Cap removal jig and jig for collection kit

Abstract

A cap removal jig (J1) comprises a container-holding member (40) and an engagement member (64A). The container-holding member (40) is capable of holding a plurality of medical containers (14) each having a plurality of container bodies (16). The engagement member (64A) is formed so as to be capable of engaging with a plurality of protective caps (18) respectively attached to the plurality of container bodies (16). The plurality of protective caps (18) can be removed from the plurality of container bodies (16) by displacing the engagement member (64A) relative to the container-holding member (40) in a state in which the engagement member (64A) is engaged with each protective cap (18) of the plurality of medical containers (14).

Description

Cap removal tool and collection kit tool

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cap removal tool and a tool for a collection kit.

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-33607 discloses a cap removal tool for removing protective caps from medical containers. The cap removal tool includes a tray for holding medical containers and an insertion portion provided on the tray that can remove protective caps from medical containers. The insertion portion is provided on the side of the tray. With the protective cap inserted into the insertion portion from the side of the tray, tilting the medical container causes the protective cap to engage with the insertion portion. This allows the protective cap engaged with the tray to be removed from the end of the medical container.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-33607

[0004] The cap removal tool of JP 2004-33607 A requires that when removing a protective cap from a medical container, the medical container must be tilted relative to the tray with the protective cap inserted into the insertion portion, making it difficult to remove the protective caps from multiple medical containers simultaneously.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to solve the above-mentioned problems.

[0006] (1) A first aspect of the present disclosure is a cap removal tool comprising a container holding member capable of holding a plurality of medical containers, each having a plurality of container bodies, and an engaging member capable of engaging a plurality of protective caps attached to the plurality of container bodies, and capable of removing the plurality of protective caps from the plurality of container bodies by displacing the engaging member relative to the container holding member while the engaging member is engaged with the plurality of protective caps of the plurality of medical containers held by the container holding member.

[0007] According to this cap removal tool, the protective caps of a plurality of medical containers held by the container holding member can be simultaneously removed by the engaging members.

[0008] (2) In the cap removal jig described in (1) above, the engaging member may have a plurality of cap accommodating portions in which a plurality of the protective caps are respectively accommodated, and a plurality of movable claw portions that can protrude toward the interior of the plurality of cap accommodating portions and can engage with a plurality of the protective caps, respectively.

[0009] With this configuration, the plurality of cap accommodating sections are provided with a plurality of movable claws, so that the protective caps can be effectively removed from the container body.

[0010] (3) In the cap removal jig described in (2) above, the engaging member may have an operating portion that can operate the protrusion of the plurality of movable claw portions from the outside of the engaging member.

[0011] With this configuration, the user can operate the operating portion to cause the movable claw portion to protrude, and the movable claw portion can be easily engaged with the protective cap.

[0012] (4) In the cap removal jig described in (2) above, a jig main body portion capable of at least partially accommodating multiple container bodies is provided, and the engaging member is rotatably arranged to open and close relative to the jig main body portion, and when the engaging member is closed relative to the jig main body portion, the multiple movable claw portions protrude into the multiple cap accommodating portions, thereby allowing the multiple movable claw portions to engage with the multiple protective caps.

[0013] With this configuration, the protective cap engaged with the movable claw portion can be effectively removed from the container body by rotating the engaging member relative to the jig body portion.

[0014] (5) The cap removal jig described in (2) above may be provided with a jig main body portion capable of at least partially accommodating multiple container bodies, and a base portion that supports the jig main body portion and on which the container holding member can be placed.

[0015] With this configuration, the jig body can be effectively held by the base.

[0016] (6) In the cap removal jig described in (1) above, the multiple container bodies each have multiple neck portions that narrow radially inward below the multiple protective caps, and the engaging member has an inclined portion that is inclined relative to the horizontal direction, and the inclined portion is provided with multiple insertion recesses into which the multiple neck portions can be inserted, respectively, and the multiple neck portions are inserted into the multiple insertion recesses, so that the inclined portion engages with the multiple protective caps.

[0017] With this configuration, by moving the container holding member relative to the inclined portion, the inclined portion pushes the protective cap upward relative to the container body, so that the protective cap can be effectively removed.

[0018] (7) The cap removal jig described in (6) above may further include a cap recovery section provided below the inclined section for recovering the plurality of protective caps removed by the inclined section.

[0019] With this configuration, the protective caps removed by the inclined portion are effectively collected in the cap collecting portion, which eliminates the need to collect the removed protective caps each time.

[0020] (8) In the cap removal jig described in (1) above, the engaging member may have a plurality of claw portions that can be engaged with the plurality of protective caps, respectively.

[0021] With this configuration, the protective cap can be effectively engaged with and removed from the container body by the multiple claws.

[0022] (9) In the cap removal tool described in (8) above, the engaging member may have an engaging main body portion having a plurality of the claw portions, and a gripping portion protruding from the engaging main body portion and capable of being gripped by a user.

[0023] With this configuration, the user can easily remove the protective cap by gripping the grip portion and operating the engaging member.

[0024] (10) A second aspect of the present disclosure is a collection kit jig used to transfer collection objects contained in a collection kit to a plurality of medical containers, the collection kit jig comprising: a kit holding section that holds the collection kit; a container holding member that is provided below the kit holding section and is capable of holding a plurality of medical containers, each having a plurality of container bodies; a base that is disposed below the kit holding section and the container holding member and supports the container holding member; and an engaging member that is capable of engaging with a plurality of protective caps attached to the plurality of container bodies, wherein the container holding member is detachable from the base, and the engaging member can be displaced relative to the container holding member while engaged with the plurality of protective caps of the plurality of medical containers held by the container holding member, thereby removing the plurality of protective caps from the plurality of container bodies.

