Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02220981 1997-11-13
WO 96/36437 PCTIUS96/07018
Vial Holder
Scope of the Invention
This invention relates to holders for vials containing biological samples
which
are to be transported on the conveyor line of automated testing equipment.
Background of the Invention
Specimens of biological materials such as blood etc. taken from patients for
biological testing, are often tested using automated testing equipment on
which vials
containing the specimens are transported on a conveyor belt to various testing
instruments located at points adjacent to the conveyor line. Such instruments
are
generally automated, and mechanical interfaces are provided to transport the
vials to
the instruments or vice versa.
Normally such vials are held in holders adapted to be carned securely on the
conveyor and to hold the vials securely in an upright orientation. Known
holders
generally comprise a rigid plastics material body with a cavity therein into
which a vial
may be inserted. A problem with known holders is that they can generally hold
only
one diameter of vial securely, as a cavity suited to one diameter will be too
small for
larger diameter vials, whilst smaller diameter vials will be a loose fit and
will not be
held upright.
EP 047644A and EP 0339775 respectively disclose holders for vials in which a
number of respectively downwardly and upwardly pointing resilient fingers
extend
inwardly into the cavity to bear upon a vial therein. US 531676 discloses a
holder for
vials in which a number of resilient vanes in a cavity hold a vial therein. US
5306469
discloses a holder for vials in which a flexible tubular holder is located
within the cavity
to hold vials. None of these disclosed holders are readily adjustable to hold
vials of a
wide range of diameters.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a holder for such vials
which
can securely hold vials of two or more different diameters in an upright
orientation.
Summary of the Invention
According to this invention a holder suitable for holding vials in a generally
upright orientation for transport on a conveyor line comprises:
a body having a cavity therein open at an upwardly facing side of the body,
the
cavity being of suitable size and shape to receive the lower part of a vial
inserted
therein, the cavity having bottom and side surfaces, characterised in that in
the
inwardly facing wall surface of the cavity are one or more recesses, in each
recess there
being a resilient member extending into the cavity, each member extending into
the
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cavity to a distance sufficient to exert by their resilience a grip upon a
vial inserted into
the cavity.
Description of the Invention
The vials may be the known vials normally used for containing biological
samples such as blood etc. on the conveyors of known automated testing
equipment,
i.e. small glass or plastics material tubes of about 17m1 capacity, and ca. 1-
2 cm in
diameter. The conveyor may be of known type, for example a Flex Link - XSTM or
Flex Link - XMTM type conveyor.
The body of the holder can be made of any type of material and by any means.
Preferably it will be made of mouldable or otherwise workable plastics
materials such
as polyethylene, polypropylene, PTFE etc. The body may be of generally
cylindrical
shape. One of the ends of such a cylinder preferably forms a flat base upon
which the
holder may be stood whilst on the conveyor, and the other end of the cylinder
may also
be generally flat and may form the upwardly facing side at which the cavity is
open.
The cavity is preferably a generally cylindrical cavity, but may alternatively
be
polygonal. In a cylindrical body the axis of such a cavity may be parallel to
the
longitudinal axis of the body and the two may be coaxial. The width, i.e. the
diameter
of a cylindrical cavity, should be at least the width, e.g. the diameter, of
the widest vial
to be inserted into the cavity. The longitudinal depth of the cavity should be
less than
the length of the vial to be inserted therein but sufficient to allow the vial
to be stably
retained in the holder. Commonly such vials are labeled with an adhesive
machine-
readable label, e.g. bearing a bar code, which can be read by sensors arranged
along
the conveyor to enable detection and identification of the vial, so that it
can be handled
appropriately for example by automatic machinery responsive to the information
on the
label. The depth of the cavity should be such that such a label is exposed
above the
upper end of the holder. Alternatively the upper end of the holder may have
downwardly extending cut-outs, for example the upper end may be castellated.
Such
constructions enable the label to be easily read without obstruction by parts
of the
body.
The said recesses may extend partly through the wall of the body between the
cavity and the external surface or may comprise an aperture passing entirely
through
the body between the cavity and the external surface. Each member may be
resiliently
movably located in a recess, extending into the cavity. The member may be
inherently
resilient, e.g. made of resilient material of a shape and dimensions such that
they can
exert their resilience, or additionally or alternatively the members may be
resiliently
moveably located in the recesses and rendered resilient by means of one or
more
resilient elements bearing upon these moveable members.
