Information reader of injection container

• US 9,101,392 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2012
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ookuma Electronic Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Ookuma Electronic Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Okuma, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): McKinnon, Terrell
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCNICHOLS, ERET C
• Application Number:
  US13/673,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20140131534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 248/230.3, 248/230.5, 248/228.3, 248/228.5, 248/231.41, 248/231.61, 248/213.2, 404/108, 222/415
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/96 using barcodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/00 Containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes capsules or the like for oral use A61J3/07; specially adapted for surgical or diagnostic appliances or instruments A61B50/30; containers for radioactive substances G21F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 1/14 Details; Accessories therefor A61J7/00 takes precedence; openers B65D, B67B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61J 2205/10 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6063 Optical identification systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/6072 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2207/10 Device therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/00 Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests vaccination appliances for veterinary use A61D1/025 ; tube connectors, tube couplings, valves or branch units specially adapted for medical use A61M39/00; containers specially adapted for medical or pharmaceutical purposes A61J1/00; combinations of vial and syringe for mixing or transferring their contents A61J1/20; holders for containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/3129 Syringe barrels A61M5/3205 and A61M5/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/003 Filling medical containers such as ampoules, vials, syringes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 3/006 Related operations, e.g. scoring ampoules
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 3/10 the container being positioned for labelling with its centre-line horizontal
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/022 repositionable
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/10 Character recognition

Abstract

An information reader of an injection container that includes a container clamping mechanism clamping side portions of the injection container, the container clamping mechanism includes a pair of first clamping bodies arranged on one side of the side portions of the injection container, and a second clamping body capable of entering between the pair of the first clamping bodies. Each of the pair of the first clamping bodies includes a first clamping unit having a first recess in an approximate doglegged shape, and a first arm portion projecting approximately horizontally from a lower end portion of the first clamping unit. The second clamping body includes a second clamping unit having a second recess in an approximately reverse doglegged shape formed to face against the first recess, and a second arm portion projecting approximately horizontally from a lower end portion of the second clamping unit.

Claims

1. An information reader of an injection container to read information attached on an outer peripheral surface of the injection container in a tubular shape, the information reader of the injection container comprising

a container clamping mechanism removably clamping side portions of the injection container whose cylinder length direction is made approximately horizontal, wherein the container clamping mechanism comprises

a pair of first clamping bodies arranged on one side of the side portions of the injection container and arranged to face each other while separating in the cylinder length direction,

a second clamping body arranged on another side of the side portions of the injection container and capable of entering between the pair of the first clamping bodies, and

a driving mechanism allowing the pair of the first clamping bodies to advance or retreat in a direction that is the horizontal direction and is almost orthogonal to the cylinder length direction, and allowing the second clamping body to advance or retreat in a direction opposite to the direction of advancing or retreating of the first clamping bodies,

wherein each of the pair of the first clamping bodies comprises

a first clamping unit having a first recess in an approximate doglegged shape that bends toward a direction allowing a vertex to separate from the side portion when viewed from the cylinder length direction, and

a first arm portion projecting approximately horizontally from a lower end portion of the first clamping unit in a direction opposite to the first recess, with its upper edge continuing to a lower end of the first recess,

wherein the second clamping body comprises

a second clamping unit having a second recess in an approximately reverse doglegged shape formed to face against the first recess, and

a second arm portion projecting approximately horizontally from a lower end portion of the second clamping unit in a direction opposite to the second recess, with its upper edge continuing to a lower end of the second recess,

wherein the driving mechanism allows the pair of the first clamping bodies and the second clamping body that are substantially facing each other to move approachingly and separatingly, and, at a time of approaching, the first arm portion and the second arm portion are overlapped to support the injection container from below, and

wherein the driving mechanism comprises an endless belt suspended in the direction of advancing or retreating,

wherein the pair of first clamping bodies are coupled to one portion of the endless belt and the second clamping body is coupled to another portion of the endless belt, so that during motion of the endless belt the pair of first clamping bodies move horizontally in a first direction while the second clamping body moves horizontally in a second direction opposite to the first direction,

wherein during a first direction of motion of the endless belt the second clamping body and said pair advance toward each other, and during a second direction of motion of the endless belt the second clamping body and said pair retreat away from each other,

wherein while the injection container is clamped for reading information attached on the outer peripheral surface of the injection container, the pair of first clamping bodies and the second clamping body are advanced toward each other so that the injection container resides at least in part in the first recess and the second recess,

wherein each of the pair of the first clamping bodies further comprises a first leg portion at the lower end portion of the first clamping unit and near an end opposite to the first arm portion,

wherein the second clamping body further comprises a second leg portion at the lower end portion of the second clamping unit and near an end opposite to the second arm portion, and

wherein the pair of the first leg portions and the second leg portion are respectively connected to the endless belt at opposing positions with a center of rotation therebetween so as to achieve said coupling of the pair of first clamping bodies to said one portion and said second clamping body to said another portion of the endless belt.