[0025] According to this collection kit jig, the engaging member allows the multiple protective caps to be easily removed. In addition, since the container holding member can be removed from the base, the protective caps can be removed efficiently.

[0026] According to the present disclosure, by displacing the engaging member relative to the container holding member while the engaging member is engaged with multiple protective caps of multiple medical containers, the engaging member can be used to simultaneously remove multiple protective caps from multiple container bodies.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a collection kit jig of the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing a container holding member of the collection kit jig of FIG. 1. FIG. 2B is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of a medical container. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cap removal jig according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the cap removal jig. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an engaging member of the cap removal jig in a closed state. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 4. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a cap removal jig according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the cap removal jig. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the removal of a protective cap with the cap removal jig. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a cap removal jig according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 12A is a first explanatory view showing the operation of the engaging member. FIG. 12B is a second explanatory view showing the operation of the engaging member. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the cap removal jig.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1 , the collection kit jig 10 is used to transfer collection objects contained in a collection kit 12 to multiple medical containers 14. The collection kit 12 is used to transfer collection objects contained in a medical bag (not shown) to multiple medical containers 14. The collection objects are, for example, blood products such as platelet products. The collection objects may also be pharmaceuticals other than blood products. The collection objects may also be liquid samples other than pharmaceuticals. The medical bag may be a blood bag system that centrifuges blood containing multiple components into multiple components with different specific gravities (e.g., three components: a light component, a medium component, and a heavy component, or two components: a light component and a heavy component), and separates the components into different bags for storage and storage. In this case, the collection kit 12 may be connected to the blood bag system.

[0029] The collection kit 12 is used, for example, in culture tests to confirm the safety of blood products at facilities such as blood centers that manufacture blood products. The culture tests involve culturing anaerobic bacteria and aerobic bacteria. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2A , two medical containers 14 are used for the culture tests: a medical container 14 for anaerobic culture (hereinafter also referred to as a "first medical container 141") and a medical container 14 for aerobic culture (hereinafter also referred to as a "second medical container 142"). As shown in FIG. 1 , the collection kit 12 is used to collect a liquid sample (platelet product) and dispense a predetermined amount into the two medical containers 14.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2B , the medical container 14 includes a container body 16, a protective cap 18 attached to the container body 16, and a neck portion 20 tapered radially inward below the protective cap 18. The container body 16 is cylindrical and can accommodate a collection target (not shown). The end of the container body 16 includes a lid member 22 surrounding the outer periphery, an inlet 24 through which the collection target is introduced, and a stopper 26 sealing the inlet 24. The inlet 24 and stopper 26 are provided inside the lid member 22. The protective cap 18 is provided at the end of the container body 16 and covers the stopper 26 and the lid member 22. The protective cap 18 is attached to cover the surface of the stopper 26, which has been sterilized in advance. The protective cap 18 protrudes radially outward from the lid member 22. The lower end 181 of the protective cap 18 is positioned outside the outer periphery of the lid member 22. When storing a sample in the medical container 14, the protective cap 18 is removed from the container body 16 to expose the stopper 26 and the lid member 22. The protective cap 18 is removed from the container body 16 in the axial direction of the container body 16, away from the end of the container body 16.

[0031] 1, collection kit 12 includes an inlet tube 28 to which a medical bag (not shown) is connected, a collection bag 32 having multiple storage compartments, and an adapter 34 connectable to medical container 14. Adapter 34 may be detachable from collection bag 32. Collection kit 12 is typically used with its top and bottom aligned vertically.

[0032] The collection kit jig 10 includes a base 36, a kit holding part 38, a container holding member 40, and an elevating mechanism 42. The kit holding part 38 holds the collection kit 12 via a holder 44. The elevating mechanism 42 is provided on the base 36 and moves the kit holding part 38 up and down relative to the container holding member 40.

[0033] The base 36 includes a kit holder 38 and a seat 46 disposed below the container holder 40. The kit holder 38 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction and holds the collection kit 12.

[0034] The container holding member 40 is disposed below the kit holding portion 38 and is supported by a base 46. The container holding member 40 is held by the base 46 so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 2A , the container holding member 40 has a plurality of container support portions 48. The container holding member 40 is configured to be able to hold a plurality of medical containers 14, respectively. The plurality of container support portions 48 are spaced apart from one another in the circumferential direction about the central axis CL of the container holding member 40. Below, a case will be described in which the container holding member 40 includes four container support portions 48. Note that the number of container support portions 48 is not limited to four. For example, the number of container support portions 48 may be two, or five or more.

[0036] The container holding member 40 includes a disk-shaped support base 50 and a support wall portion 52 extending from the support base 50. The support base 50 forms the lower portion of the container holding member 40. The upper surface of the support base 50 has four storage recesses 54 that accommodate the bottoms of the medical containers 14. Each of the four storage recesses 54 is formed in a circular shape and recessed downward from the upper surface of the support base 50. The storage recesses 54 are shaped so that they can accommodate the bottoms of the medical containers 14.