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The resilient elements) may comprise one or more resilient pads, springs etc.
located in the recesses behind the members, or may comprise collars or part
collars
around the body and the members, and bearing inwardly on the members from
behind.
Collars or part collars are particularly suitable when the said recesses are
apertures
which pass entirely through the body between the cavity and the external
surface, so
that the collar or part collar may surround the body.
Each recess may be generally in the form of a longitudinal slot, suitably
extending for 50% or more of the length of the body, yet being relatively
narrow. The
members suitable for such recess may consequently be relatively long and thin,
and
therefore capable of extending into the cavity over 50% or more of its length
to
provide stable gripping of a vial therein. The members should be provided with
restraint means, e.g. end-stop abutment surfaces to prevent the members
falling
completely into the cavity. The resilient collar or part collar may suitably
prevent the
members) from falling outwardly, or alternatively there may also be end-stops
to
prevent this too. Alternatively or additionally the recess may taper, widening
toward
the outer surface, and the members) may have a corresponding, e.g. wedge-
shaped
section. The recess(s) and members) may be respectively provided with engaging
guide surfaces to cause the members) to move in a guided direction inwardly
and
outwardly in the recess, for example in a cylindrical cavity the members) may
be so
guided as to move resiliently in a generally radial direction.
The resilient collar may for example be an elastomer band, or a part collar
may
be a resilient plastics material or metal circlip around the body and
member(s), and may
conveniently fit into a guide groove in the body and member(s). The collar or
part
collar may surround the upper part of the member, so that the member may
resiliently
pivot about its lower part.
In a cylindrical cavity the members may extend radialy inwardly. The inward
ends of the members function as internal gripping surfaces with less width
between
opposing ends than the width between the sides of the cavity, and the holder
can
consequently grip vials with a diameter intermediate between the width between
the
ends of opposing members and the width of the cavity, thereby enabling the
holder to
receive vials with a range of diameters between these two widths.
The body may incorporate additional features to suit it for use on an
automated
conveyor system, for example a metal base to provide a low centre of gravity,
and
external grooves or other engagement features to facilitate engagement with
handling
systems on the conveyor e.g. for presentation to an automated test.
Also, in the base or in the lower portion of the holder some type of
conductive
material which provides a means for sensing by conductance, capacitance,
electromagnetism or otherwise the travel of a metal probe in the vial may be
present.
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This for example provides a means for detecting the presence of a holder on an
automatic conveyor line, or for example controlling the depth to which a metal
aspiration needle will travel when introduced into the vial as a means for
removing a
sample for testing. Additionally or alternatively a window can be placed in
the lower
portion of the holder to provide an a window for optical or audio means for
sensing
the presence of a probe at a particular location in the tube. This sensing
means will
have an interface with a testing device probe. It will provide one means for
preventing
such a probe from going down too far into the vial and damaging the vial
itself or
rendering the probe inoperative because of contact with the vial's surface.
In a further aspect the present invention also provides an automated test
apparatus for biological samples which includes holders as described above and
a
conveyor system suitable to transport said holders.
In another aspect the present invention provides a method of automated testing
of biological samples in vials including the step of transporting a vial
around an
automated test operative on a conveyor system, the vial being held in a holder
as
described above.
Description of the Drawings
The invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to
the accompanying drawings which show:
Fig. 1 - A longitudinal sectional view of one embodiment of holder of this
invention with an inserted vial.
Fig. 2 - A plan view of the holder of Fig. 1 without the vial.
Fig. 3 - A longitudinal part cutaway sectional view of a further embodiment of
holder of this invention.
Fig. 4 - A plan view of the holder of Fig. 3
Figs. 5 and 6 - Views of a resiliently mounted member for the holder of Figs.
3 and 4.
Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, a holder comprises a hard polyethylene body
1
of generally cylindrical shape. Fig. 1 shows a longitudinal section about the
line A-A of
Fig. 2. Within body 1 is a cylindrical cavity 2 of a diameter capable of
receiving a vial
3 inserted uprightly therein via the open end of the cavity 2 at an upper end
surface 4
of the body. The vial 3 rests upon the contoured bottom surface 5 of cavity 2.
