Medical Product Dispenser With Portal Sensor Mount for Stack Counting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current receiving and dispensing devices for medical products, such as surgical items, are complex and costly, lacking a simple and economical solution for automatic inventory control.
Innovation Solution
A receiving and dispensing device composed of two simple components: an outer housing-forming container and a portal element, where the portal element is inserted into the container, allowing for ultrasonic sensor placement outside the product area for stack height measurement, using recyclable polymeric materials with hollow chambers for durability and resistance to moisture and cleaning agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If complex pick-up and delivery devices are used for inventory control, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is extracted from the product stack area and mounted on the upper portal wall, separating the measurement function from the storage function. This allows the sensor to measure stack height without interfering with product storage and retrieval operations, resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The upper portal wall serves as an intermediary structure that supports the sensor while maintaining the functional separation between measurement and storage. The portal element acts as a mediator that enables sensor placement without requiring complex integration into the product handling mechanism
2Ease of manufacture
If simple container structures are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but reliability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The container and portal element are made from polymeric materials with hollow chambers, combining simplicity of formation with enhanced mechanical properties. The hollow chamber structure provides both ease of manufacturing through folding and improved reliability through increased strength and resistance to moisture and cleaning agents
Solution Approach 2:
The container is formed from foldable flat material that creates a rigid structure when assembled. The thin folded walls provide sufficient structural integrity for long-term use while maintaining ease of manufacture through simple folding and assembly processes
3Measurement precision
If sensor is placed close to products for measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but object-affected harmful factors increase due to dust accumulation and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor is extracted from the product stack area and mounted on the upper portal wall, physically separating it from sources of dust and contamination. This positioning maintains measurement precision through ultrasonic signal transmission while eliminating exposure to harmful factors present in the product storage environment
Solution Approach 2:
The upper portal wall opening acts as an intermediary that allows ultrasonic signals to pass through to reach the product stack for measurement, while the sensor itself remains positioned outside the contaminated environment. This mediator enables measurement function while protecting the sensor from harmful factors
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a cost-effective, easy-to-produce device with automatic inventory control, ensuring long-term use and safety while preventing dust accumulation and injury risks, with the ability to stack and stabilize multiple containers.
Implementation Method 1
A sensor signal, ie in particular an ultrasonic signal, can advantageously be transmitted and received again through the mentioned opening in the upper portal wall in the direction of an upper side of a product lying on top of a product stack.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3a~3c
AI summary
The invention relates to a receiving and dispensing device (2) for stackable or stackably packaged products (52) for use in the medical field, in particular surgical products, wherein the receiving and dispensing device comprises a housing-forming container (4) with an end-face dispensing opening (16) for manual access to the products (52) and with side walls (12) and a bottom-side base (10) and an upper end (20) facing away from the base, and wherein a sensor (36) is provided by means of which a stacking height (59) of the products (52) and from this the number of products within the receiving and dispensing device can be determined; according to the invention, it is proposed that a portal element (8) is inserted into the interior (6) of the housing-forming container (4), which is formed from a blank (60) of a flat material by a number of folds (28) of the blank (60),and that the portal element (8) has an upper portal wall (24) that at least partially covers the interior (6) of the housing-forming container (4) from above, and two lateral portal walls (26) or portal struts, wherein the two lateral portal walls (26) or portal struts support the upper portal wall (24) and are supported against the bottom base (10) of the housing-forming container (4), and that the upper portal wall (24) is spaced from the upper end (20) of the housing-forming container (4), thereby forming a receiving space (40) for the sensor (36), and that at least one opening (38) or a weakening forming an opening (38), which can be manually pressed out, is provided in the upper portal wall (24), by means of which the sensor (36) can be positioned in the receiving space (40) on the upper portal wall (24).