[0037] A rotating shaft 56 is provided on the underside of the support base 50. The rotating shaft 56 protrudes axially from the underside of the support base 50. The rotating shaft 56 is provided at the center of the support base 50. The rotating shaft 56 is inserted into a shaft hole (not shown) in the base body 461 of the base 46. The rotating shaft 56 rotatably supports the container holding member 40 on the base 46. The rotating shaft 56 serves as the center of rotation of the container holding member 40.

[0038] The support wall portion 52 protrudes upward from the upper surface of the support base 50. The support wall portion 52 is provided at the radial center of the support base 50. The support wall portion 52 has a plurality of curved portions 58. In a plan view seen from the axial direction of the container holding member 40, each of the plurality of curved portions 58 is formed in an arc shape that follows a portion of the circumferential surface of the accommodating recess 54. The cross-sectional shape of the curved portions 58 is formed so that they can hold a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the medical container 14.

[0039] The container holding member 40 is detachably provided on the base 46. The container holding member 40 can be removed from the base 46 by removing the rotation shaft 56 upward from a shaft hole (not shown) of the base 46.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, the collection kit jig 10 further includes a removal member 101. The container holding member 40 and the removal member 101 in the collection kit jig 10 constitute a cap removal jig J1 according to the first embodiment. The cap removal jig J1 is capable of removing multiple protective caps 18 from multiple medical containers 14. The removal member 101 includes a jig main body 60A, a base 62, and an engagement member 64A.

[0041] The jig main body 60A has a plurality of container housing sections 68 that house a plurality of medical containers 14. The plurality of container housing sections 68 are configured to be able to at least partially house the container bodies 16 of the plurality of medical containers 14. The plurality of container housing sections 68 house a plurality of medical containers 14 held by the container holding member 40. Below, a configuration in which the cap removal jig J1 is capable of removing the protective caps 18 of two medical containers 14 (a first medical container 141 and a second medical container 142) will be described. Note that the cap removal jig J1 is not limited to a configuration in which the protective caps 18 of two medical containers 14 can be removed individually. For example, the cap removal jig J1 may be configured to be capable of removing the protective caps 18 of three or more medical containers 14.

[0042] Two of the multiple container housing sections 68 are provided so that they can accommodate two medical containers 14. The two container housing sections 68 are arranged side by side along the width direction of the jig main body 60A. The two container bodies 16 extend vertically and penetrate upward through the jig main body 60A. When a container body 16 is housed in each of the two container housing sections 68, the outer peripheral surface of the container body 16 is supported by the inner peripheral surface of the container housing section 68. A portion of the outer peripheral surface of the container body 16 is exposed to the outside at the front surface of the jig main body 60A. Each container housing section 68 includes a first housing section 681 that houses the container body 16 and a second housing section 682 that is located above the first housing section 681 and houses the neck 20. The space between the first housing section 681 and the second housing section 682 is tapered upward.

[0043] The jig main body 60A further includes a pair of first gripping portions 701 that can be gripped by a user, an insertion portion 72 into which a portion of the container holding member 40 can be inserted, and a pair of support portions 74 that support the engaging member 64A. The pair of first gripping portions 701 protrude in the width direction from both side portions of the jig main body 60A. The number of first gripping portions 701 is not limited to a pair. For example, the first gripping portion 701 may be provided on only one of the both side portions of the jig main body 60A.

[0044] The insertion portion 72 is provided at the bottom of the jig main body 60A. The insertion portion 72 is provided below the container accommodation portion 68. The insertion portion 72 may be, for example, a through-hole that penetrates the jig main body 60A in the thickness direction, or may have a shape that sandwiches the top and bottom surfaces of the support base 50 of the container holding member 40 and has a recess that follows the shape of the side surface (outer peripheral surface) of the support base 50.

[0045] The base 62 supports the lower part of the jig main body 60A. The base 62 has a mounting surface 621 that is perpendicular to the extension direction of the container accommodating portion 68 of the jig main body 60A. The mounting surface 621 is provided so that the container holding member 40 can be placed thereon. The lower part of the container holding member 40 abuts against the mounting surface 621 of the base 62 to be supported. The container holding member 40 is positioned in front of the jig main body 60A on the base 62. With the container holding member 40 positioned on the base 62, a portion of the container holding member 40 is inserted into the insertion portion 72, and the two medical containers 14 held by the container holding member 40 can each be accommodated in the container accommodating portion 68.

[0046] The pair of support portions 74 are provided on the upper part of the jig main body 60A. The pair of support portions 74 are provided at the rear end of the jig main body 60A. The pair of support portions 74 are provided at both widthwise ends of the jig main body 60A. A support shaft 76 that rotatably supports the engaging member 64A is inserted into the support portions 74.

[0047] 3, the engaging member 64A is provided above the jig body 60A and is rotatable so as to open and close relative to the jig body 60A. The engaging member 64A engages with the protective caps 18 of the two medical containers 14.

[0048] The engagement member 64A includes an opening / closing member 78, a plurality of cap receiving portions 80, a plurality of movable claw portions 82 (see FIG. 6), and an operating portion 84.

[0049] The opening / closing member 78 is formed in a plate shape and is rotatably supported on the upper part of the jig body 60A. When the opening / closing member 78 shown in Fig. 5 is closed relative to the jig body 60A, the opening / closing member 78 has a front end 78F disposed forward and a rear end 78R disposed rearward of the front end 78F (see Fig. 6).

