least over part of a transfer path, preferably over the entire transfer path.

3. Device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the handle (9) can be locked in the carrying position and / or the insertion and removal position relative to the dispensing container (8), so that when handling the dispensing container (8) during insertion into the device (1) or removal from the device (1), a relative movement between the dispensing container (8) and the handle (9) is prevented.

4. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the handle (9) is arranged on a preferably U-shaped or L-shaped handle (29) which is pivotable about a pivot axis (32) between the carrying position and the insertion and removal position, preferably by an angle of approximately 90°.

5. Device (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the pivot axis (32) runs perpendicular to a direction of movement of the dispensing container (8) during its removal from or insertion into the device (1) and - when viewing the dispensing container (8) in the collecting position - in the horizontal direction.

6. Device (1) according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the pivoting movement, when transferring the handle (29) from the insertion and removal position into the carrying position and / or vice versa, in at least one end position, a stop element arranged on the handle (29) strikes an associated stop element of the dispensing container (8).

7. Device (1) according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that at least a portion of the handle (29) at least in the insertion and removal position of the handle (9) is connected to a guide located in a body (23) of the device (1) during the transfer of the dispensing container (8) from the collection position to a position outside the device and / or vice versa.

8. Device (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one section of the handle (29), preferably two sections of the handle (29) arranged on opposite longitudinal sides of the dispensing container (8), protrudes or protrude beyond a respectively associated side wall (12) of the dispensing container (8) in a direction perpendicular to a direction of movement of the dispensing container (8) when it is removed from or inserted into the device (1).

9. Device (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that at least one horizontally extending groove (36) for guiding at least a portion of the handle (29) of the dispensing container (8) is arranged in vertically aligned side walls (25) of the body (23).

10. Device (1) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the body (23) has a plurality of compartments (24), preferably arranged in a matrix or grid, into each of which at least one dispensing container (8) can be inserted, preferably with a horizontal direction of movement.

11. Device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that a dispensing container (8) is supported in the collecting position with a bottom side, preferably with preferably strip-shaped support areas arranged on opposite edges of the bottom side, on at least one support surface, preferably a base (26), a strip or a rail, of a body (23) of the dispensing device (4).

12. Device (1) according to one of claims 4 to 11, characterized in that in each case a joint (33) at an associated end of the handle (29) - in the insertion and removal position and / or the carrying position of the handle (9) - can be transferred from a rotary position in which the handle (29) can be pivoted about the pivot axis, into a latching position in which pivoting about the pivot axis (32) is prevented, wherein the transfer of the handle (29) from the rotary position to the latching position takes place by a movement of the handle (29) relative to the dispensing container (8) with at least one movement component radial to the pivot axis (32).

13. Device (1) according to claim 12, characterized in that the joints (33) each have an inner body (43) connected to the handle (29) and an outer body (39) enclosing the inner body (43) and connected to the receiving container (8), wherein during the pivoting of the handle (29) the inner body (43) is rotatable in the outer body (39), wherein - in the carrying position of the handle (9) - starting from the rotary position a locking body (49) projecting radially from the inner body (43) is movable by a movement with a component of a direction of movement running radially to the pivot axis (32) into a locking recess (51) in the outer body (39), whereby the joint (33) assumes the locking position.

14. Device (1) according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the inner body (43) is connected to a counter-holding body, which is preferably arranged on an inner side of a side wall (12) of the receiving container (8), and the outer body (39) is inserted into the side wall (12) or is formed integrally by it, wherein the handle (29) is preferably arranged on the outer side of the side wall (12) and is connected to the counter-holding body by an opening (21) in the side wall (12) and by an opening (45) in the outer body (39).

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