Three recesses 6 at 120° circumferential intervals extend completely
through
the side surfaces of the body 1 into the cavity 2. In the recess 6 are
moveably located
three members 7 in the form of elongated shapes of plastics material at the
120°
circumferential intervals. The members 7 are of a shape and size that allows
them to
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slide smoothly radially inwardly and outwardly in the recess 6, but are
restrained from
falling into the cavity by end stop abutment surfaces 8, 9.
A circumferential groove 10 is formed around the body l and in the outer
surface of the member 7. In the groove 10 is an elastomeric collar 11, which
bears
resiliently upon the member 7 to urge it inwardly.
The upper edge of the member 7 is ramp profiled to facilitate insertion of a
vial
3, which forces the member 7 outwardly against the resilience of the collar I
1. This
consequently causes the members 7 to grip the vial 3 resiliently.
The upper end of the body 1 is castellated with a cut out 12 to facilitate
reading
of information off a bar code label on a vial 2 inserted therein if the label
extends to a position near the bottom of the vial.
A flat base 13 of the body 1 is formed by a push in friction fit metal insert
14,
which enables the holder to be stably seated on a conveyor line, and the
position of the
holder 1 on a conveyor to be detected by electronic sensors, e.g. responsive
to
capacitance, conduction or electromagnetism. On the vial 3 is a label 15
bearing an
optically readable bar code so that information can be read off the vial 3 by
a suitable
sensor. In the outer surface of the body 1 are grooves 16 which facilitate
engagement
with guide means on a conveyor and/or other handling equipment.
Refernng to Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6 a further holder of this invention is shown,
parts
corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 being numbered correspondingly. In the holder
of Figs.
3, 4, S and 6 three recess 17 at 120° circumferential intervals extend
completely
through the side surfaces of the body 1 into the cavity 2. The recesses 17 are
open to
the upper surface 4 of the body 1 and have parallel sides as shown in Figs 3
and 4.
In the recess 17 are freely located three members 18 (one only shown in Fig 4,
for clarity) in the form of elongated shapes of plastics material as shown in
Fig 5 and 6,
Fig 5 being a side view and Fig. 6 being a section about the line B -B of Fig.
5. The
members 18 are of a shape and size that allows them to slide smoothly radially
inwardly and outwardly in the recess 17, but are restrained from falling into
the cavity
by end stop abutment surfaces 19 at their outer end and an abutment foot 20 at
their
lower end, which abut against corresponding steps 21, 22 in the recess 17.
A circumferential groove 23 is formed around the body l and a corresponding
groove 24 is formed in the outer surface of the member 18. In the groove 17 is
an
elastomeric collar (not shown in Fig 3, corresponding to 11), which bears
resiliently
upon the member 18 when this is in place in the recess 17 to urge it inwardly.
The
member 18 can therefore slide smoothly and resiliently radially inwardly and
outwardly
in the recess 17.
The upper surface 25 of the member 18 is ramp profiled to facilitate insertion
of a vial 3 (not shown in Figs 3 - 6), which forces the member 18 outwardly
against the
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resilience of the collar 18. This consequently causes the members 18 to grip
the vial 3
resiliently.
A particular feature of the holder of Figs 3 - 6 is that the inner face 26 of
the
member 18 is shaped so as to conform and fit flush with the cylindrical shape
of the
cavity 2 when the member 18 is urged outwardly in the recess 17, and similarly
the
foot 20 can fit flush into the step 22 in the recess 17. This facilitates the
holding by the
holder of the invention of vials 3 with an external diameter up to the full
internal
diameter of the cavity 2.
The holder of Figs. 3-6 is also provided with a metal base 13 (shown
non-inserted) analogous to that of Figs 1 - 4, which is a tight friction fit
in the lower
part of the cavity 2. The upper surface 27 of the base 10 is shaped with an
upstanding
centre portion having a rim 28 around a central conical hollow 29. This rim 28
provides a planar surface for a flat-bottomed vial (not shown) to sit stably
upon, whilst
the conical hollow 29 allows a round bottomed vial (not shown) to sit stably
therein.
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