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4 , the open-close member 78 includes a cover main body 781 and a cover portion 782. The rear end 78R of the cover main body 781 has a supported portion 783. The supported portion 783 is provided at the rear end 78R of the open-close member 78. The supported portion 783 is disposed between the support portions 74 of the jig main body 60A (see FIG. 3 ). A support shaft 76 is inserted between the pair of support portions 74 and the supported portion 783. The open-close member 78 is openably and closably supported on the upper portion of the jig main body 60A via the support shaft 76, with the rear end of the open-close member 78 serving as a fulcrum (see FIG. 4 ). As shown in FIG. 5 , with the engaging member 64A closed relative to the jig main body 60A, the open-close member 78 faces the container holding member 40 and the medical container 14.

[0051] 6, the cover main body 781 has an accommodation chamber 86 therein for movably accommodating the movable member 90. The accommodation chamber 86 is formed in the front end portion 78F of the cover main body 781 and extends along the width direction.

[0052] As shown in Fig. 3, the multiple cap accommodating sections 80 are provided on a first surface 881 of the cover main body 781. The first surface 881 is the surface where the opening / closing member 78 faces the container holding member 40 when the engaging member 64A is closed relative to the jig main body 60A (see Fig. 5). The number of cap accommodating sections 80 is the same as the number of container accommodating sections 68. Below, a case where two cap accommodating sections 80 are provided will be described.

[0053] The two cap housing portions 80 are formed so that they can respectively accommodate the protective caps 18 of the medical containers 14. As shown in Figure 7, the two cap housing portions 80 are arranged side by side in the width direction of the cover main body 781. Each cap housing portion 80 is formed in a circular shape and is recessed from the first surface 881 in the thickness direction of the opening / closing member 78 (see Figure 4). When the engaging member 64A is closed relative to the jig main body 60A, the two cap housing portions 80 accommodate the protective caps 18 and lid members 22 of the two medical containers 14.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 3, the opening / closing member 78 further has a second grip portion 702. The second grip portion 702 is provided on the front end portion 78F of the opening / closing member 78. The second grip portion 702 protrudes forward from the front end portion 78F of the opening / closing member 78 (see Fig. 5). When opening or closing the opening / closing member 78, the user can grip the second grip portion 702.

[0055] 6, the plurality of movable claws 82 are provided on the cover main body 781. The plurality of movable claws 82 are capable of protruding toward the interior of the plurality of cap accommodating sections 80. In other words, the number of the plurality of movable claws 82 is the same as the number of the plurality of cap accommodating sections 80. Below, a case where two movable claws 82 are provided will be described.

[0056] The two movable claws 82 are provided on a movable member 90 extending in the width direction of the cover body 781. The movable member 90 is accommodated in an accommodation chamber 86 of the cover body 781. In the accommodation chamber 86, the movable member 90 is provided so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction of the cover body 781. The two movable claws 82 are spaced apart from each other in the extension direction (width direction) of the movable member 90. The two movable claws 82 each have a tip extending from the movable member 90. The tip 821 of each movable claw 82 has an arc-shaped cross section that is recessed toward the movable member 90. The tip 821 of each movable claw 82 is formed so as to be able to engage with the protective cap 18 of the medical container 14. The shape of the tip 821 of each movable claw 82 corresponds to the outer shape of the lid member 22 of the medical container 14.

[0057] The movable member 90 is biased toward the front end 78F of the cover main body 781 by a pair of resilient members 92. The pair of resilient members 92 are, for example, coil springs. Note that the resilient members 92 are not limited to coil springs. For example, the resilient members 92 may be leaf springs.

[0058] The pair of resilient members 92 are provided in hole portions 94 of the cover main body 781 that open to the storage chamber 86. The pair of resilient members 92 and the hole portions 94 are disposed rearward of the movable member 90. The pair of resilient members 92 abut against the rear surface of the movable member 90 at the widthwise ends of the movable member 90. The resilient force of each resilient member 92 urges the movable member 90 forward within the storage chamber 86.

[0059] The second surface 882 of the cover main body 781 is the surface opposite to the first surface 881, and the cover portion 782 is attached to the second surface 882. The cover portion 782 covers the second surface 882 of the cover main body 781.

[0060] The operating portion 84 is provided on the front end portion 78F of the cover main body 781. The operating portion 84 can operate the protrusion of the two movable claw portions 82 into the cap accommodating portion 80 from outside the engaging member 64A. The operating portion 84 is inserted into an operating hole 96 that opens at the front end portion 78F of the cover main body 781. The operating portion 84 is rotatably supported on the cover main body 781 via a pin 98.

[0061] The operation unit 84 includes a pressing portion 100 housed inside the cover main body 781 and an operation end 102 connected to the pressing portion 100 and exposed to the outside. The pressing portion 100 includes a first pressing portion 1001 and a second pressing portion 1002. The first pressing portion 1001 has an outer peripheral surface with a constant diameter centered on the pin 98. The second pressing portion 1002 has an outer peripheral surface with a larger radius centered on the pin 98 than the outer peripheral surface of the first pressing portion 1001. The pressing portion 100 contacts the front surface of the movable member 90. The operation end 102 protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the pressing portion 100. The operation end 102 protrudes outward beyond the front end 78F of the cover main body 781 through the operation hole 96. The operation end 102 is operated by the user to switch the protrusion state of the two movable claws 82 relative to the cap housing portion 80.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 7 , when the operation end 102 of the operation unit 84 is rotated in a first direction around the pin 98 as a fulcrum to a first position, the first pressing portion 1001 comes into contact with the front surface of the movable member 90. The elastic force of the pair of elastic members 92 causes the movable member 90 to move forward within the accommodation chamber 86. As shown in Fig. 6 , when the operation end 102 of the operation unit 84 is rotated in a second direction around the pin 98 as a fulcrum to a second position, the second pressing portion 1002 comes into contact with the front surface of the movable member 90. The second pressing portion 1002 presses the movable member 90 rearward within the accommodation chamber 86, causing the movable member 90 to move rearward.

[0063] Next, a description will be given of the case where the protective cap 18 of the medical container 14 is removed using the cap removal tool J1. The protective cap 18 of the medical container 14 is removed before the collection object in the collection bag 32 is transferred to the medical container 14 using the collection kit tool 10.

[0064] First, as shown in FIG. 2A , the container holding member 40 is removed from the base 46 of the collection kit jig 10, and a first medical container 141 and a second medical container 142 are placed in the two container support portions 48 of the container holding member 40, respectively.

[0065] Next, as shown in FIG. 3 , the container holding member 40 containing the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 is placed on the base 62. At this time, the opening / closing member 78 is placed in an open state (hereinafter also referred to as the "initial state") relative to the jig main body 60A. When the opening / closing member 78 is in the open state, the front end 78F of the opening / closing member 78 is rotated around the support shaft 76 as a fulcrum so that the front end 78F is positioned above the rear end 78R (see FIG. 7 ). In the initial state, the operating unit 84 is in the first position.

[0066] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the container holding member 40 is moved rearward along the pedestal portion 62, the support base 50 is inserted into the insertion portion 72, and the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 are respectively housed in the container housing portion 68 (see Fig. 3). The container bodies 16 of the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 are respectively housed in the first housing portion 681, and the neck portions 20 of the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 are respectively housed in the second housing portion 682. The protective caps 18 and lid members 22 of the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 are exposed above the jig main body portion 60A.

[0067] With the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 housed in the container housing portions 68 of the jig main body 60A, as shown in FIG. 5 , the open-close member 78 is rotated toward the jig main body 60A to close it. Specifically, the user grasps the second grip portion 702 and rotates the open-close member 78 around the support shaft 76 as a fulcrum so that the front end 78F faces downward. The open-close member 78 becomes substantially horizontal, covering the upper part of the jig main body 60A. This closes the engaging member 64A relative to the jig main body 60A. With the engaging member 64A closed, the protective caps 18 of the first medical container 141 and the protective caps 18 of the second medical container 142 are housed in the two cap housing portions 80, respectively.

[0068] Next, the operating unit 84 is operated to engage the movable claw 82 with the protective cap 18 of the first medical container 141 and the protective cap 18 of the second medical container 142. Specifically, with the opening / closing member 78 in a closed state, as shown in FIG. 6 , the user grasps the operating end 102 of the operating unit 84 and rotates it in the second direction to the second position.

[0069] By operating the operating unit 84, the second pressing portion 1002 comes into contact with the rear surface of the movable member 90 and pushes the movable member 90 rearward. As the movable member 90 moves rearward within the housing chamber 86 while compressing the resilient member 92, the two movable claws 82 protrude into the two cap housing portions 80. The two movable claws 82 are disposed on the outer periphery of the lid member 22 and below the lower end portion 181 of the protective cap 18. As a result, the protective caps 18 of the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 are engaged with the movable claws 82 in the respective cap housing portions 80 and are prevented from falling out downward.

[0070] Next, the protective caps 18 are removed from the container main body 16. Specifically, with the operating unit 84 in the second position, the opening / closing member 78 is opened using the support shaft 76 as a fulcrum. As shown by the phantom lines in Figure 5, the opening / closing member 78 rotates upward and separates from the jig main body 60A, and the protective caps 18 held in each cap housing portion 80 move together with the opening / closing member 78, thereby detaching upward from the lid members 22 of each medical container 14.

[0071] As a result, the protective cap 18 of the first medical container 141 and the protective cap 18 of the second medical container 142 are simultaneously removed from the container body 16 .

[0072] After the protective cap 18 of the first medical container 141 and the protective cap 18 of the second medical container 142 are removed from the container body 16, the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 are used to transfer the collection object from the collection bag 32 to the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142, as shown in Figure 1.

[0073] With the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 stored in the container holding member 40, the container holding member 40 is attached to the base 46 of the collection kit jig 10. The rotating shaft 56 of the container holding member 40 is inserted into the shaft hole of the base 46. By placing the support base 50 of the container holding member 40 on the base 46, the first medical container 141 of the container holding member 40 is positioned in a predetermined position below the collection kit 12.

[0074] By lowering the collection kit 12 together with the kit holding portion 38 using the lifting mechanism 42, the adapter 34 of the collection kit 12 is connected to the first medical container 141, and the collection object contained in the storage portion (not shown) is transferred from the collection bag 32 to the first medical container 141.

[0075] The first embodiment has the following advantages.

[0076] 3, the device includes a container holding member 40 capable of holding a plurality of medical containers 14 (a first medical container 141, a second medical container 142), each having a plurality of container bodies 16, and an engaging member 64A capable of engaging with a plurality of protective caps 18 attached to the plurality of container bodies 16. With the engaging member 64A engaged with each of the protective caps 18 of the plurality of medical containers 14, the plurality of protective caps 18 can be removed from the plurality of container bodies 16 by displacing the engaging member 64A relative to the container holding member 40.

[0077] With this configuration, the protective caps 18 of a plurality of medical containers 14 held by the container holding member 40 can be simultaneously removed by the engaging member 64A.

[0078] 6, the engaging member 64A has a plurality of cap accommodating sections 80 that respectively accommodate a plurality of protective caps 18, and a plurality of movable claws 82 that can protrude toward the inside of the plurality of cap accommodating sections 80 and can respectively engage with the plurality of protective caps 18. With this configuration, the plurality of cap accommodating sections 80 are provided with a plurality of movable claws 82, so that the protective caps 18 can be effectively removed.

[0079] The engaging member 64A has an operating portion 84 that can operate the protrusion of the plurality of movable claws 82 from the outside of the engaging member 64A. With this configuration, the user can easily engage the movable claws 82 with the protective cap 18 by operating the operating portion 84.

[0080] As shown in Fig. 3, the jig body 60A is equipped with a jig body portion 60A capable of at least partially accommodating multiple container bodies 16, and the engaging member 64A is rotatable so as to open and close relative to the jig body portion 60A. As shown in Fig. 5, when the engaging member 64A is closed relative to the jig body portion 60A, the multiple movable claws 82 protrude into the multiple cap accommodating portions 80 (see Fig. 6). With this configuration, the protective caps 18 engaged with the movable claws 82 can be effectively removed by rotating the engaging member 64A relative to the jig body portion 60A.

[0081] 3, the jig includes a jig body 60A that can at least partially accommodate a plurality of container bodies 16, and a base 62 that supports the jig body 60A and on which the container holding member 40 can be placed. With this configuration, the base 62 can effectively hold the jig body 60A.

[0082] 1 , the collection kit jig 10 includes a container holding member 40 capable of holding a plurality of medical containers 14, and a base 46 disposed below the container holding member 40 and supporting the container holding member 40. The container holding member 40 is detachably attached to the base 46. With an engaging member 64A engaged with the protective caps 18 of the medical containers 14, the protective caps 18 can be removed from the container bodies 16 by displacing the engaging member 64A relative to the container holding member 40.

[0083] With this configuration, the engaging member 64A allows the multiple protective caps 18 to be easily removed. Furthermore, because the container holding member 40 can be removed from the base 46, the worker can remove the protective caps 18 without directly touching the protective caps 18. The protective caps 18 can be removed without tilting the medical container 14 relative to the cap removal jig J1. In other words, the protective caps 18 can be removed efficiently.

[0084] In the collection kit jig 10 described above, the cap removal jig J1 according to the first embodiment may be replaced by the cap removal jig J2 according to the second embodiment (Figures 8 to 10) or the cap removal jig J3 according to the third embodiment (Figures 11 to 13).

[0085] As shown in FIG. 8, the cap removal jig J2 according to the second embodiment includes a container holding member 40 and a removal member 103.

[0086] The removal member 103 includes a jig main body 60B, an engaging member 64B, and a cap recovery part 110. The jig main body 60B includes a flat base member 112, a wall part 114 extending upward from the base member 112, and a cover part 116 that covers a portion of the wall part 114.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 9 , the engaging member 64B has an inclined portion 118 formed on the wall portion 114 and inclined relative to the horizontal direction. The inclined portion 118 inclines upward and forward from the upper portion of the vertical portion 1141 of the wall portion 114. The angle of the inclined portion 118 relative to the horizontal direction is, for example, 30° to 70°. The inclined portion 118 is provided with a plurality of insertion recesses 120 into which the necks 20 of a plurality of medical containers 14 can be inserted, respectively. The number of insertion recesses 120 is the same as the number of medical containers 14 held by the container holding member 40. Below, a case where two insertion recesses 120 are provided will be described.

[0088] Each of the two insertion recesses 120 is provided at the front end of the inclined portion 118 at the insertion opening 122. The insertion recesses 120 are spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the engaging member 64B. Each insertion recess 120 has a generally semicircular shape recessed toward the rear of the inclined portion 118. Each insertion recess 120 is formed so that the neck portion 20 of the medical container 14 can be inserted into it. The width of the insertion recess 120 is greater than the diameter of the neck portion 20 and the lid member 22. The width of the insertion recess 120 is smaller than the diameter of the protective cap 18.

[0089] The cover portion 116 covers the upper and sides of the inclined portion 118. The upper wall of the cover portion 116 is spaced above and substantially parallel to the inclined portion 118. The upper wall of the cover portion 116 is inclined upward and forward relative to the horizontal direction. An insertion opening 122 is formed by the front end of the cover portion 116 and the inclined portion 118. The insertion opening 122 is rectangular and opens along the width direction of the jig main body 60B. A portion of the medical container 14 can be inserted into the engaging member 64B through the insertion opening 122.

[0090] The rear end of the cover portion 116 is disposed behind the wall portion 114. The rear end of the cover portion 116 and the vertical portion 1141 of the wall portion 114 are spaced apart and substantially parallel to each other. The rear end of the cover portion 116 and the vertical portion 1141 of the wall portion 114 form a discharge opening 124. The discharge opening 124 has a rectangular shape that opens along the width direction of the jig main body portion 60B. The protective cap 18 removed by the engaging member 64B can be discharged to the outside through the discharge opening 124.

[0091] The cap recovery unit 110 is provided below the inclined portion 118. The cap recovery unit 110 recovers the protective caps 18 removed by the inclined portion 118 of the engaging member 64B. The cap recovery unit 110 is formed in a box shape with an open top. The cap recovery unit 110 is positioned behind the vertical portion 1141 of the wall portion 114. The cap recovery unit 110 is held by the base member 112. The cap recovery unit 110 is positioned below the discharge opening 124. The protective caps 18 removed from the container body 16 by the engaging member 64B are received in the cap recovery unit 110 from the discharge opening 124 through the gap between the wall portion 114 and the cover portion 116.

[0092] Next, a description will be given of the case where the protective caps 18 of the medical containers 14 (first medical container 141, second medical container 142) are removed using the cap removal jig J2.

[0093] First, from the state shown in Fig. 9 , the container holding member 40 housing the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 is brought close to the jig body 60B of the cap removal jig J2. As shown in Fig. 10 , the necks 20 of the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 are inserted into the two insertion recesses 120 provided in the inclined portion 118. The protective cap 18 is inserted above the inclined portion 118 through the insertion opening 122. At this time, the user inserts the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 into the respective insertion recesses 120 with the axis of the container body 16 and the inclined portion 118 approximately perpendicular to each other.

[0094] By inserting the necks 20 of the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 into the insertion recesses 120, the upper surface of the inclined portion 118 comes into contact with the lower end 181 of the protective cap 18. At this time, the protective cap 18 and the inclined portion 118 come into contact in a substantially parallel state. To remove the protective cap 18, the container holding member 40 is pushed further rearward while changing its orientation (bringing the container holding member 40 closer to the jig main body 60B).

[0095] As a result, the protective cap 18 is tilted relative to the inclined portion 118. The inclined portion 118 pushes the end of the protective cap 18 upward. Note that the inclined portion 118 is not limited to contacting the end of the protective cap 18. For example, the inclined portion 118 may contact at least a predetermined arc-shaped region of the protective cap 18, including the end. As a result, the protective cap 18 is separated upward from the lid member 22 of the container body 16 and removed from the container body 16.

[0096] After the two protective caps 18 are removed from the container body 16, each protective cap 18 moves rearward along the inclined portion 118 and falls downward along the vertical portion 1141 of the wall portion 114. The two removed protective caps 18 are stored in the cap recovery unit 110 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 10 ). The wall portion 114 may have a recess capable of accommodating a portion of the support base 50 of the container holding member 40.

[0097] The second embodiment has the following advantages.

[0098] 9 , the inclined portion 118 of the cap removal jig J2 is provided with a plurality of insertion recesses 120 into which the neck portions 20 of the plurality of medical containers 14 can be inserted, respectively. The plurality of neck portions 20 are inserted into the plurality of insertion recesses 120, respectively, so that the inclined portion 118 engages with the plurality of protective caps 18.

[0099] With this configuration, by moving the container holding member 40 relative to the inclined portion 118, the inclined portion 118 pushes the protective cap 18 upward, so that the protective cap 18 can be effectively removed.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 10, the cap removal jig J2 includes a cap recovery section 110 that is provided below the inclined section 118 and recovers the multiple protective caps 18 removed by the inclined section 118.

[0101] With this configuration, the protective caps 18 removed by the inclined portions 118 of the engaging members 64B are effectively collected in the cap collection section 110. Therefore, it is not necessary to collect the removed protective caps 18 each time, which is efficient.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 11, a cap removal jig J3 according to the third embodiment includes a container holding member 40 and an engaging member 64C.

[0103] The engaging member 64C includes an engaging main body 130 and a gripping portion 132 protruding from the engaging main body 130. The engaging main body 130 is formed in a rectangular shape when viewed from above. The engaging main body 130 includes a first end 1301 which is one end perpendicular to the width direction, and a second end 1302 which is the end opposite the first end 1301. The gripping portion 132 is provided at the first end 1301.

[0104] 12A , the engagement main body 130 includes a plurality of cap housing portions 134 capable of housing protective caps 18, and a plurality of claw portions 136 protruding toward the plurality of cap housing portions 134. The plurality of cap housing portions 134 are spaced apart from one another in the width direction of the engagement main body 130. The plurality of cap housing portions 134 are provided on a first surface 1381 of the engagement main body 130. The first surface 1381 is the surface that faces the container holding member 40 when the engagement member 64C is positioned above the medical container 14. Below, a case where two cap housing portions 134 are provided will be described.

[0105] The two cap accommodating portions 134 are elongated in a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the engaging main body 130. Each cap accommodating portion 134 opens to the first surface 1381. The cap accommodating portion 134 includes a first accommodating portion 1401 and a second accommodating portion 1402. The first accommodating portion 1401 is provided closer to the first end 1301 of the engaging main body 130. The width of the first accommodating portion 1401 is larger than the diameter of the protective cap 18 of the medical container 14. The second accommodating portion 1402 is provided closer to the second end 1302 of the engaging main body 130. The width of the second accommodating portion 1402 is equal to or larger than the diameter of the protective cap 18 of the medical container 14. The width of the second accommodating portion 1402 is larger than the diameter of the lid member 22.

[0106] Two of the plurality of claw portions 136 are provided in each cap accommodating portion 134. The number of claw portions 136 is not limited to two. For example, each cap accommodating portion 134 may be provided with three or more claw portions 136, or may be provided with one claw portion 136.

[0107] The two claws 136 (hereinafter referred to as the first claw 1421 and the second claw 1422) are held by the engaging body 130. The first claw 1421 and the second claw 1422 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center of the width of the cap accommodating portion 134. The first claw 1421 and the second claw 1422 are arranged to face the first accommodating portion 1401. The tips of the first claw 1421 and the second claw 1422 are arranged at an angle to each other so as to face the center of the width of the cap accommodating portion 134. The tips of the first claw 1421 and the second claw 1422 protrude into the inside of the first accommodating portion 1401.

[0108] The engaging body 130 includes a cover member 144. The cover member 144 is provided at one end in the thickness direction of the engaging body 130. The cover member 144 covers and holds the plurality of claws 136 (first claws 1421, second claws 1422) provided on the engaging body 130.

[0109] Next, the removal of the protective cap 18 from the medical container 14 using the cap removal jig J3 will be described.

[0110] First, the container holding member 40 housing the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 is placed on the base 62. The user grips the handle 132 and faces the first surface 1381 of the engaging main body 130 toward the container holding member 40. The protective caps 18 and lid members 22 of the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 are inserted into the second housing portion 1402 of the cap housing portion 134, respectively. The protective caps 18 and lid members 22 are housed inside the engaging main body 130.

[0111] Next, as shown in FIG. 13 , the cap removal jig J3 is tilted obliquely upward starting from the tops of the first medical container 141 and the second medical container 142 so that the gripping portion 132 faces upward. As the cap removal jig J3 tilts, as shown in FIG. 12B , the claws 136 (first claw 1421, second claw 1422) in the first housing portion 1401 of the engagement main body 130 come into contact with the lower end 181 of the protective cap 18, and the first claw 1421 and second claw 1422 push the protective cap 18 upward. As a result, the protective cap 18 is separated upward from the lid member 22 of the container body 16 and removed from the container body 16. The two protective caps 18, while still housed in the two cap housing portions 134, are removed together with the cap removal jig J3.

[0112] The third embodiment has the following advantages.

[0113] 12A , the engaging member 64C has a plurality of claws 136 (first claws 1421, second claws 1422) that can engage with the plurality of protective caps 18. With this configuration, the protective caps 18 can be effectively engaged with and removed by the plurality of claws 136.

[0114] The engaging member 64C has an engaging body 130 provided with a plurality of claws 136, and a gripping portion 132 that protrudes from the engaging body 130 and can be gripped by a user.

[0115] With this configuration, the user can easily remove the protective cap 18 by gripping the grip portion 132 and operating the engaging member 64C.

[0116] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible in these embodiments without departing from the gist of the present disclosure or the spirit of the present disclosure derived from the content of the claims and their equivalents. These embodiments can also be implemented in combination. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples and are not limited to these. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical expressions are used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

Claims

1. A cap removal tool comprising: a container holding member capable of holding a plurality of medical containers, each having a plurality of container bodies; and an engaging member capable of engaging with a plurality of protective caps attached to a plurality of said container bodies, wherein the engaging member is engaged with a plurality of said protective caps of a plurality of said medical containers held by the container holding member, and the plurality of said protective caps can be removed from the plurality of said container bodies by displacing the engaging member relative to the container holding member.

2. A cap removal jig as described in claim 1, wherein the engaging member has a plurality of cap accommodating sections in which a plurality of the protective caps are respectively accommodated, and a plurality of movable claw sections that can protrude into the interiors of the plurality of cap accommodating sections and can engage with a plurality of the protective caps respectively.

3. A cap removal jig according to claim 2, wherein the engaging member has an operating portion that can operate the protrusion of the plurality of movable claw portions from the outside of the engaging member.

4. A cap removal jig as described in claim 2, comprising a jig main body portion capable of at least partially accommodating a plurality of said container bodies, wherein the engaging member is rotatably arranged to open and close relative to the jig main body portion, and wherein when the engaging member is closed relative to the jig main body portion, the plurality of movable claw portions protrude into the interiors of the plurality of cap accommodating portions, thereby causing the plurality of movable claw portions to engage with the plurality of said protective caps.

5. A cap removal jig as claimed in claim 2, comprising: a jig body portion capable of at least partially accommodating a plurality of said container bodies; and a base portion that supports said jig body portion and on which said container holding member can be placed.

6. A cap removal jig as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of container bodies each have a plurality of neck portions that narrow radially inward below the plurality of protective caps, the engaging member has an inclined portion that is inclined relative to the horizontal direction, the inclined portion is provided with a plurality of insertion recesses into which the plurality of neck portions can be inserted, and the inclined portion engages with the plurality of protective caps by inserting the plurality of neck portions into the plurality of insertion recesses, respectively.

7. A cap removal jig according to claim 6, further comprising a cap recovery section provided below said inclined section for recovering a plurality of said protective caps removed by said inclined section.

8. A cap removal jig according to claim 1, wherein the engaging member has a plurality of claws that can be engaged with a plurality of the protective caps, respectively.

9. A cap removal jig as set forth in claim 8, wherein the engaging member has an engaging main body portion provided with a plurality of said claw portions, and a grip portion protruding from the engaging main body portion and capable of being gripped by a user.

10. A collection kit jig used to transfer collection objects contained in a collection kit to a plurality of medical containers, comprising: a kit holding section that holds the collection kit; a container holding member that is provided below the kit holding section and is capable of holding a plurality of medical containers, each having a plurality of container bodies; a base that is disposed below the kit holding section and the container holding member and supports the container holding member; and an engaging member that is capable of engaging with a plurality of protective caps attached to a plurality of the container bodies, wherein the container holding member is detachable from the base, and wherein the engaging member can be displaced relative to the container holding member while engaged with a plurality of the protective caps of the plurality of medical containers held by the container holding member, thereby enabling the plurality of protective caps to be removed from the plurality of container bodies.

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